Bradley Beal hinted at who the Suns’ fifth starter could be today ahead of Phoenix’s regular season opener against the Warriors tomorrow night.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Beal said that Josh Okogie will likely guard the other team’s best player “first.”
Here’s the video of Beal talking about Okogie.
“Obviously we’ll probably give J.O. a lot of that responsibility in guarding that first guy, the biggest matchup of the night, that he very well loves to take …”
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Coach Frank Vogel also complimented Okogie’s defensive prowess today.
“Josh’s ability to really guard one through four at an elite level really separate him from a lot of players in this league,” Vogel said. “He can really dog point guards, and he can also bang with bigger wings as well. So, a lot of versatility there.”
It has been debated for a while about who the Suns’ fifth starter should be, and it really narrowed down to two players in the preseason. Okogie and Grayson Allen played so well that the conversation went from around five or six candidates to only those two.
It is unclear if Beal (lower back tightness) or Devin Booker (left toe soreness) will play tomorrow, as both are listed as questionable. We could see both Okogie and Allen in the starting lineup in place of one of these two.
However in the Suns’ traditional lineup, Okogie will likely get the upper hand because of his defensive and rebounding ability. There is still a case for Allen as well because of how well he meshed offensively alongside the Big 3. Both players showed that they impact winning and could fit in seamlessly with the team’s stars.
Our Video on the Fifth Starter Debate
Do you think Okogie should get the nod for the spot?
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
