azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Young Suns' deep playoff run signals best is yet to come
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 3, 2005 12:00 AM
The run and fun lasted 241 days and 105 games from the time they smiled for photos to the franchise's first June game in 12 years.
But it was only a start. The Phoenix Suns have won you over, but they pledge to not rest until they have won it all. Even with the intent to keep their core and a starting lineup with an average age of 25.4, the Suns are restless and dissatisfied.
"We are by no means comfortable in sitting back and saying, 'OK, we're just going to come back next year and try to do it again,' " Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "We're going to get better. We're going to do everything we can this off-season to improve."
There are the priorities of signing Amaré Stoudemire to a long-term, maximum-salary extension and resigning Joe Johnson, a task that likely will require the Suns to match the restricted free agent's best offer from elsewhere. Beyond that, Phoenix wants to get more size, improve its defense and tap the talent of Leandro Barbosa to fill the backup point guard role.
"I think we have an unlimited future," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just need to get better. This (Western Conference finals finish) is one step in this process."
Phoenix will have the No. 21 and No. 57 picks in the June 28 draft and free agency to alter its roster. The Suns seem inclined to keep Johnson and Steven Hunter, assuming they can work up a new deal with the center. But Hunter is just one big man Phoenix will need as it tries to fortify its interior, helping Stoudemire.
Center Jake Voskuhl fell out of the mix for such a role and will ponder passing on his $1.9 million player option for next season. Colangelo said it might be in Voskuhl's interests to seek a situation that would market him for his next contract.
"He (Hunter) gives us one kind of element," D'Antoni said. "We need a stronger kind of guy to give us another thing to go to, another option. That doesn't limit what Steven does. We're happy with what he gives us but we also need a little bit more of a muscle guy."
Most of Phoenix's summer movement will be predicated on how labor talks ago. If there is not a collective bargaining agreement in place by the end of June, free-agency contact will not begin on July 1.
With Phoenix over the salary cap, it will use the midlevel exception (the average league salary), $1.6 million, and veteran's minimum salaries to become a deeper team.
"Through the grapevine, we've already heard from a number of people that they'd like to come play for the Phoenix Suns," Colangelo said.
With a dearth of centers who fit, it could be a power forward that helps the Suns via free agency or a trade.
"It's difficult to face a front line with two 7-footers and obviously one as good as Tim Duncan," Steve Nash said. "And to play them (the Spurs) with a small lineup like that over a long period of time is difficult. But we made it to the final four. If we had Joe, we might still be in the series. We're not far away."
D'Antoni said October's training camp would be more specifically designed to address Phoenix's deficiencies, particularly defense. But D'Antoni's message Thursday to his star players during exit interviews was that they form the "cavalry." There will be tweaks to the roster but "they're the guys who've got to get it done," he said.
The Suns need and want Barbosa to get it done at point. With veteran backup point guards seemingly out of the Suns' financial range, they are counting on Barbosa to bounce back from an erratic season and silent postseason to recapture the buzz that made him a summer league star last year.
Barbosa will play in the summer league in Las Vegas in July - if there is a labor agreement - and join his Brazilian team for a qualifying tournament. Nash also plans to spend time with Barbosa, his best friend on the team, to help him develop.
"We have to get him to improve," D'Antoni said. "He's an unbelievable talent. That'll be our first project. We love his character and what he brings to the team because of the untapped talent there. We have to somehow unlock that and he would be a key going forward. That'll be a big challenge for the coaching staff."
The Suns also will decide whether to pick up the 2006-07 season option on Barbosa's deal.
"We've just got to be patient with him," Nash said. "He can be a terrific player in this league. Give him some time to figure out who he is and what he is and maybe next year he'll be a lot more ready."
Coach of the Year
It took nearly three decades, much of it spent working in Italy, for Mike D'Antoni to become an overnight sensation in his first full season as teh Suns' head coach.
MVP
Everyone knew Steve Nash's return to Phoenix would spark a Suns revival, but the active point guard raised his game, and his team, to unexpected heights.
Exec of the Year
The success this season allowed President/General Manager Bryan Colangelo, architect for new owner Robert Sarver, to emerge from teh shadow of his trailblazing father.
Regular Season
Off and running
Right from the start, it was viewed as a work in progress. With plenty of new blood, most notably Steve Nash, and a developing young superstar in Amaré Stoudemire, the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns hit the court running and never stopped. Coach Mike D'Antoni's plan: defy conventional thinking, put the most athletic players on the floor at the same time, run opponents into submission and hope that Stoudemire would be enough in the middle as a rebounder and defender. The critics lined up to dismiss the Suns, but by Thanksgiving it was clear that Phoenix was on to something. The Run-and-Fun Suns were starting to think about 60 wins in early December, and even a Nash injury scare barely slowed them down. When the season ended in April, the Suns had posted the third largest one-year turnaround in NBA history, going from 29 wins to a franchise-record-tying 62, and clinched the top seed throughout the NBA playoffs.
Round 1
A Grizzly sweep to open playoffs
A season of superlatives didn't end once the playoffs began. The Suns swept a best-of-seven series for the first time, taking out the Memphis Grizzlies in a first-round matchup that proved the high-octane basketball from the regular season could work in the playoffs. The Grizzlies had limited Phoenix to fewer than 100 points in the teams' previous three meetings, but in Game 1 the Suns drained 15 three-pointers - a team postseason record - and hit the 100-point mark with five minutes left in the game. Game 2 was a more physical affair, in which the Suns needed to erase a five-point deficit in the final 4:18. When the series shifted to Memphis for Game 3, the Suns dominated, turning the ball over only five times - another franchise playoff mark - and shooting 58 percent from three-point range. That set the stage for the finale, another rough-and-tumble contest in which the Suns kept their composure and survived a late, Memphis rally. Amaré Stoudemire scored 64 points in Games 2 and 3, showing that the Suns indeed had a strong inside presence.
Round 2
Passing a test in Dallas
The sweep of Memphis gave the Suns a full week off before the Western Conference semifinals against Dallas, and it turned out they needed all the extra energy they could get. It seemed like a mismatch after an Amaré Stoudemire-led (40 points) Game 1 rout, but things got decidedly dicier when Joe Johnson landed on his face in Game 2. Broken bones around his left eye cost him the rest of the series, and the Suns went to Dallas tied at 1. Stoudemire carried the day with 37 points in a Game 3 win, but not even Steve Nash's incredible 48-point effort in Game 4 against his old team prevented Dallas from evening the series once more. In the pivotal Game 5, Nash returned to his more-familiar role as playmaker (12 assists, 34 points), Stoudemire dominated once more and Jim Jackson (21 points) filled Johnson's shoes as the Suns pulled out a win in the fourth quarter. Dallas wasn't finished, however, just about sealing Game 6. Then Nash hit a three-pointer in the final moments to force overtime, and Shawn Marion scored 11 of the Suns' 19 points in the extra period to put Phoenix in the conference finals for the first time since 1993.
Round 3
A dream season ends one round early
The Suns survived the Dallas series without Joe Johnson, but it became clear from the start of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio that the depleted roster would have trouble matching the deep, experienced Spurs. The first reality check came in the fourth quarter of Game 1, when San Antonio scored 43 points to decisively steal home-court advantage. Tim Duncan scored 28 points and had 15 rebounds, setting a tone that would run through the series. In Game 2, the Suns seemed poised to answer, taking a five-point lead with 7:50 to play, but managed to stop the Spurs on only one possession the rest of the game. Johnson, fitted with his protective mask, finally got back on the floor for Game 3 and scored 15 points, and Quentin Richardson seemed to find his lost shooting touch, but again it was too much Duncan (33 points, 15 rebounds) and too little energy and teamwork by the Suns. Facing the unpleasant thought of getting swept, the Suns played an inspired Game 4 to send the series back to the Valley. Amaré Stoudemire and Johnson carried the team with 31 and 26 points, respectively, but San Antonio ended any thoughts of a miraculous comeback. The Spurs limited the Suns to 44 percent shooting in Game 5 and returned to the NBA Finals for the third time in seven seasons.
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 3, 2005 12:00 AM
The run and fun lasted 241 days and 105 games from the time they smiled for photos to the franchise's first June game in 12 years.
But it was only a start. The Phoenix Suns have won you over, but they pledge to not rest until they have won it all. Even with the intent to keep their core and a starting lineup with an average age of 25.4, the Suns are restless and dissatisfied.
"We are by no means comfortable in sitting back and saying, 'OK, we're just going to come back next year and try to do it again,' " Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "We're going to get better. We're going to do everything we can this off-season to improve."
There are the priorities of signing Amaré Stoudemire to a long-term, maximum-salary extension and resigning Joe Johnson, a task that likely will require the Suns to match the restricted free agent's best offer from elsewhere. Beyond that, Phoenix wants to get more size, improve its defense and tap the talent of Leandro Barbosa to fill the backup point guard role.
"I think we have an unlimited future," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just need to get better. This (Western Conference finals finish) is one step in this process."
Phoenix will have the No. 21 and No. 57 picks in the June 28 draft and free agency to alter its roster. The Suns seem inclined to keep Johnson and Steven Hunter, assuming they can work up a new deal with the center. But Hunter is just one big man Phoenix will need as it tries to fortify its interior, helping Stoudemire.
Center Jake Voskuhl fell out of the mix for such a role and will ponder passing on his $1.9 million player option for next season. Colangelo said it might be in Voskuhl's interests to seek a situation that would market him for his next contract.
"He (Hunter) gives us one kind of element," D'Antoni said. "We need a stronger kind of guy to give us another thing to go to, another option. That doesn't limit what Steven does. We're happy with what he gives us but we also need a little bit more of a muscle guy."
Most of Phoenix's summer movement will be predicated on how labor talks ago. If there is not a collective bargaining agreement in place by the end of June, free-agency contact will not begin on July 1.
With Phoenix over the salary cap, it will use the midlevel exception (the average league salary), $1.6 million, and veteran's minimum salaries to become a deeper team.
"Through the grapevine, we've already heard from a number of people that they'd like to come play for the Phoenix Suns," Colangelo said.
With a dearth of centers who fit, it could be a power forward that helps the Suns via free agency or a trade.
"It's difficult to face a front line with two 7-footers and obviously one as good as Tim Duncan," Steve Nash said. "And to play them (the Spurs) with a small lineup like that over a long period of time is difficult. But we made it to the final four. If we had Joe, we might still be in the series. We're not far away."
D'Antoni said October's training camp would be more specifically designed to address Phoenix's deficiencies, particularly defense. But D'Antoni's message Thursday to his star players during exit interviews was that they form the "cavalry." There will be tweaks to the roster but "they're the guys who've got to get it done," he said.
The Suns need and want Barbosa to get it done at point. With veteran backup point guards seemingly out of the Suns' financial range, they are counting on Barbosa to bounce back from an erratic season and silent postseason to recapture the buzz that made him a summer league star last year.
Barbosa will play in the summer league in Las Vegas in July - if there is a labor agreement - and join his Brazilian team for a qualifying tournament. Nash also plans to spend time with Barbosa, his best friend on the team, to help him develop.
"We have to get him to improve," D'Antoni said. "He's an unbelievable talent. That'll be our first project. We love his character and what he brings to the team because of the untapped talent there. We have to somehow unlock that and he would be a key going forward. That'll be a big challenge for the coaching staff."
The Suns also will decide whether to pick up the 2006-07 season option on Barbosa's deal.
"We've just got to be patient with him," Nash said. "He can be a terrific player in this league. Give him some time to figure out who he is and what he is and maybe next year he'll be a lot more ready."
Coach of the Year
It took nearly three decades, much of it spent working in Italy, for Mike D'Antoni to become an overnight sensation in his first full season as teh Suns' head coach.
MVP
Everyone knew Steve Nash's return to Phoenix would spark a Suns revival, but the active point guard raised his game, and his team, to unexpected heights.
Exec of the Year
The success this season allowed President/General Manager Bryan Colangelo, architect for new owner Robert Sarver, to emerge from teh shadow of his trailblazing father.
