The last time the Suns got eliminated by the Spurs in five games after falling into a 0-3 hole, it was in the 2005 Western Conference Finals. Steve Nash was the newly-crowned MVP, Mike D'Antoni was Coach of the Year, and the Suns were coming off a franchise-record-tying regular season that had rejuvenated not just the franchise, but also the league. It was sad seeing them so rudely sent home after such a great run, but there was also the feeling of pride at how much they had accomplished, and hope for a future that seemed as bright as..well..the sun.

The Suns were back in the Conference Finals again a year later, following a Cinderella season that included overcoming the loss of Amare to injury (not to mention Kurt Thomas), becoming just the eighth team ever to come back from a 1-3 deficit in the first round, and winning another thrilling 7-game series in the second round. When they were finally sent home, I, like many fans, actually shed tears. Yep, that's right. A grown woman shedding genuine tears for a bunch of millionaires over a silly game. Their heart and resilience had sucked me in so deeply that it felt like I was watching members of my own family be disappointed after coming so close to fulfilling a life dream. In my mind, that team will always be champions, even though they don't have the rings to show for it.

Then came last season when the Suns were once again knocking on the door only to have it rudely slammed shut by a cheap shot, and a couple of over-zealous young guys reacting to it. That single act made it personal again, and when it was over, there was rage followed by a bunch of overly-emotional blather by yours truly. I would say that I was slightly less disheartened than the year before, but I still devoted a disturbingly large amount of time to feeling down about something that had happened to a bunch of people I'd never met.

But this year? Nothing. No tears, no anger. I can't even muster up "emptiness". Maybe it's because I've become a little detached from things thanks to all the distractions going on in my personal life right now, but I also think maybe it goes deeper than that. Even when the Suns were sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference earlier in the season, they always seemed like a team whose time had already passed. Maybe we didn't want to admit it. Maybe we didn't want to say it out loud. But the window on the Suns as currently constructed slammed shut the moment Robert Horry checked Steve Nash into the scorers table a year ago and Amare and Boris lept off the bench. Something died inside this team that day. Call it "hope", maybe. Whatever the case, the Suns haven't been the same since. You could see it in their inconsistent play this season. You could hear it in Shawn Marion's trade request, Amare's missed practice, and Steve Nash's seemingly making peace with the idea of never winning a ring. There seemed to be a feeling of almost going through the motions this year. I guess not even a big trade can cure an irrevocably broken heart.

To me, the end of this season feels a little like the end of a relationship that you knew was long over, and you finally had the courage to officially break it off. While there may still be a tinge of sadness somewhere in there, you're also looking forward to the next stage of your life and starting something new. That's how I feel about the Suns right now. Acceptance (finally!) for what did or didn't happen in all the years past, and eager anticipation at seeing what comes next. It's been a good run. But it ended a year ago, and now, hopefully, the front office can start building the next "era". With any luck, it will be half as much fun as the one we just witnessed.

And by the way, sometimes I hate being right!

When the Suns' two-time MVP Steve Nash was asked about Amare's MVP-worthiness a few weeks ago, he graciously replied, "I pass the torch to STAT". It was such a typical Steve Nash thing to say, recognizing that by stepping out of the spotlight and allowing another teammate to shine, it makes the Suns a better team. In that same spirit, effective immediately, I am officially passing torch of Bright Side of the Sun administrator to Phoenix Stan, who has done an amazing job of running things in my absence. This site has been literally transformed this month. So much fun and energy has been injected that I am literally in awe. It makes me feel 100% confident that I am leaving you all in good hands.

But before I officially enter "retirement", I suppose a brief explanation is in order. There were a lot of reasons for this decision, but the most important one is simply that I don't have time to do it anymore. Work has suddenly gotten very busy, and I'm expecting it to be that way for the next several months. It's just no longer realistic to continue trying to blog about a team that's effectively based in the Pacific time zone. Trying to keep up with both early morning workdays and late night "play" would mean doing neither very well. And so, for the sake of the team (both this one and the one I'm a part of at work), it is time to remove myself from the driver's seat of this bandwagon, take a nice passenger seat by the window, and just enjoy the view.

