How Phoenix Suns Can Overcome Their Biggest Offensive Concern
· Yahoo Sports
The 2026-27 Phoenix Suns are set to face a concern that certainly didn't plague them during the previous campaign, which ended with a playoff appearance in April.
That concern is floor spacing.
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The Suns officially acquired forward Miles Bridges on Monday, which in hand forced the franchise to part ways with high-volume shooters in Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale in the process.
Now, the Suns must find ways to make up for the losses of the sharpshooters in creative manners, especially considering the fact that Bridges has been a below-average shooter on average throughout his career.
The first domino here is simply in head coach Jordan Ott leaning into his offensive principles that resulted in creating an environment where Phoenix could finish top five in volume and 12th in efficiency in 2025-26. Ott's system prioritizes quick, high-IQ shot attempts, utilizing guards as screeners, and getting the ball past halfcourt rapidly in order to create momentum before defenses are able to organize. This should bode well for Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie, and others to continue to set the table for others effectively.
Secondly, players that are quality shooters on paper must become more aggressive when it comes to boosting volume from beyond the arc. The most crucial piece in this effort is Luke Kennard, who is one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA (and has been for nearly a decade), although his volume has typically been subdued.
While Kennard isn't a dynamic shot creator to the tune that Allen was in Phoenix, he has a marked ability to create space and get clean looks over intense closeouts. The Suns need more aggressiveness from Rasheer Fleming as well - the second-year wing has become an incredibly effective shooter from the corner.
Lastly, the Suns need Khaman Maluach to take a major stride forward as a floor-spacer. While Oso Ighodaro is an exceptional passer and shifty finisher, he doesn't provide value as a shooter from range. Ditto for Mark Williams, who excels as a screener and offensive rebounder without having much of a scoring game outside of 10 feet.
If Maluach is able to shoot at an above-average clip, it opens countless windows for Ott's innovative, yet simplistic offense - the Duke product would invite the ability for Phoenix to run "five out" sets, utilize pick-and-pop actions - even maximizing Booker's ceiling as a playmaker in the midst of the star guard continually growing in that department.
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Kevin Hicks is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached on X @khicks_21.