I’m not much of a reflective person. I usually like to look to the future rather than dwell in the past.
Though, if I’m honest, I have been a bit nostalgic of late remembering old Suns teams etc. I’ll spend maybe 10-15 minutes doing this, realize how pointless it is, then move on to the future.
Hence, my glass is usually half-full.
Anyhoo, I had a conversation with a buddy of mine and he predicted the Suns will finish 54-28 on the season. The record sounded right and I would certainly be happy with it.
Before the season, I would’ve been happy if you told me the Suns were going to go .500. Now, after seeing what we are capable of and the unfulfilled expectations of other Western Conference teams…I’m more optimistic.
Luckily, the Suns have a much easier 2nd half of the season than the first. They’ll have more home games to finish the season and an overall easier schedule, especially in January and March.
But I’d like your opinion.
Here is mine…
Overall record: 55-27
January: 11-5
Wins: Memphis, Sacramento, Miami, Milwaukee, Indiana, Charlotte, Memphis, New Jersey, Chicago, Golden State, Charlotte
Losses: Houston, Atlanta, Utah, Dallas, Houston
February: 9-3
Wins: New Orleans, Sacramento, Portland, Memphis, Atlanta, Sacramento, Oklahoma City, Philly, Clippers
Losses: Denver, Dallas, San Antonio
March: 10-4
Wins: Clippers, Utah, Indiana, New Orleans, Minnesota, Portland, Golden State, New York, Minnesota, New Jersey
Losses: Denver, Lakers, Utah, Chicago
April: 4-3
Wins: Detroit, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Denver
Losses: San Antonio, Houston, Utah
Playoffs:
4 seed
What do you think? Is 50-55 wins a fair assessment? Let us know!
In his latest video, Nash decides to do a spoof of the trendy “Vote for Me” All-Star videos that Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, and others have made famous.
However, Steve Nash takes a unique approach and pokes fun at the genre…
Is it just me…or does it seem like the Suns have lost their edge?
That ‘backs against the wall, everyone is against us’ type of mentality? That ‘it’s us versus you’ type of mindset?
Maybe it’s due to their success early on in the season and a false sense of confidence. Who knows. But if the Suns are going to make any sort of noise in the post-season, they are going to need their edge back.
It’s what we love about the Suns; everyone counts them out, they play with an insatiable amount of heart, and we love them for it.
Only…that’s not happening. At least not lately.
I don’t get the feeling that the Suns have that swagger they once had. They give up a league worst 13.2 offensive rebounds per game. They turn the ball over 15 times a game. They’re not gang-rebounding like they did to start the season. That chip on their shoulder is gone and with it, their underdog/prove-you-wrong mentality.
They can get that edge back tonight…with a convincing win against the Lakers.
I’m well aware that there are ups and downs during the NBA season, and teams will have multiple peaks and valleys that they’ll have to overcome. But this recent slump in December has shown me that the only way they’ll become the team we think they can be is with an edge.
It’s that same type of unity and edge the Warriors used to upset the Mavericks just a couple years ago. They had a belief in themselves and their team and no one could take that away from them.
The Suns started the season with that belief, but I get the feeling they have become disconnected with that mantra.
Hey, they win tonight against the Lakers…and maybe they’ll get that ‘glow’ back.
Tonight, the Suns host the San Antonio Spurs which undoubtedly conjures up a myriad of horrible memories in every sense of the word. Rather than talk about the history of the two teams, how they are rivals, and how much different things could’ve been…
I’ve chosen to enter the Confessional.
A while back, I wrote an article for Dime Magazine about the 5 players I love to hate, but would want them on my team. As I’m sure you can guess, the list was comprised of mostly Spurs, Lakers, and Mavericks players. On that list, was a name that will surprise no one – Tim Duncan.
However, I have a confession – I actually like the guy. /shields own face from flying hatred
I’ve continually put up a front that I can’t stand the guy. I suppose that’s true sometimes, but in the overall scheme of things…I admit it – I like Tim Duncan.