I would like to end by thanking Bright Side of the Sun founder Dan Hilton and SBN for the opportunity, and you the readers for making it so much fun. I'd also like to send a special shout-out to Matt at Hardwood Paroxysm, who's been enormously helpful both in regularly linking to my drivel, and as a sounding board when I needed advice. The hardest part of this decision by far was the feeling I'd be letting down our readers and all the people who have encouraged and supported me these past several months. My consolation is knowing that this is a rare win-win situation for everybody involved. Phoenix Stan truly has a special gift for sports blogging. I knew he would be good at it when I invited him on board to help out, but he has been far, far more than just "good at it". He's also a resident of Phoenix and a life-long fan of the Suns franchise--that's a perspective a recent, remote-based fan such as myself can never bring. This is one of those times where what works best for me also happens to be what works best for the blog. It's going to be a blast around here heading into what's sure to be the most entertaining playoffs in years. Even though I won't be posting as much, you can bet I'll be reading daily. For those who want to reach me via e-mail, my new address will be sbntexsun (at) gmail.com. Thanks again everyone, and best of luck to the Suns as we head into the second season.

Update [2008-4-18 18:56:38 by Phoenix Stan]:

Please join me in giving TexSun a BIG Hand!

I have been extremely fortunate to step into this opportunity and am grateful to TexSun and Dan before her for building this fantastic community! It's all you people! It's all you!

Well, I hate to say it, but in a lot of ways--other than the final result, of course--I liked the way the Suns played in this game better than the one last night. That is, I liked the fact that they didn't let themselves fall into a 20-point hole before fighting to get back in it. This time, the Suns kept it within reach right up until the end. Unfortunately, the Nuggets fought just as hard, and the Suns were never able to get over the hump, even when they had the lead briefly in the fourth quarter. It's tough to lose any game right now, since the standings are so tight, but otherwise, there's really no shame in splitting a back-to-back with a team that's desperately fighting to get into the playoffs.

Random bullets of interest:

• The Nuggets defended the free throw line brilliantly. Not only did they keep the Suns from getting there much, they held them to 54% when they did. The Suns had 26 free throw attempts to the Nuggets' 47, and they missed 12 of those 26. That's your ballgame right there.
• The Suns' resiliency got a test tonight when Raja Bell got his second technical and was ejected. Another test came in the fourth quarter when Boris Diaw fouled out. Fortunately, Mike D'Antoni had already broken into his rotation a little, so Brian Skinner was warmed up and ready, as was Gordan Giricek. Just a mental note to file away in case anyone decides to leave the bench at the wrong time a month from now.
• 18 assists for Steve Nash tonight, but his jumper didn't arrive at the arena until the fourth quarter. It also took a bathroom break when the Suns needed a desperation three at the end of the game. But he did hit some big shots earlier in the quarter, and just like last night, he was the one that finally gave the Suns the lead, this time at the free throw line. He also had a rare three steals, and played some nice defense on several key possessions.
• Another great line from Amare tonight. His fantasy owners are loving life right now--well, unless they're in a league that counts turnovers. He had six of those, but they pale in comparison to the stellar 9-of-12 shooting resulting in 25 points to go with his 10 rebounds. He also caused a couple of turnovers of his own with his two steals.
• Speaking of great lines, how about Barbosa with the 27 points on 11-of-16, and the 5-of-8 three-pointers? Too bad he couldn't hit that one at the end of the game, though.
• I loved Gordan Giricek in this game. He was pesky, Raja Bell-like in baiting people into offensive fouls. He also was loading it up from three, going 4-of-6 behind the arc, and 6-of-9 overall en route to a much-needed 16 points off the bench.
• As mentioned earlier, we had a Brian Skinner sighting, and he tried to make the most of it, playing with energy and shooting well (4-of-6). At one point, the lineup was Skinner, Diaw, Shaq, Barbosa, and Giricek. Do I detect a little chemistry experiment for the playoffs?
• Gotta give the Nuggets their props tonight. They could have folded down the stretch for a second night in a row, and they didn't. They hung tough when the Suns took the lead, and got that one last stop that the Suns couldn't get themselves. Hats off to 'em.

Runner-Up: I'm dodging the stat lines again and picking Gordan Giricek. On a night when the Suns were short-handed, and had their 6th man in the starting lineup, Giricek delivered with both scoring and defense off the bench.

