ESPN: Suns will go 49-33 this season, fifth in the West

We’re officially in the season of speculation, a time when we’re all guilty of gazing into a crystal ball, trying to piece together what the upcoming season might hold. Phoenix SunsWe have a roster, a schedule, and nothing but time to kill until the start of the 2024-25 season.

It may be a little early to start making definitive predictions, but it’s not entirely out of the question. Soon, our Bright Side editorial team will be publishing its predictions for the season.

But it’s not too early for ESPN!

49-33, huh? Sound familiar? That’s where the Phoenix Suns finished the 2023-24 season. The only difference? ESPN has them in fifth place this time around, instead of sixth like last year.

Their reasoning is valid. Health.

There’s no doubt the Suns have talent. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are among the best top-flight trios in the NBA. Add in Jusuf Nurkic as a regular starter, and this team has a solid foundation of talented players who can be a viable threat in the Western Conference. The best quality, however, is availability.

A season ago, we thought health would be a major obstacle, and in some sense, it was. The Big Three played a total of 41 games together, or 50% of the regular season. But that wasn’t, at least in my humble opinion, their biggest challenge. Creative play is at the top of my list. Defined roles. Players playing where they can be most effective.

With what James Jones did this offseason, combined with the continuity on the roster, Phoenix should be a better team this season. But again, health will be an issue.

Since the 2021-22 season, when we returned to an 82-game season post-COVID, here are the total games played by (in my opinion) the team’s top eight players:

• Devin Booker: 63 games played
• Kevin Durant: 59 games played
• Bradley Beal: 47.7 games played
• Jusuf Nurkic: 61.3 games played
• Tyus Jones: 73 games played
• Grayson Allen: 68.3 games played
• Royce O’Neale: 77.3 games played
• Mason Plumlee: 66 games played

Do I believe ESPN is right? No. Never. Because they’re ESPN. The only thing worse is a Bleacher Report list. I’m not as bullish on the Dallas Mavericks as they are for the same reason I had no faith in the Lakers after their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. I just don’t believe they are. that well, and I’m not sure they improved this offseason.

And I know I sound like a woman scorned, but the Timberwolves at 54-28 in second place? I need to see it to believe it.

What do you think? Is 49-33 fair? Is the fifth seed fair?