Phoenix Suns Preview

Hello Readers,
This is two previews in two days. Not too shabby.

PHOENIX SUNS

Key Additions: Michael Beasley (FA), Goran Dragic (FA), Kendall Marshall (rookie), Jermaine O'neal (FA), Luis Scola (amnesty claim), Wesley Johnson (trade)

Key Losses: Steve Nash (FA), Grant Hill (FA), Robin Lopez (trade)

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Dragic
SG: Jared Dudley
SF: Beasley
PF: Scola
C: Marcin Gortat

Role Players: Marshall, Shannon Brown, Markieff Morris, Jermaine O'neal, Wesley Johnson, Channing Frye? (to be addressed)

Comments: I guess we have to start with Steve Nash. Any time you lose a two-time MVP and the best player on your team, it hurts. But honestly, the Suns were at a stalemate with Nash. The run and gun offense with Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were fun teams to watch, but I believe was blown up prematurely. I think this video is kind of funny since it is 5 years old.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9pUNc95mo They then went with players like Shaq and Vince Carter who were out of their primes and didnt gel with Nash. This left the team growing older but getting worse, so honestly it was time for Nash to go. Both to give Nash a chance at a ring, and to begin to rebuild the team. While this is a transition year for the Suns, they actually have a respectable squad that will compete well.

Replacing Nash will be the duo of Dragic and Marshall. Goran Dragic turned a great second half last year into a hefty contract with the highest bidder. He is quick and crafty, can finish at a very good rate at the rim with the left hand, and is a streaky shooter. Anyway, it seemed as if he was putting up 20 points and 7-10 assists every day at the end of last season, so he should provide stability while the Suns try to figure out if Kendall Marshall will be a productive NBA point guard. Kendall Marshall was definitely UNC's most important player. He is very smart and was able to effectively spread the ball to each of their weapons. When he went down, UNC never had a chance to win the tourney. So the Suns clearly drafted him to be their future PG (dragic will never be a star anyway), and they hope he can be like Rajon Rondo. He has the same vision and creativity (and lack of a jumpshot), but with only 1 real productive year at UNC, we will see if that is what he becomes. Then again, Rondo was drafted much lower than Marshall and didnt show much potential at Kentucky.

Jared Dudley and Shannon Brown at SG are basically interchangable players. Both are athletic 2-guards that have good shooting ability (Dudley probably slightly better), and solid defense (Brown slightly better here). Whoever is hotter will probably earn the most playing time, but both are considered role players, and could be traded to a contender that needs a scoring punch. Dudley has honestly shown more consistency, but it will be interesting to see how good he is without Nash (see also Gortat, Frye, and Morris).

Michael Beasley has had a pretty interesting career since being drafted 2nd overall. He had a few OK years for the Heat, but got dumped in favor of LeBron and Bosh. He was blamed for smoking weed all the time and just playing selfishly. He continued those things in Minnesota, so he was never really trusted with taking control of a team. When he is on, he can score 30 easily. He can shoot, he is a big athletic guy, and can rebound too. But, when he is off, he will hurt your team. Either by not playing defense, taking way too many shots, or just being lazy. Another city, another chance to make a new impression. Something tells me he will never figure it out. Wesley Johnson is one of those young players that is ok at everything, but not that good at anything. His shooting, penetration, defense, and rebounding, are all just OK. That isn't to say he can't get good at any one of those, but it says a lot when Minnesota felt like they could dump him for basically nothing.

The Suns got an absolute steal when the Rockets (we will talk about their stupidity soon) released their best player Luis Scola for no apparent reason. Scola is incredibly crafty. He isn't big or athletic, but has a large number of post moves, hook shots, up and unders, so he is a really effective scorer even against large defenders. He should be the number one option on this team for offense, and I think he will work well with Gortat inside, since he is a good passer as well. Markieff Morris is the backup, but I have a feeling that his good rookie season was due to an improved 3-point shot and Steve Nash. Without Nash to find him for open 3's, he will have a tougher time scoring. Look for only minor improvements. Channing Frye is another player that benefited greatly from the Steve Nash effect. Unfortunately, Nash leaving made his heart grow too big, so it is unclear whether he will play this year. With Scola (an undersized PF), Morris (a SF really), the team has to rely on Gortat and O'neal to provide any size to this team, which will be an issue.

I think we will see exactly the effect of Steve Nash on this team with the play of Marcin Gortat. Gortat is a pick and roll center, finishes well off the pass, and rebounds well. He is a solid defensive and offensive center. I don't know, however, if he can play well with his back to the basket. Dragic and Marshall should be good PG's in the pick and roll, so he could do OK, but no PG is like Steve Nash on the pick and roll. We see how much Amare is struggling on the Knicks without Nash; Gortat could do the same. If the Suns expect anything from Jermaine O'neal, they have to be kidding themselves. This guy will not stay healthy, and provides very little when he is in there. It is quite sad how fast he went downhill, because it was not too long ago that he was an all-star on the Pacers. He has had the career I hoped that Kobe would have, drafted out of high school so burns out early. Oh well.

The Suns will compete, because they have a lot of solid pieces. They just don't have the firepower or the depth to really win a lot of games. I expect them to be in the late lottery once again. What they will really want to see is if Marshall can be a star, and if Beasley can fit in.

Next Up, Houston Rockets (Last non-playoff team)