Phoenix Suns fans share their thoughts on new-look roster
The Phoenix Suns made many changes to their roster in the offseason. Here’s what fans had to say about the new-look team ahead of the 2025-26 season.
SAN FRANCISCO – Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green remains out with a right hamstring strain heading into the Nov. 4 matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
Green has yet to make his Suns debut, but he participated in live 5-on-5 on consecutive days last weekend.
“He’s had great response,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Monday’s practice on Nov. 3 in Phoenix. “It’s been productive the last couple of days for him. Today was a lower-ish day. It’s kind of timed up to where we’ll stick to day-by-day, but he is in a good spot. Keep moving forward.”
Suns forward Dillon Brooks is ruled out with a muscle core strain, two-way player Isaiah Livers is listed as questionable with a right hip contusion and Ryan Dunn is probable with a left knee contusion.
Phoenix (3-4) has won its last two games, with the latter victory over the previously unbeaten San Antonio Spurs, 130-118, Sunday, Nov. 2, to end a three-game homestand at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Phoenix led the Spurs (5-1) by as many as 31 points. The Suns are 2-1 with their third starting lineup of the season in Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Mark Williams and Dunn.
“We’re making strides, but it’s a lot of work to be done,” Dunn said after Sunday’s game.
The Warriors (4-3) have dropped their last two games, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers on their two-game road trip.
Golden State is 3-0 at home this season with wins over the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.
“They’re a bunch of older guys, been around the league for a while, but they have a really good system in place for their team,” Suns guard Collin Gillespie said after Monday’s practice.
“It’s going to be a tough test for us. A good challenge for us to see where we’re at in terms of they do a lot of cross screening,” he added. “So, we got to be sharp on our off-ball switches. Foul baiting, stuff like that, we’ve got to be clean and crisp in what we’re doing defensively.”
Devin Booker after Suns upset win over Spurs:
“It’s something we talked about before the game, stringing (wins) together. Understanding that it can turn over at any time, even after we had lost three or four straight (games). Just sticking with it. We have the right locker room,… pic.twitter.com/45CqTwgKxq
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2025
Green didn’t miss a game in each of his last two seasons with the Houston Rockets.
The explosive and athletic 6-4 guard initially strained his right hamstring in training camp leading up to the Oct. 3 preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert and reaggravated it during Phoenix’s weeklong stay in China for two games against the Brooklyn Nets.
Averaging 20.1 points in his four NBA seasons, Green was part of the Kevin Durant trade, along with Brooks and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, 7-footer Khaman Maluach.
Brooks suffered his injury in last month’s 133-111 loss at Denver. He’s averaging a career-high 19.3 points in his first season with the Suns. Booker leads Phoenix in scoring at a career-best 30 points a game.
Livers got hurt in the first half of Phoenix’s Oct. 31 win over Utah and didn’t return in the second half. He’ll miss his second straight game on Nov. 4.
“I got a bruise and I keep landing on the same exact spot, but it’s just a bruise. I’ll be alright.”
Grayson Allen after slowly getting up in the 2nd half of Suns win over Spurs as trainers were working his core during the timeout.
On 19-of-33 effort from 3 (Allen 5-of-9): “We… pic.twitter.com/xg6UU3WGyT
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2025
Allen has started every game in place of Green, while O’Neale has gotten the nod for Brooks. Allen is third on the team in points per game at 16.4 as he’s shooting 38.1% from 3.
“He’s really hard to play in closeouts,” Ott said about Allen. “He doesn’t need a pick-and-roll, he doesn’t need a screen at times just because of his gravity, because everyone knows he can shoot. He’s athletic enough to get down, put paint pressure. On defense, I think he’s made great strides. It doesn’t matter who is on the floor or when Jalen comes back, we’re going to still ask him to do the same thing.”
O’Neale is averaging 12.7 points and connecting on a career-best 42.4% of his 3s.
“I’m always a pure sniper,” a smiling O’Neale said after Monday’s practice, Nov. 3, at the team’s practice facility. “That’s just one of my talents. Being able to help this team with the spacing aspect and being confident and shoot the shots that I’m taking and knocking them down.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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