The Phoenix Suns ran into a brick wall on Sunday night, falling 117-93 to a surging Clippers squad that didn’t even have James Harden in the lineup. And while the loss itself isn’t necessarily cause for panic-especially with both Devin Booker and Jalen Green still sidelined-it did shine a glaring spotlight on a growing concern: the Suns’ lack of size and physicality in the paint.
Let’s be clear-this isn’t about effort. The Suns have been scrappy all season, staying in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race despite injuries to two of their most dynamic scorers. But against a Clippers team that brought relentless size and interior muscle, Phoenix simply didn’t have the bodies to match up.
Head coach Jordan Ott didn’t sugarcoat it postgame.
“Their size overwhelmed us at times,” Ott said. **“We tried to use our speed the best we can, but couldn't get out in transition when you're taking it out of the net so often, or after free throws.
Their size really impacted us, for sure, on both ends.” **
It wasn’t just coach-speak. The numbers told the same story.
The Clippers dominated the glass, outrebounding Phoenix 63-35. They also bullied their way to 64 points in the paint-a stat that speaks volumes about the Suns’ struggles to protect the rim and hold their ground inside.
And this wasn’t even the Clippers at full strength.
So yes, the loss stings, but it also serves as a reality check. The Suns have done an admirable job patching together a competitive rotation, but they’re thin-literally-in the frontcourt.
Royce O’Neale has been a steady presence at the four all season, giving them toughness, versatility, and leadership. But he’s undersized for the role, and when his perimeter shot isn’t falling, he doesn’t bring the physical presence needed to battle with the league’s bigger forwards.
That’s where the recent trade rumors start to make sense. The Suns have been linked to players like Jeremy Sochan, and Sunday’s game was a perfect example of why. They don’t necessarily need a star-they need someone who can eat minutes against physical frontcourts and give them a fighting chance on the boards.
Oso Ighodaro, a promising sophomore, isn’t quite ready for a full-time starting role. Coach Ott has experimented with a mix of young forwards-Ryan Dunn, Rasheer Fleming, Khaman Maluach-and even gave Isaiah Livers 14 minutes off the bench in this one. That rotation combined for 36 minutes, but none of them offered the kind of interior presence the Suns needed to slow down the Clippers’ attack.
Earlier in the season, Ott crafted a clever defensive game plan to contain Victor Wembanyama by leaning on O’Neale and Grayson Allen. That worked for a night.
But over an 82-game season-and potentially into the playoffs-Phoenix needs more than just tactical ingenuity. They need size.
They need options.
Nobody expected this Suns team to be in the playoff hunt, but here they are. And that changes the conversation. When you’ve got a real shot to make noise in the postseason, you can’t afford to let a roster hole like this go unaddressed.
Sunday night’s loss wasn’t just a blip-it was a message. The Suns have built something promising, but if they want to protect it, they’ll need reinforcements. And with the trade deadline looming, the time to act might be now.