The Phoenix Suns get another preseason chance to settle things down Saturday night when they host the San Antonio Spurs at Mortgage Matchup Center, with Victor Wembanyama and company in town and Phoenix still looking for its first win.
At 0-2, the Suns have already given themselves a little early-season noise to clean up. They’ve dropped two games in which big leads slipped away, first after a 19-point halftime edge in Detroit and then again late against Chicago. The starters were not on the floor for those fourth-quarter stretches, but the deeper rotation has still been left to answer questions about how well this group can finish.
One of the biggest items to monitor is Bridges, who turned an ankle in Wednesday’s loss to the Bulls and briefly created some concern before x-rays came back negative. The injury was not considered serious, and he has a chance to suit up tonight. Still, with the regular season still two weeks away, Suns coach Jordan Ott could choose to be careful and hold him out.
If Bridges sits, that would create more opportunities for Koa Peat, Rasheer Fleming and Ryan Dunn, all of whom are fighting for rotation minutes right now.
Booker is another key name to watch. He has had a rough time from long range through the first two preseason games, hitting just one of 12 shots from three.
That’s not the kind of number Phoenix wants to see, especially after dealing away Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. The good news is that these are only exhibition games, and the Suns will be hoping the home setting helps Booker find a rhythm.
Saturday night also offers a cleaner look at how Phoenix’s bench handles a game that could come down to the wire if the starters again sit late. The Suns have already watched two leads disappear, and the conversation around their inability to close has started early online. This matchup against San Antonio should give them another chance to show they’ve learned something from the opening 0-2 stretch.
In Other News...
Duop Reath Is Giving The Suns A Tough Roster Decision
The Suns have spent preseason showing off more than just their stars, and one of the quieter developments has been the play of Duop Reath. Signed to a training camp deal, the third-string center has fit into a bench group that already looks deeper than expected, giving Phoenix something it can never quite have enough of: another capable big man who can hold his own while the regulars rest.
Reaths performance has also put the front office in an awkwardly familiar spot, because a strong camp can turn a low-cost addition into a roster debate. He could be a candidate for the final roster or a two-way contract, and the Suns will have to decide whether his value in Phoenix outweighs what he might have meant elsewhere, especially with other teams around the league dealing with their own frontcourt losses. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Dunn Has A Real Suns Opening But One Problem Remains
Ryan Dunn has gotten an early look in the Suns preseason rotation, and that alone says plenty about where the team sees his opportunity right now. In the first two preseason games, he has been the preferred option over Rasheer Fleming in the early substitution pattern, checking in during the first quarter while head coach Jordan Ott takes a closer look at how Dunn might grow into a bench role built around defense and complementary shooting.
The appeal is clear: Dunns defensive ability has already stood out, and the Suns are evaluating whether he can become the kind of three-and-D piece that fits alongside the teams shooters. The lingering issue is just as clear, though, because his three-point shot has not yet taken the kind of preseason step the Suns need to see, which leaves Fleming as a possible alternative if Dunn does not separate himself. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Face One Huge Early Question Around Jalen Green And Booker
Devin Booker is already the obvious center of gravity for Phoenix, but the conversation around him this summer has shifted from simple star status to usage. Bill Simmons and Rob Mahoney of The Ringer pointed to Booker as the Suns player to watch entering the season, noting his stated desire to shoot more and just enjoy the game. For a team trying to find its footing around him, that is not a small detail.
Jalen Green adds another layer to the equation. As the Suns second-highest-paid player, he is expected to have a major say in how cleanly Booker can get to his spots and how much pressure the offense can put on defenses. The intrigue for Phoenix is not just whether Booker can handle a bigger scoring load, but how the rest of the roster, Green included, helps make that possible. [Read more 🡒]