Bright Side Of The Sun: FanPosts

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

39 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?

How can the Suns improve their defense?

2010-03-08T19:29:07Z

I would like to get the opinion of my fellow Suns fans on this. I would like to get some details and examples. I know that heart, effort, practice, determination... play a big part in defense, so no obvious answers. Obviously having a Coach who is willing to teach it plays a big part as well.

Our team as of late looks like they're putting more effort on the defensive end and are starting to learn how to play TEAM defense. However, because they're still learning and haven't quite made that transition of mindset yet than I expect a few games every now and then where they're back to out-scoring people.

With that said what more can we do to improve our defense?

A Breather and Time for Reflection: The Pacers and Beyond

2010-03-08T16:25:49Z

So, last night, this moron, Danny Granger was in a scuffle with Suns underachiever Channing Frye. He was awarded a technical free-throw and the crowd was about as loud Booing Granger than I have heard them all year. After making his free-throw he held his finger to his mouth to silence the crowd. He did this EVERY TIME from that point on that he made a shot. The GREAT thing is, he was only able to do it twice because he went like 2-5 in the fourth quarter while being Booed every time he touched the ball. If you are going to be brash and try and silence the crowd, you might want to also make a basket. Missing late free-throws and drawing three fourth quarter fouls, wasn’t very helpful to your team Danny. I hope you can’t come into Phoenix without getting Booed from now on Danny… and I predict you will find it ends up that way.

– On the scuffle –

It’s nice to see Channing finally get fired up about something. It’s just sad it was a foul away from the ball, and ZERO hustle is involved. Maybe Channing Frye can be the new Suns enforcer, because he certainly can’t rebound or play Defense. Channing Frye getting into a fight while doing essentially nothing on the court… Why can’t RoLo get late minutes? I still can’t figure it out. Either way, the nicest thing Channing did for the Suns last night was get ejected so that some defense could be played.

–On The Game –

This should have been an easy win for the Suns, and they seemed in control for 90% of the game.

The Suns were very balanced in their attack last night. Three players scored 20 points or more. Amar’e, Grant and J Rich.

A real bright spot and a key to the Suns pulling out this victory was the play of Jared Dudley. Not having Goran Dragic or Leandro Barbosa is forcing Dudley to play even more minutes and he is usually always playing the opposing teams best scorer. Last night, on Granger in the fourth quarter, Dudley SHUT HIM DOWN. J-Dud finished with a DOUBLE-DOUBLE! 11 Points, and 12 Rebounds not to mention 2 steals and a block. Without him pulling down crucial offensive boards, the Suns looked like they might lose the game late. Way to play Jared! Keep it up because we need your defense to be your main focus.

Amar’e Stoudemire had his 3rd Consecutive thirty point game. Although, he only had 6 rebounds, it was clear that Amar’e wasn’t going to be stopped on offense. He shot poorly by his standards going 8-19 but was taking it strong to the rim on almost every possession. Maybe he didn’t play great defense on Roy Hibbert or Josh McRoberts, but he did get the ENTIRE Pacers front-court into foul trouble. Hibbert Fouled out, McRoberts had 4, Murphy had 4 and Dunleavy had 5. This isn’t defense technically, but it did force them to remove these players from their normal rotation and that had a BIG effect on the Suns being able to score inside.

Note on Amar’e:

STAT is now the NBA’s 9th highest scorer at 22.1 PPG. However, Amar’e gets the fewest touches by far of anyone in the top 15, and he also plays the fewest minutes of anyone in the top 15 in scoring. To put it in perspective, Carmelo Anthony scores 6.0 ppg more than Amar’e. He also takes 6 more field goals per game. If Amar’e went from 15 shots per game, to around twenty like most of the league’s elite scorers, does anyone think he wouldn’t be averaging 28/9? At which point, who does that? What NBA player does that? Does Amar’e know he could score more points? Of course! Does he complain about touches, or the team not giving him his opportunities? NO! So why is this guy constantly being painted as someone who is disgruntled. Wouldn’t you be upset if Steve Kerr was your boss? Just saying.

Amar’e, step back up the rebounding. Don’t get content on just being a scorer. Because I can feel a contract extension getting closer every time you throw down a Monster Dunk in traffic AND draw the foul… Robert Sarver has to notice. I see him court-side losing his mind when you do something spectacular. Keep it up, I want Amar’e a Suns player for life.

On J Rich -

Jason Richardson played well last night. He finished with a double-double as well. 20 points and 10 rebounds. He made BIG shots when he was OPEN and passed when he wasn’t. He didn’t pull up early in the shot clock for 20-foot two point shots…

So J Rich, consistency is going to be key. You are taking smarter shots SOMETIMES, you are rebounding on the defensive end SOMETIMES. J Rich, you are still doubling down away from the perimeter too far, and your understanding of the Zone concept seems to be developing pretty slowly. The key to the Suns will be if we can guard the perimeter and not expose Channing and Amar’e inside with constant dribble penetration. If J Rich helps these guys out, not literally, but by playing smart and not letting 2-guards cut us up at will, we could be a scary team.

Final Thought:

The Suns look like they are developing some level of consistency and hopefully Big Al will get RoLo those minutes late in games. The real bright spot of the Suns lately is that they are playing well without one of their most dynamic scorers. Leandro Barbosa when healthy is one of the league’s more dynamic scorers. He shoots the 3. He is fast enough to get into passing lanes, and he hustles NON-STOP. It’s that Brazilian “never say die” attitude. Or maybe his Special Forces trained Brazilian Military specialist brother is so scary that he is afraid to fail. Either way, the Suns haven’t been healthy together really all year. We need Leandro and Goran to get some time before the season ends back on the court so we can figure out what line-ups are most effective.

