Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable – a round table of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: What are your thoughts on Jordan Ott’s coaching?
Ashton: I was among the skeptical ones on the board that bringing in a rookie head coach would lead to disaster.
Wow, was I wrong on that.
The fact is, the release of two NBA veterans cleaned up the locker room, and after multiple coaches failed to tame the previous player regimes, and a lot of cost as well, it turns out the young players want to play and build their resumes for the next contract. Who would have thought?
If the board is looking for a grade, give him an “A” for developing the young talent. And this while lucking into veterans Brooks and Mark Williams showing fine form.
CG has been revolutionary in Ott’s system.
OldAz: This has been far and away the thing I am most excited about so far this season. The last two seasons with bigger-name coaches and a team full of stars, it seems like they just rolled the ball out there and expected to win. This season, it is all about grit, hustle, and effort. Certainly, the players have a role in that, and Dillon Brooks’ presence hasn’t hurt, but you have to give most of the credit to Jordan Ott for quickly installing a philosophy on both ends of the court and getting every player to buy in.
Rod: I give Ott the lion’s share of credit for the success the Suns have had so far. Not only has he built a system that best utilizes the talent he was given, but he’s also gotten all of the players to buy into his vision and play with an enthusiasm that I haven’t seen from a Suns team since they made it to the Finals back in 2021. There have been a few times where I have been puzzled by his rotation decisions, but then they have, 99% of the time, worked out well, which quickly reminded me why he’s coaching in the NBA, and I’m not.
Q2: Should Ott be giving Fleming and Maluach more than garbage time minutes?
Ashton: A lot of the board comments like Fleming and KM. I still think they need to prove their chops in the G-League.
My answer is no. Williams is holding up fine and giving Gobert issues in the last Minnesota game. I would break glass in an emergency to bring Maluach up. With Nick Richards supposedly being given the “trade eye”, that is me saying that, I would actually give him more run.
Fleming is a different story. It really depends on how much Brooks is hurt.
OldAz: I don’t think so. The team is playing well now and competing, and both players are getting some time to develop in the G League. Ott can continue to wait until they earn those precious minutes.
However, Fleming has shown in the brief minutes that he has gotten that he is pretty close. I think that time is coming fast when you have to give him 4 to 5 minutes a game. The problem is if he struggles, you have to give him room to work through it and not feel like he failed and is back nailed to the bench. Either way, it looks like Flemming will be earning these minutes by the end of the year.
As for KM, I don’t think he’s anywhere near ready, and the center rotation is already pretty tough to crack. As down as I was on Oso to start the year, he has proven to be a valuable cog off the bench, and Mark Williams has been one of their best players all year long and deserves every minute he can be on the floor. Richards is still more developed than KM, and he can barely crack 5 to 7 minutes a game the last week or so.
Rod: No, at least not at this time. For now, getting them plenty of court time with the Valley Suns is more important than minutes with the big team until they’ve proven that they deserve them. Yes, development yada, yada, yada…important…yada, yada, yada.
While these guys will hopefully have a big impact on the Suns’ future, they aren’t the only guys on the roster that fall under that category. Playing them when they haven’t actually earned minutes could send a bad message to everyone else, i.e., we’re not that concerned about winning now. I’m thinking that would not be good for morale, nor encourage people to continue playing as hard as they have been.
Voita: As I edit this piece, I felt the need to slide in and add my two cents. I agree with most of what the panel says. The Suns are in a good place, some might even call it the ideal setup for both short-term growth and long-term development with this group.
I still want more Fleming, and I would not mind seeing it now. Wings usually do not take as long to develop as bigs. Nigel Hayes-Davis gives us nothing on the floor except short-armed shots that clang off the rim. I would rather see the burst of athleticism Fleming brings, mixed with his defensive instincts. It feels like the right time to start sharpening that knife in the drawer.
Q3: What are your thoughts on Jamaree Bouyea?
Ashton: He needs to go to court and submit a name change form to Bouyea!
Outside of Collin Gillespie, Jamaree Ray-Shaun Bouyea is one of the most surprising replacements at the guard position that I have witnessed.
