The Sun Sets in Phoenix...

by TheOdenator on Apr 8, 2009 11:33 PM PDT Comment 23 comments

Tonight marks the end of an era in Phoenix. I will be honest, I followed and loved the Suns during the dark days of the Blazers franchise. When the season ended for us, I followed the Suns in their playoff run.

I loved everything about this team. The players, the style, the absolute unbridled love of the game. While many purists look to the Spurs as the team of the era, I will always have a special place in my heart for the Suns of 2003-2008. The Spurs were the defense and intensity and as different as points of the compass the Suns were the offense and joy. The black and gray of the East was highlighted and enhanced by the brash purple and orange to the West.

As Freedarko has said "they unleashed a running game on a league that was stagnated with half court offenses". It was like a mugging in a peaceful meadow, it would take the league a season to realize this team of unknowns were serious, and another yet to realize that not only were they serious; they were dangerous.

The league had grown boring, predictable even, and the Suns with D'Antoni at the helm, showed that there were other ways to win. There were entire other styles that were yet undiscovered... and they could work. While the Suns would have "problems" in the playoffs. While reaching the Western Conference Finals, and being right there several times, the Suns never got over the hump. They sure as heck deserved to, but that is its own thing.

The team that could have been, is a hack name for a great team. But they had the potential, they had the style, they just ran into the anti-suns every year. The black hole where style and substance is sucked into a wormhole of defense and rigid structure. Every year something would happen: a fluke injury to a key role player, a ridiculous 3, a completely ridiculous bet saving double technical foul. The Sun hardly notices the planets as they orbit, but these Suns should understand the profound effect they have had on this league.

While Amare will get back and the Suns will once again fight next year for the post-season, they will be one year older and will almost certainly have a different roster. I feel we should just take a moment and show some respect from onr of the great programs of the last several years, and while this style won't be marked with the lasting Monument of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, their style has changed the NBA.

Thank you Suns.

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where will steve nash go?

goodbye 7 seconds or less

Woof

by Charles Barkley McLovin on Apr 8, 2009 11:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

New York?

Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards

by 22baylor on Apr 9, 2009 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I feel the same way. Phoenix has been a lot of fun the past several years to watch, and I rooted for them every year in the playoffs.

by dario argento on Apr 8, 2009 11:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A'm'a'r'e or no A'm'a'r'e...

Phoenix is D-U-N.

They’re old and slow. They have no defenders and can’t stop anyone.

Barring a major overhaul (which I highly doubt Steve Kerr can pull off), they don’t have the horses and could be looking at a playoff drought of their own.

But I like to be here. Oh, I like it a lot! Said the Cat in the Hat. To the fish in the pot.

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Apr 8, 2009 11:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh well, at least they did the Blazers a favor with their last gasp tonight.

Hit it. Yes he did. Ohhhh yeah.

by Badalona Baddie on Apr 9, 2009 12:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

They were fun to to watch in those years

Now they have to decide if they want to make one last attempt to try and contend with the roster (which is not getting any younger and seems a bit dysfunctional), or try to move most of their assets; which brings the major follow-up question if they are confident they can keep Amare in 2010 on a rebuilding team or have to ship him along to get something out of him.

As for the coach and GM, I expect Gentry to be back next year and Kerr more likely to be gone.

by Norsktroll on Apr 9, 2009 12:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I love Kerr

but getting rid of a successful coach and implementing your own style of play with a coach you hired only to have it fail in half a season, and to add insult to injury, you have to go back to your old coaches style of play to get any results does not bode well for his job safety.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Apr 9, 2009 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read somewhere today that Shaq spent an extra day in Dallas in order to

have a little chat with Mark Cuban after their last game. Rumor has it that Shaq wants Cuban to bring him to Dallas. Apparently Cuban twittered or tweeted, whatever, about it. I can’t remember where I saw it and I don’t care enough to google it.

"Aneurysm".

When Outlaw wins a game on a last-second shot, it’s called an "annthefaneurysm". QualityPie

by annthefan on Apr 9, 2009 12:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's all over the internet tubes

Cuban isn’t commenting to avoid a fine.

This signature intentionally left blank.

by tominhawaii on Apr 9, 2009 4:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's kind of sad actually

I’m on the “Sign Shaq for a year or two so he can Mentor Oden and get one more title” Bandwagon

by cloudydays on Apr 9, 2009 12:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He makes $21 million next season

So that won’t happen in a trade. Earliest in 2010. Dallas sounds like a team that could put together the necessary pieces for a Shaq trade. Or the Cavs, but that is already a little harder (and not as necessary). The Knicks also still would have a need to get rid of some contracts for 2010, but why would the Suns be interested in taking on those when they need to rebuild and/or re-sign Amare.

by Norsktroll on Apr 9, 2009 1:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

oden will play more next year sans fouls and joel is the ideal backup

if shaq was here every media piece about the blazers would be about shaq. it wouldnt be brandon’s team, it wouldnt be aldridge’s team, it wouldnt even be nate’s.

ignacio

by ignacio on Apr 9, 2009 2:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

he would be a significant disruption in the locker room – not a good fit.

by T$ 225 on Apr 9, 2009 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uh, Shaq is too selfish to be a mentor

He is no good in the locker room

It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla

by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 9, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Only if he agrees to play for the league minimum

Otherwise, Joel is doing a fine job of teaching Oden how to defend and rebound, which is all I want from Greg.

by koyote on Apr 9, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shaq said earlier this year that he's retring when his contract is up

I have no idea whether he’ll stick to it, but that price tag following him around will make it much harder for him to play where he wants.

by Twith on Apr 9, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt Shaq will want to retire after next season

but I don’t think his ego will let him take less than a seven-figure salary.

by MiledAnimal on Apr 9, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Amare's injury will be key to the rebuild

Amare hopefully will recover but odds are not very good for detached retinas. Just read Bright side of the suns at the prospects.
http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2009/3/6/782989/how-does-amare-s-eye-injur

They may be building from the ground up with no young pieces except the lesser Lopez to try and build around. Nash, Shaq, and Hill are best served as trade chips for Phoenix.

by NWfan on Apr 9, 2009 12:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mixed emotions

I do remember admiring the way the Suns played, and I also remember being incensed when they got screwed by the league with the suspensions after Horry’s cheapshot closeline of Nash. However, now I am definately glad to see Shaq fail (although he did have a pretty good season), so us in the playoffs and Shaq out brings a smile to my face.

by socalblazer on Apr 9, 2009 11:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs