Q&A with Dave King from Bright Side of the Sun

Every now and then, we like to reach out to other blogs to get a feel for what's happening around the league. The Warriors were blessed with such an illogical, rapid-fire start that they obscured some of the other story lines, especially concerning up-and-coming teams.

The Suns are a very interested team. They are a team on the rise, with a young, talented core.

To that end, I wanted to hear about them from the man who knows best, Dave King, managing editor of Bright Side of the Sun.

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Bram Kincheloe: With the Suns currently sitting in 9th place, where do you place the odds of them making the playoffs? Do you think they are just finding their groove? Or is it still way too early to tell?

Dave King: I hate to say it, as a Suns fan, but they don't look any closer to a playoff berth than prior years. Even in a so-far down year in the West, the Suns are just as down as almost everyone else. Still 9th. The only saving grace is that if the East/West dynamic stays the same, it'll be the Suns getting the 10th pick (and maybe a Justice Winslow type) rather than yet another 13th pick type.

BK: Devin Booker has had a fantastic start to his rookie year, shooting 51.7% from the field, and a whopping 70.8% from beyond the arc. With his sweet shooting stroke and his size, what are the chances he develops into a Klay Thompson-like player? Or is his ceiling even higher?

DK: He's got the best NBA game of any Suns draft pick in many years, for sure. And that's not just hyperbole, I hope. Booker plays the game with smarts, and knows how to make the right play at the right time. He doesn't just chuck, doesn't just pass, doesn't just drive. He does whatever the defense gives him. His only limitation right now is strength and age - he's the youngest NBA player (turned 19 just two months ago), and the youngest to get this many minutes on a Suns team since Amar'e Stoudemire. But still, the coach is purposely containing his minutes knowing he'll soon hit a wall and doesn't want to ruin his confidence. Coaches mention All-Star games someday, but that's all up to Booker to put it all together.

BK: Where do you see this Suns team in three years? Five? Is the young core of Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Alex Len, and Devin Booker here to stay?

DK: I don't know that all four are here to stay, but that's a good foundation of youth - along with T.J. Warren - for the future. The Suns still need a real star though, and likely at least one of these five will have to go to get that star. That's really the key to the future - which pieces will it take to get the star the Suns need to help the team become a contender. At least the Suns are amassing the pieces. Knight and Bledsoe are the oldest of that group, and they're just entering their primes.

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A huge thank you to Dave King for answering my questions.

You should follow him on twitter.

Be sure to check out Bright Side of the Sun sometimes. It's a warm, friendly place.