News Suns Team Notes

[Phoenix Suns]

5 Takeaways from Suns Media Day

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of covering my second Suns media day in person, joining a pair of Bright Siders in John Voita and Matthew Lissy. We took the back row by storm in a rather sparse attendance compared to seasons past.

There wasn’t that typical hype or “buzz” that we’ve seen in recent years, and that might be a good thing. Less national media. Less headlines. Less distractions. A few lawsuit questions sprinkled in, but other than that… the focus was basketball.

It was kind of refreshing. Here are five takeaways I had from the time there, and I’m sure many of you had the same thoughts.

#1) Mat Ishbia Preaches Patience​

“It Won’t Happen Overnight”

The front office wants fans to know this season is about creating a long-term foundation, not just short-term results. Ishbia’s comments centered on the future and the reality that this version of the Suns is still in building mode.

Talked a lot about this at Media Day. Success is making our fans proud of our team and excited to watch every game. Success is getting better every day all season. Most of all, success is building a championship culture and identity here in Phoenix. We are working on this with… https://t.co/qBxunZJ850

— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) September 24, 2025

He emphasized time, patience, and growth, a contrast from his “all-in” reputation when he first bought the team. Ishbia even admitted he came in a little too ambitious and is self-aware enough to know they failed and changes needed to be made.

We can appreciate the transparency at the very least. There is still a long way to go, but this is the first step of this retool. I am happy to (with caution) give him another shot to redeem himself. But like he said, it will take time to build this up the right way.

The question is, how much patience will Suns fans have?

#2) New Identity being implemented by Ott & Gregory​

Brian Gregory stressed “organization, identity, and doing our own thing,” and highlighted Oso Ighodaro as cultural tone-setter. I thought it was interesting that Ott, Gregory, and Brooks all went out of their way to praise Oso.

Jordan Ott doubled down on Gregory’s vision and praised Dillon Brooks’ work ethic and leadership. Ryan Dunn called Jordan Ott a “basketball fanatic” and Collin Gillespie confirmed, adding he’d label him a “basketball junkie” and it the first one in the gym and the last one to leave it every night.

"The edge and competitive spirit he plays with is unmatched… He's an incredible worker, one of the hardest workers I've seen."@Suns HC Jordan Ott with high praise for Dillon Brooks pic.twitter.com/H45rLF5QTj

— NBA (@NBA) September 24, 2025

Phoenix wants to be known less for “star hunting” and more for culture building. Talk is talk, but it’s good to hear they have a hungry group with something to prove.

---

3. Booker Doubles Down on Loyalty: “Unfinished Business Here”​

Devin Booker dismissed any noise about his future, reaffirming that he’s all-in on Phoenix. After a summer of turbulence, Booker’s commitment is still the emotional anchor of the franchise. Book has never really brought high energy to interviews. He’s more of a calm and steady presence who never gets too high or too low.

"I have unfinished business here, I know how much [a championship] would mean to this city and this organization."@DevinBook on signing an extension with the Suns! pic.twitter.com/4eEoHejaVw

— NBA (@NBA) September 24, 2025

Devin Booker is clearly here to stay. We can only hope his patience persists during this rebuild. Mat Ishbia reiterated this, too: the Suns’ identity still starts and ends with No. 1. We’re all ready for a leap from Devin Booker.

---

4. Dillon Brooks is All About “Smash Mouth” Basketball​

One thing I found particularly interesting about Brooks was his very calm, yet firm vibe. He wants to “be himself” with teammates and make them realize he’s not that bad, it’s just an on-court persona that he leans into. “People would hate me if I were like that all the time,” he said. Dillon leaned into his villain reputation: film junkie, relentless defender, “annoying” presence who makes life hard for opponents.

He wants to guard all five posisitons and play “smash mouth basketball”. We need more of that in the Valley.

"The one-on-one battle I love, I take that with a lot of pride… just bringing that competitive fire every single night."

Dillon Brooks ALWAYS has defensive intensity on the hardwood pic.twitter.com/dG1lCJoZnA

— NBA (@NBA) September 24, 2025

His bond with Jalen Green also came up, which is something I’m looking forward to seeing on the court with that built-in chemistry.

Takeaway: Brooks isn’t just talk. He’s setting the tone for the team’s defensive identity.

---

5. Jalen Green is working on his in-between game​

Jalen Green’s focus is on developing an in-between game to punish defenses. He mentioned specifically that in the playoffs they were taking away the rim and the three from him, so he needs to make up the pay with his float game, mid-range pull-up, and more.

The bottom line is that Green feels wanted, and he’s excited for an opportunity where he’s going to get plenty of runway. Outside of Devin Booker, Jalen Green is going to be responsible for a large chunk of the Suns’ offensive output.

"It wasn't disappointing, it was more shocking. You kinda get over it, especially with the whole situation [with the Suns as] they are excited to have me here. That's a good feeling."

Jalen Green on being traded by the Rockets pic.twitter.com/eImXX2Foyo

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 25, 2025

There were several other interesting tidbits and pieces with Booker and the vets poking fun at Dunn and Oso “still being rookies” until game 1.

John Voita also covered Nigel Hayes-Davis, who had an excellent interview as well. Go read that here.

My favorite interview of @Suns Media Day? Nigel Hayes-Davis. Just…wow. pic.twitter.com/SapcsLrUUl

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) September 24, 2025

What was your favorite moment or quote from Media Day? Let us know below!

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ys-highlights-interviews-quotes-training-camp

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Does Jalen Green really need to work on his “in between” game?

There are countless questions surrounding the Phoenix Suns as the season approaches. Media Day rarely provides all the answers, yet it has a way of pulling back the curtain enough to let light spill in, even if it reveals more mysteries in the process.

Among the storylines worth watching, Jalen Green stands as one of the most compelling figures. Acquired from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant trade, he arrives in Phoenix young, athletic, and remarkably durable. It’s a combination that makes him one of the most fascinating additions of the summer.

To say that Green holds the key to this team’s fortunes might not be exaggeration. His growth could mirror the Suns’ trajectory. A former second overall pick, he now enters a defining season, one where the sting of being moved from a team that finished as the Western Conference’s second seed could serve as fuel. The question becomes whether that fire propels him into the next phase of his career, the phase where potential transforms into presence.

Media Day always brings the familiar refrain: “What have you been working on this offseason?” When Green answered, I felt my eyebrow rise.

“I’ve been working on my in between game a lot more,” Jalen informed the media on Wednesday. “The mid-range. Float. Just the in between game because as the season went on it was either three or to the cup and they was forcing me to have to score that in between game. Not allowing me to get all the way to the rim. And they would take away the three a lot more.”

Jalen Green said he's been working on his in-between game a lot more, whether that's floaters or pull-ups from the midrange. Teams were taking away his shots from 3 or at the rim, so he wants to adjust to the way he was being defended.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) September 24, 2025

I’ll start by saying this. I understand where Jalen Green is coming from.

The NBA is a league of scouting reports and counterpunches. Opponents will take your strengths, put them under a microscope, and strip them away until you’re left with nothing but your flaws. For Green, the mid-range is that exposed nerve. Force him into it, particularly to his left, and the odds tilt heavily in your favor.

Pull up his shot chart from last season and the numbers don’t lie. From the left corner three he hit 26.7%. From the left short mid-range he landed at 25%. From the long mid-range on that side, again 26.7%. Three misses out of four in those zones. That’s not an “area of opportunity”. That’s a liability.

His self-awareness in acknowledging that weakness matters, but it also reveals the paradox of his game. Because while the mid-range is shaky, the three-point shot isn’t exactly ironclad either.

Green shot 35.4% from deep last season. Respectable, but not something that bends defenses in half. And yet nearly half his attempts — 46% of his shot diet — came from beyond the arc. By comparison, only 20.3% of his looks were mid-range, with 33.7% inside eight feet. His diet leaned heavily toward threes, and while defenses tried to chase him off the line, the truth is they might not have needed to.

Even more telling? He was only marginally better in the mid-range overall, connecting on 36.2%.

In other words, he lived between inefficiency and streakiness, carving out bursts of brilliance but rarely sustaining them. The data paints the picture of a player caught between archetypes: not the relentless rim attacker, not the deadeye shooter, not the mid-range maestro. Instead, he floats somewhere in the in-between, a talented scorer still searching for the place on the floor where his game becomes undeniable.

And that is why my eyebrow went up.

Of course you should refine every part of your game, no one faults a player for putting in that work. And yes, the mid-range has been a clear weakness for Jalen Green, particularly on the left side where his percentages fall off a cliff. He looks far more comfortable when he goes right, and the numbers bear that out.

Still, within the context of this Suns offense, prioritizing the mid-range feels out of step. That real estate belongs to Devin Booker. It’s where he feasts, where his rhythm is born. And over the past two seasons, Phoenix already had two other players who thrived in that same space. The last thing this team needs is more traffic in Booker’s kitchen.

