The Phoenix Suns are off to a blistering hot start at 8-1, the best record in the West.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, their momentum is about to be put to the test, as 14-time All-Star selection Kevin Durant will be out at least two weeks with a calf strain. In his absence, the Suns could promote any number of players to the first unit. However, the best option may be to start a player who is similar to Durant in size and skillset: 7-foot-3 enigma Bol Bol.
With No Kevin Durant, It’s Time For Suns To Unleash Bol Bol
Bol has yet to play a single minute this season.
There’s no telling what his mind state is while he warms up the bench. During his time with the Denver Nuggets, he was criticized for being disengaged when he wasn’t getting playing time. Based on comments he made last January, he’s since matured, knowing he needs to work hard even when he feels overlooked.
So, publicly, he’s been a good soldier in Phoenix. However, he’s the only one who can answer how he’s handled the situation in private.
With that being said, there’s a significant difference between now and his days with the Nuggets. In Denver, Bol was never firmly in the team’s rotation. So, while he was irked by the situation, he couldn’t point to much more than his abbreviated season at Oregon and the flashes he had shown during his sporadic playing time.
The @BolManuteBol era is underway. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/pPL1mPROfu
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) November 2, 2018
This season, he can point to what he’s done the past two years.
Making The Most Of New Opportunities
In 2022-23, Bol was pretty effective for the Orlando Magic. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, runner-up for the 2024 Coach of the Year award, used the big man in a variety of ways to take advantage of his multifaceted skillset.
Bol Bol with a new career high in points!
19 PTS (8/10 FG), 5 REB, 4 BLK in 20 MINS off the benchpic.twitter.com/0dFHwQDDC5
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 25, 2022
Bol scored inside and out, off-the-dribble and off-ball. He was a live dribble playmaker. He posted career-highs of 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game. As a starter, he averaged 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He also nailed 36.2 percent of his threes.
Under Suns head coach Frank Vogel in 2023-24, his role was more refined.
Bol was largely used as a catch-and-shoot option with 34.4 percent of his field goal attempts coming from three-point range. However, as he canned 42.3 percent of threes, it wasn’t the worst strategy. Furthermore, Phoenix had three All-Star-caliber talents in or at the end of their prime. This gave him less freedom than he had in Orlando but better talents to play off of.
Bol Bol knocking down threes!
15 PTS (5/8 FG, 3/4 3PT, 2/2 FT)
6 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 1 AST in 22 MINS off the bench pic.twitter.com/MxrBohESaN— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 4, 2024
By the end of the season, he had tallied a modest 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 10.9 minutes per game. However, when he played at least 20 minutes, he averaged 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Stepping Into His Shoes
Bol’s a more dynamic scorer than Grayson Allen, a better shot-blocker than Mason Plumlee, and is a mismatch nightmare unlike Ryan Dunn. Last year, he demonstrated that he can play a team-oriented style. His ball-movement, awareness, and decision-making —all aspects of processing —need to improve. However, it’s hard to do that when his learning process is completely based in observation and there’s not even a modicum of application.
With that being said, the Suns are paying head coach Mike Budenholzer to win games and to maximize their players. Giving Bol an opportunity to step into Durant’s size 18 shoes serves exactly that purpose.
Bol Bol is a UNICORN! 🦄
The 7’3” big man had ten double-digit scoring games for the @suns including a season-high 25 PTS and 14 REB versus the Rockets. #GLeagueAlum pic.twitter.com/NhHMRkNk9Q
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) June 14, 2024
He’s unlikely to fill them alone. Nonetheless, he’s exactly the type of player who can help them replicate many of the actions they ran because of his physical tools and guard skills.
So far as his production, wondering whether Bol can average 25+ points per game is the wrong approach. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, whose scoring averages rank second and third on the team respectively, need to do most of the heavy lifting. Bol could then come in and give them around 15 points per game as the tertiary option. For reference, Beal has averaged 15.4 points per game this season.
