The Phoenix Suns fans and organization are all excited for the upcoming season. After last year’s disappointing finish and numerous offseason moves, the city believes a championship can be brought home more than ever. The one problem that hindered the Suns last season was injuries. Bradley Beal only played in 53 games throughout the season and Damion Lee was out for the whole season dealing with a knee injury. Unfortunately, before the Suns preseason could even begin, they already have a player bitten by the injury bug. Jusuf Nurkic sustained an injury to his left middle finger and will be re-evaluated in one week.
The Impact for Jusuf Nurkic
For Nurkic, this is not the start he wants to have. On Media Day, he was talked highly of by coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic himself also talked about being in better shape and how he would shoot threes more often this season. The Suns were looking to utilize him to his best in this new offense, and that is now being delayed. Now this is not a major injury, so for Suns fans, that can be a sigh of relief. Nurkic would love to be out there, and fans would love to see him. With this news, Nurkic’s earliest return would be around October 13th when the Suns take on the Denver Nuggets in preseason action.
REDO: Jusuf Nurkic (left middle finger) MADE trip to Palm Springs as Suns play Lakers today.
The team announced Saturday Nurkic will be re-evaluated in a week. Based on that timetable, it seems the earliest Nurkic could return is next Sunday when Phoenix plays at Denver. #Suns pic.twitter.com/a8rSlMSTv5
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 6, 2024
Who is the Next Man Up?
With this injury, and their first preseason game coming up Sunday night, others should see more action. The Suns have three other players listed at the center position. Those three would be Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro and Frank Kaminsky III. Let’s dive into each and how likely they are to contribute with Nurkic sidelined.
Frank Kaminsky III
First let’s discuss Kaminsky III. He is on an Exhibit 10 deal and was picked up recently by Phoenix. He has a home there and showed up to the facilities to get in shape. This ended up translating to a deal getting done, as he fights for a return in the Valley. Now with him being on the Exhibit 10 deal, expect him to get the least amount of run. He should get minutes, but he doesn’t have the guaranteed contract.
Mason Plumlee
Next, let’s discuss one of the new players on the team in Plumlee. He came over from the Clippers this offseason, as he wanted to insert himself in a more prominent role as a backup big. With Phoenix losing Drew Eubanks when he did not pick up his option, the Suns pivoted to Plumlee. He seems like a better fit, as he brings interior defense and rim protection at the backup center. The Suns needed this as this was missing with Eubanks last year. Plumlee could start at center in the preseason with Nurkic out, as he has the veteran leadership to take over.
Oso Ighodaro
The player that could make the most impact at the center position though could be the rookie Ighodaro. Ighodaro was a piece the Suns front office all wanted, and they made sure that happened. They traded back in the first round of the draft with the Nuggets to get a day two pick. This allowed them to then have the option to take Ighodaro. The Suns made sure they did, and traded up to the 40th overall pick to select him. In Summer League, he was one of the more prominent names on from the team. He showed that if he could put on some size in the post that he could find himself with a role. Head coach Mike Budenholzer also believes in Ighodoro and expects him to get more opportunities in the preseason opener with Nurkic out.
Mike Budenholzer said Jusuf Nurkic hurt his finger scrimmaging, and that they'll evaluate over the next few days.
"Certainly, probably, more opportunities for Oso [Ighodaro], which I think he's taken advantage of. He's getting comfortable understanding what we want to do." pic.twitter.com/ppGhnFcKb3
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) October 5, 2024
Final Thoughts
Overall for the Suns, the preseason is to help evaluate the players looking for a role. They want to see them how they fit in and showcase what skillset they can bring to this team. This will help the Suns find who shines in key roles. For this team to build a championship contender, they need to make sure they have the necessary depth. For Suns fans in general though, just appreciate another season of NBA basketball and save the overreactions until the regular season begins.
