Suns projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season

Phoenix Suns starting power forward: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant remains an absolute force of nature on the offensive end, patiently dissecting defenses with an array of moves — none of which are particularly easy to stop. Durant hit a few lumps during the Suns’ shorter-than-expected postseason run, but he’s a 7-footer with one of the purest jumpers in NBA history. Even the best defenders can’t bother his pull-up jumper and he continues to make subtle strides as a creator for others.

What makes Durant so special for Phoenix is his versatility on the offensive end. He doesn’t need the ball to shred defenses. He’s deadly coming off pin downs (as he’d like to remind everyone) and stretching defenses with his shooting gravity. Booker and Beal will find plenty of open lanes to the rim due to defenses focusing so much attention on Durant.

Even more underrated than Durant’s off-ball repertoire, however, is his defense. When locked in, Durant is one of the best defenders in the NBA — an elite weak-side rim protector with the length and razor-sharp instincts needed to disrupt a healthy volume of scoring opportunities for the opposition. Durant’s off-ball, help-side defense is special and he’s going to be fully unleashed under Vogel, one of the league’s best defensive minds. With Booker and Beal creating on the perimeter, Durant can afford to expend more energy on defense than he might elsewhere.

Primary backup power forward: Keita Bates-Diop

Another severely underrated minimum signing for Phoenix, Keita Bates-Diop should receive a steady stream of minutes at the 4 spot. He was excellent in 21.7 minutes per game for San Antonio last season, averaging 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds on .508/.394/.793 splits.

Bates-Diop is a nimble defender at 6-foot-8 and 229 pounds, capable of sliding up to guard smaller wings or deploying his strength in more physical post battles. That, combined with his reliable jumper, makes it fairly easy to see the path to minutes for the Ohio State product. Depending on where Gordon’s defense lands at age 34, Bates-Diop could end up being the team’s most reliable reserve.

Other players who could receive minutes at power forward: Yuta Watanabe, Bol Bol, Ish Wainright

A quick aside on Bol Bol, who the Suns also signed to the veteran minimum. He was waived by Orlando for a reason and a lot of the reactions to his highlight-reel moments last season completely ignore why he eventually slipped out of Orlando’s rotation. The Suns are trying to win games and compete for a title, which could make it a harsh environment for Bol to fight for reps in.

That said… mobile 7-foot-3 bigs who run the floor, shoot 3s, and block shots like Bol will always have lingering appeal. He does flash immense talent as a face-up scorer and rim protector; it’s more a question of whether or not he can hold up physically and fundamentally on the defensive end.