PHOENIX – So many questions surround the Phoenix Suns heading into the 2024-25 season, and perhaps rightfully so.

After an embarrassing playoff exit, a coaching change, and rumors/speculation about possible star departures, all eyes were on the desert to see what the Suns would look like.

It didn’t take long for them to answer these questions.

Phoenix is ​​off to one of the hottest starts in basketball with an 8-1 record, tying the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top spot in the West, but holds the current tiebreaker thanks to a record within of the division game.

The Suns have continually proven that they find ways to get it done in critical moments while surviving the ups and downs of NBA competition.

What would Phoenix look like under Mike Budenholzer? Quite different, actually. The Suns are averaging 39.4 three-pointers per night, a drastic difference from their 32.6 clip last season under Frank Vogel.

They don’t just shoot more, they also earn more. Phoenix’s 38.3% conversion rate from downtown ranks in the top ten in the NBA and has further tilted the math game of 2s and 3s in their favor.

Not only are the Suns scoring better and more efficiently, but they look better.

Phoenix operates with a clear identity on both sides of the ball, something that couldn’t be said last season.

82 games under Vogel’s Suns would have produced very different ideas of what Phoenix wanted to accomplish. It’s important to be versatile and win in different ways, although under Budenholzer the Suns play with determination – and it shows.

What impact will Tyus Jones have? Very. The Suns tried to ignore the idea of ​​a legitimate point guard last year and even in year-end press conferences, but it was clear that Phoenix lacked a legitimate point guard.

Enter: Jones, who signed with the Suns near the end of free agency and immediately made it known he would be the starter under Budenholzer. Everyone knows the historic assist-to-turnover ratio that Jones came in with, but Phoenix is ​​day and night more organized with Jones running the show.

The Suns struggled with turnovers last season – and frankly still do when Jones or Monte Morris aren’t in action – although Phoenix saw organic, careful possessions turn into more wins than wins. losses this year with Jones leading that effort.

The words organized and efficient are consistently used to describe Phoenix’s offense with Jones at the helm. It’s not by chance.

Kevin Durant is playing at an MVP level. Devin Booker has had his ups and downs, but he’s not being asked to shoulder the majority of the load. The Suns have legitimate depth, from potential Rookie of the Year candidate Ryan Dunn to two solid three-point shooters in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale.

There are still questions surrounding this team, and that’s reasonable.

They’re far from perfect – but so far, they’re real.