The Phoenix Suns went 3-1 this week. On national television twice, Phoenix took care of business against the Kings, Pelicans, and Bulls, but their lackluster shooting performance on Thursday cost them what should have been an easy win against a struggling Chicago Bulls squad. With 37 wins, the Suns officially surpassed their win total from a season ago with 18 games left on the season.<\/p>\n
Here are the main questions for Week 20 that we want your thoughts on:<\/p>\n
Surpassing Last Year\u2019s Win Total<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not projection anymore. The 2025-2026 Suns are officially better than last year\u2019s team. Picking up their 37th win last night against the Charlotte Hornets (who had won their last 10 road games), Phoenix officially has a better record than they did last season. Going into the year, many projected the team to be at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but they currently sit firmly in the seventh spot and just two and a half games out of third.<\/p>\n
While the team lost Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, and Jordan Goodwin have been key acquisitions in turning the team around after a disappointing season. Devin Booker made his fifth All-Star appearance, and Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen are having career years. A lot of different people are deserving of credit for why Phoenix has had such a surprising turnaround from a year ago. First-year head coach Jordan Ott also gets a lot of credit, too.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve asked this question a lot this season, but with the team now officially holding a better record than they did a season ago, what do you attribute most to the team\u2019s surprising year?<\/p>\n
The Rookies Are Getting More Run Time<\/p>\n
With Mark Williams and Dillon Brooks out, rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming are getting the most consistent and significant playing time they\u2019ve gotten so far in their young careers. Both have stayed in the rotation since they entered it and are making meaningful contributions, something that didn\u2019t seem plausible to start the year.<\/p>\n
The two rookies have shown noteworthy improvement from their first months in the NBA. Fleming had three games this week hitting at least two threes and hit a triple in every game; he didn\u2019t have a single game hitting multiple threes until January 7th. Maluach, with his length and athleticism, is starting to show some promise on the defensive end. His five-block game on Friday against the Pelicans tied him with Derik Queen and Dylan Cardwell for the most blocks in a game this season by a rookie.<\/p>\n
In the team\u2019s game last night against the Hornets, both set career highs. Fleming did it with points, scoring 16, and Maluach with rebounds, grabbing nine.<\/p>\n
What do you make of Fleming and Maluach\u2019s recent contributions? How sustainable do you think they are, and what do they say about their potential long-term? Do you think they should stay in the rotation when Williams and Brooks return? How does Fleming\u2019s performance impact Ryan Dunn\u2019s spot in the rotation?<\/p>\n
Jalen is Green Getting Into a Rhythm<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been an overall struggle shooting for Jalen Green to start his Suns tenure. Shooting career-lows from the field, three, and the free throw line, the fifth-year guard has not been efficient in his first 16 games with his new team, but this week he took a turn in a positive direction. Scoring at least 20 points in three of four games, Green shot at least 40% from the field in those games, and had a 20-point first half where he hit seven of 11 shots yesterday.<\/p>\n
Green is continuing to play with more athleticism and looks more assertive when he gets into the paint.<\/p>\n