The Phoenix Suns may be getting ready to win the same way they did last season: by making life miserable on one end and quietly cooking on the other.
Last year’s surprise playoff push was built on defense, with Phoenix finishing ninth in defensive rating at 112.9 during the regular season. Head coach Jordan Ott is expected to lean on that side of the floor again as the Suns try to get back to the postseason, but the offense may be the part people are underestimating.
That’s especially true in the half court, where Phoenix already showed real juice before the offseason reshuffle. Among lineups that logged more than 100 possessions together, the Suns used a group of Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale and Oso Ighodaro.
In 266 possessions, that unit posted the second-best half-court offensive rating in the league at +22.8. It was a strong sign for what Green and Ighodaro can become in The Valley.
Now Phoenix can bring back that same kind of look, with one change. O’Neale is gone after being traded to the Charlotte Hornets, and Miles Bridges is the player stepping into his spot. That swap could actually push the group even higher.
Bridges comes over after the Hornets finished fourth in the same category last season at +16.8, and they did it over a massive 1,044 possessions. That total dwarfed the next-best five-man group on the list, which belonged to the Denver Nuggets at 737 possessions, though Denver also had three of the top seven half-court lineups.
With the San Antonio Spurs occupying two more spots on the list, the Suns and a Hornets group featuring Bridges were the other two teams in that elite tier. Put those pieces together, and it’s easy to see why Phoenix has reason to feel good about what’s coming next.
Of course, it’s not a perfect one-for-one fit. Bridges had LaMelo Ball running the offense for him, and the Suns don’t have anyone on the roster who matches that kind of setup ability.
There’s also the shooting piece. O’Neale is the steadier and better 3-point shooter, even if Bridges brings more complete offensive value overall. O’Neale’s spacing helped make that lineup hum, and it’s fair to wonder whether Bridges can provide the same kind of room for everyone else.
Still, this is a very good place for the Suns to be. If they can pair another top-10 defense with one of the league’s best half-court offenses, a 45-win season is right there again.
In Other News...
Suns Preseason Just Became A Real Fight For Rotation Spots
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Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat are expected to be among the players who get more time than they might once the games start to matter. For a team trying to build out its second unit, those minutes could go a long way in showing who is ready to contribute and who still needs more development. The preseason may not decide everything, but for this group it should offer a real early look at which rotation spots are actually up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Put Former First Round Pick Under Real Preseason Pressure
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Preseason games are often about rhythm and conditioning, but for Dunn they carry more weight than that. The coaching staff will use those appearances to decide whether he fits into the long-term picture, and his playing time will tell plenty about where he stands. For a team trying to settle its depth chart, that kind of uncertainty makes every possession matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]