The only time of the year when wins hold as much weight as a loss, the Phoenix Suns are taking advantage of the low-stakes games, getting their entire roster for regular-season play, with 14 players registering playing time in Saturday’s 102-98 win against the Spurs.
Now three games into the preseason, here are the three main questions we want your thoughts on:
Is there a new Grayson Allen in town?
With Devin Booker and Miles Bridges out, Luke Kennard took control of the team’s offensive responsibilities in the Suns’ win over the Spurs, scoring 20 points on 15 shots, including 10 attempts from three. In the first two preseason games, he took just 4 threes, but he, along with the team, adjusted without having a few of their primary scorers for their first win of the preseason.
Similarly, last season, when Devin Booker and other primary scorers would be out, Grayson Allen would take more of a prominent offensive role, highlighted by his 28-point performance in a late February comeback win against the Los Angeles Lakers when Booker and Dillon Brooks were out.
Because of his shooting abilities and experience playing alongside LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Kawhi Leonard, Kennard has experience taking both a front and backseat when his team needs him to, just like Allen did for the Suns before he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Does Saturday’s performance give you confidence that Kennard can provide the production that Allen did for the Suns?
The starting center battle continues
The Suns are giving equal opportunities to Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach to win the starting center job. Oso started the first two games, while Maluach started the third. Through three games, neither has taken a commanding lead, with Oso’s passing (5 assists against the Spurs) and Maluach’s rebounding (15 boards against the Spurs) standing out.
Giving both of them starting opportunities in the preseason signals that the team has not made a decision yet on who will replace Mark Williams in the starting lineup, and if they have, at the very least they don’t want people to know that they have.
With two preseason games left, who do you think is in the lead, and who do you want to win the competition?
Thoughts on the rest of the West?
Through nine days of preseason games, are there any Western Conference teams that have made statements to you that could cause the Suns some trouble in the regular season?
Golden State Warriors’ rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had a 23-10-6 game, Fred VanVleet with a five-three game in his first contest in nearly 18 months after tearing his ACL, and Kyrie Irving has gotten his first NBA action since tearing his ACL in March of 2025.
Who is on your radar?
On the Suns’ Plate This Week
The Suns will play their last two preseason games before they begin the regular season. They’ll play the Spurs again on Wednesday, but this time in San Antonio at 5 PM AZ time, and then their fifth and final game of the preseason will be on Friday at home against the Utah Jazz at 7 PM AZ time.
