2008-2009 Phoenix Suns Team Preview & Predictions
As the 2008-2009 NBA season approaches, the Phoenix Suns have a familiar look going into a do or die year for the franchise. Having been eliminated rather quickly by San Antonio in last year's playoffs, the Suns have something to prove. Their task is going to be extremely difficult, considering how much the Hornets and Lakers have improved the past 2 yrs. If Phoenix fails to make it to the Finals (again) this season, there's virtually no shot at a title without making some big moves for next season.
Suns Coach
The Phoenix Suns welcome a new Head Coach this season in Terry Porter, a former player & coach in the NBA. Porter's strategies and game plans will be drastically different than Mike D'Antoni had in place through last season. Terry Porter is more of a defensive minded, slow-paced coach, so the run & gun Suns could be a thing of the past. Make no mistake, this team can still get up & down the court and will do so when the opportunity presents itself, but overall, they will look a lot more like a half-court team.
Suns Roster
The 2008-09 Phoenix Suns roster looks very familiar to Suns' fans, considering that the bulk of the lineup is returning from last year. The team's age is certainly has to be taken into consideration this season, but the acquisition of Matt Barnes in the off-season should help the team's athleticism and defense.
Returning Suns Players
- Steve Nash, G
- Raja Bell, G
- Grant Hill, F
- Amare Stoudemire, F
- Shaquille O'Neal, C
- Boris Diaw, F
- Leandro Barbosa, G
- Alando Tucker, F
New Players
- Robin Lopez, C (Rookie)
- Goran Dragic, G
- Sean Singletary, G
- Matt Barnes, F
- Louis Amundson, F
Suns Record & Evaluation
My prediction for the Suns is a 53-29 record, a two game downgrade from last season's 55-27 record. Assuming the team can stay healthy, they should still be right there in the playoff push, but they will not challenge for homecourt advantage - that will end up going to Utah, New Orleans, LA (Lakers) and Houston.
Within the division, the Lakers will obviously dominate unless Kobe Bryant or Andrew Bynum goes down for a significant portion of the season. The Clippers and Warriors have made a lot of personnel changes over the off-season, but the Clippers will improve the most. Golden State should stay about the same or lose a bit
Amare Stoudemire will continue his improvement on the offensive end, but will also improve his defensive statistics in Porter's new system. I expect a marginal increase in his Blocks, but a higher improvement in his Steals.
The addition of Robin Lopez via the NBA Draft and the free agent signing of Matt Barnes, I expect the Suns to have a little more energy on defense. Barnes is supposed to get the starting nod over Grant Hill, so having Bell, Barnes, Stoudemire & O'neal on the court, should allow the Suns to contain other teams a bit better than last year. Shaq & Amare still have defensive weaknesses, as does Nash, but their team defense should be improved.
I'm not sure about the defense of PG Goran Dragic or Sean Singletary, but from what I've seen so far, both players should fill in well for Nash when he's resting on the bench. I am hoping to see more minutes for Alando Tucker, but with the addition of Barnes, he could be the odd man out.
The Suns bench is probably one of the best in the NBA, considering they will have Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw and Robin Lopez subbing for the starters. The first three mentioned, could easily start on most NBA teams - Barbosa could even be the star on a 2nd level team (Bobcats, Grizzles, Kings, etc.). Starting several minutes into the 1st quarter, the Suns will be able to rotate players in throughout the game without hardly missing a beat. This will certainly be a different approach that D'Antoni's 7 to 8 man rotation that broke down each year in the playoffs.
If you have any comments or predictions of your own, be sure to leave a comment.
Here are some other Phoenix Suns previews from our fellow Suns bloggers: