👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway home, and I hope your week is going well.
It sure looks like we’re trending toward a Mariners/Dodgers World Series — how do you feel about that?! Mariners fans have long suffered playoff failures, but own a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the Blue Jays in the ALCS. The Dodgers, meanwhile, went up 2-0 on the Brewers last night.
Hard to believe it was just two seasons ago when the D-backs made their magical march to the Fall Classic. That one didn’t end like we would have hoped, but also created scores of great memories. Will be forever grateful for that, and hopefully we get to re-live that in the not-too-distant future.
On to the show!
— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor
Tailgate With Us on Oct. 19!
Join the PHNX Cardinals crew for a pregame tailgate at Chicken N’ Pickle Glendale before the Cardinals take on the Packers on Oct. 19! Enjoy PHNX merch giveaways, yard games, drink specials, and more! The tailgate kicks off at 11 am - hope to see you there!
Suns Preview: What Should You Expect This Season?
Photo credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Preseason is over — it’s time for the main event!
The Suns concluded their preseason slate with a 113-104 win over the Lakers, and open the regular season a week from today against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center. Expectations are low compared to a season ago, as the winds of change have yet again swept through the Valley’s NBA team.
Jordan Ott replaces the one-and-done Mike Budenholzer as head coach, marking the team’s fourth coach in as many years (Monty Williams, Frank Vogel, Budenholzer and now Ott).
The roster is dramatically different, too.
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Suns’ Reshaped Roster Takes Center Stage
Kevin Durant is long gone, as are Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Mason Plumlee, Vasilije Micić, Cody Martin, Monte Morris, TyTy Washington Jr., Damion Lee, Bol Bol and Jalen Bridges.
Major additions include a huge youth movement, including Jalen Green, Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, all of whom are 23-years-old or younger.
Of course, don’t forget new general manager Brian Gregory, who hired Ott with one of his first moves as GM.
Green has proven to be a polarizing figure of sorts, because the former second-overall pick (2021) seemingly hasn’t quite reached his full potential. The 23-year-old guard historically provided durability, as he has started all 82 games in each of the last two seasons while averaging 21 points per game last year.
That makes it even more ironic that the fifth-year player is going to miss the team’s opener next week after sustaining a hamstring injury during the Suns’ preseason games in China. He will reportedly be re-evaluated in 10 days.
Welcome to being a Suns fan.
Now, what else can you expect out of this team in the 2025-26 season? Let’s check in with a few national outlets:
CBS Sports: Suns Own 2 of Top 100 NBA Players
It’s a far cry from the Thunder (seven players) and Knicks (six). The Suns are one of 10 teams that have two-or-fewer players listed on the Top 100, though it could be worse — the Wizards have zero. Newly acquired Jalen Green ranks 83rd, up from 92nd a season ago, while Devin Booker came in at 16, down two spots from the 2024-25 list.
Not a huge slide considering a new coach and the end of the Kevin Durant era, considering the Suns won 36 last season. Kevin Pelton wrote, “The Suns were probably due for some degree of bounce-back after underperforming their projections a season ago, and Durant's value at this stage of his career is likely overstated. It's also worth remembering that Phoenix will have no incentive to accumulate losses late in the season because the team's draft pick has been swapped to the point of irrelevance.”
This post looks toward the future, and rightfully so, but also takes into account how Booker and Green may mesh together. “Will Booker and Green — both of whom can create their own shot — get the Suns some easy baskets in transition? It will be fascinating to see how often they assist each other relative to the league’s other guard combinations … There’s a next phase of the Suns coming, and this season could tell us how close those three guys are to their ceiling.”
USA Today: Suns rank 24th, Booker Needs to Step Up
Lorenzo Reyes writes, “Trading away Kevin Durant leaves Devin Booker as the unquestioned No. 1 option. He said during media day that he would use his voice as a leader. His biggest project should be getting fellow guard Jalen Green to play without hesitation.”
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Setting The Standard: Congrats to ASU volleyball junior Noemie Glover, who was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after recording 36 kills to help lead the Sun Devils to consecutive wins over No. 16 Baylor and No. 24 Colorado. Arizona State is in first place in the Big 12, and have won 21 straight matches in the conference.
The Sun Devils are back in action on Thursday, facing No. 19 BYU in Provo.
That’s a Wrap: The Suns closed preseason play with a 113-104 win over the L.A. Lakers last night, though it was a game mostly played by reserves. Jared Butler led all Suns with 35 points and nine assists, while Khaman Maluach chipped in 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Phoenix finished its exhibition season 3-1, and opens the regular season next Wednesday against Sacramento.
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