Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep-dive analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Author’s Note: All questions were sent out to the Fantable members before the Suns/Clippers game was played.
Q1: Offensively, Collin Gillespie is not performing well this season (6.7 ppg, 31.9 FG%, 29.4 3PT%). Are you concerned about this?
zenzino: We got these questions right after the Spurs game. My answer was ‘yes, I am concerned’. Gillespie had a tough final 3rd of last season, and he kinda picked up where he left off. He’s not bad; he’s just not as good as he was the first half of last season.
The other effect of him not shooting well is he’s passing up shots he should be taking, which sometimes leads to ill-advised passes.
I’ve seen some comments to the effect of ‘he’s got his contract, so now he’s coasting’. I call BS. You don’t fight through the things he had to fight through and call it good when you get your first contract. He’s a competitor.
Over the last two games, it seems like he’s finding his range more. It’s only two games, but there is some progress. As the 3s go down more, his confidence will grow. He’ll take shots he should be taking and hopefully hit key shots like we know he can. So, I’m a little less concerned now than I was at the beginning of the week.
Ashton: It is funny in that there are a lot of players not playing offensively well, so just to call out Gillespie is a bit hypocritical. Yes, three-point shooting is abysmal across the board, and Gillespie is not helping his case there. But look at Kennard vs. Charlotte. He went 0-for-5 from the perimeter as the Sun’s backup sharpshooter but still carved a role out facilitating and making mid-court jumpers.
So, I am not overly concerned about Gillespie as long as he finds a role on the team as the games go on. And that role is to probably assist Booker as much as possible. Would a starter role help pull him out of a funk and make him consistent? Perhaps, and the season is still young enough to experiment with
OldAz: I think Collin knew you were asking this and intentionally broke out of his slump the last couple of games. But even before these last couple of games, he had one of the best on/off splits on the team among players that play significant minutes (behind Dunn, of course, who has one of the best on/off splits in the league).
Considering Gillespie plays point guard, I care much more about how the team plays with him on the floor than I do about his individual offensive numbers. The same goes for Dunn, who really needs to start getting more minutes because the Suns play significantly better when he is on the floor despite his lack of counting stats. Really, this goes for all players, as it’s far more enjoyable to watch Suns games when the team is playing well, rather than watching a “fantasy”-style game where individual stats matter more. As it relates to Gillespie, it was only a matter of time before his shots started falling. He is far too good a shooter to stay that low for long.
Rod: He did have me a little concerned until the Clippers game. Before that, he was making less than 30% of his threes and hitting on only slightly better than that from the field…and Oso had a better FT percentage (46.2%) than him (25%)! His percentages are way up in the past two games, which is a relief. Thankfully, his defensive intensity never left, and he seems to be back to having a positive impact on both sides of the court again.
Q2: Some fans are calling for certain Suns players to be traded NOW. Do you believe attempting to trade a player (who hasn’t actually asked for a trade) this early in the season is a good idea?
zenzino: ‘NOW’ would be stupid. There is a reason there is no trade activity this early in the season. After December 15th, many more players become available for trade, so nothing will happen before then.
All these fantasy GMs are trade-happy. It takes (at least) two teams to trade. Another team has to want you; you’ve got to be willing to give up someone you want. These things don’t happen easily.
Who are these ‘certain’ players?
Suspect #1: Jalen Green
By all accounts, a great guy and a better teammate. His playmaking has shown definite improvement, and he has bought into doing the things they’re asking of him. Unfortunately, because he’s being asked to do something completely different, he’s not playing his game, and we’re not seeing how good he can actually be. I’ve been a big proponent of giving it some time. But I’m not super optimistic. I think he can be a pretty great player in the right situation, and the Suns might not be that situation. I would love to see him excel, even if it has to be on another team.
Suspect #2: Miles Bridges
Many fans didn’t want him here in the first place. While he’s been improving, it’s not a steady climb. It still looks a little clunky. This is the first time he’s been on a different team, in a different system, and having to adjust his game. That takes time, and I definitely think it’s too soon to decide if he’s going to work out or not.
Suspect #3: Devin Booker
“He’s playing great. Trade him for picks while his value is high.” Unfortunately, there’s a subset of ‘fans’ who don’t really understand basketball. I invite them to go be Lakers fans. They’ll fit right in.
