PHOENIX -- Eleven games into the season, the Suns are still trying to sort out what this team actually is. The record says 5-6, but the recent run says something else: Phoenix has won four of its last five and is at least moving in the right direction.
That doesn’t mean the problems have disappeared. It just means the Suns have started to show which issues are fixable and which ones may stick around for a while.
The biggest red flag remains the same one that has been hanging over this group from the start: the fit of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges together. The four-man combination has not worked, and the numbers back that up.
In 168 minutes on the floor together, that group has a minus-21.2 net rating. The overlap in skill sets and the lack of cohesion on both ends have made it tough to trust, and a change to the starting lineup feels closer with every game.
Green has been at the center of that conversation. He’s averaging a career-low 11.8 points per game, shooting 27% from 3-point range, and he still hasn’t settled into the playmaking role Phoenix wants from him.
That has already pushed him into trade chatter, though the Suns may not have much leverage there. His contract - $36.3 million this season and a $36 million player option for next season - makes a deal difficult to swing.
Even with Green in the mix, the Suns have enough evidence from last season and this one to suggest the Booker-Green-Brooks trio isn’t a winning formula. Bridges is still trying to find his place alongside them, too. At this point, replacing Green in the starting five with Collin Gillespie or Jordan Goodwin looks more like a matter of when than if.
The early schedule didn’t do Phoenix any favors either. The Suns opened 1-5 while trying to work through all of that lineup confusion, and the defense was a mess. During that stretch, they sat last in the NBA with a 124.5 defensive rating.
Since then, the picture has improved. Phoenix is 4-1 over its last five, and the reasons are easy to spot: Booker has been on a tear, and the bench has given the team real lift.
The Suns have also handled the teams they should handle, going 3-0 against opponents below .500. The rougher losses have come against teams near the top of the standings.
Defense is still the area to watch, especially with Mark Williams out for several months because of a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Rebounding will remain a problem without him.
But the Suns have at least rediscovered some of the habits that made them a top-10 defense last season. Over their last five games, they’ve forced turnovers and defended the 3-point line much better, ranking sixth in the NBA in defensive rating over that span at 109.0, forcing 18 turnovers per game and holding opponents to 33.9% shooting from deep.
They’ve also been one of the league’s better teams at turning defense into offense. Phoenix ranks third in the NBA in points off turnovers at 22.2 per game for the season.
Still, the overall numbers remain ugly enough to keep the alarm bells ringing. The Suns are 26th in the NBA with a 117.6 defensive rating, and even with the recent improvement, there’s a long way to go.
That’s part of why the idea of one big trade fixing everything doesn’t really hold up. The Suns have too many issues for that. And while names like Dejounte Murray, Domantas Sabonis and Darius Garland have come up as possible trade targets, none of them looks like a clean solution to all of Phoenix’s problems.
For now, the Suns and coach Jordan Ott are left to keep working through it themselves and hope the results keep following.
In Other News...
Suns Linked To Bold Backcourt Move As Fit Questions Grow
The Suns backcourt chatter has started to pick up again, and this one comes with a familiar kind of intrigue: a big-name guard, a possible change of scenery and a fan base already trying to connect the dots. Dejounte Murray has been the subject of rumors about wanting out of New Orleans, and some Suns fans have floated the idea of a swap centered on Jalen Green as a way to reshape the perimeter around Phoenixs core.
For the Suns, the appeal is obvious enough. Murray brings a different style and could address some of the fit questions that come with Green, while the Pelicans would be weighing whether Greens upside is worth the risk of moving on from a proven guard. Nothing official has been reported, but the discussion says plenty about where Phoenixs roster conversation is headed, and how quickly one bold idea can turn into a real debate about what this team needs most. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Could Catch A Break With One Key Lakers Supporter
The Lakers are still sorting through a few injury questions ahead of their matchup with the Suns, but the biggest name on the report appears headed in the right direction. Luka Doncic is expected to be available after turning his ankle in a recent win, while Austin Reaves remains day-to-day with a heel injury and the team has opted against additional imaging.
There are other moving parts as well, with Collin Sexton day-to-day after a collision that required stitches and Quentin Grimes showing progress from a finger sprain. For Phoenix, the broader picture is simple enough: any uncertainty around the Lakers rotation matters, especially when a key contributor like Reaves is still being monitored and the status of the supporting cast remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Have An Early Problem That Could Limit This Roster
The early returns in Phoenix have been uneven, and not just because of the 5-6 start or the difficult schedule that has already tested this roster. The Suns are still trying to sort out how new pieces like Jalen Green and Miles Bridges fit alongside the rest of the group, but the bigger concern may be more basic than chemistry: this team is still struggling to establish itself inside the paint.
That shows up in the places that usually tell the truest story over a long season. Phoenix is not generating enough quality looks near the basket, and it is getting pushed around on the glass, which leaves the Suns vulnerable to extra possessions on one end and short on them at the other. For a team built to contend, that kind of interior imbalance can become a limiting factor fast if it does not change. [Read more 🡒]