The Suns Will Rise Again
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by user NBA Superblog
The Suns have been defeated and everyone in Phoenix is disappointed. No team is ever happy when their season ends without a championship ring. But there is reason for great optimism in the Arizona desert. They were not, after-all, supposed to be as successful as they were this season. When news broke that they would play the year without emerging superstar Amare Stoudemire because of injury, everyone in the organization braced for a bumpy ride.
The Suns proved to be a proud bunch, however, and fought valiantly without Stoudemire in the line-up. The result was a fantastic 54-28 regular season record to win the Pacific division. Then, they fought back bravely from a three-to-one deficit against the Lakers to win their first round play-off match-up. In the second round they battled the suddenly formidable Clippers, winning in seven games. Finally, they put up a good fight in the Western Conference finals against the Mavericks before succumbing in six games. The Suns organization will be upset for a while, but things look bright for the future. Here are the main reasons for optimism for the Suns and their fans:
- Steve Nash is the two-time MVP and, remarkably, he seems to be getting better. At 32 most players begin to slow down considerably, but Nash shows no signs of that. The system is built around his unique style of play and the team has accumulated role players that compliment his quick-decision attacking approach. He was charged with a heavy burden to keep this team competitive without AMARE STOUDEMIRE this year and he surpassed everyone’s expectations, except perhaps, his own.
- AMARE STOUDEMIRE suffered a very serious knee injury that takes a great amount of time to heal, but it will heal. He is young and strong and will have had a year and a half to rehabilitate before he is asked to play again. The Suns are incredibly good with Stoudemire in their line-up. He is the perfect big man for their system, burly but quick. He gets out on the break as fast as most guards and he gives Nash a reliable target on the run. The Suns just didn’t have anyone this season to replace the low-post skills that Stoudemire brings.
- The SUPPORTING CAST was one on the biggest surprises this season. Boris Diaw was underused in Atlanta and little was expected of him in Phoenix. But Diaw rose to the challenge and became a legitimate NBA player. He raised his scoring average from 4.8 PPG in 04-05 (Atlanta) to 13.3 PPG this year. He played even better in the play-offs, averaging 18.1 PPG and forcing defenses to account for his presence. Leandro Barbosa also improved dramatically. He raised his scoring average 6 points (7.0 PPG to 13.1 PPG) in a year and became, arguably, the best back-up point guard in the league. Tim Thomas was wrongly banished from Chicago and became a necessary commodity for the Suns, especially in the play-offs. He may not be back because another team will likely pay him more to wear their jersey than the Suns can afford, but he helped this team win and he deserves a chance to regain his stature, somewhere.
Maybe the Suns just had very good luck so soon after it looked like they would falter because of bad luck, but that notion doesn’t seem right. They are expertly coached by the player-friendly Mike D'Antoni, who installed a fast-paced, but efficient offense. They are led by a savvy two-time MVP. And they employ a stable of young, talented professionals. Next season they will have heaps of confidence, their wunderkind big man will return healthy, and if that forecast doesn’t seem bright enough, they have two first round picks in the upcoming draft. The future, in deed, looks bright in Phoenix.
Date
Sun 06/04/06, 2:35 am EST
