Better Than Bruno Mars: The Halftime Awards

Welcome to Basketball Banter's Annual Halftime Awards, where we (I) salute the NBA players who've made the greatest impact on the season's first 41 games. It's been a bit of a tumultuous campaign so far, but these are the most deserving candidates for the League's individual awards:

Rookie of the Year: Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Seen as a bit of a wild-card pick, even in a wild-card Draft, Carter-Williams quickly rose to the top of the class with a near quadruple-double (22/12ast/9stl/7reb.One turnover.) in an opening-night win over the Heat, and hasn't looked back much.

He can't really shoot, and he turns the ball over too much - as most rookie PGs do - but MCW's quickness and size allow him to do so much else on the court, from defending several positions, to being a menace in the passing lanes, creating well off the dribble, and rebounding more than any PG.

Carter-Williams may be lightly bumping into the Rookie Wall, but he remains enough of a favorite that this may be wrapped up unless he (God forbid) goes the way so many other Ones this season.

Regards to: Victor Oladipo, Tim Hardaway Jr, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Most Improved Player: Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns
I know a lot of people are jocking Anthony Davis for this award, but regardless of how undeniably he's in the midst of "The Leap", his rookie season wasn't that far off his per-minute pace this year. He's playing almost seven more minutes per game now that's he's stronger and fully healthy, so naturally his numbers will jump.

Meanwhile, Plumlee is quietly having a productive season for the Phoenix Suns, averaging a shade under 10/9 in the pivot while emerging as a dangerous weak-side shot blocker, and irritating, energetic defender.

What bears noting is that the Alpha Plumlee appeared in 14 games for the Pacers last year (whose bench kind of sucked if you recall), amassing gaudy averages of 0.9/1.6. Yeah, he scored 13 points the entire season. Now he's the White Shawn Kemp, and the prime over-achiever on maybe the NBA's biggest surprise team. Tell me who's "Improved" more.

Regards to: Eric Bledsoe/Basically Everyone on Phoenix, Anthony Davis, DeAndre Jordan, Kemba Walker, Lance Stephenson (someone cue the "cut-off acceptance speech" music)

Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
I'll be the first to admit, I thought Ginobili had finally faded after last year's awful Playoff run, and just like every other time I'd said anything even remotely pessimistic about the Spurs, I was proven wrong. He's bounced back with a signature Manu Season, in line for the Sixth Man trophy yet again (in fact, he's only actually won it once, which is kind of like Shaq only having one MVP).

Ever a living testament to the old "it's not who starts the game, but who finishes it" adage, Manu continuing to be Manu is one of the biggest reasons the Spurs - while "playing for June" - are still the West's best team.

Regards to: Taj Gibson, Tyreke Evans, the favorite-turned-replacement starter (Reggie Jackson)

Coach of the Year: Terry Stotts, Portland Trailblazers
The first of two awards that have been beyond difficult to decide, Stotts gets an alarmingly slim nod over Jeff Hornacek, whose teams have both massively exceeded expectations this year.

Portland was supposed to be fighting a losing battle for one of the West's final Playoff spots, while Phoenix was supposed to be trying to be the worst team in the Conference. Instead, the Suns are currently Playoff-bound (and have more games remaining vs. the East than any West team), while Portland is fighting a losing battle for the West's top seed.

Which is really what gives Stotts the edge in a race where both coaches have devised unique systems (Stotss on offense, Hornacek on both sides of the ball) and gotten career years out of several players; Portland's level of success, which can't be ignored.

Regards to: Jeff Hornacek, Gregg Popovich, Frank Vogel

Defensive Player of the Year: Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
Shot blocking...blah blah blah...alters everything near the hoop...blah blah blah...backbone of NBA's best defense...blah blah blah...Verticality...blah blah blah...

Regards to: LeBron James, Tony Allen, Dwight Howard

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
*DISCLAIMER* This does not mean I think Durant is a better basketball player than LeBron James. Nobody is. But this season, in the context of the MVP award, I think he's the more deserving candidate.

Also, this has nothing to do with being "bored" of voting for LeBron. An argument as stupid as "It's KD's Turn" can't influence the most important award.

Further, this isn't just a fickle reaction to Durant's recent string of malicious scoring nights either, though they certainly haven't hurt his case.

