2007/2008 Phoenix Suns Thread [R]

Season starts tonight at Seattle on TNT.

Suns a little banged up to start off, with Barbosa, Raja, Diaw and newcomer Brian Skinner are all a little bit injured, but likely to play tonight. Luckily, Amare has apparently recovered quickly and completely from his pre-season surgery.

Spurs and Mavs both off to quick starts. Can the Suns match them? Or will they start slowly like last year.

Suns' 2007-08 Roster
(newcomers since last year in bold)

NUM PLAYER POS HT WT DOB FROM YRS
2 Marcus Banks G 6-2 212 11/19/1981 Nevada-Las Vegas 4
10 Leandro Barbosa G 6-3 202 11/28/1982 Brazil 4
19 Raja Bell G 6-5 215 09/19/1976 Florida International 7
3 Boris Diaw F 6-8 235 04/16/1982 France 4
33 Grant Hill G-F 6-8 225 10/05/1972 Duke 12
31 Shawn Marion - C F 6-7 230 05/07/1978 UNLV 8
4 Sean Marks F-C 6-10 250 08/23/1975 California 7
13 Steve Nash - C G 6-3 178 02/07/1974 Santa Clara 11
52 Eric Piatkowski G-F 6-7 215 09/30/1970 Nebraska 13
54 Brian Skinner F-C 6-9 255 05/19/1976 Baylor 9
1 Amare Stoudemire C 6-10 249 11/16/1982 Cypress Creek (Orlando, FL) 5
8 D.J. Strawberry G 6-5 201 06/15/1985 Maryland R
29 Alando Tucker F 6-6 205 02/11/1984 Wisconsin R

HEAD COACH
Mike D'Antoni (College - Marshall)

ASSISTANT COACHES Alvin Gentry (College - Appalachian State)
Phil Weber (College - North Carolina State)
Dan D'Antoni (College - Marshall)
Todd Quinter (College - Lebanon Valley)
Jay Humphries (College - Colorado)

STRENGTH-AND-CONDITIONING COACH Erik Phillips (College - Colorado State)
ATHLETIC TRAINER Aaron Nelson (College - Iowa State)

The new additions replace James Jones, Kurt Thomas, Pat Burke and Jalen Rose on last season's playoff roster. Humphries was added to the staff to replace Marc Iavaroni.

 

Game 1: Suns 106, Seattle 99

Suns looked a little rusty in their first game of the season, but pulled away at the end from a young Sonics team. Oldnewsflash: Kevin Durant (27 pts) is going to be a star in this league.

Starters:

Nash - started slow (5 first half TO's) but was the engine as always. Finished with 18 P/12 A. TNT guys say his approach this season is to build to peak fitness rather than starting the season there, in the hopes that he'll have more gas at the end of the season. Still played more minutes (34) than any other Sun.

Stoudemire - I can't believe they ever really thought of trading him. He picked up right where he left off last season. Had a wonderful windmill slam in the first half. 3 first half fouls left him on the bench for a while but led the way with 23 P/11 R.

Marion - Usual Shawn, with a quiet double-double (14/11)

Bell - seemed off-kilter, maybe because he was struggling with Durant. Wasn't shooting well. Passed up a wide open 3-pointer in the second quarter, instead passing awkwardly to Amare, who was on the move at the top of the key. Amare ended up getting called for a charge, his third foul. Moments later, Bell took a 3 and made it, but the damage was done as STAT was on the bench for the rest of the first half.

Hill - *sigh* They clearly want him to be able to shoot the 3, but he just can't (1-for-7). Did get 13 pts, mostly on his trademark slashes to the hoop.

Subs:
Barbosa - Spotty. Only got running a couple of times.
Diaw - *sigh*. Started off great with a couple nice shots, then inexplicably began passing up scoring opportunities.
Banks - Sparked a comeback while in for Nash at the end of the third quarter with 3 straight 3s. Maybe a good sign.
Skinner - two shots, two baskets in 8 minutes of action. One impressive follow slam, the other a sweet 15-footer. I like the guy.

DNPs - both rookies, Marks (hurt back), Piatkowski.

Sort of sad to see a forlorn Kurt Thomas in streetclothes at the end of Seattle's bench, out with a tweaked hamstring.

 

Game 2: Lakers 119 Suns 98

Well, the less said about this game the better. Only a late offensive flurry from Leandro Barbosa (23 pts) prevented the possibility of the worst home loss ever, with the Suns trailing by 33 in the 4th quarter (they've lost twice by 37).

