After a surprise 2025-26 season that ended with the ninth-best defense in the league, the Phoenix Suns are trying to make that edge stick. The blueprint under first-year coach Jordan Ott was clear: pressure the ball, force mistakes, and make opponents work for everything. Most nights, it held up no matter who was on the floor.
The numbers back that up. Phoenix finished fourth in steals per game at 9.5 and second in opponent 3-point percentage at 34.7%, two signs that Ott’s priorities were showing up in real time.
The finish line looked different, though. After the All-Star break, the Suns slipped to 16th in steals, and their lack of size made life tougher around the basket.
That’s where this year’s roster construction becomes so important. On paper, the starting group doesn’t scream elite defense, but that was true a year ago too, and the Suns ended up proving people wrong.
Miles Bridges could be one of the biggest swing pieces. He gives Phoenix more size and another wing defender who can also battle in the post alongside Dillon Brooks.
“Bridges is one of those guys that passes the eye test,” an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated's Liam McKeone. “Analytics test, he's not as strong.
But I think he'll help the Suns just with the size. They're going to be a pretty big, physical team on the perimeter.
So I would expect him to be able to switch and guard some bigger guys with him, Brooks, even (Devin) Booker's not slight.
"Booker is not an A+ defender either, but he's no slouch and he can fight. So Bridges adds quite a bit of the same to that, so they'll be pretty hard to attack with your small-small stuff.
Phoenix was already comfortable turning up the heat on the ball even when it went small last season, and Jordan Goodwin was the most annoying defender in the bunch. He ended up taking the opponent’s best player late in the year, a role that now figures to fall to Bridges or Brooks in the starting unit. If Bridges can handle that job the way he did for most games with the Charlotte Hornets, it could open up a lot for the Suns.
The center spot is the other major question. Mark Williams’ injury leaves Phoenix sorting through Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, and the defensive results from last season make the decision even more interesting.
The Suns posted a 103.5 defensive rating with Maluach on the floor, best on the team, and a 109.7 defensive rating with Ighodaro. That compared to a 113.3 defensive rating with Williams.
That’s a big reason Maluach could end up winning the starting job despite not playing a major role last season. Ighodaro also brings a different kind of value as a uniquely versatile defensive center, so either option gives Phoenix a path to a stronger interior presence.
The Suns also have depth that can keep the pressure on. Collin Gillespie, Goodwin and Rasheer Fleming are part of the bench rotation, while Haywood Highsmith, Ryan Dunn and Koa Peat give the team more defensive options.
The identity remains the same: buy into Ott’s system and let the effort carry the group. But this year, Phoenix also has more players who can change games on that end.
In Other News...
Pat Spencer Suddenly Has A Real Suns Opportunity
The Suns are sorting through one more camp wrinkle after inviting center Duop Reath to training camp, a move that could ripple through the bottom of the roster before opening night. Phoenix has already been juggling its depth chart, and another frontcourt body only adds to the pressure of making every spot count as the team pieces together the final roster.
Pat Spencer stands to be one of the players watching that process closely. With fewer bodies fighting for the same backcourt minutes, the two-way guard could find a clearer path to earn a larger role, and in a camp where every opportunity matters, even one added roster decision can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Have A Training Camp Battle That Really Matters
Mark Williams shoulder surgery has turned the Suns last roster spot into a real camp storyline, with Phoenix now carrying three players in the mix as training camp opens on September 29. Duop Reath, Jamaree Bouyea and Haywood Highsmith all head into the fall with something to prove, and the early preseason schedule gives them little time to make their case before the roster starts to tighten.
The Suns must trim down to 15 players by October 19, which means every practice and exhibition run carries added weight for the end of the bench. First impressions in camp often decide these kinds of battles, and with the first preseason game set for October 5, Phoenix will get a quick look at who can separate himself before the front office has to make the call. [Read more 🡒]