Will the Suns win more games this year than last? (2026-27 edition)

[BooksOrangePlanet]

i implore those of you who believe we will not improve in year 2 to reconsider - we already have

suns are going to have more of a defensive identity this season - defense is what wins in today's playoffs

for starters - literally - ish got rid of grayson and oneale who honestly had no business starting - both are 6th men - granted really good ones but still

grayson and oneale will be replaced by miles and fleming - miles will start but i think fleming will also be a reason we improve - because defense

i don't care who's on the court - williams - oso - maluach - they're all going to be significantly defensively better with miles and/or fleming on the court

it's a matter of protecting the paint and rim - that's where we had a lot of problems - especially when williams got hurt

williams picked up ott's system instantaneously - i'm guessing miles does the same - i believe this combo is being underestimated at this time - especially with teams trying to double book and contain jalen green while dealing with dillon

on offense we're gonna have 5 starters who can legit score - and if they aren't ott has options this year - last year he had onlys

the suns with a healthy williams in the post season is a entirely different team

miles and rasheer replacing grayson and oneale on the 10 man playoff roster makes us an entirely entirely different team

ryan dunn - i was worried we'd sell low with the dunnster - i feared other teams would see the drop off as him learning a new system and coach - i truly think he competes for minutes this year meaning he won't be a liability

i was also worried about losing jalen green - like every team in the nba the suns have problems with scoring during close games - jalen green spits hot fire - game deciding fire

but ott left jalen in alot - even when he was off - word was he was trying to get back in form before the playoffs but we soon learned he's either hot or he's not

that's where one collin gillespie comes in - with about 6 minutes left in the first quarter - when jalen just keeps chucking and nothings falling

when gillespie comes in at pg the whole dynamic changes - ott can go wherever he wants from there - he won't be limited to small ball at times due to skill sets

and kennard? khaman - his 3 ball isn't just great it will also space the floor keeping defenders honest - same way grayson and oneale did but i think he came to shoot

there is ample logic to suggest kennard has a career here year - and possibly an immediate pay bump following - he might be that good for us - all 3pt records are in danger

people keep saying play-in or 7th seed again - they keep saying other teams will improve same way we do - i only wish i had more avatars to bet - i've been wearing an emotional seatbelt since the miles trade but i'm starting to see it now

truth is the knicks ran thru the all mighty spurs - after the spurs beat the almighty okc - so miss me with the dominant western conference takes - truth is next year is wide open in the west - especially if we're healthy

mark (williams) my words - the suns will win more than 45 games and a playoff series if healthy and i think we will be - because we know who williams is and maluach needs minutes - i haven't begun to have doubts about maluach either - we have the roster and staff to pull it all off

koa peat will play this year - don't know when or how much but he's going to fight his way onto the court and eventually into the starting line up - he's the real deal on both ends - but with us actually having real forwards now in miles and fleming - koa's climb is going to be tougher and that's awesome for us

long story short (haha) the suns have all but subtly gone after thy own biggest weakness - we're not going to be chumps in the paint anymore on offense or defense - won't have to rely on the 3 as much which again is huge for us

don't you see it?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Here is what last year told us.
Even the most dominant, dynasty looking teams can be beaten. OKC was.

A quality team without a mega superstar that plays team ball, defense, and gets hot at the right time can win a championship. The Knicks have some really good players, but no one on the LeBron, Giannis, MJ, type player in their primes. The Suns can build that kind of team with Ott.

The problem with being a very hard working, defensive, in your face team is that that kind of effort every night over an 82 game schedule wears down players and encourages injuries. If Ott wants to play that kind of ball, he needs to play a very deep bench, give rest days to players freely and watch for injuries.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

this whole every player has to be able to do everything is fascinating to me - many role players don't have a jump shot - many role players can't shoot freethrows - some role players are half expected not to score - or even shoot - why would they when assassins like book and jalen can take the shot - that's why they make the big money by the way - nobody can afford 5 players that can all score from anywhere - that is a olympic roster and even on olympic rosters you need role players

it's all about finding the chemistry with the perfect combination of role players - it's why you see the all time greats go their whole career without winning a ring - because nobody including jordan could do it by themselves - jordan would never ask oso to take a jumpshot but he'd smack oso silly if oso got bullied or played soft

i think the nba is going to get tough again - especially with teams like okc getting all the preferential treatment - and i think the suns are trying to keep up with this trend

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

i apologize - some strains make me rhyme subconsciously

 

[Superbone]

i apologize - some strains make me rhyme subconsciously

Is that an issue? If so, I better get some tissue.

 

[Adrian]

I really like this team on paper. I say good enough for the #4 seed and a series win. After that idk.

I did predict we would get swept in last season’s playoffs So there’s that. Ha!

 

[leclerc]

It's good and refreshing that they addressed a need; size, defense, and still kept (or trying to keep) chemistry and shooting. They even kept their coach. Still, I don't think Miles Bridges will push us far. I fear we will still have injuries and teams will pile up on Booker and that will be all she wrote. I predict 43 wins and first round exit.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's good and refreshing that they addressed a need; size, defense, and still kept (or trying to keep) chemistry and shooting. They even kept their coach. Still, I don't think Miles Bridges will push us far. I fear we will still have injuries and teams will pile up on Booker and that will be all she wrote. I predict 43 wins and first round exit.

