Anyone else have the feeling...

[ASUCHRIS]

that the Suns are on the brink of something special this year? I dunno, it is just a hunch, but with a healthy Amare (crossing fingers) this team can take it's unbelievable play to another level and win it all. I think that Nash and Marion are playing the best of their careers along with the rest of the starters, and the bench production has been consistent. The other major factor is, the top teams in the NBA just haven't looked that impressive this year. The only team that has been dominant this year has been the Pistons, and even they have had some minor chinks in their armor as of late. San Antonio's chances are predicated on injury issues as much as anyone. Momentum is on our side boys, jump on the bandwagon. Who's with me?

 

[ProdigalSun]

Could we be basketball's version of this year's Steelers? I hope so

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Chiunit, I don't know you, and granted you are pretty low in post count, but I like you already. Welcome to the wagon...anyone else?

 

[Chaplin]

I'm sort of in that camp. We will definitely be dangerous when Amare returns--the one thing that scares me is the chemistry issue--and if the chemistry is good, then I would have to be concerned about how he is integrated into the offense. 4 months is a long time for all the new guys to get used to their roles and then all of a sudden change for only a month and the playoffs--it will be rough.

I'm also concerned about our rebounding, even when Amare returns, but I'm waiting to see what kind of effect Amare will have on Kurt Thomas.

I won't go so far as to say we are a team of destiny, at least not this year. However, the guys are playing very well, and I believe that if the stars are aligned correctly, when Amare returns we will be a very strong team.

I don't believe San Antonio is as much a lock as virtually every media outlet is saying. The team I worry about the most is Dallas. Everyone is so crazy over San Antonio, they fail to see that Dallas may be better than the Spurs. But the Spurs have a reputation, and that reputation puts them as the automatic Western Conference representative in the Finals. But in reality, any of the Spurs, Mavs and Suns have just as good a chance.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I'm sort of in that camp. We will definitely be dangerous when Amare returns--the one thing that scares me is the chemistry issue--and if the chemistry is good, then I would have to be concerned about how he is integrated into the offense. 4 months is a long time for all the new guys to get used to their roles and then all of a sudden change for only a month and the playoffs--it will be rough.

I'm also concerned about our rebou The team I worry about the most is Dallas. Everyone is so crazy over San Antonio, they fail to see that Dallas may be better than the Spurs. But the Spurs have a reputation, and that reputation puts them as the automatic Western Conference representative in the Finals. But in reality, any of the Spurs, Mavs and Suns have just as good a chance.

Dallas admitedly has been playing very well this year on both ends of the floor, but I think we have the mental advantage on them, especially in the playoffs. Dirk definitely doesn't like Marion, and I would imagine he likes Amare even less. The playoffs should at least be intriguing with a group of teams with many question marks, but many very good teams.

 

[arthurracoon]

If we win the division, and finish in the 2 or 3 seed, we have the advantage.

They both are stuck in the same bracket.

 

[Chaplin]

If we win the division, and finish in the 2 or 3 seed, we have the advantage.

They both are stuck in the same bracket.

Barring a complete collapse by both us AND the Clippers, there is very little chance we'll get the 3 seed. It will most likely be the #2 or the #5--same as what we have now (we are #2, Clips are #5). We have a 6 1/2 game lead ahead of Denver, who is leading the Northwest Division and currently in the #3 spot.

 

[boisesuns]

I was thinking about posting something silimar Chris. I really feel like the Suns will be able to go deep into the playoffs. Amare's impact will be key like Chap said, as wel as the chemestry. I really feel that the adjustment to Amare will take less time than we expect though.

 

[sunsfn]

Kurt Thomas will have the biggest adjustment, GETTING OUT OF AMARES WAY!!

I am actually thinking that Amare will not get back to his normal game this year. I hope I am wrong about that, but it will be tough for him.

I do not expect him to be the high flyer this year that I think he may be next year again. However, he is kind of a freak of nature so he will probably surprise me some more.

 

[Bunker]

I am 100% on the bandwagon with ASU Chris. I believe if Amare comes back healthy, this team could be dynasty.

 

[Espo]

I have the same feeling. This team has a lot of special things going on this year. It kind of reminds me of 2001 and the dbacks run. They had a bunch of guys who had career years and played over their heads. With Amare this team can be something really special and even without him they still would make some noise in the playoffs. I hope we can raise a banner in Us Airways Center next season.

 

[playstation]

here's a couple interesting things:

-we're so entrenched in the #2 seed, that even if we won all the close games we've been in (we're 0-6 in games decided by 3 or less), we'd still be the 2 seed (although right there for the best record in the league). right now, the clippers getting very hot/unfortunate injury to suns player is the only thing holding us back from a 2 seed. the clippers have been in a bit of a funk lately, lets hope it continues.

-this means, most likely, we play either NO hornets or Memphis Grizzlies in round one, and one of those guys or nuggets in round 2. The way we've been playing, there is a strong chance that if Amare didn't return at all this year, we'd still be in the conference finals.

-eddie house is really good at making shots while being guarded. however, i've noticed that the few times where he is actually able to set for an open shot, THE MAN DOES NOT MISS. if amare gets it going, this team may actually be more explosive than last year, while still being better defensively. while i'm at it, i have to say similar things about raja and leandro right now. only james jones is mercurial a la QRich. we have 4 shooters (including Nash) who we can count on night in and night out, that's pretty rediculous. pretty soon, they're actually going to start getting OPEN looks...

-i'm really looking forward to having Brian Grant back. even without amare, that makes us 9 deep.

-march 9th: suns v. spurs in phoenix. if everything were to go well, i'd say this was amare's last game not on the court. we could REALLY send a statement if we beat the spurs a second time without amare, and then get him back for the next game. the way we're playing right now, the only thing i notice is occasional defensive lapses.

-final thought: without amare, we lose in 5 in the WCF (sound familiar?) with amare, i hesitate to say anything anymore. the spurs have become such a mountain over the past 2 years that its hard to see us knocking them out, but i really think we have a good shot. i think one thing is for sure, we have proved to be a top 5 team without amare. are we a top 2 (or top 1) team with him? at that point i think it is best to settle it on the court

 

[George O'Brien]

After watching the Suns smoke the Nuggets in Denver, it is possible to believe anything. When the Suns are "on", they can rip through anybody.

The oddest part about evaluating whether the Mavs or the Spurs would be the tougher match is that we can only guess how the refs will call the games. If it old style "let them play", the Spurs will be the tougher opponent because they are built for that kind of play. In a tightly called series, the huge number of shooters on the Mavs make them a tougher matchup - although having a vastly superior low post threat would give the Suns the edge.

 

[jibikao]

I hope you are right!

I think offensively, Amare will fit just fine with the group but defensively, I am not so sure. Amare's rotation was a bit slow in the playoffs but it could be because he didn't want to get into foul trouble. Now that the team is so much deeper, I don't want Amare to hold back on the defensive end. He should always challenge shot and box out whenever he can.

Let's finally grab the ring this year!

 

[fordronken]

Could we be basketball's version of this year's Steelers? I hope so

We'd have to bring back a really fat Connie Hawkins and play him like 40 seconds a game.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I feel the same, and I think we can beat anyone in the West with Amare back...

But I'm worried about Detroit if we get that far...they are playing BETTER than they did the year they beat the Lakers...and definitely better than last year.

 

[elindholm]

We'd have to bring back a really fat Connie Hawkins and play him like 40 seconds a game.

Wouldn't Barkley do the trick? He could be brought in to get a defensive rebound off of a missed free throw or something.

 

[fordronken]

Wouldn't Barkley do the trick? He could be brought in to get a defensive rebound off of a missed free throw or something.

Argh! Much better call. I don't know why I didn't think of Barkley. He'd be perfect. And probably better than Burke, anyway.

 

[myrondizzo]

and he's been fat his whole life so the role wouldnt be too much of a strech.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

here's a couple interesting things:

-we're so entrenched in the #2 seed, that even if we won all the close games we've been in (we're 0-6 in games decided by 3 or less), we'd still be the 2 seed (although right there for the best record in the league). right now, the clippers getting very hot/unfortunate injury to suns player is the only thing holding us back from a 2 seed. the clippers have been in a bit of a funk lately, lets hope it continues.

-this means, most likely, we play either NO hornets or Memphis Grizzlies in round one, and one of those guys or nuggets in round 2. The way we've been playing, there is a strong chance that if Amare didn't return at all this year, we'd still be in the conference finals.

-eddie house is really good at making shots while being guarded. however, i've noticed that the few times where he is actually able to set for an open shot, THE MAN DOES NOT MISS. if amare gets it going, this team may actually be more explosive than last year, while still being better defensively. while i'm at it, i have to say similar things about raja and leandro right now. only james jones is mercurial a la QRich. we have 4 shooters (including Nash) who we can count on night in and night out, that's pretty rediculous. pretty soon, they're actually going to start getting OPEN looks...

-i'm really looking forward to having Brian Grant back. even without amare, that makes us 9 deep.

-march 9th: suns v. spurs in phoenix. if everything were to go well, i'd say this was amare's last game not on the court. we could REALLY send a statement if we beat the spurs a second time without amare, and then get him back for the next game. the way we're playing right now, the only thing i notice is occasional defensive lapses.

-final thought: without amare, we lose in 5 in the WCF (sound familiar?) with amare, i hesitate to say anything anymore. the spurs have become such a mountain over the past 2 years that its hard to see us knocking them out, but i really think we have a good shot. i think one thing is for sure, we have proved to be a top 5 team without amare. are we a top 2 (or top 1) team with him? at that point i think it is best to settle it on the court

Good post!!! What people are forgetting is last year this team had no bench and no defense. This year this team has tons of depth and plays D. Thomas and Bell will be big factors come Playoff time when defense is much more valued, they were brought in to defeat San Antonio. This team has been draining 3's like crazy and thats without Amare giving them open looks. Plus when Amare comes back this team has the option of going Big and Small, Last year they could only go Small. Nash is the gel that keeps this team together along with Diaw, when Amare returns I feel the transition will be quick and smooth. Amare is a finisher, not a creator transitioning Amare into the teams chemistry will be alot easier then adding a guy who is a ball handler into the system. Say if the Suns were a Football team Nash is the QB, this team has alot of WR's to throw too, Now Amare comes in as the big bad TE, that allows Nash to throw in the middle of the field now, taking tons of pressure away from the other WR's

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Guys i consider myself a pretty avid NBA fan and after watching for all these years i know what it takes to win in this league. I have a bot of a GM mindset ingrained in my head after seeing so much around the league these last twelve years. And even last year when we were on a ridiculous 62 win pace, while i was optimistic, i knew in the back of my head San Antonio would take us out. And if not them then the Pistons.....

So even when we were getting more hype last year, these problems stuck in the back of my head...

Nash's defense
Marion matched up against bigger players
Stellar perimeter players on the opposition
Rebounding
Physical teams that bump Nash
Getting stops when we absolutly had to have them
Bench play when players became fatigued or injured
If Nash is contained, who distributes the ball (this was my biggest concern as when he got injured or was trapped at halfcourt, we were MUCH less effective)

But watching the games this year and seeing what the additions of Bell, Thomas (whose difference in a game is unmeasurable really) and especially Diaw have brought to the team, I seriously think with even Amare at 80% (lets say 20 and 8), we can win it all.

Nash's defense has improved a little but with Bell and Marion on the wing, Nash can take the weaker of the three perimeter players (Prince on Detroit...yes 6'10 Prince, Bowen on SA) so thats less of an issue

Marion has shown why he is one of the three best small forwards in the game as he is MUCH better suited to be floating on the perimeter on defense and then crashing the boards (Marion is the man....my tune has changed....dont trade him unless you are getting a superstar back IMO)

Ginobili, Billups or Hamilton, or Kobe or etc all have a guy who can stick them now and get in there heads over the course of a series. Thats something we have lacked in years past

Our rebounding is okay ( ithink amare will help that though for both him and KT) but you cant be a quick trigger offense, get back on defense AND be a dominant rebounding team. Its just physically impossible, So of the three im not as worried about that.

I like the physicality of KT and Bell and i dont think we will be pushed around anymore

I have seen enough to know that when this team needs stops, we can get them and i expect that to improve even more in the playoffs

Our bench is downright sick and will only improve when Amare comes back. Jr, House, Barbosa and Diaw are all players that can single handedly win us playoff games.

Diaw is a big improvement over JJ with passing and handling the ball. When Nash goes out we can run the ball through him and not really miss a beat. In fact unbelievably it has made Nash a better passer as well. I use to watch the Bibby, Webber, Divac kings with envy a few years ago as i had never seen such an unselfish team move the ball so well. Well we have taken that style and possibly even improved it. There is only so much defense for a good pass.

I think we match up well against SA now and Dallas does not worry me in the least. They are a MUCH improved team and could win it all if they didnt have to face us. But they match up horribly with us because we can take their most important player out of the game with one guy: Marion. Its that simple

Detroit worries me as they will have homecourt and are so balanced, but im hoping our superior coaching and bench will be the difference...

So what do i think is our biggest issue this year and the one thing that keeps us from being on pace to be the best team in the league come May? Very easy. we have trouble in close games because we lack a go to guy who we can count to get points if we need them. Thats why we have lost so many close games, when i thought that was one of our strongest suits last year. We need a superstar who you can give the ball to and get out of the way. Preferrebly someone who plays inside and is a monster come playoff time.

Anyone have any suggestions....?

 

[myrondizzo]

Anyone have any suggestions....?

trade for wilcox?

 

[boisesuns]

One of my biggest concerns is how we've been playing down to the competition. We've been losing to some teams we shouldn't. I really like the Suns chances, and hopefully come playoff time it won't matter becuase you should play down in the playoffs.

Our biggest obstical is the team chemestry and adjusting to Amare. With the way this offense works, I think the suns can adjust, but other teams will have the benefit of playing the whole season with their teams, as opposed to us with Amare coming back.

Remember how much the team has changed since Amare last played on it. It will take time, but Amare will be the difference.

 

[jibikao]

Guys i consider myself a pretty avid NBA fan and after watching for all these years i know what it takes to win in this league. I have a bot of a GM mindset ingrained in my head after seeing so much around the league these last twelve years. And even last year when we were on a ridiculous 62 win pace, while i was optimistic, i knew in the back of my head San Antonio would take us out. And if not them then the Pistons.....

So even when we were getting more hype last year, these problems stuck in the back of my head...

Nash's defense
Marion matched up against bigger players
Stellar perimeter players on the opposition
Rebounding
Physical teams that bump Nash
Getting stops when we absolutly had to have them
Bench play when players became fatigued or injured
If Nash is contained, who distributes the ball (this was my biggest concern as when he got injured or was trapped at halfcourt, we were MUCH less effective)

But watching the games this year and seeing what the additions of Bell, Thomas (whose difference in a game is unmeasurable really) and especially Diaw have brought to the team, I seriously think with even Amare at 80% (lets say 20 and 8), we can win it all.

Nash's defense has improved a little but with Bell and Marion on the wing, Nash can take the weaker of the three perimeter players (Prince on Detroit...yes 6'10 Prince, Bowen on SA) so thats less of an issue

Marion has shown why he is one of the three best small forwards in the game as he is MUCH better suited to be floating on the perimeter on defense and then crashing the boards (Marion is the man....my tune has changed....dont trade him unless you are getting a superstar back IMO)

Ginobili, Billups or Hamilton, or Kobe or etc all have a guy who can stick them now and get in there heads over the course of a series. Thats something we have lacked in years past

Our rebounding is okay ( ithink amare will help that though for both him and KT) but you cant be a quick trigger offense, get back on defense AND be a dominant rebounding team. Its just physically impossible, So of the three im not as worried about that.

I like the physicality of KT and Bell and i dont think we will be pushed around anymore

I have seen enough to know that when this team needs stops, we can get them and i expect that to improve even more in the playoffs

Our bench is downright sick and will only improve when Amare comes back. Jr, House, Barbosa and Diaw are all players that can single handedly win us playoff games.

Diaw is a big improvement over JJ with passing and handling the ball. When Nash goes out we can run the ball through him and not really miss a beat. In fact unbelievably it has made Nash a better passer as well. I use to watch the Bibby, Webber, Divac kings with envy a few years ago as i had never seen such an unselfish team move the ball so well. Well we have taken that style and possibly even improved it. There is only so much defense for a good pass.

I think we match up well against SA now and Dallas does not worry me in the least. They are a MUCH improved team and could win it all if they didnt have to face us. But they match up horribly with us because we can take their most important player out of the game with one guy: Marion. Its that simple

Detroit worries me as they will have homecourt and are so balanced, but im hoping our superior coaching and bench will be the difference...

So what do i think is our biggest issue this year and the one thing that keeps us from being on pace to be the best team in the league come May? Very easy. we have trouble in close games because we lack a go to guy who we can count to get points if we need them. Thats why we have lost so many close games, when i thought that was one of our strongest suits last year. We need a superstar who you can give the ball to and get out of the way. Preferrebly someone who plays inside and is a monster come playoff time.

Anyone have any suggestions....?

Amare will be really the only thing we need. I haven't seen enough of Brian Grant and I am not sure if he can keep up with our speed but as long as he can get us rebound and some toughness inside, I think Brian Grant and Kurt Thomas will be a big difference in the playoffs because we can AFFORD to foul hard. Kurt Thomas would probably foul out in every single game but as long as Brian Grant is in good shape, there is no reason why Brian can't do the things Kurt does. Their offense are pretty much alike. When Amare comes back healthy, I don't even think we even need all that much offense from our big guys.

When we have both Amare and Grant back, I think we will be in an excellent shape. Amare will give us the go-to guy that we've been missing during close (4th quarter) game and draw probably 45% more foul shots for us. Grant should improve our rebounding problem because Diaw is still not that strong and Thomas is a foul fest (I like hard fouls though).

 

[elindholm]

I don't think the Suns can beat the Pistons in a seven-game series. Watching the Finals last summer, what struck me the most was the rabid intensity that the Pistons had on almost every defensive possession. I don't think I've ever seen a team so focused and energized on defense. Now, I know that the Pistons lost the series (narrowly), and to be honest I can't remember what the scores were like, and I haven't watched the Pistons much this year. But they are all the same players, and they have all been there, and they will know how to turn it up when the situation demands it.

On the other hand, they have to get there first. I don't think it's a lock that Detroit will represent the East in the Finals. I could see Miami taking them out if O'Neal decides to show up and Wade gets into a groove. The Suns have shown that they're pretty good at running Miami off the floor, so there's a possibility there.

But asking to beat both the Spurs and Pistons, without home-court advantage in either series, is just too tall an order.