<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Bulls face a test from one of the best of the West when the Phoenix Suns visit the United Center tonight. The Suns (21-8) lead the Pacific Division and are 11-1 against Eastern Conference teams. Phoenix is 9-5 on the road and averages an NBA-best 111.1 points. ''They're a very efficient offensive team,'' Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. ''You know going into the game, you're going to give up some points. You're not going to shut them down. You can't get discouraged by that. They can demoralize you sometimes with their ability.'' Particularly point guard Steve Nash, the two-time league MVP who is averaging 20.6 points and 11.3 assists. ''Nash is the system,'' Skiles said. ''I don't mean to shortchange anybody else, but he's the best basketball player on the face of the earth, in my opinion. I don't think it's even close. ''He can shoot the ball. He can go right or left. He can finish right or left. He has a middle game. He has the best vision in the league. He's probably the best-conditioned player in the league. People may say he's not athletic. What they should say is he's not a great leaper. But everything else athletically he does well. He moves well laterally. He's fast. He has great hand-eye coordination. He pivots on either foot. He has no real offensive weakness. And he is responsible for a style of play. Not many guys are that good. ''He's really worked on his game. His game was always good, but he's taken it to another level. He has great command out there. He's a very difficult player to deal with.'' Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich did not practice Monday. Skiles said Hinrich's strained left groin was better than it was Saturday, when he sat out the victory over Cleveland. ''I don't know if I'd call him doubtful,'' Skiles said. ''More treatment, and we'll see what he's like in the morning. He'll run around a bit, and we'll see what he can do. He got on the bike today. He's closer.''</div> Read more... We are 12-4 at home thus far in the season, we have done a good job establishing home court advantage. This will be a good measuring stick to see just where we stand among the NBA's elite.
You are right about this being a good measuring stick. The East and the West is similar to the NFC vs AFC in the NFL this year. The East is a joke outside of a few teams and this game will see where we stand. And also this is definitely a game where we must be on our game or we will get destroyed.