I have to give Big Al that credit… he is having to use different rotations a lot and he is experimenting with them. I have always liked that tendency. Now that the playoff race is ON, we need to see which combinations are going to be the best in CLOSE games, because we can expect those in the playoffs. Defense will be key. I think the fourth quarter unit should be:

4th Quarter Unit:

Nash, Goran, Lou, Amar’e and RoLo. I think that this line-up would be CRUSHING. If you want to see how good it really is, check out the 5 man rotations on the home-page.

GO SUNS!

Next Game: Lakers on Friday!

With the return of Barbosa, where does he fit in the rotation?

2010-03-07T16:52:56Z

Leandro Barbosa will return in the next few weeks.

Alvin Gentry needs to find him some time on the floor. But when? and with whom?

I like the defensive minded Suns as they are right now. I think Gentry should not bring him back in any major role because Barbosa does not play anything that resembles Defense, so his role should be very limited too times when the Suns need a bucket or two.

Here is my rational:

1) Nash is already a big liability on the Defense of end of the floor, so Barbosa cannot be on the floor at the same time. ( Otherwise, the Suns defense is too porous.)

2) Barbosa cannot handle the point so he cannot really backup Nash. ( LB assists this year 1.7, career 2.3 )

3) Barbosa is limited to playing off guard when

a) Opponents 2 guard is offensively weak.

b) When Goran Dragic is on the floor and can play the opponents offensive guard.

I love Barbosa's speed and length, but he now needs to learn how to use it playing defense. Defense requires not just athletic talent which Barbosa has in plenty, but basketball IQ. For example, he stands too far back from his opponent (especially because of his speed he should be up in their face all the time), forgets to block out, and has no focus rebounding. (I could go on, but you get my point.)

What do you think?

Can we go back to the run and guns Suns?

Can Barbosa play Defense?

Will Mr. Gentry play Barbosa 10+ minutes a game?

Poll

How man minutes should Alvin Gentry give Barbosa?

Channing Frye is our MVP (most valuable presence)? No way...

2010-03-06T15:14:38Z

Channing Frye is the epitome of "one trick pony". He can't play post defense, he doesn't offer help defense on a regular basis, can't rebound worth a damn and can't even get his own shot against a smaller defender in the post. If he doesn't hit at least two 3s in a game, I wonder why he's even on the court. Especially at the end of every game, in lieue of Lopez.

So how is it that Channing Frye in the Suns' leader, and 13th overall in the entire NBA for chrissake, in regularized adjusted plus/minus for the entire 2009-2010 season?!?!?

I know, I know. At the mere mention of obscure stats, your eyes have begun to glaze over. Take another sip of coffee, or swig of that Monster drink in your hand. Or, you've already decided that it's a BS stat, cuz there's no way Channing Frye is the most valuable Sun.

In honor of this weekend's Geekapolooza somewhere on the east coast, do me a favor and keep reading. Click around on that link. Very interesting, easy-to-read lists. It's stats like these that quantify the value of guys like Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza and Quinton Ross and ...well, Channing Frye.

If you're a stat geek, here's the full commentary on regularized adjusted plus/minus. In a nutshell, it tells us how successful the team is while you're on the court, as opposed to an average replacement player. Reportedly, it's twice as good as 'adjusted plus/minus' (used by 82games.com) which was already twice as good as the plus/minus number now provided in daily box scores. It is this kind of advanced stat that teams like Dallas and Houston use to pick out gems in free agency and trades (Houston: Battier, Dallas: Brendan Haywood). It also tells us that LeBron James is the best in the game, but you already knew that.

Regularized adjusted plus/minus factors in the other players on the court. If you play all your minutes with LeBron James, your plus/minus is artificially high. Likewise, if you're the best player on the New Jersey Nets your plus/minus is artificially low. So this stat smoothes all that out, somehow, magically, to tell us... what, exactly?

Here is Mark Cuban's take:

"...these numbers don't reflect necessarily the best players in the league, but what they do reflect is the players that are being best put in a position to succeed and are delivering. When their teams have a need, they deliver..."

And that's Channing Frye.

How? I guess by spotting up on the 3-pt line, he pulls a low-post defender out of the paint. Or forces the opposing team into going smaller than their normal lineup (which results in bad defensive rotations due to unfamiliar lineups).

Maybe that's why he's always on the damn court at the end of the game, instead of Robin Lopez (who incidentally is a positive influence on the bottom line too, along with Steve Nash, Richardson and Goran Dragic).

Channing is NOT our best player. Nor is he a quality, all-around rotation player that any team could use in any system.

I'm still confused how all this works out, but it does prove that Channing Frye is absolutely PERFECT for this system.

And he's our best chance to win. I guess.

Bill Russell's 1969 retirement letter: a lesson for the modern hoops fan.

2010-03-06T05:26:00Z

This was posted by G.O.A.T on the insidehoops.com forum, and was originally published in Sport Illustrated in 1969.

It's worthwhile reading, because it explains exactly what basketball is all about, at the highest level. The paragraph on basketball stats is particularly enlightening..

"Since 1943, when I first saw a basketball, I've played approximately 3,000 games, organized and otherwise. I think that's enough.

I'm a pretty direct man. You say something I like, I'll tell you so; you say something I don't like, I'll tell you also. A diplomat I'm not. So I'll tell you right out that there are no secret or hidden or financial or philosophical reasons behind this. I just don't feel like playing anymore. As for coaching—that prime incubator of ulcers—no, thank you. I don't want to coach anymore, either. I never considered myself primarily a coach, anyway. Anytime I was ever around a group of coaches I'd feel nervous—all that nonsense about how to "handle" kids, how to "motivate" them! I was a player. Now I'm not a player or a coach anymore.

