The BIGGEST QUESTIONS Phoenix Suns Must Answer In 2025-26

The BIGGEST QUESTIONS Phoenix Suns Must Answer In 2025-26

Can Devin Booker be an MVP candidate? Will Jaylen Green take the leap? Can Ryan Dun jumper be consistent? Will Stephen punch me in the face? All of the biggest Suns questions answered today. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Psychos and sickos unite for an opposite of AI edition of phnxons coming to you live from studio A. I’m Eric Ruby. That’s Steven Pjon Gardner. We got Gerald Borgay and the Freck Mamba aka Juice Man aka Old Mangle Toes back behind the Mac making all the magic happen. He hates that last one, but we love him and we love all of you being right up in here in YouTube in the chat, watching after the fact, listening on audio, watching on TV. Anyway, that you consume PHNX Sons, we appreciate you greatly. We al also appreciate you hitting that like butting button, hitting that subscribe button, and hitting the donate button. Help us raise $50,000 across all of all of all city. I am just stumbling today. For Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America, this is an amazing, amazing foundation that does such incredible work across the entire country, but especially here locally in Arizona. Just hit that donate button. It’s real, real easy. If you’re thinking about super chatting, go ahead and hit that donate button instead. We’d rather you donate money to them. But all of that aside, we are going to be answering every single major question surrounding the Phoenix Suns going into 2025, 2026. But before we get there, I have a question for all of you. How are you doing? Doing good. How about yourself? I’m I’m doing all right. I got two cool shirts in a row apparently, so I take that. I’ll take it. How are you doing, Stephen? Doing great. Been a very busy day, but we got here. We got locked in. I’m gonna try not to stumble over myself for the the rest of the show, but shout out to Mark. Good if it goes. Shout out to my father. I don’t want Stephen to put me in my place if I don’t say that with an emphasis. Ashley Shum Dog Boom Shakalaka. Appreciate all of you being here. Somebody who’s never met your dad to tell you you should say hi to your dad. But you mad at me. Okay, let’s start with the biggest question if that’s okay with everybody. Uh, the Suns have a lot of variables going into this season. None bigger than will Devin Booker bounce back or will Devin Booker play like a top 10 player or an MVP candidate this season? At the end of the day, all the other players, the coach, all of that’s important, Gerald, but Devin Booker being one of the best players in the NBA will be truly what drives this team to surprise people if they do. Absolutely. If you look at the moves that the Suns made this summer, not just trading Kevin Durant and waving and stretching Bradley Beal, but the rookies that they targeted, the guys that they got in return for those players, the ones that they went out and signed, uh, the Mark Williams trade, all of these moves were made with Devin Booker in mind as the centerpiece. They are trying to optimize the pieces that are around him in terms of playing faster, being more defensive minded. Um, so all of this starts and ends with Deon Booker this upcoming season. Aside from the obvious question of can he stay healthy for the whole season, this is the biggest question that will determine how the Suns do this year. If he bounces back and looks like a top 10 player in the league again and and that certified undisputed number one option, the Suns might be a little bit better than people are predicting or giving them credit for. But if he doesn’t, if he’s, you know, top 15, top 20, top 25 territory, then this is going to be a lottery team for sure. It it starts and ends with Book. They built this team around him. They gave him the contract extension. They see him as the franchise player, the all-time leading scorer. Um, now it’s time for him to go out and reassert himself as that guy again. Uh, Eric, listen, can he? I think he can. Will he is a much more complicated question because I’m I’ve never been a a Devin Booker doubter ever. But realistically speaking, it was the worst season of his prime and it was a very disappointing season last year for him. I do wonder, can Devin Booker win an MVP award? Like genuinely speaking, not just not not just this season. Let’s just take big picture out of it. Do we think that Devin Booker and Stephen we can go to you for this is capable of winning MVP? I mean, he plays the right position to do it. He has the top tier, top tier skill in multiple capacities to do it. So, yes, can he? Yes, absolutely he can. Will he is not necessarily up to him, honestly. We’ve seen a few people that have had MVP caliber seasons get robbed of that over the last 15 years of the NBA. So, none of that is guaranteed. I think the only way to guarantee it is your team is the best in the NBA and you’re a top seven scorer. Yeah. The Suns will not be a top 10 team in the league, top five team in the league for the next two seasons at least. So he can average 30, it doesn’t mean it’s going to result in an MVP. Yeah, he he would have to do something outlandish to do that. I I don’t see it. I think 20 if the 64 win season when he was the leading scoreer on that team wasn’t you know I think he was fifth in MVP voting that year or fourth fourth I think that was probably as close as he’s going to get cuz this team is not going to be good enough for him to be in MVP talks I think um so like Stephen said even if he does go out there and average 30 um if it’s a 354 win team even a 45 win team that’s not enough to put you in those conversations and it’s not even that like Devin Booker is not good enough I think he was valid MVP candidate that year that they won 64 games, but at this point in his career, the team’s not going to be good enough. He would have to do something crazy. And there’s just so much talent in the league right now. Like saying he’s an MVP candidate would be saying he’s a top five, top 10 player that season. That’s more than enough. But to win it, that that feels like a stretch. Yeah. To to win MVP, and we can look at this season because it’s the only one that we have a a realistic like runway for. If he’s going to be in the MVP conversation this season, it means the Phoenix Suns are solidly in the playoffs, if not have homecourt advantage. Yeah. Right. And that also means he’s probably close to 30 points per game and still averaging a careerhigh in assists somewhere around, you know, eight. That that’s really realistically the only way he’s in the conversation. And MVP is very much also a narrative driven award where it’s like, is it your turn? It feels like Luca is kind of still waiting for his turn. Joic is still absolutely dominating. Shay is going to want to go back to back. Like you have multiple players who are already in that conversation. So to break in and win in the same year seems for anybody, not just Deon Booker, realistically impossible. That being said, this team doesn’t need Devin Booker to play like a top three player in the league to surprise people. He’s got to be certifiably top 10. I think he can. Stephen, you and I recorded an episode on if he can average 30 points per game, and we both walked away saying that he certainly has the talent to do so. It is the biggest question that the Suns are going to need to answer, especially because they signed Book to that record setting contract extension. Any final thoughts on on Book before we keep cycling through some of the other biggest questions? 287 and six is what he should be probably at as his baseline for next season, if not surpassing that on average. And then shooting splits, 50% from two, 38% from three on seven or eight attempts. If he could do 90% from the line. If he could do 287 and six on 50 40 90 that’s going to be that would be that’ be an incredibly impressive season. The six might be the hardest part of that. Yeah. Great. Great scorer. You’re put in position to be that top tier option for your team. You’re looking to reestablish your name amongst the elite of the elite. That’s a significant step in doing that. Yeah. Heavy and with better defense and with and that Yeah. That’s also the part of it too. I mean, unless you’re going to be literally possibly the greatest offensive engine of all time and Nicole Yokic, you got to be a a top tier two-way player to to win the MVP. Speaking of defense, Ryan Dunn is a big part of this team, but the defense isn’t where the question comes. It’s on offense. Can Ryan Dumper, not Ryan Dumper? Who? Oh no, you broke the segment. Will Ryan Dun’s jumper be consistent? I’m like be calm. Clearly, Ryan’s dumper. # the dumper. Um, he is never coming on the show. What is up with me on this show, man? The dumper jumper off. Um, that’s crazy. Uh, I don’t even know where to go with this at this point. I mean, you need to say pause. All right. If we we’re just going after this quick commercial break. No. Uh, if we’re just going to look at the last three years, first year at Virginia, shot 31.3% on half an attempt per game. The year after that, 20% on one attempt per game. Last year, I think he shot 31% as well on 3.6 attempts per game. So, the confidence was there. The attempts were up. Um, I think that number could be even higher if he does win the starting role. But he’s got to be shooting for like 34 35%. Just even average, slightly below average would be good for this team. If he can’t get there, they might have to go a different direction in that starting lineup depending on where else he can contribute offensively with the dumper jumper. Go ahead. No, no, no, Stephen. No, it’s all you, man. No, it’s all you, man. I can’t I’m not I swear I’m sober, guys. I swear I’m sober. This is This is pure raw meing up on air. Like that’s really it. You can’t even say pure with that. That’s fair. Take you literally. That’s fair. Please take the baton, Stephen. So by month last season, uh 44% on 25 three-point attempts. I was in five games in October. 24.4% on 45 attempts in November. 13 games. 28% on 32 attempts in December, 10 games. 