2016-17 Results

Record: 24 – 58 (15th in the West)

Season Ended: No Playoffs

Key Additions

Draft

Josh Jackson (SF/PF), Davon Reed (SG)

Free Agency

Troy Daniels (SG)

Trade

(None)

Key Subtractions

Leandro Barbosa

Projected Starters (Last year averages)

PG: Eric Bledsoe (21 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast)

SG: Devin Booker (22 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast)

SF: TJ Warren (14 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast)

PF: Marquese Chriss (9 pts, 4 reb)

C: Tyson Chandler (8 pts, 12 reb)

Key Reserves

Josh Jackson (SF/PF), Brandon Knight (PG/SG), Alex Len (C), Dragan Bender (PF), Alan Williams (PF/C)

Major Story lines

Josh Jackson drafted – This year with their lottery pick the Suns were able to draft Josh Jackson. The long, defensive minded forward from Kansas who is a consistent jumper away from being a real problem. Jackson was one of my favorite players in college ball last year and earned his draft spot. He’s going to play behind some veterans this year but I expect that he’ll be a contributor off the bench.

How good can Devin Booker be? – Booker gets buckets. He did so to the tune of 70 points against the Celtics last year. This year he’ll look to turn that scoring into more actual winning and to do so will need to step up in other ways besides scoring. We will see if he is able to do so.

Looking to Offload Veterans – A report came out recently that the Suns were actively shopping Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley. This makes it clear that they’re trying to maximize the PT of their young players and don’t feel that they need that veteran presence to guide them as they did last year. Chandler and Dudley can definitely help a competing team and I expect they’ll both get the chance to do so.

Mike Predictions (23 – 59) (14th in the West)

• Major trades – When I look at this team I see a ton of assets and a ton of duplicate players at certain positions. There is no doubt that they want to trade Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley (two guys that can be contributors for contending teams) but I think they’ll have to include some younger talent to make those deals pop also. Along with the vets I expect to see Len and/or Bender shipped off, as well as one of their many guards.
• Suns a victim of the Wild Wild West – The Suns lost nothing and should be better this year but unfortunately they are in the West and the West got better as well. There are enough teams that are clearly better, and enough teams that are close to the same talent level (but with more vets) to hold them down this season. Their record won’t reflect their talent level but it will help them get one of those coveted top draft picks.

Josh Predictions (25 – 57) (14th in the West)

• Booker averages 25 PPG – Booker has averaged 13.8 ppg and 22.2 ppg in his two year career. I expect him to boost those numbers again and break into the 25 ppg territory.
• Bledsoe gets traded to Cleveland – this was all the talk during the offseason. Lebron and Bledsoe share an agent and the suns were expected to offer Bledsoe for kyrie. If Isaiah thomas’ recovery doesn’t go as well as it’s suppose to, I think the Cavs make a desperate move and trade the Nets 1st round pick in 2018 in return for Bledsoe so they can make sure they’re fully stocked to face Boston and Golden state in the playoffs