In a season that surprised everyone from the jump, you expect an unsung hero or two to stumble into the spotlight. Someone you didn’t peg as a difference maker. Someone who wakes up one morning and decides
to play to the ceiling nobody bothered to check for. And yes, the Suns sit at 26% of their projected win total of 31, with only 16% of the schedule played. Things feel good. A reminder still lingers that this run has come against lighter competition.
That doesn’t erase the surprises along the road. One of the brightest sparks so far is Jordan Goodwin.
Think back to training camp. Think back to preseason. There was a real battle between Goodwin and Jared Butler. You remember Butler. You have to. The guy who dropped 35 in the final preseason game, then watched the organization keep Goodwin instead.
Through 13 games, it looks like the front office hit the right button. Goodwin is giving them strong minutes off the bench, minutes that line up perfectly with the attitude this team wants to carry into every possession.
“Whether he’s on the court or not, he makes an impact,” head coach Jordan Ott said of Jordan following the game last night. “I think his enthusiasm and his ability to connect our group…he’s like a lifelong Sun. He just exists to be here. Since day one, he’s just brought a passion and ability to connect to all different people in our locker room. When he gets on the floor, he plays the same way.”
Jalen Green going down with a hamstring strain was tough. The kid has upside and opportunity, and both got shoved into a holding pattern. Four to six weeks until he is reevaluated means he probably returns in January. That kind of absence cracks the door open for others. All they have to do is walk through it.
Goodwin has stepped through with confidence. He’s played 16.2 minutes a night over 10 games, averaging 5.9 points and shooting 38.7% from deep. He posts 2.0 assists and 1.1 turnovers. The numbers are fine, but the electricity is where he cashes his checks. He hits timely shots. He injects rhythm back into possessions that are starting to sag.
Think back to that Dallas game. The offense felt like it was dragging a cinder block, even with Devin Booker out there trying to ignite something. Then Jordan Goodwin checked in late in the first quarter and the entire vibe twisted. The Suns were down 10 points. A few breaths later, they were up two. A 12-0 run to close the quarter, all sparked by Goodwin turning into a live wire.
He went 3-of-3 for 7 points to end the first, then strolled into the second quarter and drilled a pair of threes. 13 points in 13 minutes, all in the first half. 5-of-8 from the field. 3-of-4 from deep. He set the tone. The rest of the roster fed off it.
That is the role he has carved out this season. A jump starter off the bench. Every team in the league needs a guy who shows up with fire in his bloodstream. Someone who treats the game like a spark plug, ready to jolt the system awake at any moment. He brings emotion, pressure, and a whole lot of chaos for the opposition. He forces their hand.
Goodwin leads the team with 2.7 steals per 36 minutes, averaging 1.2 steals a night in limited minutes. He holds an +11.3 net rating, second on the team among players with ten games or more, sitting right behind Mark Williams.
His presence reinforces the idea that the Suns made the right call when they picked him over Butler. The organization trusted what they saw behind closed doors. The chemistry. The way he blended with teammates. The high motor. The stubborn will. All of that weighed more than a scoring explosion in a preseason game with no stakes attached.
Goodwin remains who he has always been. A dog in the best sense. A player who bites into the moment and refuses to let go.
