Suns open at home vs. Kings on Oct. 23
The Phoenix Suns are improved, in Mikal Bridges’ opinion.
“I think we’ve got a better team and great coaching staff as well that’s going to put us in a great position to be the best team we can be,” he said. “I’m really excited.”
Whether their record reflects it or not this upcoming season remains to be seen.
The Suns made several offseason moves, with the biggest ones being the free-agent signing of Ricky Rubio and re-signing of Kelly Oubre, but the Western Conference appears to be even stronger.
Anthony Davis joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teamed up in the same city with the Clippers.
So the Suns, under new coach Monty Williams, might indeed be better, but they aren’t expected to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
But they can’t finish with just 19 wins for a second consecutive season, can they?
Can they?
With the NBA schedules being released Monday, here’s a breakdown of the Suns’ 2019-20 regular-season schedule.
Season/home opener
Oct. 23 vs. Sacramento Kings Talking Stick Resort Arena
The Suns went 1-3 against the Kings last season. Something Phoenix should keep in mind, but this will also be Richaun Holmes’ return to the desert.
He only played one season with Phoenix, but became a fan favorite. Expect a standing ovation when Holmes enters the game and for him to have mutual love for the sellout crowd.
Phoenix gave Holmes an opportunity to shine, and that led to him signing that two-year, $10-million contract. That doesn’t mean he’s going to take it easy on the Suns that night.
Road opener
at Oct. 25 at Denver Nuggets
The Suns played at Denver in their second game last season and left with a 119-91 loss. It will be a good early test to see how Phoenix looks playing one of the NBA’s top teams.
The Suns follow that up with the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of a back-to-back series Oct. 26 in Phoenix.
That’s a tall order to play at Denver and then take on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the much-improved Clippers.
Longest road trip
March 23: at Indiana Pacers March 25: at Washington Wizards March 27: at Philadelphia 76ers March 28: at Miami Heat
March 30: at Cleveland Cavaliers Phoenix went 1-4 against these teams on the road last season with the win coming against the Heat to end a franchise-record, 17-game losing skid.
You have to figure the 76ers and Pacers will be in playoff contention and in position to rest key players.
Cleveland should be an easier game, but Washington and Miami are mysteries.
This will also be Oubre’s second trip back to D.C. to face his former team. The Suns lost in his first trip back in triple overtime.
Longest homestand
Feb. 26: vs. Los Angeles Clippers Feb. 28: vs. Detroit Pistons
Feb. 29: vs. Golden State Warriors March 3: vs. Toronto Raptors March 6: vs. Portland Trail Blazers March 8: vs. Milwaukee Bucks This might very well be Phoenix’s toughest stretch.
All six teams made the playoffs last season starting with the Clippers, who are much improved with Leonard, the 2019 NBA Finals MVP, and George.
The Suns follow that with the Pistons.
Then they face the Warriors and Raptors, who met in the NBA Finals, and the Trail Blazers and Bucks, who reached their respective conference finals.
Toughest stretch
When a team is coming off a 19-63 season with a new head coach, influx of new players and five consecutive losing seasons, every game seems tough, but it’s a tossup between that six-game homestand and the following 10-game stretch.
Dec. 14: vs. San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City
Dec. 16: vs. Portland Trail Blazers Dec. 20: at Oklahoma City Thunder Dec. 21: at Houston Rockets
Dec. 23: vs. Denver Nuggets
Dec. 27: at Golden State Warriors Dec. 28: at Sacramento Kings
Dec. 30: at Portland Trail Blazers Jan. 1: at Los Angeles Lakers Out of those nine teams, only Sacramento didn’t make the playoffs last season and the Kings went 3-1 against the Suns.
Phoenix closes that stretch out with a second game against the Blazers before facing James, Davis and the newlook Lakers.
Fly back to Phoenix first. Don’t spend New Year’s Eve in La-La land.
Viva Mexico
Dec. 14: Phoenix plays San Antonio at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City at 5 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
The Suns played two games in Mexico City in 2016-17. They lost to Dallas, 113-108, on Jan. 12, but beat San Antonio two days later, 108-105.
Devin Booker scored 39 points in both games.
Rubio’s return to Salt Lake City
Feb. 24: at Utah Jazz.
Utah acquiring Mike Conley was the final signal it was moving on without Rubio, who helped the Jazz reach the playoffs in each of his two seasons there.
Phoenix acquired him and this will be his first trip back to Utah to face his former teammates and the point guard the Jazz got to essentially replace him.
Should be fun.
First matchup against TJ Warren
Jan. 22: vs. Indiana Pacers.
The Suns traded Warren, the team’s second-leading scorer last season and the No. 32 pick in the 2019 draft to Indiana for cash considerations.
A talented scorer, Warren had his share of injuries.
Phoenix cleared some cap space in the trade, but if healthy, Warren could put up huge numbers in that first game.
Jackson always played with a competitive edge that overflowed. Expect him to be full tilt for this one.
As for Melton, he might have a huge jump in his development after an experimental rookie season. He too could also have a chip on his shoulder to show he was one of the point guards Phoenix should’ve kept.
Final game
April 15: vs. Lakers.
Fourth and final one against Bron, A.D. and the Lakers. Maybe they will have already clinched a playoff berth and those two all-stars will sit out that one.
Will this be Phoenix’s final game for the season in 2019-20?
The Suns will begin to answer that question Oct. 23.