If you're really looking for a reason why I feel I've played enough, I'll tell you this. There are professionals and there are mercenaries in sports. The difference between them is that the professional is involved. I was never a mercenary. If I continued to play, I'd become a mercenary because I'm not involved anymore.

I have a year to go on my contract with the Celtics. It's one of the most lucrative in sports, and I was very happy with it. A couple of my friends think I should at least stick out that year because of the money. Believe me, I wouldn't mind having all that money. But I'm not going to play basketball for money. I've been paid to play, of course, but I played for a lot of other reasons, too.

I played because I enjoyed it—but there's more to it than that. I played because I was dedicated to being the best. I was part of a team, and I dedicated myself to making that team the best. To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goal—alternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action. I tried to do that—we all tried to do that—on the Celtics. I think we succeeded. Often, in my mind's eye, I stood off and watched that effort. I found it beautiful to watch. It's just as beautiful to watch in things other than sports.

Being part of that effort on the Celtics was very important to me. It helped me develop and grow, and I think it has helped prepare me for something other than playing basketball. But so far as the game is concerned, I've lost my competitive urges. If I went out to play now, the other guys would know I didn't really care. That's no way to play—it's no way to do anything.

All during this past season I had the eerie feeling that I'd been through this before. Every play, every situation. Setting a screen, missing a shot—I'd seen or done it all before. Everything had become repetition. This is not the attitude to bring to still another season.

Basketball is the most demanding sport we've invented. It demands speed and stamina and a lot of other physical and mental qualities. It also demands tolerance of pain. Hurting is part of professional basketball. You get banged around, you lose your teeth, you twist muscles, you break bones. I'm not crying about this, just stating facts. Some people have said I would stop playing one day because my knees hurt. Well, they hurt. They've been hurting for 10 years, and my ankle has been hurting ever since I broke it in 1958. But I'll tell you this—the rest of the guys in the NBA would laugh if I said I was leaving because my knees hurt. I don't know a player in the league who doesn't hurt somewhere practically the whole long season. Earl Monroe is only 24 and his knees are as bad as mine. What about Elgin Baylor? Or Nate Thurmond? I could go on and on. Hurting is as much a part of the game as shooting free throws. I'm not leaving because I hurt.

I'm not mad at anybody, either. I'm not mad at any of the players, and I'm not mad at Jack Kent Cooke and his balloons. I'm not even mad at Mendy Rudolph. I'm not trying to get even with somebody, or anything like that. Sure, there are things about the game I don't like, but it would be a lot easier to do something about them—which I've tried—if I went on playing. I'm not leaving because I'm angry.

You might think that it's very nice for me to be leaving a winner. Truthfully, that had nothing to do with my decision. Still, winning the championship this year was one of the most rewarding victories of my career, especially because we weren't expected to win. ( SPORTS ILLUSTRATED wasn't the only one to give up on the Celtics this year—hah!) And it's not that I think this year's team was our best, either. As a matter of fact, I think our 1963-64 team was the best [Sanders, K. C. Jones, Heinsohn, Ramsey, Sam Jones, Havlicek, Russell]. It was easily the best defensive team we ever had—maybe that's why it's my favorite—and maybe the best of all time. I rate it best despite the fact that it was only good offensively, not great. Maybe that's the key to it. We knew our offensive shortcomings and we worked hard to overcome them.

People didn't give us credit for being as good as we were last season. Personally, I think we won because we had the best team in the league. Some guys talked about all the stars on the other teams, and they quote statistics to show other teams were better. Let's talk about statistics. The important statistics in basketball are supposed to be points scored, rebounds and assists. But nobody keeps statistics on other important things—the good fake you make that helps your teammate score; the bad pass you force the other team to make; the good long pass you make that sets up another pass that sets up another pass that leads to a score; the way you recognize when one of your teammates has a hot hand that night and you give up your own shot so he can take it. All of those things. Those were some of the things we excelled in that you won't find in the statistics. There was only one statistic that was important to us—won and lost.

Something everybody else but Bill Russell excelled in was giving the coach good advice. I made the decisions, but I listened an awful lot. Sometimes in practice the other guys would talk for half an hour and I wouldn't say a word. I encouraged them to tell me what they thought. You take Siegfried—he's a flake all right, but he's got one of the best basketball minds in the game. They all helped—Sam, Bailey, Nelson, all of them. They knew I respected them as men with ideas, that I didn't treat them as just guys with numbers on their backs. Remember that last-second shot that Sam took to win the fourth playoff game? Well, Sam is a great shooter, but that was a real cooperative effort. We wanted a play that would help us win the kind of close games we were getting involved in, and we started with what was basically an old Ohio State play. Probably either Siegfried or Havlicek brought it up. The first time we tried it in practice, it took 13 seconds. We worked it down to seven. All five players have to make perfectly timed moves and fakes, and the passes have to be exact. It saved us in that fourth game.

Nobody can write a story about the Celtics and not talk about Red Auerbach. Much of my success as a professional is a result of the way he first approached me. A lot of guys said I'd never make it because I couldn't shoot. My first day with Red he told me right out that he didn't care if I never scored a point. He said they had the guys on the Celtics who could score. What he wanted from me was defense and rebounding. That suited me fine. He and I had one big thing in common—the will to win. When he appointed me coach he just said. "The job is yours." He never put pressure on me. He never even came to practice unless I invited him. Of course, I did—often. I would have been crazy not to take advantage of one of the smartest guys the game has seen. In moments of weakness, I almost like Red—a little.

