more in link <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The season is not even two months old and Suns guard Steve Nash has been jostled like airplane luggage, injuring and/or aggravating his back, shoulder and elbow. He lost a chunk of his tooth last week. And like during the May playoffs, Nash gave blood Wednesday. Dallas' Erick Dampier hit Nash's chin on a fourth-quarter driving miss (with no call). Eight stitches sealed the 1/4-inch-by-1 1/2-inch gash but the Suns' wounds remain open after losing for the fourth time in six games. "It's just consistency of our effort. Same story I told you all season. No different," Nash said after the Suns lost 108-105 at Dallas, a team that has split 12 regular-season games and two playoff series with Phoenix since Nash left Texas. A win would have put the Suns atop the West, but the loss marked the fifth time in six games that they failed to reach their scoring average. A stretch of Utah, New Orleans, San Antonio and Dallas was supposed to clear up whether Phoenix deserved a thumbs-up or a shake-up. Instead, it remains murky after two Suns wins that easily could have been losses and vice-versa for the defeats. Every other game, the Suns emerged without defensive intensity. In first quarters, Dallas had 37, New Orleans had 31 and Miami had 40. Phoenix (18-8) has trailed at 11 of 26 halftimes. "It's terrible," Nash said. "There's no energy. In some ways, it's great that we play well for three quarters. In other ways, it's disappointing that we were so bad and just didn't show up in the first quarter." Once center Amaré Stoudemire struggled at both ends early, it was a bad start. It worsened without Nash. Scoring problems without Nash persist. In the 11:19 Nash sat vs. Dallas, the Suns scored 13 points (1.15 points per minute) on 40 percent shooting. In his 36:41 of floor time, Phoenix scored 92 (2.51 points per minute) on 56 percent shooting. The Suns count on forward Boris Diaw to help bridge those gaps but he was a minus-17 (Suns-Mavs point difference) in 20 minutes Wednesday. Nash, 8 of 11 in the first three quarters and 1 for 4 in the fourth, turned to setting up Stoudemire to rally Phoenix from 12 down with five minutes to go. Stoudemire, 4 for 13 from the field at that point, went 5 for 5 in the game's final 4:10. "Sometimes, it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish," Stoudemire said. "I've got to learn how to play all out for 48 minutes and just go hard the whole time in there. I was in attack mode the whole time (in the fourth quarter)." It gave Nash a chance to tie the game on a three-pointer but he said he never got his legs under him on the shot. The finish still left coach Mike D'Antoni "psyched up" about how his team battled. "I don't doubt these guys," he said. "Guys are too good not to get it together and I think we are getting it together."</div>
It's possible. But not likely unless they see something out there that can really improve the team. Or get rid of Banks and maybe Diaw. I think Nash needs to let the season play out a little more. Would he rather them use all the energy and get into a funk later on? Besides, Suns are 18-8, 2nd in the west, not 8-18. I thnk it's too much to expect, that a team can be up for every game
Yeah not like the Mavs did last year, even Terry said that I think, that they spent so much energy during the season and they didn't have any left for the playoffs. (and that was supposed to be their year)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3 @ Dec 21 2007, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Boy that 2006 off-season really hurt the Suns.</div> Yeah, Banks was Plan D basically. Thomas spurned us for the Clips, Salmons had a deal in place, then chose Raps, and then decided on the Kings. Salmons could've really been useful. Then they give Diaw the money after 1 season. D'Antoni was the GM for that.
