The team is making waves defensively this season and for good reason. Phoenix is one of the best defensive teams in the league (12th after 21 games). Jordan Ott, Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams, and, above all, Dillon Brooks are widely praised for their talent, energy, and defensive ingenuity.
But in this spotlight, one name is too often forgotten: Jordan Goodwin. The guard is in his second stint with the franchise, and his impact often goes unnoticed on the court. Let’s take a closer look.
A unique defensive style
His 1.5 steals per game (3rd on the team) and his 2.4 STL% tell a clear story: he doesn’t punish by chance, he reads the game before everyone else. His 2.8 deflections (4th on the team) reinforce this idea of a player who lives in the passing lanes, not just on the ball. Even his 2.5 shots contested, despite a lower ranking, show that his activity is primarily oriented toward disrupting actions upstream rather than protecting the rim.
This relatively low contest number highlights something we don’t discuss enough. We often judge defense by the final outcome of a play (a shot, a turnover), when that represents only a tiny fraction of the defensive process. Jordan Goodwin is not a player who will dominate highlight reels. He has a thankless, invisible role: destroying a system at its roots.
The advanced percentiles reinforce what the eye test already suggests.
Being in the 86th percentile in Matchup Difficulty means taking on the toughest assignments every night, without being hidden in the blind spots of the game plan (he operates behind Ryan and Dillon). His 89th percentile in defensive positional versatility shows that he is not just a specialized point-of-attack defender: he is switchable, reliable across multiple profiles, without breaking the team’s balance (this positional versatility is one of Phoenix’s great strengths this season).
The 93rd percentile in overall coverage versatility reflects a defender who is never passive within the scheme. He attacks timing windows and can defend just as well on a DHO as on a pick-and-roll or off-ball actions. And the 95th percentile in passing lanes, off-ball chasing, and screen navigation clearly places him in the category of systemic disruptors, those who destroy sets before the second option even exists.
Within the Phoenix Suns’ defense, these numbers tell a simple truth: Goodwin is an accelerator of collective pressure. He allows Phoenix to raise its defensive intensity without increasing structural risk. He secures help rotations, closes passing angles, and gives the rest of the team the freedom to be more aggressive, because the first line of defense is always in place.
He is not a spectacular defender in the classical sense. He is a multiplier of controlled chaos. And that type of player changes the face of a defense far more than a simple steal counter ever could.
Role within the defense
Frequently used as a “chaser” or a “ball pressure specialist,” Jordan Goodwin’s profile fits perfectly into Phoenix’s defensive identity. While Dillon Brooks and Ryan Dunn are tasked with guarding the opposing star, the guard is usually assigned to the opposing backcourt, preferably on the primary ball handler.
Nov 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) reacts in the first half of the game at Mortgage Match Up Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) reacts in the first half of the game at Mortgage Match Up Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Phoenix’s defensive strength this season comes from a well-oiled system built around switching, collective pressure, and constant activity of arms and legs. It is a framework in which Goodwin thrives naturally. The numbers confirm it: when he is on the floor, the Suns post a 106.7 defensive rating (roughly five fewer points allowed per 100 possessions). They also concede far fewer second-chance opportunities: -9.4 opponent OREB% (because yes, one directly conditions the other).
What stands out is not only his energy, but his constant pressure on both the ball handler and off-ball players.
Like a terrier, he gives his matchup no breathing room. He is always in the line of sight, cuts off primary options without overplaying the interception, and forces lateral dribbles rather than straight-line drives. This is modern defense. It’s disciplined, controlled, and almost surgical.
He does not defend simply to “survive” a possession. He defends by mentally wearing down his opponent. This type of defender creates a fatigue that is invisible in the box score, yet very real in late-game shot selection. This is a profile that doesn’t alter the opposing offense through talent…but through constant discomfort.
Jordan Goodwin reminds us that a player’s value — especially a defender’s — is not defined by highlights, but by the number of decisions the opponent never gets to make, aborted through relentless discomfort imposed from the opening tip. Goodwin is the first blade of a system drawn by Jordan Ott. Collin Gillespie carries the second unit offensively. Jordan Goodwin carries it defensively.