Green’s pathway is different. His game should live at the rim, exploding to the cylinder and warping defensive gravity, which in turn opens up lanes and clean looks for everyone else. Layer on top of that the development of a reliable three-point shot, and suddenly he’s not clogging Booker’s territory. He’s complementing it.

Which is why his Media Day answer surprised me.

The offseason felt like the perfect window to push that 35.4% mark from deep into sturdier, above-average territory. That was his career-best season from beyond the arc, and it came in a year where his shot diet leaned heavily toward threes. Booker as the primary playmaker should, in theory, create even better looks for Green out there, not in the teeth of the mid-range.

Flip the script and put Green on the ball, and now you’re asking Booker to slide into a Klay Thompson-like role: working off screens, curling into his mid-range spots, punishing defenses with the most polished aspect of his game. That’s symmetry. That’s balance.

So no, I don’t fault Green for grinding away at a weak spot. Improvement is never wasted. But from a hierarchy standpoint, from the way this offense should hum, the mid-range isn’t where he’ll make his mark.

Maybe his Media Day answer was a throwaway line, the kind you give when the question is routine and you’re eager to move on. Maybe he really has found growth there. Time will tell. What I hope is that he also poured hours into the three-point line, because if Green can level up from respectable to reliable out there, it changes everything. It changes his game. It changes how defenses guard him.

And it changes the ceiling of this Suns team.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...s-mid-range-shooting-three-point-offense-role

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Devin Booker and Jalen Green don’t need a point guard

The Phoenix Suns enter another season with one point guard on the roster, Collin Gillespie, a converted two-way player from last season. So here comes another season of disjointed, unorganized possessions on the offensive end of the floor, right? Here comes another season where Devin Booker will not be maximized offensively, right?

But have we stopped to ask ourselves, does Booker want or need a point guard?

“I do. I enjoy it,” Booker said when asked if he enjoys dictating possessions. “I think it starts with both of us (Booker and Jalen Green) with the ability to score. And once you become a threat, it’s going to open up easier opportunities for everybody else.”

Now, as Suns fans, we have been blessed to see some of the games’ best point guards play in Phoenix, including Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul, to name a few. But if it is not one of those guys walking through the door, the ball should be in Booker’s and Green’s hands most of the time anyway, and not in the hands of a league-average point guard.

One of the reasons I believe Booker does not necessarily see the need for a point guard this season is that he wants to play a different style of basketball than what we have seen in Phoenix over the past few seasons.

“I think overall playing with a faster pace and getting up the court with what we call kick heads or skips. It doesn’t really matter,” Booker said.

Playing with a ball-dominant point guard usually means slowing the game down (think Jalen Brunson or Tre Young) and playing at a slower pace, which is the opposite of how Booker and Green want to play and a slow pace would hold back this team that has focused on becoming more athletic over the offseason. So, unless we can turn back time and take Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 Draft, I do not think the Suns want to bring in a methodical, slow-paced point guard, especially one that gets targeted on defense.

“I think the way that we want to play and the play style that we’re trying to play like this year, that pace is gonna be the key to everything, and you know, playing fast and playing hard and getting out and running,” Green said.

If the Suns truly intend to play a faster, up-tempo pace like Booker and Green hinted at, it will require more than just him and Green to handle the ball and make those kick-ahead passes, and every player 1-4 will need to be comfortable making quick decisions with the ball in their hands. Playing a more frenetic style will not only help get Booker and Green easier opportunities in transition to score, but it should also help them play a faster pace in the half-court as well.

When Phoenix does have to play in the half-court, the ball will be in Booker’s and Green’s hands to create offense for themselves and for others. With more athletic lob threat centers than the last few seasons and Green’s explosiveness, Phoenix will put more pressure on the rim this season because of its athleticism. The athleticism that Green has to get to the rim specifically, will negate some of the need for a point guard because instead of manufacturing rim pressures through sets and organized offense, Green can start many offensive possessions by flying by his defender and putting the defense in rotations. And on the bright side, he has one of the best playmaking guards in Booker to learn from this season as well.

“I’m excited to play with Book. I think it’s going to be a good situation. I think I’m going to be able to learn a lot from him while at the same time, you know, adding what I could bring to the table,” Green said. “I think we’re going to complement each other a lot, especially, you know, with the system that [Jordan] Ott got us playing in. I think we’re going to play fast, and I think we’ll create a lot for each other and create for others. I’m very excited about it, and I think we’re going to shock a lot of people too.”

