Suns look to build on last year's success
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Miles Bridges plays in a preseason game against the Utah Jazz. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns are looking to take another step forward after last season's unexpected success, and this time around they won't catch anyone by surprise.
The big picture: This Suns squad has some new faces but looks pretty similar to the one that surprised the NBA with an unanticipated playoff push last season.
Catch up quick: The Suns were projected to be one of the NBA's worst teams last year after pulling the plug on the Kevin Durant experiment and trading the future hall-of-famer to Houston for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
- But the Suns finished seventh in the West and earned the eighth seed in the playoffs after winning their play-in game.
- Defensive stalwart "Dillon the Villain" had probably the best season of his career and was a major factor in the Suns' success, while injuries limited Green to just 32 games.
State of play: Phoenix traded Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale to the Charlotte Hornets for small forward Miles Bridges, who will be part of the starting lineup.
- They signed free agent guard Luke Kennard, the league's best 3-point shooter last season, whom Brooks called "a perfect pickup for us this offseason."
- And they used the final first-round pick of the NBA draft on Arizona Wildcats star Koa Peat, though it's unclear if he'll get much playing time as a rookie.
Longtime team leader Devin Booker is wearing a new number, trading the No. 1 he'd worn in Phoenix for 11 years for No. 15.
What we're watching: If he stays healthy, the high-scoring Green could go a long way toward pushing Phoenix to the next level.
- The Suns are still missing a true point guard in the post-Chris Paul era, a duty that's fallen again to Booker, a natural shooting guard.
- A lot might be riding on how much improvement Phoenix sees from center Khaman Maluach, last year's first-round draft pick.
- With big man Mark Williams out at least five months following shoulder surgery, either Maluach or Oso Ighodaro — one of whom will be the final starter — will have to step up.
What they're saying: "We're ready for the regular season," second-year head coach Jordan Ott said after the Suns' final preseason game. "These guys can feel it. We all can feel it. The crowd can feel it."
- "We have a lot of weapons, guys that can have a big night any night, and we know that," Kennard said.
By the numbers: The Suns have a 53.1% chance of making the playoffs but just a 12.2% chance of getting past the first round, per ESPN's preseason odds.
The bottom line: There's no reason the Suns shouldn't be in the mix for a playoff spot again, but they don't look like a major contender in the West.
What's next: The Suns open their season Wednesday on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.