Training camp for the Phoenix Suns is set to begin on Oct. 3 and will commence one the most anticipated seasons in team history.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns will also hold a media day the day before on Oct. 2 beginning at 10 a.m. They tip off the regular season on Oct. 24 against the Warriors on the road. Their first preseason game is on Oct. 8 in Detroit against former coach Monty Williams and the Pistons.
Last season, Phoenix fell in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. Now, the team looks to rebound from that series and have put together a roster more than capable of winning a championship.
This year’s training camp follows one of the most eventful offseasons in team history.
The Suns will now be led by head coach Frank Vogel after Williams was let go following the end of last season.
It will also be the first training camp in a Suns uniform for the team’s 10 newcomers and Kevin Durant, who was acquired at the trade deadline and did not play a whole season in Phoenix.
The newcomers are highlighted by Bradley Beal, who was acquired in June for a package that included Chris Paul. This will be the Suns’ first training camp without Paul since 2019. Paul helped the Suns reach new heights in his three seasons in the Valley. He was a big part of changing their future landscape to become a destination spot for players to want to come.
The team has already put in work together this offseason. Just today the Suns uploaded a video of Devin Booker practicing at the facility.
Book.
📍 @Verizon 5G Performance Center pic.twitter.com/pOEa1d6dkY
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 21, 2023
All eyes will be on the Suns in training camp, and it will be interesting to see how their rotation shapes up. Below are the 17 players that make up the roster (alphabetical by last name).
- Deandre Ayton
- Udoka Azubuike (new, two-way)
- Keita Bates-Diop (new)
- Bradley Beal (new)
- Bol Bol (new)
- Devin Booker
- Toumani Camara (new, rookie)
- Kevin Durant
- Drew Eubanks (new)
- Jordan Goodwin (new)
- Eric Gordon (new)
- Damion Lee
- Saben Lee (two-way)
- Chimezie Metu (new)
- Josh Okogie
- Ish Wainright
- Yuta Watanabe (new)
One of the biggest questions is who will be the Suns fifth starter. Will it be the returner Josh Okogie? Will it be one of the newcomers in Keita Bates-Diop, Yuta Watanabe, Eric Gordon or even Bol Bol?
Some more questions include:
Are the Suns going to looking completely different under Vogel?
Will the newcomers be able to mesh in right away with the team or will it take time?
Does it matter that the Suns have no true point guard on their roster?
Is Deandre Ayton going to come ready after a rough end to the season?
Is the team fully locked in on the goal of winning the franchise’s first championship?
The Suns should be able to answer some of these questions when training camp begins.
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Brendan Mau is a Phoenix Suns insider and college sports reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
