Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway home, and I hope your week is going well.

I’ll get to the Suns below, but first, quick shoutout to the No. 6 ASU women’s volleyball team, which hosts No. 13 TCU at Desert Financial Arena tonight in what’s a monumental match. The Sun Devils are 17-2, have won 11 straight matches this season and 24 straight Big 12 matches overall, which is the third-longest streak in the nation.

The 11-match winning streak is the fifth-best in school history.

Go get ‘em tonight. On to the show!

Week 2 NBA Power Rankings: Where the Suns Stack Up

It wasn’t exactly a banner week for the Suns, but there were certainly encouraging signs. Phoenix rallied for a dramatic win in its season opener, but came up empty on the ensuing three-game road trip. Though the Suns came close in Monday’s overtime loss against the Jazz, the loss dropped them to 1-3 on the young season.

That 8-1 start last season feels like a decade ago.

Remember, Phoenix has been without Jalen Green because of an injury, and his status for tonight’s tilt at Mortgage Match Center (7 pm) is listed as questionable. Dillon Brooks, who had an impressive season opener, is also expected to miss his second straight game.

For those keeping track at home, both of those players were acquired in the Kevin Durant trade in the offseason.

NBA Power Rankings – What the Pundits are Saying About The Suns

Yes, it’s still early, but let’s be honest — no one expects the Suns to make any sort of title, or even playoff, run this season. It’s not a full-on rebuild, but this season was always destined to be somewhat of a reset considering the loss of Kevin Durant and the hiring of a new coach.

Don’t take my word for it, though — check out some of the latest power rankings from around the sporting world, and what they have to say about the Suns.

NBA.com — 25th

“The Suns won their season opener for the fourth straight year and were the only team to win a game that it trailed by at least 20 points last week. But they then went on the road and lost to the Clippers and Nuggets by a total of 49 points.”

The Athletic — 25th

“The Suns have four centers, all of them in completely different situations. Oso Ighodaro, a 2024 second-round pick, is Jordan Ott’s new starter, a role that might be a little too much for him. Mark Williams is a starting-caliber center in a contract year who cost the Suns a late first-round pick to acquire, but he’s being load-managed to begin the season.

Nick Richards was brought in last winter, and he’s only playing spot minutes. Khaman Maluach is a lottery-pick rookie, but the future isn’t now, apparently, as he’s behind all of these players. Whether it is a lack of size, motor, athleticism or experience, Phoenix might have issues with interior defense all season, though it won’t be for a lack of options or reasons.”

Yahoo Sports — 26th

“Coach Jordan Ott sounded off: ‘We’ve got to be better. There’s no excuse for that. We’re going to have to be better defensively. This is a defensive-minded group at times and we just lose our way, but we’re three games in. There’s a sample size to all this. A lot of that is who you play.’”

NBC Sports — 25th

“Khaman Maluach is the guy the Suns envision as their center of the future, but the fact that the 2025 lottery pick is playing behind starter Oso Ighodaro — a 2024 second-round pick — shows how far he has to go. Phoenix is launching 3-pointers under new coach Jordan Ott, 48% of their shot attempts have been from beyond the arc through three games, but the team is shooting only 32.8% on those attempts (even Devin Booker is shooting just 33% from deep this season).”

CBS Sports — 26th

“Jalen Green being out to start the season might be a blessing in disguise, as it will give Devin Booker full control of the show as the Suns attempt to get their footing. Counterpoint: Who the hell is going to score besides Devin Booker? Another 70-point outburst might not be out of the question, while Phoenix is going to have to rely on its defense (cough 27th in the NBA last season cough), at least until Green returns and perhaps much longer.”

My Take: Again, expectations need to remain tempered, especially until Green gets to make his Suns debut. But I’m a believer in how general manager Brian Gregory has conducted his first few months in the role, and this isn’t “win now” mode — it’s going to take a few seasons for everyone to gel.

Leavitt to Sims: Sun Devils starting quarterback Sam Leavitt has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Iowa State, meaning backup Jeff Sims will make his second start of the season. It’s a tough blow for ASU, which is looking to bounce back after a loss to Houston, and star wide receive Jordyn Tyson is still listed as questionable, so we’ll keep an eye on that, too.

The Sun Devils lost Sims’ first start of the season, 42-12, against Utah

Murray Nears Return: It wasn’t all bad quarterback news yesterday, though, as Kyler Murray is reportedly nearing a return after missing the last two weeks. The Cardinals look to break a five-game losing streak, and Murray’s return sure would go a long way for Arizona’s Monday night matchup in Dallas.

More updates below:

By Branded Bills

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