EMPIRE OF THE SUNS

NBA GM survey 2024: Suns not in title mix but still a team to watch

Oct 9, 2024, 3:01 PM

General manager James Jones of the Phoenix Suns talks during a press conference introducing Kevin D...

General manager James Jones of the Phoenix Suns talks during a press conference introducing Kevin Durant at Footprint Center on February 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The NBA GM survey annually conducted by NBA.com in the preseason shows that league general managers don’t view the Phoenix Suns as a title contender as they were a year ago.

But the consensus is executives in the league still see Phoenix as a top-five Western Conference team.

The Suns received some votes for most likely to improve after winning 49 games and getting swept out of the playoffs last season. Still, they were not in the top three of teams in that portion of the extensive poll.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer’s arrival puts Phoenix in position to make a leap. He received at least one vote as the best head coach and earned 40% of the vote as the No. 1 new coach to make the biggest impact on his new team.

His offensive philosophies are expected to make a difference. The Suns were picked fourth most often (10%) as the toughest team to predict but got mentioned as a potential team to have the best offense in the NBA as well as the most fun team to watch.

NBA GM survey picks Devin Booker, Kevin Durant among top players at their positions

A year after Devin Booker came out as the highest-rated shooting guard in the NBA, he finds himself second behind the man who helped knock the Suns out of the 2023-24 playoffs, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.

Edwards (33%) got the nod over Booker (23%) and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20%).

Phoenix teammate Kevin Durant got bucketed into both the power forward (2nd, 7%) and small forward (T-2nd, 17%) positions.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was labeled the best power forward with 77% of the vote, while Boston’s Jayson Tatum won 47% of the vote at small forward.

Suns’ Tyus Jones signing sparks interest

The Thunder trading for former Bulls guard Alex Caruso to add some more defensive peskiness to the roster won the category of most underrated player acquisition (23%).

Orlando nabbing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope away from Denver (17%) was followed by a tie between Oklahoma City signing former New York center Isaiah Hartenstein and Phoenix finding its starting point guard.

The Suns added Jones on a veteran’s minimum deal despite him heading into the market looking like he would make three times that rate, even as a top-tier backup.

He received votes in the most surprising move category.

Kevin Durant is still him

Durant is still more than chugging along at 36 years old by averaging 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last year.

He was second (23%) beyond Golden State’s Stephen Curry (40%) as the player GMs would pick to take a shot with the game on the line.

Durant got mention well behind behind Curry (87%) as the best pure shooter and was tied for third as the most versatile player in the league, behind Antetokounmpo and the Lakers’ LeBron James.

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