Well, I'm going to miss all that, even if I no longer feel involved. And what am I going to do? As I write this article I'm enjoying the luxury of taking my time in considering some interesting alternatives that I am fortunate enough to have available. Up to now, I've been a professional entertainer, which is how a professional athlete probably should b classified. One natural path for me to follow would be to continue in the field of entertainment—motion pictures or TV. I've made a few films out in California, and I've enjoyed it. I'm leaving in a few weeks to make a movie in Spain—it's a western in which I've got a small part—and I expect to enjoy that, too. I may do some other film work with Jim Brown. But I can't see acting as a career, even if it is fun, and my decision to explore other areas of the entertainment field will be a considered one. I will have weighed against it serious offers in fields that are somewhat new to me but which I would find comfortable, challenging and rewarding.

I can tell you one thing for sure—I'm going to play a little golf. I'm going to become the hottest 6'9" black left-handed 16-handicap golfer to come along in years. So if you see a tall, handsome, bearded fellow on your course some day, who looks as though he's ready to laugh—probably at himself—as he faces an impossible putt, let me tell you this: for your own good, don't put any money on that putt."

Basketball does not build character it reveals it

2008-04-29T04:37:35Z

Ed Note: This was originally published two years ago but it is worth re-visiting..

Basketball does not build character…it reveals it.

Whoever said that it’s right on target. I’ve seen and played enough basketball in my life to know it’s true. This game really shows you who you REALLY are, which is great, but sometimes there are things that are better left unknown.

Allow me to elaborate on that.

This game has always been about individuality, and to be honest with you…that’s what attracted me. My dad used to play soccer; he always wanted me to play. It’s the number one sport in Europe and Latin countries, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. People grow up idolizing Maradona and Pelé, they are Gods to them (there’s a Maradona church in Argentina). My initial thought on playing soccer was: 11 players on the field and 11 in the bench…Are you friking kidding me?? , I’m never going to stand out! I pretty much sucked, kicked the ball like a Grandma on weed, so there’s no way I’m going to play that, I want to play something where people really appreciate my skills and have less competition.

And so it happened, fell in love with the game…or maybe it wasn’t the game, maybe it was how the game made me feel. The playground was like a constant therapy, if I was feeling insecure or self conscious about something, what better way to get your confidence a boost than watching a bunch of kids say ohhhhh, ahhhhh, wowww!!, every time you do a crossover or make a great move or shot.

My perception of the game changed when I met the right people at the right time: Coaches, players from other countries, scouts, fans. It’s a growing process. There were times that I couldn’t help just to smile when I saw my stats on the newspaper, even when the title of the article read "Panama loses to Brazil by 15 points". I used to think if having that kind of thoughts made a bad person, how come when coach nailed me to the bench when I didn’t pass the ball on a 3 on 1 fast break, I was thinking to myself "I hope we lose". But after learning how the game is really played, I realized that I was just immature and it’s hard to change, especially when you watch TV and watch the player’s highlights. It’s Human

And that leads me to Amaré. I can understand why he is the way he is. He was poor, coming from a troubled family, grew up without guidance and was drafted out of high school. The NBA is his playground, only bigger. He wants to be seen, heard and understood. He wants to fit in. He wants to show everyone his talent and show that he is way better than others.

Some people never grow up, as I said, it’s a combination of circumstances and people around you. I want to believe that he is the future of the Suns; I want to believe that he will learn the other aspect of the game that he has completely neglected, I want to believe that he will learn not to bash on his coach, shut his mouth and play hard, and stealing a line from my friend Mike Lisboa… I want to believe that some day he will truly LEAD. THIS. TEAM.

Thanks for reading.

The Phoenix Suns As It (was,) Is And Could Be (Part I)

2010-03-05T11:45:35Z

We will be taking a look at our team "The Phoenix Suns" an what we were, are and can be.

Every fan always want to know exactly how ggod their team is and the Phoenix Suns' fans are not excluded. So, Just how good is our Phoenix Suns?

The course of the season has shown us what kind of team we are, and according to what Alvin Gentry said, "This is who we are" (or something like that), and what is that? An "Inconsistent" team that will play well just to lose when you least expect them to. This has happened over and over again, even during our 14-3 run and the present run as well. The losses to Utah and San Antonio say the same thing; the Suns are a horrible team when games are close 2-4 minutes to the end of the fourth quater. Having followed the Suns for close to a decade (yes, i haven't suffered for that long), i think we have lost more than 90% of games we've played where we have been down 1-4 points with 2-4 minutes to the end of the game. This i believe is as a result os lack of mental toughness in our players. You don't neccesarily have to have a Kobe, Lebron or Wade who (all put up buzzer-beating shots to tie or win the game), 2-4 minutes is enough to turn games around for teams, but not the Suns, that is when a player who has tried 7 3-pointers and has missed them all decides to try another one which he of course misses leading to the opponent scoring another point to extend the lead, players start turning the ball over enroute just another loss. It is really difficult to not Hate the Suns sometimes.

