Phoenix Suns: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason
1. The emphasis is still on the future
The Phoenix Suns got a lot better this summer. Devin Booker, who nearly averaged a 25-5-5 stat line last year, is only going to improve entering his fourth season at 21 years old. Jackson should be better with a year under his belt.
Any development from Bender and Chriss would be welcome, but even if it never arrives, Phoenix also added the No. 1 overall pick, an NBA-ready wing in Bridges and a veteran shooter in Ariza. Unfortunately, even that might not be enough to put a dent in the loaded Western Conference.
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Keep in mind, with 21 wins, Phoenix has more ground to make up in the standings than anyone. Even another exponential leap in Booker’s growth won’t compensate for the Los Angeles Lakers adding LeBron James, the Dallas Mavericks landing DeAndre Jordan and Luka Doncic, the healthier Memphis Grizzlies adding Jaren Jackson Jr. or the Los Angeles Clippers trying to stay competitive.
If the Suns played in the East, maybe they’d have a shot at a bottom-rung playoff spot. Unfortunately, they don’t, and the only team you could argue the Suns will definitively leapfrog next season is the Sacramento Kings — and even that’s not guaranteed.
None of last year’s Western playoff teams figure to fall off the map either. The Oklahoma City Thunder kept Paul George and added depth. The Utah Jazz are still very good, and ditto for the New Orleans Pelicans as long as Anthony Davis stays healthy at the 5.
The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets remain juggernauts, the Portland Trail Blazers still have a dynamic backcourt, the San Antonio Spurs will somehow win 50+ games despite trading away Kawhi Leonard and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are playoff-caliber teams once again.
Next. 2018 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far. dark
The Phoenix Suns, despite getting better this summer, are still a very young team without an immediate game-changing addition to bank on. This team should take another step forward in 2018-19, but it may not show in the standings or in the win-loss column. With Booker, Jackson, Bridges, Ayton, Okobo, Bender and Chriss all being 21 or younger, the emphasis is still on the future.