- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Suns 2016-17 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
- Updated: August 12, 2016
This time last year, the Phoenix Suns had eyes on the NBA playoffs. Now, the question is whether the Suns will finish with the worst record in the Western Conference.
The NBA released Phoenix’s schedule for the 2016-17 season Thursday.
Phoenix’s 2015-16 campaign was a case of Murphy’s Law in action.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek was fired in February. Through his behavior on and off the court, Markieff Morris gave the Suns little recourse but to trade him in the same month. The early returns on the Tyson Chandler signing haven’t been good. Capping things off, the backcourt duo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight combined to play 83 games.
Whereas, the Suns looked to be a team on the rise this time last year, Phoenix is now in rebuilding mode. In that sense, finishing with a dreadful record won’t be the worst thing in the world. If the Suns are gonna be bad, they might as well be bad enough to get another top-five pick.
While the team isn’t going anywhere in the short term, Dragan Bender’s development and head coach Earl Watson’s handling of the roster in his first full season will provide two interesting storylines to follow throughout the year.
Below are Phoenix’s top matchups in the campaign ahead and a prediction for where the team is likely to finish.
2016-17 Details
Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 26 vs. Sacramento Kings.
Championship Odds: 500-1 (via Odds Shark and as of August 11).
Top Matchups Los Angeles Lakers When: Nov. 6, Dec. 9, Feb. 15 and March 9
Since the Suns’ fortunes for 2016-17 are looking somewhat bleak, it’s doubtful any one series will carry more weight for Phoenix than the rest of the schedule.
With that said, the Los Angeles Lakers might be a good barometer for Phoenix’s progression in the upcoming season.
The Lakers are a little better off in the short term, and the signings of Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov show the team is more geared toward winning now. But Los …
continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com