Honorable mention: Dillon Brooks
I have actually seen several posts saying it’s time to trade Brooks. SMH. Fans can be a fickle bunch.
Bottom line:
Should the Suns be putting out feelers after December 15th? Absolutely. See what’s available. But it has to be a trade that makes a difference. They don’t need to force a trade and settle for what they can get. There is no player on this team that is an ‘addition by subtraction’ player. If there is an opportunity to improve the roster, then they should definitely take it seriously. If nothing good comes to fruition, let it ride.
Ashton: Certain Suns players…eh? Gee, based on board comments, that could be literally anyone. Well, scratch Book. He is literally the only one carrying the Suns on his back. Of course, there are things to consider such as aprons and when players can be traded, but as far as I am concerned, I really do not think anyone on the squad, outside of Book, is untradeable. There has been a lot of focus on Green as the asset to be traded, but once that includes a pick, and don’t even ask me what the status of Sun’s picks is, nope. Pass.
This is my fluffy positive comment that some members on the board say is lacking. This is like a Back to the Future movie where the Suns are doing what they did last season. They are winning the games they should (Houston anomaly aside) and losing the games that probably would have. And to add more cheer to your day, the Suns still have the Kings four times and the Clippers another 3. Suns could be a play-in team!
So no, there is no need for a knee-jerk reaction quite yet. Particularly with the Lakers up next. I am still on the side of letting everyone gel together organically before the fans tear down the team and front office decisions.
OldAz: I believe they should be fielding calls from any team that covets one of the Suns “stars” (outside of Booker), but they also should not be hasty to move anyone just because they have gotten off to a slow start. I would not include any young players or trade more draft picks, but if someone wants to offer the Suns a combination of expiring contracts, young players, and picks for a player like Brooks or Green, I would not hang up the phone.
Rod: Not really. Most teams aren’t looking to make trades this early on, and I think the best return you could hope for might be an expiring contract or two. Giving up on a player this early sends a message to other GMs that you’re likely desperate, and they’re going to lowball the return they’re offering (plus almost every team has at least one or two players that aren’t available to be traded yet). Now if another team calls about making a trade, that changes the equation, giving the Suns a bit more leverage, and they should certainly listen, as it puts them in a better position to bargain.
And we have to keep in mind that the Suns have six players on their roster that currently can’t be traded (Brooks, Williams, Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, and Ighodaro), which complicates things.
Q3: Which player (or players) currently glued to the far end of the Suns’ bench would you most like to see get a shot at rotation minutes?
zenzino: Jamaree Bouyea. Hands down. Especially in a game like the Spurs game. I would have liked to see Jamaree in there in the 2nd quarter when it was obvious no one on the team not named Booker could get a bucket. What Goodie does for the defense, Jamaree does for the offense. He brings instant energy on both ends of the floor. And he can score. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed and energy.
Like everyone else, I’d like to know what’s going on with Sheer. I know Ott wanted him ready for the Blazers game, but he hurt his ankle. It doesn’t look like the Suns are going to blow out many teams, but they might get blown out more than we’d like. Still, it would be a shame just to see Sheer play in garbage time. It’s hard for young players to get into any rhythm with that kind of playing time.
Ashton: Ryan Dunn only played ten minutes against Charlotte. Does he count? True, he may be injured, and that would explain it. The obvious answer is to give Koa Peat some run, if only to shut me up. It is not like Bridges and Brooks is setting the world on fire, so why not? Peat can clear a path for Booker while facilitating his touches. I mean, common, teams are now throwing triple teams at Booker. This is Koa Peat’s time to shine in a role he knows well from his college days. I figure any other name to throw out there might be in the doghouse or incompatible with Coach Ott’s thinking, but…there is that guy down in G-League named Drew Timme that could be elevated to the end of the bench role and utilized correctly.
OldAz: As noted before, I think Dunn has earned more minutes and fits well when multiple starters are on the court because he does not need the ball on offense and brings energy and effort on defense that the starters lack and can be infectious. However, he technically is getting some “rotation” minutes already.
The only real choices here are Fleming or Peat, based on their positional fit and long-term upside. I would always be happy to see them get a few meaningful minutes per game and expand those as they earn them. More important to me would be seeing current rotation bench players get more minutes when they are playing well, and mixing them in more with the current starters. The Suns have been playing better as of late, so I would not rush to force minutes on Fleming or Peat unless they earn them, but I would totally be in favor of continuing to experiment with lineups and riding the hot hand (on offense or defense) far more than Ott has done in the past.
Rod: Here’s my wild idea for the day…start Jamaree Bouyea at point guard and bench (or trade) Green. I really like the idea of Collin staying on the second unit, and Bouyea actually seems to be the better driver and finisher at the rim than Collin, and is also a little faster and more athletic. I’d just like to see this tried, as I think Bouyea could be a much better fit with Book, Brooks, Bridges, and Ighodaro (or Maluach) than Green. I don’t dislike Green and don’t necessarily want him traded, but I also don’t like the idea of him taking a spot on the 2nd unit from any of the guys already there because they already play well together, and I wouldn’t want to mess that up (which is another reason I’d rather keep Collin there instead of moving him up to the starting unit).
Second, Peat should start getting some meaningful rotation minutes soon. Right now, I wouldn’t bench anyone just to get him those minutes, but if someone just needs some rest (or they have a hangnail, or the sniffles, or…I’m sure you catch my drift here), then sit that player and get Peat into the rotation for at least one game.
Finally, if there’s even the slightest need for Oso or Khaman to sit out a game, activate Timme and get him some minutes with the main team. Sure, his averages in the G League won’t directly transfer to the NBA level, but a guy averaging 32.5 ppg, 13.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 42.9% from three on 3.5 attempts per game sounds like someone who should get a chance to me. Reath hasn’t been very impressive as the Suns’ 3rd center so why not let Timme have his shot at earning that slot?
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“We’re bottom 10 in three-point rate. I don’t think that’s where we want to live. I think that we want to live a little bit above that, taking high-quality shots.” – Jordan Ott (following the LAC game)
“I know me and him (Ryan Dunn), we do a lot of the same things, and us being out there together and us being on the same page together, it’s getting kind of scary.” – Jordan Goodwin
“I think the pull-up three opens up everything. I found even when you’re not making it, it makes the defense come out and makes you a threat. So I’m going to keep letting them go when I get some space to hopefully stress their defenses out and open up a lot of opportunities for my teammates.” – Devin Booker
“I feel like as long as we don’t turn the ball over and we make them turn the ball over, and we rebound the ball, we’ll be good.” – Miles Bridges
“We’ve had parts of the game where we looked really good with certain lineups and certain lineups we come in, we just can’t find that flow so… We definitely have some things to clean up. It’s obviously going to be ups and downs throughout the games, but the downs can’t be as bad as they’ve been.” – Devin Booker
Suns Trivia/History
On November 17, 2000, Jason Kidd tied the NBA record for turnovers in a game when he turned the ball over 14 times in a 90-85 loss to New York. John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks previously held the record alone after committing 14 turnovers at New Jersey on March 1, 1977. This record still stands today.
On November 20, 1977, the Suns set a franchise record for team steals in a single game with 24 in a 134-112 win against an Antonio. That total is tied for the 4th most in a single game in NBA history. Starters Walter Davis and Alvan Adams both had 4, Paul Westphal and Don Buse getting 3 each, and Gar Heard finished with 1. Rookie Ron Lee had 5 off the bench to lead everyone in steals, though. Lee made a name for himself as a thief on the court and went on to set the Suns’ single-season record for steals (225) the following season, as well as leading the entire NBA in steals that year.
On November 20, 2000, due to various injuries and declining performance, Rex Chapman retired at the age of 32. Chapman spent the final four years of his NBA career with the Suns averaging 12.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2-4 rebounds per game for the Suns while shooting 36.0% from three. He started 154 of the 224 games he played in Phoenix. He is 14th on the Suns’ All-Time list for career 3-pointers made (324), 18th on the All-Time list for threes made per game (1.45), and 50th on the Suns’ All-Time list of leading scorers (2,787 points).
The Week Ahead
Sunday: Phoenix Suns vs. LA Lakers, 2:00 pm AZ time
Monday: Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets, 7:00 pm AZ time
Wednesday: Phoenix Suns @ Sacramento Kings, 8:00 pm AZ time
Friday: Phoenix Suns @ Utah Jazz, 7:30 pm AZ time
Important Future Dates
Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded
Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline
Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027
March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline
April 11 – 2026-27 Regular Season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 12 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
April 13-16 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 17 – NBA Playoffs 2026 begin
