2014-15 Phoenix Suns Season Preview

The NBA regular season is just around the corner. That means we are about to get back to some Phoenix Suns basketball here in Arizona.

It should be an interesting season for the Suns, who finished with a record of 48-34 last year. This team exceeded everyone’s expectations in 2013-14. Most experts had the Suns finishing near last place, some even saying Phoenix would have the worst record in the league. The slogan that was created a couple years ago was “Ignite the Future,” well the Suns took everyone by surprised and ignited the future a little earlier than expected.

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While they didn’t make the playoffs, even when finishing 14 games above .500, they were only one game away from being the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Suns have the pieces still intact to make that kind of run again this season. They still have Goran Dragic, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Dragic averaged 20.3 points and 5.9 assists per game and proved to be a true leader for this young team. With the main core pieces around him, look for Dragic to have the same kind of success as he did last year. An added bonus is that the Suns signed Goran Dragic’s brother, Zoran. This will add a piece that Goran is already familiar with and that he already has chemistry with.

Keeping with the theme of brotherly love, the Suns signed Markieff and Marcus Morris each to 4-year contract extensions. With Channing Frye departing for Orlando, Markieff will move into the starting lineup at the power forward position. Markieff averaged 13.8 points per game in a sixth man-type role last year. Marcus Morris also added some spark off the bench averaging 9.7 points per game. Expect the Morris brothers to be key contributors both in the starting lineup and coming off the bench this year.

Another extension that was announced was a three-year deal with small forward PJ Tucker. Though he will be suspended for the first three games of the season, Tucker will no doubt bring the heart and fire to this team on the defensive end. Defense is truly Tucker’s strength as he averaged only 9.4 points per game.

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The Suns also brought in another point guard during this offseason. Isaiah Thomas signed a four-year, $28 million contract and was brought over in a sign-and-trade deal with the Sacramento Kings. Though he was a starter for his whole career in Sacramento, look for Thomas to bring a huge spark off the bench this year for the Suns. Thomas averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game for the Kings last year. It would not be surprising to see Thomas be a top candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

The biggest move the Suns made this offseason was re-signing guard Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe and the Suns agreed to a five-year extension worth $70 million. Bledsoe is definitely a good player and a good fit for this Suns team. The concern that many have is whether or not health issues will plague Bledsoe’s time here in Phoenix. He suffered a knee injury last year, which caused him to have surgery and miss some time. Suns fans know all too well the devastation knee injuries can have on a team, referencing the injury problems Amare Stoudemire had during his tenure here. But, with the comfort of a brand new contract, I expect Eric Bledsoe to be healthy this year and help this team get to where they want to go.

Now comes the time for a prediction. I believe the Phoenix Suns will finish the season being the eighth seed in the Western Conference, making the playoffs. If this team can find its way into the playoffs, they have the roster that would be able to shock a power-house team. The Suns kick off their season at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 29.