Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team.
Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: The Suns have not yet offered center Mark Williams a contract extension, and it’s rumored that they will not do so. What are your thoughts on this?
Ashton: I think most of the Table answered this question correctly a few weeks ago. We have to see the product on the court. Period.
Yes, the Lakers passed on him. But they also hid the fact that LeBron had sciatica. That sucks, and it’s probably the only time I feel for the guy. LBJ, time to retire into the Hall of Fame. Go watch your son, Bryce, in Tucson.
I am extremely hesitant to pass judgment on Mark Williams, but it does not look good for a contract extension until he actually plays.
OldAz: I have previously said that I would be in favor of signing him early if it resulted in a lower annual salary. With that being said, it is obvious the Suns have some concern with his health based on the way they are treating him in the preseason. It is perfectly reasonable to verify that he can stay healthy before committing long-term money. Because he is only a restricted free agent next off-season, they will still be able to retain him, and if it costs them more, it will be because he has earned it.
Rod: This is one of those things that bothers me, just because there are a lot of things that we fans often just don’t get all the information on. Have they not even discussed a possible extension? If not, that would bother me a bit, but I think it’s likely that they have and probably came to an agreement to wait until Williams becomes a restricted free agent this summer and let the market set his value.
Right now, I don’t think any competant GM would offer a huge extension for anyone who has had an injury history like Williams’. I also doubt Williams would want to sign an extension that would basically be a low-ball offer and be locked into that for several years, thereby passing up an opportunity to get a much better offer if he manages to stay healthy for the majority of this season.
I think waiting until the summer of 2026 makes the most sense for everyone and, with Richards, Maluach and Ighodaro also on the roster, it opens up the option of doing a sign-and-trade deal to move Williams then if the Suns decide that’s in their best interest.
Q2: After 3 preseason games played, the Suns are 3rd in steals (12.7) and 6th in blocks (7.7) per game.
Do you consider this a good sign for the future or dismiss it because “it’s just the preseason”?
Ashton: It means the young guys are hustling. And that is what the fans want.
JV recently asked what you wanted to see in the charts. I would say defensive metrics, in addition to turnovers.
I would say this is a good sign on both counts.
OldAz: It is just the preseason. Full stop. I do like that they are playing more actively and with intensity on defense, but it is still just the preseason.
Rod: Even though they’re preseason stats, I consider it a good sign. Just how good a sign is yet to be determined, but it’s another indication that defense has become a priority for this team. You can see it on the court and also in the stats. Of course, the fact that those stats have been achieved while playing games against only two teams keeps me from being excited about them. It does increase my confidence that the team is actually working hard on D once the regular season starts, whether they continue to be in the top 10 in steals and blocks then or not.
Q3: Do you expect a significantly better showing by the Suns when projected starters Jalen Green and Mark Williams are available to play?
Ashton: First, get them healthy. And then this question can be answered correctly.
This may be the shortest response I have ever made. I could talk about the weather and such. But as stated, It is the preseason. We (Fans) just do not know.
Take the Over on 30.5 wins. It will be close. And no. I am not covering your bet.
OldAz: I would hesitate to use the word “significantly” because chemistry matters, as we have seen the last couple of seasons. However, Williams is their most complete center on both ends of the floor, and Green is their most athletic player overall. Considering these attributes align with the style of play we have seen so far in the preseason, it is reasonable to expect good things to come from these two being added to the rotation. However, when they return, it will no longer be preseason, and other teams will actually be putting their best foot forward as well.
Rod: I believe it all depends upon how well Green and Williams mesh with the other starters (presumably Book, Brooks, and Dunn). They’re both upgrades over Grayson Allen and Oso Ighodaro overall, so it’s reasonable to expect some improvement, but just how much depends on how quickly they develop chemistry and learn how to adjust to playing together. It’s possible that we might even see the starting unit take a small step backward at first because of the adjustment period. If that happens, I won’t be worried about it though, as both Green and Williams haven’t been playing in the preseason games, so they will naturally be a bit behind everyone else in the adjustment process.
Eventually, I do expect a significant improvement in the team as the preseason games have already shown that the Suns finally have some real quality depth and their return will only increase that depth.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“Tired is just for the mind” - Khaman Maluach
“It was dope.” - Rasheer Fleming on guarding Luka Doncic
“I really like this team. It’s just a process, a really long season. There’s going to be ups and downs and you just have to stick together through everything.” - Khaman Maluach
“This past summer was too long for my likening not being in the playoffs. I’m eager to get back to it.” - Devin Booker
Suns Trivia/History
On October 16, 1969, 4-time All-Star Connie Hawkins made his NBA debut for the Phoenix Suns in a 116-114 win over the San Diego Rockets. The Hawk would lead a trio of 20+ ppg scorers for the Suns (Hawkins - 24.6, Dick Van Arsdale - 21.3, and Gail Goodrich - 20.0) to a 39-43 regular season record (23 wins better than their previous 16-66 record) and their first ever trip to the NBA playoffs.
On October 18, 1968, Dick Van Arsdale scored the Suns very first basket at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum as Phoenix beat the Seattle Supersonics 116-107 in their inaugural regular season opener. Van Arsdale (21 pts), Gail Goodrich (27 pts), and Dick Snyder (20 pts) led the way in scoring with 68 of the Suns’ total points (58.6%). Goodrich and center George Wilson would share the honors of being the first two Suns players to ever record double-doubles, with Goodrich getting 27 pts and 10 assists, and Wilson scoring 16 points while pulling down 19 rebounds. Goodrich was also just one rebound short of getting the first triple-double in Suns history.
On October 18, 1977, 6-time All-Star Walter Davis made his NBA debut for the Phoenix Suns in a 100-83 win over the Golden State Warriors. Davis played 11 seasons for the Suns and eventually became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, a title he held until Devin Booker surpassed his 15,666 career points total on February 3, 2025.
Important Future Dates
Oct. 20 - Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 21 - Regular Season Begins
Oct. 25 - 2025 NBA G League Draft (1 p.m. ET)
Oct. 27 - Nov. 6 - NBA G League Training Camps open
Nov. 6 - Rosters set for NBA G League Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Nov. 7 - NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins
Jan. 5 - 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 - All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Feb. 5 - Trade deadline (3:00 pm ET)
Feb. 13-15 - 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, CA