Phoenix Suns: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Predictions

It may take a few months for them to fully commit, but #TheTimeline will be in full force sooner or later in the 2017-18 campaign.

Even if the Suns don’t trade Bledsoe while his value is at its highest, they still have plenty of available minutes for the core four of Booker, Jackson, Bender and Chriss. Chriss and Booker will start, and though Jackson will back up Warren off the bench, he’ll still get ample minutes until eventually taking over the starting job (or simply filling in if Warren gets hurt again).

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Jackson won’t win Rookie of the Year without the hearty playing time, but he’ll earn a few votes for his two-way play and NBA-readiness. Bender won’t get enough minutes at the start, but eventually Watson will start to feed him the playing time he needs to build confidence and really show what he can do on both ends of the floor.

Alex Len will struggle once again despite needing to prove himself on his one-year qualifying offer, and when Tyson Chandler is dealt at the trade deadline, it will be Alan Williams who steps up and impresses once again.

Booker will enjoy his breakout season, showing progress as a playmaker and more efficient scorer, though the defensive end will continue to be an area for improvement. Ulis will excel as a backup floor general, but won’t convince anyone he’s a starting-caliber point guard just yet.

All in all, the Suns will win more games than they should at the start of 2017-18, but once the schedule tightens up and their playoff hopes die off quickly, they’ll go about the same tanking strategy they employed at the end of last season.

Next: Complete 2017 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams

Phoenix will finish with a bottom-five record around 28-54, keeping their fingers crossed for the chance to draft either Doncic or Bagley with a top-two selection. Given their horrible luck in the NBA Draft Lottery and how bad the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are going to be, a top-five selection seems like the most likely outcome.