The Phoenix Suns, defending Western Conference champions, aim to bounce back after a disappointing finals stint last season. They almost kept the same roster with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges leading the helm, but that’s exactly why it could be a huge problem.

The Suns may have gotten far with their 2020-21 lineup, but it also didn’t end in success.

With that said, here are three reasons why it’s hard to stay confident with the Suns after they decided to stay with the same roster:

3. Shorter offseason for the Suns

We saw it with the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics last season: the shortened offseason was a killer for the final four teams. While last season’s conference teams may have gotten a longer break, it’s still not the full offseason that NBA players usually get.

The Suns were extremely lucky to be the healthiest team in the league in 2020-21, but there’s a chance that this may not happen anymore. Of course we're not wishing injuries on them, but it would just be harder for a team that got a 90-day rest to stay energized and healthy all season. 

2. The Suns barely added any new assets

The Suns had a relatively quiet offseason and only added three new faces (including one two-way player) to their roster. It makes sense for this team to run it back, but it’s also fair to question why they did not address a need. While JaVale McGee is a positive addition for this team, he has also had a history of being played off the court in the playoffs (just ask the Lakers).

It would have been nice for the Suns to go after a reliable third scorer who would show up when they find themselves in a scoring drought in the middle of a Finals series. 

1. Phoenix might not see the same luck in the playoffs again

No disrespect to the Suns or whatsoever, but it’s fair to point out that they got lucky in the playoffs last season. A healthy Lakers team was up 2-1 before Anthony Davis injured his groin. A  healthy Jamal Murray would have at least helped the Denver Nuggets present a tougher challenge during the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard would have certainly strengthened the Los Angeles Clippers who eventually bowed out the Suns in six games.

What are the odds that this happens again for the Suns? Remember the West might have sneakily gotten better as well. 

Unlike the Suns, the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz got more rest and better in the offseason. There’s a huge possibility that the Suns won’t see the same luck they did last season and if anything, the odds of them falling apart is even stronger—just based on the fact that they’re coming off a shortened offseason alone. It’s for sure going to be a more daunting task for Phoenix. 

Moreover, it doesn’t help that the Suns haven’t agreed to extend Ayton and Bridges' contracts yet. This is not a good sign in terms of team-player relationship, especially if Phoenix continues to prolong this.

It could rub their players off the wrong way and certainly demotivate them from wanting to do what is best for the organization.