1 Alarming Stat That Should Worry Suns Fans

The Phoenix Suns don't look like the same team fans fell in love with last season.

Oct 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott walks down the sideline during the fourth quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are off to an eye-opening start for all the wrong reasons.

We're three games into the regular season. We shouldn't be hitting the panic button just yet, but boy does it look tempting after watching the Suns struggle against various levels of teams.

Monday's test against the injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder wasn't passed, while similar circumstances against a vastly less talented Golden State Warriors team barely saw the Suns scrape a win out over the weekend. Phoenix, against a team with similar expectations in the Portland Trail Blazers, also couldn't get the job done in their season opener.

A 1-2 record isn't the end of the world, especially when you consider the Suns started last season 1-4.

However, their inability to control the glass has been appalling.

According to Basketball University on X, the Suns are allowing teams to grab 43.3% of their own misses on the offensive end — a figure that's far too high.

Phoenix is currently allowing opponents to grab 43.3% (!) of their own misses. Impossible to produce good defense when you have to defend 1.5x more possessions than you should have to.

— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) October 27, 2026

Rebounding hasn't been close to par for a Suns team that wanted to bolster their play down low entering this season. While Phoenix is missing the likes of Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro, the overall effort has been absent.

That's something Devin Booker highlighted over the weekend, even after their win over Golden State.

"The concerning part is obviously the rebounding portion — we just have to get hitched. I think we're playing decent defense, but if we can limit teams to one shot, that's going to be for our best," Booker said.

"Once we secure the ball, we're dangerous. The part we got to clean up is getting that first rebound, and once you have a reputation where teams can get offensive rebounds on you, everyone's going to start crashing on us. So I think we just need to nip it in the bud. Maybe take some defensive fouls, and just kind of set the tone early, that it's not going to be one of those second chance points games."

Phoenix's 39.7 rebounds per night is second to last in the NBA as of publish. Their 15.7 offensive rebounds allowed mark is last in the league. Opponents' second chance points per game (23) is tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for last in that category as well.

For a team that once prided itself on being a tough and gritty team that fights for every opportunity at the ball, that sure hasn't been the case.