The Suns’ second unit is the one setting the tone right now.
Two games into the season, Phoenix’s starting group still looks like it’s sorting out the basics, while the bench has already settled into a cleaner rhythm. The difference shows up on both ends of the floor.
One unit seems to know exactly where everybody is supposed to be. The other is still figuring it out.
That gap is especially visible on defense. Too often, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or Miles Bridges are sliding over on the weak side and leaving a shooter unattended.
Against Portland, that open man kept being Damian Lillard. That’s the kind of mistake that gets punished quickly.
The problem isn’t just effort. It’s timing, recognition and communication.
The starters aren’t yet synced up on when to help and when to stay home, and the result is a defense that can look scattered in real time. The same thing showed up against the Warriors, when Phoenix’s rotation broke down in different ways - at times multiple defenders went after the ball, and at others nobody did, which opened the door for plays like Will Richard taking it the length of the court for a layup.
The offense has its own version of the same issue. Screens are being doubled up because players don’t seem sure who’s supposed to set them.
Back screens are missed because the right man never gets to his spot. It’s not a talent issue so much as a group still learning how to function together.
There’s a reason the bench has looked steadier. The roles are clearer, and that makes everybody more decisive. Devin Booker pointed that out after the win over the Warriors on Saturday night.
“I’d say right now they have more of a chemistry than our first group, and I think typically that’s how teams are,” Booker said. “You play against those guys every day in practice, and they know each other like white on rice. I’ve been guarding Collin and Oso, and having Goody picked me up for a long time now.”
“I know how special players they are, and every time we can share the court together, I always enjoy that,” he added. “You can feel the crowd get involved.
The ball is hopping around, and the defense is at a high level. As the first unit, we need to learn from them in a way, and the type that they play: everybody sacrifices in those groups, and you see the result that you get out of it.”
Collin Gillespie gives that group a clear lead guard. Jordan Goodwin brings point-of-attack pressure and rebounding.
Ryan Dunn does the dirty work. Those jobs are defined, so the offense doesn’t turn into a constant tug-of-war over who should initiate and who should defer.
Luke Kennard, who made his season debut Saturday against the Warriors, fits into that structure too. He doesn’t throw it off. He blends in.
That’s the contrast Phoenix is living with right now. The bench is playing with confidence because the responsibilities are obvious and the chemistry is already there.
The starters still need time to build that same trust. The Suns have the talent.
Now Jordan Ott has to get the pieces moving in the same direction.
In Other News...
Suns Fans Forced To Revisit One Trade Regret And One Rare Triumph
For Suns fans, trade talk has a way of dragging up both the franchises brightest what-ifs and its biggest misfires. Phoenix has lived through enough roster swings over the years to know how one deal can change the trajectory of an era, and the Bradley Beal trade sits near the top of the regret list because of what the Suns gave up to get him.
Charles Barkley is the rare counterpoint in that history, the kind of move that can still make long-time fans smile. Arriving in 1992, he immediately changed the ceiling of the team and helped push Phoenix all the way to the NBA Finals the next year, a reminder that bold trades do not always end badly even if the modern memory tends to lean the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Booker Carried The Suns But This Win Still Raised Questions
Devin Booker made the home opener look easy for stretches, pouring in 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting to lead the Suns past a short-handed Warriors team, 131-122. Phoenix shot 58.1 percent from the field, pushed the pace effectively in transition and got useful support from Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks, all of it enough to keep control against a Golden State group missing several key players, including Stephen Curry.
Still, the box score did not answer every question about where this team is headed. Booker was brilliant enough to cover a lot of ground, and DeAnthony Meltons 25 points kept the Warriors in the fight, but Phoenixs opening-night showing against depleted competition left room to wonder how the Suns will look when the challenge gets heavier and the matchups start to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Face Another Problem Grizzlies Fans Will Notice
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For the Suns, the picture is much cleaner. Most of Phoenixs roster is expected to be available, with only a few players listed out or questionable, which could matter if the game turns into the kind of late-season grind where depth decides the night. For a Grizzlies team watching both sides of the West picture, the contrast in injury reports is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]