Devin Booker and Phoenix Suns Battle Rim Woes Under Jordan Ott

Jordan Goodwin barely needed a warmup to shake off the rust of a calf injury Tuesday night in downtown Phoenix, burying six three-pointers on his way to a team-high 18 points as the Phoenix Suns rolled past the Clippers 133-110. With Devin Booker chipping in 17 points and Collin Gillespie dishing eight assists, head coach Jordan Ott's squad climbed to 4-6 and third place in the Pacific Division, washing away Monday's humbling 26-point home loss to San Antonio.

Life after the franchise's departed prior-era stars—with former veterans Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Jusuf Nurkic no longer on the roster—has ushered in a younger, ball-sharing identity built around Booker, Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, and Dillon Brooks. Phoenix's turbulent four-day homestand captured both sides of its 2026-27 profile: crisp shot-making in victories over Houston and Los Angeles bookending interior vulnerability whenever elite size visits Mortgage Matchup Center.

Jordan Ott's Ball-Movement Makeover Trades Top-Heavy Isolation for Balance

Summer expectations in the Valley centered on structural modernization rather than hollow superteam hype, as head coach Jordan Ott set out to replace static isolation possessions with quick-decision spacing and perimeter physicality. Through 10 games, Phoenix's 4-6 ledger—highlighted by Saturday's gritty 102-99 victory over a seven-win Houston squad when Booker poured in 24 points including seven straight late to break a tie, plus Tuesday's 23-point rout of the Clippers—shows a resilient group finding its footing inside the Pacific Division.

Unlike previous Phoenix iterations that bogged down whenever opponents blitzed Booker above the break, Ott's half-court system hums with poised ball security and extra passes. Operating with a pristine 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and the NBA's seventh-lowest turnover rate at 12.6 percent (19.6 percent assist ratio), Phoenix empowers connectors and shooters like Gillespie, Goodwin, and Luke Kennard to punish rotating defenses immediately whenever an extra defender shades toward Booker or Jalen Green.

Booker, Jalen Green, Bridges, and Brooks Forge a Dynamic Perimeter Core

Phoenix's confirmed starting five pairs Devin Booker at point guard beside explosive scorer Jalen Green, flanked on the wings by rugged stopper Dillon Brooks and versatile forward Miles Bridges, with mobile big man Oso Ighodaro anchoring the five spot. Shifting Booker into full-time lead orchestration has unlocked Green as a lethal secondary slasher and off-screen movement shooter, while Bridges supplies durable two-way scoring and Brooks sets a confrontational perimeter tone.

Behind that opening unit, Ott has cultivated a deep, unselfish bench rotation paced by Gillespie's composed table-setting (eight assists), Goodwin's microwave perimeter shooting, and second-year forward Ryan Dunn's relentless rebounding (eight boards in Tuesday's win). Rookie seven-footer Khaman Maluach and stretch five Duop Reath give Ott contrasting backup center looks, while Kennard, Rasheer Fleming, Koa Peat, Drew Timme, Jamaree Bouyea, and Pat Spencer round out an athletic roster.

Steady Perimeter Shooting Clashes With a 29th-Ranked Defensive Rating

Under the hood, Phoenix plays at a deliberate, half-court-oriented 95.6 pace factor (27th in the NBA), generating a league-average 115.7 offensive rating (ORTG, points scored per 100 possessions, 15th in the NBA). Ott's perimeter spacing works cleanly: Phoenix launches threes on 40.5 percent of its field-goal attempts and converts 35.8 percent from deep (11th in the NBA), fueling a 15th-ranked 53.5 percent effective field-goal percentage (eFG%, adjusting for three-point value) and a 17th-ranked 56.9 percent true shooting percentage (TS%, incorporating foul shots). However, ranking 30th in free throws attempted (185) and 24th in paint points (414) keeps their offense reliant on jump-shot accuracy.

The glaring culprit behind Phoenix's 4-6 record and 7.5-point nightly scoring deficit (118.1 allowed versus 110.6 scored) is interior defense and defensive rebounding. Phoenix sits 29th in the NBA with a porous 123.5 defensive rating (DRTG, points allowed per 100 possessions), ranking 30th in total defensive rebounds (249) and 26th in overall rebound rate (48.3 percent) despite solid offensive glass crashing (28.1 percent offensive rebound rate, 15th). Compounding that size deficit is emotional undiscipline—piling up 18 technical fouls, an NBA-high three flagrant fouls, and two disqualifications while ranking 21st in blocks (46) and 22nd in steals (77).

Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach Hold the Paint Until Mark Williams Returns in 2027

Phoenix's 29th-ranked defensive rating and 30th-ranked defensive glass numbers trace directly back to training camp, when prized center Mark Williams suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out prior to Opening Night and carries an estimated return date of February 3, 2027. Losing Williams' elite standing reach stripped Ott of his primary drop-coverage anchor and defensive rebounder for the first half of the season—a void Victor Wembanyama exploited ruthlessly for 40 points, 11 rebounds, and nine blocks in Monday's 122-96 Spurs win.

To their credit, confirmed starter Oso Ighodaro and touted rookie Khaman Maluach—who generated buzz back in Summer League—have embraced the steep learning curve. Ighodaro's short-roll passing, screening angles, and nimble feet keep Phoenix's half-court spacing fluid alongside Booker and Green, while Maluach's vertical shot-blocking instincts and Ryan Dunn's weak-side hustle offer developmental upside. With Goodwin back healthy from his calf issue, Phoenix's perimeter rotation is completely intact.

Rebounding and Composure Will Dictate Phoenix's Pacific Ceiling Into 2027

Welcoming the Charlotte Hornets to Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday night gives Phoenix an immediate opportunity to pull even at 5-5 over its opening ten-game stretch and build on encouraging home victories over Houston and Los Angeles. Offensively, shooting 35.8 percent from deep (11th in the NBA), cashing 78.9 percent at the free-throw line (12th), and protecting the basketball at a top-seven clip (12.6 percent turnover rate) give Ott a dependable half-court baseline every night.

Surviving the Western Conference play-in race over the next twelve weeks until Mark Williams targets his February 2027 return, however, demands collective gang-rebounding from all five spots on the floor alongside cooler emotional poise. If Brooks, Bridges, Dunn, and Ighodaro can lift that 26th-ranked rebound rate, eliminate technical and flagrant fouls, and shave points off their 123.5 defensive rating, Phoenix has enough perimeter shot-making around Devin Booker and Jalen Green to stay squarely in the 2027 postseason hunt.