elindholm
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Veteran Suns Show Young Teammates the Way
Ever since this year’s Phoenix Suns team got off to their torrid start, two questions have been raised every step of the way. “Can they keep it going all season long?” has been answered with a resounding Yes. They equaled the franchise record for regular-season victories, cleaned up on league awards, swept a series 4-0 for the first time, and found their way to a gritty six-game series win over a Mavericks team that had been among the league’s best since changing coaches late in the year. After scoring 110 points per game in the regular season, the highest average in the league in ten years, they have gone for 116 points per game in the playoffs.
The second question has been, “Can they beat the Spurs?” At long last, we’re about to find out.
But these playoffs have taken the Suns on a curious journey. The Suns started the season as the league’s youngest team, and only narrowly gave up that distinction after some roster adjustments. But as the opponents get tougher and the playoff pressure intensifies, it is not the Suns’ youth that is being served. Instead, it is the veteran trio of Steve Nash (ninth year in the league), Shawn Marion (sixth), and the unlikely Jim Jackson (13th) that has led this team to the Western Conference Finals. The wide-eyed younger players, Amaré Stoudemire among them, have struggled to maintain their focus and adjust to the more physical style of play.
Here’s a look at each player in the Suns’ rotation, with a grade on his playoff performance to this point:
Steve Nash, A+. The media has run out of superlatives for describing Nash’s play. When he followed up his 48-point explosion in Game 4 with his astonishing 34/13/12 triple-double in Game 5, he joined Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to score at least 40 in one playoff game and post a triple-double in the next. And Nash was only a single rebound shy of yet another triple-double in Game 6, which would have been a historic feat. He just joined Magic Johnson as the only players to average at least 25 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds over a playoff series. After never having scored 40 points in an NBA game, he averaged better than 40 over the last three games. And he did this all while shooting better than 54% from the field, an unheard-of number for a point guard in the playoffs. True, Nash’s turnovers are way up, but when you consider that he’s made every correct decision and hit every big shot down the stretch of close games, it’s easy to look past that.
Shawn Marion, A. The Suns’ small-ball strategy has hinged on one critical element all season long: Marion’s ability to defend power forwards. Both the Grizzlies’ Pau Gasol and the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki ended up with solid numbers, but Gasol’s damage was relatively well contained and Nowitzki shot a terrible percentage. By enabling the Suns to offer credible defense at the position where their mismatch should be most severe, Marion is the glue that holds the entire system together. And in the meantime, he is averaging better than 22 points and 12 rebounds, tallying a double-double in nine out of ten games, and has increased his shooting percentages over his regular-season numbers. Against Dallas, he shot an outstanding 12-23 from three-point range, providing crucial help in making up for the loss of Joe Johnson to injury.
Jim Jackson, A-. Jackson’s contributions were modest in the first two games of the Memphis series, but he turned it on for the last two and was a savior against Dallas. After being forced into the starting lineup by Johnson’s injury, Jackson hardly left the floor, averaging better than 43 minutes per game over the last four games. During those starts, he averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting just over 50%. His inspired fourth quarter in Game 5 woke the Suns out of their lethargy and brought them to within one game of the next round. Level-headed and poised, he has had to take on some additional ball-handling duties, yet has committed only five total turnovers in the entire postseason. Jackson is on his 12th NBA team and has never won a title, and the determination with which he is approaching this mission is rubbing off on his teammates in the best possible way.
Amaré Stoudemire, B+. Everyone remembers someone from school who was really smart, didn’t pay attention in class, studied for just a few minutes before each test, and still wound up with good grades. Right now, that’s Stoudemire. No one denies that his talent level is off the charts, and he has erupted for some enormous games this postseason, including a 40 and 16 night in a Game 1 destruction of the Mavericks. But he turned in lackluster performances in Games 4 and 6 of the same series, and needed a huge second half to salvage what would have also been a terrible Game 5. As the Suns fought desperately to close out their second-round series, Stoudemire wasn’t even on the court, having taken himself out of the game with careless fouls. In an effort to avoid foul trouble, he goes through long stretches of shirking his defensive responsibilities altogether, allowing opponents to score in the paint at will and run up endless second-chance opportunities. Now that it’s the playoffs, Stoudemire is getting shoved and hit almost every time he gets the ball down low. But so did Shaquille O’Neal – back when he was healthy enough to play, that is – and it’s something that all power players have to learn to adjust to.
