Eight games played already ! Suns at 6-2

After eight games already played, not many but still almost one-tenth of the NBA season, the Suns are 6-2, including 4-1 on the road and the usual domination of the Eastern Conference so far. Some of the doubts about the Suns' attitude have been answered over the last few games, especially during the recent Southeast road trip when our guys came out ready to fight more often than not.

The Usual Suspects on the Suns' roster have performed well overall: Stoudemire, Hill, Nash, Marion and Barbosa have played well so far with Leandrinho being the most impressive over the last couple of games.
Grant Hill have been all we had hoped so far, even if he tends to take more 3-point shots than he actually should. Amaré is recovering well from knee surgery and other than the Miami game, when he got ejected early in the second half, has been excellent. Marion has probably been the most consistent Sun so far: scoring, playing solid defense and rebounding very well. Raja Bell is having trouble with his ankle, he should sit out until completely healed, but he'll be fine.

Point-center Diaw has been the biggest question mark so far. Boris has played a couple of good games (vs Cleveland and at Charlotte), even filling in for STAT at center, not to mention guarding Shaq for half a game.He is always hustling and playing hard but sometimes it seems like he's still looking for his place on the court. He's very versatile on a basketball court but possibly because he is often asked to play so many different positions he looks a bit tentative at times and never really comfortable.

Checking the rest of the Suns' roster there's not much to report really. Coach D'Antoni should use his bench more especially so early in the year. It will make a difference in May, when the best players will have something left in the tank for the Playoffs.
Skinner, Banks, Marks, Tucker and Strawberry are good player. Of course they're not as good as the starters...that's why they're on the bench ! Banks will never be Steve Nash nor Tucker will become better than Marion anytime soon, but they could contribute right now.
Of course D'Antoni sees those guys on a daily basis and knows, much better than anyone else, what they can do on a basketball court, but I hate to see the starters (or just 6-7 Suns), playing 35 minutes each even with comfortable leads late in games. Nash is averaging 34 minutes a night, Marion 37, Hill and Raja 35 while Banks and Skinner only 11 while Tucker made only one appearance. Check the Suns' stats if you're interested.

Over the next few days the Suns will play the Bulls, the Clippers and the Kings (twice on consecutive nights) but the game I'll be looking at with great attention is next Saturday's vs the Rockets in Houston, first game against one of Texas' big three.

Go Suns !

It's never too early to analyse things

It's too early to panic but it's never to early to analyse things, even after only a few games in the new season. I am writing these notes before Friday Night game in Miami and since it's early in the year things could change quickly.

The Suns don't look like last year's perfect machine, maybe just not yet, and on most nights have been outplayed especially on the boards and running the floor. There are a lot of potential explanations for the slow start: Amaré's injury, Barbosa and Bell playing on sore ankles, Diaw having spent most of the games at center and so on. If it's just a physical problem, it'll be solved in a few weeks. The Suns could be back in shape in time for December, a month that is possibly the toughest of the entire season with 10 of 14 games on the road including trips to Dallas, San Antonio and the Christmas' date with the Lakers.

There's only one thing that really could sound a bit alarming: the hypotheis that the Suns are not finding the "correct" motivations for regular season games, those needed to compete on any of those 82 nights. The basketball world has been talking that these Suns are "built to win the championship", talking about the "window of opportunity closing quickly" and how the season will depend on the playoffs on a rematch with the Spurs and so on.
Mike D'Antoni was probably already bit worried about it during training camp as on a couple of occasions he told the Suns needed to enjoy the journey and not focus on the Conference Finals in November.

Go Suns !

