One tier down, three to go. We’ve ranked the bottom end of the Phoenix Suns roster, and you can already see the differences between how our writing team views the team and how the community sees it. That gap is going to fuel some good conversation as SunsRank continues.
Let’s see how SunsRanks looks so far…
Interesting. Very interesting.
The community values Koby Brea and Jamaree Bouyea more than the writing team, whereas the writing team values Haywood Highsmith and Amir Coffey more. Why? Let us know
in the comments below, and know that (as we always do), we’ll have members of our writing team explain their ranks once all has been revealed.
Personally? I landed in the middle.
SunsRank is always interesting as it’s a blend of realities. Some of us evaluate players based on who they are right now. Some of us lean into who we want them to become or who we need them to be. Some do both. Rasheer Fleming is a great example. I had him in the Pillar tier, yet that wasn’t his role this season. Then you have Amir Coffey, who was a depth piece I ranked higher than Haywood Highsmith. I expect him to be a Wild Card next year, but that’s not where I put him this season. That’s who he is today, not what he might become. So there’s a bit of a paradox as we balance present reality with future projection.
For me, that’s why Coffey ranked above Haywood Highsmith. He was more productive this season. Availability matters, he gave you something in his minutes, and I valued that. Will he be here next year? We’ll see. That’s where it landed for me.
Now we move to the Wild Cards. Definition? Players who could swing the season one way or another. Their roles aren’t fixed, their impact is unpredictable, and that volatility makes them fascinating. Based on community voting, four players landed in this tier. Let’s take a look at the wild cards and start sorting out spots 9 through 12 on the roster.
The Wild Cards
Ryan Dunn
You could say it was a down year for Dunn because the expectation was growth. In some ways, he delivered. His field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, rebounds, assists, and steals all improved from his rookie season. The scoring dipped, however. He averaged 6.9 points per game as a rookie, and that number came down. That probably explains why he lands in the Wild Card tier.
Rasheer Fleming
It feels like a lot of the future hinges on what Rasheer Fleming can become. At the same time, this was a solid rookie season. He didn’t get the minutes many of us wanted, still, when he was on the floor, you saw it. Productive. Impactful in stretches. And the growth showed up as the season moved along.
Khaman Maluach
When you draft a rookie big man at No. 10 who’s 19 years old, expectations have to be tempered. We tried to keep that in check all season. Khaman Maluach is still not quite ready to step into a starting role, and that’s okay.
Royce O’Neale
Royce O’Neale is one of those players who can swing a game. Or disappear. He had another solid year from beyond the arc, still, the plus/minus finished as the worst on the team. That’s the paradox. That’s the Wild Card.
And now, it is time to SunsRank.
