Republic: Quality matches pace for Suns

[George O'Brien]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1004suns1004.html

Quality matches pace for Suns
Team sharp during intrasquad scrimmage

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 4, 2006 12:00 AM


TREVISO, Italy - A minute into the Suns' intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday, Phoenix's two teams had combined to score on five straight possessions.

If the Suns can look that crisp after three training camp practices, what will four more weeks of preseason work do for them? They played three 10-minute periods with a zip and zeal that thrilled nearly 3,000 fans at the Palaverde.

A crowd of a few hundred was expected but word spread around Treviso that the NBA's most entertaining show would be on display.

"It's nice to see the players here who I see on TV," Cristiano Mazzobel, 24, of Treviso, said. "After a point, they really move from one side to the other and are a lot faster than the Benetton (Treviso) team. And this was only practice for them."

But it was a good practice. Shawn Marion was on a dunk-fest. Steve Nash hit his first four jumpers. Leandro Barbosa used that extra half-inch he grew this summer (he's now 6 feet 3 1/2 inches) and led all scorers with 15 points. Amaré Stoudemire came off a rough day with a more promising one as he dunked twice in a 13-point game and made a stunning weakside-help block on Pat Burke inside.

"We played at a really fast pace with very few substitutions," said Nash, icing a nagging calf and a hyperextended right elbow after the game.

"I think, in general, it was very high quality early. I thought it was a pretty good indication that we're getting better."

The Suns played crisply early but the fast play eventually wore down a team still building up its conditioning. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni was pleased with more of the same - everything he knew about his returning guys, some growing confidence for James Jones and more raves for Marcus Banks.

"Marcus Banks is really going to help us," D'Antoni said of his new backup point guard, who teamed with Nash, Marion, Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for a lineup to start the second period. "He's a very, very talented player."

Jones (3 of 12 overall) and Banks (3 of 10) did not shoot well Tuesday, but the rest of the team did, hitting 49 of the night's other 97 shots (10 of 22 on three-pointers). Banks did finish a driving three-point play in the final seconds of the last contest to give his team of reserves a win.

Marion was vibrant, catching lob passes at the rim and outrunning his teammates for five dunks and a layup in the first two periods.

Marion, Bell and Nash each scored 14 points to rank behind Barbosa, who had five points in each period. Bell missed his first six shots and made his final five.

"I think we're jelling really good right now," Marion said. "I see a lot of great things out here with this team.

"If you run the floor, you're definitely going to get rewarded."