We tend to think of young, promising NBA teams as existing in a sort of queue that designates which will make the leap from lottery mainstay to postseason darling. To that point, the two popular picks thought to be next up on that queue are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz. 

But potential, promise and development are qualities in constant flux, and thus throw a wrench in our abilities to properly measure the timeline of an NBA franchise. Most would consider the Phoenix Suns another year or two away, but don’t be surprised if they’re uninterested in waiting in line for their shot.

Fans in Minnesota and Utah obviously have plenty to be excited for. Karl-Anthony Towns is a legitimate superstar in the making, and the Jazz have a defensive identity that is the perfect foundation to build upon. But the Wolves are still going to suffer from a lack of perimeter shooting, and the Jazz will have to prove they’re able to score efficiently against a decent defense. 

Unlike many teams built through the lottery, the Suns aren’t necessarily made up of a bunch of expendable roster spots surrounding a future star or two. You could argue that the pieces to win are already in place for Phoenix. It will just be a matter of how quickly some of their young players develop and how close that development brings them to their ceilings as prospects. 

Development will be the primary goal for the Suns this season, but head coach Earl Watson will have plenty of veterans that he can rely on if he feels the situation warrants their abilities. Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe, Tyson Chandler, P.J. Tucker and Jared Dudley are still capable of performing at a competitive level, even if there’s a core of youngsters being groomed to potentially replace them.

The difference between winning losing will be whether Watson, in first full season as head coach, can walk the tightrope of incorporating veterans and young players, which Jeff Hornacek failed so miserably at last season. Avoiding a divide between those two cores could unveil a team with a deep pool of talent.

Chandler would like to play, but he’s too natural of a leader and professional not to mentor Alex Len into a defensively savvy defender. Len’s shown all the tools to be an effective two-way center, and giving Chandler 20 minutes a game off the bench as a rim-protector and roll-man could give Phoenix constant interior reliability. 

Marquese Chriss, the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, is a freak athlete with speed and above the rim dynamisms who might be a year or two away from being physically and mentally ready to play heavy minutes. But if he can hold his own to stay on the floor long enough to be a 6’10 sprinting finisher in transition, the Suns have plenty of guards who would love to have him running the lanes. 

But the future largely depends on the combination of Devin Booker and Dragan Bender. The potential is enticing. It might be hyperbole to ask you to imagine Ray Allen and Peja Stojakovic playing on the same team, but these two really could be a dangerous combination. Booker might be one of the most dynamic scorers in the league before he turns 22 (he’s currently 19). In the second half of his rookie season he proved he can put the ball in the basket and has a refined and consistent jump shot. Give him a little time to add some strength and understand how to adjust to defenders bigger than him and he’ll become even more of a threat. 

Dragan Bender is sort of the most unfair persuasive point to either side of this argument because having not yet played an NBA game we can speculate about him being anywhere from an All-Star to a potential bust. Everyone seemed impressed with the seven footer’s Summer League showing for what that’s worth. While many are intrigued by his athleticism and quickness, he doesn’t have to excel in those areas. He needs to survive in them. In other words, his jump shot can still be his strength, but plenty of bigs (Andrea Bargnani comes to mind) couldn’t cut it enough as athletes or defenders to showcase their real strengths.

Watson has to create the right environment, but there’s room for mutually beneficial compromises on the Suns roster. Bledsoe can benefit from having young and athletic spot up shooters like Booker and Bender on the floor, and they can certainly benefit from his aggressive play. Same can be said about Knight for that matter. 

There might be a world where Bledsoe slides into a James Harden-creator type role. He’s such an aggressive player that letting Chandler or Len set picks for him and surrounding him with Booker, Bender, Knight or any other combination of shooters, is a nightmare for defenses. 

Chandler and Dudley are the kind of respected professionals who in theory would be professional enough to accept stretches of limited playing time and still be ready to contribute when their names are called. It’s a bit of a house of cards that Watson has to manage, but it’s not hard to talk yourself into this roster working really, really well together.

Then again, if Bledsoe, Knight, and Booker aren’t a fit on the court then Bledsoe could find himself on the trade market, in which case the focus would shift solely to giving minutes to the young guys. 

Unlike the foundational pieces of the Wolves and Jazz, Booker and Bender just have to knock down shots and develop in other areas at a reasonable pace. The talent surrounding them allows Phoenix to be relatively competitive if they manage to do that.

The comparison between the three teams isn’t arbitrary. Western Conference superstars (Westbrook, Harden, Nowitzki, etc.) don’t give up playoff spots easily even without a stellar supporting cast. So when a spot opens up, the young guns usually have to fight amongst themselves to claim it.