Phoenix Suns: 2017-18 NBA season preview
Storyline 3: Patience is required for #TheTimeline
As mentioned before, the Suns have been in Phoenix for almost 50 years and still don’t have an NBA championship. For the fourth-winningest team in league history, which is also approaching a franchise-worst eight-year playoff drought, being patient isn’t high on anyone’s to-do list.
However, it’s what will be required for this rebuild to take shape. Earl Watson gave the youngsters ample minutes down the stretch last season when it became clear the postseason was out of reach, and entering a new season, that point of emphasis must remain.
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The question is, with Eric Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler back on the floor, how will the Suns approach #TheTimeline? Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss should get plenty of time in their starting roles, but will Watson carve out space for Dragan Bender from the get-go?
Will Josh Jackson get the starting nod over T.J. Warren, or will he have to earn it in the coming months/years? Does Alex Len get one last chance to prove himself as a starter, assuming he returns on his qualifying offer? Tyler Ulis is the team’s backup point guard, but can Derrick Jones Jr., Alan Williams and a healthy Davon Reed/Alec Peters crack the rotation too?
How Watson manages the frontcourt is of particular interest. Despite their attempts to play him at the 3, Bender is best suited for the 4 or the 5. He has a more well-rounded skill-set than Chriss despite what the raw numbers suggest, but will Bender actually get the chance to prove it in a starting role?
There are questions about how Chriss and Bender might mesh in the same frontcourt alongside one another. There are questions about Booker’s defense, Jackson’s NBA-readiness and how much these young, core pieces should be playing alongside each other when veterans like Bledsoe, Chandler and Jared Dudley are still on the roster.
From wondering about which veterans might be on the move to figuring out how many minutes Jackson, Bender and Chriss will get, the emphasis should be on patience and the youth. To that end, feeding #TheTimeline as much as possible remains the goal — especially since another season at the bottom of the standings could bring in another franchise pillar in a 2018 NBA Draft class that’s loaded in the top five.