Kori Ellis
05-06-2007, 02:52 AM
By Rasheeb Shrestha
SpursZONE.com
http://www.woai.com/content/sports/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=876f8e26-b825-4446-b76d-0e576a4d083b
Phoenix, Arizona - As I was driving home the other day, going south on the Squaw Peak Freeway with the U.S. Airways Center in my sight and the Western Conference Semifinals on my mind, a familiar (and very ironic) tune came across the radio - “….I can feel it coming in the air tonight….”
As some of you may remember, Phil Collins’ classic was used as ESPN’s theme song for the 2005 Western Conference Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs. While it may not have been an appropriate tune for that particular series, there’s no doubt it fits now.
You can definitely feel “it” in the air here in the Valley of the Sun. And that “it” is the overwhelming pressure that has been thrust upon the Suns to win their 1st NBA Championship this year.
On the surface, it seems this team is set for plenty of years at an elite level. But look a little closer, dig a little deeper. You’ll realize that this is their best chance; and maybe their last.
The One Who Got Away
There are some legitimate reasons for concern for this franchise next year and beyond: Steve Nash’s fragile back, Amare Stoudemire’s surgically repaired knees, and Shawn Marion’s perplexingly bruised ego, to name a few. If any one of these issues becomes a major factor, the Suns would be in trouble.
But you could make the argument that they’re already in trouble because perhaps their most important asset has already skipped town. Bryan Colangelo, the brilliant general manager who constructed most of the Suns’ current roster, left a little over a year ago to run the Toronto Raptors. While he quickly turned the moribund Raptors into a playoff team with a bright future, the franchise he left behind made some questionable moves in their first post-Colangelo off-season.
The Suns practically gave away their two 2006 first round draft picks, which enabled them to have the financial resources to go after the free agent whom they thought would be the final piece of the puzzle ... Marcus Banks. Need I say any more?
There is no doubt the Suns can still win the title this year, but this off-season is a critical one, as their short term and long term future will hang in the balance.
With owner Robert Sarver’s reluctance to go too far over the luxury tax, it is almost a guarantee one of their highest paid players will be traded – most likely Shawn Marion or Boris Diaw. If they fail to win it all again this year, then an even more drastic shake-up could be in order.
Yes, the Suns potentially own three first round draft picks in a deep 2007 draft (including Atlanta’s lottery pick as long as it’s not in the top 3). But more than any team in the league, the Suns’ system depends on cohesion and chemistry. There is no guarantee that anyone they bring in will fit in quickly enough to take advantage of Nash’s last few prime years.
And that’s where Colangelo’s departure hurts. There is very little doubt that had he still been here, he and his “Midas Touch” would ace the challenges of the upcoming off-season and keep the Suns at a Championship level for years. But now? It’s a crapshoot.
Good Enough to Do it Now
And maybe deep down, D’Antoni, Sarver, and the rest of the Suns’ organization know they HAVE to get it done this year. How else do you explain the Suns’ marketing slogan since training camp began? Everywhere you go here in the Valley, you see giant billboards with the Larry O’Brien trophy as a distant reflection in the eyes of one of the Suns. “Eyes on the Prize” is how the saying goes. Bold? Yes. Crazy? No.
This team has almost everything going their way right now. For the first time since Nash came back over from Dallas, the Suns are completely healthy in the playoffs. Stoudemire, if not as explosive as before, seems to be a more well-rounded player. Nash just had the best season of his career. Leandro Barbosa is simply unstoppable. The Suns’ defense has incrementally improved over the last couple seasons. And most importantly, they have the confidence, the swagger, the “look.”
To top it all off, with Golden State’s upset of Dallas, the Suns now have the home court advantage throughout the playoffs. It seems as if the stars have aligned perfectly for their date with destiny. Every single thing has gone exactly the way they would have hoped. Well, that is, every single thing except one.
Giant Hurdle Awaits
Standing in their way, as always, is the Suns’ kryptonite. They have to face the one team in the league who can nullify their strengths:
The one team who has perhaps a more dominating big man than Stoudemire
The one team who has perhaps a player who scraps and hustles more than Raja Bell
The one team who has perhaps a guard even quicker than Barbosa
The one team who has perhaps a shooter even more clutch than Nash
And of course, the one team that can control the tempo and eliminate the Suns’ advantage from beyond the arc
No one said it was going to be easy. Everyone in Purple and Orange is well aware they have won only four of their last 21 games against the San Antonio Spurs. That’s why the Suns’ front office, after their loss in the 2005 WCF, made it a point to target players specifically aimed at overcoming the Spurs.
