The Suns’ early-season problems keep circling back to the same place: Devin Booker can still carry the offense, but he can’t do it alone.
That much was on display in two lopsided losses, one against the Spurs and another last week against the Trail Blazers, when Booker scored more than 30 points in each game and still watched Phoenix get blown out. He showed he can still be the team’s No. 1 option, hunting his own shots and finding them.
The issue is what happened around him - or, more accurately, what didn’t happen. No one else stepped up offensively to ease the load.
For a Suns team that was supposed to build on last season’s success, the start has been rough. The fit of the starting lineup, the lack of defensive cohesion, the absence of a second star, and the shooting numbers have all given fans plenty to complain about. The team has had stretches where it looks capable, but those moments have been buried by the bigger flaws.
Some of that traces back to the frontcourt injuries that hit right away and put Phoenix in a position it may not have been ready for. Jordan Goodwin being out has only made things worse, especially because his hustle and rebounding are missing from the rotation. The roster has felt short on answers from the opening stretch.
That brings the focus to Jalen Green, the player who has become the center of the discussion about Phoenix’s long-term direction. He is not the only issue, but he is part of the problem because the Suns are asking him to fill a role he has never really played before.
He has had turnover issues when he mishandles the ball, but he has also shown he can make plays for others. The trouble is that he still wants to hunt his own shot when the offense needs him to be something else, and that leads to contested looks and broken rhythm.
His numbers this season tell the story, too: they are his worst in six years.
Green can still be a useful player, but only if he is in a role that fits him. Right now, Phoenix needs a true playmaker and facilitator, and that is not what this setup is giving Booker. The fit was always shaky, and the Suns do not appear likely to regret moving on from Green because of how the roster is built.
The bigger question is how Phoenix is supposed to find another high-end scorer from here. That is where the situation gets complicated.
The Suns do not have much draft capital, and the 2033 pick they traded for Miles Bridges was their most valuable asset. They used it as soon as they could on a player who, at best, projects as the third offensive option.
As things stand, the team’s trade chips are Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, and Jalen Green. That group does not exactly scream blockbuster return.
For anyone hoping for Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, or Darius Garland, those names would require a serious amount of pick value. Green, in particular, does not look like the kind of asset that gets a deal over the line if he is functioning as little more than a glorified six-man in his best role.
That is why the Suns may have to lean on Khaman Maluach’s development while they sort out the rest. He has looked solid since moving into a bench role, and with more growth this season, he could take real steps toward becoming a top-tier big man.
For now, Phoenix seems to be trying to sort out new roles for the players already on hand and still make a playoff push. The offseason would then be the time to chase a second star and clear room for the big-man duo to settle in as the team’s true starter and backup.
Even so, waiting that long may not be enough. The Suns cannot keep treating their current “second option” like a true answer when his new role is at point guard.
Brooks needs to raise his game, but Phoenix also should not be depending on his catch-and-shoot threes to define the season. In his best role, he is the team’s best defender and should be more of a third or fourth offensive option.
There is still time for the Suns to adjust, and they are only around 10 games into the season. But the issues are obvious, and some of them need attention before the trade deadline. Whether Phoenix makes moves soon or waits to pivot later, the message is clear: if the Suns want another shot at a championship with Booker, they need another top-tier scoring option.
In Other News...
Devin Bookers Latest Climb Adds To His Place In Suns History
Devin Booker added another line to his already deep footprint in Suns history during Phoenixs game against the Clippers, moving past Julius Erving on the NBAs all-time scoring list and into 79th place with 18,371 career points. For a player who has spent his entire career in Phoenix, milestones like this have become part of the backdrop to his rise, with Booker already standing as the franchises all-time leading scorer.
The bigger picture for the Suns is even more straightforward: owner Mat Ishbia has made it clear Booker remains the face of the team and the player expected to guide the next push toward a championship. Individual markers on the leagues scoring list only reinforce how long Booker has been doing this at a high level, and how central he still is to whatever comes next in Phoenix. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Are About To Get A Painful Grayson Allen Reminder
Grayson Allens season has become a reminder of what the Suns gave up when they moved him in the deal that brought back Miles Bridges and others. In Charlotte, Allen has settled in as a useful two-way piece, and his recent 27-point outing with six 3-pointers only sharpened the contrast for a Phoenix team that has had a hard time finding consistency on the defensive end.
What Phoenix misses most is not just the shooting, but the kind of defensive versatility Allen brought to the rotation. The Suns have struggled to get stops this season, and Allens ability to space the floor while handling different matchup duties is the sort of steady value that tends to stand out more once it is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Return To Phoenix With More At Stake Than Usual
The Suns head into their matchup with Charlotte in a far better health spot than they have been in recent stretches, and that matters as much as anything in a season where availability has often shaped the rotation. Phoenixs injury report is light, with only Mark Williams out because of a torn labrum, while Jordan Goodwins return from injury gave the team a useful lift in the previous game and added another active piece to the mix.
Charlotte, meanwhile, arrives with a longer list of injury concerns, which only adds to the sense that this one could hinge as much on who is available as on who is playing well. There is also a little extra edge in the building, with Grayson Allen and Royce ONeale set to face their former team for the first time this season, a small subplot that gives an otherwise ordinary regular-season meeting a little more bite. [Read more 🡒]