Yes, the team is has many good players (for the first 45 minutes of the game), but just how good are they, at least there a team is made up of players, meaning that the kind players shows the kind of team. Here is the Suns team as they are presently;
Steve Nash What is there to say? Great point guard (future Hall of Fame guy), probably the best assistter in history. Well, you know it all. Scoring: great Assist: great Rebounding: very low (well, he is small) Offense: great Defence: His defense is probably the worst i've ever seen, it seems he has no defensive instinct whatsoever(Yes, he is my favourite player) Consistence: very good Crunch Game: very low (for a player with his abilities) Mental Toughness: low future prospect: zero to negative (decline)
Jason Richardson Probably the most streaky player in the league. On good days, he sinks 3s, throws down crazy dunks and provides defensive cover. Scoring: good Assist:? Rebounding:good Offense:good Defense:average Consistence:poor Crunch Game:poor Mental Toughness:low Future Prospect: zero
Grant Hill Good veteran teammate with a good level of defensive and offensive game (though his old legs restrict his able mind) Scoring: good, especially of late Assist: good Rebounding:good (though has dropped after the first 20 games or so) Offense: good Defense: good Consistence: well... Crunch Game: nil Mental Toughness: average Future Prospect: zero
Amar'e Stoudemire A very strong and athletic PF with an A-rank offensive game but plays no defense whatsoever Scoring: check, check, check Assist: well... Rebounding: good (should be better giving his abilities) Offense: very good Defense: zero (may be less than that) Consistence: good Crunch Game: never have i seen one from him Mental Toughness: poor Future Prospect: in doubt (though could still be very good, bit no expected to drop his game at least for now)
Robin Lopez The twin of a really good young center (Brook) who presently is showing he could be good himself. A good shot blocker and defensive big man Scoring: up and down Assist: um!... Rebounding: good but should be better Offense: at least we know he can score Defense: better than average Consistence:fairly consistent Crunch Game: very low (turns the ball over a lot under pressure) Mental Toughness: well, he is young Future Prospect: good
Goran Dragic Probably the component making the Suns click right now. You want to know why? Who runs the second team? How many point guards can come off the bench and drop 6-8-10 assists in 20 minutes or less? He is by far the most promising Sun at the moment Scoring: he has shown he can really score when needed to score Assist: good Rebounding: not bad Offense: good Defense: very good Consistence: very consistent except from that 0 point game against the Clippers (who is checking anyway) Crunch Game: hasn't really been put in the position where he is required to do so Mental Toughness: very good Future Prospect: very bright
Leandro Barbosa The blur is one of the fastest players in the NBA with a very powerful offensive game Scoring: very good Assist: not sure Rebounding: well... Offense: very good Defense: H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E Consistence: fairly consistent Crunch Game: - Mental Toughness: good Future Prospect:not sure
Jared Dudley A very dedicated player who does all the little thing Scoring: not bad Assist: plays his part Rebounding: good Offense: not bad Defense: very good Consistence: good Crunch Game: not much to say Mental Toughness:good Future Prospect:about the same as he is right now (so, i'll say zero)
Louis Amundson A defensive power house with a lot of hustle but very bad offence Scoring: hell bad Assist: what? Rebounding: very good Offense: giggle Defense: very good Consistence: yes Crunch Game: at least he'll hold them from scoring as well Mental Toughness: good Future Prospect: i don't see any increase in his game
Channing Frye A small forward in a center's body. Does other guys job well but sucks at his. Helps the Suns with his shooting but besides that, he his a cheer-leader on the court Scoring:he's got that down Assist: fair Rebounding: should be doing better Offense: good Defense: God help us Consistence: very inconsistent (though, when his shots are not going in, he maintains that) Crunch Game: nada Mental Toughness: zero Future Prospect: zero
Earl Clark I can't seem to put my finger on anything, though it seems he can defend. Well, he was drafted by the guys who drafted Dragic and Lopez
Taylor Griffin Isn't he a Cheer-leader?
Jarron Collins Who?
With this team, we can beat anyone except (in the west) Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, (and in the east) Cavs and Celtics, this means the Suns as it is can never win a championship unless; 1) those teams get knocked out and we don't get to meet them 2) the suffer some great injury problem 3) we have an invincible sixth player
So, does that mean we are doomed? What can be done to remedy this? How far are we away from a championship? We'll see that in part II

Say it with me. Suns are the 3rd most bloody profitable NBA franchise

2010-03-05T00:57:32Z

Fantastic article by Doug Thonus on the Bulls:

2000-2009 Chicago Bulls, a dynasty of profits

If there was a world championship for money making, the city of Chicago would bankrupt itself throwing parades for our Chicago Bulls. The Bulls may not have put all the winning pieces together on the court, but the business side is crushing the competition.

In the NBA, the Bulls are #1 over the past decade. The second place team? The Lakers. Trailing by 100 million in profits.

Bare in mind, over this stretch the Bulls made the playoffs four times and got past the first round once, while never getting past the second round. The Lakers, in a bigger market, won four titles and made it to the NBA finals two other times over this stretch. Yet, they fell 100 million short of the profit levels the Bulls achieved. How is that even possible?

Team	10 Year Profit	3 Year Profit	1 Year Profit
Bulls	474	165	51
Lakers	373	131	51
Suns	275	87	21
Pistons	263	126	42
Rockets	199	91	30
Celtics	165	51	13
Spurs	141	54	19
Clippers	140	31	10
Cavaliers	127	50	5
Wizards	113	32	5
Raptors	109	75	18
Heat	104	25	8
Jazz	85	23	8
Knicks	80	9	21
Kings	62	25	-3
Warriors	55	26	12
Hornets	49	13	0
76ers	45	5	8
Hawks	42	15	-2
Magic	26	9	-2
Thunder	12	-2	13
Nuggets	10	-26	5
Bobcats	7	-5	-15
Pacers	-8	-23	-16
Timberwolves	-9	-15	-7
Nets	-36	-16	-14
Bucks	-47	0	-7
Grizzlies	-99	-21	-7
Mavericks	-154	-33	-17
Blazers	-259	-46	-20

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bulls-confidential/2010/03/2000-2009-chicago-bulls-a-dynasty-of-profits.html

======

The ways the management puts it, we seem to be bleeding money and our Suns franchise is not profitable. Evidently Sarver and Kerr seems to be more interested in raising their profit margins by selling picks, dumping salary and refusing to sign our proven marque players like JJ and Amare.

