As we prepare for the upcoming season...

[82CardsGrad]

The team won 19 games last year... As much as any team be, the Suns have been entirely revamped from head to toe. Even before playing an actual game, they are now unquestionably better than at any point in the season last year. However, the West has somehow gotten better as well... So it's safe to suggest that this team will be much more competitive and we shouldn't see them blown out of games by halftime as we did so often last season. I believe Rubio will play a significant role in the development of Ayton, and he will make Booker better and more productive as well. I believe another year together for guys like Bridges and Oubre will also set the stage for improved play. I believe the other veteran additions, as well as Cam Johnson and Jerome, will also improve the team. And I am certain that Monty Williams will provide significantly better coaching and leadership.

But... how will all of that translate with regard to W's?

 

[Cheesebeef]

you need a more than 25 and less than 30 option!

I'm saying somewhere between 27 and 33 wins.

 

[Chaplin]

The team won 19 games last year... As much as any team be, the Suns have been entirely revamped from head to toe. Even before playing an actual game, they are now unquestionably better than at any point in the season last year. However, the West has somehow gotten better as well... So it's safe to suggest that this team will be much more competitive and we shouldn't see them blown out of games by halftime as we did so often last season. I believe Rubio will play a significant role in the development of Ayton, and he will make Booker better and more productive as well. I believe another year together for guys like Bridges and Oubre will also set the stage for improved play. I believe the other veteran additions, as well as Cam Johnson and Jerome, will also improve the team. And I am certain that Monty Williams will provide significantly better coaching and leadership.

But... how will all of that translate with regard to W's?

Such a hard question to answer. But there are several factors that make me optimistic.

1) Ricky Rubio, no question. He is a bit polarizing here, many either hate him or love him. He is unfairly maligned for his shooting, but he is one of the best in the league at being a floor general, and IMO that will pay dividends for Ayton and Booker, and even Oubre and Bridges.
2) A lot of people are sleeping (and forgetting) on Dario Saric. With Monty at the helm, I'm looking forward to what he brings. Defense is a concern, but that leads me to my next point...
3) Monty Williams. To be fair, I was a big fan of the Igor hiring. Coupled with the drafting of Ayton, there was a lot of excitement going into last year. But for whatever reason, Igor simply couldn't coach this team. Not sure why. Monty has been hired at the most lucrative contract that Sarver has ever given and seems to have A LOT of respect from players. He has front office AND head coaching experience and has coached Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. I have high hopes for Monty. The question is, how will he coach defense? Everyone has pretty much assumed that we will be the worst defense in the NBA next year. I don't think there is anything to base that on other than a few player's individual defensive assessment (Dario Saric, I'm looking at you). But we also have to step back and look at two things -- individual defense and team defense. We really have no idea right now how our team defense is going to look--I'm excited to see it and good team defense can cover up bad individual defense. We saw it for years with Nash and Amare.
4) And finally, the assistant coaches. Every single one of these guys has come from a winning program, which gives me much more faith than with the assistants from last season. Remember when we were excited the Corliss Williamson was going to coach up the big men? Yeah, didn't happen. Willie Green has shown in just 3 days that he can coach up players that have no business winning Summer League games, so that's a real asset.

I am convinced without a doubt that we will win more than 19 games. I put that we will win over 30. Are the changes we made enough to make an 11-game jump, even in the improved Western Conference? I believe it is because this isn't just a collection of players, like the Lakers, we're seeing the evolution of a "team", something we haven't seen since the late 2000s. I love team building, but almost forgot what it looked like with the Suns.

 

[82CardsGrad]

you need a more than 25 and less than 30 option!

I'm saying somewhere between 27 and 33 wins.

I was thinking most of the responses would tend to fall between 25 & 30... thought I would see if anyone is willing to go out on a limb in either direction (less than 25... more than 30).

Personally, I think the upside is a greater potential than the low side... I can more easily see this team winning 31 games, versus them winning 23.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I was thinking most of the responses would tend to fall between 25 & 30... thought I would see if anyone is willing to go out on a limb in either direction (less than 25... more than 30).

Personally, I think the upside is a greater potential than the low side... I can more easily see this team winning 31 games, versus them winning 23.

ah. gotcha.

if this team only wins 24 games, it's a disaster, IMO. Yes, the league is better, but there was an opportunity to get much better as well and I think we took the really conservative route to try and get there.

 

[82CardsGrad]

ah. gotcha.

if this team only wins 24 games, it's a disaster, IMO. Yes, the league is better, but there was an opportunity to get much better as well and I think we took the really conservative route to try and get there.

I actually like the direction the team took. I am not one who thinks they had any shot for anything much more than what they did... perhaps Brogden maybe? The D-Lo chatter was just stupid...
Anyway - I can see a method to their madness here and can see the foundation blocks being laid for what could set up for a sustained post-season run, versus taking a shot at making the post season for a year or two.

Now, would it be a total shock if they won 24 games... Not really. Certainly a major disappointment and to me, would likely only occur if injuries grabbed a hold of this team. But if they can stay relatively healthy, I really like their shot at popping above 30 wins...

