{"id":96756,"date":"2024-09-20T12:25:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T16:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=96756"},"modified":"2024-09-20T12:25:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T16:25:57","slug":"3-phoenix-suns-stars-named-in-cbs-top-100-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/20\/3-phoenix-suns-stars-named-in-cbs-top-100-players\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Phoenix Suns Stars Named in CBS\u2019 Top 100 Players"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of the new NBA season, CBS Sports<\/a>\u00a0has released their top 100 players<\/a>.\u00a0 To no surprise, the Phoenix Suns\u2019 big three, Kevin Durant<\/a>, Devin Booker<\/a>, and Bradley Beal<\/a>, have all earned a spot on the list. But where do they rank?<\/p>\n

3 Phoenix Suns Stars Named in CBS\u2019 Top 100 Players<\/strong><\/h2>\n

69. <\/strong>Bradley Beal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Suns\u2019 latest star acquisition, Bradley Beal, lands at 69 in CBS\u2019 top 100.\u00a0 It was an injury-riddled<\/a> first season in Phoenix, as he missed a total of 29 games due to a variety of issues with his back, ankle, and hamstring.\u00a0 He also suffered from a broken nose and a finger sprain.<\/p>\n

Beal\u2019s various absences confirmed pre-season fears of an injury-prone big three, possibly contributing to a fall of 31 places from his previous rank.\u00a0 However, he produced when he was on the court, enjoying the most efficient year of his career to date.\u00a0 In 53 games, he averaged 18.2 points<\/a> with 5.0 assists, but shot 51.3% from the field and 43% from three.\u00a0 These were both career highs.<\/p>\n

Playing alongside two of the best in the game Durant and Booker has no doubt helped his numbers. With a lot of the defensive attention on his two teammates, it leaves Beal open at a greater rate. His ability to drive to the rim gives the team a different dimension, which is crucial for a mid-range-reliant offense.<\/p>\n

As one of the team’s point guards, Beal shared creative responsibilities with Booker. It was a new role for him, having to take a step back from scoring and sacrifice touches. With the addition of Tyus Jones<\/a> Beal will have fewer ball-handling responsibilities. Although, he accepted the challenge and also provided clutch defense down the stretch of the regular season. The view of Beal\u2019s campaign was tainted by his and the team\u2019s performance in the four-game sweep<\/a> by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round so they will be desperate to put that right.<\/p>\n

14. Devin Booker<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At 14 in CBS\u2019 top 100 is Devin Booker, the face of the Suns franchise.\u00a0 He has dropped six places from last season\u2019s ranking, which may come as a surprise. Like Beal, Booker adopted a new role within the Suns side, playing point guard for most of the campaign. He performed the role admirably, achieving a career-high in assists with 6.9 per game. It also did not take away from his scoring capabilities, as he averaged 27.1 points<\/a>, the joint-sixth highest in the league<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was a stellar offseason for Booker, winning a gold medal<\/a> with Team USA at the Paris Olympics<\/a>.\u00a0 He was a starter for coach Steve Kerr<\/a> and showcased he could play any role asked of him. Used to being a primary ball handler for the Suns, he had to adapt and play to the needs of bigger superstars such as LeBron James<\/a> and Steph Curry<\/a>. Booker provided clutch buckets and defense at crucial times, as he was an important figure<\/a> in the nation\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

As a result, he gained much more respect within the basketball world, despite his fall from CBS\u2019 list. Booker can drop 40+ points on any given night, which is a scary thought for opposition defenses with Durant and Beal also to contend with. Last season, Booker owned three of the top 10 scoring performances<\/a>, headlined by a 62-point outing against the Indiana Pacers in January. He also scored 52 points on two occasions. With true point guards now on the roster in Tyus Jones<\/a> and Monte Morris<\/a>, these huge outbursts could be even more frequent.<\/p>\n

Now entering year 10 of his career, Booker will hope to lead the Suns to that elusive first championship. They reached the NBA finals in 2021, but have endured three disappointing postseasons since.<\/p>\n