But while the Suns spent the past few days stressing to the media about how much they’ve improved since 2005, the Denver Nuggets spent the past few weeks doing the same. Yes the Nuggets had improved, but they still lost to San Antonio in 5 games -- just like in ’05. Doesn’t that mean the Spurs have improved since then, too?
The Suns sure hope not. They see an aging team that may have stayed together just a tad bit too long. They know the Spurs will go into this off-season with many assets (expiring contracts, draft picks overseas, and cap flexibility) to make them younger and more athletic next year. Their front office has proven they can remake their team on the fly. So the Suns know that if ever there was a time to beat these Spurs, it’s right here, right now.
The Toast of the Town
Traveling around town, you get a sense that the loyal Suns fans feel the same way. They have been teased one too many times, as their 39 years without a title is the league’s longest drought for a city. They’re not quite the Chicago Cubs of the NBA, but maybe they’re the equivalent of the Buffalo Bills: so close, yet so far.
And make no mistake, this is a Suns town, true and through. The Arizona Cardinals may be the worst franchise in pro sports. The Phoenix Coyotes have yet to capture enough of the residents’ imagination. And the Arizona Diamondbacks, though they have the city’s only professional Championship, still have to share the Valley’s fans with old school teams like the Cubs, L.A. Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. When those three teams are winning, Phoenix stands up and pays attention. But this city lives and dies with their beloved Suns.
That’s why this upcoming series is as anticipated as any in recent memory in these parts. Win, and the path to the NBA Finals becomes as clear as the Phoenix sky on a summer day. But lose, and the heartbreak may be too much to take.
The Phoenix Suns and their loyal fans definitely have their “Eyes on the Prize.” The question is, whether or not the San Antonio Spurs will let them place their hands on it.
In the Valley of the Sun, Sunday can’t get here soon enough.
SpursZONE.com
http://www.woai.com/content/sports/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=876f8e26-b825-4446-b76d-0e576a4d083b
Phoenix, Arizona - As I was driving home the other day, going south on the Squaw Peak Freeway with the U.S. Airways Center in my sight and the Western Conference Semifinals on my mind, a familiar (and very ironic) tune came across the radio - “….I can feel it coming in the air tonight….”
As some of you may remember, Phil Collins’ classic was used as ESPN’s theme song for the 2005 Western Conference Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs. While it may not have been an appropriate tune for that particular series, there’s no doubt it fits now.
You can definitely feel “it” in the air here in the Valley of the Sun. And that “it” is the overwhelming pressure that has been thrust upon the Suns to win their 1st NBA Championship this year.
On the surface, it seems this team is set for plenty of years at an elite level. But look a little closer, dig a little deeper. You’ll realize that this is their best chance; and maybe their last.
The One Who Got Away
There are some legitimate reasons for concern for this franchise next year and beyond: Steve Nash’s fragile back, Amare Stoudemire’s surgically repaired knees, and Shawn Marion’s perplexingly bruised ego, to name a few. If any one of these issues becomes a major factor, the Suns would be in trouble.
But you could make the argument that they’re already in trouble because perhaps their most important asset has already skipped town. Bryan Colangelo, the brilliant general manager who constructed most of the Suns’ current roster, left a little over a year ago to run the Toronto Raptors. While he quickly turned the moribund Raptors into a playoff team with a bright future, the franchise he left behind made some questionable moves in their first post-Colangelo off-season.
The Suns practically gave away their two 2006 first round draft picks, which enabled them to have the financial resources to go after the free agent whom they thought would be the final piece of the puzzle ... Marcus Banks. Need I say any more?
There is no doubt the Suns can still win the title this year, but this off-season is a critical one, as their short term and long term future will hang in the balance.
With owner Robert Sarver’s reluctance to go too far over the luxury tax, it is almost a guarantee one of their highest paid players will be traded – most likely Shawn Marion or Boris Diaw. If they fail to win it all again this year, then an even more drastic shake-up could be in order.
