Bol Bol could be a surprise stud for the Suns
Bol Bol joined the Phoenix Suns this past summer. He had impressed for the Orlando Magic during the 2022-23 season, averaging 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. However, given Orlando's young talents, the front office chose not to retain the versatile big man.
This season, he has found himself outside of the Suns rotation, but he has played eight of the team's last 10 games.
Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Bol Bol produced a strong showing. He ended the game with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and two blocks while shooting 55.6% from the field. That performance came on the heels of a 25-point, 14-rebound night against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 23. It's no surprise, then, that star forward Kevin Durant sang Bol Bol's praises during a postgame news conference.
"He's been more than I expected,” Durant said. “His intangibles, his work ethic, his IQ, all the stuff that I didn't really think about when it comes to [Bol], that's the foundation of his game."
At 7-foot-3, Bol Bol has the size and versatile skillset to be among the most talented young centers in the world. He can stretch the floor (36.8 percent three-point shooting this season), rebound and create for others. And he's improving as an interior scorer with every passing month. Yet, minutes have been hard to come by for him. That was always going to be the risk of joining a contending team.
Bol knew he may have to fight for minutes. However, after back-to-back impressive performances, and a stellar endorsement from Durant, he may find himself getting some additional opportunities in the coming weeks. He adds size and versatility to the Suns rotation, bringing something that's been missing from their roster this season.
Nobody is expecting Bol to become a starting big man on a championship team. However, being a reliable back-up for Jusuf Nurkic isn't an impossible task. If he can continue thriving in Phoenix's star-studded rotation, he could become a stud performer between now and the end of the postseason.
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