For NBA teams, the offseason is similar to a vehicle's 60,000-mile checkup. The level of maintenance varies, with everything from routine oil changes to a new battery required. Address all the big necessities now while you're already in the shop, and you avoid breakdowns when you're actually on the road.
The Suns did a little bit of everything in this regard. Some parts (Eric Bledsoe and T.J. Warren) were simply mended. Others (rookies, free agents) were added. The hope is that the entire summer tuneup sees Phoenix get out of the gate as swiftly and smoothly as possible.
Here are five things the Suns did to ultimately return to the Western Conference race:
Locked Down a Driver
Earl Watson was given a test drive as interim head coach late last season, and the team responded well to his guidance. Phoenix went 8-13 over its final 21 games despite missing Bledsoe and Warren, as well as Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight for large chunks of that span.
More important than the results, the Suns liked the process and program Watson began to instill. Most of them voiced their desire to see him return as their full time head coach, which Phoenix officially did less than a week after the season ended.
Now Watson has the benefit of a full offseason and training camp to rev up the machine. So far, the Suns are responding.
Fixed Broken Parts
From the moment each of them were cleared for basketball activity, Bledsoe, Warren and Knight were back on the Suns practice court. The former went down in December of 2015 with a torn meniscus, while Warren suffered a broken foot just a month later. While Knight did not miss the rest of the season, a strained groin forced to sit out 29 of the final 39 games.
The injuries combined to rob Phoenix of its top three scorers at the time, leaving rookie Devin Booker to do much of the heavy lifting. Fortunately for the Suns, each member of that trio is on the young side of 27 years old. Inserting their presence and production back into the lineup will only accelerate the team's start to the season.
Bought New Parts
Nothing looks quite as shiny as a rookie fresh out of the draft box, and the Suns have three of them. Two (Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss) came from the top shelf as top-10 draft picks, while a third (Tyler Ulis) was mistakenly left on the second-round rack.
Bender and Chriss are investments in what would otherwise have been a thin power forward spot. Ulis, meanwhile, adds another dimension of speed and a pass-first mentality to a talented backcourt. It will take time for each new cog to find its groove, but the Suns are banking on their long-term potential.
Retreaded the Tires
Part of the reason the wheels came off last season was a lack of chemistry. To fix that, the Suns signed two players renowned for their locker-room presence. Jared Dudley is one of the friendliest guys in the league, but he is also not shy about telling it like it is and holding teammates accountable.
Leandro Barbosa also returns to the desert, this time with the added experience of having played for a championship team. Had he not returned, Bledsoe would have been the oldest in an extremely young backcourt. "The Brazilian Blur" still has some zip left of his own, but he will also know how to add pace as a player and a person to the guard rotation.
Most important of all, both veterans know what it's like to play for winning teams in Phoenix. They take pride in that, too, something that will hopefully wear off on their younger teammates.
Plenty of Test Drives
Devin Booker has made the most of his NBA offseason by playing for the USA Select Team, the Suns Sum'mer League team, and almost any gym he could find. He has not been alone. The Suns have made time to practice and simply be together both at home and abroad.
There should be more familiarity than usual when informal workouts and training camp begin, which can only help the Suns get off to the start they want.