The Portland Trail Blazers are kicking off the regular season at home tonight, and the first test comes against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns at the Moda Center.
It’s also the first time these teams have seen each other since Portland knocked off Phoenix in the Play-In Tournament in April, so there’s a little bit of fresh history baked into this one even if the season is just getting started.
One of the biggest changes for the Suns came in the way they reshaped their offense. Phoenix moved on from Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale in the deal for Miles Bridges, and then jumped up in the draft to land Koa Peat.
The tradeoff is clear: more size and presence near the rim, less of the three-point shooting that helped define parts of their attack. That kind of shift can work, but replacing two of your better shooters is never simple.
The one thing that should help is continuity, even if this version of the Suns is built to lean more heavily inside.
Booker, meanwhile, has made it known he wants to be more aggressive. That’s the lane that suits him best.
Phoenix has spent time trying to turn him into a point guard, but he’s at his best when he’s attacking downhill and playing more like a shooting guard than a full-time facilitator. Expect him to lean more into that role.
The frontcourt is where the biggest uncertainty lives. Mark Williams’ injury has forced Phoenix into a gamble at center, and the likely starter tonight in Portland is Oso Ighodaro.
Khaman Maluach is also in the mix, but both are still very young. Losing Williams’ steadiness and experience matters, especially to open a season, and the center spot stands out as the Suns’ biggest question in the starting five.
What Phoenix can do is put pressure on teams in more than one way. The paint game should naturally grow, but if Booker and Bridges are knocking down open threes, that gives the Suns a balanced look that could be tough for Portland to match.
Tip-off is set for 7 pm PT. Fans can watch on the Rip City Television Network or stream the game on NBA League Pass.
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Mark Williams situation only adds to the uncertainty. Phoenix was counting on the starting center to stabilize the middle, but surgery has put that plan on hold and left the team scrambling to cover a major hole before the season fully gets going. For a club trying to prove last year was more than a one-year spike, the doubts are already coming from everywhere. [Read more 🡒]
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Suns Open The Season With An Immediate Lineup Problem
The first injury report of the season already gave the Suns a reminder of how thin the margin can be in October. Phoenix is set to open against Portland without starting center Mark Williams because of a shoulder injury, which pushes Oso Ighodaro into the opening-night role in the middle. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, brought their own list of questionable and unavailable players into the matchup, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that was supposed to serve as a clean starting point.
There is also a bit of waiting attached to the backcourt, where Luke Kennard has been listed as questionable for the opener. Any early-season absence or limitation matters for a Suns team trying to settle its rotation quickly, especially with a new-look front line already under pressure. The opener may still be just one game, but it arrives with enough lineup questions to make the first answer as important as the result. [Read more 🡒]