How long will Suns fans put up with such nonsense?

Our window to win is this season and next season when Nash is still around with Amare.

So no more trade talks.

No more salary dumps.

And no more selling of picks.

We need to win. After all, you lucky fans in US have been paying for success for a long long time.

Anything else is not acceptable from the players and the management!

Dragic out vs. Jazz - a GOOD thing?

2010-03-04T14:08:19Z

According to Coro, our Slovenian Sun, the Paper Boy, the weird kid on the basketball team who makes the stud athletes on the floor feel uncomfortably threatened because he plays better than they think he will, might be out against Jazz.

Steve Nash is laboring through back and abdominal pain. Grant Hill, now our backup PG, generally feels 97 years old on B2Bs, especially after an active front-end game. And on top of all that, we get to play a hot Jazz team on the worst possible stage - TNT. Sounds like a recipe for failure, huh?

Well maybe, just maybe, having Goran roll his ankle is a GOOD thing.

Why? Because otherwise the Suns were ripe for a loss tonight. I went to bed thinking we were in big trouble against the Jazz because our team would still be basking in the glow of blowout on the road against a Clipper team that had just beaten Utah in their prior game. We beat the team that beat the team that we're playing tonight. Easy win, right?

But with Goran Dragic hurting, the rest of the team won't be able to ease up. Similar to the Thunder game, the rest of the team will feel they have to rally around each other to gut this game out. They know Steve is hurting. They know Grant will be tight. And without Goran, every other guy will come in knowing they have a bring their best or the game could get real ugly real fast.

It's no longer just a cursed TNT game. Its no longer a game they should win.

Its a test of manhood against a healthy, rested, frustrated Jazz team (due to their Clipper loss).

I can't wait for this game to start.

P.S. Hey there! First time fan poster, long time bystander. I figured it was time to step into the room and introduce myself.

Who do you want the Suns to face in the 1st round?

2010-03-04T11:03:43Z

Since I drank too many Dr. Peppers, I can't sleep. So I decided to do a poll about who Suns fans want the Suns to face in the 1st round. Match ups after the jump.

Los Angeles Lakers W-L 46-15

Steve Nash > Derek Fisher

Jason Richardson < Kobe Bryant

Grant Hill < Ron Artest

Amare Stoudemire = Pau Gasol

Robin Lopez < Andrew Bynum

PHO bench > LAL bench

Suns 1-2 VS Lakers

Dallas Mavericks W-L 41-21

Steve Nash > Jason Kidd

Jason Richardson = Caron Butler

Grant Hill = Shawn Marion

Amare Stoudemire < Dirk Nowitzki

Robin Lopez < Brendan Haywood

PHO bench = DAL bench

Suns 1-2 VS Mavs

Denver Nuggets W-L 40-21

Steve Nash > Chauncey Billups

Jason Richardson > Aaron Afflalo

Grant Hill < Carmelo Anthony

Amare Stoudemire > Kenyon Martin

Robin Lopez < Nene

PHO bench = DEN bench

Suns 2-1 VS Nuggets

Utah Jazz W-L 38-22

Steve Nash = Deron Williams

Jason Richardson > Wesley Mathews

Grant Hill = Andrei Kirilenko

Amare Stoudemire = Carlos Boozer

Robin Lopez < Mehmet Okur

PHO bench = Paul Milsap

Suns 0-2 VS Jazz

Oklahoma City Thunder W-L 36-24

Steve Nash > Russel Westbrook

Jason Richardson > Thabo Sefolosha

Grant Hill < Kevin Durant

Amare Stoudemire > Jeff Green

Robin Lopez > Nenad Kristic

PHO bench > OKC bench

Suns 1-1 VS Thunder

San Antonio Spurs W-L 34-24

Steve Nash > Tony Parker

Jason Richardson > George Hill

Grant Hill = Richard Jefferson

Amare Stoudemire < Tim Duncan

Robin Lopez = Antonio McDyess

PHO bench = SAS bench

Suns 1-1 VS Spurs

Portland Trailblazer W-L 37-27

Steve Nash > Andre Miller

Jason Richardson < Brandon Roy

Grant Hill = Nicolas Batum

Amare Stoudemire > Lamarcus Aldridge

Robin Lopez < Marcus Camby

PHO bench > POR bench

Suns 0-2 VS Trailblazers

This is just my opinion on the matchups. I'm sleepy so vote.

Poll

Who do you want the Suns to play in the 1st round?

Robin Lopez vs. Channing Frye

2010-03-04T09:39:09Z

We all know what the pros and the cons are with each player, but let's have a quick (let me emphasize quick) review:

Robin Lopez
Pros
Very good presence around the rim - maybe not the best defender or offensive contributor, but having Brook Lopez as a twin and a competitor sure helped form his game. And let's not forget going against Shaq in practice last year, where he would complain about being too old to take Robin's abuse. And apparently, he's got transition D.
Gets his looks - when you play with a two-time MVP, you will get your looks... and he converts them. His are in the paint, where the Suns sometimes struggle.

Cons
Foul trouble - not so much the case as of late, but he'll foul himself right out of the gate. It's almost astonishing, it's like one second Robin is the most focused person on the court, and then the next second he's on the bench.
Non-existent perimeter presence - you think Robin will ever make... wait, even try a three? He's smarter than that.
Free throws - he has got to convert these. He's going to find himself on the line a lot during his career, he should take a lesson from "Shaqovic" and make his free throws.

Channing Frye
Pros
He has roots - He played at St. Mary's... he's a homegrown talent.
Shoots 3's like a cyborg - what kind of robot goes 7-10 behind the arc off the bench? He will create some match-up problems if the other team doesn't put a man on him.

