The Phoenix Suns still have young talent on the roster, but Rasheer Fleming is running out of room to show what he can become.
That may sound odd for a team often described as one that emptied the cupboard to chase wins now. The reality is a little more complicated.
Phoenix has already gotten more than expected from its own second-round pick, Oso Ighodaro, and both Ryan Dunn and Koa Peat are on the 15-man roster. Fleming, though, is a different case, and his path back into the picture looks blocked until the Suns clean up the mess on defense.
So far, the sophomore has played in only two games, and he is not part of Head Coach Jordan Ott's 10-man rotation for the foreseeable future. The offensive upside is obvious enough.
Fleming is at his best with the ball in space, where he can create for himself, and there is an NBA starting-calibre scorer in there. The problem is that Phoenix cannot really wait around for that version of him to arrive.
The Suns are trying to get more from Miles Bridges, and that makes the fit even tighter. Bridges and Fleming operate in the same areas, and the early returns have not been encouraging. Both are weak defenders, but Bridges came at a huge cost and brings scoring from all three levels, so Fleming is not going to steal those minutes.
If Phoenix ever does find a way to generate more stops, that could reopen a path for Fleming to get back on the floor and pick up spot minutes. But that solution comes with another catch: improving the defense likely means one of Peat or Dunn moves into the starting group or a larger role, and that probably comes at Fleming's expense again.
There is no clean answer here. An eventual split might end up being best for both sides. That is not because Fleming lacks talent - there is clearly a player in there - but because the Suns have too many problems to fix for his development to be a priority.
The only real way Fleming changes the equation is by becoming a true two-way forward who can share the floor with Devin Booker. Right now, that feels about as likely as Dillon Brooks never getting another technical again, and that says plenty about how steep the climb is for Fleming in Phoenix.
In Other News...
Suns Loss Put Two Frustrating Lineup Debates Front And Center
A tense night against Denver ended with more than just a loss hanging over the Suns, as Dillon Brooks was tossed after being assessed a flagrant 2 for kicking Jamal Murray in the groin area. Jordan Ott and several teammates pushed back on the severity of the ruling, while Murray said there had been trash talk but did not believe the play was necessarily malicious. It was the kind of sequence that can linger beyond one game, especially when emotions are already running high.
The other issue was less dramatic but just as relevant for Phoenixs rotation. Jalen Green stayed in the starting lineup even with limited offensive production, while Collin Gillespie gave the second unit a lift and Oso Ighodaro made a noticeable impact in his return from injury with rebounds and assists. For a team still sorting out its best combinations, the loss in Denver put two lineup debates right back in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Enter A November Stretch That Could Calm Or Deepen Doubts
The early tone around Phoenix has been uneasy enough, with a 1-3 start and an offense still searching for rhythm while the starting lineup goes without a point guard. November now offers a chance to steady things in a way the Suns have not had in a while, thanks to a long homestand that stands as their longest since the 2020-2021 season. For a team trying to settle its identity, the next few weeks should provide a clearer read on whether the issues are fixable or already becoming a pattern.
The schedule does not stay friendly for long. After the home stretch, the Suns head into a five-game road trip that includes NBA Cup games, and the calendar after Thanksgiving brings matchups against teams built around notable young players. That creates an interesting contrast for a roster leaning in a different direction, and it gives this month a chance to say a lot about where Phoenix really stands before the season gets much deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Already Facing One Frustrating Problem In This 1-3 Start
The early going has already put the Suns in a familiar kind of bind, with a 1-3 start exposing how hard it has been to put together a full 48 minutes. Phoenix has had stretches where the offense looks organized and the defense holds up, but those moments have not lasted long enough, and the inconsistency has shown up on both ends of the floor. Jordan Ott and the players have both pointed to the same issue: the team has had trouble sustaining energy and execution from one quarter to the next.
Injuries have only made the margin for error thinner. Oso Ighodaro and Mark Williams have both been part of the frontcourt mix, and their absences have left Phoenix short-handed in areas that matter most for rebounding and defense. For a team still trying to find its footing this season, the frustration is not just the record, but the sense that the Suns know exactly what is going wrong and still have to solve it before the schedule starts to press harder. [Read more 🡒]