Another positive to not having to play a point guard 48 minutes is the defensive versatility it provides. Playing an undersized point guard often cripples NBA teams’ defenses, which Suns fans saw last season with Tyus Jones. The Suns’ projected starting lineup of Booker, Green, Ryan Dunn and media day favorite Dillon Brooks, the Suns have the most defensive versatility they’ve had on their roster since 2021 if Green and Booker both are locked in defensively.

The Suns are by no means a perfect roster right now, and one day may need to get an elite point guard to compete for championships again, but the Suns and Booker are perfectly fine to not have a point guard on the roster for the time being and are planning to play so fast that we will not even notice.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...reen-fast-pace-no-point-guard-offense-2025-26

 

[Phoenix Suns]

SBN Reacts: The Suns Ceiling is 40-59 Wins

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phoenix Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

---

After an offseason full of changes on the roster and staff for the Phoenix Suns, the fans believe that this season has the potential to be better than last year’s.

Despite starting the year 8-1, the Suns went 28-45 down the stretch, for their worst season in 6 years last season, leading to them trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, buying out Bradley Beal and retooling the roster around Devin Booker with younger talent this summer.

That being said, if all goes right, most fans believe the Valley can have a better season than last year’s.

The results do not surprise me. With 42% of fans saying their ceiling is 20-39 wins, it makes me believe most fans think that if the Suns can wins 40-59 games this year think it’s more likely they win closer to 40 than 59.

With a young roster, potential is the key here when projecting for the team. Both Mark Williams and Jalen Green look to play the largest roles of their careers, and forward Ryan Dunn looks to play consistent starter minutes, something he didn’t do last season. A lot has been made of the chemistry that the Kevin Durant led Phoenix Suns had, if the Suns can establish a strong team identity early on, it could potentially help their new younger players get settled faster.

Additionally, after a few seasons playing both point guard and shooting guard, Devin Booker’s role is clear this season: he will be the team’s starting point guard. With the addition of Mark Williams, a strong interior scoring presence, and the ball in his hands more with Durant out of town, Booker could take a leap and be the most comfortable he’s ever been playing point guard.

While outside of Green, Booker and Williams, Phoenix does not have many reliable scorers, their defense could be improved from a season ago. Starting both Dillon Brooks and Dunn could give the Suns an opportunity for the team to mitigate opponents wing players.

There are a lot of ifs surrounded the team this season, not as many guarantees as you’d like to be confident in a team’s ability to compete in the Western Conference. If the Suns are going to reach their win ceiling this season, their young players are going to need to thrive in their new roles and reach their ceilings too.

All the Suns need to do is win 37 games this season to be better than last year, something that 2/3rds of the league did a season ago, but that can’t be guarantee with a young roster.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-analysis/89820/sbn-reacts-the-suns-ceiling-is-40-59-wins

 

[Phoenix Suns]

The community has spoken and the final SunsRank is here for all to debate

Training camp is here, Media Day quotes have drifted down like confetti, and with them comes the moment of truth: our final preseason SunsRank. Votes were tallied, debates waged, egos bruised, and somewhere in the chaos, we arrived at a list that feels like both lines in the sand and guesswork.

That’s the charm of it, isn’t it? Every season sneaks up with a twist we didn’t see coming. Someone rises, someone falls, and by April we’re all pointing back at these rankings with a mix of laughter and disbelief. That unpredictability is the lifeblood of sport, the thing that keeps us coming back for more.

So here it is, the roster in its full unfiltered glory, as ranked by our community. This is how you see them, how the collective hive mind stacks the Suns heading into the grind. I’ve put these alongside the consensus rankings for our Bright Side writing team.

Cue the graphic, let’s see where the chips fell.

The biggest discrepancy between our SunsRank and the community’s? Nick Richards. The Bright Side crew has him pegged as a clear rotation piece, sitting 9th overall, while the broader hive mind slots him way down at 14.

Flip it around with Rasheer Fleming, and you see the opposite. Our writers are cautious, planting him at 14, but the community shows a surprising swell of belief, lifting him all the way to 11. These are the fractures that make SunsRank fascinating. It’s not the top names that stir the pot; it’s the margins, the gray area where potential and skepticism collide.

Where do our individual writers have players ranked? Once again, roll the graphic.

I asked them to open up, to explain why they planted their flags where they did. It’s messy, it’s passionate, it’s subjective basketball in its purest form.

Luke, you have Mark Williams ranked as the 2nd-best Sun, ahead of Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Why?​

Luke Dacre Tynan: He is likely to be the only guy that could average a double-double here….top 6 center in the West here we come!!