This is the result of KD being the more vital player to the better team out of Miami and OKC thus far, averaging career highs in scoring and (Rebs+Assts), and keeping the Thunder on track through two unlikely Russell Westbrook injuries. His percentages have fallen slightly - defenses are able to key on him all the more without Westbrook - but are still within striking distance of .50/.40/.90, which is relatively even more impressive without a co-pilot.

Both Durant and LeBron are in the midst of transcendent seasons, and really either of them could take this trophy without much of a legitimate protest from anyone. Both have had to do so much for their teams, but the following facts are true:

- Russell Westbrook, who against most standards is a better player than Dwyane Wade, has sat more games for the Thunder this year than Wade has for the Heat. This puts Durant, in the sense of playing as a lone star and thus individually "valuable" to his team, at a greater disadvantage. Peripherally, Chris Bosh is also better than Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson.

- Aside from a career-high FG%, all of LeBron's key stats, factoring Wade's periodic absence, are below his career averages. I hate to point this out when he does so much so well, but you'd expect the opposite if anything. And the Heat are routinely losing games Wade sits.

- Miami has a worse record than OKC, and plays in a substantially worse Conference. So both of these guys are making massive MVP contributions for Top-3 teams in the absence of fellow stars, only one of them is winning against much better teams at a higher rate.

So in a race this close, the scales are tipped ever-so-slightly in Durant's favor by his unconscious domination leading to his team's superior position, in the midst of a worse handicap. So what, it is KD's turn.

Regards to: LeBron James. That's It. 

Much could evolve over the coming months to change the course of the MVP, and (most of) the rest of the awards. Good luck to the contenders; on the the Second Half...

Banter's 2014 All-Star Ballot

Every NBA season, I leave my All-Star voting as late as possible, not because I'm a huge procrastinator (guilty), but to make the most developed and informed selections. As flawed as this democratic process may be, I'll be damned if my vote's going to waste.

So with voting closing in a couple days, who deserves to go to the show? Which players have been the most dominant and influential on this season so far? In the case of most of the Eastern Conference, who has simply sucked the least? Let's start with something my vote actually counts for; the Starters:

Leastern Conference

G. John Wall, Washington Wizards
The East's guard scene is dangerously anemic this year; not only are perennial All-Stars Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose goners, but Dwyane Wade's sat a quarter of this season, and it's showing both in the Heat's record, and LeBron James showing signs of fatigue for the first time in his life. Deron Williams' injuries have been the key contributor to Brooklyn's train-wreck season, and even heir apparent Kyrie Irving's stuck in reverse with Cleveland being all kinds of awful under Mike Brown.

So ring up a vote for Wall, by default the best guard in the East so far this season. He's averaging career highs in points, assists and steals, and while his overall shooting % is down slightly due to his sudden love of 3-pointers (3.8/game up from 0.9), he's at least managed to crack 32% from beyond the arc. While Wall might be one of the NBA's more egregious jump-shooters, he's a lightning-quick athletic beast who scores well near the hoop and becoming one of the NBA's better playmakers. This year, that makes him the most suitable candidate to suit up among East guards.

G. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
I tried to give this spot to both Demar DeRozan and Lance Stephenson; the Cavs have been mostly putrid (only compounded by their League Pass announcers) and Kyrie continues to be one of the worst starting PGs in the NBA on the defensive end. Still, he's rebounded from a slow start under the constraints of Mike Brown, while no other guards in the East have truly stepped up to take what was his spot to lose.

Giving this spot to someone else would be as much punishing Irving for his franchise's ridiculous decisions this offseason (hiring Brown again, drafting Anthony Bennett, signing Andrew Bynum - although they could've done much worse than flipping him into a Luol Deng freeroll) as anything, and against this weak a field, it seems like too much.

F. Paul George, Indiana Pacers 
His numbers have tapered off slightly from a torrid start that had him in the thick of the MVP discussion, but George has firmly delivered on the promise he signaled last spring as an elite swingman. Both Indiana's go-to scorer and top perimeter defender, he's the man on the East's best team, making his presence here a given.

F. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
It's no secret the Knicks have been God-awful this year, but if there's one person who can't really take any of the blame, it's Melo. Stat-wise, his season has been more or less on par with last year (a couple fewer points, a couple more rebounds, and basically identical %s), when he was garnering MVP buzz. Meanwhile, the team around him has basically imploded; from Tyson Chandler's leg injuries, to JR Smith's head injury, to the roster injury the Knicks suffered by acquiring Andrea Bargnani. It's mostly gone to shit, but few things haven't in the East this season .


F. LeBron James, Miami Heat
He's better at the game of basketball than anyone on Earth right now. Let's save some time and move along...

Bestern Conference

G. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Even if CP3 won't be able to lace up for this year's game, it would be a theft not to acknowledge yet another brilliant season. Before his shoulder injury, Paul was his typical self; the most complete point guard on both sides of the ball, and the only NBA player averaging double-digit assists on the year.

G. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
One of the toughest decisions this year (other than picking at the leftovers of the East Guard Buffet Platter) was Steph Curry vs James Harden for the 2nd guard spot. Both the lead triggermen in high-octane offenses. Both are capable of suspect defense. Their teams have nearly identical records. And both are doing impressive numbers that leave little room to differ; in fact their PER is within .14 of each other.

The edge goes to Curry for his superiority as a scorer/playmaker, accounting for a higher clip from scoring+assists while turning the ball over at a lower rate. Curry also rebounds nearly as much as Harden from the PG spot, so yeah, I'm starting four point guards in the All-Star Game. Deal with it.

F. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder There's one guy in each Conference who doesn't need an explanation. This is the West's.

F. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves have been kind of a bummer this year, but kinda like Kyrie in Cleveland, it's hard to fault Love much. Beyond Kyrie, Love is having a monster 25/13/4 season as the 3rd-most efficient player in the NBA behind LeBron and Durant. And this is the All-Star Game.

F. LeMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers 
Having a career year for the West's surprise contender, Aldridge has emerged as perhaps the A's best midrange scorer, anchoring a Blazers offense that's, well, (sorry) blazing. Always one of the League's quieter stars, he's announced himself on the highest level very loudly.

(Write In: Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns)

As for the reserves, I don't happen to be coaching an NBA team at the moment, so my vote doesn't really mean much, but if I had a ballot, here's what it would look like:

Leastern Conference

G. Demar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Well, this happened. I'm not entirely sure how, but I'm voting a Toronto Raptor into the All-Star Game. DeRozan's been a consistent spark for the Raptors, not only becoming a legitimate first scorer in Rudy Gay's absence, but dialing up his defensive focus as T-Dot has begun taking the Atlantic by storm. Double D's been the go-to guy on - gulp - the East's third-best team so far, good enough for a Least nod.

G. Lance Stephenson, Indiana Pacers
Sudden triple-double machine Sir-Lance-Alot is racking up impressive numbers, confined within one of the NBA's slowest-paced teams, playing with the kind of swagger reminiscent of another Coney Island veteran. Lance has made 'em dance all season, and his emergence is one of several reasons why the Pacers are safely atop the East for now.

F. Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Bosh, if nothing else, is staying balanced as an NBA entity. As he continues his seemingly eternal evolution as an awkward internet meme, and is on the butt end of endless jokes, his play leaves less and less room for criticism. His embracing of (and improvement in) the center position has allowed Miami to do what they do, so don't let the falling numbers fool you into thinking he can be excluded.

F. Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
Millsap's developed a reputation as one of the NBA's most sneakily-skilled power forwards; an ace second-fiddle behind guys named "Al" in post tandems. Horford's pectoral injury has not only put P-Milly on an island as the lone interior scorer for the Hawks, but left a vacant spot on this roster for him to assume.

Like many names you're seeing here, the "All-Star" prefix may seem excessive, but understand what we're working with here.

F. Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
It's fairly evident what Hibbert is at this point: a 12/8 guy who plays at a slightly higher level in the Playoffs, especially (and understandably) vs Miami. More valuable to Indiana, Hibbert is the new Dwight Howard; that interior force who disrupts everything around the hoop and forces many teams to alter their attack plan. It's because of him that "Verticality" is the second-trendiest NBA term behind "Corner Three" right now, and Indy's ruled the East enough to deserve an All-Star triad.

