The Suns’ Young Core Made The Second Half Worth The Wait

It was nice to have Phoenix Suns basketball back as the team debuted in the 2026 Summer League, opening their schedule against the Portland Trail Blazers. There are plenty of reasons to be excited, seeing as a youth movement is occurring in Phoenix and these are the foundational steps necessary to fan the flames of their development. So, as we do, we got excited.

And then, like the Suns typically do, they fell completely on their face.

Phoenix made eight total field goals in the first half, scored only 24 points, and looked completely discombobulated. Add in the fact that they went 0-of-9 from beyond the arc, and you had to ask yourself, what am I watching?

Then the second half arrived, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. The Suns used their defense as the catalyst for their offense, something the big league club did time and again last season. One thing you can get away with in Summer League is being physical. The penalty comes in the form of fouls, but they’re unlimited. Ask rookie Koa Peat, who finished his professional debut with 8 fouls. He also finished with 17 points.

Alongside sophomore Khaman Maluach, the Suns looked much more physical and effective offensively in the second half. You don’t put much weight into the final result of a Summer League game, but you can certainly take notice of how they got there.

24 points in the first half. 57 in the second. And a win in their first Summer League game. It was nice to see.

Summer Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 1 against the Blazers. Here are your nominees:

Khaman Maluach
19 points (7-of-15, 3-of-7 3PT), 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 7 turnovers, +6 +/-

Javonte Cooke
21 points (7-of-12, 5-of-8 3PT), 1 rebound, 0 turnovers, +6 +/-

Koa Peat
17 points (6-of-11, 0-of-0 3PT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, -2 +/-

Rasheer Fleming
6 points (3-of-9, 0-of-4 3PT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, -4 +/-

Jameer Nelson Jr.
4 points (0-of-7, 0-of-1 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, +5 +/-

Darius Brown II
5 points (1-of-6, 0-of-3 3PT), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, -2 +/-

Cast your vote.