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Suns proving defense not foreign concept to them
By Scott Bordow
East Valley Tribune
Nov. 30, 2006
This just in: The Suns can play defense. No, really. They can.
It isn’t their calling card, and they’ll never be the NBA’s best defensive team, but their recent resurgence can directly be attributed to their effort on that end of the floor.
To wit: Opponents scored 111.7 points and shot 48.9 percent from the field in Phoenix’s first six games. The Suns’ record: 1-5.
In the last eight games, the Suns have allowed 97.4 points per game, and teams have hit just 45 percent of their shots. Phoenix’s record: 7-1.
“We can play good defense,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.
They did just that in their 102-91 victory over the Houston Rockets Wednesday.
Phoenix survived a 13-point third quarter, a 45-point second half and 42.9 percent shooting from the field because it never allowed the Rockets to get into an offensive rhythm.
Houston shot 38.2 percent and was outrebounded by Phoenix, 55-36. “We showed some signs of how good we can be,” D’Antoni said.
So what have the Suns done the past eight games they didn’t do the first six?
Well, hustle for one.
Defense is as much about effort as it is execution, and the Suns simply weren’t trying hard enough.
“It’s a matter of them understanding if we don’t play better defense we’re not going to win,” assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said.
One often overlooked factor is how much Phoenix’s defense is dependent on its offense. If the Suns have trouble scoring, teams don’t have to run with them. They can slow the game down and get into a half-court offense.
But if Phoenix is bombing 3-pointers from all over the court and clocking in somewhere around 110 points per game, opponents feel they have to keep up, and they get out of their game plan.
“We get them in an up-tempo game and they hurry shots, and that’s when our defense looks the best,” Raja Bell said. The return to health of Kurt Thomas has been a huge boost. Thomas is one of the league’s best post defenders, and he allows the Suns to play straight up rather than doubling an opponent’s big man every time he gets the ball. Houston’s Yao Ming scored 18 points Wednesday, but he made just 6-of-11 shots and never dominated the game.
It didn’t matter that Thomas made just 2-of-7 shots because he was so effective on the other end of the floor.
“Kurt is our anchor,” Iavaroni said.
Those words never will be used to describe Amaré Stoudemire. He still has brain cramps on defense, as when he left Houston 3-point specialist Steve Novak alone behind the arc late in the game. That got Stoudemire an earful from D’Antoni.
But when he wants to, Stoudemire can be an effective defender. He had seven blocked shots against New Jersey last Friday and followed that up with four steals against Portland on Sunday.
His 22 points Wednesday weren’t as impressive — or as important — as his 15 rebounds. “The fresher he is, the more athletic he is, the more athletic he is, the better defender he is,” Iavaroni said.
Iavaroni, who’s in charge of Phoenix’s defense, believes the Suns can be in the top 10 in the league in field goal percentage allowed. They were tied for 24th heading into Wednesday’s game.
“We should be able to handle it,” Steve Nash said. There will be nights when teams practice their layup drill against Phoenix. There will be nights when D’Antoni’s urgings will be met with deaf ears and slow feet.
These are the Suns, after all. The goal is to have those nights become the exception rather than the norm.
And that’s when we can truly talk about Phoenix winning a title.
http://www.nba.com/suns/news/tribune_bordow_061130.html
By Scott Bordow
East Valley Tribune
Nov. 30, 2006
This just in: The Suns can play defense. No, really. They can.
It isn’t their calling card, and they’ll never be the NBA’s best defensive team, but their recent resurgence can directly be attributed to their effort on that end of the floor.
To wit: Opponents scored 111.7 points and shot 48.9 percent from the field in Phoenix’s first six games. The Suns’ record: 1-5.
In the last eight games, the Suns have allowed 97.4 points per game, and teams have hit just 45 percent of their shots. Phoenix’s record: 7-1.
“We can play good defense,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.
They did just that in their 102-91 victory over the Houston Rockets Wednesday.
Phoenix survived a 13-point third quarter, a 45-point second half and 42.9 percent shooting from the field because it never allowed the Rockets to get into an offensive rhythm.
Houston shot 38.2 percent and was outrebounded by Phoenix, 55-36. “We showed some signs of how good we can be,” D’Antoni said.
So what have the Suns done the past eight games they didn’t do the first six?
Well, hustle for one.
Defense is as much about effort as it is execution, and the Suns simply weren’t trying hard enough.
“It’s a matter of them understanding if we don’t play better defense we’re not going to win,” assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said.
One often overlooked factor is how much Phoenix’s defense is dependent on its offense. If the Suns have trouble scoring, teams don’t have to run with them. They can slow the game down and get into a half-court offense.
But if Phoenix is bombing 3-pointers from all over the court and clocking in somewhere around 110 points per game, opponents feel they have to keep up, and they get out of their game plan.
“We get them in an up-tempo game and they hurry shots, and that’s when our defense looks the best,” Raja Bell said. The return to health of Kurt Thomas has been a huge boost. Thomas is one of the league’s best post defenders, and he allows the Suns to play straight up rather than doubling an opponent’s big man every time he gets the ball. Houston’s Yao Ming scored 18 points Wednesday, but he made just 6-of-11 shots and never dominated the game.
It didn’t matter that Thomas made just 2-of-7 shots because he was so effective on the other end of the floor.
“Kurt is our anchor,” Iavaroni said.
Those words never will be used to describe Amaré Stoudemire. He still has brain cramps on defense, as when he left Houston 3-point specialist Steve Novak alone behind the arc late in the game. That got Stoudemire an earful from D’Antoni.
But when he wants to, Stoudemire can be an effective defender. He had seven blocked shots against New Jersey last Friday and followed that up with four steals against Portland on Sunday.
His 22 points Wednesday weren’t as impressive — or as important — as his 15 rebounds. “The fresher he is, the more athletic he is, the more athletic he is, the better defender he is,” Iavaroni said.
Iavaroni, who’s in charge of Phoenix’s defense, believes the Suns can be in the top 10 in the league in field goal percentage allowed. They were tied for 24th heading into Wednesday’s game.
“We should be able to handle it,” Steve Nash said. There will be nights when teams practice their layup drill against Phoenix. There will be nights when D’Antoni’s urgings will be met with deaf ears and slow feet.
These are the Suns, after all. The goal is to have those nights become the exception rather than the norm.
And that’s when we can truly talk about Phoenix winning a title.
http://www.nba.com/suns/news/tribune_bordow_061130.html
