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 – In a recent interview, former Sun Vasilije Micic stated, “He (Booker) respects KD so much that his leadership took a backseat.” What are your thoughts about this statement?
Ashton: It just sounds like an excuse statement. I am not sure what Micic is hinting at, as he only saw the floor for five minutes as a Phoenix Sun. Was he in the locker room? Sure.
I was treated to Book and KD attending Diamondback games on TV and never really questioned their relationship. Let’s
not forget the 2024 Olympics.
I question this statement. Because they both seemed fine to me in the public eye. And if there was something going on outside of the public eye, then the local and national pundits failed to report it. It is their job.
Eventually, someone may write a book on what happened in 24-25, or even 23-24, but this is the hottest take I have responded to.
I do not trust the source.
Rod: It doesn’t surprise me as it seemed pretty obvious that he did the same thing when the Suns acquired Chris Paul. That, however, worked out well as CP3 is a natural leader who thrived in that role and made the whole team better. KD…well, we all saw the results of Book deferring leadership to him.
I’m not sure that Book really knows how to be a team leader, not everyone does, but this year he won’t have someone more accomplished on the roster that he can defer leadership to. I read not long ago that Dillon Brooks was a strong leader in Houston, and I wouldn’t mind him taking on that role with the Suns, too. It would probably be best if Book could successfully take on that leadership role, but pushing him into a team role he’s not suited for might be as big (or even bigger) a mistake as playing him out of position at PG or SF.
Voita: I’ve been waiting to dive into this topic for a while. I’ve seen the comments from Vasilije Micic, I’ve kept quiet, but thanks to Rod for raising the question, it’s time to weigh in. Let me start with the disclaimer: this is speculation. Micic came to the Suns late in the season, and what he experienced was second-hand, not the full two-plus years of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant sharing the floor. Still, if there’s truth to his statement, it perfectly captures the problem with Durant’s time in Phoenix.
I’ve always advocated for Durant because of his sheer basketball ability. That’s what we’ll miss this year. When possessions broke down, when the game got tight, you could count on him to create something, to score when nobody else could. That’s rare. That’s hard to replace.
But here’s the challenge: Durant’s presence carried such weight, such reverence, that it muted the players around him. Teammates didn’t play with the same freedom you’d expect, because they grew up idolizing him. To them, he wasn’t just a teammate, he was something more, almost untouchable. That’s not his fault, but the result was the same. He didn’t raise all ships.
Think back to the 2023–24 roster. Keita Bates-Diop, Chimezie Metu, Yuta Watanabe, Jordan Goodwin. On paper, all were the kind of role players who could fill gaps and contribute. But when they shared the court with Durant, they looked hesitant, like they were afraid to make mistakes. The infamous Durant death stare? It’s real. They played tight, outside of who they were, because they didn’t want to let him down.
And if there’s any truth to the idea that Devin Booker checked his leadership because of that same reverence for Durant, then it’s another sign that moving on might be addition by subtraction. Not because Durant isn’t great — he is — but because it may unlock Booker, both as a player and as the leader this franchise has been waiting for him to become.
Q2 – It’s way too early to speculate on who will win the Dan Majerle Hustle Award, but who would you most want to see put out the kind of effort it takes to win it this season?
Ashton: I really want it to be Koby Brea, but he will not get the minutes. I sure liked his hustle in Summer League though.
Realistically, I think it could be Dillon Brooks. I have questioned his character time and time again on this board, but if he is locked on the game of basketball, with defense and offense, I see no reason why he should not enjoy the reward and a free libation at Majerle’s Sports Grill in downtown Phoenix.
Rod: It’s likely just wishful thinking, but I can’t help but wonder what sort of player Book could be if he displayed that kind of non-stop energy on both sides of the court. I’ve seen that of him in spurts, but getting that kind of energy and hustle from him for a full game would go a long way in pushing this team back into contention…and perhaps be the best way for him to become a leader on the court.
Voita: I think Dillon Brooks is a perfect candidate to win the Dan Majerle Hustle Award, because that’s exactly what he was brought here to do. To be a pest, to disrupt, to deter. And the only way to truly embody those traits is to hustle, every possession, every minute he’s on the floor. Brooks is that kind of player, relentless in effort, willing to do the dirty work, and in doing so he has a chance to endear himself to Suns fans the way Thunder Dan once did.
Q3 – If you could ask one question each of Mat Ishbia, Jordan Ott, and any single Suns player (3 questions total) and be guaranteed an honest answer, what would those questions be?
Ashton: This is why you do not give me press credentials for Sun’s Media Day on September 23rd. The answer is no questions. Unless they all start with “WTF?”.
What a fun question, and one that should fill the comment box.
But it comes down to taking a 50,000-foot view (corporate speak) and seeing the “forest through the trees” (corporate speak) to realize that Matt Ishbia actually tried to deliver a championship team to the Valley. This after the Sarver-era that saw misogyny and front office bullying that led him to be forced to sell his controlling interest in the team from the NBA.
MI is good in my book, and most of the “inside men” in the front office need to get their feet wet before they are truly fielding questions.
Players? See the above. I am not about to ask Book if he can carry the team as an SG and PG. Okay, maybe that one.
Also, I am the kind of person who likes to read the room. Let the press handle the questions, and if I am the fly on the wall, so be it. But I would like to see where the uncomfortable questions come from and the resulting body language from the person answering them.
