It’s amazing how much a franchise can change in just five years. The Phoenix Suns were once a surprise team in the Western Conference, completely catching everyone off guard in the 2013-14 season by winning 48 games in their first season with Jeff Hornaceck as head coach. A team that figured to finish near the bottom of the standings had been completely revolutionized by the two-guard system of Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic. Five years later, the Suns haven’t even sniffed that kind of success.
Phoenix traded Dragic a year later, Bledsoe would turn injury-prone and Hornaceck was fired halfway through his third season. Only seven years removed from the ever-so-influential Steve Nash era, the Suns have completely burned out.
The last two seasons, Phoenix has fully committed itself to the tanking culture. It ranks 30th in both offensive and defensive rating. It currently has the worst record in the NBA and will likely finish there, hoping to finally land a top-five pick that can actually have an immediate impact.
Its current roster is comprised of the youngest group in the NBA, with an average age of 24.5 years. 21-year-old Devin Booker is its prized possession, one it got seriously lucky on selecting. It’s placed even younger players around him — some with potential, others with plenty of work to do — and ancient veterans Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley.
Since 2011, the Suns have had eight lottery picks: Markieff Morris (2011, pick 13), Kendall Marshall (2012, pick 13), Alex Len (2013, pick 5), T.J. Warren (2014, pick 14), Devin Booker (2015, pick 13), Dragan Bender (2016, pick 4), Georgios Papagiannis (2016, pick 13, later traded to the Sacramento Kings) and Josh Jackson (2017, pick 4). The only player they’ve selected outside of the lottery who has had any consistency and is still with the team is 5-foot-9 point guard Tyler Ulis. Other than that, they have only Booker, and hopefully, Jackson and Bender, to show for years of poor basketball. Warren could be considered a successful pick, but not one that they should be celebrating, considering Gary Harris was selected only five picks later. The Suns have managed their draft picks as if they’re pulling straws when their name gets called.
The Suns almost seem cursed at this point. Injuries, multiple head coaching changes (including firing Earl Watson three games into this season despite the fact their expectations were low in the first place), player dissatisfaction, absent player development, the aforementioned poor draft choices, the list literally drags on and on. There is no consistency within the team right now besides losing.
Does anyone really believe that Steve Kerr would have allowed his Golden State Warriors to draw up plays during timeouts if they weren’t playing the Suns?
But there is hope for the future. Booker is a future multiple-time All-Star and has the potential to be a bonafide superstar by the time he turns 25. He’s already an elite shooter with all the tools to become a threat from anywhere on the court, both offensively and defensively. It’s just a matter of if the Suns can set him up for success. Everything they do from this point on should be done with the mindset that Booker is the key to driving their future forward.
A few of the players mentioned, like Bender and Jackson, do have skills that project well, especially Jackson, who has been improving every game this season. Marquese Chriss, who was acquired from the Sacramento Kings during the 2016 draft, has shown some signs of being a viable NBA player. Elfrid Payton was acquired this season to take over the starting point guard position but has been outplayed for much of his tenure in Phoenix by Ulis. Troy Daniels is a solid shooter but limited elsewhere. Alex Len doesn’t even think he’ll be in Phoenix next season. Brandon Knight has missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Chandler and Dudley are primarily locker room guys now and both are currently dealing with injuries. Essentially, what they have is Devin Booker, two or three guys with NBA starter potential, future picks and then a whole lot of nothing.
Phoenix is not a hot spot destination, and it likely won’t be until Booker or someone else can really develop within the next couple years.
Step one is finding a coach they can trust and keep. Booker wants to keep interim head coach Jay Triano on board, but that’s still up in the air, especially when coaches like David Fizdale and up-and-coming assistants such as Nick Nurse and Jerry Stackhouse might be available. Step two is connecting on their next lottery pick, which will almost assuredly be top five, and hopefully, top two. Landing a Luka Doncic or DeAndre Ayton (who has vocally expressed interest in joining forces with Booker to form “Shaq and Kobe 2.0”) is critical. They also have the Miami Heat’s first-round pick in this draft, which should be in the 15-20 range in an incredibly deep draft. If the Suns want to make the free-agency splash their GM has mentioned, it starts with making sure they draft the players they need.
The Suns regular season has been over for a long time, but the real season begins once the NBA Finals end. This is a vitally important offseason for them. From the draft to free agency to head coaching decisions, what they do this offseason could have the largest impact on whether or not they can take advantage of the assets they currently hold.
