<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Mike D'Antoni knows how this might look. The prized general manager is gone, the defensive-minded center is out, the star point guard has hamstring trouble and the franchise power forward can't begin his next rehabilitation step because the blasted team can't put 10 healthy players in high-tops. But the Suns coach insists the recent developments have done nothing to alter the team's overall goal, which is to win the Pacific Division and make a powerful playoff push. "The sky is not falling," D'Antoni said after Tuesday's practice. Steve Nash and his hamstring are better, he said. Nash finished strongly Monday against Houston, collecting 23 points and 10 assists, boosting the Suns to their seventh straight win. "Kurt (Thomas' injury) is a setback, there's no doubt about that," D'Antoni continued. "But (the return of) Brian Grant and Amar? (Stoudemire) should be around the corner, (and) we have plenty of guys playing well." Thomas, who could miss the rest of the regular season, watched practice from the stands, his injured right foot in a cast. Nikoloz Tskitishvili sat next to him, his sprained right ankle in a brace. On the floor, rookie Dijon Thompson (right knee) pedaled on a stationary bike, while the rest of the Suns - Stoudemire and Grant included - worked through shooting and non-contact drills. (Later, Stoudemire advanced to two-on-two action, which tested his conditioning. He said he probably needs another week to return to basketball shape.) Meanwhile, some of the organization's top brass was on hand to watch. Managing Partner Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr an investor and consultant, sat behind Thomas in the bleachers, both rare visitors to the practice court. Kerr said he was there for support, declining to discuss Bryan Colangelo's resignation as general manager. Sarver said he still hasn't thought much about Colangelo's replacement, preferring to split responsibilities between D'Antoni and assistant general managers Mark West and David Griffin. During the 1997-98 season, D'Antoni served as Denver's director of player personnel but he didn't seem excited about taking over Colangelo's chores on a permanent basis. "I don't know," he said. "There are things we'll figure out in the next week, but I don't think so. We'll see how it does. We have a great nucleus here. And we'll get the job done."</div> Source
