If we are speaking literally, then yes, the Sun is very far away. About 92 million miles give or take. But, the Suns down here on Earth, are not too far away from being good. 

The last year or so has been tough on them, however. They went from a fun young team to a hellish nightmare in the blink of an eye. Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas were shipped away, they added Brandon Knight, lost him AND Eric Bledsoe to injury and the Suns then became an unhappy team with an even unhappier coach.

Turmoil, sadness, and injuries.

This is what followed the team around last year like a lost ugly duckling. Luckily, as soon as LeBron James started hysterically crying into Kevin Love's arms, it was the beginning of a new year.

Eric Bledsoe, all incredibly jacked 6'1'' of him, can still be one of the most exciting players in the league when healthy. He is also much more exciting when he is not forced to play alongside two other point guards who hate each other. Still, not many people are talking about the Phoenix Suns this year. Unless you're Monotone Twitter Magic Johnson of course.

(Side note, isn't it weird that one of the most charismatic guys on the planet turns into Siri's more boring little brother when he tweets?)

The stain of last year hangs too heavy on the minds of pundits, the past outweighing the opportunities of the present. This team WILL be fun this year. Let's start out with the obvious, Eric Bledsoe is a very good player. Over the last 3 years as a starter he has averaged 18pts/5.9ast/4.8reb and shot 34% from three. If he stays healthy he is a perfect fast paced transition player who can play off the ball when Brandon Knight needs his touches. 

Knight is also a great partner for a 1-2 point guard punch that Phoenix seems to love. If they figure it out correctly, splitting touches for both Knight and Bledsoe should be a breeze. Ego was a big issue with the last triple point guard lineups, the Suns should not have that issue this season. Especially with a guy who is able to sustain all the online criticism that comes with immense Shaqtin' a fool success.

The next very young guy (Bledsoe will be 27 and Knight will both be 24 this year) that is improving rapidly is, Devin Booker. He was forced to play a larger role because of the aforementioned injuries to this roster. He became the primary ball handler with both point guards gone and thrived in that role, at least scoring wise. He averaged over 21ppg in the last 21 games but his 3pt percentage dipped to an ugly 28.7% and shot 42% from the field. These numbers should vastly go up when he can play off the ball and shoot his 3pt jumper that is so beautiful Ric Flair claimed to have sex with it. 

He is also a very crafty off ball cutter and playing alongside two point guards will be more ideal than being fed these passes by 7'1'' Alex Len. 

Bledsoe, Knight, and Booker should be starting 1-3 because of how dynamic it will make the offense. You may give up some size but the space and insane athleticism you create with having these 3 on the court is too good to pass up.

The two newly drafted young guys Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender are unknown quantities as far as the NBA is concerned, but each will be able to slowly dip their toes into the NBA water because of the front court depth in Phoenix. What we can takeaway from their pre professional careers is minimal but both look perfect for the fast paced offense the Suns always like to run. Dragan is long, lengthy and loves to run the floor.

He is also supposed to be able to hit the long ball, although he did only shoot 26% from 3 in the Summer League. Chriss on the other hand, is an unbelievable athletic leaper and shot a pretty steady 35% from 3 during his college career. His hydraulic legs allow him to dunk nearly everything thrown his way, gain leverage to work his way in the post, and can be a capable on ball defender simply due to his quickness. I mean, this guy can really throw it down. Just watch this a few hundred times. Don't worry. I'll wait.

I don't pretend to be a collegiate expert but talent alone should have the Suns fired up that they were able to snag both in this draft. It's like getting two pink Starburst in the same packet when you're hoping just to get one. 

The established veterans on this team will play a crucial role as well. Tyson Chandler will be able to mentor the young big men as they develop, Leandro Barbosa is still quick as a blur, and Jared Dudley should be everyones favorite player in the league AND he shot 42% from 3 last year, thank you John Wall. The Suns are also implementing a new motion offense with the hire of Jay Triano which should highlight the athletic young guns they have on this team.

Trading Alex Len near the All-Star break for some help on the wing or future assets would be a heady move for this team as well. For a player his size, his rebounding rate last year was astonishingly low, 17%. He also scored only .03 points per possession more than Kobe "old bean" Bryant last season when being the roll man in a pick & roll. KOBE BRYANT! Him seeing heavier minutes in the beginning of the year may entice some GM's in need of a backup center. Pounce on any decent offer, like immediately.

Before then, experiment with having some Bledsoe-Knight-Booker-Chriss-Bender lineups while also keeping Tyson the starter. Maybe do not give this lineup heavy minutes from the start but this is the group they are hoping ascends to starting caliber in the future. They are still able to plug in Dudley or T.J Warren at the 3 or the 4 and Booker can easily be swung from shooting guard to small forward.

Experimenting, even if its failing, should be encouraged by management because the future of the Suns can clearly be seen from the present. The combination of the talented established youth, even younger draftees, above average veterans, and a Western conference that is a Russell Westbrook/James Harden injury away from a giant pile of "I have no idea who is going to the playoffs" bodes well for this team.

One thing is for certain, the Suns will be extraordinarily fun to watch this season. The stars may not be the limit, but they can at least make it to Mercury.