Some quick notes around the NBA

Here's some quick notes on the NBA season so far...1 to 20 in no particular order:

1. Undefeated teams in the NBA so far: Clippers, Pacers, Hornets, Celtics and Pistons. Schedule has a key influence in teams being undefeated so early in the season.
2. Biggest disappointment so far: the Bulls and the Warriors at 0-4. They're much better than that. Golden State needs to start playing some (just a little) defense. the Bulls, I just don't have a clue, as they actually played some teams they should have beaten easily (Nets, Sixers, Bucks and Clippers). I am sure they'll bounce back.
3. The Western Conference, despite some top talent going East, seems even better than last year. Early on the best teams in the Conference look even better.
4. There are no easy games in the West.
5. The Suns are not in game shape yet, but will eventually get there. They're so good that at half speed they'll win against almost every team in the East and half of their Conference as well.
6. I am bit worried by Amaré Stoudemire's right knee. I hope he'll get enough rest not to risk worse injury.
7. Coach D'Antoni should use his bench more, even if that means losing a few games here and there. It won't matter if the Suns win 55 or 65 games...the Suns' destiny will be decided somewhere in Texas in late May. You can't think to have guys ready to compete in the playoffs if you don't play them in the winter. Suns need to get to May with at least 9 players ready to play in the playoffs.
8. Phoenix is Steve Nash's team. No big news here.
9. Those three teams in Texas look very impressive. Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, the Suns will have to deal with a couple of those to win the Conference.
10. The Mavs will have the best record in the NBA in the end of the regular season but the Rockets look like the toughest team in playoffs-perspective. Yao and T-Mac (if they stay healthy) will be a force, T-Mac is playing with great enthusiasm and Yao seems to be even a little bit "more" aggressive on the court. I think I saw Yao argue with a referee...
11. How great is the Jazz offense? Utah plays the best half court offense in the League and that Williams to Boozer pick and roll is the best I have seen in a long time...possibly since the Stockton to Malone era.
12. The Atlantic Division looks like one of the toughest in the League as at least 3 teams will fight to the end for the Division title. Looking forward to see those teams play some of the Big Boys in the West.
13. Kevin Garnett is good, actually great. On Opening night at the Garden the atmosphere was like it used to be in the old glory days. Boston is a special place to be a winner. Celtics fan will start chanting "MVP" to their no. 5 before December.
14. Kobe, who won't get traded, is unhappy but this on-going tension is turning into a positive force (must be some kind of Zen Master's truck involved here) as his teammates have raised their games and the Lakers look like a much better and more balanced team than last year's version.
15. Despite that, Kobe is still leading the League in scoring. In all the mess on trade rumors it's easy to forget he's possibly the best player in the NBA.
16. This is probably the deepest rookie class of the last 10 years...do I hear 1984 ? And we won't see Oden play any time soon.
17. Kevin Durant is the best pure talent coming in the League in a long time. Check a Sonics game if you have a chance, he's a real natural and seems born to play this game.
18. D. Wade and R. Hamilton's injuries are killing my Fantasy team....so far
19. Please keep the Sonics in Seattle.

...and finally

20. Go Suns !

Suns 1-1. What to think now?

Watching the first couple of games of the year it's quite easy to feel like it's going to be a long season. Thursday's night 106-99 win in Seattle and last night awful home loss 119-98 to the Lakers just seems to suggest that.

The game in Seattle was not a great overall performance as the Suns would have normally blown away those Sonics (despite the fact that they have great young talent and Kevin Durant is a real pleasure to watch) but the Suns were able to stay focused, play well when it mattered, make plays in the end and eventually take home the W.

By the way, please keep the Sonics in Seattle ! The Supersonics belong in the Pacific Northwest, If Mr. Bennett doesn't like his arena deal, just move yourself out of Seattle, not the Sonics.

The home opener was just a nightmare from tip-off as the Lakers looked like the Suns and outplayed our Phoenix team in every aspect of the game. Lazy defense, poor passing, lack of overall effort...you get the idea. It was really bad. If you didn't see the game, trust what you're reading, don't watch it. When was the last time Steve Nash had 3 assists (and 5 TO) in the whole game? (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The home crowd booed the Suns and Phil Jackson called a much needed timeout with the Lakers up 111-78 with 4:55 left to play...must be some Basketball Zen we'll never fully get.

Of course expectations are high as never before, but booing the Suns on the first night of the season seems too much and sorry, I just don't buy into the "I pay therefore I boo" philosophy. Suns are not expected to win 82 games but are expected to put a solid effort on the floor every night.

Were the Suns not ready? Was it just a night off? Are the Lakers so good? Probably it was one of those nights but let's just hope all this "cruise through the season, get-ready for the Playoffs since all we care is the NBA Championship" doesn't mean the Suns won't be ready to put on a fight every night.

It's way too early to get into the alarm mode (dont' forget last year's start), but the next few games will be a good indication as after the Cavs on Sunday at home the Suns will play four consecutive road games in the Southeast with the games in Florida looking like a good test.

It's way to early to panic ! so just Go Suns ! (say it louder this time)

Nash Equilibrium

"In game theory, the Nash equilibrium is a solution concept of a game involving two or more players, in which no player has anything to gain by changing only his or her own strategy unilaterally. If each player has chosen a strategy and no player can benefit by changing his or her strategy while the other players keep theirs unchanged, then the current set of strategy choices and the corresponding payoffs constitute a Nash equilibrium". (Nash Equilibrium definition, Wikipedia)

Sounds a lot like the 2007/08 Phoenix Suns ! The Suns begin their quest for the title tonight in Seattle (7.30 PM) riding their usual up-tempo style of play trying to outrun, outshoot, outplay, out-everything each opponent until next June.

There's been a lot of discussion about wheather the Suns' style of play will ever be good enough to win in the playoffs when everything gets tougher, games become slower, the Spurs keep posting up Tim Duncan, Referees - even non gambling ones - are allowing more contacts and so on.

I was even discussing lately the irony of the fact that Mike D'Antoni the player was possibly the opposite of D'Antoni the coach. Mike was a great defender, pass first point guard, then I realized the two sides of Mike have something deep in common: they belong to the most intelligent man in the arena. The player and the coach always played in such a way to give his team the best chance to win: same with the Suns. D'Antoni will not try to impose his theories on players, he will ride their abilities, just like he used to do guiding the great Milan team of the 80's to Italian and European glory.

The 2007/08 version will be the best Suns team of the last 10 years and will play the only way they know: at full speed. It's their DNA, it's the way they have been assembled and success will ultimately rely on the thin equilibrium this team has been built on. The Suns are a perfect machine guided on the field by the best quarterback in the League and on the bench by the best possible coach. This Nash-D'Antoni combination is what this equilibrium is built on and everyone else will follow, trying to adjust, trying to find his role and his place and adapt to the ever changing flow of the game. That's also why basketball intelligence is what could eventually lead the Suns to the NBA title and that's also why Grant Hill is such a great addition.

This will never be Amaré's team nor Marion's (and it has nothing to do with their All Stars basketball skills) because the Suns have been built as a group with one inspiring philosophy: follow Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash's Beautiful Mind. Will it be good to win it all? not sure but it'll be by far the best show you'll ever witness on a basketball court these days and I just plan to enjoy every minute of it.

Go Suns !

PS Don't forget it's Steve Nash Day on The Bright Side of the Sun. Make sure to check the You Tube highlights, Steve's amazing !!!

How the West will be won...or Western Conference Preview

The pro sports world is not what it used to be: Massachusetts and Indiana used to be Basketball States, while Texas has always been Football Country. Now, Indianapolis and New England are winning Superbowls, while Texas has possibly the best three teams (not calling Phoenix home) in the NBA...not to mention that they are not supposed to be playing baseball in Colorado in October.

The Western Conference is So Damn Good that the 7th or 8th best team would be good enough to win the East. Just put the Lakers or the Nuggets out there and see. The big question in the Conference is that there are at least 4 teams with a real chance of winning it all, those being the Texas Trio and yours Suns and 3-4 more with a chance of being very competitive in Golden State, Denver, Utah and Kobe's bunch.

Anyway, here's a quick roundup and some predictions: Division Champs and other divisional notes

Northwest: Utah. The Jazz are good, possibly not that good to repeat last year playoffs' run but with a core of Deron Williams, Kirilienko and Boozer they'll contend. Denver is also a very interesting team and a full season of A.I. and Melo playing together could make the difference as they'll give the Jazz a tough run for the division title. Don't forget they won 16 of their last 22 regular season games last year. The big rebuilding projects up in the Northwest will have to wait a couple more years, the loss of Greg Oden will slow the Blazers' development process while the Sonics will ride Kevin Durant and his huge talent and build from there. Don't expect much this season anyway. Hey ! what are the Boston Celtics doing here? no...wait a minute they're the Timberwolves now. Minnesota has talent but they won't go anywhere for 2-3 more years, the key will be to see if coach Wittman can develop a "real" team and create a consistent improvement plan that could make them contenders in a few seasons.