W.C. Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers
I can't punish Luol for Derrick Rose's injury and recently being traded to a team that by no other measure deserves a second All-Star. Not in such a weak Conference. Deng's ability to deliver top-level play on both sides of the ball, with unwavering consistency, makes him one of the League's most undervalued players. It's a shame the Bulls didn't get more for him.

W.C. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Some may see this as mildly premature, but again, this is this season's Eastern Conference, and the pickin's for healthy and worthy All-Stars have maybe never been slimmer. Meanwhile, Drummond's been beasting for Detroit, emerging as one of the A's best young big men in his first season as a starter. You just have to ignore certain things in the East, like Drummond's 38% foul shooting, or how only 27% of the Conference is over .500.

Snub Squad (if such a thing exists for the East): Kemba Walker, Jeff Teague, Greg Monroe, Kyle Lowry, Joakim Noah, Dwyane Wade, Michael Carter-Williams

Bestern Conference

G. James Harden, Houston Rockets
As explained above, almost had Harden starting, but ultimately Steph Curry's just more dynamic on offense and more influential to what makes his team successful. Not to knock Harden; 25/5/5 on a good West team is a strong season, especially with individual scoring rates falling with the rise of metrics-based analysis.

G. Tony Parker, F. Tim Duncan, San Antonio SpursNow that all of us have finally gotten used to the idea that the Spurs aren't going to fall off until Parker and Tim Duncan's appendages do, it's only right that the best team in the West be properly repped for its methodical excellence. They've been doing what Miami's trying this year by pacing themselves 'til the Playoffs for several seasons now. It shows in that they're keeping their stars fresh, while sitting atop the far tougher Conference. With Pop coaching again, it's only appropriate.

F. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles ClippersAnyone who still thinks of Blake Griffin as a one-dimensional athletic finisher needs to wake up to the progress he's steadily made. This season in particular has seen marked improvements in his toughness, jump-shooting, decision making, passing, and attention on defense under Doc Rivers. He's not quite on the Love/Aldridge level, but he's not far beneath it.

F. Dwight Howard, Houston RocketsHoward's days as the undisputed ruler of the NBA Paint may be behind him, but this season he's denied those who hinted at his demise, by turning back the clock - slightly - with a rejuvenated game hardly seen with the Lakers. If Marc Gasol had been healthy, this spot would've been a fight, but D12's back in All-Star form.

W.C. Damian Lillard, Portland TrailblazersThe West bench wouldn't be complete without Dame Dash; a terror for the League's best offense, and saving his best play for the most crucial moments. He remains a defensive liability in most matchups, but Lillard propels the Blazers to the tune of 109ppg - most since the D'Antoni Suns - and Portland's 2nd in the West.

W.C. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
With the final spot on the West roster, I'm invoking the Kevin Love clause yet again, because Davis is exploding in his second season as a two-way franchise force, despite the Pelicans' reluctance to, er, take flight. Regardless if his team doesn't really deserve the recognition, this is a game that's supposed to honor the NBA's best players and at a certain point, you have to draw the line. And they're hosting All-Star Weekend, which apparently means something, so here he is.

Snub Squad: DeMarcus Cousins, Dirk Nowitzki, Goran Dragic/Eric Bledsoe, Serge Ibaka, Klay Thompson, Monta Ellis, Ty Lawson

From Luol to Love - Trade Season

Halfway through 2014's first month, the NBA regular season's inching through a relative lull; that annual stretch after the early-season excitement, just before the All-Star break, where plenty of focus shifts to the trade wire. Teams like the Spurs and Heat are pacing themselves, others are waiting to heal up, and a good portion of the League is still trying to figure out whether they should be winning games. The season's most exciting stretch won't truly begin until after the Trade Deadline and ensuing (or in Andrew Bynum's case preceding) waived-player frenzy.

Look for next month's Deadline to be much more aggressive than last year's anti-climactic dud. Not only are a few intriguing players being openly shopped around, but with several teams in You Should Probably Trade Your Star Mode, the potential for big names to shift the NBA's landscape along with area codes is very viable. Hell, if Luol Deng can be had for cap relief and a bunch of non-lottery picks, it might be open season.

