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The View from the Other Side (of the ocean): Episode 1

Boy it's been a long summer eh? It looks like it's been years since the Spurs took down our beloved Suns, a slight disappointment that capped off what was still an exceptional season. After just a few months everybody is doubting us, saying we can't win without Stoudemire, injured for the rest of the season. Looks like everybody forgot what we just did the last May...oh wait, sorry, I got confused. It's not 2005, yet, somehow, they are still doubting a successful Suns team that lost it's primary offensive option. And you thought people learn from their mistakes.

Look I'm not saying we're gonna make it to the Western Conference Finals like the underdog '05-'06 Suns team did. I'm just saying people might want to be a little cautious when discounting a team that still has The Amazing Steve Nash, Jason Richardson at his best, has acquired a clutch guy like Turkoglu and a dynamic sixth man kinda guy like Childress. All of that while maintaining their core of young rising players (Fropez and Goran the Dragon).

Alex Laugan has already shown us just how wrong people from the mother-ship can be. We all know that. But I have a sense that even people within our community, us, the "Brightsiders", are doubting this team. Let's put aside the beaten-down and repeated-to-death notions that Nash is old and the West is tough. Yawn, we know that. For the sake of my argument, and also because I started writing this before the game, let's put aside the Vancouver Drubbing as well (losing by 51 even in a preseason game is pretty bad but it's still only a freaking preseason game).


So why my optimism?


Well maybe it's because I'm far away, on the other side of the ocean, maybe it's because yesterday night the Lakers played in my city, in Barcelona, and I can still feel their stink filling up my nostrils, making me sick and craving revenge. Maybe it's the little optimist in me, you know, the one who always hides in my real life but pops out when it comes to sports and, especially, the Suns. Maybe I just need to believe in this team, because I need to believe insomething.


Also, why not?


Why not believe in this team? Nash is going to be his usual self: great leader, great shooter, even better passer and a liability on the defensive end. Hill will hold up another season, and even if he doesn't, we have plan B (start Dudley), and plan C (start Childress). Robin Lopez is going to be better than last year and he's going to be featured on offense much more than we were used to, which is a good thing because the kid can play. Seth and a other reporters from the Valley are all talking about his new moves (and, apparently, they're not referring to some new way of shattering locker room doors). Richardson has now so much confidence we'll forget about his missed 360's and botched last second dunks. We're still deep, heck, I think we're even deeper than last year. Yeah, we'll miss Amar'e. It's hard to replace his offensive power. But scoring has never been a problem, not even when we were trotting out the frightening front-court twin towers featuring Doris Gimme-a-Croissant Diaw and Kurt I-Can't-Jump-Over-a-Newspapaer Thomas. This team success has always depended on the D. And, call me a delusional fool but we have better defenders on this team that none other Suns team before. Especially in the second unit, lead by a pesky Dragic and the thinner than ever Dudley.


I might be wrong but until reality proves it I'm going to spend the 100 or more dollars that I need to get my International League Pass so that I can wake up in the middle of the night to watch some Suns Basketball. Just like I did the past six years.


Oh and yeah, the "Episode 1" in the title means I might write this "View From the Other Side (of the Ocean)" periodically. Stay tuned.