With the schedule being released two weeks ago and training camp set to open next month, we are inching closer to the return of NBA basketball. This comes after a relatively quiet offseason that saw a lot of rumors, but only produced a few major moves. 

The schedule release obviously had major highlights like opening night, Christmas Day games, and the in-season tournament schedule. However, one thing that always pops out after the schedule release is the strength of schedule metric. It shows how tough or easy a team’s schedule is and prior to the start of the season, we get a good look at whether or not teams will start off well or slowly.

While the NBA season is an 82-game marathon, getting off to a slow start is less than ideal. Here are three teams that could potentially start slow based on their schedule.

The valley of the sun was in flames last season and not in a good way. The Phoenix Suns learned that star names on paper do not win NBA championships, especially stars that do not fit together. The Suns went all-in by trading the rest of their remaining draft capital for Bradley Beal, to pair him with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The season was an abject disaster that ended with getting swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Suns did have a productive offseason, as they brought in point guard Tyus Jones, re-signed Royce O’Neale, and drafted two defensive minded players in Ryan Dunn and Oso Igahdaro. They also hired a new head coach in Mike Budhenholzer. The depth is much better than it was a season ago, but to start the season, the Suns have the toughest strength of schedule in the NBA to start the season. From October to November, the Suns play the following teams:

That’s 15 of their first 19 games against play-in or playoff teams from a year ago and of those 15 games, seven of them are on the road. That’s good enough for a .557 win percentage and gives the Suns the toughest schedule in the league to start the season. In a pivotal year for a team facing second apron penalties and a tough Western Conference, Phoenix cannot afford a slow start.