Phoenix Suns: 2019-20 NBA season preview
By Adam Noel
Storyline 1: The new backcourt
After entering last season without a reliable option at point guard, the Phoenix Suns addressed the issue this offseason by signing Ricky Rubio.
That gives Devin Booker a partner in the Suns backcourt and just the type of player this roster has lacked since the days of Eric Bledsoe. While it came at a heavy price (three years, $51 million), Rubio should serve as a perfect compliment to the style of Booker.
The 28-year-old brings with him an up-tempo game, with an ability to locate open shooters. To say his value as a playmaker is underrated, to say the least. Most recently he displayed that during the FIBA World Basketball Cup, leading Spain to a championship. Rubio was named MVP of the tournament after Spain’s 95-75 victory over Argentina in the final.
The Spaniard had 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.
And while the Suns don’t need Rubio to put up 20 points on a nightly basis, it’ll be the overall game he brings, that will provide Phoenix with another option on the court. It’s likely he can find that 8-9 assists game average that eluded him during his time in Utah.
That in turn should allow the players around Rubio to rely less on creating their own offense, and let him work as a distributor. Not only will that help the team, but it relieves Booker of the Burden he undertook last season. The two can work in tandem to provide the Suns with a go-to backcourt.