Despite winning 45 games and making the playoffs last season, the over/under for the Phoenix Suns this time out looks to be set at 40.5, a number Tim MacMahon of ESPN is not entertaining. He believes the Suns will go over that number.
Speaking on The Hoop Collective Podcast as training camps edge closer, MacMahon accepted that the Suns may fall below the 45 wins of last season, but the drop-off will be minor. He is high on the addition of Miles Bridges and what he will bring on the court to a veteran-heavy group that will be trying to win every night.
MacMahon sees what few others do with construction of this group
That screams a .500 record, and the Suns will aim to back that belief up by being in the thick of the automatic playoff spots in the Western Conference. MacMahon believes that is more than in play.
"The Suns I thought really had a hell of a year last year. To end up at 45 (wins) I thought that was overachieving, they did make a talent addition with Miles Bridges... I'll take the over, I'll say they're a .500 team."
The main issue they need to sort out is accepting that Jalen Green needs to come off the bench before potentially being traded. Collin Gillespie is a fan favorite for a reason, and his presence also helps to unlock Devin Booker.
Adding Luke Kennard was an excellent low-cost move, while extending Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, and Jordan Goodwin shows players that the franchise will reward you if you come in and help them win games. They have to do this if they continue to trade away future picks in pursuit of contending now.
MacMahon's belief will lead to tougher questions one year from now
Assuming MacMahon is correct in his assessment and the Suns again win close to 45 games and make the playoffs, what then? Another first-round exit would surely mean that change would have to come, as Booker will be 30 years old by that point and the roster will have proven that it has gone as far as it can.
Unless a youngster like Khaman Maluach or Rasheer Fleming explodes on a team-altering level, which appears unlikely right now, tough decisions will have to be made.
We can worry about that next year because, for now, the Suns are going to fly under the radar again and be a tough out every night. They have a head coach in Jordan Ott who got a top-10 defense out of them last season, and there is zero reason to believe that won't happen again.
Tim MacMahon is a friend of The Valley.
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