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5 Reasons the Phoenix Suns Will Win 40 Games

Sep 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; (From left) Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe , guard Devin Booker and guard Brandon Knight pose for a portrait during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; (From left) Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe , guard Devin Booker and guard Brandon Knight pose for a portrait during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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February 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), forward Draymond Green (23), and guard Klay Thompson (11) hold their all star jerseys before the game against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
February 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), forward Draymond Green (23), and guard Klay Thompson (11) hold their all star jerseys before the game against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

5.) The Western Conference is not as deep as recent years.

For the first time since the shorted 1998-1999 season, the eighth seed in the Western Conference was claimed by a .500 team. After three straight years where the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference was grabbed by a team with a losing record, it seems the East has finally caught up.

Part of the reason the Houston Rockets got the eighth seed at 41-41 last year was because the conference was extremely top-heavy, largely in part due to the Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record 73 wins. The Western Conference Champions did not get any worse with the signing of Kevin Durant in July, so the same kind of world-beating can be counted on this season.

But not only that, many other Western Conference teams are falling out of their prime. The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be a 50-win team after losing Kevin Durant, The Los Angeles Clippers have an aging point guard in Chris Paul who will turn 32 in May of next year and Dirk Nowitzki only has so much more left in the tank in Dallas at age 38. The Suns were a combined 2-7 against those teams last season.

While many different lineup combinations could be used and it may take time for this group to mesh together, I predict the Phoenix Suns to win exactly 40 games this season.

Next: This Week in Suns' History

So how many wins do you think the Suns will finish with this season? Do they win at least 40 games? Let us know in the comments.

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