Phoenix Suns: 2016-17 Season Outlook

Three Key Storylines: 3. The Rookies

Jared Dudley’s arrival fills the roster’s gaping hole at power forward, but there’s no question fans’ ears will perk up any time either of Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss takes the floor.

That’s not only because the Suns should be emphasizing their youth movement, but also because — let’s face it — rookies are almost always the most exciting part of the season for non-playoff teams!

On the one hand, you’ve got the 7’2″ Bender, who showed no hesitation pulling up from three-point range in NBA Summer League despite bricking the vast majority of them. He’ll need to get stronger, but Bender is the rare breed of big man who can make plays with the ball in his hands, block shots and hopefully spread the floor to three-point range one day.

Then there’s Chriss, the stateside man of mystery who’s been gifted with breathtaking athleticism and an incredibly high ceiling. Chriss needs to improve his rebounding and his propensity for getting into foul trouble, but this 19-year-old could prove himself to be a similarly versatile stretch-4 down the road as well.

If the Suns fully commit to their youth movement, or if the losses start piling on and the season diverts into another tank job, Bender and Chriss will enjoy heavy minutes while being mentored every step of the way by Jared Dudley.

But even if the Suns stubbornly chase after a bottom-feeder playoff spot and somehow get close, that might not be the end of the world; if anything, it means an ultra-young bench of Booker, Warren, Len, Bender and/or Chriss are getting the job done and learning how to fill their roles on a competitive team.

It’s nowhere near as fun as trial and error in a pressure-free environment where wins don’t matter, but either way, Bender, Chriss and Tyler Ulis should provide fans with more reasons to be excited for the future in whatever action they get.

Next: Best, Worst Case Scenarios