35% on 40 attempts 14 games in January, 21 on 31 and 12 in February, 35 on 57 attempts in 13 games in March, and in April, 28% on 46 attempts in seven games. Mhm. He had a few months where he was right where he needs to be. Yes. But he also had a handful of months where he was significantly far away from where he needed to be. Right. considering the quality of shots he received last season because of the top end talent that he was playing with and the kind of inconsistencies that we saw. I don’t know if like anything north of 35% is realistic, right? Because I still think it might not be as drastic of the highs and lows, but the es and flows will still be there for him. Um, I just kind of streamline it as 35% is cool. It’s less about the percentage for me and it’s more about getting the defense to react to you when you get your touches. Or even if you’re spaced, if you’re spaced a pass away from Devin Booker, is your man hugging the block or the elbow or the nail or is he kind of playing it closer to 50/50? If they’re not those situations or they’re leaning more towards Booker or leaning more towards generally just helping off of you, that’s a space he can’t be consistently operating in. Similarly, he also can’t get to the point where teams are crossmatching him and putting centers or putting centers on him and putting wings on Mark Williams and distorting their offensive process and flow because of it. Yeah. I mean, a lot’s on him this season. He has to be better at it. And I think Ashley poses a good question. The chat says, would his numbers be better with a coach who believes in him? You know, he is an inconsistent shooter. I don’t think Mike Budenhoer and his inconsistent play, it’s a direct correlation. That’s the only reason, right? But I I do believe that if Ryan Dunn was given a consistent not just minutes, but a consistent role in the offense that he would be put in a better spot to feel more comfortable because a lot of the times with somebody who’s struggling with their jump shot, it comes from overthinking it. Like Steph Curry doesn’t think when he shoots, he just shoots, right? And I think a lot of people, even if you play pickup, if your game, you know, you’re not a shooting oriented player, you get left wide open. you don’t know when you’re going to get the ball and then all of a sudden you have the ball. There’s about a million things going through your head right before you’re shooted. Oh, I don’t want to miss it. Oh, am I going to do this? Oh, somebody closing out instead of just somebody who will shoot will grab it and just shoot. Right. Right. So, if he can get consistent burn, be a consistent starter, I think that even if he starts off slow, which would be unlike last year, he needs to still stay in that starting lineup, and in my opinion, stay in that starting lineup unless he just gets to an undeniable point of like beyond the jumper, you’re hurting this team because this is the season to give him that leeway. And I think that he can be better. Can he be a sharpshooter? Probably not. But I think that he can be consistent. And that’s the question that we’re asking, right? and and Monty said at best reps were moved out. What were we saying about Ryan Dunn heading into last year? He needed to get up as many threes as possible to be confident in those. More playing time helps in that regard and it helps establish that consistency, that rhythm. So hopefully uh more consistent minutes, more consistent role will be there for him this season. Sticking with Ryan Dunn, I’m going to This one I got. Okay, I got this one. Can Ryan Dunn or Dylan Brooks play starting power forward minutes? Well, nailed it. Brooks and Dumper. Um, yeah, this is this is important because they are a little bit undersized at the three and the four. Brooks is 6’6. That’s what he’s listed as. Ryan Dunn listed at 6’8. Um, you need Ryan Dunn to be able to hold up defensively, but you’re probably gonna put him more on the perimeter. and Dylan Brooks might be more of your four in terms of the strength that it requires to play that position. So, he’s going to be a little bit undized. He’s not going to be outmatched physically, I don’t think. Um, but you need those guys to hold up defensively. I think offensively if Brooks shooting holds up and if Ryan Dunn can either be a great cutter or be a great shooter or both, just a consistent shooter. I think offensively I’m less concerned than I am defensively with those two, which is odd because they’re both very good defenders, but it’s more of a positional size thing for me. I think offensively Dunn is going to be the four. Defensively, Brooks is going to be the four. Correct. How you want to split that up as far as answering the question is up to you. But I think offensively, absolutely Ryan Dunn can be an effective four. I think defensively absolutely Dylan Brooks can be an effective four. If those lines get blurry and the roles aren’t defined with that, then it’s going to lead to some variance that might not make that starting lineup make the most sense, which would then lead to, okay, well now are you going to start Oso? Are you going to start Nigel H Davis? Mhm. And which one of those two players is going to be coming off the bench more than likely? And what does that do for the rest of your lineup in terms of personnel, defensive approach, offensive approach, etc., etc.? Well, and there’s something to be said like not every team has a traditional power forward. A lot of teams have to lean into their specific personnel and and and there’s a way where you could have advantages for a guy like Brooks and Dunn playing at the four on either side of the ball. And that also falls back on Jordan to where hey we know that when it comes to playing against a team that has you know two big forwards or big centers like Minnesota Timberwolves either with Carl Towns or with Julius Randall who are going to have a big brutalizing four and and a tall center and Rudy Gobear like how are you going to game plan and scheme against that? Well there’s going to be certain things that you are disadvantaged for but then you’re also going to have the advantage on the other end. playing fast, playing hard, like there are multiple things you can do to scheme around whatever deficiencies they might bring. But if they can both shoot, Mhm. then that’s going to go a long way in making up for, okay, well, maybe Dylan Brooks would be a little undersized to guard a Julius Randall, and that’s going to be a tough mismatch, especially as the NBA Gerald starts to to shift back towards some of these traditional big lineups, especially dual big lineups have become a little bit more prevalent over the last two years. Yeah, I was always bound to swing back that way because it’s basketball is becoming more positionless and if you have taller players who can do the same thing that you know threes, fours used to do in terms of spreading the floor, why wouldn’t you play two bigs together if you can do that? Not a lot of teams have that um versatility on their roster. But um the Suns are going to need to lean into Dun’s strengths and Brook’s strengths on both ends of the floor. And like Stephen said, I think it’s going to be a swap based on whether they’re on offense or defense. All right. Well, we got a lot more questions to rip through, and we’re going to do exactly that right after our first break. If you want a good weekend out on the town, a nice station, or you want to come to one of our live events, always head over to Hila River Resorts and Casinos. Now, my personal favorite is Wild Horse Pass. And maybe that’s just my Southwest bias. Shout out Espo. But they also have Long Bequa, Santan Mountain. They can satisfy all of your needs. Whether you want to have some upscale dining, some approachable dining, whether you want to relax by the poolside, or go to their state-of-the-art gaming for, I’m talking tons of live slots, table games, and everything that you could possibly imagine. It’s an unprecedented level of entertainment and excitement that you won’t find anywhere else in the desert. And they’ve set a high bar. And guess what? They continue to clear it time and time again. Personally, we were there for the PHX Cardinals residency about a week ago. Two weeks ago, I was there for the Straight Game Podcast live with Shaquille O’Neal. They’re always going next level at Hila River Resorts and Casinos. So, you do you at Hila River Resorts and Casinos. Visit playhilo.com for more details. You like the shirt that I’m wearing. You like the gear that I rock. You think that I rock my teams the best? Well, I agree with you. I also would agree with you if you said Rally House is the best place to get Phoenix Suns gear and merchandise because it absolutely is. But it’s not just the Suns. It’s all local sports teams. I’m talking thousands of pages of local sports merchandise. Not just shirts, not just hats, but shorts, pants, signage, drinkear, coolers, socks, anything that you need, you can get it at Rally House. Now, you can of course go to rallyhouse.com and search all of this as well, but I highly recommend going to their store locations. I’m talking Tempe, Mesa, and Glendale. And go out on Glendale on September 12th for a PHX Cardinals live show from their location out on the west side. Every time you visit a Rally House, you’re guaranteed to find something new. Find your local Rally House location. Shop their entire product assortment online at www.allyhouse.com today. and let us rally together by hitting that donate button for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Help us out with a great cause. Also, hit that like button. Hit that subscribe button. Five star reviews on audio. Leo says we are one month away from Suns basketball. That’s exciting. That’s right. Yeah. First preseason game October 3rd coming up. God, I can’t wait to watch some basketball. Same. Can’t wait. Biggest question. Yep. Will we enjoy that first preseason game? That’s what’s next. No. All right. Uh let’s keep it moving here from the forwards to the center. Can Mark Williams stay healthy? Uh I don’t know how much there is a discuss here except for the fact that a lot of the Sun ceiling hinges on this very question. Yep. Because if he can’t stay healthy, suddenly you’re looking at either rookie Nick Richards or OSO at the five. Um and I think we agree we’re going to see some OSO at the four this year. So this is tough. I mean 4319 and 44. I have memorized the number of games that Mark Williams has played seasons because we’ve talked about it so much. So hopefully he can get to like 60 games at least. That would be ideal. That would be pretty good if you’re the Suns in terms of evaluating him um for what’s to come. I think this is the season that he sets a careerhigh in games played and minutes played. Um so north of 25 minutes. Um and obviously playing significantly more than what was it 40 44. 44. Yeah. Um the bar is low there, but again you just want to see steps in the right direction. Bar is low for the Suns this season. Again, you just want to see steps in the right direction. And I think that’s it for him. As long as he’s healthy, he’s going to improve because he’s a very talented basketball player. He’s a smart player as well. He’s also an athlete that has players that understand how to get the ball to a big but also garner the correct type of attention to put him in pos in position to be successful. So he if he stays healthy the opportunity to earn another contract that’s a step in the right direction for him is definitely there. Yeah, I think I just answered another question. Well, there is this follow-up question here which is if he stays healthy, what contract does he play himself into? You know, this is an interesting question, Gerald, because let’s say he does stay healthy, it would be his first season staying healthy, and if he stays impactful, that would be great. The Suns are then forced with a question of, okay, we just drafted Kam Malawatch, number 10, and we’ll have a question about him here in a second. Now, I got this other 24y old now about to be 25year-old who’s had one healthy, effective season, but it was with us. What do we do? Yeah, and it’s a great question because if he can’t stay healthy and you’re looking at the same situation, you look, the two first round picks that they gave up for Mark Williams were not super valuable, but they’re still two first round picks. So, cutting bait with him after one season when he’s a restricted free agent doesn’t make a lot of sense either. So, maybe you’re looking at a contract that’s in the I don’t know 10 to 12 13 million per year range if he can’t stay healthy. And if he does stay healthy and if he performs well, maybe you’re looking at 15 20 plus mil a year depending on how he does. So we’ll have to wait and see how he plays before