Yes, the Suns potentially own three first round draft picks in a deep 2007 draft (including Atlanta’s lottery pick as long as it’s not in the top 3). But more than any team in the league, the Suns’ system depends on cohesion and chemistry. There is no guarantee that anyone they bring in will fit in quickly enough to take advantage of Nash’s last few prime years.
And that’s where Colangelo’s departure hurts. There is very little doubt that had he still been here, he and his “Midas Touch” would ace the challenges of the upcoming off-season and keep the Suns at a Championship level for years. But now? It’s a crapshoot.
Good Enough to Do it Now
And maybe deep down, D’Antoni, Sarver, and the rest of the Suns’ organization know they HAVE to get it done this year. How else do you explain the Suns’ marketing slogan since training camp began? Everywhere you go here in the Valley, you see giant billboards with the Larry O’Brien trophy as a distant reflection in the eyes of one of the Suns. “Eyes on the Prize” is how the saying goes. Bold? Yes. Crazy? No.
This team has almost everything going their way right now. For the first time since Nash came back over from Dallas, the Suns are completely healthy in the playoffs. Stoudemire, if not as explosive as before, seems to be a more well-rounded player. Nash just had the best season of his career. Leandro Barbosa is simply unstoppable. The Suns’ defense has incrementally improved over the last couple seasons. And most importantly, they have the confidence, the swagger, the “look.”
To top it all off, with Golden State’s upset of Dallas, the Suns now have the home court advantage throughout the playoffs. It seems as if the stars have aligned perfectly for their date with destiny. Every single thing has gone exactly the way they would have hoped. Well, that is, every single thing except one.
Giant Hurdle Awaits
Standing in their way, as always, is the Suns’ kryptonite. They have to face the one team in the league who can nullify their strengths:
The one team who has perhaps a more dominating big man than Stoudemire
The one team who has perhaps a player who scraps and hustles more than Raja Bell
The one team who has perhaps a guard even quicker than Barbosa
The one team who has perhaps a shooter even more clutch than Nash
And of course, the one team that can control the tempo and eliminate the Suns’ advantage from beyond the arc
No one said it was going to be easy. Everyone in Purple and Orange is well aware they have won only four of their last 21 games against the San Antonio Spurs. That’s why the Suns’ front office, after their loss in the 2005 WCF, made it a point to target players specifically aimed at overcoming the Spurs.
But while the Suns spent the past few days stressing to the media about how much they’ve improved since 2005, the Denver Nuggets spent the past few weeks doing the same. Yes the Nuggets had improved, but they still lost to San Antonio in 5 games -- just like in ’05. Doesn’t that mean the Spurs have improved since then, too?
The Suns sure hope not. They see an aging team that may have stayed together just a tad bit too long. They know the Spurs will go into this off-season with many assets (expiring contracts, draft picks overseas, and cap flexibility) to make them younger and more athletic next year. Their front office has proven they can remake their team on the fly. So the Suns know that if ever there was a time to beat these Spurs, it’s right here, right now.
The Toast of the Town
Traveling around town, you get a sense that the loyal Suns fans feel the same way. They have been teased one too many times, as their 39 years without a title is the league’s longest drought for a city. They’re not quite the Chicago Cubs of the NBA, but maybe they’re the equivalent of the Buffalo Bills: so close, yet so far.
And make no mistake, this is a Suns town, true and through. The Arizona Cardinals may be the worst franchise in pro sports. The Phoenix Coyotes have yet to capture enough of the residents’ imagination. And the Arizona Diamondbacks, though they have the city’s only professional Championship, still have to share the Valley’s fans with old school teams like the Cubs, L.A. Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. When those three teams are winning, Phoenix stands up and pays attention. But this city lives and dies with their beloved Suns.
That’s why this upcoming series is as anticipated as any in recent memory in these parts. Win, and the path to the NBA Finals becomes as clear as the Phoenix sky on a summer day. But lose, and the heartbreak may be too much to take.
The Phoenix Suns and their loyal fans definitely have their “Eyes on the Prize.” The question is, whether or not the San Antonio Spurs will let them place their hands on it.
In the Valley of the Sun, Sunday can’t get here soon enough.