As wonky as the Suns look in the standings right now, no team wants to meet them in a first round playoff series.
They are wearing the right uniforms. They have a few holdovers from the "run and stun" squad that has produced a minimum of 54 wins since the 2004-05 season. But the team that has been on the floor wearing the Phoenix Suns uniforms is not the same squad we have come to know.
Only Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa and Amar'e Stoudemire remain from the exciting and entertaining team that was quite possibly only a Robert Horry hip-check away from an appearance in the NBA Finals a couple of seasons ago. But in this bottom line business that is the NBA, because there is no Larry O'Brien trophy being displayed in a trophy case somewhere at U.S. Airways Arena, Steve Kerr has come in as the new General Manager in the valley of the sun and taken the team in the proverbial new direction.
Through trades and a coaching change, Kerr has remade the roster and given the team a new philosophy. The offensively tilted, small ball, let's create a match nightmare for the opposing team by playing guys out of position Suns of recent years have given way to a team with a more traditional construction. Phoenix is now built to play post season basketball in late April, May and June. But if Phoenix is going to rely on playing playoff style all season they may end up walking themselves right out of the post season tournament in the western conference.
That being said, the Suns are now trying to find a mix of the old and the new. Yes they are better equipped for the playoffs but after meeting with some resistance, new head coach Terry Porter, seems to have softened his stance on the team's style of play. Some of the players were unhappy with the new philosophy which Porter was a bit to rigid with at the start of the season, but the two sides have compromised. The players understand the need to play a different style that is dictated by personnel that may in the long run get them the ultimate prize. But the appeal of "let's not get carried away with the half court stuff coach" has seemed to pay off.
Who knows if some of this didn't come from the front office, itself?
So the "chuck and duck" style of play with the Phoenix track team is back in action right? Well, partially as they are back to playing the up tempo style, but just not as consistently as they did in the past. But look at the stats, Phoenix is still in the top five in scoring and leads the league in field goal percentage while remaining one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA. The difference is the volume of three-point heaves is not the same as it was in the Mike D'Antoni era but they are getting to the line more than they did in the past when they were always close to, if not at the bottom of the league in free throws attempted.
Phoenix can still run with the any team as long as Steve Nash is behind the wheel and while some say he is only a shell of the MVP, in this style of game where he doesn't get to play at a high tempo consistently, he is still playing like an all-star regardless of what the numbers say.
We're at mid-season and the Suns are still trying to get it right. There is not as much motion with a true post up player, Shaquille O'Neal inside but the Suns are hoping that Shaq rounds into form the way he usually does late in the season. His numbers aren't bad right now but the team is not quite where they want to be. The recent trade for Jason Richardson will help them once the western conference playoffs roll around. Richardson, a good scorer from the perimeter and a solid defender when he puts his mind to it, provides an upgrade over Raja Bell. The versatility of Boris Diaw however has been and will continue to be missed.
So for the Suns right now it's a matter of finding a way to get in the playoffs and stay out of the eighth spot and a potential match up with the Lakers. That being said, it would be great theatre with Shaq against Kobe as these two teams that have a history of great playoff match ups.
As wonky as the Suns look in the standings right now, no team wants to meet them in a first round playoff series. And while these aren't the Suns we're used to seeing, you might get used to seeing them a little longer than you think in the post season. Problem is they have to hold on to make it there for mid-April.
If that happens they will be a tough out.