we can really answer this question obviously. But um if he plays 60 65 games and averages a double double and cementss himself as the Sun’s starting center and you look at Kaman Mwatch and maybe he’s not ready to supplant him in that role, you’re probably looking at a at a decent contract extension for a team that is still trying to figure out, okay, we got all these young pieces. What are we going to do with them for the long term? Who is what part of our long-term future? Yeah, I had him down for either three years 36 or three years 54. So between 12 and 18 million. Yeah. Um stretched out over the next handful of seasons. Obviously the variable in play is health. If he’s healthy, it’ll be closer to the latter of 18 mil a season. If he’s not healthy, they’ll just do the bare minimum on that because there’s going to be inherent risk with it. And they do have they’re in the driver’s seat because we’ve seen how restricted free agency plays out for healthy guys that had great years, let alone an injury-prone guy. Yeah. The question doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a bad outcome for him. It could actually end up being really great for them. Speaking of great, can I I give a shout out to the community that we have here at PHNX Sports because we have Ashley in the chat who’s just sharing that it’s been a rough couple of weeks and everybody immediately in the chat just showering Ashley with love. That’s what I love about this community and the PHNX Suns community is that it’s not just about basketball. So, big shout out to everybody and of course Ashley. We’re thinking of you and we’re hoping that the stupidity of Ryan Dumper can help you get through whatever tough times uh you are going through. All right, let’s uh keep it ripping for Ashley and for everybody else here. Here’s the maybe second biggest question for the Suns this season. They’re all important, but this one may be just behind Devin Booker. Can Jaylen Green take a leap or the leap? Can he become the guy for the Suns in the future and be that building block next to Devin Booker? Stephen, this is one that I think out of the three of us, you are the highest on it as far as the probability of it happening. Yep. I don’t think it’s out the real that he can average 25 points on this team. The scoring demand is certainly going to be there. The usage will certainly be there. The lineup constructs where he’s at the helm of the offense will certainly be there as well. 25 on 50 50% from two, 36% from uh three, 84% from the free throw line. Efficiency bumping up on that in addition to four rebounds, five assists, five assists, four rebounds, however you want to splice that up. I think the opportunity is there. The runway is going to be there. I think Jordan out is going to challenge him in his shot profile, make better decisions with the ball in his hands. Just because you can take this shot and you have made this shot before doesn’t mean that’s the best shot for this moment. You can get a better shot, put pressure on the rim, get to the free throw line, his uh career high, I think is six attempts from the line his sophomore season, which was also his career high in scoring. I see no reason why he can’t average seven free throw attempts a game. Mhm. Yeah, I I I’m obviously on the lower end of expectations for Green, but I agree with Stephen. I do think 25 points per game is not out of the realm of possibility for him at all given the way that this offense looks right now um and the personnel that they have. I wonder if it’s going to be efficient and I think it’s going to depend obviously on how Booker and Jaylen mesh, how they build their chemistry, um all of that stuff, the pieces around them, but for me it’s about that relationship between Jordan Au and Jaylen Green as well. And we’ll touch on aught later, but I think for Jaylen Green in particular, getting him to tweak his approach to be uh even more downhill minded and attack the rim and and drive and cut back on some of the inefficiencies of his game would go a long way in answering this question with a positive answer. What do you think is more likely, Gerald? I love playing this game and making people say things. Uh Devin Booker is a top five MVP candidate this season. Okay. Or Jaylen Green averages 25 points per game. Jaylen Green averages 25 points per game because top five again the Suns would have to be like probably a top four team in the West I would imagine or top five at worst and book would have to be averaging like 30. So I think Green getting 25 might be more realistic. If Green gets 25, Stephen, does that do you think that kind of cements him as like, okay, you’re here for the long run? It’s a significant step in the right direction because that that’s a clear statistical example of buy in. A coach challenges me in ways that I haven’t been challenged before. I’m up to the challenge. I process them into my game and make them new habits and the results flow from it. I think there’s opportunity there. If he jumps from 21 to 25, that’s a top five MIP candidate at worst next season. Yeah, it would be a record for the team on that on that um for that accolade. Yeah, you’re going to need to jump about four or five for him to be in that conversation, especially if the team is genuinely I genuinely believe most of that is specific to three-point percentage because over his career 50% is rookie year from two, 47% sophomore year, 49.8% 8% his third year. Um 48.2 last season. He’s been flirting with 50% from two his whole career. So cleaning up the decision on when he’s taking pullup threes. And I think the team context will allow for him to get that down from eight that was last season to maybe six. And if he’s knocking down 2.8 on six attempts, that efficiency gets you to 25. And a lot of them were pull-ups. So if they can get him more spot up threes, which he shot well on, that’ll help clean up that efficiency as well. And part of the leap is also buying in on defense is why we talk about how Deon Booker needs to clean it up on that end. Jaylen Green has all the tools to be a good defender. He needs to be put in the right situation by Jordan Knot. Hopefully he is. Hopefully he can capitalize on that. Well, we went through the entire starting lineup, guys. We went through Booker, Green, Dunn, Brooks, Williams. So, why not go to the bench? Why not go to the role players? None, in my opinion, more intriguing, even if they’re not as most important for this season, than Kaman Malawatch. Big question. Can he make any impact his rookie year? I think he can. I think any impact he can. I don’t know if he can make a consistent impact or if he can stamp himself as like the certified backup center. Um, but I hope that he’s able to prove me wrong and prove a lot of people wrong because after his summer league outing, a lot of people are down on him. And I think it’s worth mentioning that it was a very small sample size of games. We saw some things. He needs to get stronger obviously. Um, but I think especially if the season wears on and the losses start piling up, I think we’ll see Kaman get more minutes just as a byproduct of that. And I think we will see some growth in that span even if it’s not, you know, growth on a contributing to a winning team. Yeah. I think for him to add impact, it’s got to be streamlining two or three specific things for him. So the things I continue to harp on, can he set good screens? Can he be an effective rim runner? And can he just do a solid job defensively in terms of protecting the rim? If he can do those three things and protect the rim without fouling in particular, it might not be 15 or 12 minutes a game. If he’s starting off his rookie season, he averages about eight. That’s a stepping stone. That’s all you want. Again, you just want to see the progress start to develop because not going to be playing double digits on average, I don’t think, because I don’t know if he’s strong enough for that quite yet. So you can just start to start to lay a foundation. I think there’s something to build off of with him there. Naturally going into year two, his skill is going to take a significant leap. I believe he’s a hard worker by all the counts we’ve seen and heard of. So yeah, I’m pretty confident in him making some sort of impact. I even said when we did our Kaman Mitch breakdown a couple of weeks ago that I expect him to be the backup center by the end of the year and I and I do expect him to earn that. I think that there’s just a lot of raw tools and skills that over an 82 game season he’s going to improve upon vastly. I’m just a believer in him and at the end of the day he’s 72 with an insane wingspan, good instincts, good communicator like defensively he’s going to be able to have an impact especially against second units. You got to imagine the strength thing like what if another team goes small? You can put Kaman out there. He’s going to be able to keep with them athletically and size-wise he’s not going to get overpowered and bullied. I think there are plenty of matchups that come on can at least get some reps in there. He’s not going to be the best player on the court. He probably won’t be one of the best players on the court, but I do think he’ll make some sort of impact from making an impact to making the rotation. What about last year’s big man draft pick, Oso Igdaro? Will he consistently be in Jordan’s rotation? Big question for him and his development along with the Suns this season. I think so. And this is something that Stevens talked a lot about as being one of the biggest keys for this upcoming season. But if if you listen to the way that Brian Gregory and Jordan have both spoken about him in terms of, you know, answering questions about dual big lineups or OSO getting bigger and stronger, I think they both view him as a piece that’s going to be part of the rotation. Whether he can keep that up and cement himself in a crowded front court is another question. But I do think he’ll be part of the rotation. I think he’s good enough. And despite all the concerns about, you know, non-existent jumper basically, I think he’s too smart of a player to keep off the floor on both ends. Yeah, he’s he brings some things that this team is going to need. And that’s front court playmaking because you don’t want to have especially if you’re talking about you’re playing three guards, four guards in your main rotation and really you only want two of them initiating to a certain extent. The way to break that ice is by having bigs that can do things in a versatile way. If bigs are grabbing rebounds, can they just grab and go instead of getting an outlet? How much faster does that make your offense? You want to take advantage of the early portions of the shot clock if you’re a team especially built like they are because the later you get in the clock. Jaylen Green save us. Deon Booker save us. And guess what? Every single opponent knows that. Yep. Yeah. So, if you avoid your late shot clock scenarios and you’re pushing it with your bigs, also is going to be the piece that spearheads a lot of that. I’m curious if Nigel Hayes Davis can do that consistently on the NBA level, but also is the one big that we know for sure that he’s able and capable of doing that in addition to all of the dribble handoff connective variations that they want to get into. I know a lot of people like to focus on the jumper when it comes to the the lack of a jumper. He doesn’t need to work like that’s the thing is you don’t want