This long, hot summer was even longer than usual in Phoenix. For the first time since 2004 -- before Steve Nash returned to town -- the Suns missed the playoffs and the NBA season was over in mid-April. Even after a tumultuous coaching change, a style change and the loss of Amare Stoudemire for a third of the season, the Suns managed to win 46 games and come within two games of the postseason in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. But for a team used to playing deep into May and expecting to do the same, a ninth-place finish was a long free-fall. After trading for Jason Richardson and axing coach Terry Porter in favor of Alvin Gentry last spring, the Suns took two giant steps toward their 2008-09 makeover. But after dealing -- OK, selling -- Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland, the Suns had to decide whether to go for the full demolition or stick with the past.
They passed on trade offers for Stoudemire. They re-signed Grant Hill, extended Steve Nash's contract two more years and pressed the re-set button in hopes of recapturing some magic.
Channing Frye replaces O'Neal in the middle and will open up the floor for Nash to bob and weave and for Stoudemire to attack the basket. Richardson should thrive in Gentry's system and the Suns' old philosophy that the first shot is the best shot. The Suns have some help off the bench and could go 10 deep for the first time in a long time.
But the West is still loaded. The issues that hampered Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun Suns teams (defense, rebounding, toughness) still linger. And it's hard to find anyone who thinks the Suns can be any better than a seventh or eighth seed.
All of that suits the Suns just fine. After a half-century of disappointing experts who made them dark horses to win a championship, playing the underdog role sounds like a nice change.
"I feel almost better than ever about this season even though we're not being compared to the top teams in the league," Stoudemire said. "I think flying under the radar with the team that we have and the approach that we take is going to be great for us."
The Suns are thin in the paint and old on the perimeter. But they will still be ultra-potent on offense and should play at a tempo that other teams find annoying.
COACHING STAFF: Head Coach -- Alvin Gentry, 9th year overall, 2nd with Suns (195-239). Assistants -- Bill Cartwright, Igor Kokoskov, Dan Majerle and John Shumate.
LAST SEASON, REMEMBERED: 46-36 (2nd in Pacific). Finished ninth in the Western Conference, two games out of a playoff spot.
THIS SEASON, PREDICTED: 50-32 (2nd in Pacific). Ousted in first round of playoffs.
POSSIBLE CHANGES, PREDICTED: The Suns have to get some help up front, especially in the post. And we're not talking about a roster-filler or a practice body. Shaquille O'Neal is gone, Robin Lopez will miss at least the first month of the season. The rebounding and interior defense questions will haunt them all season without the problem being addressed. Channing Frye, Louis Amundson and rookie Earl Clark aren't enough to augment Amare Stoudemire, who isn't known for rebounding or defense.
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