Sun(day) On A Monday Suns Column: Q&A With Season Predictions
By Spencer Hann
Sun(day) On A Monday: Questions And Answers Part Two
ALSO ON VALLEY OF THE SUNS: The Pros And Cons Of A Suns Twin Towers Lineup
- More important for Suns, fast start? Or, strong finish?
With 14 (yes, 14!!) of their first 16 games against Western Conference teams, it may be a bit much to ask this Phoenix Suns team to mesh together early with a fast start. However, they may not have much of a choice.
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Slow starts have absolutely sunk Phoenix the past two seasons (12-14 last year, 9-9 the year before) forcing them to play catch-up from midseason and beyond against tough, tough Western Conference competition. I guess the question boils down to this: Do you trust this team to spark a win streak in March and April to secure a playoff berth? My answer to that question would be no, making it imperative the Suns start fast.
- How does Alex Len develop under the tutelage of Tyson Chandler?
It’s safe to say Alex Len will have his best season to date at the NBA level. With Chandler serving as the first legitimate center to bring Len under his wing (no, Brandan Wright for half a season doesn’t count), the results will be priceless. The leadership and off-the-court professionalism installed in Len is a given, while he will be shown how to position himself ON the court by one of the best finishers in the game.
Len’s already large defensive presence should expand even more with Chandler teaching the Ukranian center the art of communication and positioning around the rim. A double-double average for Len and the unofficial title of best backup center in the league shouldn’t be too far out of question.
- Does the fan base jump on the Suns bandwagon?
The Suns’ attendance rank in the last three seasons, respectively (although these numbers don’t warrant much respect): 21st, 24th and 23rd. This year’s Suns should field the most exciting and talented team since the post-Steve Nash era kicked off.
Will that translate to on-court success and imminent popularity? It’s still wait and see at this point, especially with the Arizona Cardinals’ sustained success and growing fan base in the Valley, but there is a great foundation in place to make baby steps toward reconnecting with Suns nation and filling the seats of Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Phoenix should land somewhere between 13th and 17th in NBA attendance with multiple sellouts taking place in March and April as their playoff battle comes down to the wire.
- Best and worst case scenario for 2015-16 Suns?
Worst: The Suns call Markieff Morris’ bluff on being a huge distraction and locker room cancer. Here’s the problem: He wasn’t bluffing. Tyson Chandler can’t even fix the stubborn twin’s attitude and Markieff is ultimately traded too late in the season to salvage an even return.
Knight struggles playing off the ball, especially against bigger opponents. P.J. Tucker is an offensive liability and his defensive play drops, immensely restricting the Suns’ depth at forward. Archie Goodwin, unhappy with playing behind Devin Booker and Sonny Weems, makes it publicly known he is looking for a change of scenery, creating another locker room problem.
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The Pacific Division is much stronger than expected, with the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers (overachieving dramatically in Kobe Bryant’s swan song) joining the Suns on the list of playoff hopefuls. Phoenix misses the playoffs for the sixth straight year, failing to even reach .500 at 40-42.
Best: Tyson Chandler breathes professionalism, pride and passion throughout the Suns locker room, sparking a complete team-first attitude from the entire roster, even from Markieff. T.J. Warren takes over the starting spot at small forward, with Tucker providing immediate energy off the bench.
Chandler turns Len into the best backup center in the league, while also having an All-Star caliber season thanks to the best medical staff in the league. Bledsoe and Knight mesh perfectly, providing Phoenix some of the best guard play in the league. Speaking of solid guard play; Booker announces his arrival to the NBA with style, ranking top-10 in three-point percentage all season, making a claim for NBA Rookie Of The Year.
Markieff swallows up his pride and has a career year playing alongside Chandler. Weems, Goodwin, Mirza Teletovic, Tucker and Len all provide serious punch off the bench, accepting their roles with grace. The Suns grab the sixth seed in the Western Conference and give the state of Arizona a riveting first round series before ultimately seeing their season come to an end. A revived fan-base is left incredibly eager to see what the future holds.
- Season Prediction…
You have now seen the worst and best case scenario for Phoenix. In my opinion, their season will fall into the middle of those realities. Markieff is not bluffing and Phoenix will not trade him. He will ultimately produce on the stat sheet but linger as the lone locker room issue in a very strong, mature Chandler-led group of players.
Bledsoe and Knight won’t mesh perfectly but it will be enough to win games, especially with Bledsoe realizing his potential as a nightly triple-double threat and ELITE player in the NBA. Len should be mightily improved with Chandler’s help, Booker will make a run at Rookie Of The Year and Goodwin will eventually join Markieff in demanding a trade.
My kind-of-bold-but-would-this-really-surprise-people prediction: The Suns’ best player at the end of the season will not be Chandler, Bledsoe or Knight…but T.J. Warren.
It will be a grind all the way until the last day of the season, but Phoenix ultimately sneaks into the playoffs as the 7th seed, finishing 49-33.
Next: Phoenix Suns: Grading The Offseason