him you don’t want to put a a square peg in a round hole right it’s not going to fit there are a lot of strengths and Stephen I mean obviously you feel very strongly about this a lot of strengths for OSO to play as a big in the modern NBA without a semblance of a jump shot is because if everybody’s looking to get a shot who’s setting someone else up but if you have one player that’s on the court and he’s he’s not it’s not that he can’t look at the basket in terms of going to get a paint touch and hitting the rim. If he’s looking to set other people up and he has the requisite skill set to do so and put other people in position to be successful, now you’re talking about a comprehensive offense that can hit different. You can put pressure on your opponents in ways past Deon Booker and Jaylen Green led primary actions. Gerald, to me, it’s less about a jumper. It’s more about having some way to score, whether it is getting a paint touch or or getting more consistent with that floater that we always saw him try out. That’s the real hinging point for me on his ceiling. Not as much of if he makes the rotation. I think he’s going to be in the rotation. Yeah, it it’s it’s being able to drive and attack the rim. He has those fake dribble handoffs where where he’ll the guy will be cutting. He’ll fake it one way, put the ball on the floor and go right past the defenders who are kind of stuck trying to guard that and get caught looking. We’ve seen him do that a couple of times and get monster dunks out of it. We just haven’t seen it enough and part of that is because obviously Mike Benhoer glued him to the bench inexplicably for a few months. But uh with more consistent minutes hopefully this year he can build on that. I think we saw in summer league he was a little bit more aggressive like Ryan Dunn in attacking off the dribble which we know this team needs to put pressure on the rim. Um I think as a pick and roll partner he’ll be a little bit better now that he’s building some chemistry with like Devin Booker and Colin Gillespie. That year of familiarity helps. But the floater is something that was very consistent for him in college. Not as much last year on the NBA level. And again, I put a lot of that on the inconsistent minutes that he was getting. If you’re getting, you know, three to four of those floaters a game in college and then you go to the NBA, you maybe get one and then you’re benched for the rest of the game. It’s hard to build on that and the percentages are going to look a certain way. So, I think that’s going to be part of his game. If you’re waiting for OSO to develop a jumper, you’re going to be waiting several years because that’s not something you just build overnight and it’s not something you incorporate into your game when you’re a secondyear player just trying to carve out your niche in the NBA. That’s where that’s where for someone that watches a lot of basketball, I would love to see people challenge themselves to not just go directly to what a player can’t do and immediately cancel out. they can’t do this, that, or the third because they can’t do skill X, right? What about what they can do? What about the things that they can do being conducive to the environment for offense that they’re working with or a defense that they’re working with? Those things matter equally as much as the things that they might not be able to do because if those things are conducive, you can find multiple avenues to being successful with the team. Yeah, I I think he’s in the rotation. I also think that obviously, you know, Jordan not’s going to be making the final decision, but the way that this team promotes Oso out there and includes him and everything and he’s at the the Suns night at at the Diamondbacks game, like he is at the forefront of a lot of what this franchise is pushing. And and so is the next guy we’re going to talk about. And personally, I don’t believe that an aligned franchise would be out there putting guys who you’re not going to see on the court out there to kind of be almost like the spokesperson for your team. Uh the player that he was out there with at Suns and Mercury night over at the Dbacks game a couple weeks ago was Colin Gillespie. Can Colin Gillespie carry over his end of season run Gerald? If he can if he can average about nine points per game, which he did as a starter on some pretty incredible shooting splits, that’s going to be a big boost for this team. Yeah, absolutely. And like we’ve been asking, was it a product of he looked good by comparison because the team was just so horrible to watch or is it something he can legitimately build on? And I think it is something that he can build on because even if you are gifted minutes in the NBA on a bad team like Gillespie was last year, he made the most of them and he made an impact. There were several games where he went in there and you could just feel a difference in energy where he was knocking down shots. There was that Clippers comeback in particular where he and Kevin Durant kind of carried them across the finish line there. So, I think he can build on it. He has to be better. He has to continue improving obviously, but this is a guy that we’ve been saying for a long time. He’s too good for the G-League. Now, it’s time to prove he’s good enough to be a backup point guard on a solid NBA team. Yeah, once he entered the main rotation, I think it was in March last season, seven points, three assists, three rebounds, 42.9% from three on three and a half three-point attempts. Those are all good for reserves. Yeah. The points you want to look at to see improvement, which will naturally help all of his numbers and his general impact, he’s in like the 30s for a two-point percentage. Now, obviously understand that he’s a smaller guard. I think he’s crafty enough and has the shot mechanics to be effective from two. Now, picking your spots is one thing, but being aggressive, going back and watching this film, there’s a lot of times where he’ll pass up scoring opportunities, playing true to his point guard nature when he should be looking to kind of put his foot on the gas and stamp things with his scoring. those moments where he hesitates, it ends up leading to a shot that’s not in the same rhythm as the advantage that was created now ends up being almost like a live ball turnover in a sense because it springboards the opponents the other way. I want to see him be aggressive offensively. He has all of the makings and all of the feel for the game as a scorer to do so from two-point range specifically. If he gets to his footwork and plays off of those midi pull-ups like he’s shown to be able to, he can get nine a game off the bench. And that nine a game if he’s coming with the scoring prowess could also bump him up to four or five assists as well. Yeah, I feel confident in his offense, especially his three-point shooting with just how smooth and confident and powerful his jump shot looked. I think even beyond the offensive game though and the numbers, the starting run where he averaged nine or his his stint with the Suns where he averaged five, the impact that had people begging for Colin Gillespie not just to play but to start was that defensive effort. You know, you got it from Ryan Dunn whenever he was on the court and you got it from Colin Gillespie and that spark against the Clippers. Yes, it was his offense. It was also his defense. It’s infectious. The same way that we talk about Oso, that we talk about Ryan, you know, that we’ll talk about Dylan Brooks or even maybe Jaylen Green’s athleticism, like how big plays and fun plays can help spread across the team and get everybody up. Colin Gillespie picking somebody up 94 feet and pressuring them on defense or making the hustle play and making the oppos opposing guards uncomfortable, especially off the bench. That to me might be where he brings his biggest impact because I do see this team having a lot of different offensive options, but as far as somebody who can guard smaller, quicker guards effectively on the perimeter, like that might be Kong Gillespiey’s calling card in this rotation, not as much what can he do offensively. Yeah. and and I don’t think he’ll be that point of attack shutdown guy, but if he can be a pest in that area, it’s pretty much just him and Jordan Goodwin that are the only guys in terms of guards that you have that can do that. So, that would be the biggest way to make sure that Jordan Goodwin doesn’t kind of sneak up on him and steal some minutes away. Um, is by being that guy defensively who’s going to hound guys up and down the court, who’s going to hold his own defensively, who’s going to tackle some of those assignments when he comes in off the bench. Um, if he can’t hold up defensively, then you’re looking at a situation where maybe he does start to lose minutes. Well, we got a lot more questions to get into. a couple more about the bench and then a couple about Jordan A’s philosophy and this team as a whole. We’re going to get to all of those here on a Wednesday after you hit the like button, you hit the subscribe button, you hit the donate button, and right after this break. If you listened to me stumble over my words earlier today, you would probably assume that I was on Pure Edibles. And while I’m not right now, you could be while you enjoy and indulge in this podcast. you could be enjoying and indulging in the best edibles in the game. I’m talking edibles that taste good but aren’t just coated in sugar. I’m talking edibles that tell you exactly how they’re going to make you feel. Blending CBN, CBG, CBD, and marijuana derived THC to give you uplifting effects, balancing effects, relaxed effects, sleepy effects. And they are all labeled clearly on the tin. are also designed to be ripped or bit in half, making them easily sharable and easy to dial in your exact dose. And that would be my recommendation for you is that if you are starting, start low, go slow, and work your way up as you enjoy pure edibles. Plus, they’re a local company. So, go find yourself some Pure Edison products from one of the over 130 dispensaries across Arizona. They go perfect with PHNX Suns. Also, what goes perfect with life is saving money. And that’s what you can do with a My Style checking account over a Mountain America Credit Union, but also you can do it in style with the exclusive Phoenix Suns card because Mountain America is the exclusive home of the Phoenix Suns and their official credit union. It’s available as both a debit and a credit card. And you can pair it with your My Style Checking account to unlock extra benefits that we’ve always been telling you about like teleaalth access, loan rate discounts, mobile phone protection, and so much more. It’s a no annual fee credit card that’s available as a low rate cashback or rewards card option. Plus, Mountain America is here to guide you in your financial journey. It’s not just about signing up and adios, you’re on your own. You can stop in at any of their locations anytime. 