It has begun. Notice the single sentence regarding Frank Johnson's job security that put in bold. If the Suns lose a bunch of games during this homestretch, especially to some of the weaker teams, expect that talk of a coaching change to increase. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything will actually happen.
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1118suns1118.html
Suns in key stretch vs. losing teams
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 18, 2003 12:00 AM
If a team ever needed to see Chicago, Orlando and Miami coming up on the schedule, it is the Suns.
Those three clubs, beginning with the Bulls tonight, have a combined record of 7-25.
The Suns are struggling so much that they can't afford to take even the league's worst teams lightly. In fact, the 4-7 Bulls probably are looking toward tonight's game with an eager eye of their own.
"They had gone a long stretch without getting a road win," said Suns center Scott Williams, who is expected to be activated from the injured list tonight. "They might be circling this game saying, 'Hey, there's a little blood in the water. Let's kind of circle around that tank and get a (win).'
"But we're hungry. I think the guys came in after a day off and had kind of a chance to think about what's going on. This is a turning point for our season. We put in a lot of hard work, and let's hope it translates into the ballgame."
Suns coach Frank Johnson isn't assuming anything, regardless of the schedule.
"Well, we thought that was the case against Atlanta," he said. "We've got to play with a sense of urgency. We've got to go back to the way it was last year, when people predicted us to be 28th (in the NBA) and have that same mentality, and kind of go from there."
If the Suns don't go somewhere in the next three games, they might not be headed anywhere the rest of the season. Johnson's job could be in jeopardy soon.
"We've got to. We've definitely got to," guard Stephon Marbury said. "I think we're going to be OK, though. We started out this way last year, same way. Eventually, we'll get it together. We'll figure it out. Defensively, we'll get better. It's just going to take time. There are going to be ups and downs.
"Just like we're talking about this now, later we'll be talking about, 'How long are you guys going to stay hot?' There are going to be highs and lows. It's just how you deal with it."
The Suns did start slowly a year ago. They were 5-6 after 11 games and were on a three-game losing streak. They're 3-6 now with a three-game losing streak.
But a year ago, they were expected to struggle.
This season, they were supposed to pick up where they left off last season, when they sneaked into the playoffs and took eventual champion San Antonio to six games in a first-round series.
With the exception of a loss at Utah, the Suns have been in position during the fourth quarter to win every game they have lost.
The Suns have not hit shots down the stretch.
"Our offense isn't the problem," Johnson said. "Sometimes it's sharing the ball. We share it early in the game. We don't share it late."
When they do share it, too often it's with the other team. The Suns have had 38 turnovers in their past two games, many in fast-break situations.
"Right now, our problem is fast breaks," Johnson said. "We're probably at 50 percent in fast-break efficiency. That's just basketball. How can you be only 50 percent in fast breaks?"
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1118suns1118.html
Suns in key stretch vs. losing teams
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 18, 2003 12:00 AM
If a team ever needed to see Chicago, Orlando and Miami coming up on the schedule, it is the Suns.
Those three clubs, beginning with the Bulls tonight, have a combined record of 7-25.
The Suns are struggling so much that they can't afford to take even the league's worst teams lightly. In fact, the 4-7 Bulls probably are looking toward tonight's game with an eager eye of their own.
"They had gone a long stretch without getting a road win," said Suns center Scott Williams, who is expected to be activated from the injured list tonight. "They might be circling this game saying, 'Hey, there's a little blood in the water. Let's kind of circle around that tank and get a (win).'
"But we're hungry. I think the guys came in after a day off and had kind of a chance to think about what's going on. This is a turning point for our season. We put in a lot of hard work, and let's hope it translates into the ballgame."
Suns coach Frank Johnson isn't assuming anything, regardless of the schedule.
"Well, we thought that was the case against Atlanta," he said. "We've got to play with a sense of urgency. We've got to go back to the way it was last year, when people predicted us to be 28th (in the NBA) and have that same mentality, and kind of go from there."
If the Suns don't go somewhere in the next three games, they might not be headed anywhere the rest of the season. Johnson's job could be in jeopardy soon.
"We've got to. We've definitely got to," guard Stephon Marbury said. "I think we're going to be OK, though. We started out this way last year, same way. Eventually, we'll get it together. We'll figure it out. Defensively, we'll get better. It's just going to take time. There are going to be ups and downs.
"Just like we're talking about this now, later we'll be talking about, 'How long are you guys going to stay hot?' There are going to be highs and lows. It's just how you deal with it."
The Suns did start slowly a year ago. They were 5-6 after 11 games and were on a three-game losing streak. They're 3-6 now with a three-game losing streak.
But a year ago, they were expected to struggle.
This season, they were supposed to pick up where they left off last season, when they sneaked into the playoffs and took eventual champion San Antonio to six games in a first-round series.
With the exception of a loss at Utah, the Suns have been in position during the fourth quarter to win every game they have lost.
The Suns have not hit shots down the stretch.
"Our offense isn't the problem," Johnson said. "Sometimes it's sharing the ball. We share it early in the game. We don't share it late."
When they do share it, too often it's with the other team. The Suns have had 38 turnovers in their past two games, many in fast-break situations.
"Right now, our problem is fast breaks," Johnson said. "We're probably at 50 percent in fast-break efficiency. That's just basketball. How can you be only 50 percent in fast breaks?"
