Setting Suns

Well, it sure was fun while it lasted; that too-good-to-be-true union of the league's most prolific pick-and-roll artist with its most explosive finisher is about to be abruptly ended when Phoenix inevitably deals Amar'e Stoudemire sometime in the next week or so. The trade will put the final nail in the coffin of Phoenix's Seven Seconds or Less era, signaling a rebuilding effort that (for some reason) is centering around three players in their mid-30's. It seems like just yesterday that Phoenix was a perennial contender playing the most electrifying game we'd ever seen; now they're a lethargic, underacheiving squad who are about to lose their best player for discounted return and are staring a difficult future in the face. What the hell went wrong?

Well first there was the departure of the Colangelos. Despite the disaster that Bryan's got on his hands in Toronto, there's no denying that he assemeled an uncannily talented roster in Phoenix. His father was valued and respected in his capacity as President, probably why US Basketball made him an offer he couldn't refuse to oversee the re-birth of their quest for Olympic gold. This superstar tandem was hastily replaced by a dude with no front-office experience whose first major acquisition set the wheels in motion for this team's demise:

Marion-for-Shaq was doomed from its inception. Sure, Marion was increasingly unhappy with his role; his production was suffering and his presence in the locker room was butchering team morale. He's an extremely well-rounded player with borderline All-Star numbers, who could surely draw much interest around the league. So why the fuck accept an offer for a player who not only has seen his legendary past drown in a bog of excess weight, but is bar none the worst fit as a centrifugal force in a running offense in the entire league. His presence forced the Suns to re-construct their game plan; everybody had to make adjustments, but ultimately the move was disruptive enough to push Mike D'Antoni out the door. The run 'n gun master saw the trade as too counter-productive; his third option turned from an athletic swingman into an immobile mass that clogged the lane and slowed the run. Apparently, his master plan was beyond salvation, and it appeared the Suns were too, now abandoned by the perfect coach for their system.

Nobody was more upset about this than Stoudemire, who had used Shaq's presence to avoid more constant double-teams and have without question the most dominant second half of 07-08 of any big man in the L. Steve Nash couldn't have been happy either, losing a friend and mentor in D'Antoni, someone who had a very similar approach to the game and played off him like peanut butter does jelly (or chocolate if you're more of a Reese's fan). Their dismay could've only been heightened when the Suns hired Terry Porter; the same Terry Porter who presided over a highly sub-par tenure in Milwaukee, highlighted by unimaginative offense and unsuccessful attempts to enforce tough D. Yup, this involuntary 180 in basketball philosophy was exactly what Phoenix needed.

So here we are several months into a season that's seen the Suns fall from fringe contender status, play boring basketball and house a roster full of malcontents. Stoudemire's impeding trade will be much to his relief after Porter's system schackled his numbers and forced him to focus on an aspect of the game he's grown to neglect. See the fundamental problem was that Phoenix had spent years playing the type of basketball every player dreams of: pushing the ball, shooting when you're open, lighting up the scoreboard on every opponent and throwing convention out the window. Beyond that they were winning with it; consistently among the league's best teams. Convincing their players to suddenly abandon the approach that always worked for them through a series of horrendous personnel moves was a hard sell, and ultimately what killed this team. It'll be sad to see this team fall apart (not that it hasn't already, but in the final sense), watching Amar'e finish someone else's lobs or Nash feeding dishes to Stoudemire's less-athletic replacement. It's even sadder thinking of what could've been, and knowing how it all went down.