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Gear Up For Suns Basketball

It’s Too Little Too Late

 
By Adam Brennan
March 24th, 2009 at 10:12 am

The Phoenix Suns are beginning to get the hopes up of fans on still making the playoffs this season. The Suns have now won 5 in a row and Steve Nash’s defense and Shaquille O’Neal free throw shooting helped them defeat playoff bound Denver last night 118-115. In other news, hell froze over and pigs grew wings and flew simultaneously. Seriously though, it is clear the Suns are still trying extremely hard on a nightly basis which is impressive. However with only 12 games to go, they are still 3 games back of the Dallas Mavericks.

Unfortunately, I am here to tell all Suns fans to stop getting your hopes up for a playoff run; it is not going to happen. The Suns recent winning streak benefited from playing losing teams that might as well phone it in to have a better chance at Blake Griffin in the NBA Draft Lottery (Excluding Denver). The Suns play Utah this evening while Dallas plays Golden State…they will then be 4 back barring a major miracle. Then to top it off the Suns play Portland and then Utah again in there upcoming games. Plain and simple, this run was too little to late.

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This is one of the few times I will ever not blame the players for this season’s failures. I will place the blame on 3 people: Terry Porter, Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver. Terry Porter was simply the wrong choice for the teams current personnel. Porter was clearly so caught up in changing them to a defensive team, he missed some talented people on his bench. Jared Dudley was barely used by Porter, and it is evident since Gentry took over that this guy is a talented defender and decent on the offensive end as well. To Steve Kerr’s credit he has tried to mix things up on a team who’s window was supposedly closing quickly. However, once he decided to hire Terry Porter he slammed that window shut for this season. The Shaq experiment will go down as an utter failure despite Shaq’s rejuvenated play this season. Steve Kerr being from a former basketball player himself should have recognized that Shaq is the antithesis of the Suns style of play. Then there is all the players we have simply given away over the last few years in the NBA Draft: Luol Deng, Nate Robinson, Sergio Rodriguez, Rajon Rando, and Rudy Fernandez. The blame here goes to both Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver. Finally, since Colangelo was driven out of Phoenix, Robert Sarver has been a bumbling mess of an owner. This is mirrored in his choice of his neighbor Steve Kerr as General Manager and railroading a great coach in Mike D’Antoni out of town. Nepotism may be a dead practice in politics, but surely it happens in the NBA.

Here’s to next year and keeping our lottery pick in the draft Suns fans!

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Comments
  • troy mccandless
    But I will say that if Shaq would have of been in as good of shape at the beginning of the year that he is in now ,we might be talking about who's trying to catch the Suns to get into the playoffs. Which is a shame because being in the league as long as he has been there he should be fined for putting his team in such ahole to start the year off. Its just plain irresponsibilty on Shaqs part. I remember when he came to the Suns all you heard about was how he was going to deliver Nash a ring and get his sixth and now it seems as if he cant even help them get into the playoffs. They would have been better off without him if you ask me .I think that if you would to give Hill all the touches the Shaq has had this year that you wouldn't even have to worry about making the playoffs. T-ROY SIGNING OUT SCREAMING GO DUKE BLUE DEVILS TONIGHT AGAINST VILLINOVA
  • troy mccandless
    Well I think both of you are right about Hill but why do you care if the Suns make the play offs . I mean if we are going to call a spade a spade, you have to know that the Lakers or the Cavz have got the NBA title wrapped up this year . With the year that both of them had i truly think that the only team out there that has a chance at either of them would have to be the Magic. And thats only because there is no one in the league thats going to be able to hold down superman (thats right Suns fans , the real superman of the NBA is residing in Orlando),and that is still a long stretch. I mean the only good reason for the Suns to reach the playoffs this year would be to try and make the owners a little more money at the gate and at the consession stands.This wasnt meant to piss anyone off for Gods sake i pull for the Bobcats and we all know the year that they are having.Adam you keep putting these blogs up i can coment on just about anything in sports.Headstrong i guess lol.
  • Adam
    Troy,
    You always had a way with words! I do agree that the Cavaliers are looking more and more like the outright favorite to win it all. 1 loss at home is ridiculous! I do think the Lakers are beatable. Lakers and Suns always make for good drama and as Dennis mentioned below at least it would be entertaining! Back to Grant Hill, he looked like he was 26 not 36 last night....his game winning shot was almost Jordanesque holding the ball out with one hand and then drilling a fadeaway. Thanks for your comments and keep them coming!
  • Hey Dennis,
    Thanks for the feedback! Like I said I can't blame the players at all. I am so happy for Grant Hill, after so many years of injuries he deserves it! He would have been regarded as one of the greatest of all time if he was not injured; he was simply that talented.

    I still hope we win tonight and Dallas loses but I am just being realistic; possibly to avoid being heartbroken by this team again!
  • Yeah that would be nice to get rid of Shaq. He just isn't a good fit. Not sure what Dallas would offer maybe a 2nd round pick?
  • David
    Kerr should be out the door and maybe Mark Cuban is still in love with Shaq, so you might be able to get something from Dallas.
  • dennis
    Adam; Sorry that you are so pessimistic re: the last few games of the season and the Sun's chances of making the playoffs. Utah has been having it's troubles of late and the Mavs could very easily back out of the playoff picture.
    Tonight's game vs the Jazz will be very informative. A win will keep a flicker of hope alive and create some additional excitement. After all, what we are talking about is not sport but entertainment. The Suns are at least entertaining again. The bench players are absolutely carrying the franchise. Their level of frenetic play and toughness is just simply wonderful. If Stromile Swift every figures out what he is supposed to do.... look out!
    I have to applaud the Coach, Alvin Gentry, for his decision to play Dudley in place of Barnes at the end of the game. Barnes was elsewhere all evening. He needed to be on the bench during the final minutes. Who can say enough about Grant Hill? What a terrific player. Steve Nash played some inspired defense. Put it all together and the Suns had a nice win. It will be equally tough tonight against Utah. There is still a little ray of hope for a berth in the playoffs.
  • Cody
    I think that the suns do have a chance, but it will also take a miracle. But who knows, as so far with this season it seems to be apparent then anything is possible. Spite the lose of amare and now also barbosa, then suns bench has really stepped up to help them out. Amundson, Dudley, Barnes, Lopez,and Dragic have all put in some time to help out the starters. So ya never know what can happen. Guess we will just have to wait and see
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