The Phoenix Suns have gotten off to a scorching start at 7-1. They have the world champion L.A. Lakers tomorrow on the tail end of a back-to-back after they take on the New Orleans Hornets tonight. For a little preview of this huge game coming up, I talked to Greg Esposito of Deep Purple (where I told them that they wouldn't scare anybody this year) to get his thoughts on his current team: this Phoenix that is rising out of the ashes.
1. The Suns are off to an outstanding 7-1 start. Did you, an unabashed Phoenix Suns fan, expect this at all? They beat some good teams out there.
Of course, I expected it. In all honesty, I was crushed when they lost to the Orlando Magic because my 82-0 prediction won't come true for the 42nd straight season (which is impressive because I'm only 25 years old). Isn't that what every good fan is supposed to do? I mean, at least, it seems like what Laker fans expect (cheap shot intended).
In all honesty, I'm pleasantly surprised by the Suns 7-1 start. I thought they'd be better than all the "experts" predicted and would make the playoffs but I didn't expect this kind of start out of the gate. Amare was and is still working his way back into shape. Jason Richardson missed the first two games due to suspension. Leandro Barbosa has been injured and missed some time. All of those reasons lead me to believe the Suns would start slow. Luckily that hasn't been the case.
Are they world beaters? Probably not. Are they a mediocre team? Probably not. They are a 4-7 seed with a lot of upside and a former league MVP who is still playing at a high level.
2. Obviously, the style is back to 7SOL. But even their attitudes seem different. Did Shaq really have that much of an affect on the team last year even though he had an All-Star year last year?
Based on my time around the team last season, I tend to believe Shaq was more about self-promotion than anything. The atmosphere felt like a constant circus. Whether it was stealing Lou Amundson's book or Steve Nash's idea for a TV show, O'Neal needed the spotlight on him and I think it wore on the team. He tried to usurp Nash's locker room authority and it didn't sit well with anyone. Rather than the nickname "the Big Shaqtus" he should have been given the moniker "the big disruption".
This team seems to have the best chemistry of any Suns team I can remember (outside of the drug scandal year where there was plenty of "chemistry" used to make the cocaine). People scoffed at Nash wanting to stay in Phoenix and play in a good environment over chasing a championship. He's proving just how powerful a positive environment can be [/motivational speaker mode].
3. When the Suns acquired Channing Frye, you didn't think much of it, did you? After eight games, he's averaging almost 14 points and three 3-pointers made per game.
Channing Frye is like Will Ferrell. He's entertaining in the right kind of situation with the right cast surrounding him. In the end though, you know that it isn't going to be the best performance you've ever seen. He is what he is.
When the Suns signed Frye, I thought it was a nice signing for the price but I also knew he is a shooting guard trapped in a center's body. I didn't realize he'd be as skilled from three point range but I expected him to be hit or miss and lack any major rebounding skills.
4. Amare Stoudemire also seems to have a better attitude about things as well. I know he was in trade rumors for a while. Did you want him gone? Or were you willing to stick with him?
Amare Stoudemire is that girl you fall in love with early and then discover all her flaws. You still love her, you want to be with her because of the "potential" for great things but you also wonder if life would be better without her. Over the summer, while Amare went from city to city flirting with other teams' fans and saying he was willing to be the "missing piece" for a team, I imagined life without him and it sounded good. The problem is when I see him back on the court and actually hustling, it's tough to want him anywhere but in Suns purple and orange. So as of right now, I've put the chaps on saddled up and am riding the fence. I'll let you know how I really feel come March.
5. Steve Nash, at 35, can basically retire anytime now. Do you even think about how the team will be without him or are you just enjoying the ride as they seem to make one last push for a title?
Thinking about the team without him? I'm too busy trying to figure out where they stashed the fountain of youth in the US Airways Center.
Nash is one of the best conditioned athletes in the game. If you look at his numbers so far this seasons, he's playing at or above his MVP level. During his first MVP season he didn't have any 20-assist games and in his second MVP season, he had two. He has two thus far this season. Over the last three games, he's racked up 49 assists (I've played basketball since I was eight and I'm still trying to reach 49 assists). To put that in prospective, the Lakers' Vujacic, Bryant, Fisher, and Brown combined have 46 assists for the season.
Long answer made short, I can worry about Nash's retirement in four or five seasons. For now I'm enjoying the ride and watching one of the best point guards in the history of the Association.
6. Let's hope that's the case. Nash IS one of my favorite players of all-time.
Now Pau Gasol's not going to play but Andrew Bynum is. So basically the frontcourt will be less of an advantage against Phoenix. The Lakers won't be in full strength until maybe later in the season but whatever; we're talking about today. You guys definitely have the advantage on the PG position and we all know what Kobe Bryant can do. Tell me your keys of the game and your (biased) prediction of the game.
There are two major keys to the game for the Suns.
1) How close is tonight's game against the Hornets? If they have to fight it out for 48 minutes and are in a tight contest with the Hornets, it greatly affects their performance against the Lakers tomorrow. Just look at last week and their games against Miami and the follow-up performance the next night against Orlando as proof.
2) The bench play. If the Suns can get quality minutes from bench players like Jared Dudley, Lou Amundson, Leandro Barbosa, and even Earl Clark they'll be in good shape against a tough Lakers crew. One name to keep an eye out for off the bench is Jarron Collins. He could give the Suns a few good minutes down low against Bynum and Mbenga; it would go a long way to a Suns win.
My prediction ... a close first half with Kobe taking over the game in the second and leading the Lakers to victory (No matter how biased I am, I am still skeptical of the Suns in a big game, especially on the second night of a back-to-back).
7. For the spirit of this rivalry, any final words to the Lakers fan base?
You may have more titles, more celebrity fans, and a coach that has a cooler celebrity lookalike than ours (Colonel Sanders to, well, no one). No matter what our differences though, we'll always share 1993, 2006, and Raja Bell.
That's it. We're taking it to the Octagon.
We'd like to thank Greg Esposito for his time and his awesome insight of the Phoenix Suns. You can check out their Phoenix Suns-based blog at Deep Purple. And you can follow Greg on Twitter as well. His name is @the_real_espo.
Now I'm going to work on my ground-and-pound.
Follow me on Twitter as well. My name is @TheNoLookPass and I will be the next Ultimate Fighter.
