Arizona Sports Roundtable: What’s the worst-case scenario for the Suns?

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 our second roundtable, we ask: What’s the worst-case scenario for the Suns this season?

Previous editions:

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

***

Craig Grialou: Look, the Suns’ postseason drought is already a franchise-high six years, so making it seven straight shouldn’t concern anyone. In fact, it’s expected they won’t make the playoffs. The worst-case in that scenario is if the roster should fracture (i.e. Brandon Knight) when things don’t go their way and we’re left with yet another failed attempt at a three-guard look.

Doug Franz: Devin Booker gets hurt.

Bryan Gibberman: The Suns win 35 games prioritizing veterans Tyson Chandler, P.J. Tucker, Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley over their young core.

Vince Marotta: The injuries that have plagued the backcourt for the last couple of seasons continue, Booker struggles handling increased responsibility and rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender are nothing more than garbage-time contributors for a 28-win team.

John Gambadoro: Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Tyson Chandler can’t stay healthy, Phoenix is too young and if the losses pile up early and often, Earl Watson’s messages may not get through to the players.

Kevin Zimmerman:  Booker suffers a season-ending injury early on, Bender continues trying to travel four times before double-dribbling, Jared Dudley is forced to return to shooting guard because of injuries, the Spurs sit their stars one game and Kyle Anderson scores 50 with a triple double on the Suns, and Brandon Knight pulls a Mark … ah, it can’t be that bad, right?

Jon Bloom: All the love and nurturing turns to hate and destruction and the team fails to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Unfortunately, in this scenario, it won’t get bad enough for the Suns to be rewarded with a top-5 pick in what should be a pretty loaded lottery in 2017.

Kellan Olson: Another big injury to Bledsoe. Looking ahead, the Suns in 3-5 years are led by the last three first-round picks, but Bledsoe will still be the leader of the group and the All-Star caliber player. That becomes less of a reality if Bledsoe continues to show he can’t stay healthy and dampens the overall outlook of the team’s playoff prospects in the near future.

Adam Green: Injuries, ineffectiveness or pouting spoil the backcourt, Booker looks like more of a really good player than a star, the rookies struggle badly and Chandler regresses some more. Coach Earl Watson has more motivational quotes than the team does wins.

Ron Wolfley: Booker takes a step back, Bledsoe suffers another serious injury, Knight turns into Markieff Morris, Warren doesn’t develop a perimeter game on both ends of the floor, Chriss has nothing but athleticism and no nuance, and Bender’s sternum gets busted.

Follow @AZSports