SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 28. Phoenix Suns

+Phoenix Suns  Overall Win/Loss Record :  25-57, fifth place Pacific Division	Last Season’s Rank 29	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 28
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 95.2 (21st) Points Allowed: 101.6 (26th) Team FG%: .443 (23rd) Opponent’s FG%: .470 (25th) Team FT%: .744 (20th) Team Three Point FG%: .330 (28th) Rebounds per game: 41.6 (19th) Opponents rebounds per game: 43.4 (22nd) Turnovers per game: 14.9 (29th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.8 (5th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +Goran Dragic  (14.7) Rebounds per game:  +Marcin Gortat  (8.5) Minutes per game: Goran Dragic (33.5) Assists per game:  Goran Dragic (7.4) Field Goal Percentage: Marcin Gortat (.521) Free Throw Percentage: Shannon Brown (.780) Three Point FG Percentage: Goran Dragic (.319) Steals per game: Goran Dragic (1.6) Blocked Shots per game: Marcin Gortat (1.6)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. Marcin Gortat PF. +Markieff Morris  SF. Gerald Green SG. Eric Bledsoe PG. Goran Dragic	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: G. Shannon Brown F. Marcus Morris C. Alex Len G. PJ Tucker F/C. Miles Plumlee
Analysis: Last season was a complete nightmare for the Phoenix Suns as they played the 2013 season as if it were lost, confused, and looked completely out of sync.  What was once a team that had a reputation for striving for excellence looked anything but excellent as it stumbled through the season completely as if they were deaf, blind and dumb.  Now they enter 2014 with some new faces along with a new head coach in +Jeff Hornacek, who had previously played for the Suns during the late 1980s and early 1990s; however, their projected outcome will most certainly be much of the same as the Suns really have nothing much to offer their fans or their competition.  Their roster resembles more of a D-League affiliate rather than an actual +NBA team with players that no one have really heard of with their best being second stringers on their former teams.  It will certainly be a pain for Suns fans to watch their team this season as they have been spoiled for most of its history as being a flawlessly executing offensive team that scores plenty of points and tons of excitement. Unfortunately, there will be no more fluid offensive execution as they Suns virtually have no one to really count on to guide the team and no to execute on the offensive side of the floor.  Goran Dragic, who the Suns brought back to be successor of the departed fan favorite +Steve Nash, proved to be quite out of his element unlike his predecessor.  He certainly did not move the ball and facilitate his teammates on offense as well as Steve Nash did as can be seen by the Suns' high turnover rate last season and he also seemed to be focusing on on getting his own offense instead of getting his teammates involved.  Much of his penchant for his sticky handedness with the basketball may have been due to his inability to really find anyone who can put the ball in the basket, let alone be counted on to finish on a consistent basis.  Add the fact that the play who many counted on to be that executor on the the offensive end failed to show up made the matter worse than it should have been. Two seasons ago Marcin Gortat looked to be one of the up and coming young big men in the league after leading the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots per game.  He was expected be be a huge factor in the rebuilding process as the center-piece of the franchise, but severely failed to do so last season as his numbers drastically dropped.  His scoring sharply dropped from 15.4 points per game to just 11.1 while his rebounding took a serious dive as well doing from averaging 10.0 per game in 2012 to just 8.5 this past season.  Many blamed Gortat's poor performance last season on his lack of touches which dropped from nearly 12 shot attempts per game last season to just a shade above nine per game; however, there may be something more to his dramatic drop in production.  Perhaps he was not the potential superstar big man as he was made to believe as much of his success probably had to do with less of his own skills and ability and more to do with playing alongside Steve Nash last season. In terms of upgrading the roster, the best the Suns were able to do was acquiring Eris Bledsoe in a trade with the +Los Angeles Clippers; however, although he has shown plenty of promise with flashes of star potential, one must still remain cautiously optimistic on this player.  For starters, in his time with the Clippers, although Bledsoe showed an innate ability to score and get to the basket, Bledsoe never really showed any example of actually running a team's offense.  He had the luxury of playing behind an All Star and potential Hall of Fame candidate in +Chris Paul and his 8.5 points per game could have as well been of Paul than his actual ability.  At least the Suns did not risk much in picking him up as his will be entering the last season of his rookie deal with just 2.6$ million being owed to him at the end of the season.  The Suns made equally low risk with high return move taking the rather inexpensive deal of swing man Gerald Green from the +Indiana Pacers , hoping he will be a far better investment than the one they made on Michael Beasley.  For those who don't remember the Suns took a chance on the talented yet troubled forward signing him to a three year 15$ dollar deal, but were forced to let go of him after he was caught in possession of the marijuana in the off season. Luckily Green will not fall into the same trap as Beasley and hopefully he will use this opportunity to bounce back from a less than stellar performance in Indiana.  Perhaps he will even have a breakout season as he will be virtually given the starting small forward spot as there is no one else really to challenge him for the spot.  Nonetheless, the prognosis for the Suns looks pretty bad as they enter a much stronger and far more competitive Western Conference with already established teams such the +San Antonio Spurs, +Los Angeles Clippers and +Oklahoma City Thunder along with up and coming fringe teams such as the +New Orleans Pelicans.  Phoenix would be hard-pressed to win 20 game with such stiff competition they will be facing this upcoming season.  Let's hope that something good happens for the Suns such as a big trade or winning the lottery because their fans certainly deserve it for hang onto them through think and thin.