5 Things Suns Fans Should Be Thankful For

Those of you who have followed Fanster and Deep Purple probably know I’m a bit of an optimist and extremely corny. That said, I am keeping a tradition alive where we take a look at things we are thankful for during the holidays.

Last year, I was thankful for Matt Barnes. Yes, I am jealous of his tattoo’s and had an undeniable man-crush on him, but it was mainly due to the fact that he helped Leandro Barbosa cope with his mother’s passing; something that Barnes had dealt with the year before. Barnes got wristbands for the entire team with Barbosa’s mother’s name on them honoring how much she meant to Leandro.

I like those kinds of stories; something beyond the superficial where we see that NBA players actually have hearts.

Hence, without further adieu, here are 5 things Suns fans should be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

5. Steve Kerr

I’ve been a stark defender of Kerr for a long while now. The only “bad” move as GM was the Shaq trade, which I defended, and something I believe that had to happen. He’s brought in Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic, Channing Frye, Alvin Gentry, kept Steve Nash, and somehow is keeping Amare happy. Time to give the man his props.

4. The rest of the West has unimpressed

No, that wasn’t an intentional rhyme. But it’s absolutely true. The Hornets have looked mediocre, the Jazz are nothing to write home about, Portland has major flaws, and the Lakers certainly don’t appear to be invincible. This is fantastic news for the Suns. Besides the fact that there is a great opportunity to actually make the playoffs and attain a fairly good seed, it gives us all a reason to be excited again in Phoenix. After everyone thought the window was now shut, suddenly it’s creeping back open again.

3. Alvin Gentry

Not only has he brought peace back to Planet Orange, Gentry has created an environment where players actually love coming to work and feel like they are part of the collective success of the team. Gentry has trusted his bench players, inspired a confidence in Goran Dragic that is amazing to see, and instilled a commitment to defense that wasn’t there before. Furthermore, he holds players accountable for their actions and created a disciplined team that fans can truly appreciate.

2. Steve Nash

What more can I say about Steve Nash that hasn’t already been said? Other than the fact he’s free to distribute the ball and leading the league in assists again (something we predicted early on), he is noticeably making an increased effort on the defensive end of the floor which has permeated throughout the entire team.

1. Hope

Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy. But doesn’t it feel good to actually have a winning team we can genuinely rally around?

What are you thankful for?

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