2013-14 Phoenix Suns Mini-Preview: Five Things to Watch

The Phoenix Suns definitely have a lot to watch for this season. I previewed the Suns for sheridanhoops.com - you can see the entire post here.

2013-14 Preview in 1000 words

I'd love to think you will click through to the article, but I'm not THAT optimistic by nature. Here's a piece of it:

There is duplication at every position with similar middling talent. After McDonough said prior to the draft that it is hard to develop two rookies who play the same position, he nonetheless has several positions on the floor with at least two very young guys trying to beat each other out.

Something has to be done to reduce the logjam at some of these positions, or everyone's development will get stunted. Ideally, the Suns would execute a many-to-one trade before the season begins, sending out two or three young guys for one with a higher ceiling. Each season, one or two teams trade their extension-eligible fourth-year players before committing big money to them.

The Suns have already acquired Bledsoe from the 2010 draft in such fashion. Could they acquire another good 2010 player by Halloween to pair with Bledsoe?

The theme of this year's preview is a wait-and-see attitude. We all get to wait and see what's next.

Here's my guess, in order:

1. Release Michael Beasley
2. Announce the (safe and slow) return of Channing Frye
3. Make a small trade by Halloween to send out 3 players/picks for someone else's 1 player, just to clear the logjam if nothing else
4. Experience a bout of unbridled optimism as the season begins ("This team is BETTER than last year!")
5. Watch the youngsters lose a lot of games
   
6. Trade Gortat and/or Frye to playoff teams by the trade deadline
7. Draft Andrew Wiggins #1 overall

2013-14 Preview - True BSotS Style

That preview on Sheridanhoops.com is just the trailer for the feature film about to be produced by BSotS in the coming two months. No one does season previews like BSotS does season previews. And this year we're stepping it up another notch. Watch for it. It's coming.

Preseason is only a month away! Regular season only two months away!

Walk down Memory Lane

Optimism will begin to ride higher and higher as the weeks go by, at least until mid-November. In the immortal words of George Zimmerman, "I guarantee it."

Check out last year's preview for sheridanhoops.com, where I listed ""Five Reasons for Optimism". That preview was written after a few preseason games had already been played (last October), and I was already more invested in the team than I probably should have been.

We have seen in preseason that the starting unit of [Goran] Dragic, [Luis] Scola, [Marcin] Gortat, [Michael] Beasley and Jared Dudley can really play well together, grabbing strong leads in each game.

No orange-colored glasses here, right? There was a lot of quiet optimism around the Suns front office last season with a starting lineup that appeared to have a chance to play competitively all year. Some of that optimism was shared by fans as well. If Beasley had come around...

If the season goes well, they spend the picks and money on players to supplement a core of Dragic, Scola, Dudley, young power forward Markieff Morris and maybe even Beasley, who has impressed the team with his all-around game and willingness to do whatever is asked, including defend and rebound.

LOL

At least I summed it up nicely in the final section:

If it doesn't go well, they still have the money, higher picks and they can jettison the entire front office and coaching staff - all on the last year of their contracts - for yet another fresh start.

This season is a transition year, but one that Suns fans knew was a long time coming.

Just for grins, check out the comment section of that Bright Side post to see what you were saying a year ago. MMotherwell was quite the visionary.

More from Bright Side Of The Sun:

• Is Archie Goodwin Ready To Make An Impact For The Phoenix Suns?
• Phoenix Suns Podcast 35: "Breaking Bad" Basketball Breakdown
• Sekou Smith's 2010 NBA Re-Draft: Phoenix Suns Bledsoe was a Top 10 pick
• Pick the Date! Phoenix Suns likely to have a resolution "in the next week or so" on Michael Beasley
• Capology Update: Phoenix Suns are $5.2 Million Under the Salary Cap after Butler Trade