Make the argument in the comments, but after the Boston Celtics as the most surprising team, it has to be the Suns. And this is predicated on Suns best guards sitting. With injury, while the “no-names” have stepped up.
Final note. Silas (NCDaveACC), you expected a bit of rubbing when a certain college basketball team made it to Number 1 over Duke, how do you like us now?
OldAz: He has been an amazing find on a two-way deal. His shooting fits in quite nicely, and he has a good all-around skill set that just seems at home with how this team plays. It will be interesting to see how much time he gets when Booker and Green are back, since he is obviously suited as a guard only, and he is not going to take minutes from Gillespie or Allen. However, you have to anticipate that someone is always going to be nicked up a little bit, and he seems like the perfect player to fit into any available guard minutes they can find.
Rod: Bouyea is just more proof that Brian Gregory actually knows what he is doing. The guy is very good and, even though many scoffed at waiving F/C CJ Huntley to add another guard, Bouyea has proven to be someone who can contribute now, regardless of his position. Sure, the Suns do need someone suited to play at PF but, if a good PF prospect isn’t available, that shouldn’t keep you from adding a quality player at another position…especially if it can be done using a two-way contract. Drafting based on positional need over talent level rarely works, so why make the same mistake with free agent signings?
When Booker and Green return, there won’t be many minutes for him but I think sending him to play with the Valley Suns then could be a plus in Fleming’s and Maluach’s development by upgrading their point guard play.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“Collin, he’s one of a kind. At first he never talked. Now he talk a lot.” – Royce O’Neale
“I was confident he was going to knock them down. Tough, hard-nosed guy.” – Mark Williams on Collin Gillespie FTs with 6.3 seconds left in Suns 108-105 win over Minnesota
“His energy is super infectious. He makes you want play harder. He’s bringing that intensity every single night. His competitive edge is something you want on a team.” – Mark Williams on Dillon Brooks
“That group is a tough, kind of nasty at times, defensive-minded group.” – Jordan Ott on starting 4th against Minnesota with Gillespie, Bouyea, Goodwin, Dunn and Ighodaro
“We expect to win.” – Collin Gillespie on the Suns’ mentality
Suns Trivia/History
On December 16, 2017, with Devin Booker sidelined with an injury, the 10-20 Suns defeated the 17-12 Minnesota Timberwolves in Minnesota 108-106 in a game where the Suns’ bench outscored their starters 69-39. Dragan Bender and Troy Daniels led the Suns in scoring with 17 points each. Isaiah Canaan added 15 points, and his 7 assists equaled the total number of assists by the starting 5. Alex Len added a double-double with 12 points and 19 rebounds. T.J. Warren led the starters with 15 points on a 4 of 14 (28.6%) shooting night while making 7 of 8 from the FT line.
The starting unit went 0-7 from three while the bench was 11-17 (64.7%). Every single bench player’s FG% was .600 or above, while only Josh Jackson (4 of 9, 44.4%) shot above 30% for the starters. On this night, the Suns’ bench led the starters in every single statistical category except offensive rebounds (7-6 in favor of the starters).
On December 17, 2018, the Suns traded Trevor Ariza to the Washington Wizards for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers after a proposed 3-team trade between Phoenix, Washington, and Memphis fell through due to a misunderstanding as to whether the Suns would receive MarShon Brooks or Dillon Brooks (whom they wanted) from Memphis.
This Week’s Game Schedule
Sunday, Dec 14 – Suns vs LA Lakers (6:00 pm)
Thursday, Dec 18 – Suns vs Golden State Warriors (7:00 pm)
This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule
Monday, Dec 15 – Valley Suns @ Salt Lake City Stars (7:00 pm)
Tuesday, Dec 16 – Valley Suns @ Salt Lake City Stars (7:00 pm) ESPN+
Important Future Dates
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Feb. 5 – Trade deadline (3:00 pm ET)
Feb. 13-15 – 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, CA
March 1 – Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends
March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin
April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin
