Bright Side Of The Sun: FanPosts

Move over Pau, Amar'e's the new best big man in the league

2010-03-20T05:39:15Z

Seriously, the man is on a tear. He's playing defense. He's hustling. His offensive repertoire is insane. Amar'e Stoudemire is seriously making a case that he not only deserves the money he's asking for but a case for being the best power forward in the NBA as well as the best big man. This title once belonged to Pau Gasol as being the most skilled big man in the league but I think at this point, there's no contest.

Remember in the past few seasons when you'd be biting your nails when you see STAT holding the ball for more than 5 seconds and were just waiting for him to make a bad play? I know I was because those were the times when the Suns would usually have a turnover due to a bad play from STAT. Now he knows when to attack and how to attack. He's playing much smarter and I think he's shown he's the best big man in the NBA.

He has monster games against the best of the NBA's bigs. When he faces Dwight Howard, he always takes him to school. He had a few bad games earlier this season against the Lakers but seriously, he was still coming back. The last 2 meetings had him dominating and Robin Lopez definitely helped take off some of the pressure. He easily abuses Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett when he plays against them and they're 2 of the best defensive big men in the league.

Offensively, Stoudemire's in another stratosphere and I don't think any player has a more complete game. The man can dunk, post up, dribble and drive, spot up and shoot, and he even has a fadeaway shot. He's a good free throw shooter so he's not someone you'd feel comfortable sending to the line. (Work on those free throws, Dwight!) Also, when he comes at you, he comes at you HARD. I doubt there's anyone who'd question his toughness. Defensively, we know that he's CAPABLE of being an double digit rebounder and a great shot blocker. The guy has great leaping abilities and is an athletic freak. With his abilities, he should easily be a formidable defensive presence and now it looks like he's slowly progressing in that direction. With Robin down there with Amar'e to protect the paint, both are able to come from the weak side to block shots. It's a win-win situation for them. Also, Amar'e's learning not to leave his feet when he's guarding his man so he's not in foul trouble as much as he was in previous years.

I think he's clearly the best big man in the NBA now and if he continues to beast like this, that max contract is well-deserved. Amar'e gets bashed for a lot of things that he doesn't do but those bashers are spoiled fans who can't appreciate what they have. He's the only big man that is perfect for our system and we would never be able to find another player to fill in that gap. The Suns need him. Speaking as a true Suns fan, we will definitely regret having Stoudemire leave.

Amar'e really is Standing Tall And Talented. 'Nuff said.

SB Nation Survey + Chance to donate $500 to a charity of this community's choice

2010-03-20T00:47:52Z

>> Take SB Nation Survey

Hello sports fans! We're always striving to provide you with the best experience possible and it's been quite some time since we checked in with you.

So we're rolling out this survey to learn more about you and your sports world. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete.

We really appreciate your time and this is also going to help make a donation to a good cause.

By next Thursday (3/25) at 11:59pm PST the site that has the highest percentage of their community filling out the attached survey about their sports interests and consumption will win $500 to donate to a charity of their choice. We will leave it up to the discretion of the community manager(s) of the winning blog to decide how to choose the particular charity.

You can take the survey HERE

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WYR2WQT

Thanks for your support!

Steve Nash: Point Geezer..

2010-03-19T22:59:07Z

Now, I'm not normally one to pay attention to box scores or stats, basically because I don't believe they tell anything except a crude indication of how someone played, and sometimes they don't do even that. But, on occasion, I get sentimental, and these stats are useful to mark career milestones of interest, and even importance.

So, with that said, it should be noted (courtesy of ESPN.com) that Steve Nash, with 750 assists this season, has blown past John Stockton's record of 713 assists in a season (2000-2001), for a player over the age of 35. And he still has 14 games to go until the end of the season.

Of course, it goes without saying that Steve is leading the league in assists, and more importantly he's leading the most efficient offense in the NBA, as he has for the last 10 or so years, by some margin (the difference in offensive efficiency, according to Hollinger, is greater between the Suns, and the #2 team Nuggets, than it is between the Nuggets and the #10 Spurs)

If Steve has a lasting legacy, it might be the inspiration to players like Kobe and LeBron, that if they take care of themselves, and adopt a more skillful and cerebral game, they can have a long career, playing at the highest level.

[Podcast] Seven Minutes or Less: Banged-up Jazz visit Suns

2010-03-19T18:28:24Z

Tonight's game against the Jazz is supposed to be 1) big in itself and 2) a barometer for the playoffs. Deron Williams and Andre Kirilenko being out (possibly) is great for number one, bad for number two. Again, this is all assuming hte Suns want the number four seed. New guest Sam Fisher just wants to see the Suns improve their killer instinct, as well as Barbosa earn his pt back.

Do you want the Jazz in the first round? Where do the Suns rank in terms of killer instinct? And will LB regain his lost form? E-mail your comments to sevenminutesorless@fanster.com, and hear them addressed in tomorrow's show.

S.M.O.L. is a Phoenix Suns podcast for the fans, by the fans, in seven minutes or less. Saturday features a full 24-minute shot-clock for the show, with a more in-depth look at the Suns, including responses to e-mail questions/comments from fans and listeners. If your comment/question is good, you could be asked to make an appearance on the show.

*Content originally produced and published by Matt Petersen on Fanster.com.

Phoenix Suns

Jazz vs Suns coverage

Jazz vs Suns preview

Poll

Who poses the biggest threat to the Suns tonight?

How confident are you in these Phoenix Suns?

2010-03-18T19:34:43Z

We're in the stretch run and I can't see us losing more than 3-4 games. That should put our record at 52-30 or 53-29 by the time the season is over.

Every time we've entered the playoffs in this Nash era I always had an ideal of how far we could go and I was usually right up until the 08 season(I was a 100% sure we could be the Spurs that year). I believed I knew the team very well and that I could say how confident they were and how confident I was in them. However, this year is different. It's been so up and down I that I can't really say how good we are; I don't really know. Sometimes we look like contenders and sometimes we don't. Our team as of late has been playing well and Gentry has said this is who we are. Even than I still don't really know what to expect from this team in the playoffs?

Maybe if we look at every match-up to see how well we fare against the other playoff teams we could get a better ideal of just how good we really are.

Portland

Injuries have hurt them all season long. They no longer have Blake because they traded him for Camby who got hurt. They're a good team that can give us fits. However, despite their 2-0 lead over us in the season series I am confident enough to say that we could beat them. It would take us 6 games, but we could beat them. Just remember that these guys have yet to win a playoff series and still don't have much playoff experience.

Dallas

Always a great match-up when we play these guys. In the past they've always had a tough time containing Amar'e. Now they have Haywood who has turned them into a great team that can seriously challenge the Lakers. I'm not so sure what to make of these Mavs though. We really can't put any stock in the 1st two games because us and the Mavs are a different team since then. In the last game they took a 20 point lead, we came back, but couldn't get a defensive stop at the end. We did miss a ton of open threes that we usually make though. In a potential playoff series they would have the home-court advantage, but it wouldn't matter. It never does when the Suns and Mavs play each other. We've had some of our most memorable wins against these guys on the road in the playoffs, so it doesn't matter. With that said I think we could take them to 7 games, but I'm not so sure we could win. That is how confident I feel against these Mavs.

Thunder

I know Kevin Durant is a scary player to play against because his length gives us problems, but I don't fear the Thunder. They have no playoff experience. For a team that was suppose to suck this season they will be glad just to be in the playoffs. No way they get past the 1st round. We could beat them in 5 games. I'd be surprised if it took us 6. I don't think home-court would matter in a potential series.

San Antonio

Well, last time I said we could beat these guys they beat us pretty badly, so I won't say anything. However, I will say that the chances of us beating the Spurs in a playoff series this year are greater than they were in any other year of the Nash era. Does that make you feel better?

Utah

In all honesty I kind of don't want to play these guys for a couple of reasons. Boozer, Okur and Milsap may not be good interior defenders, but they're big and like to crash the boards. Their physical play gives us problems. Second, I live in Utah and the Energy Solutions Arena is loud and it only gets louder in the playoffs. In order to beat these guys in Utah in the playoffs you have to have beaten them in Utah in the regular season to have the confidence to beat them in Utah in the playoffs. Does that make sense to you? We haven't done that yet. Home-court advantage will matter in this match-up. If we have it than I think we win in 7 games. If we don't than I don't think our chances are good. However, I will point out that Utah is the one team out of all the playoff teams that Amar'e can go off for 30 in each game. At least that is comforting to know.

Denver

Seems like everybody on this website believes they are our best match-up. I agree. Hill and Dudley have done a decent job on Carmelo. Lou usually picks up his game every time we go up against them. We've won in Denver; in fact we blew them out there, so home-court advantage wouldn't matter. However, I feel that too many Suns fans underestimate the fact that they think they can win a Championship. I have a hard time imagining that a team like them will lose in the 1st round. I'd be more comfortable playing these guys in the semis. I think we could beat them in 6 games, maybe 7.

I won't put too much stock in the first three games because they were all very early in the season and we are a different team since then. However, our last game was very similar to the last Mavs game. They took a 15 point lead, but we came back. Bynum and Gasol gave us problems, but Amar'e and Lou gave them problems. It felt good to know that we could compete with these guys despite not being able to hit our shots. Kobe has done a very good job defending J-Rich in all 4 games. I don't expect J-Rich to have a good serious against LA in the playoffs because of this. Their length gives us problems, but we can still compete with them. I don't think we could beat them. I believe we would win two games at the least and maybe take them to 7 games. I just don't feel this team is ready to beat the Lakers. Lopez and Dragic are young and inexperienced. I'm not sure how they would fare against LA.

Lets compare us to the East contenders.

Cleveland

If we played these guys in the Finals we would win only one game. We just don't match-up that well with them at all. No one can guard Lebron. It doesn't help us either that they now have Jamison. They are good team defensively and they can rebound the ball. They can play fast or slow. They are our worst nightmare. We have a better shot at beating LA than we do these guys. If we somehow through some miracle made the Finals; Cleveland is the one team I wouldn't want to face.

Orlando

If we played them in the Finals we'd win one of the first two games on the road. I guarantee it. We'd win all three games at home as well. Yes, we'd beat them in 5 games. That is how confident I am in our team against Orlando. We match-up well with them. Amar'e for some reason has always out-played Dwight Howard. I am not afraid of the Magic.

Atlanta

We would beat them in 6-7 games. We match-up well with them. It would be a fun series. I believe we are a better team than them.

Boston

Two years ago these guys looked immortal. Now they look like a team that will struggle just to make the semis. In fact they struggle against fast paced teams like us. We are their worst nightmare in an unlikely finals match-up. Not to mention J-Rich is a Boston killer and he would go off for 30 in this series.

There you have it. That is how confident I feel against all of these teams. Now let me sum this up. We can compete with anyone in the Western Conference, however, the chances of us beating the Jazz without the Home-court advantage aren't good. The chances of us beating LA and Dallas are small, but we do have a shot. We can beat anyone else. We can beat all the contenders out East except for the Cavs. In fact the Cavs are the one team on this list who I said we can't compete with. Just imagine if Phoenix was in the Eastern Conference; we'd be the 2nd seed! With all of this said are we not contenders? If the Suns can compete with all the Western teams than doesn't that make them contenders? There have been teams with only 40+ wins that have won Championships in NBA history. What does it take to be a contender? Can somebody give me a list of requirements?

Well, I still don't know. I won't call us a contender, but I won't say that we aren't a contender. I will say this though. Going into the season my expectations of the Suns were to win 50 games at the least and win one playoff series and go as far as they can go from there on out. Just because it would feel good. Just because Grant has yet to get past the 1st round. Just because it might persuade Amar'e to stay one more year. If they accomplish that I will be satisfied with this season. That's something I couldn't say about the last two seasons. I believe this goal is realistic and I believe these Suns can do that. That is how confident I am in this team so, how confident are you in these Phoenix Suns?

could this guy be a future steve nash?

2010-03-18T17:40:31Z

riend of mine sent me this highlight reel of an american Point guard that is one of the surprise of the seasons in the german league. Josh wilson graduated from Northern arizona university averaged a mediocre 9 pts and 4 assists. Managed to get signed in germany last fall and has been on tear currently averaging 15 pts and 5.5 assists. He has a very similar style of game to steve nash except he also has above average quickness. He is well known for his court vision but is surprising a lot of people with his ability to get to the basket using solid ball handling skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etkKMYs4F4s

what do you guys think?

[Podcast] SMOL: Suns are only "March Madness" for Arizona now

2010-03-18T17:32:39Z

Arizonans, sadly, do not have a team to favorably move up in their brackets this month. But there is a consolation prize...sort of. This month in the NBA is the stretch run for teams trying to secure the best playoff seed they can get, and the Suns are in the thick of the "Avoid the Lakers" race. Games against the Jazz and Blazers are huge if Phoenix really wants that number four seed. But should they want it that bad if it means playing the Jazz and then the Lakers in the first two rounds?

E-mail your thoughts on the Suns' playoff run or comment below, and we'll address your say this Saturday on Seven Minutes or Less.

S.M.O.L. is a Phoenix Suns podcast for the fans, by the fans, in seven minutes or less. Saturday features a full 24-minute shot-clock for the show, with a more in-depth look at the Suns, including responses to e-mail questions/comments from fans and listeners. If your comment/question is good, you could be asked to make an appearance on the show.

Poll

Who would you rather see the Suns play in the first round?

What does 1 D-League game tell us about Earl Clark?

2010-03-18T14:34:31Z

Earl Clark got his first burn in the D-League last night and did pretty darn well (see Seth's write-up here). 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and a block. Sure it's only 1 game, but what does that tell us about Earl? Or, about the Suns?

After an overnight of reflection, I don't think it tells us anything about Earl that we didn't already know. Earl has uber-talent. He was touted as having enough talent to have been a top-5 pick in the draft last spring. He's 6-10" and he can pass, shoot (don't laugh now), rebound, and play defense. At Louisville, he was credited with being a very good team player and floor leader. But he dropped to the Suns at 14 due to questions about his "fire". And some of us questioned the pick at times this season as we watched yet another ill-advised jumper clang off the rim.

But I think that, for the most part, we all were witholding final judgment until *next* season. After all, Lopez and Dragic looked terrible last year and look where they are now. Earl could do the same.

So Earl is plenty-talented. And so were Lopez and Dragic last year.

So why does Earl look SO bad with the Suns this year? Especially while players with lesser pedigree do so well on other teams (Marcus Thorton (2nd round), Sundiata Gaines, Anthony Tolliver and 4 other D-league-turned-Warriors, to name a few)?

Maybe it's the Suns system? The Suns rely on rhythm and teamwork and high-percentage shots. Oh, and they want to win more games than they lose.

The Warriors offense is iso-heavy. You score when you can score, whether it's putting up a long 3-ball or driving to the hoop or shooting a contested 20-footer. If you make your shots, you can stay in the game. Defense is filler. And if the other team scores more points, who cares (Warriors lose twice as many games as they win). A Warriors game is like an All-Star game. Everyone's trying to make the coolest-looking play. Winning is optional.

The Hornets are devastated by injury and suffocated by lack of wing talent (Devin Brown? Morris Peterson?), which conspired to open up big minutes for Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton this season. And they are filling up the stat sheet nightly as a result. The team is even playing around .500 ball, a credit to Jeff Bowyer and a good system. but they are not threats for the post-season. And that's a huge disappointment in the big easy. Just 2 years ago, the Hornets were the hot young team poised for a WCF appearance.

Then there's Oklahoma City - the latest hot young team. OKC has great young talent, and are tied with the Suns in the playoff standings. What a model franchise huh? Well, when those great players were rookies, how many games did they win? There's a reason the Thunder picked #2 overall (Durant), #4 overall (Westbrook) and #4 overall (local guy James Harden) in back-to-back-to-back seasons - because they didn't win many games in the first 2 of those seasons (or in many seasons prior to that). Durant and Westbrook got a LOT of burn in their rookie seasons, and winning was optional.

So, I really think we need to put Earl's season in perspective. On a lesser team, or one devastated by injury (Amare or even Lou), he might have played a lot this season. Maybe even getting us all lathered up over his potential. But he would be making lots of mistakes out there too. And he'd likely be on a roller-coaster of good games followed by bad ones.

And the Suns would not be 42-26 right now, readying themselves for a postseason run that *might* *could* be better than any in several years.

So let's give Earl and the Suns a pass (for now), and thank the D-League for giving him some burn. I'm glad he's been on the Suns bench all season rather than in Iowa. He's learning how to win, and how to fit in. Just give him a summer of reflection and growth, and I'll bet we see a much better version of him next season.

Let's do comic strip versions of recaps like this example

2010-03-18T03:23:30Z

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=183725

This season is so filled with drama that it deserves a place in comicdom i.e. "Robin smashing the window", Grant "hurt", Gentry ejected, the Amare roller coaster i.e. will he or won't he etc. The rooks deserve to be mentioned in their own sidekick spin-off. Dragic the Dragon. Robin the Lopez and Louis "Hands" i don't know.

I find game threads more stimulating than recaps and that's why I'm proposing this.

Let's call this rag "The Suns' last ride" or any other name we like...

The Suns' underrated defense

2010-03-17T21:31:13Z

I'll try to make this as short as possible. So-called "experts" usually rank the Suns in the lower tiers when it comes to defense mainly because the Suns allow a good amount of points. I think this is totally stupid. Different teams have different styles and play at different paces. Of course the points allowed would be skewed when a team like the Suns play at a higher tempo and score a lot. What they don't notice is that when the Suns allow that many points, they usually outscore their opponents by a good bunch whilst allowing those points. It's just a reflection of the pace and not bad defense.

Main stats to look at to measure a team's true defense is opponent's FG% and the point differentials. Look at the game against the Wolves. We allowed 114 points but in the process, we scored 152. I believe the Suns have their opponents' FG% somewhere in the 40s so that's pretty good. (I'm not sure so don't quote me on that). Sometimes, I think points allowed is a terrible measure of a team's defense. That would allow some of the slower paced teams to be considered great defensively. I'm not saying my idea is perfect but these "experts" need to take into consideration the different playing styles of certain teams.

Seven Minutes or Less

2010-03-17T19:03:44Z

The Timberwolves had to have something positive to talk about after last night's mauling at the hands of the Suns. Too bad Robin Lopez was the victim. And we mean victim (see below). Still, aside from being a foolish poster boy, Lopez had a good night (along with everyone else wearing a Suns uniform). Devin likes the bench with Barbosa's scoring at its disposal, but agrees with Gentry that he'll have to earn his way back into the rotation.

Were we too harsh on Lopez? Not harsh enough? And what's your take on LB's return? Let us know by e-mailing sevenminutesorless@fanster.com, and we'll respond this Saturday.

*Content originally produced and published by Matt Petersen on Fanster.com

Poll

What stood out more in the Suns' win over the T-Wolves?

Phoenix Suns: The Home Stretch!

2010-03-15T08:21:25Z

Well Folks it's mid march and we're in the middle of a usual western conference home stretch battle. Lets take a look at our remaining schedule as well at our foes remaining schedule and try to get a sense of where we'll finish. I'm not sure if any of you have taken a look at our remaining schedule but It's a DOOZEY to say the least. Don't judge me for saying DOOZEY....I've never said it before but I decided to take a walk on the danger side and give it a try.

Anyways...back to the schedule.

March 16: vs Minnesota (14-53) W
March 19: vs Utah (42-24) M
March 21: vs Portland (41-28) M
March 22: AT Golden State (18-47) W
March 26: vs New York (23-43) W
March 28: AT Minnesota (14-53) W
March 30: AT Chicago (31-34) W
March 31: AT New Jersey (7-59 The Lopezapooloza...I'm on a friggin' role here, seriously.) W
April 2: AT Detroit (23-43) W
April 3: AT Milwaukee (36-29) M
April 7: vs San Antonio (39-25) M
April 9: AT Oklahoma City (41-24) M
April 11: vs Houston (33-31) M
April 13: vs Denver (45-21) M
April 14: AT Utah (42-24) M
Combined Record: 452-538

7 For Sure Wins, 8 Maybes

Legend : W=Win M=Maybe

As you can see that isn't tough looking but playing Minnesota twice and New Jersey has to do with it. To the right of the record I have put a predicted win or maybe based on hours and hours of scientifical mathematics, red bulls and edamacated guessing.

Basically what I'm saying is despite our long home stand we have a schedule that is going to KICK our ass. We have two crucial games against Utah along with games against SA, OKC, and Portland all of which are seperated by a measly 2.5 games...I didn't count Denver since I'd pretty much rule them out of reach. So, what do you guys(Or sexy ladies out there...Do we any sexy ladies on this site..If we do and you are single just know that I love you...I also loved the married ones but in a different forbidden lust kind of way.) think? I'd say we would be LUCKY to win 10 games.

Now, lets take a look at our four biggest threats...Utah, OKC, SA, and Portland

Oklahoma City Remaining Schedule: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=okc&year=2010
Utah Remaining Schedule: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=uth&year=2010
San Antonio Remaining Schedule: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=sas&year=2010
Portland Remaining Scehdule: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=por&year=2010

Opponents projected record based on total guessing:

Oklahoma City: 7 Wins 10 Maybes
Utah: 11 Wins 5 Maybes
San Antonio: 5 Wins 13 Maybes...I marked Phoenix down as a maybe just because Tony Parker is out.
Portland: 5 Wins 8 Maybes

Did this post help your confusion or just make you more confused? I'd say outside of Utah we have the easiest schedule and I'm saying that lightly. It all depends on Nash's Back, Barbosa's reintroduction into the offense and our now in question center position. I'd say at the ABSOLUTE best we can get a fifth seed, our worst being the seventh seed.

What do you guys think? What's our ceiling and what's our bottom? How do you like your chances and who do you think is the best play off match up? Either way we're not getting home court advantage unless D-Williams blows up...Who would you rather play on the road...Utah, Dallas, or Denver?

Watch out....It's the symbiote STEVE NASH!!!!!

via i3.photobucket.com

Poll

Out of Phoenix's 15 remaining games how many wins do you expect?

Earl Clark Sent to D-League

2010-03-15T20:11:23Z

According to ESPN.com... "Suns rookie forward Earl Clark has been sent to the D-League's Iowa Energy. He has not played that much this season and the Suns want him to get some game action. His stint will last three games.

"He just needs some minutes," Suns general manager Steve Kerr told The Arizona Republic. "The best way to develop is to play. He's done a great job in practice, but we haven't had a lot of practice time."

What do you guys think? Good move, bad move, or who cares?

I like it. Even though it is not the same competition as in the NBA it is still competitive and will atleast get him some more game experience and time to work on certain things like his shot selection and offensive arsenal.

Starting to become a big fan of Goran Dragic.Any more info. to give me?

2010-03-15T02:35:31Z

Hi there.I've watched a LOT of SUNS games this season and more and more Goran Dragic is grabbing my attention.

He plays so much like Steve! Becides, they look alike from certain angles.

Now I'm keen on obtaining information about HIM. Would you guys do me a favor?

Anything is appreciated, links, profile, articles, etc. ANYTHING about GORAN DRAGIC!

Thanks.

PS:Nice to meet you all, SUNS fans. I myself is a fan from China, which renders me not so familiar with he community here. I really need ur HELP!

Steve Nash's Age Finally Catching On?

2010-03-13T06:11:07Z

Steve Nash is now 36 years old although he hasn’t played like it for much of the season. We have all been waiting to see when his age will show, and I think we have begun to witness that decline in his play over the past few months. Yes, he is a little banged up, but that is no excuse to not be able to make the simple plays. There have been plays over some of the past few losses where making the simple play at the end could have helped the suns get a W. however, Nash made either the wrong play, or tried to go for the big play and could not convert. Yes, we trust steve taking some of those shots but with his back hurting those “good” shots suddenly turn into not so good shots. The lakers game was a great example of his deterioration. There were plenty of plays that could have changed the outcome of the game but Nash failed to make the right ones. First of all, STAT had 17 and 8 in the first quarter alone, there is no way he should have finished with just 29. Steve needs to recognize that when they are struggling from the perimeter they need to go inside and the way Amar’e is playing, he is the answer. We also know Nash is not know for defense, but there is no excuse in not closing out. Steve had a couple of times where the ball came right back out and Nash just stood there and stared at Artest and Fisher shoot wide open 3’s. there are times when I feel more comfortable with Dragic instead of Nash. There were also a couple of plays with under a minute where the suns defense kept them within 4 and steve made the wrong play. First they got a stop and with around 56 seconds left Nash went for a quick 3 to try and get the suns within 1 pt.. it is a shot he usually makes but with his back it’s a whole different story. The next suns possession after getting a block he tried to get the ball to Hill and turned it over. Those were 2 plays that could have made it a whole different game. So I ask you this suns fans, nowadays, do you still feel comfortable when Nash has the ball at the end of a close game? Who would you rather have in at the end of the game, Nash for his faltering offense or Dragic for his Defense? Unlike Hill, who has missed a bunch of games over the years, Nash’s wear and tear seems to be catching up to him.

Fourth Seed Is Possible But At What Price

2010-03-11T21:03:50Z

With 16 games left on their schedule and with 5 days of rest under their belts The Suns are about to embark on their final push for the highest possible seed. A realistic look tells us that a fourth seed is about the best the team could hope to achieve.

The top six teams are all winning at well above a 60% rate. Barring any sort of collapse by the Utah Jazz and assuming they maintain their present winning percentage, The Jazz will win 54 or 55 games. To have a chance at a fourth seed, the Suns will have to win at least 15 of their final 16 and probably will have to win out because the Jazz have the tie break.

Could the Jazz stumble? Sure, it could happen. Is it likely? I think not. The Jazz are playing really well and they are relatively healthy. They appear to have a fair chance to catch Denver and finish as the third seed.

What would it cost the Suns in terms of energy and physical breakdown to try and win their last 16 games? Is this even any sort of realistic goal? Is there any team in any sport that could actually function under that load of pressure?

We all do our best when we play or work 'in the moment'. So called 'clutch players or teams' are simply those who perform to their usual standard in pressure situations. (Bill Ellias has proven this in baseball).

I hope that the Suns will simply approach each of their last 16 games just like they have approached every game since the All Star break. There is no "must win 16 in a row" pressure on this team. If Denver or Utah suddenly shift into reverse and come back below the Suns, we'll take it.

Hopefully, The Suns can enter the playoffs in a relaxed and healthy state. So often in the past, the team has gone into the post season physically spent and injured.

Suns: #5 seed locked in? Utah on tap

2010-03-11T15:07:23Z

The Suns have 17 games remaining on their schedule, yet look quite certain to finish the season exactly where they are right now: in 5th place. (well, right now they're tied for 5th, but the Thunder's occupation will be short-lived)

The Suns' most likely playoff opponent is the Utah Jazz.

Take a look at the remaining schedules for each team (click the link for schedule). Suns, Nuggets and Jazz have the easiest road ahead, while the Mavericks' road is slightly tougher and the Thunder's sked is murder (at least in April, when the opponents are tough and sphincters at the all-time tightest).

The Jazz, Nugs and Mavs all look to finish at about 56-57 wins. The Nuggets have won their season series against the Jazz, and so would finish with a higher seed if their records end up equal. The only way the Suns face the Mavs is if the Dirkies really choke some gimmies between now and the end of the year.

Suns Remaining Schedule			Thunder Remaining Schedule
March	Opponent	Prediction	March	Opponent	Prediction
Fri 12	vs LA Lakers	L	Fri 12	vs New Jersey	W
Sun 14	vs New Orleans	W	Sun 14	vs Utah	W
Tue 16	vs Minnesota	W	Wed 17	@ Charlotte	L
Fri 19	vs Utah	W	Fri 19	@ Toronto	W
Sun 21	vs Portland	W	Sun 21	@ Indiana	W
Mon 22	@ Golden State	W	Mon 22	vs San Antonio	L
Fri 26	vs New York	W	Wed 24	vs Houston	W
Sun 28	@ Minnesota	L	Fri 26	vs LA Lakers	L
Tue 30	@ Chicago	L	Sun 28	vs Portland	W
Wed 31	@ New Jersey	W	Tue 30	@ Philadelphia	W
April	Opponent		Wed 31	@ Boston	W
Fri 02	@ Detroit	W	April	Opponent
Sat 03	@ Milwaukee	W	Sat 03	@ Dallas	L
Wed 07	vs San Antonio	W	Sun 04	vs Minnesota	W
Fri 09	@ Oklahoma City	W	Tue 06	@ Utah	L
Sun 11	vs Houston	W	Wed 07	vs Denver	L
Tue 13	vs Denver	L	Fri 09	vs Phoenix	L
Wed 14	@ Utah	W	Sun 11	@ Golden State	W
			Mon 12	@ Portland	L
			Wed 14	vs Memphis	W

Remaining Games		13-4	Remaining Games		11-8
Current Record		40-25	Current Record		39-24
Final Record		53-29	Final Record		50-32

All tolled, it looks like the Suns will sit comfortably in the #5 hole (at a likely 53-29), with a 2 or 3 game cushion between them and the teams above and below them.

Just look at that closing sked for the Thunder. Geez. Hate to be them. In fact, they could drop to 7 or 8 seed before it's over. The Blazers and Spurs are too far back to finish any higher than the 6 seed, given the easy finishes by the 1-5 seeds.

Of course, I am assuming of course that no team has a debilitating injury, and that current play is indicative of the future.

So what do you think? Agree, disagree?

Bright Siders I need your help-which games to keep

2010-03-11T01:06:30Z

Well it was bound to happen. The DVR officially can't hold anymore games and I need to make some room..here's the games I have recorded..which would you drop?Top 3 games will be recycled into the great beyond. And on another note entirely,does anyone know how to record games off their DVR for posterity?

It's amazing how much you can learn from a 2nd watching of a game..I highly reccommend it to anyone who wants to up their understanding of the game.

Poll

All these games are special in a way ( for one thing they're all Suns victories ) but if you had to get rid of one, which would you?

12/11 Orlando- we get revenge for our earlier blowout loss and Gundy calls nash the MVP of the league
12/15- San Antonio- sweet sweet victory over the hated spurs
1-6- Houston- Our first match up of the season and a gritty come from behind performance
1/28 Dallas- Hard fought win over the Mavs, one of the first sightings of our lock down 4th quater D *bonus*: Jason Terry says the suns don't play D at halftime
2/3 Denver- slightly tainted with no carmelo, but still a solid win
2/19 Atlanta- Stingy D by the boys allows ATL only 80 points
2/23 OKC Epic performance by the boys to squeak out a win without Nash
3/1 2/3 Denver- beatuiful game topped off with a stifling 2nd quarter D allowing only 11 points
3/6-Indy If this ballgame was a video game it would be Streets of Rage: Channing Frye edition

46 votes | Results

Poll: Which win is more important? Lakers on Friday or Jazz on 19th

2010-03-10T15:39:08Z

Both games occur in the next week and a half, and both are at home. Of course, we would love to get both wins. And if we get both, I'll be very happy. But judging by the Suns' history, the likelihood of winning both is low.

So, if you had to choose, which would it be? A win over the hated, title-favored Lakers? Or a win over the f*#$!*& Jazz team against whom we twice had a big lead only to blow it?

Vote in the poll, and then explain your vote below.

Poll

Which game is MORE important to win?

Should Nash sit out on Friday?

2010-03-09T04:15:00Z

As you all know we play the Lakers this Friday. If we beat them we can even the season series 2-2 which would give our team more confidence for when we meet them in the playoffs. However, If Nash plays and we lose than its almost like we should have just rested him. The Lakers are a tough team to beat no matter their struggles and is it worth it to have an unhealthy Nash play against them? Or would it be better to let him heal up for the playoffs coming up in a month?

Right now we stand at a 40-25 record. We aren't that far from catching the Jazz 40-22, but the Spurs 36-25 and the Thunder 38-24 aren't that far from catching us. With that said, isn't every game important from here on out? Do we really want to risk sitting Nash against the Lakers just so he can get a few more days rest? On the other hand; how many of you would like to see Dragic start vrs the Lakers with Barbosa taking all those backup minutes for his first game back from injury?

Well, what do you guys think?