8. Phoenix Suns
I'm going to make the mistake of believing in the supremely talented Phoenix Suns once again. What can I say? I love star-studded teams and I genuinely believe that talent usually finds a way to win in the NBA. If the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal aren't able to win in Phoenix, it would go down as one of the biggest disappointments in recent NBA team-building history. It'd be right up there with the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. But, hey, I believe the Suns will click this year and, if they can avoid the injury bug, are going to be a problem in the Western Conference that not many can see coming.
In theory, the Suns should be good. And maybe the change at the head-coaching position is the shake-up the team needs heading into this season. I'm not sure if Mike Budenholzer is necessarily a better coach than Monty Williams, but the slight change of philosophy can help sometimes.
Are the Suns going to win the NBA Championship this season? Probably not. However, I wouldn't be shocked if they finished as a top 3 or 4 team in the West and made a trip to the Western Conference Finals.