What We Learned from Suns' Rotation After Preseason Opener vs Pistons

The Suns had some units that stood out and others that need work in their first preseason game.

Oct 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PHOENIX -- There weren't many surprises with the Phoenix Suns' rotation in Monday's preseason opener against the Detroit Pistons, but each unit brought different things to the table when they were on the floor.

Phoenix used a 10-man rotation in the first half, and then benched the starters after halftime in the 109-107 loss.

Here are our thoughts on how each unit performed and who was used for each group:

First Unit

Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Oso Ighodaro

The starting group looked very impressive and gelled together very well even with questions surrounding their overlapping skill sets, which led to Phoenix leading 68-50 at halftime.

Each player was not afraid to apply pressure defensively and then push the ball up the court on offense to create transition opportunities.

Bridges had a strong showing in his Suns debut, affecting the game in all aspects whether it was scoring, on-ball defense, crashing the glass or playmaking, which led to him finishing with eight points, five rebounds and four assists in 14 minutes.

Booker (13 points), Green (11 points) and Brooks (11 points) all had solid outings and were able to pick their spots well and score within the flow of the offense the majority of the time.

Ighodaro (three points, five rebounds) got the start over Khaman Maluach, and his playmaking was able to open some more opportunities on offense.

There are still some kinks to work out with the lack of playmaking from Green and Brooks, but overall the Suns could not have asked for a better first game from the starters.

Second Unit

Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach

Goodwin and Maluach were the first two subs off the bench, which was a bit of a surprise considering how well Gillespie played with the starters last season, but the Suns could still be figuring out which players fit best together and the decision ended up paying off.

Goodwin (seven points), Gillespie (eight points) and Kennard (nine points) all brought instant energy when they came in the game, and Goodwin's hustle really sparked the rest of the group, as he grabbed three offensive rebounds and had three steals.

Maluach (six points) also had some promising moments as he looks to win the starting center battle, but was not a major force inside like he was in the summer league.

The biggest shocker of the rotation was Dunn getting the nod at backup power forward over Rasheer Fleming, so this will be something to monitor the rest of the preseason.

Dunn brings more energy than Fleming, but still had some offensive flaws that were apparent against Detroit, as he finished with two points and three turnovers in 16 minutes.

Fleming, who had three points and five rebounds in 19 minutes, still recorded the most minutes of anyone after not playing in the first half, so the Suns are clearly evaluating who they can turn to as the backup 4.

Rest of Rotation

The Suns have some things to figure out deeper in their rotation after they were outscored 59-39 in the second half and turned the ball over 22 times over the last two quarters.

They did not really have any standouts from this group, but rookie Koa Peat had some good moments in his first NBA action, recording four points and four rebounds.

Jamaree Bouyea and Haywood Highsmith, who are competing with Duop Reath for the final roster spot, combined for nine turnovers and did not have good performances in the opener, so they will look to correct this moving forward.

Reath (two points in eight minutes) neither impressed nor disappointed, but the Suns will hope they can see more out of him to determine if he's the right fit as the third-string center.

Coach Jordan Ott did not turn to second-year players CJ Huntley or Koby Brea at all, which was interesting considering Huntley is in the battle for the third-string center spot and Brea could eventually be a rotation player if he adds more to his game beyond shooting.

This could be a sign that neither player has shown enough development, but that could change as the preseason goes on.

Phoenix is back in action Wednesday night for its second preseason game against the Chicago Bulls.