NBA: Preseason Ranking for the Western Conference

15. Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns’ roster consists of plenty of youth. There are several young pieces in Phoenix that should be reason for optimism in the future. However, in the immediacy, Phoenix will likely struggle to stay afloat in the West.

The Suns do have a few proven veterans: Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, Leandro Barbosa, and Eric Bledsoe to name a few. But Phoenix has built its new core through the draft. Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis are some of the young pieces Phoenix will build around.

Barbosa was a good addition, as he returns to Phoenix, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career. He came to the Suns as a young player in 2003-2004, but he returns a seasoned veteran. The “Brazilian Blur” spent the past two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, winning an NBA championship in 2015 and providing a veteran presence off of the bench.

The Suns did well to bring Barbosa back, as he can certainly mentor some of the younger players. When Phoenix signed Tyson Chandler, it was viewed as a great move for the organization that was trying to take the next step. The Suns have spun their wheels a bit, though over the past few years.

Phoenix is now in a transition stage. The good news is the Suns have young pieces who should develop in the coming years. The bad news, in the present, is 2016-17 will likely be a tough season in the desert. But like a few other teams in the West, better days will be ahead for the Suns.

Next: No. 14