2016-17 NBA Season Preview: Phoenix Suns
Welcome to theScore's 2016-17 NBA preview, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of all 30 teams and storylines to watch this season.
Phoenix Suns
2015-16
| Record | Pacific | West | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23-59 | 4th | 14th | N/A |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Jared Dudley (3 yrs/$30M) | Mirza Teletovic (MIL) |
| Leandro Barbosa (2 yrs/$8M) | Jon Leuer (DET) |
| Marquese Chriss (draft) | Ronnie Price (OKC) |
| Tyler Ulis (draft) |
Projected Starting 5
- PG Brandon Knight
- SG Eric Bledsoe
- SF P.J. Tucker
- PF Marquese Chriss
- C Tyson Chandler
Player to watch: Devin Booker
Eric Bledsoe has All-Star potential at his absolute, healthy best, and Brandon Knight has averaged more than 18 points and five assists over the last three seasons, yet it's the 19-year-old Booker who has everyone's attention.
Booker's rookie performance wasn't exactly earth-shattering. He averaged roughly 14 points, three assists, and three rebounds, shot the ball with fairly standard effectiveness, and finished the 2015-16 season with a sub-12 Player Efficiency Rating. Still, there's plenty to like about Booker's game, and the Suns know it.
First and foremost, while his rookie numbers may not prove it, Booker can flat-out shoot, and he improved as a shot creator last season, when he was thrust into a larger role than he was ready for due to the litany of backcourt injuries in Phoenix.
If he can continue to develop his playmaking abilities and his shooting efficiency catches up to his shooting potential, Booker can make a significant sophomore leap, and could find himself playing alongside Bledsoe and Knight in small-ball lineups - something he did for only 43 total minutes last season.
Regardless of the actual results to come, the Suns' high expectations for Booker, and their reported willingness to part with Bledsoe and Knight this past summer, make him the team's player to watch.
Season Expectations
The Suns have a lot more talent than their 59-loss, 2015-16 season showed, and there is a scenario in which they stay healthy, their bevy of young talent meshes well with the veteran names on the roster, Tyson Chandler enjoys a bounce-back season, and Phoenix is a surprise mainstay in the Western Conference playoff race.
But those are a lot of "ifs." The more likely scenario remains that the Suns' young talent is still a bit too raw, while their veteran talent is either too injury-prone or too over-the-hill, for the team to be playing meaningful basketball come springtime.
Phoenix may well lose 55-plus games again this season, but that's not necessarily terrible news for the franchise's development. Another high draft pick, potentially selling off names like Bledsoe and Knight, and the assets the Suns have already accumulated could add up to a future superstar.