3 Big Reasons Suns Could Be Worse in 2026-27 Season

PHOENIX -- Despite a lot of changes throughout the whole NBA, the Western Conference standings are not projected to look much different from last season going into this year.

For the Phoenix Suns, that would mean being a play-in team once again after being one of the bigger surprises in the NBA during the 2025-26 season with a 45-37 record and No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

With that said, there's still a path for Phoenix to either improve or take a step back in the second year under coach Jordan Ott.

After going through three reasons the Suns could improve this season, here are three reasons they could be worse in 2026-27:

1. Miles Bridges, Whole Starting Lineup Don’t Fit Together

Mar 24, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) brings the ball up court against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phoenix is counting on the addition of Miles Bridges to pay off after giving up a lot to trade for him, as he was a player they strangely coveted for a long time despite his past domestic violence history.

On paper, he is a wonky fit with Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks because all four are ball-dominant players who are looking to score, but at the same time are not great 3-point shooters.

If the Suns' offense is stagnant because of this and the defense also doesn't perform at a high level without a marquee defender, it could make it hard to win games especially against more talented teams.

Phoenix has one of the better bench units in the NBA to make up for some of the starting lineup deficiencies, but it will be imperative that the team's four best players can figure out how to play off each other or it could spell disaster.

2. Jordan Ott Doesn’t Lean Into Using More Size

Mar 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Rasheer Fleming (20) against the Utah Jazz at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Suns struggled in the final three months of the season, going 14-17 in their final 31 games, as they could not find the same success shooting the ball (44.6% FG - 29th in NBA in this stretch) and forcing turnovers (19th in steals in this stretch after second before this) they had at the beginning of the year.

Ott was put in a tough position with all the injuries Phoenix had and trying to play the best lineups, but he continuously relied on small ball late in the year, which did not bode well for the Suns when they played bigger opponents as their physicality that worked well in the first few months of the season was not as effective against these teams.

Bridges is still an undersized power forward at 6-foot-7, and if Ott doesn't rely on Rasheer Fleming, who should be in line for more minutes after the departures of Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, off the bench, the Suns could face this same problem.

Ott will simply have to be more open to utilizing size, as the Suns have plenty of wings at their disposal off the bench who could make a huge impact when needed.

3. Injury Problems Persist

Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) against the Golden State Warriors during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After moving on from an older team to having more youth last season, everyone thought Phoenix's long-standing injury problems would go away.

That was not the case right off the bat, as Green suffered a hamstring injury in training camp that ultimately caused him to miss 50 games, while Booker dealt with various injuries throughout the year.

Then, Brooks (fractured hand) and Mark Williams (foot injury) suffered long-term injuries right out of the All-Star break, which killed a lot of Phoenix's momentum late in the season.

Phoenix's top-three players in Booker, Green and Brooks only ended up playing 10 regular-season games together before all three appeared in both play-in games and all four playoff losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Phoenix was dealing with injuries to Williams, Jordan Goodwin and Allen.

Players stepped up whenever their names were called, but it was clear the Suns did not have the chemistry required late in the year to do anything in the postseason.

The Suns will hope that they can finally have a healthy season and build much-needed continuity that they have not been able to find since really the 2021-22 season when they won a franchise-record 64 games.

If not, they will face the same problems they have dealt with in this area the last few years of not having enough rhythm and cohesion when the games matter most or be down key players in these matchups.

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