The Suns’ projected starting five has a clear tilt, and it’s not subtle. Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Miles Bridges are all strongest from the right side of the floor when it comes to above-the-break threes, which creates a real balance issue if they’re sharing the court with a center like Khaman Maluach - or possibly Oso Ighodaro.
Last season’s shot profile backs it up. Per BBall Index, Booker hit 29.6% from the left wing, 31.0% from the top of the key and 38.1% from the right wing.
Brooks was 32.8% on the left, 39.1% at the top and 35.4% on the right. Bridges checked in at 28.1%, 29.9% and 36.4%.
Green was 23.7% on the left, 29.3% at the top and 32.3% on the right.
The average across those four players tells the story even more plainly: 28.5% from the left wing, 32.3% from the top and 35.6% from the right. That’s more than a 7% edge on the right side, and every one of the four is better there.
That matters because defenses will see it coming. Opponents can shade coverage toward the right, clogging the side where those shooters are most comfortable. It also makes weak-side movement less dangerous and can make driving lanes easier to predict.
There is a fix, though, and it comes from the bench. Collin Gillespie and Luke Kennard give the Suns a pair of left-side answers.
Gillespie shot 41% from the left wing, while Kennard was at 54%. If one of the four projected starters comes off early in the first quarter, either guard can come in and even out the floor.
That kind of flexibility matters because both players can fit alongside the group defensively, covering positions one through four. Those combinations could last well beyond the opening stretch, and if a starter is struggling, Gillespie or Kennard could even work their way into closing lineups.
There’s also one more wrinkle: if Khaman keeps growing as a perimeter threat, he could help solve the spacing problem by becoming a left-wing option himself. That wouldn’t need to be a major part of his game, but it would give Phoenix another way to keep the floor balanced. Mix in Gillespie and Kennard often enough, and with all of Ott’s motions, the Suns can light up the scoreboard.
In Other News...
Suns Suddenly Face A Center Decision They May Not Escape
Mark Williams injury has quickly turned a preseason concern into a real roster issue for the Suns, whose center depth was already thin enough to draw attention. With limited financial flexibility and a frontcourt that now leans on Khaman Maluach, Oso Ighodaro and CJ Huntley, Phoenix is suddenly looking at a position group that could be tested far earlier than it wanted.
The next move is not obvious, and that is what makes this worth watching. The Suns are considering whether to add a free agent center, but they may also give the group some runway and revisit the market in January after seeing more from their young bigs and getting a better read on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Had A Frontcourt Problem They Couldnt Ignore
A frontcourt injury forced the Suns to move quickly, and the answer is a familiar name to people who have followed the organizations depth-chasing for a while. Phoenix is signing center Duop Reath after Mark Williams went down with a shoulder injury, giving the team another big body to help stabilize the rotation while it sorts through the early-season fallout. Reath, who spent time overseas before making his NBA debut with Portland in the 2023-24 season, gives the Suns an experienced option at a position that suddenly needed one.
For Phoenix, the timing matters as much as the addition itself. The Suns are counting on Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro to carry most of the center minutes, but injuries can change that picture fast, especially when a team is already trying to build out its interior depth. Reaths arrival at least keeps the Suns from having to lean too heavily on the same two names, and it raises the next question the team will have to answer as the frontcourt picture settles: how much more of the season will it need to cover there, and by whom? [Read more 🡒]
Suns Just Sent Another Message About Their Crowded Backcourt
The Suns have continued trimming the edges of their roster with training camp still taking shape, and the latest move keeps the focus on a backcourt that already looks crowded. Jordan Schakel, a guard with limited NBA experience, was waived from his Exhibit 10 contract after spending time in the G League and overseas, a familiar sort of transaction for a team trying to sort out its guard depth and developmental pipeline.
Schakels next stop is expected to be the Valley Suns for the upcoming season, which fits the pattern Phoenix has leaned on for players who still have something to prove in its system. For a team balancing immediate rotation concerns with long-term depth, these decisions can be easy to miss, but they often say plenty about where the organization sees the most competition and where it wants to keep a close eye on players closest to the next call-up. [Read more 🡒]