- The Deng trade was an unfortunate means to an end for the Bulls, whose season was destroyed along with Derrick Rose's meniscus, and were owned by someone too cheap to give a two-way All-Star the same kind of money as Carlos Boozer. So instead, with Deng almost surely bolting in the summer, the Bulls cashed him in for a chance to dodge the Repeater Tax and get a head start on the rebuild.

I don't think I'm stretching much here when I say the Bulls could've, and should've, got more out of this deal. Had they waited closer to the deadline, this offer from the Cavs - who are kind of up Shit's Creek right now - would've still been there, and more than likely trounced by a team looking to do more than transplant Deng for a few months, totally unsure if he'll re-sign.

Chicago screwed themselves twice (well, three times if you count the Boozer signing) by souring Luol, and then panic-trading him too quickly for returns that are unlikely to ever equate what Deng brought to the table.

- The late picks/swap rights Chicago got back for Deng call to mind an element of analysis that I've found usually missing from NBA coverage in this era of advanced metrics, especially amid the Tank Brigade, and with all the rage about the CBA, small market teams, Moneyball, Moreyball and everything else:

Draft Picks and Cap Space need to be valued within the context of the GMs that wield them, and very seldom is this discussed viably as a catalyst in trades. Not all tools are equal in different hands, and the weight these things carry in trades seems to be very general.

Take for example, the Oklahoma City Thunder. They got lucky to land Durant, but have also nailed every pick under Sam Presti, from board-toppers like James Harden and Russell Westbrook, to late-first-round steals Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka. They've built a top-tier team almost exclusively from the Draft, especially considering they've gotten the worse end of their biggest trades.

Then there's the contrast, say the Immortal David Kahn, or even former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, who has enough connections and reputation-bloating that he'll likely be back in a front office at some point. Colangelo scored relative hits with DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas, but reached for Andrea Bargnani first overall (when this guy was the likely top pick), drafted Roy Hibbert and immediately traded him, and took Terrence Ross when Andre Drummond had inexplicably slid into his lap. All during an era where Toronto was crying for any kind of interior presence.

Put simply: Some teams are much better than others at drafting, and this has to be kept in mind when evaluating every transaction. A "Presti Pick" is much different from a "Jordan Pick". Lottery Picks aren't infallible, and even a late selection is worth a lot more, say, to the Spurs, than it would be to most franchises. (Basically, if you trade any draft pick to the Spurs, you're a moron).

This goes even more so for Cap Space, which is a far more calculated gamble, as teams have much better concepts of a player's value, and aren't relying on ping-pong balls to make or break them. Again, this measure should be mostly appraised by a front office's ability to pick the right players, and in some cases the team's location and reputation.

The room to maneuver and sign free agents is worth a lot more to crafty grinder with a plan like Daryl Morey or Masai Ujiri, than to someone like Joe Dumars - who's now twice tried to re-build the Pistons through Free Agency without really improving them either time - or whoever might be running the Knicks at the time.

It's all relative, and in an era where motion-sensor cameras are now quantifying every facet of the NBA, I'm surprised this concept hasn't become more standard.

- Back to David Kahn, as he's now haunting the Minnesota Timberwolves from the grave, having not only given them a shorter clock within which to build around Kevin Love, but damaged his star's relationship with the team seemingly beyond repair, even after his firing.

Love lashed out at the under-achieving Wolves last week, the latest in a Thabo Sefolosha's-Arms-long line of public criticisms that stemmed from Kahn's um, management, but appear to still be paving the runway for Love's escape.

(KAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNN!)

The move for Minny now should clearly be to trade The Love Below this season, before a team with many glaring flaws attempts to rebuild around an unhappy player who's leaving them in 18 months. Love wants to contend, the Wolves are far from it, and the longer they hold onto him, the more opposing GMs can take advantage of them, their leverage decreasing as his departure inches closer.

Acting now gives Minny the edge, capitalizing on the many teams that want Love's services, and forcing suitors to up the ante rather than calling them with a "You're Losing Him For Nothing This Summer, Take What You Can Get" kind of offer. This guy is a borderline Top-5 player; trading him now sucks but he's by far the most coveted "available" asset in the NBA right now. Minnesota can set themselves up very well for the future, and this would be a huge hand to misplay...

