After losing four straight games, Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer needed to revitalize his lineup to snap their skid. He re-tooled the starting lineup by moving Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the bench, resulting in a comfortable win over the 76ers last night.
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Former Suns shooting guard Eddie Johnson hopped on social media to share his take on Beal’s new sixth-man role. “Brad will find out , points are easier to get coming off the bench,” the 65-year-old wrote on X.
Brad will find out , points are easier to get coming off the bench. @Suns
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) January 7, 2025
Eddie Johnson is a former Sixth Man of the Year himself, so he understands the complexities of transitioning into a new role. However, Beal’s first game off the bench is already proving Johnson’s point. It was the first time in nine years that the Suns star didn’t start, but his bench points made all the difference for Phoenix.
He scored 20 points in the second half to help erase the 12-point deficit his team faced. He played 30 minutes as a reserve, tallying 25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
Budenholzer’s decision to move Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee into the starting five also paid off as Dunn contributed an efficient 15 points while Phoenix’s bench outscored Philadelphia’s 54-7.
Beal might come to resonate with Johnson’s advice as it should be an easier task for the three-time All-Star to consistently score 20 or more points against the opposing bench unit. However, there are some rumblings around Arizona that Beal might be disgruntled following Budenholzer’s lineup change.
Bradley Beal admits that the transition is difficult
Even with their three offensive superstars back at full health, the Suns were struggling on offense over the last few games. Beal’s last game as a starter saw him put up just 8 points in 33 minutes as he went a dismal 3 of 12 from the field.
Nonetheless, as one of the highest paid players in the league, he probably didn’t expect to come off the bench this season. After the road game at Wells Fargo, the 31-year-old shared his feelings about the new role. “A little difficult, I ain’t gonna lie,” Beal said.
“No disrespect to anybody, but I’m a starter. And that’s what I firmly believe. But coach made his decision. I’m not going to sit there and argue with him. I’m not going to sit here and be a distraction, I’m not going to sit here and be an a**hole. Like, he made his decision, I’ll live with it. He’s the coach. I just gotta go out, play my game, do what I do,” he added.
Beal admitted that it was a struggle to get into his rhythm immediately, but after checking back in for the second time, the three-time All-Star felt sufficiently warmed up — and it showed, as he helped the Suns take the lead over the Sixers.
While the early results from this change are certainly positive, there might another layer to this move for Phoenix.
The Suns have been linked with several trade candidates like Jimmy Butler, but they’re unable to make any moves because of Beal’s no-trade clause in his contract. By moving him to the bench, the team could be exerting pressure on him to waive the clause so that they can have more flexibility in trading him.
