How Suns Can Carry Top 10 Defense Into New Season

PHOENIX -- After finishing with the ninth-best defense in their surprise 2025-26 season, the Phoenix Suns will look to continue to improve on this side of the ball this year.

Phoenix's system built around pressuring opponents to try to create turnovers and diffcult shots worked the majority of the season under first-year coach Jordan Ott no matter what personnel the Suns had on the floor.

Two of the most notable stats from the Suns' defense were the team ranking fourth in steals per game (9.5) and second in opponent 3-point percentage (34.7%), as both were clear areas of emphasis under Ott.

However, the Suns did struggle down the stretch in forcing turnovers, as they ranked just 16th steals after the All-Star break and also had a hard time defending around the basket with their lack of size.

With a new-look starting group, what will be the biggest keys in Phoenix replicating the success it found early in the season while improving its interior defense?

How Suns Defense Can Improve in 2026-27

On paper, the Suns' starting lineup does not appear to be a strong defensive unit, but this was also the case heading into last year and they proved everyone wrong.

Miles Bridges has a chance to make a huge impact on what Phoenix can do defensively, as he offers more size and another strong wing defender who can also guard the post alongside Dillon Brooks.

“Bridges is one of those guys that passes the eye test,” an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated's Liam McKeone. “Analytics test, he's not as strong. But I think he'll help the Suns just with the size. They're going to be a pretty big, physical team on the perimeter. So I would expect him to be able to switch and guard some bigger guys with him, Brooks, even (Devin) Booker's not slight.

"Booker is not an A+ defender either, but he's no slouch and he can fight. So Bridges adds quite a bit of the same to that, so they'll be pretty hard to attack with your small-small stuff.

Even when they played small last year, the Suns created a lot of pressure on the ball, and Jordan Goodwin proved to be the biggest pest defensively and had the job of taking on the opponent's best player late in the year, which now will be between Bridges and Brooks in the starting group.

If Bridges, who took on this role most games with the Charlotte Hornets, is able to successfully handle this responsibility, it could unlock a lot for Phoenix's defense.

Another big question mark is the center spot after Mark Williams' injury with how Phoenix will utilize Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach.

Phoenix was actually much better with Ighodaro and Maluach on the floor defensively last season, as the Suns had a 103.5 defensive rating with Maluach on the court (best of any player) and 109.7 defensive rating with Ighodaro compared to a 113.3 defensive rating with Williams.

This is a big reason why many feel Maluach could win the starting job even after he didn't have a big role last season, but him and Ighodaro, who is a uniquely versatile defensive center, bring something different to the table that could end up elevating Phoenix's defense.

With Collin Gillespie, Goodwin and Rasheer Fleming part of the rotation off the bench, as well as players like Haywood Highsmith, Ryan Dunn and Koa Peat, Phoenix has plenty of depth that can bolster its defense even more.

The driving force for Phoenix's defense a season ago was how much everyone bought in to Ott's system, and it will be once again this year, but the Suns also have players who can be true difference makers defensively and boost the team's ceiling on this side of the ball.

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