Following the exits of Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, the Suns are looking at a drastically new roster built around Devin Booker. They added some exciting pieces with Jalen Green and Mark Williams, but overall, this roster looks completely new and full of young, inexperienced players like Khaman Maluach and Koby Brea.
Therefore, in a poll conducted by ESPN among its Insiders across various teams, the Suns were considered one of the favorites to have the hardest fall in the coming 2025-26 season.
According to ESPN's Insiders' Poll, the Suns were tied for the third most likely team to have the hardest fall in the upcoming season. The Bucks were ranked on top, followed by the Lakers, and then a tie in third position between the Celtics and the Suns.
This did not sit well with the Suns' owner, Matt Ishbia, but he chose to take the high road and, instead of getting hostile towards ESPN, he highlighted what cultural changes he is trying to bring to the Suns and how these predictions have the potential to be wrong and are only a gut punch to a team's confidence headed into the season.
"I'm not worried about what the so-called experts think. They had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then. We're focused on making our fans proud by playing great as a team and building a brand of basketball that's tough and gritty,"wrote Ishbia on X.
Following the Bucks' decision to waive Damian Lillard, the Lakers' reliance on an aging LeBron James, and the Celtics' major roster changes due to the second apron and losing Jayson Tatum likely for the season, the reason for each of the teams' downfall is clear.
However, I personally believe that the Suns may have also benefited from the complete transformation of their roster and how much it has changed from last season. I know that losing one of the greatest scorers of all time is not ideal for the Suns either, but they gained some bench depth and potential pieces for a long-term future with the team. Therefore, it could get balanced out.
No longer fueled by just their big three, the Suns can function better as a team if they have a decided hierarchy and a set strategy on what to do instead of just letting the three superstars on the team figure it out as they go.
The Suns finished 11th seed in the Western Conference last season with a record of 36 wins and 46 losses in the regular season. This marked the first time Durant missed the Playoffs in his career after his rookie season.
Now with Devin Booker as the sole proven superstar on this team, he will have the reins to lead the team on the court. With a talented team to back him up, with the likes of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Mark Williams, Booker might be able to propel the team back to Playoff contention or at least the Play-ins.
Moreover, I still think the Blazers, Jazz, and Pelicans are yet to assemble a better roster than the Suns, and therefore will still finish below the Suns as per my prediction. I would still predict their final seed as 10th or 11th in the coming season.
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