The Suns got back on the floor Monday in Detroit, and while the two-point loss won’t move anybody’s needle, the opening quarter did offer something worth circling. Jordan Ott rolled out a five-man group that looked built to cause problems, and it may not take long before it becomes a regular part of his rotation.
The look had Devin Booker flanked by two point guards, with Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin handling the backcourt duties. Dillon Brooks stayed in the mix, and Khaman Maluach rounded out the unit. Oso Ighodaro won the first chance to start at center, but Maluach made his presence felt once he got in there.
Booker’s role in that setup was simple and dangerous: score. With Jalen Green sharing the early offensive burden, Booker didn’t have to spend as much time organizing everything around him. Goodwin picked up the toughest defensive assignment right away, while Gillespie played more as a connector when the ball found him.
Brooks was Brooks, which means he was physical enough to earn an early technical foul and annoying enough to bother everyone around him. The summer in the mountains of China apparently didn’t erase that edge. What it did show again was his ability to defend both quicker guards and bigger forwards, while also getting under the skin of players like John Collins.
Maluach was the real eye-opener. His size immediately changed the geometry of the possession, especially when Booker drew double and even triple teams. That left Maluach with room to work, and it was easy to see why the Suns believe so much in what he could become.
The appeal of this group is obvious. It fits Ott’s push to build a top-10 defensive team, gives Booker room to operate as the main scorer, and lets Maluach develop with space instead of traffic. Brooks can keep doing what he does, for better or worse.
It also says plenty about the depth Phoenix has quietly assembled. A lineup like this could log 10-12 minutes a night and still leave Bridges and Green available as options off the bench. Luke Kennard could also slot in for Gillespie to add even more shooting, and that’s something we may see in the next preseason games.
It’s only one preseason outing, and nobody should get carried away. Still, the Suns may have stumbled onto something here.
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Suns Frontcourt Battle Is Putting Real Pressure On Oso Ighodaro
The Suns leaned into a three-guard look in preseason against the Detroit Pistons, but the bigger storyline sat in the frontcourt, where Oso Ighodaro got the start and Khaman Maluach continued making his case for a larger role. For a team still sorting out its rotation, that kind of competition matters, especially when the center spot can shape both the defense and the spacing around Phoenixs guards.
Maluach showed the kind of defensive presence that can change a coachs thinking, and he even flashed a bit more on offense with a three-point attempt. Nothing has been decided yet, and the Suns are not tipping their hand on any roster change, but the pressure is real for Ighodaro if Maluach keeps turning preseason minutes into evidence that he belongs in the starting conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Still Have A Few Preseason Battles That Matter Before Opening Night
The Suns still have a few preseason decisions to sort out before opening night, and some of them sit well beyond the top of the rotation. Pat Spencer, on a two-way contract, has been used in a limited role and looks like the kind of depth piece a team hopes it never has to lean on, but is glad to have around if injuries change the picture. For a roster still taking shape, every available minute has a little more meaning than usual.
Haywood Highsmiths rocky preseason debut did not settle anything, and the back end of the roster remains in motion as the staff keeps sorting through options. Ryan Dunn, meanwhile, has to do more to separate himself in the battle for playing time, with the Suns also weighing other young options as they try to find the right mix before the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Get An Early Look At A Rotation Battle Taking Shape
The early preseason minutes already offered a clue about how Jordan Ott wants to sort through the Suns frontcourt, and the next test comes against Chicago after the loss to Detroit. Phoenix is still in the stage where lineup choices matter more for what they reveal than for what they decide, and the staff is using these exhibition games to get a better read on fit, rhythm and chemistry.
Ott is keeping the same starting group in place for a second straight game, a sign that the battle up front is far from settled even as roles begin to take shape. The plan also calls for the starters to log more time against the Bulls, giving the Suns a longer look at how the group functions together before the rotation starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]