Pacific: Suns. The Suns are so much better than the rest of the division they'll literally run away with it. I'll deal with the Suns in depth in a few days but let's just say they have everything: best point guard in the game, great coach, talent everywhere. The rest of the division is not even close. I expect a surprise season by the Warriors riding their great playoffs' run of last season. They have talent (Ellis, Davis, Belinelli, Jackson) and leadership on the floor (Davis again) to reach the playoffs. The Clippers are a good team but will have their best player (Elton Brand) out until at least February; plenty of good and talented players in the backcourt and a star in the making in Livingston won't be enough to contend. The Lakers are Kobe's team, period. He's so good that could make them a playoff team on any given year especially with a good supporting cast like he has now: Fisher will answer last year's biggest headache at the point while Walton and Bynum should keep getting better. I have to mention the Kings, just for the sake of it. Sacramento is not going anywhere and will win some games because Bibby, Martin and Artest are good players.

Southwest: Dallas. This is Texas, baby. Nothing comes easy and you better be ready to shoot! The Mavs on an 82-game season are better then San Antonio and Houston but to win the Division Dirk and the Cubans (they could sign for next season of American Idol as a pop band) will have to forget the Golden State series and got back to what they can do on any given night. The Mavs have possible the best starting five (Harris, Terry, Howard, MVP Nowitzki, Dampier) in the League and are good on both side of the ball. The Spurs are the reigning NBA Champions and they bring back everyone. They're well coached and know how to win games, when it counts, with the best center in the game (Tim Duncan) and Finals MVP Tony Parker at the PG.

Houston is very intriguing and could challenge the Mavs and the Spurs for the title. Scola will be a great addition but the key will be their health; if McGrady and Yao are fine the whole year they could be very very dangerous. They carry one of the best frontline in the League. Coach Adelman is very consistent, so keep a close eye on the Rockets this year. New Orleans could flirt with .500 record this time and will try to ride one the best young PG in the game to have a shot at the post season. Memphis has a few good players and could improve as I expect a very good job by new coach (former Suns' assistant) Mike Iavaroni. I am sure he'll make Paul Gasol a real All-Star.

So, after all...here's what's going to happen:

Playoff Teams: Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Utah, Denver, Golden State, Lakers

Best Team: Suns in a close call over the Mavs.

Worst Team: I expect Portland to have the worst record in the League comes April. Now imagine they get next season first pick...and get Mayo to play with Oden in 2008/09. Could get a real challenge by the Kings especially of Artest or Bibby get traded to a contender during the season.

Western Conference MVP: Steve Nash. Who else? This could be the year Yao Ming makes a run ath MVP. If he stays healthy and the Rockets win 60-something games, you never know.

Western Conference Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant. His biggest competitor is out for the year. He'll put up huge numbers on a losing efforts most nights.

Western Conference Champs: I expect the Suns to win the West. They're ready. They were just a flagrant foul and a stupid suspension from winning it all last year.

Go Suns !

The West is the best, but the East is getting better....or Eastern Conference Preview

The East is getting better. Some teams are actually improving in the Eastern Conference. I am not predicting a team from the right side of the map will win the title anytime soon, but they're actually getting better, at least some of them. Here's a quick roundup and some predictions:

Division Champs and other divisional notes

Atlantic: New Jersey. I still think they'll be better day in and day out than Boston and Toronto unless of course they trade Jason Kidd sometime before in February. Of course, Boston has the Big Three and nothing else (but it could be enough to win a playoff series or two) while the Raptors have a very good team in the making, possibly a year or two away from title contention. The Knicks should be very interesting to watch as they have two of the best post-up players in the League in Curry and Randolph and a point guard who's not gonna give them the ball, the one and only Coney Island's Finest, aka Marbury. Philadelphia will have to settle for a few highlights from the jumping Iguodala.

