The Phoenix Suns were written off by most before the season even tipped off, as the franchise traded Kevin Durant away last summer for an underwhelming return featuring Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Surprisingly, the Suns were a Playoff-caliber team all season under new head coach Jordan Ott and franchise cornerstone Devin Booker, finishing the regular season as the No. 7 seed in the West.
The Suns lost the No. 7 seed to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Play-In Tournament, but still secured No. 8 with a 111-96 win over the Golden State Warriors last night. The Suns have established themselves as one of the feistiest teams in the NBA this season, so their low seed won’t stop them from pushing their opponents to the limit. They are leading the league in steals per game this season, and will hope their brand of aggressive defense and measured offense can lead to some monumental upsets.
The Suns roster isn’t the most stacked, but it features strong rotational players with Playoff experience. Booker will be the clear leader on the court, but he will need his rotation to step up behind him and keep the franchise competitive to avoid a short postseason run.
Starters
Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams
The Suns will likely use franchise icon Devin Booker as the team’s point guard in the starting lineup. Booker has averaged 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists this season with a reduced playmaking load compared to the last two seasons. Nonetheless, he’d be the best option to run point for the team with his offensive creativity and status as the team’s undisputed No. 1 scoring option. Thankfully, he’ll be able to share on-ball reps with Play-In hero Jalen Green, who’s averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 32 games in an injury-riddled season.
Green and Booker make up a dynamic scoring backcourt, requiring high-effort defenders to round out the lineup around them. Jordan Goodwin has earned a starting spot late in the season, and his performance against the Warriors (19 PTS, 9 REB, 6 STL) last night shows that the franchise doesn’t have a reason to take him out of the starting lineup for the Playoffs.
Dillon Brooks had the best season of his career in his first year with the Suns, averaging 20.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. If Brooks hadn’t fractured his hand in January, the Suns might’ve stayed in the race for a top-six seed. He has proven his worth as a strong scorer while retaining the hard-nosed play style that earned him a selection on the All-Defensive Team before. He might be an undersized power forward, but he makes up for it with an irreplaceable grittiness on both ends of the court.
Mark Williams averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds this season for the Suns, as the franchise carefully managed his minutes and appearances to ensure he could enter the postseason healthy. With no more reason to be conservative with him, Williams will look to dominate the paint and be a potential swing piece for the Suns on a game-to-game basis.
Bench
Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro, Jamaree Bouyea, Haywood Highsmith, Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Amir Coffey
The Suns’ bench has mirrored the team’s identity as strong defenders with an ability to rain threes. The first man off the bench should be Grayson Allen, who’s averaged 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season. Allen is a borderline starter anyway, so he and Goodwin could swap roles depending on how the Playoffs go. Allen is one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA and will be an important winning piece for Phoenix, whether it’s off the bench or as a starter.
Collin Gillespie had a breakout season with the Suns, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, giving them a point guard they can rely on outside of Booker, who isn’t even a full-time point guard himself. Gillespie could also find himself in the starting five if the Suns think they need his ability as a floor general and outside shooter to bring offensive balance on the court.
Royce O’Neale and Oso Ighodaro should round out the Playoff rotation that the Suns will use. O’Neale is a veteran forward who can add size to the Suns’ frontline while also being a reliable 3-and-D option. O’Neale averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists this season, proving to be a dependable contributor who the team has had for a few years now. Ighodaro is in his second NBA season but was an effective rotational option for the Suns at center and power forward. His mobility makes him a great defensive option against small-ball units, averaging 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds.
The remaining players on the Suns all have useful applications on the court. Bouyea is a fast backup guard, while players like Coffey and Highsmith are Playoff veterans who can be played across the frontcourt. Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach, and Rasheer Fleming are still young prospects, so it’s hard to see them getting minutes. Dunn might be a useful option as a high-level point-of-attack defender, but Maluach and Fleming might have to look to the future to be Playoff contributors.
Closing Lineup
Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams
The Suns’ closing lineup is the most uncertain, as coach Ott always relies on players who serve a matchup purpose or are in good form for these lineups. Booker and Brooks are likely certain inclusions in the closing lineup, with Williams’ place being determined by the matchup and his production.
Green and Goodwin should retain their places in the closing lineup in most cases, but options like O’Neale and Gillespie might factor in depending on the matchup. Gillespie adds a non-Booker playmaker on the court, while O’Neale would add defensive size in the frontcourt. This isn’t even including Grayson Allen, who could also earn closing minutes depending on his performance or the matchup.
Nonetheless, the Suns will hope to keep a fast-moving offensive unit led by Booker with gritty defenders surrounding him.
Road To The NBA Finals
The Suns open the playoffs as the No. 8 seed against the reigning champions, the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder. The Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season and are expected to have most of their core players available for this first-round matchup. If the Suns upset the Thunder in the first round, it might be one of the biggest playoff upsets in NBA history. They do have the defensive pieces on the perimeter to make this a rough series for the Thunder, with Phoenix going 2-3 against OKC.
If the Suns can shock the world and beat the Thunder in Round One, they’ll go on to face the winner of the 4-5 matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. The Rockets are an interesting opponent because all the pieces from the Durant trade will compete against each other. The Lakers will add another chapter to the rivalry between Booker and Luka Doncic, especially with Doncic expected to be healthy by the end of the first round.
A Conference Finals matchup would come against one of the four teams on the other side of the bracket. These include the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets, the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, or the No. 7 seed Portland Trail Blazers. The Suns would definitely be considered underdogs against any of these four potential opponents.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs likely won’t end with a parade in Phoenix, but the experience they can gain here might help the team return to the Playoffs as a potentially higher seed next season.
