The Killer Crossover 03.06.08: State of the Suns

Posted by Todd Spehr on 03.06.2008

Six games seems like an awfully short time to be reaching for that panic button, so 411's Todd Spehr delivers some good news to Suns fans: There's still plenty to be excited about.

For those expecting a good ‘ol fashion Shaq-bashing… you've come to the wrong place. Stop reading. Just walk away.

As we speak there are three types of Suns fans: a) The one who is pondering how they'd best like Mike D'Antoni's head served; b) The one longing for the days of the run-and-gun - those games where Nash would orchestrate an offensive exhibition worthy of the highest hoops praise; c) The one curious as to just what the heck they've done by giving up their all-everything Shawn Marion for a center (Shaq) many have deemed past his used-by date.

So which one are ya?

It's funny, but the Suns – who for the first time are being kicked while they're down, check that, it's the first time in the Nash Era that they've been down – are suddenly the ultimate team to negatively critique; horrible defense they say, too many turnovers, and no offensive cohesion with an over-the-hill center clogging things up. This, boys and girls, is the consensus.

Big deal.

They've always given up a heap of points. Been there, done that. Turnovers? Nash will figure it out. Incorporating Shaq? They have, after all, played six games with him, so shouldn't we all just take a collective gasp? I will concede, however, that the way they have been giving up points of late is bound to scare the crap out of anyone hoping the Suns can finally win it all.

Sure, it's a brutal – and overused? – excuse for any shortcomings they've had in the past four years, but it's especially been bad in the last two weeks; yes, this coincides with O'Neal's on-court arrival with Phoenix, but seriously, he's isn't to blame. Really, no one individual is. Heck, when you give up 119 to Philadelphia, 120 to NO, 113 to Memphis, 116 to Detroit and 130 against the Lakers, then maybe you can take issue with the fact that teams are shooting 50.6% from the field in the last six. Perhaps even more disconcerting is the measly 11.1 turnovers forced over that same period, that alone may even say more.

Another disturbing trend is the surplus of dudes going off against Phoenix. It's not a huge deal if Kobe goes for 41, as he did in Shaq's PHX debut, but when guys like Andre Iguodala (32 points) and Rudy Gay (36) suddenly morph into George Gervin then, yes, you have the right to be concerned. Want to take it a step further? Sasha Vujacic, Jarvis Hayes and Jannero Pargo (all reserves and all at least the fifth or sixth options on their teams) suddenly turn into, well, something they're not, when the Suns roll into town. Going after a guy like Mickael Pietrus around the trade deadline perhaps could've helped cure this; trying to sign Gordan Giricek in mid-March will not help with this particular problem.

There is good news: All of these defensive boo-boos are correctable. Yes, indeed. Just like the recent turnover problem (which, if you think Nash can't figure out then you don't know near enough about him), the defensive deficiencies can be overcome. For crying out loud, Raja Bell is an All-defensive guy, Grant Hill doesn't get near enough credit for his versatility on the "ugly end," Leandro Barbosa is quick enough to be somewhat effective, DJ Strawberry has shown random flashes, and you can bet your bottom dollar Nash will fight like crazy – What, you thought he liked getting torched on all those mismatches?

(Having said that, D'Antoni does try to put him on the least threatening offensive player: Bowen with SA, Eddie Jones for Dallas, or Mo Pete in NO – this is straight out of the KC Jones book, who used to hide Bird on the likes of Tree Rollins and Jon Koncak.)

Now here's the thing: It's easy to hop aboard the They Don't Play Defense train, but despite this problem at least feeling like it's major, it's really not as big as first thought. Insert minor defensive tinkering here. And believe it or not, there are way more positives in the Valley of the Sun than negatives when actually delving beyond the surface. Let's examine:

1) When O'Neal arrived early last month, one major problem Phoenix had was rebounding - they were getting out-rebounded by 5.7 while giving up 46.7 nightly. In Shaq's first six games, the Suns have been out-rebounded just once, winning the boards by an average of six per night (hauling in 42 while giving up just a shade more than 37) for a ten-board turnaround compared to prior to his arrival. Too many stats? OK, put it this way: More rebounding means more running, which mean more of the Suns you and I have come to know and love. And it's not even the tempo that's the problem, mind you, it's incorporating an 85-inch giant into a well-oiled offense during the stretch run of an insanely competitive conference that is. Yes, they are giving up heaps of points, but they usually score enough to overcome it. That luxury is temporarily unavailable until further notice. Please underline the words "further notice," after all, that Nash guy is still on the roster.

2) Oddly enough, even with a team that features guys like Nash, Bell, and Hill, D'Antoni often talks about guys who don't have energy, who lack emotion, who are missing the necessary motivation to play at a high-level every night. Huh? You mean you can get tired of playing up-and-down? You can get sick of running teams out of the gym? You must, because if you've seen any game this year then it becomes evident that something, something, was missing. That's why Marion almost had to go. Acquiring Shaq was to be first and foremost a shot-in-the-arm to help chemistry – it still might be – yet it's taking a while to kick in. Am I saying that it won't though? And also consider, nobody knows how Phoenix responds to criticism because it has never happened; something tells me this group won't just stand there and take it. Now, let's all take a deep breath and give it time… phew.

3) Amare Stoudemire has embraced O'Neal like I embrace re-runs of the King of Queens; STAT has been residing on another planet with a 30/10 February (including a 29.8/9.3/2 blks six-game stretch since he and Shaq were thrown together) and is playing about as close to those famed '05 WCF as he ever has. Frankly, his effort at both ends is much better, perhaps because O'Neal has given Stoudemire something no other frontcourt teammate has: Accountability.

By the way, regarding O'Neal, he's sacrificed, he's doing everything asked of him, he's boarding, he's a presence, he's still double-worthy, and best of all, he seems to realize: a) his limitations at this point in life; b) his role in the offense. His numbers – 10.3 points, 9.9 boards, 1.3 blocks – were never going to be the issue when this deal went down; his impact, most notably in the locker room and on the defensive end, was.

4) Sure, Nash has been a little heavy handed with his TO's lately, but the guys who have a lot of turnovers in this league (the leaderboard is annually a Who's Who of hoop studs) are the ones with enough guts to try to make plays. Seriously, and I know this equates to basketball sacrilege, but is something about Nash this year not quite right? Is he still bummed (despite the fact he'd never let on) about last year?

I remember at times in ‘07, during that run where they won 33 of 35, where Little Steve was playing about as high as he could; there was something rarified about him. Now, at times this year it seems that the journey, chasing this darn ring, is wearing a little thin. The window he keeps hearing so much about is closing. It's clear he's no longer the media darling he once was - its Chris Paul's to lose - but he's actually being criticized now; there was once a time where that ranked near Ben Wallace shooting above 50% from the foul-line on the NBA-likelihood scale. By the way, don't EVER doubt this guy.

5) They are still the deepest team in the West. It's true, you can check. There's not another team in the league that has a guy as good as Boris Diaw as their seventh option. As Matt, by now you know a buddy and Sunsologist of the highest order pointed out: They have two MVP's (Nash and O'Neal), an All-NBAer (STAT), an All-defensive player (Bell), a former ROY (Hill), a Sixth Man winner (Barbosa) and a Most Improved winner (Diaw) on their roster. I know, I know, games aren't won based on individual awards, nor is resting on your laurels ever an acceptable mode of transportation, but it only amplifies what is obvious: These Suns are deep.

All I'm saying is this: Let's judge them in May or June instead of after six games at the tail-end of February. There is still, despite many in Sunsville lunging for the panic button, plenty to be excited about. Remember, other than San Antonio, no other team in this loaded West has ever beaten Phoenix in a series with a healthy Stoudemire. Sure, big gambles (like acquiring Diesel) can sometimes have major downfalls. The good part? They can bring the ultimate reward as well, something this Suns team is overdue to claim.

Let's talk in June.

Todd Spehr, who fondly remembers the Clarence Weatherspoon era in Philly, drops his NBA column every Wednesday at 411mania.com