COACH: Mike D'Antoni | 2005-06: 54-28
Phoenix SunsNBA TV Preview
In 2004-05, the Suns were the surprise of the league, improving from 29 wins to 62 after signing Steve Nash to quarterback a relentess running game. In ’05-06, even though they fell from 62 wins to 54, Phoenix was again a major surprise, mainly because they were able to overcome the knee injuries which limited All-Star big man Amaré Stoudemire to three games, and return to the Western Conference Finals.
Certainly, Phoenix could put together another season of successful, fast-breaking basketball even if Stoudemire – who will return to the Suns’ lineup after averaging 20.7 points in three summer-league games, and also working out with Team USA at its Las Vegas training camp - is not yet ready to play at 100% of his past form.
But make no mistake about it, any championship aspirations in the Valley of the Sun are thoroughly dependent on the return of explosiveness and full health to the young forward-center, who will turn 24 on Nov. 16.
Managing Stoudemire’s comeback might be the trickiest part of Head Coach/General Manager Mike D’Antoni ’s job, as he indicated to the Arizona Republic: “We can win 55-60 games if he can't go at all. The hard thing is, what if he comes back somewhere in between? If he's struggling, we can have some hard patches. That can wreck a team."
Fortunately for D’Antoni, he should be able to avert any wrecks because Nash, the two-time NBA MVP, is the captain of his ship. The Canadian point guard lifted his scoring average from 15.5 to 18.8 in ’05-06 to compensate for Stoudemire’s absence, while again leading the league in assists (10.5) as he directed Phoenix to a league-leading 108.4 points per game.
Amazingly, though Nash was the league MVP, it was a teammate, Shawn Marion, who led the Suns in points, rebounds, steals and blocks! One of only three players to average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds last season (Kevin Garnett and Elton Brand were the others), Marion is the team’s most versatile defender and should continue to produce with quiet consistency.
After roster overhauls each of the past two offseasons, Phoenix largely stood pat this summer. Tim Thomas – who gave the injury-riddled Suns a huge lift down the stretch after joining the team on March 3 – signed with the Clippers, while Eddie House took his instant offense to New Jersey. In their places, the Suns signed two athletic players, Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones, who could flourish in D’Antoni’s running game.
Phoenix returns the international trio whose emergence last season was vital to the team’s continued success: versatile Frenchman Boris Diaw, who was the NBA’s Most Improved Player after averaging 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists; the “Brazilian Blur”, Leandro Barbosa, who sped his way to a 13-point average in just 28 minutes per game; and Raja Bell (Virgin Islands), who brought a much-needed dose of rugged defense, plus an unexpected boost of 14.7 ppg.
Also back are mad bomber James Jones and Kurt Thomas, whose interior defense was sorely missed after he went down with a broken foot.
-- Mark Haubner
FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2007
Being Marcus BanksSo Amare suggests the motto for the 2007-08 season should be 'Revenge.' To regroup, run through the league and topple the Spurs- the Suns have to get better. The effort may or may not include Kevin Garnett but as the summer moves on I'm going to write about Suns who are likely returning next season.
We start with Marcus Banks. Last year's offseason was a bust. The team traded away their draft picks. No free agent signing played a significant role for the team. The worst signing of the bunch seems to have been Marcus Banks. When he was signed to a five-year $21 million contract last year, here's what the Republic had to say:
'Banks' arrival provides backcourt relief and defensive pressure. Banks said he has the speed to defend 94 feet, pestering ballhandlers enough to disrupt an opponent's offense. Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said a Minnesota assistant coach told the Suns: "We know you think Leandro (Barbosa) is the quickest player in the NBA, but I'm going to tell you, we think Marcus is faster."'
This season Banks played in 45 games and a lot of those minutes were mop up time in blowouts. There were stretches during the season where he was inactive and wasn't even behind the bench with other highly paid spectators. Banks averaged 4.9 points, 1.3 assists, and shot 43% from the field and 17% from distance- in 11 minutes.
The numbers aren't great but watching him play was another thing. Banks at no point seemed to have a place with this team. In the dramatic win at Chicago, he was used to pester Ben Gordon (who had 41 pts that night) in a second half stint. It was assumed he'd be used like that all season but the team didn't reveal a commitment to defense until the San Antonio series.
So how can Marcus Banks improve this summer. It was proposed that he participate in the Suns summer league. Banks is considering it but he's also a fourth year pro. What can be accomplished by running with rookies and free agents? Gaining some confidence from the coaching staff might be one thing.
Another idea is working on his jumpshot. The Suns roster is currently loaded with shooters and if Banks wants to emulate Nash- he's gotta be money when left open. Banks is not a shooter and he showed very questionable shot selection in games when he got significant minutes. He showed some ability to get to the rim and he's built like a brick. Banks doesn't necessarily need three point range, a reliable midrange jumper would be good too. His quickness combined with a jumper would make him a better player and a weapon when combined with Leandro Barbosa.
The key element is desire. Marcus Banks has gotten big minutes on bad teams and was the forgotten man on a good team. How will he bounce back when he was panned as the worst free agent signing of 2006-07 and nearly everyone would like to see him leave town. The guy made an effort to be part of the Phoenix community and playing with Nash is very important to him. Will Banks put in the work to improve? Will he have that extra fire to give himself and the team a competitive edge?
Banks' contract is pretty much untradable so I think that he's at a professional crossroads. He has to produce to earn his contract, earn his spot on this team or showcase his talent for a trade. It's all on Marcus. Revenge for him would be shutting up the critics and showing this organization he belongs.
Labels: Marcus Banks, Phoenix Suns
