Best ever Suns lineup you've seen?

[AZCrazy]

Now that we're all trying to learn new names again, it made me wonder what is the best lineup I've ever seen the Suns put together? Most talent, best balance, etc. It seems to come around once a generation or so. What is the best 5 man lineup you remember the Suns putting on the floor at the same time???


Was it one with Gar Heard, the Hawk, and Van Arsdale, or

Larry Nance, Maurice Lucas, Walter Davis, Dennis Johnson... or

Nash, Stat, Matrix, Bell...

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge). Second place for me would be the roster of 75-76 with Westy, Sobers, Heard, Perry, AA backed up by Van Arsdale and Erickson. It wasn't very deep but it was a special group.

Steve

 

[Raindog]

I would say the Barkley team with A.C., Danny Manning, et al. was the deepest. But best starting lineup? For me, easily Westphal, Davis, Adams, Truck, and Don Buse. Not a great bench, but best group of starters.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge). Second place for me would be the roster of 75-76 with Westy, Sobers, Heard, Perry, AA backed up by Van Arsdale and Erickson. It wasn't very deep but it was a special group.

Steve

this.

that team was RIDICULOUSLY loaded.

 

[devilalum]

The first year they had Truck Robinson and won 57 games was pretty good.

 

[slinslin]

Nash, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa, Quentin Richardson, Jim Jackson, Steven Hunter

should have been Andre Iguodala instead of Quentin Richardson

That team had 5 players averaging at least 14.9 ppg including Amare at 26ppg.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge). Second place for me would be the roster of 75-76 with Westy, Sobers, Heard, Perry, AA backed up by Van Arsdale and Erickson. It wasn't very deep but it was a special group.

Steve

This, I became a fan back in 1992-93. I was only 8 and wasn't that familiar with the NBA until the Dream Team in the summer of 92 plus all the talk about the Suns acquiring Barkley. The team was loaded with talent throughout Barkley's entire run. It's a shame that Dumas had a drug problem and Oliver Miller's weight became a problem. Both of them were great that year. I think that team was more of a title contender than any of the Nash years.

 

[Phrazbit]

I feel like it has to be the 93 team. They were stupid deep across the board. Seven guys averaged double figures. Cedric Ceballos, an all-star caliber player during that time, was like the 7th option in the offense. Chambers had been an all-star 4 of the previous 6 seasons and he was coming off the bench.

That team is frequently mentioned as possibly the greatest team to not win the title.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge).

Steve

This. If it wasn't for playing against a team that arguably had the best player to ever play the game...the Suns have a banner in the rafters. That team was freaking amazing. I went to 30 or so games that year and went to some of the playoff games. That team was absolutely electrifying.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge). Second place for me would be the roster of 75-76 with Westy, Sobers, Heard, Perry, AA backed up by Van Arsdale and Erickson. It wasn't very deep but it was a special group.

Steve

And its not even close. That basic team should have had two rings. They laid eggs in Houston when they should have won.

 

[BC867]

My favorite lineup to watch was the one with Mo Lucas, DJ, Sweet D and Nance.

Lucas, the prototype Power Forward and enforcer. Johnson, as tough a competitor as every played Guard. Davis, moved from the "3" to "2". And Nance, the first of the 6'10" Small Forwards.

Every time I post about my displeasure with the Suns playing light in these times, I picture how they were once the innovator of using bigger players to dominate lighter positions.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I'd go for the Majerle, Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Oliver Miller, Ceballos, Ainge, Chambers, Mark West group of 92-93 with the lineup of KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley and Miller (or switch out Dumas for Ainge). Second place for me would be the roster of 75-76 with Westy, Sobers, Heard, Perry, AA backed up by Van Arsdale and Erickson. It wasn't very deep but it was a special group.

Steve

This.... No Doubt

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Now that we're all trying to learn new names again, it made me wonder what is the best lineup I've ever seen the Suns put together? Most talent, best balance, etc. It seems to come around once a generation or so. What is the best 5 man lineup you remember the Suns putting on the floor at the same time???


Was it one with Gar Heard, the Hawk, and Van Arsdale, or

Larry Nance, Maurice Lucas, Walter Davis, Dennis Johnson... or

Nash, Stat, Matrix, Bell...

Any lineup with Dennis Johnson! Now that was the worst trade in Suns history...hands down.

 

[BillsCarnage]

And its not even close. That basic team should have had two rings. They laid eggs in Houston when they should have won.

And no doubt the most entertaining team on and off the court.

this.

that team was RIDICULOUSLY loaded.

RIDICULOUSLY, no doubt. But Oli and Dumas were anomalies unfortunately. Too bad they couldn't keep it together.

Didn't Oli have some ridiculous wing span of 10ft. Not literally, but big for his size.

 

[Chaz]

I only started following basketball about 90-91 so I am sad I never got to see DJ, Davis, or Adams.
92-93 was great but once they got Manning that was ridiculous.(94-95?)

2004 was a close second. They reshaped the NBA.

Ceballos is one of my all time favorites. Only Suns jersey I have.

 

[SirStefan32]

Didn't Oli have some ridiculous wing span of 10ft. Not literally, but big for his size.

Neh, that was his circumference.

 

[Phrazbit]

Neh, that was his circumference.

Ha!

 

[mojorizen7]

92-93 team

KJ/Ainge
Majerle/Ainge
Dumas/Ceballos
Barkley/Chambers
Miller/West

-Sub future Suns AC Green or Danny Manning in there for Chambers and THAT would've been pure awesome. Still, helluva team though. Defensively challenged at times, but the best Suns lineup I've seen yet.

 

[AZCrazy]

That team went about 13 deep, any one of whom would be the best player on today's team.

 

[AZCrazy]

The Suns had a habit of hiring former players to be the team's head coach as well.

From Van Arsdale to Westphal, to Skiles and Robinson, to Ainge and Hornacek.

Too bad we couldn't get a few years out of this guy back in the 80's.

 

[BillsCarnage]

That team went about 13 deep, any one of whom would be the best player on today's team.

I think it was Marjerle who said the only team that could beat the starters was the bench.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Too bad we couldn't get a few years out of this guy back in the 80's.

Might have worked out had they also won the coin flip too.

 

[Cheesebeef]

that team was so good, it won 62 games with Negele Knight starting 25 games at PG. KJ was never even 100% the entire year.

and how can you keep ignoring that team's stone cold killer off the bench... JERROD MUSTAF!

 

[Covert Rain]

Those teams during those years seem to be the polar opposite of this Suns team. What I mean is it seems we keep making stars of other players with our current team. Back then...there was always someone stepping off our bench it seemed to have a big game. It was awesome.

 

[slinslin]

92-93 team

KJ/Ainge
Majerle/Ainge
Dumas/Ceballos
Barkley/Chambers
Miller/West

-Sub future Suns AC Green or Danny Manning in there for Chambers and THAT would've been pure awesome. Still, helluva team though. Defensively challenged at times, but the best Suns lineup I've seen yet.

2004 was better though imo.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/1993.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2005.html

Both teams won 62 games.
2004 team played a considerably tougher schedule.

2004 team outscored opponents by 7.1 points on average.
1992 team outscored opponents by 6.7 points on average.

The worst starter (Q) in 2004 averaged 14.9 ppg.

I also think the 2004 team was more talented overall. Nash was better than KJ. Joe Johnson way more talented than Thunder Dan. Marion was better than Ceballos/Dumas. Barkley was better than Amare but it is a lot closer than you would think. 04-05 Amare was actually more productive than 92-92 Barkley (26.6 PER vs 25.9 PER and .243 WS/48 vs .242 WS/48 )

1992 had better depth though.

it is close but I'll go with 2004 before 1992.

The overall most talented starting lineup was probably at the end of the 2008 season with Shaq, Amare, Hill, Bell, Nash and Barbosa as 6th man. I mean I think Raja Bell is a nobody but that team had 4 players in the starting lineups that were legitimate MVP candidates for multiple years in their prime. For Shaq, Nash and Amare recent MVP candidates.

Too bad they lost to the Spurs and the next season Terry Porter ruined it plus Shaq's ongoing decline.