Valley of the Suns
Fansided

How many wins would make the Phoenix Suns season successful?

By Adam Maynes

Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 24: Trevor Ariza #3 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a head shot on Media Day on September 24, 2018, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 24: Trevor Ariza #3 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a head shot on Media Day on September 24, 2018, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) /

But are they really good enough to…be good?

If new Head Coach Igor Kokoskov is going to be instructed to play whoever he feels best will help the team win whenever he feels so obliged, then we are likely going to see a lot more Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson than Dragan Bender.

If he is going play his best players at any one time regardless of position, then unless General Manager Ryan McDonough is actually able to pull off a trade for Damian Lillard, Goran Dragic, Tyus Jones, or Patrick Beverly, then forgive me Isaiah Canaan, Shaquille Harrison, Elie Okobo, and De’Anthony Melton, but none of you are anywhere near good enough offensively to take a starting position over Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren, Anderson, or Ariza, and therefore, Igor’s best bet at winning basketball games is by starting Booker at “point guard,” forcing Cannan and Co. to each make do finding time of the bench.

Igor will be blessed to enter his first season as a head coach with the opportunity to start Deandre Ayton and allow Tyson Chandler come off the bench, making Chandler arguably the best reserve center in the NBA.

He’ll too have the blessing of starting (presumably) Trevor Ariza as a stretch-four and not having to worry about Marquese Chriss‘ inconsistent play and hot-headedness, nor Bender’s seemingly perpetually look of loss on the offensive end of the floor (as a starter – I 100% want to see him on the floor for 20min a game. I do not want him lost on the bench when he can shoot upwards of 40% from beyond the arc).

I could come up with so many other reasons to prove why at least on paper this Phoenix Suns team is not only going to be better than last year and the two seasons prior, but much  better.

Which leads me to finally answer fully: how many wins would make a successful season for the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19?

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