The Suns have plenty of X-factors. Which one matters most?

How do you define an X-factor? When you look up and down a roster, what skills or characteristics are you searching for in a player before giving them that designation? As we prepare for the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns season, our writing staff decided to take on that question. What makes someone an X-factor? And who will fill that role for the Suns this season?

I’ll start with my own definition. Pulling out my personal basketball dictionary, an X-factor isn’t one of your primary stars. Yes, your season may ultimately sink or swim based on how those players perform, but that doesn’t make them X-factors. That makes them primary factors. An X-factor, at least in my mind, is a role player who has the ability to significantly alter the outcome of a game or even the direction of a season. They are the needle movers; those opposing teams don’t gameplan against but wish they did. And when you look at this Suns roster, there are plenty of candidates.

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Last year, in my opinion, it was Collin Gillespie. He took a real step forward as a player, and while he faded down the stretch, what he gave Phoenix through the first two-thirds of the season changed the energy, effort, and outcomes of games on a consistent basis. He was given the opportunity to become an X-factor, and for most of the season, he ran with it. When opposing fanbases are asking who you are, you did the right thing.

So when I look up and down this roster and ask who can be this year’s X-factor, and certainly no opposing fan doesn’t know who he is (for unfortunate reasons), I keep coming back to Miles Bridges. I think what he brings has the potential to change the Suns’ entire offensive ecosystem. You can also make the argument that he sits just outside the primary core, with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks representing the main trio. Our recent SunsRank rankings reflected that as well, with Bridges landing outside that group. So, yes, Miles Bridges absolutely qualifies as an X-factor.

Bridges adds another layer of complexity, gravity, and pressure to the offense. He can attack downhill, create advantages, and force defenses to account for…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/suns-plenty-x-factors-one-190000318.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-18 19:00:00

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