Central: Chicago. This is a very good team with talent (a lot), balance and depth. They could reach the Finals and should win the toughest division in the East. Of course Detroit will be very good (but not great) and Cleveland is still all about LeBron which could prove once again to be enough to reach the Finals; but it won't happen this time. Milwaukee has some talent (i.e. Michael Redd) but too many question marks to contend, including the big Chinese project. Indiana has a very good point guard - center combination (Tinsley and O'Neil) that could even be enough to make the post season in the East but in order to do that a few other players need to raise their games and Tinsley needs to show up every night at his best.

Southeast: Miami. Still like the Heat (Wade has no match in the Conference) better than Charlotte and the Magic, both teams should be much better anyway. Orlando could be good with Howard and new signing Lewis (very good player but definetely overpaid) . The Bobcats lost May for the year before playing a game and that will cost them a chance at the Division; they could be solid anyway. The Wizards have one of the best players in the game, Gilbert Arenas, but basically nothing else is up to the challenge of trying to win the Division.

So, after all...here's what's going to happen:

Playoff Teams: New Jersey, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Orlando.

Best Team: Chicago. They'll be good, very very good.

Worst Team: Atlanta. They're so consistent in tha dept. I don't feel like going against the odds. They had a very good draft and should improve from last year anyway. They could get a serious challenge by the Sixers this year.

Eastern Conference MVP: Kevin Garnett. He'll score, rebounds and plays in Boston. Should get more votes than LeBron. He's a great player and trade to the East has made him the best player in the Conference.

Eastern Conference Rookie of the East: Al Horford, Atlanta

Celtics record (I think it's worth mentioning since everyone is talking green now): Boston was 24-58 last year but comparing that team with the 2007/08 edition is meaningless. Everyone's new in town. Boston should win 50 games behind the big three.

Eastern Conference Champs: The Chicago Bulls will eventually gain the right to lose to the best team in the West. We all know who we're talking about, aren't we?

Whatever, the West is still (by far) the best..

Go Suns !

Looking for Fantasy Owners

Someone out there on Planet Orange willing to play Fantasy basketball? Here it is !
I have just created an NBA Fantasy Basketball League on Yahoo! You don't need to be a Suns fan but it could actually help ;-)
The League is called Sons of Steve Nash Fantabasket ID 104261 it's a classic 12 team head to head league, just to have some fun. Password is "steve" if you're interested.
I'll just have to check if there's a way in the Commish tools to block any KG trade.

Go Suns !

Listen to Paul Coro's Suns preview on AzSportsHub.com

This time of the year we all start making predictions for the new season as tip off is just a couple of weeks away. Previewing the Suns' 2007/08 season will be somewhat easy: they're good, actually very good, possibly the best team in the League but the Suns season will be judged entirely by the 2008 Playoffs. That's it. Reach the Finals: great year, fail to do so: bad year...yes, is that simple.

Of course how the season ends will be the key, but as coach D'Antoni said recentely to ESPN's Marc Stein it's important the Suns actually enjoy the journey, which is possible even more important than reaching your destination. Thinking about a long journey is often more fun than actually reaching the dreamed destination.

To start enjoying the journey there's nothing better than hear the best Phoenix Sports Journalist, tha Arizona Republic Paul Coro, talk about the 2007/08 Suns. The great interview is avalibale at AzSportsHub.com, aka Arizona's Destination for Sports.

Go Suns !

Have you ever heard of PER?

Basketball has been well behind other sports in the field of stats analysis despite the facts that the game has a long history of score keeping. It's very easy to score points, rebounds and so on, what is very tough, almost impossible I should say, is try to judge players' performance indipendently by their teams.
In other word, the goal is trying to isolate a player's performance from its context and get an advantage from possible market inefficiencies as they say, or in other words things nobody else actually know but you. That's Moneyball ! which by the way is a wonderful book by Michael Lewis.
From Bill James to Billy Beane this has become (more or less) a "common" practice in baseball with quite a few ball clubs actually getting full advantage of it while it's quite new in the NBA. The first club really into it are the Houston Rockets, who named Daryl Morey as their GM. Morey was/is a computer science/stats expert and an MIT alumni...not your everyday former player getting to the upper floor.