100 plus branches across Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. and they can help you out. Insured by NCUA, terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Loans are on approved credit. Visit macu.com/sons to learn more. Once again, all the stuff. Like button, subscribe button on audio. If you’re running, keep running. If you’re lifting, lift harder. And if you’re driving, watch out. Uh Jesus Christ. Oh, let’s keep rolling to society. Let’s keep it rolling here. Uh, talking about the bench, Jordan has a lot of options at the four and the five. Nick Richards, Oso Igdaro, Nigel Hayes Davis, Rashir Fleming, even Royce O’Neal can get thrown in there as well. So, how does rookie head coach Jordan manage all of his options at the forward and center spot off the bench is a pretty big question on the margins for this team. It is, and it’s fascinating to see how it’s going to pan out. We think that Ryan Dunn will be the starter at the the four on one end of the court at least. Um but I have no idea if he doesn’t shoot the ball well. Maybe it’s Nigel Hayes Davis. Maybe Oso Gadaro gets a crack. Like you’ve got four centers on your team on top of all this if you include Oso and Gadaro in that group. So, how he manages his rotations, which guys he gives, you know, spot minutes to, um, and how much experimentation he has to do before he finds out what works and where certain guys fit and prioritizes certain guys development over others. It’s going to be fascinating to see how that all plays out. And I genuinely have no idea how it is all going to shake out by the end of the year. Yeah, it’s a it’s probably the biggest question mark on the rotation um at this present moment just because one there’s ambiguity on the starting lineup. Who is the three? Who is the four? Who’s going to be starting at those respective positions? Uh we all assume it’s going to be Brooks and Dunn. Um after those two, then you got Oso, Naj Davis, and Rasheed Fleming. How do those minutes divvy up? Who’s going to earn them sooner? Who’s going to be able to sustain there? But the lineups look like they’re going to include maybe two of those guys because I think two of those three ladder names can play the five in some lineups. Yeah. So if you have a big or if you have a four that’s playing the five now you open opportunity for someone else to play at the four. And if the center spot is a question mark after a Mark Williams that’s an avenue to get there. So a lot of questions on that front. Yeah. And a name I didn’t even mention when I set this up was Kam Malawatch. Like that’s somebody who’s going to be in there. And who knows if the Suns really do believe in Malawatch’s shooting and let’s say he shows a flash, maybe he becomes an option for both. Maybe he becomes an option at the four and at the five as well. This is why, and I appreciate all the questions that we get for mailbag Monday or Tuesday or whenever the hell we do it, but we’ve gotten a couple like who would be in the Suns 10-man rotation. This team is not going to have a 10-man rotation ever, if at all. like it’s if it happens it would be at the end of the season or if they somehow make a run and get in the playin playoffs whatever it is then it all goes down. I think that there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for almost every single player on this roster. I think even Jordan Goodwin is going to be thrown in there and hell he might be playing some forward minutes as a backup because of how good of a rebounder he is and the type of style that he plays even though he is guard sized. So, uh Royce is always steady. He’s the oldest player on this team. He’s the most veteran on this team. So, that’ll be interesting. I I like it, though. I I like to know that there’s going to be a lot of different options for for Jordan. So, I like it. I’m talking about Royce momentarily, so I didn’t want to touch on that one too quick. Well, let’s do it right now. What do Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neal need to do to be a part of the quote future? And by that, I don’t mean building blocks for this team. uh they’re two of the four oldest players on this team. Obviously, they’re not stars. But to get to the point where the Suns might not be actively looking to trade them and say, “You know what? Let’s run it back. You’re both under contract. Let’s keep you around.” Yeah. I Royce I struggle with because he’s one of the more expendable contracts. And yes, he is a good shooter as well. So, what we say about Grace and shooting being valuable applies to Royce as well, but there’s so much more competition at the three and the four for Royce with younger players that they probably want to invest in and and evaluate as opposed to Grayson who’s going to be probably the first guy off the bench maybe. So, and Grayson is more of a spot up sniper. Royce, we’ve seen him the inconsistency at times. He he’ll have hot stretches and then cold stretches. So, I have a hard time seeing it with Royce. With Grayson, it’s the other shooting doesn’t pan out and you need to keep him around to keep that shooting intact. But honestly, I think both of them will continue to be on the trade block for the foreseeable future. Um, Royce would be the best shooter of that mix of three floor three, four tweeners. Uh, would you all agree with that? Yeah. Or do you think Dylan Brooks because of what he did last season makes that more of a conversation? Uh, well, cuz they both had career best three-point shooting seasons on volume and efficiency last season. If Brook’s threes hold up, I think that would put him above that. Yeah, but that is a big if that we talked about a lot, too. Royce probably will have the the streakiest jump shot on the team. Maybe not name Ryan Dunn. I would have to double check Brooks and O’Neal’s shot profile, but I feel like one might be more inclined to the corners versus the other being more inclined to above the break. And if you’re talking about spacing and manipulating spacing, especially for one of the questions about double teams that we have coming, having better, I guess, options at those specific shot types is going to matter. I’m only asking because I do feel like Royce is probably not finishing. And if I had to pick one player that wouldn’t finish the season on the team, not because he’s not good, but because they need to figure out how to create some room, he’s probably the first guy out just because of the friendliness, the friendly nature of his contract. Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know really what they could do to be part of the quote future. You know, maybe around next year, but even if they play out of their minds, this might be a Suns look at the market and say, man, we can get a ton of assets for Grayson Allen right now. He’s having an upseason. Let’s take advantage of that because at the end of the day, the next great Suns team likely will not involve either of those two. Not impossible, but more likely every everybody else on this roster maybe none minimum guys are going to be a part of that next great Suns team. But we talked about two shooters. Let’s talk about the team as a whole going from the bench to just team- based andbased questions. Quite simply put, Gerald, can this team shoot? It’s a great question and it’s one that I keep fixating on and I hate to sound like I’m beating a dead horse here, but you lost Kevin Durant. You lost Bradley Beal. You lost some good shooters on this team last year. Tyus Jones. Yeah, Tyus Jones. As much as we talked about how Taius Jones was not that great, he was another like 40% three-point shooter. So, you lost a lot of efficiency for a team that ranked third in three-point percentage last year. didn’t get up enough attempts for that much firepower, but they did have efficient shooters. This team has question marks. Dylan Brooks is coming off a career year, but before that, he’s hovered around 34%. Um, you look at Nigel Hayes Davis, he shot really well in Euro League. Can he translate that to the NBA? You look at Rashier Fleming, what he did last year, the shooting leap he made in college, will that hold up and sustain at the NBA level, or will it be more of kind of a one-year fluke that he’s going to have to continue to build on? There’s a lot of questions about this group and the shooting for me. Um, even though you still have Grayson, you still have Colin Gillespie who was very efficient from three. Devin Booker is going to have to have a better career shooting year and you’re going to have to hope that Royce, if he does get minutes, holds up. But outside of that, you don’t really have stretch fives unless Kaman really surprises. There are a lot of question marks about if that three-point percentage will hold up. So, league average last season for three-point shooting was 36% on 37.6 attempts a game. I don’t think they’ll struggle to get to 37.6 attempts a game, but that 36% is where I struggle as far as the shooting impact. I don’t think it’ll be because of a lack of quality of shots that they do create, but it’s who’s taking them, when are they taking them, and are they knocking them down to the extent that they need to? I think that’s where the questions arise outside of Devin Booker, catch and shoot Jaylen Green, Grayson Allen, maybe Dylan Brooks, that’s four. And then Colin Gillespie, you still have another five to six players that might be potentially staking claim in the main rotation at that point. So that’s a lot of question mark, a lot of gray area you’re operating in. My answer to this would be probably depends on the night. I I think there’s going to be a couple of games that are rough from shooting where Royce is going to be off because we know we know he goes through cold streaks where Dun’s going to be off where Brooks is going to be off Jaylen Green might be taking some tough shots and he might be missing you don’t have a center that you can go to that can stretch maybe Nigel Hayes Davis you know NBA not ready at the beginning of the year like there’s going to be a couple of nights where this team just can’t hit a shot which was not really the case a lot of times last year it was everything else that they sucked that uh I do think though there’s going to be a couple nights where Book’s on a heater, Green’s on a heater, Royce is on a heater, Grayson’s on a heater, and they be like, “Oh my god, how did they shoot that many threes and make that many?” It’s it’s where do you average out to? That’s why we say a lot does hinge on the second question we talked about today, which is Ryan Dunn’s jumper. Because if he can become consistent and Brooks, even if he takes a slight dip, if Dunn takes a bump, I would I would honestly take that trade. So, it will be interesting. I don’t think this will be one of the top three-point shooting teams percentage-wise or attempts wise in the NBA, but I don’t I think they know that and I think that that’s not where they’re going to try to make their bread and butter. I think it’s going to be a little bit more on the next question we’re going to talk about, which is can this team force more turnovers. One of the things they did not do very well last year was generate defensive pressure. That might be the biggest difference from last year to this year is that’s probably going to be a big part of their identity. It’s going to have to be because last year 28th in steals, 28th in deflections, 29th in opponent turnovers. That’s just not going to cut it, especially with the personnel that they have. Last year’s team was not defensively inclined. Last year’s team was a bit older and not as athletic. You fixed a lot of that this summer, getting younger, getting more athletic, getting longer guys with bigger wingspans. So there’s no excuse, especially under a new head coach and Jordan not for them to not pressure on the perimeter and force a lot more turnovers. This needs to be one of this team’s biggest strengths, not a weakness like it was last year. Yeah, last season they averaged 12.2 uh forced turnovers, meaning they forced their opponents into only 12.2 a game. Like Gerald said, second worst in the NBA. 14.5 opponents turnovers per game was the average. So that’s the number that they’re shooting for. You tell me you have the versatility of the fours and some of the three four tweeners that they have in addition to a Colin Gillespie that’s just a pest off the bench. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be at that 14 and a half if not higher than that mark. And how can they go about getting there being closer to the level of the screen having better point of attack defenders being more active in the passing lanes? I think that activity as a baseline alone is going to allow for them to be successful with that. I think the second part of this question is can they win the turnover battle? Because as much as we need them to force turnovers, we need them to turn the ball over less and in less crucial times. That was a big big sticking point for this team and why a lot of people were frustrated watching Suns basketball night in and night out. Another reason is because they played particularly slow. Uh that goes to the personnel that they had and once again a massive shift from last year to this year. Will this team play faster? like actually play faster, not just in theory. Yeah. Uh again, they’re going to have to last year 21st in pace, which talks about possessions in a game. Um but second in percentage of possessions that took place in the half court according to cleaning the glass. This is not a halfcourt inclined team like last year’s team was where you could give it to Devin Booker or Kevin Durant or Bradley Beiel and say just go cook with the shot clock winding down. This is a team that needs to get it across really quickly, that needs to attack in quick hitting actions and leverage their speed and athleticism against opponents to hit them uh where it hurts when they’re not paying attention. Turning those turnovers into easy points in transition also helps you pick up your pace. So, this team absolutely has to play fast. There’s no excuse for not playing faster. Um especially because there are so many questions about rotation. And if a guy gets tired, you have like two or three guys behind him who are itching for minutes as well and just as hungry. So even if you do hockey line changes, like get guys in, get guys out, speed and pace needs to be part of this team’s identity. Yeah. The first 12 seconds of the shot clock are going to be very important, prioritized, emphasized for them going into next season. That starts with your defense. You can’t play with You can play with pace by inbounding the ball quick. We saw the Pacers do it. Uh we saw the Thunder do it last season as well. But if you’re not consistently playing off of stops, you simply can’t play fast because the defense is always going to be set. They’re going to be in advantage before you even inbound the ball and you’re always going to be working against the grain. So defense setting the tone for tempo and pace and that pace coming in a lot in transition. I think they’re going to emphasize their transition spacing getting scoring from that and then the first eight seconds after that if they’re not scoring directly. if they don’t play faster, I think that’s an abject failure on the coaching staff and then the buyin from the players because when you look at the talent level of this team and and if they want to shock the NBA, like Matt Ishbia said, those so-called experts, you know, what they’re saying about the team, we’re not talking about us. No, he wasn’t talking about us. He wouldn’t he wouldn’t look at me and say expert. Uh he would say a lot of other things. But if you’re going to go and you’re going to beat these better teams that have more talent than you, like why did the Suns lose so many games to less talented teams? They got turnovers forced against them. The other team was playing fast and they were shooting threes. The three-point margin was not there. That last one is less likely for the Suns this year. So, you got to lean heavy into that. And then also winning the rebounding margin. Uh we’ve got three more questions that we’re going to get into here on the biggest questions the Suns need to answer this season. But of course, I got to remind you if you’re watching on TV, the party always continues over at gophnx.com, where you can also read Gerald’s brand new article right after we’re in overtime. Gerald, let the people know what the the good stuff over at gophnx.com can bring them. Yeah. So, today uh went through in a lot more detail on the written side with offseason grades for every move that uh Brian Gregory made in his first summer as GM. We’ve got a CJ Huntley breakdown coming on Friday. I spoke to his college coach over at Appalach Appalachian State. Gave me a lot of good insight into his game as well. Uh and then next week we’ll have some fun stuff on Nigel Hayes Davis and Colin Gillespie as well. So make sure to become a diehard even in the dead dog days of summer. We’ve got lots of Suns content and it’s only going to be getting better as we approach the season previews which I like to do some fun stuff with those too. Yeah, now is the perfect time to become a diehard. might have some news to pass along to the die hards first. So when we have some stuff confirmed, you will be the first to know. But do we know if the Suns can have the others aka the non-stars punish the double teams the stars will generate? This I feel like Stephen kind of also goes handinhand with can this team shoot? Uh, I mean, a little bit, but you want your process. If if teams are conceding you an advantage of double teaming any given player, you have to make them pay. Whether you’re getting to the free throw line, whether you’re knocking down shots, you just want to have a clean process to it. You trust the work that you put in that the shots you take at practice are going to replicate what you’re seeing in the game, especially in that specific context. You just want to have players that can manipulate it the right way. By that, we’re talking about the short roll. What was the first question I had about Nick Richards when he came to the Suns? Can he operate in the short role? And did he do so well comprehensively once he became a son last season? Varants. Correct. So yeah, we’ll side eye to each other. That was great producing. That was great. This is why that was great. This is the the dramatic effect was crazy. This is why I have this demand and this emphasis on also having multiple outlets to sustain a role within this team because of that. No different with Nigel Hayes Davis. I have questions about Mark Williams in that context, but we’ve seen him be effective in doing that. So, can they do it? Yes. Will they do it remains to be seen, but I know there are two shorefire answers to answering that question. A burgeon and third one though quietly Ryan Dunn. I think he has opportunity. He’s gonna I promise he’s looked at film with Jordan not in company showing his short roll clips last season and letting him know, hey, your footwork can improve getting to the basket, but you also have this alley pass that you can throw to any of the bigs that are going to be dunk or spaced in the opposite dunker spot of where your role is taking place from. Take advantage of it. Yeah, if you go back and look at OSO and Ryan Dunn, some of their best dunks last year were in the role. So if they are able to operate as playmakers out of those situations instead of just lane clears go dunk it that goes a long way in helping it’s going to depend a lot on Mark Williams come on Mwatch whichever centers get minutes that they can operate in those situations because Devin Booker fifth most double team player last year most double team guard that number was with Kevin Durant without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal it’s going to climb even higher well and he was the one who passed the most out of that so we do know he has an inclination to do that think will have to shoot more, but that does not mean that he’s going to become a black hole when he’s double teamed. Other guys are going to get the ball. Yeah. Last thing I’ll say too about if we’re on the topic of double teams, smalls being able to screen for each other is going to be a very effective manner in which you can undo it. Teams want to double team with their bigs. What about if your big’s not involved? And what if you have a weaker defender on Jaylen Green and you bring him into action? Are you switching it? Are you showing and recovering? And they have multiple ways that you can manipulate that. But Jaylen Green and Grayson Allen and Colin Gillespie screen it for Deon Booker. That was an integral piece of the Cavaliers offense. Garland and um Mitchell screen it for each other. If you can manipulate it that way, there’s plenty of opportunity to give those two Green and Booker the runway that they need to not have to go against as hefty of double teams. And they did not lean into that enough with Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Deon Booker at all last year. Even a little bit. Even if it’s as simple as coming in early offense and pistol action and you maybe get into it at times late in the shot clock there. It’s very simple. I imagine I just gonna have it heavily involved in this process. It’s going to make life easier on Devin Booker. Well, and that’s a coaching thing and we’ve talked a lot about how Mike Boonhozer was an awful coach for this team and how Jordan has a very low bar to clear. But that does not mean that a question of is Jordan Au the right coach not one of the most potent. I’d say honestly a top three question this year. Book green. Like this guy is as instrumental into the Sun’s future and the now anybody we’ve talked about today not named Devin Booker. Was he the right guy? I don’t know if that question could be fully answered this season, but we can certainly get an idea. Yeah, we’ll get a strong inclination and a lot of it could just come down to this roster is too young or certain guys aren’t healthy or good enough um yet, but I do think we’ll have a good indication and I hope that Jordan not answers the bell because everything that we’ve heard about him has been glowing rave reviews about how hard a worker he is about his cutting edge basketball mind and as much as Frank Vogle and Mike Benhoer were established championship caliber coaches they got to where they got in their careers by doing things a certain and part of their downfall here in Phoenix was a refusal to change course or adapt and that’s something that Jordan Au is apparently very good at. So hopefully we will see that because you need a lot of these qualities. You need that hunger with a younger team and I think au has it. Um but so many of these things that we’ve talked about are going to come down to can build the right relationship and communicate the right way and put these players in these positions where they can succeed. Um, last year’s team, a lot of it was, yes, we need to put them in positions to succeed, but they also just have to play better or with more heart. This team’s going to have plenty of heart. They’re going to have plenty of grit. Now, they need to be put kind of in the right situations to play well and mesh as a group. Eric, I I kind of want to tie in this last question with this question because I I don’t I’ll answer if you’re gonna tie in