Holden, you have Oso Ighodaro ranked as the 12th-best Sun, the lowest ranking of any Bright Side writer. What caused you to rank him so low?​

Holden Sherman: Oso had ample opportunities to prove himself and he couldn’t do so on a consistent basis. Additionally, he’s a tweener (not a perfect 4 or 5) and isn’t a threat from deep. I expect his role to be minimal this season with the Valley bringing in Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach.

Kevin, you have NHD ranked the highest among Bright Side writers. Why do you see in him that has him ranked as the 9th-best Sun?​

Kevin Humphreys: The Phoenix Suns lack proven wing players above 6’5” who can shoot the ball effectively and are reliable scorers. Nigel Hayes Davis has proven himself to be an efficient scorer and shooter in Europe, having won the Euroleague MVP award. While Ryan Dunn and Rasheer Fleming will look to improve in that department, the Suns will need players immediately to come in and be comfortable in scoring, especially when Devin Booker is off the floor. Hayes-Davis will be a key contributor off the bench this season because of his size, ability to score, and veteran experience.

Bruce, you ranked Jared Butler as the 13th-best Sun, higher than any other Bright Sider. What stood out to you that made him land so high on your list?​

Bruce Veliz: Butler has shown me on multiple teams that he can be a rotational piece if given the playing time, and I think Phoenix has one of the best opportunities for him this year. We also saw someone in Collin Gillespie similarly thrive in this role last year as a tertiary guard, and I feel Butler is that for this team.

Matthew, you have Collin Gillespie as the 6th-best Sun. Why do you have him so high?​

Matthew Lissy: He has to be the 6th man on this team if they want to have any success. I think that is his ceiling.

---

What did we nail, and where did we completely whiff? Which of our writers do you find yourself nodding along with, and which ones make you want to throw your phone across the room? Drop your thoughts in the comments, because this is the kind of conversation that makes SunsRank more than a list. It’s a living, breathing snapshot of how we see this team before reality comes crashing in.

And we will be back to hold ourselves accountable. Come April, when the regular season ends, we’ll dig these rankings back up and see what aged like wine and what curdled in the sun. Maybe later if, by some miracle, this squad claws its way into the postseason. Either way, the receipts are here. Let’s see how the story unfolds.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...kings-community-vs-writers-booker-jalen-green

 

[Phoenix Suns]

FINALS BOUND! Mercury win series over Lynx, 3-1

For the first time since 2021, the Phoenix Mercury are back with a chance to play for a championship. In a series where they were not expected to prevail, facing the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, the Mercury defied the odds with an 86–81 win to close out the matchup 3–1.

What made it remarkable was not the victory itself but the way it unfolded. Entering the fourth quarter down 13 to the league’s best, the Mercury responded with a 31–13 surge, an avalanche of momentum that turned doubt into inevitability. The result is a trip to the WNBA Finals, the sixth in franchise history, with the pursuit of a first title since 2014 still alive.

This Mercury team is built on resiliency, and on Sunday night, that identity was on full display. They became the first team in WNBA playoff history to erase 14-point deficits in multiple games and emerge victorious, fueled by yet another furious fourth-quarter push.

“Big Shot” DeWanna Bonner lived up to the name, drilling all three of her attempts from deep and pouring in 11 points in the final frame, nearly matching Minnesota’s entire output of 13.

Alyssa Thomas finds DeWanna Bonner to extend the Mercury's lead late in the fourth

MIN-PHX | ESPN | WNBA Playoffs | @google pic.twitter.com/9os6ha4TZK

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 29, 2025

The Lynx felt the absence of Phee Collier, sidelined by an ankle injury after a controversial foul in Game 4, and her presence was missed as Minnesota faltered in closing time. Kayla McBride did everything in her power, erupting for 31 points, but it wasn’t enough.

The sellout crowd of 16,919 rose to its feet, turning the arena into an echo chamber of momentum that made every Lynx possession feel heavier. Alyssa Thomas powered her way to 23 points and 10 assists, Satou Sabally added 21 and 6, and Bonner capped it with 11 of her 13 in the pivotal fourth.

THE PHOENIX MERCURY ARE FINALS BOUND!!! pic.twitter.com/laUjSy6rYr

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 29, 2025

Now the Mercury wait. The Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever battle in a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday, with the winner meeting Phoenix in the Finals on Friday. If Indiana advances, the series begins in the Valley. If Las Vegas survives, the Mercury take their resiliency on the road.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...025-comeback-vs-minnesota-lynx-dewanna-bonner