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Arizona Sports Roundtable: Who or what will be a big surprise for the Suns?

Oct 25, 2016, 10:00 AM | Updated: Oct 26, 2016, 2:06 pm

Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (4) positions against Dallas Mavericks' Chandler Parsons, right,...

Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (4) positions against Dallas Mavericks' Chandler Parsons, right, to shoot in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The anticipation is immense. The expectations aren’t as high. Together, it makes for a unique lead-in to a Phoenix Suns season. The Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Empire of the Suns blog is previewing the 2016-17 season by asking our on-air, online and Suns-centric personalities to speak their minds.

In today’s roundtable, we ask: Who or what will be a big surprise for the Suns? The responses from our panel might also, well, surprise.

Previous editions:

What’s the Suns’ best-case scenario for 2016-17?

What’s the worst-case scenario for the Suns?

Who will be the most impactful Suns rookie this season?

—  Who will be the Suns’ most improved player?

***

Kellan Olson: Tyson Chandler’s resurgence.

Craig Grialou: Count me among the skeptics regarding’s Brandon Knight’s “buy-in” to a sixth-man role. So, if he can handle not hearing his name introduced with the starters, then, to me, that will be the biggest surprise of the season. Coming off the bench, by the way, I think, is the perfect spot for Knight, who will get more scoring opportunities than if he started.

Vince Marotta: I’m going to be optimistic here and say Brandon Knight. Since being acquired a couple years ago, Knight has struggled to stay healthy, find consistency and connect with the fanbase. I’m crossing my fingers that all three of those things can and will happen for him this year.

Jon Bloom: This was the toughest call with so many options to choose from. I will go with the style of play and resiliency of this young group led by a 37-year-old unproven head coach. If the Suns are in the playoff picture in March and April then it will be because they have legitimately bought into the culture and teachings of Earl Watson, who has wisely surrounded himself with some great pros on his staff, including Jay Triano, a likely unsung hero in PHX.

Doug Franz: The Suns will go the whole year without making a front office or coaching change.

John Gambadoro: Watson – we haven’t really gotten to know him but he can sell ice to an Eskimo. He is the type of coach players will run through a wall for. If he can get this team to compete and win some games they are not supposed to early on, he could end up becoming one of the bright young coaches in the league.

Paige Dimakos: Tyson Chandler. I think he has a big-time bounceback season.

Bryan Gibberman: The Suns’ offense will be better than their defense despite the focus on the defensive end.

Kevin Zimmerman: Marquese Chriss earns All-Rookie First Team, and the Suns have a burgeoning pick-and-roll duo of the future when pairing him with Devin Booker.

Adam Green: Marquese Chriss spent one year in college and was thought to be a project, but he will instead carve out a solid role as a rookie and look like the most promising player of this year’s draft haul.

Ron Wolfley: Alan Williams: he’s a man with animal instincts. He’s Manimal and manimals have a tendency of surprising people, don’t they PJ Tucker?

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Arizona Sports Roundtable: Who or what will be a big surprise for the Suns?