Guard Play Will Continue To Drive Phoenix Suns' Success

The current sphere of discourse for the Phoenix Suns centers around the unknown status of big man Mark Williams. 

While Phoenix's center rotation is now out of alignment, there are a great deal of reasons to remain steadfast in holding confidence for the season ahead. 

Much of this is due to Phoenix's exceptional guard rotation that will likely define just how high the team can climb in 2026-27. 

This conversation starts and ends with five-time All-Star Devin Booker. The veteran is entering his 12th season in the NBA as an established offensive engine. The Kentucky product regularly floats around the top 10 in the league in both scoring and assist averages, which only tells half the story. 

The strength extends beyond Booker. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin are a gritty duo that bring many intangible positives to the court - as well as excelling at shooting the ball. Gillespie is coming off of a historic 232 three-point make season, and is only projecting to improve with more opportunity. Goodwin is a player that possesses the defensive IQ, malleability, and physicality to switch between guard and wing, which adds to the mystique of this rotation.

The key to unlocking the strength of this team is second-year sun Jalen Green. The athletic guard is possibly positioning to serve as the Suns' de-facto point guard, so the onus is on him to an even greater extent to show progression. While Green's 30-point scoring outbursts did exist last season, he needs to further develop as a playmaker on-ball, as well as off-ball. 

Perhaps the most crucial area of Green's progression is leveraging his elite athleticism to pressure the rim. Generating free throws is never negative offense, while creating advantages for teammates on the perimeter is key for head coach Jordan Ott's offense to reach an even higher gear. 

The Suns are bringing a very talented guard rotation into the season ahead, driven by shooting talent, a high playmaking ceiling, versatile defensive profiles, and high basketball IQ across the board. This is a group that will create envy from across the league.

Phoenix's big man rotation will be the talk of the town over the next month, the guard group is ultimately what will drive the team forward in-season. As far as the season goes, Phoenix is slated to begin training camp at the tail end of September in anticipation for the regular season.