Rod: What I’d ask Mat Ishbia for is his true estimate on how long he thinks it will take for the Suns to rebuild/retool and become a real contender again. I’ve heard all the things he’s already said, and I’d like to know if he really is as positive as he puts on. I’m not as negative as some fans are regarding the Suns’ future, but I’m far from being optimistic about a relatively quick turnaround. My greatest fear about him is that he’s not just saying positive things to soothe the fans, but that he actually believes it isn’t going to be a difficult process.
As for Jordan Ott, I’d ask for his honest opinion on how well playing Booker and Green as the Suns’ starting backcourt will work. I’d love for the Suns to have a real starting-level point guard on this team, but that’s not happening, so I’d like to hear Ott’s opinion on how well he really expects this backcourt lineup to work out this season.
And lastly, I suspect that Ryan Dunn’s free throw shooting woes are in his head and I’d really like to ask him about it. It may seem like a small thing to ask about but I don’t see any other reason for him to be such a poor FT shooter.
Voita: People love to say it’s easy to walk into a press conference and fire off the hard hitters, but it’s not. I know my strengths, and I know I haven’t fully found my voice in that space yet. God bless Dave King, he had the courage to do it. I’m still working up to that point. It’s not as simple as it looks. You’re in a room full of professionals, and whether you like it or not, there’s always a layer of politicking baked into the process. That’s something I haven’t mastered.
For Ishbia, there’s really only one question I’d want answered honestly: has the Bradley Beal debacle strained his relationship with Josh Bartelstein, knowing Bartelstein’s father is Beal’s agent? Because from start to finish, that move set this franchise back half a decade, and the nepotism at the heart of it makes the whole thing feel even heavier. If that’s created friction in the front office, it matters for the direction of this team moving forward.
For Jordan Ott, I’d want to know how he plans to strategically approach the season. Specifically, how he balances development with culture, with schemes, with wins. I believe the rookies should be brought along with patience and purpose, not rushed into roles they’re not ready for. Is that part of his map for the season? Or is he going to feel things out week by week, adjusting reactively as the team performs? His perspective on that would tell a lot.
And for Devin Booker, the question is simple but massive: what does leadership look like to him this season? Because for the first time, the full weight of it is his. The team is his. He’s always carried himself with a calm, almost casual coolness. Don’t mistake that for indifference, because he’s as locked in and serious as they come. But he’s never had the full burden of leadership squarely on his shoulders. That’s new. Hearing him articulate what leadership means, and how he intends to embody it, would be fascinating. You can learn a lot about a player when they’re asked to define that role.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns Trivia/History
On September 16, 1974, the Suns acquired Curtis Perry, Dennis Awtrey, Nate Hawthorne, and a 1976 first-round pick (Adrian Dantley) from the New Orleans Jazz for Neal Walk and a 1975 second-round pick (Clyde Mayes).
Walk, the Suns’ first ever draft pick (#2 in 1969), averaged 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, only missed 2 regular season games during his 5 seasons in Phoenix, and in 1973 averaged 12.42 rebounds per game, which is the 2nd highest single season RPG average in Suns history behind only Paul Silas’ 12.53 rpg in 1971. His career high for the Suns was 42 points vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 11, 1972. The Suns won 115-114 and Walk outscored future Hall of Fame member, and the man picked #1 above him in the 1969 NBA Draft, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 42-27.
In 1988, while Walk was living in Phoenix, it was discovered that he had a benign tumor enveloping his spine. Following surgery, he was left in a wheelchair, from which he played wheelchair basketball for the LA-Phoenix Samaritans in the Southern California league of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. In 1990, he was honored at the White House by President George H. W. Bush as the “Wheelchair Athlete of the Year.”
He later worked for the Phoenix Suns in the Community Affairs department and sadly passed away on October 4, 2015, due to an unspecified blood disease..
The draft pick that would eventually be used to select future 1976-77 Rookie of the Year, 6-time All-Star and 2-time NBA scoring champion Adrian Dantley was later traded by the Suns to the Buffalo Braves on draft day for their 1975 first round draft pick (16th), which the Suns used to select Ricky Sobers.
On September 20, 2000, the Suns were involved in the 3rd largest trade in NBA history, a twelve-player, 4-team deal between the New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics, LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
In the trade, New York got Glen Rice, Travis Knight and a first-round pick from LA; Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, a first-round pick and two second-round picks from Seattle; Luc Longley from Phoenix. Seattle got Patrick Ewing from New York. LA got Horace Grant, Chuck Person, Greg Foster and Emanual Davis from Seattle. Phoenix got Chris Dudley and a first round pick from New York.
There were a lot of moving parts in that trade but essentially the Suns got Chris Dudley and a 1st round draft pick for… Luc Longley. Longley’s career stats for his 2 years as a Sun were 7.1 pts, 4.9 rebs, 1.1 asts and 0.6 blocks per game.
Last Week’s Poll Results
Last week’s question was, “Which position do you think the Suns will be weakest at this season?“
60.31% – Point guard.
01.53% – Shooting Guard.
00.76% – Small Forward.
36.64% – Power Forward.
00.76% – Center.
A total of 131 votes were cast.
Important Future Dates
Sept. 23 – Media day
Sept. 24 – Training Camp opens
Oct. 3 – Preseason game vs LA Lakers @ Palm Desert, CA
Oct. 10 – Preseason game vs Brooklyn Nets (China)
Oct. 12 – Preseason game vs Brooklyn Nets (China)
Oct. 14 – Preseason game vs LA Lakers @ Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 20 – Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 21 – Regular Season Begins
Oct. 25 – 2025 NBA G League Draft (1 p.m. ET)
Oct. 27 – Nov. 6 – NBA G League Training Camps open
Nov. 6 – Rosters set for NBA G League Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Nov. 7 – NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins
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
This week’s poll is…
