PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have a great opportunity to be one of the surprise teams in the NBA again this season, as several predictions have them finishing with a worse record than last season even after retaining 11 players and surpassing all preseason expectations last year.
Phoenix also has a few players and a coach in Jordan Ott that could be in the running for a few end-of-season awards or teams if everything goes according to plan.
With the 2026-27 season just one day away, here are three bold predictions for the Suns this year:
Collin Gillespie Wins 6th Man of the Year
Gillespie would have likely been in the running for this award last season if he hadn't had to start so many games (58) because of injuries to players ahead of him.
He ended up struggling a little bit when he moved back to the bench after everyone got healthy later in the year, but he's now had an entire offseason to prepare for the role and can continue to improve in Ott's system, especially with the departures of Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale and their 3-point shooting.
After averaging career highs with 12.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals last year, Gillespie should be in the running for this award all season.
Each of the last four Sixth Man of the Year winners averaged less than 15 points per game, so there's no reason Gillespie shouldn't at least be a finalist unless he has to move into the starting lineup again.
Jalen Green Breaks Out
The Suns saw several players have career seasons last year, and Green was set up to be one of them after being traded from the Houston Rockets, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss 50 games.
Now, Green is healthy, and while there are some questions about his fit next to Devin Booker in the backcourt, Ott's system allowed so many players to flourish last season that it's hard not to see Green doing the same with his dynamic playstyle this year.
This is really a make-or-break year for Green, but he's in a great position to have a breakout season especially if his consistency and accuracy improve.
Jordan Goodwin Makes All-Defensive Team
Goodwin set a goal at media day that he wants to make an All-Defensive team after he felt he was "robbed a little bit last year" when he didn't make one.
Goodwin averaged 1.5 steals per game in only 22.5 minutes per game last season and was clearly the Suns' top on-ball defender and energy provider, so the potential for him to reach this goal is certainly there if he gets more minutes.
Even after signing a new three-year, $19 million contract with the Suns this offseason, Goodwin still appears to be more motivated than ever with the intensity he showed in the preseason, so this goal could very well end up being a reality.
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