Mike Budenholzer has already named the Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup

During the Phoenix Suns’ media day on Monday, you can expect to hear the usual clichés about the signings’ great offseason and Player X’s 15-pound muscle gain. Good news: Don’t expect first-year coach Mike Budenholzer to give the old “guys have to fight for their starting positions in training camp” speech.

The Suns have their starting five. There are no surprises.

Budenholzer told NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner in a story published Friday that point guard Tyus Jones will be joined by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic at the start of games.

“Obviously we feel like Tyus has established himself as a great starting point guard in our league and he will Be our starter,” Budenholzer told NBA.com. “When you line him up with Kevin, Brad, Book and Nurk, we feel like we have a strong starting lineup. And a really strong bench behind it.”

Phoenix front office members had already said Jones would start after he averaged 12.0 points, 7.3 assists and 49% shooting from the field last season with the Washington Wizards.

The Suns’ three-headed monster joining him is no surprise, even though the fan debate at times this offseason has been to consider Beal as a backup player.

That’s not how it works for a three-time All-Star who makes $51 million per season, even if he had injury problems and even if his 18.2 points per game were his lowest since the 2015-16 season.

Beal had his most efficient season as a pro — 51% shooting and 43% from three — and barely did enough to warrant this silly discussion.

Nevertheless, Budenholzer’s naming of an official starting lineup so early puts a stamp on the Suns fielding a fairly small lineup.

Phoenix added Jones late in the free agency process after the former Washington Wizards point guard watched the market dry up, leaving him with replacement options and potentially an eight-figure annual salary. Instead, he opted for the Suns’ starting opportunity, which comes with a veteran minimum salary of $3 million.

If the Suns are fully healthy, shooting guard Grayson Allen will be thrown to the bench after his career season and will play alongside Booker and Beal in the backcourt.

Signing Jones also eats up the playing time of Monte Morris, his fellow point guard who joined the Suns earlier in the free agency process and looked like he would be a low-turnover general, at least off the bench play a significant role.

For a team that relied too heavily on Beal and Booker to score points last year, having two point guards should be welcome. The starting lineup is offensively scary when Jones plays with pace in the fullcourt and the Suns can shoot as many threes as they should in the halfcourt under Budenholzer.

There are questions about fit and offensive deficiencies on the wing and rebounding concerns at the 4th and 5th spots. But there’s no doubt the roster is more diverse compared to last year’s team.

Here’s a look at the strength of the 20 players coming into training camp on standard, two-way and exhibition 10 contracts.

Who will be in the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns at the start of the 2024/25 season?

PG: Tyus Jones

G: Devin Booker

G: Bradley Beal

Q: Kevin Durant

C: Jusuf Nurkic

Depth of the tanning bed

PG: Monte Morris, Collin Gillespie (two ways), TyTy Washington (two ways)

G: Grayson Allen, Damion Lee

Wings: Royce O’Neale, Ryan Dunn, Josh Okogie

F: Bol Bol, Jalen Bridges (both ways), Mamadi Diakite (Exhibit-10), Moses Wood (Exhibit-10)

C: Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro, Frank Kaminsky (Appendix 10)

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