<font color="Orange"><font size="5">Phoenix Suns-Season Preview</font></font>-by Silky Smooth [IMGl]http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nba/med/trans/pho.gif[/IMGl][imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/allstar2003/amare_030208.jpg[/imgr] The Suns had a pretty big offseason this year,after their dissapointing season the PHX GM did a very good job by adding players and not losing any players to help the Suns for the upcoming 04-05 season. I am going to start with their offseason,they tried to save cap space throughout the year to attempt to sign Kobe Bryant in the offseason,when he stated that he wouldnt come to the Suns,the Suns had lots of extra money and added two great players and more to their roster. [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/act_steve_nash.jpg[/imgl]<u>Key Additions</u> Steve Nash-This was deffiantly a huge signing for the Suns with them after trading Marbury in the begining of the season,it was really smart for them to go after a veteran PG who can still be an all star,but will lead this team under his expierence. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/act_quentin_richardson.jpg[/imgr] Quentin Richardson-Another great signing,also a suprise that the Clippers didnt match the Suns offer to Q after failing to land Kobe.This gives the Suns another scorer in their lineup but Q is also a good rebounding guard.This signing also raises questions about what the role JJ will now have.Even though he isnt the best defender,Richardson will bring plenty of scoring and rebounding to the table. Steven HunterThis guy had some issues with the Magic and was traded to the Cavs then waived by the Cavs,well the Suns in need for a center signed him off waivers,I think this was a ok move,but signing him is risky,if he gets his mind right he could be a solid center for the Suns.We'll have to wait and see how much confidence and motivation he will have to suceed. <u>Key Losses</u>-The Suns didnt lose any key players this offseason as of yet,but thye will probally lose FA center Keon Clark,i dont think are going to re-sign him,but they should he is deffiantly a positive addition to any team and could give the Suns more help at center. <u>2004-2005 Projected Roster.</u> Point Guard:Steve Nash/Leandro Barbosa/Howard Eisley Shooting Guard:Quentin Richardson/Casey Jacobsen/Yuta Tabuse Small Foward:Shawn Marion/Joe Johnson Power Foward:Amare Stoudemire/Jackson Vroman/Maciej Lampe Center:Jake Voskul/Steven Hunter/Zarko Cabarkapa <u>Roster Breakdown</u> <font color="DarkOrange">Starters</font> Point Guard: Steve Nash Expectations-Steve Nash should make a perfect fit to this team,he is a veteran player and could lead this team and set a good example to the young players.Nash is a PG who can can score but is very unselfish,he will also help the Suns with perimeter shooting and defense.It will be very important for Nash to stay healthy,if he gets an injury this team would be in trouble because Barbosa isnt ready to run the team yet.So if Nash got hurt this team could fall apart,similar to what happened last year after Marbury was traded.Predicted stat line:14.2ppg,9.2apg,3.4rpg 35mpg. Shooting Guard: Quentin Richardson Expectations-Q Rich will bring more athletic talent to the Suns,this guy is going to be a star in the near future,and he gives the Suns another big scoring threat and also rebounds well for a guard,his defense seems inconsistant but he can improve it with hustle and hardwork.Another thing is he needs to improve his FG% and shot selction,he should also work on his perimeter shooting because the Suns dont have many three point threats.Predicted stat line:16.7ppg,6.1rpg,3.4apg,37mpg. Small Foward: Shawn Marion ExpectationsEven though he has appeared in trade rumors,I have pretty big expectations for Shawn Marion,he has been the teams best player for a long time and is also the leader of the Suns,with the additions of Nash and Richardson his stats may slightly decrease but I expect him to be an all star this year.Steve Nash and Marion are the leaders of this team,Marions game may decrease stat wise,but he will become a smarter player and a team leader in the next few seasons.Predicted stat line:18.6ppg,8.5rpg,3,2apg,38.6mpg. Power Foward: Amare Stoudemire Expectations-I expect Amare to blossum this season,he is the Suns franchise imo,and I bealive he should get the most shots each game,pretty soon he will start making all star games.He may have to carry the load in the front court because of the Suns lack of a C to compliment Amare,so that mean he will be guarding the best bigman almost every nite.So Amare should be buffing up and getting ready because it looks like the Suns may not be getting a solid C for a while.Predicted stat line:22.2ppg,8.8rpg,2.1,38.7mpg. Center: expectations-I dont really have any big expectations for Jake Voshkul,he is probally the best bet at c and should at least give you solid rpg and have a big body in the paint.Predicted stat line:3.2ppg.5.6rpg,.9apg. <font color="DarkOrange">The Core Bench</font> Leandro Barbosa-Well be a nice energy player to have off the bench,he will be able to play big minutes for them if Nash needs rest.Barbosa is also a good three point threat off the bench and is a great shooter and slasher.Nash will be able to teach him some things about the game and running the point,and this will help Barbosa be a better PG in the long run.Precited stat line:5.7ppg,2.4apg,1.3rpg,15mpg. Joe Johnson-Its tough to put JJ on the bench,most people say he doesnt play well coming off the bench but maybe he could adjust to it,if not it is likely he will be traded for a solid C.I bealive he could play off the bench though, but another question is what player would he be replacing when coming of the bench,and is that player willing to share a lot of his minutes with JJ?Predicted stat line:10ppg,4rpg,2apg,24mpg. Steven Hunter-Even though he doesnt exactly fit the needs for the Suns at C,he could be a solid player for the Suns, and is a young body that will bring energy and rebounding to the game,he should also get some blocks when he plays.Amare couldPrecited stat line:4.1ppg,3.4rpg,1.2bpg,20mpg. Casy Jacobsen-Well be a player that can come in and score some inside as well as grab some rebounds.Predicted stat line:5.2ppg,4rpg,15mpg. The Coach: Mike D'Antoni <u>Predictions For the 04-05 Season.</u> The Suns have had a pretty big offseaon,the sigings of Q and Nash should help this team a lot,the Suns are in a tough confrence but I think they will be able to compete for the last playoff spots in the West,they might have 1 or 2 all stars or they might have none,but all 5 starters should have big years if they stay healthy,some more changes will likely be made also,the Suns are still looking for a center who can start for them and trading JJ seems very likely right now. If the Suns were to make the playoffs they could make the 2nd round but I dont see them going any deeper then that.Suns fans should be happy though because this team will be a solid team for years to come. <u>Questions that the Suns need to answer.</u> Most people know the Suns biggest weakness,that is the Center position of course.The Suns do not really have a solid C on their roster at this point,and I dont think they will be able to do much damage without a center in the end.So what will the Suns do with their problem at C? Out of the Suns projected roster,four of the starters are pretty good scorers,my question is how will the Suns chemistry work?Amare,Marion,and Q will all expect to get their shots but it may be different now that the Suns have a biger selection of scorers.So the question is are the Suns players like Amare,Marion and Q willing to sacrifice their shots for their team mates? Was bringing in former Clipper Quentin Richardson a good idea?We all know that Suns SG Joe Johnson had a tremendous year at the Suns starting SG.The question is why did the Suns sign Q,when they already had a player just as good if not better in JJ?The Suns could have saved their money on another FA that will be on the market next year(like a center!).Maybe the Suns had a trade idea for Q or JJ and it didnt work out or something,who knows.But the Suns may have problems with egos this year having 2 good SG's sharing minutes. <font color="Orange">The Teams Biggest Strength:</font>Offense Steve Nash,Quentin Richardson,Shawn Marion,and Amare Stoudemire,are all very good scorers.Not to mention they have a bench who are not bad scorers as well,players like Joe Johnson and Leanardo Barbosa are good players who could score coming off the bench.They Suns are not a bad shooting team either,they have a few three point threats in Nash,Barbosa,Marion and JJ can all shoot from outside.
Decent preview, but some things: I think Marion's RPG will stay at 9+, and he will likely be playing 40+ MPG Like jdub said, Joe Johnson will be starting, so I think the numbers will be: Joe Johnson: 15.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 35.1 MPG Quentin Richardson: 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 asssits, 27.1 MPG Also I think a question that needs to be answered is the teams defense, how will the defense cope. Joe Johnson, Barbosa and Marion are good defenders, but apart from them no one else is really a good defender. Amare's defense isn't good right now, Nash is not really known for his defense, he's just medoicre, and Q-Rich is a bad defender. These guys will ahve to take their defense to another level for the team to truly be suceesful, but for now it's all up to offense really.
Yeah,I was assuming that Q-Rich would be starting,my bad on that. Defense could be a problem right now,I bealive if the young plauyers just keep a good work ethic,their defense will improve eventually,
