2015-2016 Suns Predictions

Post by **Superbone** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:10 pm

Now that our roster is pretty much set, how well do you see us doing this year in a tough Western Conference?

Roster:

Bledsoe/Goodwin/Price
Knight/Weems/Booker
Warren/Tucker
Morris/Teletovic/Leuer
Chandler/Len

Post by **carey** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:49 pm

9th, miss playoffs by 2 games with 44 wins. Draft 14th in 2016.

Post by **Superbone** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 7:07 pm

carey wrote:9th, miss playoffs by 2 games with 44 wins. Draft 14th in 2016.

Sadly, I put us in that same limbo again too. Although I'm hoping for a surprise season like 13-14 again and that we can squeek into the playoffs.

Post by **Mori Chu** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:29 pm

I'm always a little optimistic when I predict where we'll end up each season. On paper we don't look very impressive, and I'm tempted to say what carey says, that we'll just barely miss the playoffs yet again. But I think we may have another surprising uptick this year for a few reasons:

* Tyson Chandler will be a nice boost in many ways. He'll be a vet and a leader in the locker room, and he'll help us out defensively a ton. I think he'll mostly stay on the court because of our great medical staff.

* I think we will benefit a lot from addition by subtraction of some of the knuckleheads and chuckers from last year, like Marcus Morris, Isaiah Thomas, and Gerald Green. That plus not trying to play 3 PGs will be a big overall boost to our roster sanity.

On paper, I think the following teams are clearly better than we are:

* Warriors
* Spurs
* Rockets
* Clippers
* Grizzlies
* Thunder

The following teams are clearly worse than we are:

* Lakers
* Kings
* Nuggets
* Blazers
* Jazz

And I think the following teams are worse than we are, though it's more debatable:

* TWolves
* Mavs
* Pelicans

If you add all of that up, an optimist could say that we might be able to wiggle our way into a 6-8 seed. I'd love to see it. This team could use a taste of the playoffs.

Post by **Superbone** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:16 pm

Still awaiting your vote, Mori.

Shabazz · Post by **Shabazz** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:35 pm

Jazz may be as much of a potential playoff team as we are.

virtual9mm · Post by **virtual9mm** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:32 am

Mori Chu wrote:On paper, I think the following teams are clearly better than we are:
If you add all of that up, an optimist could say that we might be able to wiggle our way into a 6-8 seed. I'd love to see it. This team could use a taste of the playoffs.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 50 wins + #6 seed. I think that the spacing provided by Teletovic would make it easier for the guards to penetrate, and that Bledsoe will end up converting some TOs into assists simply because we have better outside shooting.

I also think that the chemistry will be awesome this year. Hornacek has demonstrated that he's a top-notch coach if he has buy-in from the players, and a bottom-tier coach when he does not. The crux of the front office's moves have been made to reinforce Hornacek's authority in the locker room, and you always listen to the coach a lot more if you KNOW the GM has his back.

On a similar note, I think that the roles on this team are much better defined. Chandler/Len anchor the defense for 48 minutes, so that the perimeter players would be expected to gamble on steals and be aggressive in general with a big shot-blocker inside. Offensively, there will be much more structure in the half-court, with Bledsoe and Chandler running PnR with three spacers/slashers ready to be opportunistic. Knight takes over when Bledsoe is on the bench. Within this framework, the competition at SG and SF could indeed be healthy.

The wild card is Markieff, does he buy in or sulk? If he sulks, I can see him being salary dumped. But I can also see how the FO might have told him that the more he increases his value, the more likely he will go somewhere good instead of a basketball no-man's land with cap space.

LazarusLong · Post by **LazarusLong** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:57 am

I generally agree with Mori about the top 6 teams. The Pelicans will be #7, perhaps higher if things go right for them and a major injury impacts one of the top 6.

Then it will be a dogfight between the Suns, the Jazz, the Wolves and the Mavs for the last playoff sport. For Phoenix to get into the playoffs: Len and Chandler need to be reasonably healthy for at least 70 games each; Knight needs to continue to improve; TJ needs to contribute; Weems needs to make a difference; and Keef needs play as well as last season and be a good teammate.

That’s a bit much to expect, although not impossible. I’ll be pessimistic and say the Suns finish with 46 wins in 9th place, again winning Miss Congeniality.

Post by **Mori Chu** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:25 am

Superbone wrote:Still awaiting your vote, Mori.

Somehow I didn't notice it was a poll. I put in for #7-8 seed. Nobody has yet taken the "#1-4 seed" option? Cmon guys, who's going to be our first optimist?

OE32 · Post by **OE32** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:39 am

I think the Mavs and Blazers drop out. I think we're improved. I think we're battling with the Pels and Jazz for the 7-8 spots on paper.

I think we have a roughly equal chance at 7, 8 and 9. Thus, 2/3 chance we make it. Hence, my vote.

