Making Sense of Phoenix Suns' Biggest Storyline This Season

Just three weeks remain until the Phoenix Suns open up training camp in anticipation for the 2026-27 season.

The second season of the Jordan Ott era is being entered with high hopes. Phoenix is coming off of a 45-win campaign that flashed promise for the organization moving forward. 

This leads to ultimately working to make sense of the storyline that is built around Phoenix's capacity to improve this season.

Phoenix is potentially in-line to face regression off the bat, which raises intrigue. The trade for Miles Bridges instantly opens the door for growing pains early in the season. Bridges isn't an analytics darling, and he's another player in the starting five that needs the ball in his hands frequently. 

The proposition of downgrading as a three-point shooting entity is very realistic as well. Departing with sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale is a very immediate downgrade from a shooting perspective. The Suns are also a team that doesn't pressure the rim at a very high rate - the offense needs Bridges and starting guard Jalen Green to leverage their athleticism to a great degree.

While there are clear reasons to point to Phoenix regressing, there are also reasons to become bullish on the ceiling greatly increasing in hand.

First off, the boost in athleticism should serve the Suns well in theory serve both sides of the ball well. Bridges is an upgrade over Allen and O'Neale on paper. Both of the former Suns can be considered assets that are decreasing in value (unfortunately). Bridges is just entering his prime and adds another layer of playmaking/finishing that wasn't around previously. 

Another reason to believe in the heightened ceiling is the sheer depth that surround Bridges, Devin Booker, and the other centerpieces on the roster. The ultimate question rests in how the puzzle pieces will fit together. The coaching staff is very player-friendly. The roster is very talented and deep. The inner workings of a great team are in plain sight. 

It comes down to how the talent fits together, how the team manages inevitable injuries, and figuring out how to re-distribute three-point production lost from season-to-season. 

The 82-game regular season is quickly approaching. Now, is the time for the organization to take an even more substantial step forward after building the blocks towards contention a season ago.

Phoenix officially begins the regular season on October 21 against the Portland Trail Blazers.