OK, no more annoying comments from me about the USAC crowd giving MVP props to the "wrong" guy last night. Even Nash agrees that Amare is now the Suns' MVP. From Paul Coro's latest:

So, chant away, USAC crowd. You'll get no more objections from me.

Phoenix Suns	at	Denver Nuggets
50-24		45-29
6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern
TV: My45 HD, NBATV
Probable starters:
Steve Nash	PG	Anthony Carter
Leandro Barbosa	SG	Allen Iverson
Raja Bell	SF	Carmelo Anthony
Amare Stoudemire	PF	Kenyon Martin
Shaquille O'Neal	C	Marcus Camby

Same song, second verse. After a thrilling show last night, the Suns play the Nuggets again tonight, this time in the mile-high air of Denver. I'm not going to even try to add to the already-great analysis by ZonaFlash on the matchups between these two teams. I just wanted to give this game its own thread to make it easier to follow the live blogging. Earlier today, Phoenix Stan broke down the minutes played in last night's game, and shared his thoughts on what we can expect to see from the sheer exhaustion side of things. Also, if you're a Nuggets fan or just want a view of the game from the other side of the fence, visit Pick Axe and Roll.

Live blogging begins at tipoff in the comments of this post. In the meantime, since the USAC crowd didn't acknowledge Nash's MVP performance last night (I know, I know, get over it TexSUN!), YouTube of the Game returns with a few highlights (hat tip Phxsuns.net):

I just can't believe this. Steve Nash has apparently decided to hang them up early, and return to his soccer-playing roots:

[Update by TexSUN 4:08 PM PT]: Well, I had a lot of fun with this post, but before it causes someone to enter therapy, I'll fess up. In case you didn't check the date, this is an April Fool's prank. To the best of my knowledge, Nash will be with us for a couple of more years before disappearing into the world of filmmaking.

As the end of the regular season approaches, the MVP chatter is starting to heat up, and for the first time since 2005, the Suns are nowhere near the thick of it. Steve Nash is still an awesome point guard whose story is far from finished. He's likely to get a Hall of Fame call after he retires, and hopefully will pick up a ring or two along the way. But, he's probably won his last Maurice Podoloff Trophy. Amare will undoubtedly be in the discussion a year from now, but he's not quite there yet for this season. And so, we Suns fans are left to choose between a player many of us despise, one that may be too young, and one who's playing for a team that's struggling to hang onto the fourth seed in the (L)East.

Then of course, there's the guy who's helped lead one of the biggest single-season turnarounds ever in Boston, the always-steady rock who plays for the Spurs, and the freakishly athletic center who made that memorable Superman dunk at the All-Star game. Clearly, there are plenty of deserving candidates to choose from this year, even if none of them play for the Suns. Let's look at a few of them, and why they would or wouldn't be at the top of my non-existent ballot if the voting happened today.

Kobe Bryant
If the MVP award was just about sheer individual scoring ability, one could argue that Kobe should already have as many of these trophies stacked on his shelf as Michael Jordan. But there's that pesky thing called team success that has kept getting in his way--until now. Despite the fact some of his team's good fortune is the obvious result of that inexplicable trade that landed Pau Gasol for a bag of peanuts, the Lakers were actually doing pretty well even before the trade happened. The breakout of Andrew Bynum deserves some credit, as well as a healthy season from Lamar Odom, and the swapping of Smush Parker for Derek Fisher. But the main reason the Lakers are so good is that Kobe is individually great, and now that greatness has been paired with an improved roster with which Kobe has graciously blended into nicely. Ironically, in a season when Kobe's individual numbers are down, he's more likely to win--and deserve--an MVP award than ever before.

LeBron James
If you consider Player Efficiency Rating (PER) to be the end-all indicator of a player's worth, then LeBron is your guy. He's right at the top of the list (for the record, Kobe is 8th). He's having a career year in just about every statistical category: scoring, shooting percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Plus, with this now being his 5th season in he league, it's time to stop thinking of him as "too young" to be the MVP. The only problem is, his team isn't that good. They're currently hanging on for dear life to the fourth spot in the East. If they played in the West, they would be on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. There seems to be an unspoken requirement for serious MVP contention that your team has to win at least 50 games. With a 41-33 record, that is no longer possible for LeBron.