Joe Johnson, B. Johnson’s shooting was spectacular before he fractured his orbital bone and had to have surgery. He was also offering solid perimeter defense, something few of his teammates are able to do. It isn’t “fair” that his grade isn’t higher, but looking objectively at what he has been able to contribute by playing in only the first half of the postseason, this seems about right. More questions surround Johnson than any other player on the Phoenix roster. How soon will he be able to come back? Will his rhythm and balance, so vital for a long-range shooter, have been thrown off by the injury and the missed time? Will he be able to stay aggressive, ignoring the inevitable fears of getting caught up in another accident? And has he finally shaken loose of his tendency to disappear under pressure, or will that plague resurface now that he is forced to work his way back mentally into the game?
Quentin Richardson, B-. Richardson played well against Memphis, but had a poor series against Dallas, scoring only 11 points per game on 38% shooting – not to mention an inexcusable 50% from the line – and leading the team in fouls. He has rebounded well and come up with a few big plays on both ends of the court, but overall it appears that the spotlight is getting to him. Richardson is infamously streaky, as Suns fans know plenty well by now, and he can turn things around at any time. But if he wants to sustain his reputation as a clutch player, that time had better be soon.
Leandro Barbosa, C. Barbosa is over his head in this setting, and with so much at stake on every possession, he looks particularly uncomfortable on the offensive end of the floor. However, he is staying active defensively, more or less holding his own even when serving as an undersized shooting guard alongside Nash. As long as he lets offensive opportunities come to him and doesn’t try to force things, he can provide adequate minutes in brief stretches.
Walter McCarty, C-. The other veteran in the Phoenix rotation, McCarty hasn’t been able to find his way yet. After logging only three minutes against the Grizzlies, he saw regular time against the Mavericks, but he shot an anemic 1-8 over the series and even missed his only two free throws. He came up with a critical block on Nowitzki late in Game 6, but otherwise he has been suspect on defense, for instance picking up five fouls in only nine minutes in Game 3. He has, however, had the good sense to avoid blunders on offense, committing only a single turnover so far in his limited postseason action.
Steven Hunter, D. Probably no one wants Hunter to play well more than Hunter himself does, but so far, it just isn’t happening. His respectable numbers in the Memphis series were inflated by garbage time; against Dallas, he saw extended action only in the Game 1 blowout and in Game 6, when Stoudemire was saddled with constant foul trouble. He tries to block every shot, and was successful four times against the Mavericks. But he is also constantly out of position on both ends of the floor. He gives up easy baskets that he’s too far away to challenge, and failed to haul in a single defensive rebound in any of the last five games. On offense, he doesn’t have the scoring skills to be effective in the high screen-and-roll, he telegraphs passes, and he even made the bizarre decision to try to lead a fast break, resulting in predictable disaster. Coach Mike D’Antoni has said that Hunter figures to get more playing time against the Spurs, and maybe that will help settle him down.
It has been a magical year for the Suns. Counting the exhibition season, they have now played 100 games, winning 77. Realistically, they have so dramatically surpassed any reasonable expectations that the season can be considered a success, no matter what happens from here on out.
But the veterans know otherwise. Opportunities like this are rare. The 1992-93 Suns, after riding Charles Barkley’s MVP season to the Finals, figured that surely they would go deep in the playoffs again. It didn’t happen. The team was eliminated in the second round each of the next two years, by the eventual champion Houston Rockets, and Barkley was traded to those same Rockets the season after that.
For Nash, whose game has taken a quantum leap in these playoffs; Jackson, who forfeited $300,000 in salary just for the chance to join a contender; and even Marion, a holdover from the Jason Kidd days, a sense of urgency is on their minds. Yes, the core of the team is young, and yes, they figure to be very good for a while longer yet. But great players, and great teams, seize the moment as soon as it is within their grasp – they don’t hold back while thinking, “There’s always next year.”
This year’s Suns team has shown talent, savvy, and heart, winning one game after another that they shouldn’t win, achieving one goal after another than they shouldn’t achieve. Nash, Marion, and Jackson can sense the way: It is like a homing instinct, deep within their souls, that grows stronger as they draw closer to their destination. If the Suns’ talented young guns can keep following the veterans’ lead, the franchise will finally claim its first title. Will they understand that this might be their best chance, giving everything they possibly can to this moment, or will complacency and arrogance stand in the way of realizing their dreams?
The Phoenix faithful have been waiting 37 years for a championship. That’s long enough. Eight more wins, and the long wait is over.
Ever since this year’s Phoenix Suns team got off to their torrid start, two questions have been raised every step of the way. “Can they keep it going all season long?” has been answered with a resounding Yes. They equaled the franchise record for regular-season victories, cleaned up on league awards, swept a series 4-0 for the first time, and found their way to a gritty six-game series win over a Mavericks team that had been among the league’s best since changing coaches late in the year. After scoring 110 points per game in the regular season, the highest average in the league in ten years, they have gone for 116 points per game in the playoffs.
The second question has been, “Can they beat the Spurs?” At long last, we’re about to find out.
But these playoffs have taken the Suns on a curious journey. The Suns started the season as the league’s youngest team, and only narrowly gave up that distinction after some roster adjustments. But as the opponents get tougher and the playoff pressure intensifies, it is not the Suns’ youth that is being served. Instead, it is the veteran trio of Steve Nash (ninth year in the league), Shawn Marion (sixth), and the unlikely Jim Jackson (13th) that has led this team to the Western Conference Finals. The wide-eyed younger players, Amaré Stoudemire among them, have struggled to maintain their focus and adjust to the more physical style of play.
Here’s a look at each player in the Suns’ rotation, with a grade on his playoff performance to this point:
Steve Nash, A+. The media has run out of superlatives for describing Nash’s play. When he followed up his 48-point explosion in Game 4 with his astonishing 34/13/12 triple-double in Game 5, he joined Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to score at least 40 in one playoff game and post a triple-double in the next. And Nash was only a single rebound shy of yet another triple-double in Game 6, which would have been a historic feat. He just joined Magic Johnson as the only players to average at least 25 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds over a playoff series. After never having scored 40 points in an NBA game, he averaged better than 40 over the last three games. And he did this all while shooting better than 54% from the field, an unheard-of number for a point guard in the playoffs. True, Nash’s turnovers are way up, but when you consider that he’s made every correct decision and hit every big shot down the stretch of close games, it’s easy to look past that.
Shawn Marion, A. The Suns’ small-ball strategy has hinged on one critical element all season long: Marion’s ability to defend power forwards. Both the Grizzlies’ Pau Gasol and the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki ended up with solid numbers, but Gasol’s damage was relatively well contained and Nowitzki shot a terrible percentage. By enabling the Suns to offer credible defense at the position where their mismatch should be most severe, Marion is the glue that holds the entire system together. And in the meantime, he is averaging better than 22 points and 12 rebounds, tallying a double-double in nine out of ten games, and has increased his shooting percentages over his regular-season numbers. Against Dallas, he shot an outstanding 12-23 from three-point range, providing crucial help in making up for the loss of Joe Johnson to injury.
Jim Jackson, A-. Jackson’s contributions were modest in the first two games of the Memphis series, but he turned it on for the last two and was a savior against Dallas. After being forced into the starting lineup by Johnson’s injury, Jackson hardly left the floor, averaging better than 43 minutes per game over the last four games. During those starts, he averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting just over 50%. His inspired fourth quarter in Game 5 woke the Suns out of their lethargy and brought them to within one game of the next round. Level-headed and poised, he has had to take on some additional ball-handling duties, yet has committed only five total turnovers in the entire postseason. Jackson is on his 12th NBA team and has never won a title, and the determination with which he is approaching this mission is rubbing off on his teammates in the best possible way.
Amaré Stoudemire, B+. Everyone remembers someone from school who was really smart, didn’t pay attention in class, studied for just a few minutes before each test, and still wound up with good grades. Right now, that’s Stoudemire. No one denies that his talent level is off the charts, and he has erupted for some enormous games this postseason, including a 40 and 16 night in a Game 1 destruction of the Mavericks. But he turned in lackluster performances in Games 4 and 6 of the same series, and needed a huge second half to salvage what would have also been a terrible Game 5. As the Suns fought desperately to close out their second-round series, Stoudemire wasn’t even on the court, having taken himself out of the game with careless fouls. In an effort to avoid foul trouble, he goes through long stretches of shirking his defensive responsibilities altogether, allowing opponents to score in the paint at will and run up endless second-chance opportunities. Now that it’s the playoffs, Stoudemire is getting shoved and hit almost every time he gets the ball down low. But so did Shaquille O’Neal – back when he was healthy enough to play, that is – and it’s something that all power players have to learn to adjust to.
Joe Johnson, B. Johnson’s shooting was spectacular before he fractured his orbital bone and had to have surgery. He was also offering solid perimeter defense, something few of his teammates are able to do. It isn’t “fair” that his grade isn’t higher, but looking objectively at what he has been able to contribute by playing in only the first half of the postseason, this seems about right. More questions surround Johnson than any other player on the Phoenix roster. How soon will he be able to come back? Will his rhythm and balance, so vital for a long-range shooter, have been thrown off by the injury and the missed time? Will he be able to stay aggressive, ignoring the inevitable fears of getting caught up in another accident? And has he finally shaken loose of his tendency to disappear under pressure, or will that plague resurface now that he is forced to work his way back mentally into the game?
Quentin Richardson, B-. Richardson played well against Memphis, but had a poor series against Dallas, scoring only 11 points per game on 38% shooting – not to mention an inexcusable 50% from the line – and leading the team in fouls. He has rebounded well and come up with a few big plays on both ends of the court, but overall it appears that the spotlight is getting to him. Richardson is infamously streaky, as Suns fans know plenty well by now, and he can turn things around at any time. But if he wants to sustain his reputation as a clutch player, that time had better be soon.
Leandro Barbosa, C. Barbosa is over his head in this setting, and with so much at stake on every possession, he looks particularly uncomfortable on the offensive end of the floor. However, he is staying active defensively, more or less holding his own even when serving as an undersized shooting guard alongside Nash. As long as he lets offensive opportunities come to him and doesn’t try to force things, he can provide adequate minutes in brief stretches.
Walter McCarty, C-. The other veteran in the Phoenix rotation, McCarty hasn’t been able to find his way yet. After logging only three minutes against the Grizzlies, he saw regular time against the Mavericks, but he shot an anemic 1-8 over the series and even missed his only two free throws. He came up with a critical block on Nowitzki late in Game 6, but otherwise he has been suspect on defense, for instance picking up five fouls in only nine minutes in Game 3. He has, however, had the good sense to avoid blunders on offense, committing only a single turnover so far in his limited postseason action.
Steven Hunter, D. Probably no one wants Hunter to play well more than Hunter himself does, but so far, it just isn’t happening. His respectable numbers in the Memphis series were inflated by garbage time; against Dallas, he saw extended action only in the Game 1 blowout and in Game 6, when Stoudemire was saddled with constant foul trouble. He tries to block every shot, and was successful four times against the Mavericks. But he is also constantly out of position on both ends of the floor. He gives up easy baskets that he’s too far away to challenge, and failed to haul in a single defensive rebound in any of the last five games. On offense, he doesn’t have the scoring skills to be effective in the high screen-and-roll, he telegraphs passes, and he even made the bizarre decision to try to lead a fast break, resulting in predictable disaster. Coach Mike D’Antoni has said that Hunter figures to get more playing time against the Spurs, and maybe that will help settle him down.
It has been a magical year for the Suns. Counting the exhibition season, they have now played 100 games, winning 77. Realistically, they have so dramatically surpassed any reasonable expectations that the season can be considered a success, no matter what happens from here on out.
But the veterans know otherwise. Opportunities like this are rare. The 1992-93 Suns, after riding Charles Barkley’s MVP season to the Finals, figured that surely they would go deep in the playoffs again. It didn’t happen. The team was eliminated in the second round each of the next two years, by the eventual champion Houston Rockets, and Barkley was traded to those same Rockets the season after that.
For Nash, whose game has taken a quantum leap in these playoffs; Jackson, who forfeited $300,000 in salary just for the chance to join a contender; and even Marion, a holdover from the Jason Kidd days, a sense of urgency is on their minds. Yes, the core of the team is young, and yes, they figure to be very good for a while longer yet. But great players, and great teams, seize the moment as soon as it is within their grasp – they don’t hold back while thinking, “There’s always next year.”
This year’s Suns team has shown talent, savvy, and heart, winning one game after another that they shouldn’t win, achieving one goal after another than they shouldn’t achieve. Nash, Marion, and Jackson can sense the way: It is like a homing instinct, deep within their souls, that grows stronger as they draw closer to their destination. If the Suns’ talented young guns can keep following the veterans’ lead, the franchise will finally claim its first title. Will they understand that this might be their best chance, giving everything they possibly can to this moment, or will complacency and arrogance stand in the way of realizing their dreams?
The Phoenix faithful have been waiting 37 years for a championship. That’s long enough. Eight more wins, and the long wait is over.
