3 Things Suns Absolutely Have to Fix Before Playoffs

PHOENIX -- With the play-in only five games away, the Phoenix Suns need to figure out answers to their recent problems fast.

Phoenix (42-35) has lost two straight and eight of its 11 games after falling 127-107 to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

With Dillon Brooks returning from injury on Tuesday and Mark Williams coming back Thursday, the Suns finally have their top-eight rotation players healthy, but have some glaring issues they need to solve in the last five games of the season ahead of play-in matchup that could come against the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers.

Here are three areas Phoenix must figure out in this closing stretch of the season:

Rotation

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott against the Denver Nuggets at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

All season long, the Suns' guards have stepped up when their names have been called, which has now created a problem of having too many guards now that they are fully healthy.

In the loss to Charlotte, Phoenix played a rotation centered around eight players 6-foot-6 or shorter next to centers Oso Ighodaro and Mark Williams with 6-foot-9 rookie Rasheer Fleming only seeing five minutes on the floor before garbage time.

Phoenix has played small all year, but needs to find a way to either recreate the same success it had earlier in the year or play Fleming and Ryan Dunn more to make up for some of the size problems they are facing.

We took a deeper dive into how the Suns can fix the rotation, which you can read by clicking here.

Defense and Rebounding

Mar 31, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) defends Orlando Magic guard Jevon Carter (2) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

This problem stems from the Suns' size, but they have also seen a significant drop-off in forcing turnovers, which was their calling card earlier in the season.

Phoenix ranked third in opponent turnovers per game (16.7) and points off turnovers (20.9) before the All-Star break, but is 11th in opponent turnovers (15.5) and 13th in points off turnovers (18.3) since the break (22 games).

The Suns haven't been bad in the rebounding area for most of the year, but there are games, such as the Hornets matchup (outrebounded 47-31), when they have no answers on the glass because of the size differential.

Getting Williams back in the starting lineup could help, but these are two areas the Suns did well in before, so they just need to find it again.

The Suns have said multiple times this season that the biggest way they find success stems from their defense, so we will see if they really focus in on that side of the ball in this final stretch.

Playing with Freedom and Confidence

Apr 2, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) handles the ball defended by Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel (7) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The reason the Suns have seen so many players have career seasons this year is because coach Jordan Ott gives them a lot of freedom and establishes confidence in them on offense.

With Phoenix reintegrating players back into the lineup, it feels the offense has gotten more stagnant at times and players are second-guessing their shots more often.

With four ball-handlers - Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Brooks - in the current starting five, the Suns haven't quite found the recipe for all four playing off each other, but it starts with everyone having confidence in themselves and each other.

This is an area that usually forms over time throughout the season, but the Suns haven't had the luxury of having everyone healthy, so Phoenix must find out a solution quickly to making this work.

The Suns' next game tomorrow afternoon against the 29-47 Chicago Bulls, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, could be a perfect opportunity for them to correct these struggles and build from there.