that one. Oh, go ahead. So, to quote the late great Nipy Hustle, Mhm. Leaders are servants first. Real leaders are servants first. That was one of the first things I said about Jordan Knight. And everything he articulated in his introductory presser, he was very much how can I be of service to my players, put them in positions and build in buyin based off of me showing them that I’ve bought into who they are as individual players. That’s how you build a foundation for coaching someone hard, for challenging somebody in their habits and them trusting you based off of you and your approach. That’s very important. I can’t emphasize that part enough. A coach has to be a leader. If you don’t have that type of draw, not just with the best player, but also with the 14th or 15th player, you’re only doing a percentage of the job, which means you’re only going to get percentage of the results that you desire to have. I 100% agree. I the reason why I wanted to tie in this last question which is will buyin remain if the losses start piling up. I think that’s kind of the ultimate test with Jordan not being the right coach. Obviously like you know at the beginning of the season I think guys are going to be bought in right and I don’t really have any question about buyin with this team. That being said, if this team loses a ton of close games, if it’s a lot worse than you expected through December and the Suns are the 13th or 14th team in the Western Conference like a lot of these quote unquote so-called experts uh predict them to be, can Jordan not be the guy that keeps them together? Because one of the things beyond the lack of adaptation and newness with their styles with Frank Vogle and Mike Boonhoer was that they lost the locker room. You could just tell guys were not there to be there. They were just there. Can Jordan not supersede that and be the type of guy that’s so invested in them personally like a player development guy that that’s his roots that if this season statistically speaking in the wins and loss categories isn’t what they want it to be or where they expect it to be that we can still show up and and say hey Matt Ibia said everybody he wants everybody to be proud of this team. Well, that’s actually happening. That is on Jordan. It’s on the players. It’s on book. It’s on Green. It’s a handinhand thing. One doesn’t happen without the other, but is on Jordan to make sure that that happens. And that to me is why these two questions are so closely tied together. Yeah, this is the question that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. And I know I’m on the lower end of expectations for this team out of the three of us. Um, but if I do wind up being right and those losses do pile up because we know their schedule’s a little bit easier at the start, but they’re also going to be incorporating a lot of new pieces and then the schedule really picks up. So, if they don’t get off, you know, hit the ground running and if those losses start to pile up, we’ve seen the last two years this team lose faith in its head coach, that buyin disappear. And I’m not interested in assigning blame or rehashing those discussions anymore about whose fault it was. But the fact is we saw them quit on Frank Vogle. We saw the lack of buyin with Mike Benhoer. They started the year shooting a ton of threes like Bud wanted. They started the year defending at a high level like Vogle wanted. They’ll start the year doing what Jord wants. Can you get that buyin from a younger group and sustain it throughout the season even if the losses pile up? because that’s going to be the determining factor of whether or not Jord is the right guy for this group. And I think he will be. Um, but it is something to keep in mind because we’ve seen it happen the last couple years. And who knows if it wasn’t for a global pandemic that put the Suns in a once in a-lifetime situation in the NBA bubble. Maybe that happens to Monty Williams, too, because that team was not having a good season his first year at the helm either. And it took this insane experience that brought them all together where they bonded on and off the court and had nothing to do but hoop and bond and this 8-0 run for that to give way to the finals run to give way to a 64- win season. So you need to see that kind of thing sustained over the course of the season, even if the losses are starting to pile up. You need to have a patient approach from everyone involved, not just the fan base, but the players, the coach, and the owner as well to stay the course. Yeah. And that’s why I continue to harp on in his rendition of leadership because it’s authentic to him. He’s not putting up a facade. He’s setting the tone, but setting the tone in the ways that are specific to how he’s wired as a leader. And that all comes back to how he got to this point, the journey, the process working from film room to third assistant, second assistant, lead lead assistant, and compiling all of those experiences. That’s how he got here. He’s not going to deviate from what got him to this point. And I think again, you can tell a lot about someone by how they speak about what it is that their job is and what they do with their job. And the proof is there. Proof of concept is there for him. as recent as last season and a hefty hand that he played in the Cavaliers having a historic season. That team had the best offensive rating in NBA history in the first round. Now, if you’re telling me that you need proof of concept and I present you with that bit of information, regardless of opponent, this is the playoffs. Matchups are this much this is that much closer. The the scouting reports are that much thicker. There’s not much that you can hide from opponents. You can say it’s about personnel. That’s part of it. But the preparation and the habits established. Those things matter and we’ve seen them play out in their favor in this recent playoff stretch. Yeah. This season a lot of the ways is an investment. And maybe the investment pays off quicker than usual. But the reality is you don’t expect that. You expect your investment to pay off long term. You need it to pay off long term for the sake of Devin Booker and what he’s done for the franchise and his runway into his record setting contract extension. You want Jordan not to be the guy who’s there when that hits and beyond. You can’t go through the amount of coaches you’ve gone through over the past 10 years. It’s just unsustainable as a franchise. You got to stop that trend and it has to stop with Jordan. He might, this honestly might be the single most important thing beyond Devin Booker playing at an MVP level, beyond Jaylen Green taking a leap because if you can find your Spolstra, your Kerr, your Papovic, obviously very high bars, but even like your Nick Nurse or somebody who can galvanize something for the next half a decade plus on this team, that’s going to create the stability that this franchise is so desperately needed for a long time. Uh, any final thoughts on all the questions that we have asked and answered today? If you couldn’t tell, we did an hour and 10 minutes on like 17 different questions and we probably could have threw in more. Yep. That’s both exciting and something to keep an eye on as the season progresses because there are a lot of question marks about this team. And I think a lot of the fascination with them is around that. But as we start to get those answers, I hope that people stay tuned in and locked in with this team because this is not going to be a one-year thing. This is not going to be a surefire playoff team. It’s going to take some time to develop as the number of questions we brought up is is a pretty fair indicator. And these are the most important times. It’s a lot of newness, but it’s a lot of opportunity within that newness. Guys with chips on their shoulders, starting with the head coach, he hears everybody that’s counting them out. He hears everybody saying that they should have went elsewhere, should have picked someone else, should have went with a vet, all these other things. Now it’s time to just go do the work. Mhm. You got what you got as far as your roster goes. I imagine he’s been doing a great job building relationships leading up to training camp so that they can hit the ground running. Now, it’s all about what the buying looks like and how they tend to those things based off of their daily habits. Daily habits are why that Suns team last season crashed out before the new year turning the calendar. I’m excited about this team. I really am. As just a fan, I know that maybe they’re not going to be the best, but I’m excited. Maybe there’s so many questions we do a part two. Everybody in the chat is is loving uh this concept and what we did. Maybe we can throw together a little bit closer to the start of the season. We’re one month away from Suns basketball. Maybe when we get even closer, we could throw in the biggest questions part two that the Suns need to answer because man, we have a lot of them that they’re going to need to get to. I even thought of some when we were here, but I’m not going to share that with you now. I’ll share it with you later. In the meantime, make sure you hit that like button. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. I know it’s like at this point you hear it and it kind of just washes over your brain because it does the same for me when I’m listening to other stuff and watching other stuff. It genuinely makes a difference especially, you know, for companies like PHNX where, you know, we’re still growing. We’re still trying to get to the points where we want to be that singular like, that singular subscribe, the singular fivestar review on audio could mean the whole world to us. So, please, please, please hit that if you can. They’re all absolutely free. If you do feel like donating, please hit that donate button for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Just a dollar. Anything helps out an incredible cause. I know money is tight and it is not easy to part with right now, but if you are able to and you are in a position to help, that’s a very easy way to do it. That money does not go to us. That goes to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America. We’re trying to raise $50,000 this month across all of All City. And if you do donate, it shouts you out in the chat. We will shout you out in the chat as well. But big shout out to everybody joining us live on YouTube after the fact on audio. Watch out. And so much more. You can follow us at phnx_sons. That is on Twitter and on Instagram. Shout out to old mangletoes behind the Mac. Making all the magic happen. Hopefully he makes some magic happen on the court tonight as our men’s league team takes on the other best team in the league. It’s us and it’s them and we’re going at it tonight at 8. So, we’ll keep you updated on that in the Die Hard Discord. Please do. Uh, but you can follow him, freckled mom, but still haven’t dunked yet. Emphasis on yet. You can follow Stephen at StevenPG3. That’s Stephen with a ph because he bounces us out. You can follow Gerald Gerald. Has any whale bit off your hand today or are you good or seal? It was a seal in that show, right? In that show in Arrested Development that bit off the hand. Yeah. Come on, Gerald. Stay with me here. Okay. You can follow him at Gerald Borg and you can follow me at E R I K R U B Y. We’re excited to see all of you except for Ralph back here tomorrow. [Music] [Applause] [Music]