Speaking of analytical approach to the game, ESPN insider and basketball analyst John Hollinger has come up, a few years ago, with this PER index. It was discussed in the Pro Basketball Forecast, an excellent publication from a few years ago. I think the last available was about the 2005/06 season.
The Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a rating of a player's per-minute productivity and measure with plenty of statistical adjustments. Now the always analytical Hollinger has come up with predictions about the upcoming season.

Yao Ming, Wade and LeBron are 1-2-3 in the rankings while the first Sun is Amaré Stoudemire at no. 12. Steve Nash will be the 3rd best PER point guard in the game and 19th overall.
Of course we all know he's by far the best in the League and makes everyone around him so much better...that's what Steve's stats will never get.
I guess it's no surprise that almost every basketball analyst on the net is predicting the Rockets to win the West.

By the way, Suns beat Kings, 110-99 in the first game of the preseason. A convincing meaningless win.

Go Suns !

Preseason opens tonight at Sacramento

Tonight at 7.00 PM the Phoenix Suns will finally play an almost REAL game of basketball against the Kings in Sacramento. It's just a little preseason exhibition game but finally it'll be a real game !
The game will be available for free on NBA League Pass.
The Suns will of course be without Amaré, who's getting well quickly and could be ready by opening day, which would be great news. Since Brian Skinner will be out as well our questions about the Suns' big men won't be answered anytime soon.

Enjoy the first game of the year !

Go Suns !

Respect ?! Come on Marion !

According to various - reliable - sources Shawn Marion has officially requested a trade from the Suns. "It's time to move on" he declared to the Republic.

It's always about respect, never about money and the Suns refusing to talk about a contract extension is only part of the problem.

Marion wants some respect? How about "respecting" a contract paying some 16 million $$$ a year for a couplemore seasons on one the best franchise in the league?
Why should the Suns extend contract that has TWO more years to go? Why? because at 31 Marion could test the free agent market? come on, get serious.

"I'm tired of hearing my name in trade rumors", Hello ! It's pro basketball. Marion's name had been made in connection with a possible KG trade, unless you're counting Utah trying to get rid of Kirilenko as real trade talk, which I don't.
What's wrong with the Suns trying to trade Marion to another team to get a better player? KG is a better player than Marion. What a surprise, Shawn...it's not about respect.

If a player wants out I believe a team should trade him, but not at any cost. Only fair value should do it.

I love Marion, he gives 100 percent every nigth, plays great defense, can run and he's a very good overall player. Wanna try to win a championship in Phoenix? you're welcome !
Tired of Phoenix? Enjoy L.A. or better yet, have some fun in Utah.

Whatever, Go Suns !

it's 38 days, 10 hours, 15 minutes and counting

I am tired of waiting, can't stand any more surfing the net looking for news, any news "that's fit to print" as the say at the NY Times. I need games ! but I might settle for training camp or anything that includes someone in a Suns uniform shooting a basketball; I even miss the Summer League.
With this feeling, by far, the most useful site on the web is the Fox Sports Suns Site featuring a nice clock counting down time to the next game...it's 38 days, 10 hours, 21 minutes and 20 seconds until tip off with the Sonics.

The Suns are still looking to sign a big man, while others are actually signing them, just check the NBA transaction notes as Michael Ruffin signed with the Bucks and Elton Brown was grabbed by the Lakers. It seems the Suns will be bring Brian Skinner to camp and it seems a roster spot could be his to lose.

Camp opens in Arizona in a few days and the Suns roster seems basically settled with the inclusion of this year's rookie class as both Tucker and Strawberry should compete for minutes. It could be very interesting to see how Coach D'Antoni will shape players' rotation for the new season...another reason to count the days till opening days.

In the meantime I am trying to get ready for the 2007/08 Fantasy Basketball season. Both Yahoo! and NBA.com have already launched the new season.
Can you believe NBA.com has Gilbert Arenas ranked ahead of Steve Nash at PG and Barbosa ranked no. 9 in that department as well? In the overall ranking KG is no. 1 just above our own Shawn Marion at no. 2. As a tradition I'll have the whole Suns starting five on top of my players ranking which will allow me to have at least one Sun on the roster and more often than not ending in the bottom of my league...

Go Suns !

PS it's 38 days, 10 hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds.