Suns 2017-18 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

The Phoenix Suns' upcoming season took a turn for the worse in late July when guard Brandon Knight suffered a torn ACL while playing basketball in Florida. It represented a significant setback for a team that already lacked the necessary talent to contend in the star-studded Western Conference.

Phoenix, which finished last season with the NBA's second-worst record at 24-58, did pick up a key piece for the future by selecting Kansas small forward Josh Jackson with the No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft. His effort to win Rookie of the Year could be the team's best storyline during another rebuilding year.

Let's check out all of the important information for the Suns' 2017-18 campaign following the league's schedule release. That's followed by a look at some notable matchups and a record projection.

2017-18 Details

Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 18, vs. Portland Trail Blazers (9 p.m. ET)

Championship Odds: 500-1 (via OddsShark)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Sacramento Kings: Oct. 23, Dec. 12, Dec. 29, April 3

As front offices have become more willing to put the future ahead of short-term competitiveness, the race at the bottom of the NBA standings has taken on more attention in recent years. While some deride the concept of tanking, it's hard to turn down a better chance at the draft's top prospects.

Since the Suns are likely destined for another year near the top of the lottery, their most important games won't come against the likes of the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers. Instead, they'll be the contests against they're fellow projected cellar-dwellers.

The Kings figure to find themselves among that group. While their roster features a handful of promising chips, including De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson, they are still a few years away from contention, especially in the West, which is shaping up to become quite a fight.

While these teams aren't likely to compete for playoff spots, the games should still contain plenty of entertainment value. The backcourt battles pitting Fox and Hield against Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker could lead to some high-scoring shootouts.

Brooklyn Nets: Oct. 31, Nov. 6

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The Suns and Nets ended last season with the worst records in the league, combining to win just 44 games, 23 fewer than the league-leading Dubs. It shouldn't come as a shock if the teams end up in a similar battle at the bottom this time around.

Both teams are in the process of acquiring picks and young players as part of extended rebuilding processes. Although spending multiple years at the bottom can take a toll on the fanbase, it's really the only option in the "superteam" era, where it takes three or four major pieces to seriously compete.

Brooklyn will hope D'Angelo Russell, who it acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, can eventually be one of those high-end assets. There's still a boatload of work to do elsewhere on the roster, however, so the losses are going to pile up.

The difference between the Suns and Nets is the draft pick. Phoenix owns its pick, but Brooklyn will be once again forced to give up its lottery balls to the Boston Celtics.

Also from the Suns' perspective, this is the one opponent against whom they should hold a clear advantage and may put together some of their best performances of the season.

Record Prediction

A light has started to appear at the end of the tunnel for the Suns. Along with Bledsoe, Booker and Jackson, they can also count Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender and Tyler Ulis among their building blocks. The same goes for Knight, who may also become a trade chip.

The work is far from complete, though. And with the amount of talent teams like the Warriors, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves have accumulated, it's hard to know exactly how long it will take the Suns to get back in the mix.

Suns general manager Ryan McDonough explained the ongoing process and what the team is looking for along the way to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer back in February.

"We're obviously trying to build a championship team and you need a lot of talent — you need versatility, skill — but I think you also need selfless individuals who are willing to sacrifice for the greater good," he said. "We're trying to build something that’s conducive to success over time, and it starts with a lot of those qualities."

All told, there will likely be a couple of stretches during the season where the Suns played rock-solid basketball and start to show fans their patience will eventually pay off. They just don't have the high-end talent or depth necessary to keep pace over an 82-game season quite yet.

The end result will be another finish near the bottom of the standings. Of course, the silver lining will be another high draft pick to add to Phoenix's stable of rising stars.

Prediction: 26-56