Chris Paul
The argument against Chris Paul for MVP is simple: He's hasn't paid his dues yet. Otherwise, what's not to like about a guy who's likely to finish the season with more assists--and points--per game than two-time MVP Steve Nash ever has? He's also leading the league in steals, and most importantly has the Hornets (the Hornets!) vying for the top spot in the ultra-competitive West. This is a team that wasn't even a blip on the radar last season. How is this all that different from Nash and the Suns coming out of nowhere in 2005? CP3 without question represents the best combination of team success and individual contribution among the list of MVP candidates. (As an interesting side note, Charley Rosen disagrees with the CP3 for MVP argument, but does a nice job of breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of CP3, Nash, and Utah's Deron Williams).

Kevin Garnett
KG should probably be getting more consideration, given that his arrival had a major hand in changing the entire culture of a Celtics team that is now on its way to one of the largest single-season turnarounds ever. Unfortunately, his team was too good without him, going 7-2 in the nine games KG missed with the abdominal injury. He'll finish in the top five, but will have to look for a Finals MVP as his prize.

Tracy McGrady
More than anything else, McGrady will be remembered for leading his team on an unbelievable, historic 22-game winning streak, nearly half of which was done without Yao Ming. But, can the Rockets hang onto a top four seed? Even if they do, will T-Mac's many first round exits be held against him?

Dwight Howard
Howard hasn't been near the top of this discussion for quite some time, as his team has fallen off the radar a bit. Also, he's likely to be remembered more for his exploits in the All-Star dunk contest, than for his play during the season. Still, he's the main reason the Magic sit atop the Southeast Division, and he'll probably be in the mix for the #5 spot in the MVP voting.

Tim Duncan
No list of MVP candidates can be complete without mentioning the guy who keeps leading the Spurs to championships, while flying quietly under the radar.

Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire
Most in the national media (and the blogosphere) still seem to be tabbing Nash as the token MVP representative for the Suns, even though Amare is #3 on the aforementioned PER list, and looks to be gradually becoming the undisputed focal point of the offense. I'm going to dodge that issue for now, and just mention them both at the same time. It's unlikely that either will finish in the top five, and that's fine by me. The Suns have bigger fish to fry these days.

Dirk Nowitzki
You've got to include last season's MVP on a list like this, if for no other reason than as a sad reminder of how fast things can change in this league. With the Mavericks going down in flames, and Dirk forced to watch from the sidelines, there's zero chance he'll follow his buddy Nash as a repeat Podoloff winner.

Deron Williams
Barring a late season surge by the Jazz, it's highly unlikely that Williams will finish anywhere near the top five. But, he can console himself with knowing that he's maybe the only point guard in the league who can slow down Chris Paul.

Who gets my vote?
I understand all the people who think it's time to give Kobe his due. I really do. He's stood by the past three seasons while voters ignored his amazing individual achievements in favor of players with lesser numbers who played for better teams. Now that he's one of those players, are we really going to deny him just because his numbers aren't as good as they were in the past? It seems rather hypocritical doesn't it? Still, the MVP isn't supposed to be a Lifetime Achievement award given to someone just because "it's time". Even though Kobe has done everything he needed to do to finally win this thing (even playing with a busted pinkie!), I have to give my non-existent vote to someone I feel deserves it even more.

I think if Chris Paul had a few more years under his belt, and had the kind of year he's having, the vote wouldn't even be close. The MVP award is supposed to be about the the current season, not for all the times a player has been snubbed in the past. It isn't supposed to be about age either, nor about what a player has proven during the playoffs. It's a regular season award for the current regular season. I think CP3 is having a better season than Kobe, and he's doing it on a team that has no earthly reason to be as high in the standings as it is. But don't despair, Kobe fans. My vote doesn't count, and I imagine the votes that do count will favor your guy in the end. For the first time ever, I can live with that.

Doing things a little differently with the recap tonight. Since I wasn't able to live blog during the game, I've decided to do so after the fact while watching the game on DVR. So jump right in for some time-delayed commentary.

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