I’m a pretty honest person. I’m not shy in my love for the WNBA, or for Matt Barnes, or for the Dark Knight. Truthfully, I could care less if anybody judges me for liking things since I’m all about the philosophy of ‘to each his own’. But professing an actual respect for Tim Duncan was, admittedly, hard for me to do. This was the person that drilled that three pointer to bury the Suns in the playoffs. This was the person who tore apart the Suns defense every time we played him. This was the person who destroyed any hope of a Suns championship in multiple years. This was a guy who looked like at the ref like he just shot a puppy after every call on him.
Bless me Father…I just can’t bring myself to hate the guy.
Believe me, everything in me wants to. It goes against any and all fibers of my being. I really don’t why I have this ailment or affliction. I don’t have this same problem with Manu Ginobli. Or Tony Parker. Or Roger Mason Jr. Or Dirk Nowitzki. Or Jose Barea. Or Jason Terry. Or any Lakers player ever. But with Tim Duncan, I just…can’t…hate the guy.
Maybe it’s because in a world where players pound on their chest after making a routine lay-up, Duncan doesn’t do those things – I respect that. I respect that he generally has a low-key demeanor. Sure, he complains about every call but if we’re honest with ourselves, so do a good portion of Suns players.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t root for the guy. I don’t want him to win. I don’t want him to do well. I just don’t hate him like I do other Spurs players. I respect that he does his job and has never demanded the ball or needed “more touches” to be effective. If he gets 10 points or 40 points, he’s happy as long as the Spurs win. I respect that. He’s like Nash in that regard.
Did I really just compare Duncan to Nash? What the hell is wrong with me?
Maybe I’m just consumed with the holiday spirit. Yeah…that’s what it is…it has to be.
It’s truly amazing to me how this incident, which should be a non-issue, is getting so much attention.
This past week, Robin Lopez shattered a glass door after losing in a game of 3-on-3 after Suns practice. Apparently, he was so mad that he lost, he flung open a door near the Suns practice facility and the glass door broke. An entirely new door had to be ordered and Lopez was hit with the bill and a team fine.
I, for one, know exactly what Lopez was feeling at the time.
Robin was called “immature” and some writers even stated that his actions weren’t consisting of “normal competitive fire.” Really?? Getting angry at losing a basketball game isn’t normal? Walking out and opening a door somewhat hard isn’t normal?
Apparently, he’s also been labeled as having fits of “rage” while playing by screaming at himself for a missed shot. If yelling at yourself for missing a shot in basketball is a crime, then I should’ve been locked up years ago.
People that think that way obviously haven’t played basketball before at a high level. In my humble opinion, opening a door is considered calm. Fighting and beating the crap out of each other (which isn’t uncommon) is considered too much.
I’m saying this because I can completely relate with Robin on the basketball court. Like Robin, I’m an extremely low-key, easy-going guy off the court and it takes a lot to get me riled up. On the court, however, is a different story.
Anyone that has played ball with me before can attest to this. There is something about basketball that brings it out in people. Not only do I (and Robin) have an insatiable desire not to lose, it becomes magnified if you’re struggling yourself or having a difficult day on the floor. At this point, you’re not only mad because you’re losing, you’re pissed because you’re a big reason why. Truthfully, it’s competition at it’s best and coaches generally like this type of fire in their players because it shows they care. There is nothing wrong with getting frustrated at yourself for a moment in time as long as it doesn’t take you out mentally for the remainder of the game. I still struggle with this.
Robin doesn’t have anger issues. The incident isn’t a big deal. Let’s stop calling the guy immature and thinking he’s Bruce Banner.
For over 40 years now, Suns fans have been complaining about how ’soft’ the players are. Now, when we have a guy that actually shows some passion, we denounce him and act like he’s unstable. Seriously?
Does anyone else agree with me? Anyone that has competed in any sport in any level understands that things like this happen! Honestly, it was a bad decision to open a glass door that hard…but opening/slamming doors hard is not an example of an angry, immature, unstable person for crying out loud.
Give the kid a break. Personally, I love Lopez’s fire.
Almost a 1/3 of the way into the 09/10 NBA season and there is no confusion as to who the Phoenix Suns are. I, for one, couldn’t be happier.
Last season, the Suns had an identity crisis of epic proportions that drove many Suns fans to the brink of insanity. For example, my dumb a** even recorded a video of myself doing the Carlton dance to a Suns win and posted it on YouTube. Really? One win in the regular season made me that happy? It’s funny what the Suns will make me do.
Anyway, the team obviously couldn’t decide if they were centered around Shaq in the post or Nash with the ball. Should they run? How could Nash and Shaq be used effectively together? It wasn’t decided until the All-Star break what kind of team the Suns would be. Until then, Suns fans watched every game not knowing what team would show up or how the game would be played. This would lead to migraines and many broken things around Suns fans homes. Also YouTube videos of dancing when they did win.
This year, thankfully, the Suns have a clear identity and it’s showing early on with their better-than-expected 15-6 record. It’s pretty simple, really. We know what they have to do to win games and we know what will happen to warrant a loss.
Unless the Suns make a move before the trade deadline, this is what we are going to get. It’s certainly not rocket science and nothing earth-shattering.
Offense
The Suns aren’t the run-and-gun team of old, but they’re not a set offensive team either. They have a few offensive sets they throw around and play an effective high/low game with Channing Frye leading the defense out of the lane for Amare to go to work. They have great shooters along the perimeter and a select few players that can drive the ball into the lane and draw fouls. They don’t have a phenomenal rebounder so if they want to continue to run and put up 100+ points, they’ll need a gang-rebounding mentality that we’ve seen for about 12 of their wins so far. Clearly, the offense revolves around Nash and allowing the ball handlers the freedom to create which will win a lot of games in the regular season under Nash, but still has proven to be fairly ineffective in the post-season. They’ll struggle with the bigger teams and opponents who thrive in the post, but they’ll use their scoring prowess to counteract that.
Defense
They can be a good defensive team if they want to be. They don’t have any outstanding defenders to speak of, but their weak-side help and on-the-ball defense has improved under Gentry. What really kills this team is rebounding and the 2nd chance points they give up to other teams. It’s also clear that when the Suns play with a collective passion on defense they can hold teams to under 90 points. Part of this is because the Suns aren’t running as much on offense which allows them to exert more energy on the defensive end, but also because of a newfound mentality of responsibility and accountability that Gentry has instilled.
They’ll win games if…
They shoot the ball well. Simple as that. When the Suns make 10-12 three’s a game they are damn near unbeatable. However, in order to make as many shots as they do they need to rebound the ball and get out in transition. The Suns 15 wins have featured spectacular shooting from several different players combined with Nash’s ability to distribute. If that happens, and they watch their turnovers, they’ll win 50+ games this season.
They’ll lose games if…
They don’t shoot the ball well. Revolutionary, I know. But the Suns have an indelible need to shoot the ball well because they don’t have many players that can get to the foul line other than Amare to impact the game positively. Also, if they’re not shooting the ball well, they have to rely on their rebounding to create more shot opportunities and since they’re not a great collective rebounding team, the chances of winning while shooting poorly aren’t very good.
See how simple that is? There are no more decisions about who the offense should be run through or what type of style they should play. The Suns are who we thought they were – and I couldn’t be happier. At least we know what we’re getting into. The Suns have always played better as an underdog and are proving to be an easy team to root for.
They might not be a contender, but at least we know what we’re going to get.
The Suns are playing some amazing basketball right now, and it’s somewhat baffling to me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. In fact, life has been noticeably better and I’ve generally been in a fantastic mood since late October. But there isn’t a single person out there that can tell me that they aren’t surprised the Suns are 14-3 and playing so well.
Their leading scorer is averaging less than 20 points a game, they don’t have a completely dominant player like Lebron or Wade, and they aren’t known as a masterful defensive team. The Suns are a group of guys that love playing with each other, have a team-first mindset, and have bought into the idea that playing hard will get them wins. That’s fine, but can anyone honestly tell me when those qualities have translated into a team playing so well in the NBA? College, maybe – but those descriptors are used few and far between in professional sports today.
Perhaps what is most confusing is that there weren’t any significant changes to the team to speak of in terms of personnel. Sure, they signed Nash, Hill, and Frye but it’s not like the Celtics getting Rasheed Wallace or the Blazers getting Andre Miller – the off-season included (what we thought at the time) to be a couple tweaks and minor additions. However, you could make a case that the Suns are playing better than any of those teams, and even better than any team in the league.
Why?
I don’t have the answer, but I have a few ideas.
Idea #1: The Suns are happy again.
There is a noticeable change in the Suns demeanor this season. There are more smiles, more high-fives, more laughs. It certainly helps that they are winning but their body language is much different. They are having fun again, and enjoying basketball. They are playing as a collective unit and sacrificing individual goals for the betterment of the team. Last year, this didn’t happen. They weren’t having fun and they weren’t focused on the team aspect of things. Could this be why they are playing so well? Can’t hurt.
Idea #2: Gentry is a phenomenal coach.
Maybe Alvin Gentry is a better coach than even we Suns fans give him credit for. He’s a hero after turning the Suns around from the Porter fiasco, but it’s not because he gave the team back to Nash. Heck, we’re not even playing that fast. It’s that he’s inspired a confidence in his entire team. He’s instilled a belief in his guys that if they play hard and commit on the defensive end of the floor, good things will happen. There isn’t an arrogance in his coaching like D’Antoni had – it’s a disciplined, tough, gritty attitude and the Suns have bought it.
Idea #3: The competition has gotten worse.
Truthfully, there really aren’t many great teams in the NBA this season. Hell, there aren’t many good teams. Could it be that the Suns are better by default? Maybe. The Hornets aren’t going anywhere, the Clippers are disappointing, San Antonio is showing signs of ageing, and there just aren’t that many powerhouses like there were. Still, this means nothing if the Suns don’t play well and win the games they are supposed to.
No matter what your feelings are regarding Shaq, there is no denying that he wanted the ball and a certain amount of touches and shots each game. Even having that thought and verbalizing it hurt the Suns as there was a hesitation in every player’s mind that Shaq needs to get the ball soon, or else the locker room might be unhappy. This leads to an unspoken (or spoken) division between the contrasting mindsets and it showed on the court. This season, there isn’t a requirement or mandatory amount of touches a player requests since Nash is distributing the ball so well amongst the entire team. Maybe it’s unfair to blame Shaq for all the troubles last season, but the correlation between the Suns winning and Shaq being gone is hard to ignore.
Idea #5: The Suns are better than we gave them credit for last season.
Just because the Suns missed the playoffs last year didn’t make them a bad team per se. They still almost won 50 games and the competition in the West was as fierce as it’s ever been. Coupled with the coaching and style changes it just was a difficult year for the organization and fans all around. Gentry brought a new light and hope to the Suns future with his change in style, but it wasn’t enough to muster a playoff birth. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise for the Suns. Would the Suns have made as many moves had they made the playoffs? Would even a first round exit mean that Shaq was still here? Would Nash be here? Who knows, and those questions don’t really matter now. But it’s clear that with just a few minor tweaks, the Suns are rolling and confident.
I tend to lean toward a combination of all of these ideas as to why the Suns are playing so well. Honestly, there isn’t one right answer. Maybe the better question should be – damn, isn’t it good to be debating why the Suns are 14-3 and playing so well?
What do you think? Why are the Suns playing so well?
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.
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.
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.
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?
It’s a fair question, and one I never thought I’d ask.
However, with the Suns loss in L.A. last night, I began to accept just how important Jason Richardson is to this Phoenix Suns team. Yes, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire are just as valuable, but there is no denying the Suns are a much better team when J-Rich is playing well on both ends of the floor – as evidenced by the Suns losses in Orlando and Los Angeles.
To start, we must forget everything about the Jason Richardson we ‘think’ we know, and go by what he has shown us in the ‘09/10 season.
In the Suns two losses, Richardson scored a combined 5 points. Yes, a combined 5 points…think about that for a moment….In the Suns biggest wins of the year (at Boston, at Miami, at Philly) Richardson averaged 26 points per game, including 34 at Boston and 29 at Philly. In the Suns wins, he’s averaged about 53% shooting from the floor. In their 2 losses, he’s averaged a horrific 11% from the floor.
I’m a huge proponent that correlation does not mean causation, but in this case, the facts are hard to ignore. So…does the Suns success rest on the play of J-Rich? Yes and no.
Clearly, if the Suns are going to be a legitimate contender in the West they are going to need to shoot the ball well beyond the arc. When Richardson is feeling it, he’s as lethal as any player in the game. Watching him score 34 against the Celtics stifling defense was absolutely amazing, especially considering some of the shots he hit against a variety of defenders. He’s a key part of any scoring run the Suns produce and when he’s not hitting, i.e. 2-9, or 0-4, the Suns struggle.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s not that they are 8-1 it’s how they are winning that makes me so happy. All I want is a team that goes out, fights, plays hard, and I firmly believe the rest will work itself out (win or lose).
This brings us to another pivotal game tonight - against the dreaded rival, Los Angels Lakers.
I don’t know about you, but I think the following clip from the movie ‘Dodgeball’ sums up the Lakers perfectly…you’ll know what I mean.
They Lakers are also playing some solid basketball, but they’ve also shown vulnerabilities that I think the Suns can exploit IF they do the following…
1. Rebound
It’s pretty simple, the more rebounds the Suns get the more opportunities they have in transition, the more chances they have to run, the less chances of the Lakers destroying Phoenix on second-chance points, and the more probability the Suns have a chance to win.
Having said that, it’s not going to be easy to do so. The Lakers, like the Suns, are a gang-rebounding team…only they have about 5 legitimate rebounding machines (individually speaking) that get in the right place at the right time.
2. Run
The Lakers are too good a team to try and beat in the half-court. Thus, the Suns are going to need another 30-35 point quarter (or two) to put the Lakers on their heels.
However, part of being able to run is getting defensive stops and rebounding which the Suns have been doing well thus far into the season. If they do those things, they have the ability to
3. Intensity
The Suns have won about 5 of their games just by playing hard, which is absolutely encouraging. Playing hard leads to rebounds, to better defense, and to more opportunities to run. This may sound simple but I can assure you, it is what has killed the Suns in recent years.
With the youth they have, they should be able to put a solid 5 guys on the court at any given time that (if nothing else) will never give up and continually frustrate the Lakers (they are easily annoyed) and swing momentum.
The Lakers are coming off three days rest, so they’ll be ready to play just as hard.
—————
Hey, this is a winnable game especially with the Suns’ collective confidence riding high. If Phoenix doesn’t get intimidated, or decide they WANT to lose (/vomits), they can pull off upset in Los Angeles today.
I\'m just a die-hard Suns fan. Plain and simple. I\'ve followed the team for over 20 years and have played ball for about the same amount of time. I started this blog in hopes to provide a unique perspective on the Suns. Whether it\'s a suggestion for a new offense, changes in personnel, game previews/reviews, or just random thoughts...you\'ll find it here.
This blog is about the Suns fans, by a fan. Thus, you\'ll probably see pro-Suns content and anti-Lakers, Spurs, (insert name here) content. However, I do give props at the appropriate time and admit defeat as it will (inevitably) come.
This blog has been linked to by some of the top NBA blogs including Ball Don\'t Lie, Bright Side of the Sun, BallerBlogger, Empty the Bench, the Hoop Doctors, FanHouse, Blaze of Love, etc.
So take a look, let me know your thoughts, and thanks for reading. Contact me at bjyork15@gmail.com.
Oh, and GO SUNS.
Ben
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Tonight, the Suns host the San Antonio Spurs which undoubtedly conjures up a myriad of horrible memories in every sense of the word. Rather than talk about the history of the two teams, how they are rivals, and how much different things could’ve been…
Almost a 1/3 of the way into the 09/10 NBA season and there is no confusion as to who the 
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. 
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