Post by **carey** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:27 am

OE32 wrote:I think the Mavs and Blazers drop out. I think we're improved. I think we're battling with the Pels and Jazz for the 7-8 spots on paper.

I think we have a roughly equal chance at 7, 8 and 9. Thus, 2/3 chance we make it. Hence, my vote.

That sounds about right, but my money is still on the 9th spot. I think the Pels make it & the Jazz looked solid to end the season whereas we looked like excrement.

JCSunsfan · Post by **JCSunsfan** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:53 am

Mori Chu wrote: On paper, I think the following teams are clearly better than we are:

* Warriors
* Spurs
* Rockets
* Clippers
* Grizzlies
* Thunder

The following teams are clearly worse than we are:

* Lakers
* Kings
* Nuggets
* Blazers
* Jazz

And I think the following teams are worse than we are, though it's more debatable:

* TWolves
* Mavs
* Pelicans

Agree with your "better" list. My problem is your "worse" list.
The Pelicans are as good as we are, maybe better. I think Gentry will fit in perfectly there.
At some point the TWolves are going to gel and be really good--though its probably not this year. Now the Mavs have a core of Dirk, Matthews, Parsons, and DWill. Depending on injury recovery, that could be a pretty good team.
The Jazz are right where we are.

SDC · Post by **SDC** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 4:33 am

the battle for 8th: TWolves, Jazz, Suns

Wolves will get the eight spot (if rubio stays healthy)

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:15 am

two years ago so many things went right and we just missed the playoffs

last year so many things went wrong- numerous buzzer beating loses, bad chemistry, unbalanced roster, unbalanced players (mentally) and we just missed the playoffs.

I still don't expect Markieff to be an adult so I assume he is traded at some point.
But with the roster as is, anywhere from 7-10 I feel we are still about the same as the last two years but hopefully with a bit more leadership, experience and a chip on our shoulders to try and break through this year. Hoping the likes of Len, Warren, booker and Goodwin show us something otherwise we are treading water again

gosuns · Post by **gosuns** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:48 am

Im usually very optimistic before a season starts, but for once i choose to be a pessimist and hope to be wrong. Honestly right now i don't see a real direction with this team. Our moves in the offseason didn't exite me at all. To be a good running team, you better be a good rebounding team, which we are not. Our Bigs lack interior scoring, our Smalls lack playmaking skills, our Wings lack shooting, overall the team seems immature and i don't think Chandler alone can fix it. Our young players got outplayed by some scrubs, who will be Nr. 12 and 13 players on the spurs. Booker is great, but too young to contribute right away. I know other teams have problems too, but i don't think its an accomplishment to land in front of those teams, just because they where even worse than the Suns. I voted bottom 4 and really hope that they prove me wrong, but i don't have faith in this roster and in this coaching staff.

Ring_Wanted · Post by **Ring_Wanted** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:31 am

I can't even tell what brand of ball we will be playing, beyond the generic two guard stuff. Dragic was a top fastbreak player and that's gone so I guess we will see even more half court stuff, yet once there I don't know what we are reliable at other than iso ball from Kieff.

The guards are far from brilliant at the pick and roll and as pointed by everybody, they are too turnover prone, there are no real stablished 3pt shooters and in my opinion the starting PF is probably better suited for a 6th man role to mask his shortcomings on D+R.

The NBA seems to be leaning towards what the Suns used to be masters at, the pick and pop with a stretch forward, but that's gone too (Teletovic shoots mainly from the corner, Kieff doesn't have the reputation or accuracy from 3pt range).

I think on paper this team looks better on defense than offensively which is something that has not happened since Skiles was the head coach.

On the bright side, there is defensive potential, depth and if people buy in collectively this team has many weapons and would be hard to beat, but I am afraid that most of the time things will be ugly as fuck on O.

Home court is nonexistent.

If Chandler-Len can't endure a mostly healthy season, we are done.

My optimistic side wants to say 45 wins, 8th seed but won't be surprised if we end up 5 games under 50% by the deadline.

virtual9mm · Post by **virtual9mm** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:26 pm

I'm sure I'm being overly optimistic, but I wonder if several years of failure have made us lower our expectations a bit too much. Overcorrection?

TOO · Post by **TOO** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:51 pm

82-0 and we win the Superbowl.

Post by **Superbone** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:52 pm

virtual9mm wrote:I'm sure I'm being overly optimistic, but I wonder if several years of failure have made us lower our expectations a bit too much. Overcorrection?

I hope that's the case but the West sure is deep in any case. Truthfully, we don't know what we have. Half the team is new.

The Bobster · Post by **The Bobster** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:58 pm

TheOriginalOriginal wrote:82-0 and we win the Superbowl.

Awesome. I can't wait to see them drink from the Stanley Cup!

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