Five bold predictions for Igor Kokoskov in his first year

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Head Coach Igor Kokoskov looks on during the game against the Orlando Magic during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Igor will lead the Suns to a winning record over the Eastern Conference

LeBron James is now in the Western Conference, thus the Cleveland Cavaliers, once a perennial thorn in the Suns’ side, are no longer as difficult to face. Will Phoenix sweep them? Unlikely. But the Suns should stand a better than decent chance at upending the Cavs at least once, adding one victory that for the past four seasons has been unattainable.

That said, the only two teams in the Eastern Conference that I do not believe Phoenix can not beat even once is the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors (unless Kawhi Leonard really doesn’t fit with his new team or decides that he is too hurt to play, then even Toronto is vulnerable to Phoenix).

So when once there were three decently good teams (as mentioned above), there are now two, and yet the Suns face Eastern Conference teams 30 times throughout the season, 26 of those games not against either Boston or Toronto.

Phoenix Suns

Igor Kokoskov has probably already looked up and down the calendar for this upcoming season and circled those games that he wants to focus on most, those games where he knows Phoenix has the best chance of winning. He has probably already figured out a range of victories (I’d bet 35-40) that he believes is a reasonable number, counting those games that he thinks his team is most likely to win.

The majority of those games are going to be against the Eastern Conference, and like the idea of having a five-game winning streak, he has probably set a goal of improvement for the team – having a winning record against the weaker Eastern Conference.

Phoenix has not had a winning record against the East since the 2014-15 season. Three seasons against a weak Conference that had Phoenix been in, they would have made the playoffs a number of times the past eight years.

This will be the season that Phoenix finally steps over that hump, propelling themselves on their way to his window of 30-40 victories overall.

Then next season: a winning record against the West (which they haven’t done since 2013-14).