Do Suns Have Anything Left to Prove After All-Star Break?

Phoenix has already far exceeded its preseason expectations.

Jan 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dribbles against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- There's not much more the Phoenix Suns could have done ahead of the All-Star break in terms of finding success relative to preseason expectations.

Phoenix has already shown that the whole team is bought into the new identity owner Mat Ishbia wanted to establish, the coaching style of Jordan Ott and playing for each other no matter who is in or out of the lineup.

This has led to a 32-23 record so far, which is already more wins (30.5) than most sportsbooks had the Suns reaching.

Does Phoenix have anything left to prove coming out of the All-Star break given what the Suns have already established this season?

There's an argument to be made that if the Suns continue to play the way they have, they can reassess in the offseason based on the final results, but there are still certainly some areas they can prove themselves in as a team:

Integrating Jalen Green Into the Equation

Jan 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The biggest determining factor of success coming into the season seemed to be how Jalen Green and Devin Booker played alongside each other, but Green has only played in seven games due to a hamstring strain and hip contusion, and Phoenix has been able to work around his absence.

With Green back healthy now coming out of the break, this question becomes prevalent once again, especially once his minutes start increasing.

Green has been very limited when he plays, so perhaps that is the first thing he has to prove - can he stay healthy?

Once Green is able to prove this himself, the Suns will have to show that he can fit in with them, which seems to be trending in the right direction given the success the team's other guards have had already next to Booker and what Green has been able to do in short stints.

However, Green was known to be very inconsistent and too ball dominant at times coming over from the Houston Rockets, so how will the Suns be able to mitigate this and allow him to continue to play at his strengths while also benefiting the rest of the team?

There's no doubt Phoenix has all the confidence that a Booker-Green backcourt will end up working out.

"I think those two guys together are going to form one of the best backcourts, if not the best in the NBA, as we move forward, especially down the road, as they get to play more and get a better feel for each other," Suns general manager Brian Gregory said yesterday of Booker and Green.

Translating Play Style to Playoff Basketball

Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Although the Suns have a great record and have proved a lot of people wrong, they are 55 games into the season and have realistically not accomplished anything on paper yet.

The first accomplishment will come if Phoenix makes the playoffs, where the Suns would have the opportunity to really show the rest of the league that their gritty play style can be effective when it matters most.

The Suns play with a playoff-like intensity almost every night, so there are a couple questions that arise when the time does come for the playoffs, which the Suns are in line to make if they are able to jump one spot to the sixth seed or win a play-in game.

The first of these questions is: how will the Suns respond when their opponent also plays with this intensity on a consistent basis?

Another question is if the Suns' constant competitiveness will have worn them down by the time the playoffs come, or will it benefit them given that they have played this way all season already and feel built for the moment?

These questions will be answered when the playoffs roll around, and the Suns can prove exactly who they are when it comes to this point.

Overcoming Size Deficiency Down the Stretch

Feb 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) against the Golden State Warriors at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Suns have a glaring size problem, as they don't have a traditional power forward or anyone besides their centers over 6-foot-7 in their rotation, but have still been able to overcome this so far.

Going back to the last point, this might become more of an issue as teams ramp up their intensity, especially in a playoff setting.

When opponents attack the paint on a consistent basis, the Suns have shown that it can be a problem.

Phoenix also allows the sixth-most offensive rebounds per game (12.1) and has gone through stretches where opponents dominate the glass, but has also been able counteract this at times.

The biggest way the Suns aim to overcome the size deficiency is trying to win the possession battle every night, which has led to them ranking second in steals per game (10.1) and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (12.9) even with their lack of size.

How will this hold up in the final 27 games and into the playoffs? We will see what Ott and the team are able to do.