2014-15 Phoenix Suns Preview

Oct 15, 2014 - 5:51 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - You can't blame the Suns for overpaying Eric Bledsoe.

When you overachieve like they did last season, you're liable for irrational loyalty in trying to maintain a burgeoning group.

After trading away Marcin Gortat just before the season, Vegas odds put the Suns' over/under for victories at 19.5, the second lowest in the league.

All they did was go out and win 48 games in Jeff Hornacek's first season as a head coach, finishing as the No. 9 seed in the uber-competitive Western Conference. In the East, they would have been a top-4 seed.

Bledsoe, who came over in a three-way trade last offseason, was a key component of the club's surprising run, and that was never more evident than when he went down with a torn meniscus in his knee and was sidelined for two months. The club went 17-16 in his absence, and hovering around the .500 mark in the West is a recipe for missing the postseason.

Instead of signing Bledsoe to a one-year qualifying offer of $3.7 million and letting him test free agency next year, the Suns locked up the emerging point guard with a substantial five-year, $70-million contract last month.

The deal was jarring for a 24-year-old who has started just 78 games in his four-year career and is coming off knee surgery, but the Suns were likely looking ahead to a big boost in the salary cap the next few years, making the move more cost effective.

"I learned long ago that it doesn't matter how stormy the sea is as long as the ship comes in and today we are thrilled that the ship has come in and Eric will remain a Sun for a long time," said president of basketball operations Lon Babby. "He will be an integral part not only of our basketball team, but our Phoenix community."

Bledsoe was not the only Sun who came into his own under Hornacek. Goran Dragic turned from fringe starter into an unlikely member of All-NBA Third Team. And the selection was not without merit.

Dragic did not resemble the player he was in his first five NBA seasons. Thrust into a leading role, he shot 41-percent from behind the arc, 51-percent overall and had a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That earned him the Most Improved Player Award.

The Yugoslavia native averaged 20.3 ppg, tying him with Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas for 17th overall in the league. Coincidentally, the two will be sharing the court together this season after the Suns completed a sign-and-trade with the Kings in July.

Thomas will take on a lesser role for a lineup that brings back its core.

Channing Frye will be missed in floor spacing, and the frontcourt is on the small side, but the trio of Bledsoe-Dragic-Thomas have plenty of help.

The Morris twins -- Markieff and Marcus -- earned contract extensions this offseason after shining in their first full season on the same team. Markieff led the league in points off the bench, and Marcus was a steady presence in the post.

Another eye-opener for the Suns was the play of Miles Plumlee, who saw little action in his rookie year in Indiana and suddenly became an instant starter for the Suns. The 6-foot-11 athletic center averaged more than a block per game and added 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in less than 25 minutes.

And that's not to mention high-flying slasher Gerald Green, the addition of stretch-4 Anthony Tolliver, improving second-year center Alex Len and P.J. Tucker coming off a career year.

"No spots are guaranteed," Hornacek said of his deep roster. "It's open and these guys know it. That's what makes them compete."

There will be no sneaking up on teams this year, but the Suns won't need to this time.

They're just going outplay them.

2013-14 Results: 48-34, 3rd in Pacific, Missed playoffs

ADDITIONS: G Isaiah Thomas, PF Anthony Tolliver, SF T.J. Warren, PG Tyler Ennis, G Zoran Dragic.

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:

PG- Goran Dragic SG- Eric Bledsoe SF- Marcus Morris PF- Markieff Morris C- Miles Plumlee

KEY RESERVES: G Isaiah Thomas, PF Anthony Tolliver, G Gerald Green, C Alex Len, F P.J. Tucker, G Zoran Dragic.

FRONTCOURT: Phoenix's interior is what will hurt them against the perennial powers in the West.

While Plumlee and the Morris twins showed they can contribute on a contending team, they're easily contained on the offensive end and can be exploited defensively.

Most of Plumlee's points come off dunks, and he is prone to getting in foul trouble cheating for blocks.

Both Morris' can score inside and out, especially Markieff, who averaged 13.8 points last season and made 48.6 percent of his shots. Marcus will battle with Tucker for the starting small forward spot and will certainly open the season there with Tucker serving a three-game suspension for a DUI arrest in the offseason.

Marcus and Tucker are virtually interchangeable even with the latter giving away three inches. Both shot over 38-percent from the perimeter and can defend multiple positions.

BACKCOURT: A good problem to have is too much talent, and that's exactly what the Suns have in their backcourt.

The Suns were 23-11 when Dragic and Bledsoe both started, and the duo only figures to get better with more playing time together. Their energy and length on defense wreaks havoc on opposing guards, and both can lead the offense when the other is out.

Dragic neared All-Star status last season, while Bledsoe more than doubled his point total with a 17.7 ppg average, though his assist-to-turnover ratio (5.5:3.3) needs improving.

Thomas, who is playing under his fourth coach in four years, also has hopes of cracking the starting five.

"I'm going to push to be (a starter)," Thomas said. "But as long as...I'm going to have a big role and play big minutes, I'm fine with that. As long as I'm in at the end of games when it really counts, that's all that matters."

The trio combined for nearly 60 points last season, and a potential three- guard lineup may be thrown together at some point.

BENCH: Hornacek admits he has a deep team and will have his work cut out for him divvying up playing time.

Green proved he is more than just a Slam Dunk champion by averaging nearly 16 ppg last season and appears to have found a home after a jumping around the league the previous six seasons.

Tolliver, another NBA nomad, will take over Frye's role in stretching out the defense but will need to show he can consistently hit from the perimeter. In Charlotte last season, his sixth stop in six seasons, he made a career-best 41.3 percent from 3-point range.

Len, the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, put on muscle in the offseason and can only improve on his lackluster rookie debut.

ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren and guard Tyler Ennis out of Syracuse were selected with the 14th and 18th overall picks, respectively, in this year's draft. They both may develop their skills in the D-League given the Suns' already stacked roster.

COACHING: Even without a postseason appearance, Hornacek's first year at the helm can only be deemed a success.

He improved an offense that finished 29th in offensive efficiency in 2012-13 to eighth, and hopes an increase in pace only betters those numbers.

"We want to be one, two or three (in pace). Really try to get the ball out of bounds and go with it. Put pressure on the other teams," Hornacek insisted. "We have a deep team so we feel we can do that."

Managing minutes is a thankless task for any coach, but Hornacek really has his work cut out for him with an unorthodox roster chalk full of talented guards and up-and-coming forwards.

Based on an admittedly short sample size, Hornacek should be able to handle the load.

OUTLOOK: Phoenix's front office clearly has a long-term plan in place: Build a young foundation and stay away from overpriced free agents for the time being.

They even signed Dragic's brother, Zoran, to a two-year deal, seemingly in the hopes of winning favor with Goran, who can become a free agent next summer.

Those kinds of shrewd moves pay off in the long run, and in the meantime, the current roster will continue playing must-see, up-and-down action against the big bullies in the West.

The Suns are probably a big man away from genuinely competing for a title, but they are leaps and bounds closer than they were a year ago.