You need a pep talk by @BooksOrangePlanet.

 

[95pro]

No. Teams will still be as good and have more flexibility to get better. All we have is continuity.

Not as worried about anymore:
Rockets (thx KD)
Warriors (older team in their twilight)

Regressed:
Wolves
Lakers

So we have a chance.

 

[Raindog]

It's good and refreshing that they addressed a need; size, defense, and still kept (or trying to keep) chemistry and shooting. They even kept their coach. Still, I don't think Miles Bridges will push us far. I fear we will still have injuries and teams will pile up on Booker and that will be all she wrote. I predict 43 wins and first round exit.

That's about where I see it. They will roughly hold serve from last year, but not measurably improve. And that's only because they got Bridges really. Running it back with the same group was very likely going to result in a significant fall off.

The one disclaimer is going to be the potential for injury concerns. Williams and Booker are both risks. They are going to need Maluach to be ready for major minutes, and also Green to stay healthy and the Goodwin/Gillespie combo to repeat last year's play to compensate for any time Booker misses.

 

[Phrazbit]

I worry about our starters.

Bridges isn’t much of a defender, Green is a bad defender. Williams is OK nothing special.

On offense, it looks like a nightmare. Green, Booker, Bridges and Brooks seem like a nonfunctional combination.

Booker is by far the best score of all of them, and by far the most efficient, but he is going to be the one to sacrifice the most of his own offense because he’s the only one of any of them who is good at passing.

In the first half of the year last season, we had a really good unselfish fast decision offense. And then, as the season went on that changed. The last third of our season was the easiest stretch of the schedule and we played very poorly, mostly because our offensive efficiency dropped way off. Brooks’ got a bit too in love with his own press, he’s never shy about shooting, but he went nuts towards the end of the year. And Green offensively was extremely disruptive for anything the team was trying to do on most nights. If he’s cold, he can single-handedly lose your team a game that they should win by double digits.

Our projected bench has a lot of versatility and a lot of parts that I think can fit really well together, I think they have a chance to beat up on a opposing benches. But if our starters are what as projected we’re going to be in some early holes.

 

[Chaplin]

The last third of our season started with Brooks out injured with his hand and Mark Williams followed. And you can’t forget our 6th man seemingly unable to heal as well. Brooks, Grayson and Mark Williams being out was catastrophic.

You can provide an analysis of the previous season, but you can’t simply ignore the injure problems we had that led to our meltdown.

 

[Goldfield]

I worry about our starters.

Bridges isn’t much of a defender, Green is a bad defender. Williams is OK nothing special.

On offense, it looks like a nightmare. Green, Booker, Bridges and Brooks seem like a nonfunctional combination.

Booker is by far the best score of all of them, and by far the most efficient, but he is going to be the one to sacrifice the most of his own offense because he’s the only one of any of them who is good at passing.

In the first half of the year last season, we had a really good unselfish fast decision offense. And then, as the season went on that changed. The last third of our season was the easiest stretch of the schedule and we played very poorly, mostly because our offensive efficiency dropped way off. Brooks’ got a bit too in love with his own press, he’s never shy about shooting, but he went nuts towards the end of the year. And Green offensively was extremely disruptive for anything the team was trying to do on most nights. If he’s cold, he can single-handedly lose your team a game that they should win by double digits.

Our projected bench has a lot of versatility and a lot of parts that I think can fit really well together, I think they have a chance to beat up on an opposing benches. But if our starters are what as projected we’re going to be in some early holes.

Bridges is a solid passer kind of a point forward, he is also not a bad defender. Hes an average defender who will be surrounded by Williams and Brooks who are plus defenders.

 

[Superbone]

Now we need to predict ranges. I think we'll win 3 more games than last season.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

OFFICIAL HIPPIE ANNOUNCEMENT

some felt this thread/poll was created too early and they're probably right

the poll will now be re-opened for 7 glorious days

if you would like to change your vote that option is now available as well

thx yall and go suns

 

[JCSunsfan]

Will we win more? I don’t know. We changed the chemistry of the team this summer and chemistry is why this team wins. We don’t know if it will work yet.

 

[Superbone]

Will we win more? I don’t know. We changed the chemistry of the team this summer and chemistry is why this team wins. We don’t know if it will work yet.

That's why it's a prediction thread. If we all knew the answer, this thread wouldn't exist. You're not special. Nobody knows.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I suspect we win approximately 50 games. This is assuming relatively good health and a good amount of chemistry carryover from last year.

 

[95pro]

That's why it's a prediction thread. If we all knew the answer, this thread wouldn't exist. You're not special. Nobody knows.

That's why a certain pair of people never post in these type of threads, only to harp on people after the fact.

But I think we win more; Lakers, wolves and Warriors can be beat out. Rockets are still good, Okc and Spurs are tops.

 

[Goldfield]

Not sure about wins I’d say yes more but we have a better roster or roster construction imo. Less guard dependent and more balanced.