Cons
Defense - just in general. Sure, he will block shots and make steals and deflect passes, but anybody who watches the Suns will know the frustration. Ticky-tack fouls, blow-bys, missed assignments, Frye brings it all.
Size - Frye against Dwight... Frye against Bynum... Frye against Duncan... Frye against Kaman... Frye against Nene... Frye against Shaq... Frye against _________________.

I have more to say about about Robin Lopez, which should hint at my bias.

What else am I forgetting?

Poll

Who is the better option at center?

What do the Suns have in Robin Lopez?

2010-03-03T20:56:44Z

When Robin Lopez was taken with the fifteenth pick of the 2008 draft, many Suns fans felt disappointed. The "why" is two-fold: (1) Fans were still upset that the Atlanta Hawks won the ping-pong lottery in 2007 -- landing the third pick with a pick that was top-3 protected and traded to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson deal -- ripping away from the Suns what should have been a sweet lottery player. Phoenix was instead left with the Hawks' unprotected 2008 pick, which ended up being just outside the lottery. (2) Robin was the lesser-heralded of the two Stanford brothers, with his more offensively-polished sibling, Brook, going to the New Jersey Nets with the tenth pick.

Robin's extremely uneventful first season did nothing to calm fears that the Suns' front office had wasted their pick, particularly since a handful of players drafted later than Lopez had much more productive rookie seasons: Mareese Speights (16th), Courtney Lee (22nd), Nicholas Batum (25th), and George Hill (26th) to name a few. Additionally, Brook Lopez had an extremely impressive first year, averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks a game. Robin barely saw the court and when he did, he appeared awkward, uncoordinated, and extremely foul-prone. He was essentially a total non-factor during the 2008-2009 season. As unfair as it may be, NBA rookies these days are generally expected to impact the game immediately or they're declared a bust, particularly if they're taken in the lottery or just outside of it, and it began to look like the Suns had a bust on their hands.

When the Suns shipped Shaq away in the offseason, the door was wide open for the wild-haired center to step up and have a break-out sophomore season. No one was hoping for this more than the Suns, who had only newly-signed free agent Channing Frye to anchor the middle going forward. Lopez showed some flashes of skill in the 2009-2010 preseason, but broke a bone in his left foot and missed the first weeks of the regular season and delayed any hope that he could effectively contribute to the season. Soon after coming back from injury, however, he was inserted into the starting line-up as opposing teams began to figure out Frye and limit his effectiveness as a perimeter center.

Since moving into the starting lineup in January, Lopez has been a completely different player than the one seen during his rookie campaign. As a starter, he's averaged 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a game in 25.7 minutes, in addition to limiting his fouls to only 2.5 a game. He's had monster defensive explosions, recording six games with 3+ blocks, including 5- and 6-block efforts. He's recorded three double-doubles, topped off by his recent monster 30-point, 12-rebound performance against the Clippers. During this time, he's shown that not only can he be the shot-altering/blocking, lane-patrolling, pick-and-roll-defending center he was drafted to be, but he can score. And not just garbage buckets. He's got dunks, hook shots, scoop shots, lay-ins ... even jumpers. His individual rebounding can be improved, but there's no doubt that he's helped the Suns' team rebounding by blocking out opposing would-be rebounders so that others like Hill, Stoudemire, and Richardson can gather the caroms.

Given how baffling Lopez's improvement has been this season since becoming a starter, we're left to wonder how high can Lopez fly, so to speak. Where is his ceiling? There were a few draft experts out there -- seemingly insane at the time -- who projected Robin could ultimately be a better NBA player than his brother Brook. It doesn't seem quite so outlandish anymore. Who's drinking the Lopez Kool-Aid? Who still thinks he's got some provin' to do? Are expectations too high? Too low?

Poll

How high can Robin Lopez fly?

Future back-up center who can defend a bit and rebound a bit, but won't be counted on for much else.
Future starting center who can defend a bit and rebound a bit, and score if necessary.
Future starting center who defends and rebounds, and scores on a regular basis, but will not be a regular game-changer.
Future potential game-changer, who can put up big numbers on any given night but won't be a team focal point.
Future second-tier focal point of the team, able and expected to carry some of the scoring and rebounding load on a regular basis.
Future star player of the team, able and expected to carry a signficant portion of the scoring and rebounding load on a regular basis.
Future superstar of the team, around which the team builds its offensive and defensive attack on a regular basis and looks to for leadership.

388 votes | Results

Why to be thankful we're in Phoenix not NJ for basketball

2010-03-03T05:58:55Z

Not much to say here, just wanted to make sure people on here saw this image that might not have already seen it.

It's from a recent yahoo article below Link to article

I haven't even read the article yet myself, which is pretty sad I guess...maybe my equivalent action of the NJ fans...what is fascinating is that they (I believe) have (or are about to have) a new Russian Billionaire owner....anyways...hope he can change things there. Are there any other places even close to this bad, as far as number of fans in the seats?

In the spirit of fun halftime entertainment and thinking of some movies Link to youtube video - clips of semi pro

Another link

And finally..."You know I've always believed in 2's!!"

Link to move with Dr J

Britt Robson, Smasher of Dreams

2010-03-02T22:28:40Z

So I'm still giddy from last night's game against Denver, enjoying thinking back to arguably one of the best quarters of basketball I've seen from my beloved Suns since I jumped on the bandwagon back in 88, surfing the net for all of the NBA Power Rankings to continue this b-ball high I'm feeling, when...

BAM!: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/britt_robson/03/02/suns.notes/

Britt Robson decides to take the wind out of the sails. Actually, scratch that... he full on destroyed the boat with a full air strike.