It was the second of a back-to-back, but still .... just horrendous. Amare was essentially absent from the proceedings (7 P/1 R). And the Lakers weren't missing anything, so it was a bad combination. Put it this way - when even Ronny Turiaf is hitting jumpers, you know you're in trouble.

Notable ... DJ Strawberry (5 P/2 R) made his NBA debut, playing the entire 4th quarter while Nash (19 P/3 A/5 TO) stayed on the bench. At least he brought some energy to the court.

Next up, Cleveland at home on Sunday before a 4-game road swing through the Southeast.

 

Game 3: Suns 103 Cavs 92

No Amare for this game (sore knee, which is worrisome), and the first half was a continuation of Friday's horror show. Suns couldn't hit the side of a barn and trailed 45-38 at the half. 17 points in the 2nd quarter. Ugh. Really, the Cavs should've put the game away then.

Halftime was lengthy as the Suns had a ceremony to induct Jerry Colangelo into their Ring of Honor. And kudos to NBATV for carrying the ceremony on their telecast. Anyway, whether inspired by the emotional occasion or just plain disgusted with how they were playing, the Suns were a different team in the second half.

Nash took more of the scoring burden upon himself and finished with 30 P/10 A. I'd been hoping Barbosa would be awakened after his big quarter in junk time vs LA the other night, and he showed continued signs of coming alive with 14 pts off the bench (can't hit his FTs though).

The undersized (without Amare) Suns also did an admirable job on defense. Grant Hill did okay vs LBJ (though sure he got his 27 pts), and Shawn Marion hung in there on either Gooden or Ilgauskas (giving up 8 inches on the latter) while getting his usual double-double (23/10). Diaw contributed 16/8 with most of his pts on jumpers. Boris still panics and passes out too much when he is inches from the basket. Grrr.

All in all, an important win (and D'Antoni's 200th with the Suns). You definitely don't want to start 0-and-2 at home and then hit the road.

First of 4 straight road games tomorrow in Charlotte.

 

Don't know. Got the "League Pass" this year, so I plan to be watching a lot of Suns games. I was just going to write a few words after the first game, but a few words didn't suffice. We'll see how it goes. I go where my whims take me. Whether anybody else gives a damn means little. I mean, for crying out loud, I used to write up a weekly summary of the Italian women's soccer league. I got over that one pretty quickly .....

Oh, and I've tried other forums, but I always end up back at BS whether I'm watching much soccer or not. It's sort of a mystery. Guess it's like a comfortable old pair of shoes.

 

Good new Steve Nash Nike commercial, "Training Day".

[youtube]mjP82KOtreE[/youtube]

 

Game 4 Suns 115 Bobcats 83

Well, this game was a fresh reminder that some really crappy teams play in the NBA. Outcome was pretty much never in doubt from the start, but it was still good to see the Suns offense clicking.

Sean Marks scored 13 points! Just one of 8 Suns in double figures.

Alando Tucker even played - and scored a basket!

And Amare didn't play.

Nevertheless, I feel a little queazy about how Raymond Felton got injured. He drove to the basket and fell hard in the third quarter. The Charlotte announcers said he got his "feet tangled up" with Nash, who was attempting to guard him. Another report I read said Nash fell down and Felton tripped over him.

Laughable. Plain as day, Nash was burned, stuck out his foot, and tripped him. His soccer skills put to use. It was an instinctive move, I'm sure, but it was also no accident. Understand I'm a big fan of Steve Nash, but I can't deny what I saw. Nash instantly raised his hand to acknowledge the foul call and went to check on Felton, who initially appeared to be okay. But he was soon taken off the court, unable to put weight on his left leg and went to the hospital for an MRI. Yeah, he's a Tar Heel, but I hope the kid is okay. I'd be pretty sad that my favorite player injured somebody seriously in such a cheap-ass way.

 

Guess Felton is okay. But I still feel a little queazy about Nash's cavalier play. I mean, I would've thought he of all people would be careful about stuff like that since his own career depends on not being hit with cheap shots as he traipses through the lane.

But hey, this was my first League Pass game. Could just be my eyes were opened to the realities of the night-in/night-out drudgery of life in the NBA and what goes on in routine, non-nationally televised blowouts.

 

Game 5 - Hawks 105 Suns 96

The Hawks are a decent team. Their youthful enthusiasm will help them a lot this season. The Suns didn't play all *that* badly but just couldn't come up with the timely plays needed to get within striking distance at the end.

The Suns had a balanced attack again - 5 players in double figures (led by Nash's 34) - but so did the Hawks. The Hawks outrebounded the Suns, but that's not a surprise, especially with no Amare yet again. Clearly, Phoenix missed him in this one. Suns only went 6 deep, aside from a few minutes from Skinner, Marks and Banks.

