The Phoenix Suns have made continuity the centerpiece of their pitch, but that alone won’t carry them through the Western Conference’s toughest nights.
Bringing back most of the same core, adding Miles Bridges and getting Jordan Ott in place as the first head coach in four years to last more than one season in The Valley gives Phoenix a real chance to stay competitive. There’s also a sense of stability around the front office, with head coach Jordan Ott, General Manager Brian Gregory and owner Mat Ishbia all sharing strong Michigan ties. That kind of familiarity can matter.
It can help the Suns win more than last season’s 45 games, especially if they again build around a top 10 defense and get career years from role players such as Jordan Goodwin. In that sense, continuity gives them a floor.
But it does not solve the gap between Phoenix and the league’s best teams. It won’t stop Nikola Jokic from piling up a triple-double.
It won’t prevent Luka Doncic from shredding double teams and putting up 50 on them. And it won’t erase the reality that the Suns are still leaning heavily on Devin Booker and a group he has largely already played with before.
That’s where the argument around continuity starts to crack. The front office may want to sell it as the answer, but it’s hard to see that group getting beyond the opening round of the playoffs just because it knows one another well.
Progress is not always linear, and yes, teams often have to fail before they get over the hump. But Phoenix does not have that luxury.
Booker is nearing 30, and the Suns keep trading away their future.
The most optimistic version of this team might reach the Western Conference Finals, and even that feels generous. If they get blown out there - or more likely before that - then the Suns will have to face the truth that continuity has taken them as far as it can.
At that point, tougher roster decisions loom. Collin Gillespie’s team-friendly deal makes sense, and Dillon Brooks should also be available if the price is right. A major shakeup would be necessary.
There’s a reason people say only about 10-12 players in the NBA truly matter, and without one of them you’re not winning a championship. Booker is right on the edge of that group, but he doesn’t have nearly the same level of help as some of the stars who clearly belong there.
For Phoenix, that’s the real issue: continuity may keep them relevant, but it won’t make them special.
In Other News...
Former Suns Finals Sparkplug May Be Drifting Out Of Phoenix Plans
With training camps getting closer, Cameron Payne still sits unsigned, and the former Suns sparkplug is looking at an uncertain NBA market after last playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenixs current backcourt picture makes a reunion increasingly unlikely, especially with the team choosing to evaluate younger guards and see who can carve out a larger role before the season begins.
Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea are all in the mix for those minutes, giving the Suns a different kind of guard competition than the one Payne would step into. For a player who once provided energy and playoff-shotmaking for Phoenix, the door does not appear completely shut around the league, but the path back to the Suns is getting harder to see. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kennard Could Force A Real Suns Lineup Decision
Luke Kennards arrival gives the Suns something they have been short on around the edges of the roster: another shooter who can also keep the ball moving. If his passing gains carry over, he could become more than a specialist, because Phoenix has been looking for cleaner spacing and a little more playmaking to support the scoring around Jalen Green, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks.
The tricky part is that Kennards value may not be limited to spot minutes. His defensive limitations are still part of the equation, but the offensive fit is good enough to make the Suns think harder about how they want their best five arranged. At some point, that kind of balance can turn a bench addition into a lineup decision, and Phoenix may have to decide how much creation it wants on the floor without giving up too much defense. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Rotation Squeeze Puts Three Players In A Tough Spot
The Suns rotation picture is getting tighter, and the pressure is starting to show on a few familiar names. With new roster additions and more competition around the lineup, Ryan Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Jalen Green are all in line to see less floor time than they did before, which is never a comfortable place for players trying to carve out a steady role.
For Dunn, the squeeze goes beyond simply losing minutes, because his place in the long-term plan suddenly looks less secure as the season unfolds. Bouyea is expected to have a smaller part to play than he did a year ago, and Green, whose usage is already headed in the wrong direction, could wind up sliding even further down the pecking order if the minutes keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]