Last October I was ridiculed for predicting a conference finals berth for the Phoenix Suns.
'Nuff said.
Amar'e Stoudemire subsequently left for greener, if less successful, pastures. The Suns filled in the gaps with Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress (with Leandro Barbosa being jettisoned to snag Turkoglu).
The Suns are now ten-deep. They're a roster with nary a player the other team can say, "We can cheat off him." Steve Nash refuses to age.
And ESPN is picking them ninth out west for next season?
Here's the (recurring) thing Suns' critics forget: Phoenix's sum is better than its parts. It's the Nash Effect. It's the reason a team with guys like Channing Frye, Lou Amundson, Jared Dudley and Robin Lopez as rotation players made the conference finals.
Only Amundson was remotely respected going into last season. Frye had been buried on the Portland bench. Dudley was a "throw-in" in the Boris Diaw-for-Jason Richardson trade. Lopez was viewed as a white stiff of a wasted draft pick.
It's important to remember those same castoffs and rejects are now lauded and praised. That transition from d ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Matt Petersen
Lesson Unlearned: Phoenix Suns Projected To Underwhelm
September 1st, 2010 by Matt Petersen Leave a reply »
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