 

[Raindog]

I think it is really a wildcard based on a few variables:

1) If Ayton shows the reasonable amount of improvement one would expect in his sophomore season.
2) If Oubre maintains the upward arc he showed after coming to Phoenix... i.e., doesn't backslide now that he has signed his extension.
3) If C. Johnson and Jerome can really show something as role playing rookies.
4) The team overall stays relatively injury free.

Other than that, I think it's reasonable to expect that Booker will continue to be Booker, Bridges will show continued development, Rubio will be an effective distributor, the other role players we have brought in will do what we hope/expect, and Monty will be an upgrade in the coaching department.

If more or less all of that occurs, I could see the Suns improving by at least 10 victories, and maybe (at my most optimistic) as many as 20. Realistically, I could split the difference and say 34 wins.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns will finish with more than 30 wins. Question is how many wins over that amount.

I will go with 35 wins and hope some other teams stumble.

 

[Covert Rain]

The team won 19 games last year... As much as any team be, the Suns have been entirely revamped from head to toe. Even before playing an actual game, they are now unquestionably better than at any point in the season last year. However, the West has somehow gotten better as well... So it's safe to suggest that this team will be much more competitive and we shouldn't see them blown out of games by halftime as we did so often last season. I believe Rubio will play a significant role in the development of Ayton, and he will make Booker better and more productive as well. I believe another year together for guys like Bridges and Oubre will also set the stage for improved play. I believe the other veteran additions, as well as Cam Johnson and Jerome, will also improve the team. And I am certain that Monty Williams will provide significantly better coaching and leadership.

But... how will all of that translate with regard to W's?

Terrible poll. Come one man....need more options. 30 or more is a ridiculous option.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Terrible poll. Come one man....need more options. 30 or more is a ridiculous option.

Not gonna drill down and have 5, 8 or 10 options... Quite simple - are you more optimistic or pessimistic? Did this team do enough to enable them to take a meaningful step forward, or, did they prolong the agony?

 

[Mainstreet]

Terrible poll. Come one man....need more options. 30 or more is a ridiculous option.

I like it. Feel safer with the two options given.

 

[Covert Rain]

Not gonna drill down and have 5, 8 or 10 options... Quite simple - are you more optimistic or pessimistic? Did this team do enough to enable them to take a meaningful step forward, or, did they prolong the agony?

Would have took you 30 seconds for a couple more options. Huge difference between 30 wins and 50. Would have loved to see where everyone lands. A range of 3 to 4 options would have been great. As is it’s pointless IMO.

I think 30 to 35 is where I am at but I want to see some preseason.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I think 30 to 35 is where I am at but I want to see some preseason.

So you're squarely in the "more than 30" category!

 

[Bufalay]

23

 

[82CardsGrad]

23

You need to vote!

 

[Hoop Head]

I was thinking most of the responses would tend to fall between 25 & 30... thought I would see if anyone is willing to go out on a limb in either direction (less than 25... more than 30).

Personally, I think the upside is a greater potential than the low side... I can more easily see this team winning 31 games, versus them winning 23.

You really should have a choice for in between the 2 choices. What if someone thinks we'll fall between 25 & 30 wins? Seems odd how you did it. As is, leaving those who would select that to skip voting probably won't happen.


However I do think 30 is possible, provide the team is healthy and gets Ayton, Booker, Oubre, and Rubio for no less than 60 game a piece.

 

[sdscard4]

I voted
40-42
And that's with multiple close games...last year's team hit the Bucks twice and the Warriors. Gonna be a good season I can feel it in me bones

 

[82CardsGrad]

You really should have a choice for in between the 2 choices. What if someone thinks we'll fall between 25 & 30 wins? Seems odd how you did it. As is, leaving those who would select that to skip voting probably won't happen.


However I do think 30 is possible, provide the team is healthy and gets Ayton, Booker, Oubre, and Rubio for no less than 60 game a piece.

The point of the poll really isn't to zero-in on the exact number of wins. It's more a gauge of optimism/negativity... Less than 25 would indicate a high degree of negativity. Over 30 would indicate solid optimism.

 

[Hoop Head]

The point of the poll really isn't to zero-in on the exact number of wins. It's more a gauge of optimism/negativity... Less than 25 would indicate a high degree of negativity. Over 30 would indicate solid optimism.

I guess. I think it might have been better to gauge how many wins the team improves by, something like 5-10-15 as the choices would have been a better way to go. As I said, this leaves one choice out completely as it is. I can see a 10-15 game improvement, any more than 15 more wins is too much though. Anything less than 10 would be a failure, IMO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The point of the poll really isn't to zero-in on the exact number of wins. It's more a gauge of optimism/negativity... Less than 25 would indicate a high degree of negativity. Over 30 would indicate solid optimism.

shouldn't there be a choice for realism?

 

[Covert Rain]

So you're squarely in the "more than 30" category!

Definitely not squarely because that option could also mean undefeated. Hence pointless. [emoji6]