Regular Season
Off and running
Right from the start, it was viewed as a work in progress. With plenty of new blood, most notably Steve Nash, and a developing young superstar in Amaré Stoudemire, the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns hit the court running and never stopped. Coach Mike D'Antoni's plan: defy conventional thinking, put the most athletic players on the floor at the same time, run opponents into submission and hope that Stoudemire would be enough in the middle as a rebounder and defender. The critics lined up to dismiss the Suns, but by Thanksgiving it was clear that Phoenix was on to something. The Run-and-Fun Suns were starting to think about 60 wins in early December, and even a Nash injury scare barely slowed them down. When the season ended in April, the Suns had posted the third largest one-year turnaround in NBA history, going from 29 wins to a franchise-record-tying 62, and clinched the top seed throughout the NBA playoffs.
Round 1
A Grizzly sweep to open playoffs
A season of superlatives didn't end once the playoffs began. The Suns swept a best-of-seven series for the first time, taking out the Memphis Grizzlies in a first-round matchup that proved the high-octane basketball from the regular season could work in the playoffs. The Grizzlies had limited Phoenix to fewer than 100 points in the teams' previous three meetings, but in Game 1 the Suns drained 15 three-pointers - a team postseason record - and hit the 100-point mark with five minutes left in the game. Game 2 was a more physical affair, in which the Suns needed to erase a five-point deficit in the final 4:18. When the series shifted to Memphis for Game 3, the Suns dominated, turning the ball over only five times - another franchise playoff mark - and shooting 58 percent from three-point range. That set the stage for the finale, another rough-and-tumble contest in which the Suns kept their composure and survived a late, Memphis rally. Amaré Stoudemire scored 64 points in Games 2 and 3, showing that the Suns indeed had a strong inside presence.
Round 2
Passing a test in Dallas
The sweep of Memphis gave the Suns a full week off before the Western Conference semifinals against Dallas, and it turned out they needed all the extra energy they could get. It seemed like a mismatch after an Amaré Stoudemire-led (40 points) Game 1 rout, but things got decidedly dicier when Joe Johnson landed on his face in Game 2. Broken bones around his left eye cost him the rest of the series, and the Suns went to Dallas tied at 1. Stoudemire carried the day with 37 points in a Game 3 win, but not even Steve Nash's incredible 48-point effort in Game 4 against his old team prevented Dallas from evening the series once more. In the pivotal Game 5, Nash returned to his more-familiar role as playmaker (12 assists, 34 points), Stoudemire dominated once more and Jim Jackson (21 points) filled Johnson's shoes as the Suns pulled out a win in the fourth quarter. Dallas wasn't finished, however, just about sealing Game 6. Then Nash hit a three-pointer in the final moments to force overtime, and Shawn Marion scored 11 of the Suns' 19 points in the extra period to put Phoenix in the conference finals for the first time since 1993.
Round 3
A dream season ends one round early
The Suns survived the Dallas series without Joe Johnson, but it became clear from the start of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio that the depleted roster would have trouble matching the deep, experienced Spurs. The first reality check came in the fourth quarter of Game 1, when San Antonio scored 43 points to decisively steal home-court advantage. Tim Duncan scored 28 points and had 15 rebounds, setting a tone that would run through the series. In Game 2, the Suns seemed poised to answer, taking a five-point lead with 7:50 to play, but managed to stop the Spurs on only one possession the rest of the game. Johnson, fitted with his protective mask, finally got back on the floor for Game 3 and scored 15 points, and Quentin Richardson seemed to find his lost shooting touch, but again it was too much Duncan (33 points, 15 rebounds) and too little energy and teamwork by the Suns. Facing the unpleasant thought of getting swept, the Suns played an inspired Game 4 to send the series back to the Valley. Amaré Stoudemire and Johnson carried the team with 31 and 26 points, respectively, but San Antonio ended any thoughts of a miraculous comeback. The Spurs limited the Suns to 44 percent shooting in Game 5 and returned to the NBA Finals for the third time in seven seasons.
