Rise of the Phoenix

Rise of the Phoenix

(This blog will be incomplete if I do not thank Nisha and Ni-et, who reviewed my blog before I posted it. Thank you Nisha and Ni-et.)

I have been a die hard fan of the Phoenix Suns ever since they reached the 2005 Western Conference finals (the last time they went so deep in the playoffs). Even though they lost in the conference finals, experts predicted that the Suns had what it takes to win a Championship ring. However the Suns have stumbled every year, losing to their arch nemesis, the San Antonio Spurs twice and even failing to qualify for the playoffs the last season.

A small recap about the toughest period the Suns had to endure to reach the conference finals again. Just before the trade deadline on Feb 18th 2008, Steve Kerr the President of basketball operations traded temperamental swing man Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for Shaquile O Neal, to counter the threat of Tim Duncan. The experiment flopped as the Suns were beaten comfortably in the first round of playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. Mike D Antoni decided to walk away from coaching due to problems with Kerr’s style of functioning. For the 2008-2009 season Kerr hired his former teammate, Terry Porter, known for his hard nosed defense during his playing days, to instill a sense of defensive discipline and a more conventional half-court style to suit Shaq’s game. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire had trouble adjusting to the new strategy and the Suns started losing their identity as a fast paced team. Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley were brought into the team via trade for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell from the Charlotte Bobcats. Suns did show sparks of their potential but were inconsistent. Porter was fired midway into the season and was replaced by interim coach Alvin Gentry. Things started turning around for the Suns; Gentry let his players express themselves and let them play their natural game. Still the Suns were not able to qualify for the playoffs. Critics started tearing into the franchise from the top to the bottom. Trade rumors were swirling around that the Suns were looking to trade Stoudemire in order to cut luxury tax. I remember reading an article that ripped apart the Suns’ owner Robert Sarver, blaming him for the entire debacle.

2009-2010 has been the season of the Suns and they have taught me the true meaning of the phrase “Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes.” The only constants from the 2005 team have been Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Leonardo Barbosa, yet the 2010 version of Suns have played better basketball compared to that of 2005. Kerr started putting things in order, traded Shaquile O Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for cash considerations, signed Channing Frye, a power forward who can play center and knock down three pointers with consummate ease, and gave two year extensions to veterans Nash and Grant Hill. Experts laughed at the extensions given to these two veterans who turned 34 and 37 respectively this season. The Suns started off brightly with their run and gun style with Frye spreading the floor with his perimeter threat. They stuttered a bit with a win-loss record of 12-18 after a strong 14-3 start. Then came a crucial change in the strategy of the Suns, Doran Dragic who was picked up in a salary dump in the previous season, was given more playing time along with Jared Dudley, who was a lost soul in Charlotte Bobcats before arriving in Phoenix. The Suns finished as the hottest team after the All-Star break with a 39-8 record and ended up as the 3^rd seed in the playoffs. Yet fans, including me, were pessimistic about their chances, especially when the injury-prone Portland Trail Blazers snatched home court advantage from the Suns with a sound thrashing in game 1 of the first round. Suns came roaring back to win the series in 6 games. Their next opponents were their arch nemesis, the San Antonio Spurs, against whom the Suns swept by 4 games.

Eh, did I hear it right!!! The Suns swept the Spurs? Yes it has finally happened the Suns had done it after failing to the get past the Spurs. Credit should go to the coach Alvin Gentry for letting the Suns play their fast paced game and yet maintain defensive pressure on their opponents. Stoudemire, a lazy defender before Gentry took over the reins, has tightened his defense. Dragic, who exploded with 23 points in the 4^th quarter of game 3 in the second round playoff series against San Antonio, is being groomed by Steve Nash to take over the starting point guard role, once Nash decides to call it a day. Grant Hill has taken Jared Dudley under his wings. Experts who criticized the extensions to Nash and Hill are now forced to eat a humble pie. Robin Lopez, who was upstaged by his twin (Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets) last season, is being looked up as a center of the future. Jason Richardson, only 29 but with 9 years of league experience can still explode when the opposition defense concentrates on Nash and Stoudemire. Even if Stoudemire decides to leave during the postseason, expect the Suns to win a championship in three years. The swagger is back, Go Suns Go.