Diaw (7 pts/4 rebounds) was the biggest absentee who was actually IN the game, especially after his huge night vs Charlotte the night before. Just cements his reputation of not coming up big in tough games.

Second night of a back-to-back, but that's no excuse as it was for the Hawks as well, and they actually had a longer trip to Atlanta than the Suns did.

Next game in Miami, where the Heat will be desperate to get their first win.

 

Game 6 Suns 106 Heat 101

Suns overcame a sluggish effort for 3-1/2 quarters to keep the Heat winless. Heat dropped 38 on Phoenix in the first quarter and 60 in the first half. Stoudemire started but got his second technical early in the third quarter and was tossed. He hadn't been that effective prior to that anyway.

Nash continued his recent scoring tear with 30 pts (including 8 - correction, 11 - in a row in the crucial period down the stretch) and Shawn Marion tied a career high with 24 rebounds. His 17 points gives him 6 straight double-doubles to open the season.

Barbosa (17 pts) and Bell (16 pts) showed some signs of breaking out of their shooting funks, but Bell sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return, so his status for tomorrow is obviously up in the air.

Speaking of tomorrow, it's a short trip up to Orlando to face a hot Magic team. Suns have been terrible in their first two back-to-backs this season, but again, they have the shorter trip than their homestanding opponent, who played in NY tonight. Should be an interesting night for Grant Hill.

 

Game 7: Suns 106 Magic 96

Saturday's win was the best performance of the season by the Suns, as it was the 4th road game in 5 days, and the 10-point margin was deceptive. Orlando was never really in contention.

Barbosa got a rare start with Raja out of the lineup (ankle), and he scored a career high 39 points, with I think 7 3-pointers. First time his shooting touch has re-surfaced since before the Spurs playoff series.

It makes you wonder, but I do think Bell will continue to start when healthy.

Stoudemire continues to be slightly out of sync, and he was saddled with foul trouble all night but did finish with 13 pts. Marion didn't have his usual double-double but helped keep Rashard Lewis to 7 pts. Nash 19 P/11 A and, finally, only 2 turnovers. Grant Hill was booed at every touch but finished with 14 pts, including 2 on 3-pointers, which had the Magic announcers dumbstruck.

But the man of the night was definitely LB. Feeling much better after this game. The Magic may end UP having a lousy season, but they were 5-1 and on a roll. First good start-to-finish win over a decent opponent (ie Charlotte doesn't count).

 

Game 8 - Suns 113 Knicks 102

This was a very strange game. The Suns won in what Italians would call a piccolo trot, ie without seeming to break a sweat. So much for the old adage that you can't afford to take a night off in this league. The shorthanded, turmoiled Knicks were clearly overmatched, and the Suns - though it was never quite a blowout - were never at risk of losing.

Nash had an off shooting night and finished with 5 points and 6 turnovers, but it wasn't an issue because the other 4 starters each scored over 20. Grant Hill had his best game as a Sun with 21 points, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Amare looked more in sync and finished with a game-high 26.

But the REALLY big news of the day was that Eric Piatkowski got his first minutes of the season (10!). He has apparently moved - or is being give the chance to move - ahead of Marcus Banks on the bench hierarchy. Continued yikes for Marcus, who showed such promise in Game 1.

TNT game on Thursday vs the Bulls.

 

Game 9: Suns 112 Bulls 102

Suns now 7-2 after a bit of a struggle. Had the Bulls down by 15 only to let them come back and tie it at the end of 3. But then Nash came back in and settled things back down. His shot was off again tonight (10 pts), but he finished with 15 assists.

I'm thrilled with the quality of play so far by my man Grant Hill (24 pts). I didn't figure him as a starter/35-40 minute man who could go for 20+ points any given night. I sure hope his body holds up. He hasn't shown any signs of being hurt or tired - or being 35, for that matter - but all it takes is one wrong step. Certainly haven't heard any Suns fans pining for James Jones.

Barbosa continues to be on fire with his shot (25 pts), even though he was back to the bench with the return of Bell. Raja still struggling with his shot, but showed signs of life with a couple of late 3's.

Boris Diaw is the most maddening player on the planet. He looked lost for 3 quarters (5 turnovers!), then provided a burst of offense, just when the Suns needed it after Amare got his 5th foul. If he could EVER do that with some consistency .... but it won't happen.

Next: at Houston on Saturday. Ought to be a good one. McGrady might be out.

 

Game 10 - Suns 115 Rockets 105

After 4 wins in a row vs Eastern teams, the Suns get a nice win on the road over a Western foe. But the Suns had the benefit of playing a tired Rockets team without its best player. All five Suns starters finished in double figures, and Nash (19 P/15 A), Marion (18 P/11 R), and Amare (21 P/13 R) all had double-doubles.

Nash shot well despite reports of a wierd rib-slipping-out-of-place thing, which has kept him out of games in the past but that I've never seen described quite this way.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/102176

Amare was saddled with foul trouble and looked out of sync, so the Suns basically used the fourth quarter to feed him the ball and try to get his game going. He played most of the quarter with 5 fouls and did not foul out, which was promising. But the Rockets had pretty dead legs by that point, so he padded his stats nicely.

Piatkowski once again played 7 minutes in quality time in the second quarter, finishing with 6 pts on 2-of-3 3-pointers. Makes me wonder if they're hoping he can put in a few meaningful minutes per game in sort of a mini-Brent Barry role. Then again, Raja was out again, so it might just have been because of that.

 

Game 11 - Suns 100 Kings 98

Suns are now 9-2 after holding on against the Kings in Sacramento. The Suns blew a 19-point lead and scored only 14 points in the 4th quarter but won when Amare blocked a 3-point shot to save the victory. He had a good game, finishing with 25 P/13 R, with 4 blocks. And Barbosa - starting in place of Bell again - had 22 pts, although his jump shot dried up late. Shawn Marion (2 pts) never got into the game scoring-wise but did have his usual 13 rebounds. Nash continues to be off with his shot but still managed a double-double (14 P/12 A). Grant Hill had a quiet 19 points.

All in all, sort of a strange game, and the two teams meet again tonight in Phoenix.

 

Game 12 - Suns 127 Kings 111

An amazingly impressive offensive performance by the Suns which isn't reflected in the final score since none of the starters play as much as a second in the fourth quarter.

The Suns put up 47 points in the first quarter and 80 points in the first half. More than the Heat scored in their entire game tonight. I don't have the shooting percentage for the half, but at one point they were 17-for-20. The Kings (without Artest) were shooting 75%, and were losing by 10 points.
Phoenix cracked 100 points with 4 minutes left in the third quarter and had as much as a 39-point lead.

Shawn Marion followed his 2-point game last night with 25 points in this game. Nash had 18 P and 15 A and extended his FT streak to 30 without a miss to start the season.

 

Suns won Game 13 over the Clips, but I didn't see it, so no game report.

Game 14 - Warriors 129 Suns 114

Warriors pretty much handed it to the Suns tonight. They had 4 players shooting like crazy, inside, outside, on the break. And the Suns cooperated with matador defense and, eventually, just couldn't keep up. I think they were just hoping the Warriors would start missing their shots, and they never did. Fun game to watch ... for Golden State fans.

Oh, well ... can't win 'em all. At least the Spurs, Mavs and Jazz all lost tonight, too. Next - a couple of tough home games, first the Rockets and then the Magic.

 

Game 15 - Rockets 100 Suns 94

Suns drop to 11-4 after their second straight loss. The Rockets had their noses in front the entire game, and the Suns got within 2 at the end but couldn't quite catch all the way up. Again, the Suns lose with Nash (29 pts) as their leading scorer. Amare and Marion also had good scoring games, but Hill was mostly occupied with defending McGrady (18 pts) and only finished with 7. However, the real missing ingredient was Barbosa, who was colder than a Vermont sunrise in February (2 for 11 - 4 pts). That he took the two shots which might've tied the game at the end was simply crazy. Yao had a huge game (31 pts), but it was the guard combo of Rafer Alston and Steve Francis combining for 24 points which probably made the bigger difference. And looking at the box score, I see that Boris Diaw somehow finished with an amazingly awful +/- number of -18 in less than 18 minutes of action.

It was an entertaining game - sort of had the look and feel of a playoff game. That makes the loss more disturbing to me than any of the other 3, even the Lakers blowout. I just felt this is the kind of game the Suns have to be able to pull out, and I thought they would up until the moment they didn't. Oh, well.

It doesn't get any easier on Friday with Orlando - another certain playoff team looking to avenge a bad loss at home - coming to town.

 

The Suns pretty much let Howard do his thing - but stopped everybody else - when they ripped the Magic in Orlando in their first meeting. I expect the Magic to be extra-motivated this time around. Too bad it's not a national TV game because it should be a good one.

BTW, yesterday the Suns sent their 2007 first-round draft choice, Alando Tucker, to their D-League affiliate in Albuquerque, ostensibly to get him some more minutes.

 

Oh, I know that's what you meant although I hadn't seen the specific line from last night. Just know he's been playing incredibly well lately. All season, really.

Actually, if that happens, it probably won't be very interesting at all.