I'm not delusional. My greatest hope for this franchise each year is a championship, but realistically, I'll be psyched if we make it out of the 2nd round.

I know that an article shouldn't upset me that much, but we've had a lot of success since the all-star break, and an article like this, solely written to make Suns fans feel like we're wasting our time rooting for a franchise consisting of "beautiful losers" frankly just pisses me off.

So here's my question: does he have a solid point? Am I mainly upset because I know he's right, or because he's being a smug arsehole?

Poll

Is Britt Robson off-base or on-target?

Suns prospective playoff opponents...Let's look at the Jazz!

2010-03-02T19:55:02Z

Well folks, it’s time to start assessing our playoff possibilities. Currently we are seeded as the 5th seed in the West, but the season is far from over. With 20 games left in the ultra-competitive Western Conference the Suns may finish as high as 2nd or possibly even finish out the hunt altogether…

The Suns have played well over the last few weeks but they must maintain their pace because: 1) Any let-up may allow the teams beneath us (San Antonio, OKC, Portland, Houston, & New Orleans) to overtake or supplant us. 2) Allow us at a team to go into the playoffs playing at a high level and confidence. 3) Force opposing playoff teams to adjust their game plans to mitigate a hot team.

Supposing that the Suns finish strong and finish at a 51-31 (13-7 rest of the way) we would probably be looking at either the fourth or fifth seed. Looking at strength of schedule and a few other factors, my predicted order of finish may very well be: 1-LA, 2-Dallas, 3-Denver, 4-Phoenix, 5-OKC, 6-San Antonio, 7- Utah, and 8-Portland. There is a great deal of ambiguity for the 3-7 spots and I could be totally wrong.

However, if we use this scenario, the Suns likely opponent could range between Oklahoma City, San Antonio or Utah. For this post I will take Utah as a potential opponent…Maybe another BSOTS poster can handle the analysis of the other prospective playoff opponents. While, Utah is a well coached, highly disciplined, veteran and mentally tough team, I believe that the Suns as a whole have a more talented roster, a deeper bench, and in a playoff series, will come out on top.

While Deron Williams gets a lot of press at point guard, I truly believe the Jazz’s front line is where the damage gets done. While not the most gifted athletically group, this physical combo wears opposing teams down with their physicality, double teams, and deft touch around the rim and away from it (Except for Kirilenko, that is…). Looking across the front line battle of these two teams, the emergence of Robin Lopez as a legitimate interior presence means that Utah cannot simply double down on Amare with Boozer, Okur, and/or Kirilenko. Someone must account for Lopez on the opposite. Either they switch, show double or play man-to-man. In either case, I think the Suns benefit from this arrangement. When Frye is inserted into the game, his 3-point threat will potentially draw Okur away from the post and also open things up for STAT.

I also think Robin’s defensive presence will slow Boozer’s & Milsap’s inside game down a little….Utah relies heavily on feeds from DWill into the post, via either interior pass or the pick and roll. Having a decent post defender that can alter or block a few of Boozer’s & Millsap’s shots will free things up on the weak side help for STAT, Grant Hill & JRich to play help defense and take a few offensive rebounds away from the Jazz (which is where they kill a lot of teams..). It will also allow STAT to play the less physical Okur and pick up less fouls in the process. The front line variable that could alter the way the series goes is Andrei Kirilenko. When focused and on his game, Kirilenko is a defensive and shot blocking menace with the ability to put up 15-18 ppg during the course of a series; when off of it, he is puts up bad shots, gets in the way offensively and gets lost in the flow if the game.

In the backcourt; Utah’s inexplicable discarding of Ronnie Brewer will haunt them. Ronnie was the type of athletic wing player that gave the Suns fits…both on offense and defense. His replacement Wes Matthews and his backups Kyle Korver & C.J Miles are not the explosive, impact type of player that Brewer was. While Matthews has had some success against the Suns, expect the Suns defense to figure him out fairly quick. As a defender, He cannot guard a focused and on track Jason Richardson. The point guard matchup of Deron Williams and Steve Nash will be a great one, but fairly even. I don’t think neither can stop the other, so it’s really on the supporting cast. In this case, I think Phoenix’s is slightly better especially in the case of bench production and capabilities…Phoenix in six games (4-2). Tell me what you think!

Poll

Bright Side Of The Sun: FanPosts

Fourth Seed Is Possible But At What Price

Suns: #5 seed locked in? Utah on tap

Bright Siders I need your help-which games to keep

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?

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

Which game is MORE important to win?

Should Nash sit out on Friday?

How can the Suns improve their defense?

A Breather and Time for Reflection: The Pacers and Beyond

With the return of Barbosa, where does he fit in the rotation?

How man minutes should Alvin Gentry give Barbosa?

Channing Frye is our MVP (most valuable presence)? No way...

Bill Russell's 1969 retirement letter: a lesson for the modern hoops fan.

Basketball does not build character it reveals it

The Phoenix Suns As It (was,) Is And Could Be (Part I)

Say it with me. Suns are the 3rd most bloody profitable NBA franchise

Dragic out vs. Jazz - a GOOD thing?

Who do you want the Suns to face in the 1st round?

Who do you want the Suns to play in the 1st round?

Robin Lopez vs. Channing Frye

Who is the better option at center?

What do the Suns have in Robin Lopez?

How high can Robin Lopez fly?

Why to be thankful we're in Phoenix not NJ for basketball

Britt Robson, Smasher of Dreams

Is Britt Robson off-base or on-target?

Suns prospective playoff opponents...Let's look at the Jazz!

The result of a Suns playoff series with the Jazz would be....: