Are These Suns For Real?

The Suns of 2009-2010 are a much different team than any Suns team in the past.


Sure they still run and gun as they did during the D’Antoni era. However, they actually do something they have long been criticized for not doing and that’s playing DEFENSE. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Phoenix Suns play defense. They are actually being praised for it by the like of Gregg Poppovich.

As I was watching the predictions for the Phoenix Suns series against the San Antonio Spurs, not many analysts and so called “experts” were giving the Suns much of a chance even though they had the better record and the home court advantage.

I guess I can’t really blame them. Look at series past. And I will admit that as big of a Suns “homer” as I am even I did not predict the Suns actually sweeping the Spurs. Hell the Spurs haven’t been swept since 2001 and that was by a Lakers team with Kobe and Shaq on it.

But for anyone who has not been paying attention to NBA basketball since the All-Star break; this Phoenix Suns team is playing some of the best basketball ever. There is only one team playing better and that is the Orlando Magic.

The Suns all year have been utilizing their bench. Again something that in coaching regime’s past was ignored. Coach Alvin Gentry has done a phenomenal job with this team. He has developed a great relationship with Amare Stoudemire. This relationship may just be what is needed to keep Amare in Phoenix next season. Gentry has also shown faith and confidence in his bench players allowing them to develop, and allowing his starters to get much needed rest to stay fresh. These fresh legs are what is helping this team make such a deep playoff run.

While Suns fans all year have known about Goran Dragic, Game 3 in San Antonio was his “coming out” party on a national stage.

The “Slovenian Jordan” as he is called by teammates showed what he could do. I guess the Suns secret weapon has been unleashed and is not so secret anymore. Behind Dragic’s great play all season and especially in the playoffs, Steve Nash has been tallying an average of just around 35 minutes a game. That is the least amount of minutes for a starting point guard in playoff history.

Ask Nash how he feels about the success Dragic had in that Game 3 and he beams from ear to ear like a proud parent.

Dragic used to stay up late at night in Slovakia to watch his idol Nash play basketball. Now he is learning from Nash.

Still, there seems to be pessimism about this Suns team. Are they for real? Can they ever win the big one?

While I like to think so, the Suns have to get through the defending champion Lakers first. While not many are giving the Suns a chance in the series, one thing to keep in mind…in the last 5 playoff series with the Lakers, the Suns have emerged victorious 4 of those times. Shocked? I admit I was when I realized that.

One other thing to note…while most people talk about the “7 year itch”, the Suns seem to have a “17 year itch”. The Suns have only been to the NBA finals twice. The first time in 1979, the second time in 1993. That was a span of 17 years. This season marks 17 years since the Suns last reached the finals. Will that 17 year itch be on their side again? Time will only tell but this Suns fan is hoping so!