📬 Arizona sports in your inbox! https://gophnx.com/newsletter

What are the BIGGEST questions and concerns for the Phoenix Suns headed into the 2025-26 NBA season? Can Devin Booker play like a top-10 player or MVP candidate? Will Ryan Dunn’s jumper be consistent? Can Ryan Dunn or Dillon Brooks play starting PF minutes well? Can Mark Williams stay healthy? If Williams stays healthy, what contract does he play himself into? Can Jalen Green take a leap? How can they answer each of these and more? Erik Ruby, Gerald Bourguet, and Stephen PridGeon-Garner dive into the details of it all for debate and discussion on today’s episode of PHNX Suns. Follow the show @PHNX_Suns, @ErikRuby, @GeraldBourguet, @StephenPG3 & @FreckledMamba!

0:00 – Intro
3:00 – Can Devin Booker Play Like a Top-10 Player or MVP Candidate?
20:35 – Can Mark Williams Stay Healthy?
25:15 – Can Jalen Green Take THE Leap?
45:00 – How Does Jordan Ott Handle the Front Court?
1:04:20 – Was Jordan Ott the Right Choice?

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube

ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports

MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-locker

ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix

PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/

ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/

bet365: https://www.bet365.com/olp/open-account?affiliate=365_03330244 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets!
Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/
Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you!

Visit Mountain America Credit Union to learn more about their Phoenix Suns Debit and Credit Cards!

Phoenix Raceway: Tickets, hospitality and upgrades are still available for the NASCAR Championship Series October 31st through November 2nd! Visit the link HERE to get yours now!

APS: Find instant rebates, discounts and special offers on smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances and more at https://marketplace.aps.com/default/heating-cooling/smart-thermostats

Chicken N’ Pickle: Family friendly fun awaits! Visit chickennpickle.com to plan your visit today!

Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/phnx

Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people.

Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order!

All Pro Shade Concepts: Call 623-204-1476 or visit https://allproshadeconcepts.com/ now to schedule your free estimate!

When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

#KevinDurant #Durant #KD #DevinBooker #Booker #Book #BradleyBeal #Beal #PhoenixSuns #Phoenix #NBA #basketball #Big3 #hoops #sports #BolBol #GraysonAllen #JusufNurkic