Rising Suns: Grabbing Life by the Hornacek

Happy New Year Everyone!

Newly-minted 2014 marks Basketball Banter's fifth anniversary; somehow I've managed to keep people interested in my esoteric, convoluted NBA monologues for half a decade.

Along the way Banter's seen many changes; from its infancy as my disorganized rants, to regular segments like the Water Cooler, Top 9s and POWER RANKINGS!!, to its placement on the back-burner after I signed on to write for BallOverAll.com. Through it all, the one thing that's kept it going has been the people supporting it; you guys are awesome and here's to much more Banter.

A lot of zany shit is going on in the NBA this season, but perhaps nothing has been as dramatically quizzical as the completely illogical emergence of the Phoenix Suns as a legitimate West Playoff team. So to kick off 2014, here's some thoughts on the most Banter-worthy squad so far this season:

Jeff Hornacek has been famous for strokes over the years; both the subtle brush “hello” to his kids before every foul shot, and the smooth follow-through of his jumper.

As familiar as we became with those, it’s Hornacek’s stroke of brilliance with the Phoenix Suns this season that’s standing out the most, taking what many pegged among the Western Conference’s very worst teams to the thick of the Playoff hunt in his first season.

Monday night, the Suns rolled into L.A. to face their Division-leading Clippers – one of those “statement games” – and ran them out of Staples Center with a vicious lesson in defensive rotation, and ball movement.

They’re now a half-game behind the Artists Formerly Known as Lob City, and forcing everyone to not only take them very seriously, but ask just how the hell this is happening. Nothing about this team makes sense really, they’re not supposed to be good: It starts in the backcourt where they play two point guards, one of whom had no experience with a starting unit prior to November. Their forward rotation is comprised of journeymen, identical twins, and a guy who missed all of last season. They salary-dumped their only established center for an injury liability who hasn’t dressed yet.

And somehow they’re threatening for homecourt when the West has never been tougher; the result of things going right in too many places for Hornacek not to be credited with an elite NBA coaching debut.

It’s almost unprecedented; virtually every player in Phoenix’s rotation is enjoying a career year; Dragic and Bledsoe look like All-Stars, while the latter is probably the MIP at this point. PJ Tucker has broken out as a lockdown perimeter guy. Miles Plumlee warmed the cold Indiana bench last year, and is now channelling Shawn Kemp. The Morris’ are sporadically dangerous. Gerald Green is suddenly much more than the NBA’s best Uncontested Fast Break Finisher. It’s contagious.

Not only has Hornacek motivated a team that had absolutely no reason to believe in itself to play with balanced poise, but used a system of creative lineups to emphasize his team’s strengths. They space the floor incredibly well on offense and collapse with suffocation on the other end. Heavy on athleticism and short on size, Phoenix is often playing a Miami-style game of pressure-and-rotate. This forces lots of turnovers and lets their young legs exploit the open court.

Most of their halfcourt sets feature a four-out perimeter with both Frye and Morris-Squared serving as stretch threats, Bledsoe slashing from one wing and Dragic doing both from the other. This not only gives the Suns plenty of room to swing for open looks, but doesn’t hurt them on D; Morris-Squared can guard bigger wings, Bledsoe can lock up virtually any guard, and the entire team rotates well enough to go zone whenever it suits them.

The Suns are a breath of fresh air in this NBA era of “Big 3s” and Big Markets; they look like a finely-tuned college team, consistently executing with that token “want it more” effort, and the synergy only purely bred from a team without stars that knows they need to work together. They’ve been encouraging enough that not a single eyelash has been bat about the Lottery pick they’re apparently playing themselves out of.

While the season’s gotten off to a hotter start for the Suns than anyone could’ve fathomed, a small part of the success has to come from the surprise factor they’ll no longer be able to take advantage of. Phoenix has a rather large target on them after leaving a trail of Western corpses in their wake; teams will be circling the calendar, reviewing tape, resting up and certainly not underestimating the Rising Suns.

Hornacek’s debut season will only thicken as more experienced coaches unload their arsenal of tricks on his unconventionally awesome team, but the honeymoon is over, the Suns are for real, and every indication is that this team is in good hands.