SunsRank Counterpoint: Why Bradley Beal is the third-best Phoenix Sun, not Grayson Allen

I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. Or in an episode of Black Mirror. Just when I think I have things figured out, I get blindsided by reality. Or at least the reality of others.

Our recent SunsRank has ignited debate, which is exactly what we intended. It’s all about capturing our current thoughts and perspectives on the Phoenix Suns as we head into the 2024-25 season. These views are bound to evolve once the ball tips on October 23 and will continue to shift as the season unfolds. Not everyone is going to agree with everyone else.

So debate we shall.

I.J. Hamilton, one of the beloved hosts of the Suns Planet Podcast and contributor here at Bright Side, recently proposed why he believes that Grayson Allen is the third-best member of the Suns. He made some valid points to support his belief, and I can’t fault anyone for having an opinion and backing it up with solid reasoning.

But I’m allowed to have an opinion on that opinion, right?

I’m not shocked at the take. I’m shocked at the response. As of the time of this article being written, the poll that posed whether or not Grayson Allen was the third-best player on the Suns had 277 votes. 144 — 52% — said yes!

Cue that damn Twilight Zone music. I’m traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination...

Like Cousin Eddie, I have to ask...“Are you serious, Clark?” Did Suns Facebook get ahold of this post? Because some of the people there actually believe that Allen is better, and the fact that the majority of the Bright Side community thinks it too has me shook. Worried. Confused. Questioning my existence as a Suns fan, and perhaps even as a human being.

I understand the backlash. I do. Bradley Beal underperformed relative to expectations last year. He played in 53 games, fortifying the “always injured” narrative. He had a horrible Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves leaving an ashy taste of disdain in our mouths. He was paid a lot to do what we perceive as a little.

Meanwhile, Grayson Allen exceeded expectations. He led the NBA in three-point shooting. He was a surprise and a primary reason why we believe the Suns won the Deandre Ayton trade.

But is Grayson Allen better than Bradley Beal?

Yes, determining who is “better” is a subjective argument. And I subjectively and adamantly disagree. But on no planet — Suns Planet or right here on Mother Earth — do I see Grayson Allen as better than Bradley Beal. And I’ll tell you why.

Let’s start with some of the reasoning I.J. pointed out:

Allen dominated with a field goal percentage of .499.

“Dominated” is a strong word there. 49.9% from the field places Allen at 9th best on the team. And 151st in the NBA by players who played at least 50 games. Bradley Beal shot 51.3% from the field — 6th best on the team and 121st in the league — so if GA dominated, Beal must have obliterated the competition with his shooting.

Even more impressive is the three-point percentage of .461, leading not just the Suns, but the entire NBA last season. Suns fans, rejoice: we have the league’s top three-point shooter. How good is this!

I don’t disagree. Allen had an outlier year as it pertains to his performance from beyond the three-point line. In the context of his career, it was his best shooting season by 5.2%! That’s quite the jump. Is that expected now? Is this sustained success type of thing?

GA lit it up from deep, but does this make him better than Bradley Beal as a basketball player? Or just a better three-point shooter. Should we discount the fact that Beal was the sixth-best three-point shooter in the NBA at 43%?

Grayson Allen’s ball-handling skills are solid, evidenced by his 95 turnovers last season. To put that in perspective, Kevin Durant had 244, Devin Booker had 178, Jusuf Nurkić had 175, and Bradley Beal had 131. Despite playing the second-most minutes on the team — 2,513, just behind Durant’s 2,791 — Allen kept his turnovers low. Add on top of this, averaging 3.0 assists per game, this shows that his handles are not only adequate but reliable.

Oy. Totals.

Allen’s usage percentage was 14.3%, ranking 14th on the Suns. Not exactly hard to avoid turnovers when the ball’s hardly in your hands. Meanwhile, Beal’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 2.0, clearly lagging behind Allen’s impressive 2.4. But hey, Beal managed it with a 22.4% usage rate, so there’s that.

So in the grand scheme of things, having 36 more turnovers in a season when your usage rate is 8.1% higher isn’t horrible. How you like them totals?

I hear the price-for-value paid argument. Beal was compensated $46.7 million last season to Allen’s $8.9 million. (Psst...you know why? Because Bradley Beal is better...) We received more “bang for the buck” from Allen. So I guess that means he’s better. Seeing as he gets paid 19% of what Beal makes but led the league in three-point shooting, he must be better! Oh, and he’s better than Devin Booker...and Kevin Durant...

I understand that there is a level of disappointment after what happened last season to the Phoenix Suns as a whole. The team underperformed. But that doesn’t mean that we have to lose our damn mind about who is better than who.

Oh, you need some reasoning why Bradley Beal is CLEARLY the third-best member of the Phoenix Suns, behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but easily ahead of Grayson Allen? As Jules said in Pulp Fiction, “Allow me to retort”.

Let’s start with something simple.

If Grayson Allen is so good, why will he be coming off the bench next season? Why isn't he starting ahead of Bradley Beal? I mean, he’s the better player, right? Money doesn’t matter; you have to put your best players on the court, right? Answer: GA is not the better player, that’s why.

Last season may have had a disappointing outcome, but Beal wasn’t as horrible as the offseason has portrayed him. Hell, he’s one of the only guys who displayed leadership, moxy, accountability, and “give a damn” at the end of the season. Remember what Grayson Allen said when the season ended? No? How about Beal?

Let me pull out my mining hat, shall I? Let’s go through every single NBA team last season and identify who the third-highest scorer was on each team, counting players who played 50 games or more. I wonder where Bradley Beal falls on that list? Grayson Allen is better, so Beal must be far down it right?

The third-best player on the Suns last season scored 18.2 points, doing so on 51.3/43.0/81.3 splits. He averaged 5.0 assists (tied for second on the team) and grabbed 4.4 rebounds (fifth on the team). And his name wasn’t Grayson Allen.

It was Bradley Emmanuel Beal.

I completely understand the disappointment surrounding Beal. It’s easy to feel uneasy when you look at the lack of flexibility in his contract and the years left on it. But while those concerns are valid, they may overlook the bigger picture. Beal’s talent and potential impact on the team are undeniable.

The team lacked direction last year and was poorly constructed. All Beal’s fault, I’m sure. Don’t let recency bias relative the the Suns as a whole cloud your judgment of his upside, basketball talent, skill, and acumen. Or do. You’re entitled to your opinion on the matter, and while I think that half of the community missed the mark on this one, I’m sure you’ll have your reasons why (and I expect justification in the chat below).

I had to put my reasons why I think stating Grayson Allen is better than Breadley Beal is batshit crazy out there. And now I have.