# Five Teams That Aren't As Good As They Seem: #4 Phoenix



## Ben (Nov 7, 2006)

> 5. Oklahoma City: Could be wrong about a team that has already beaten the Spurs and Magic. Kevin Durant is obviously the real deal, Jeff Green is shaping up nicely in a Scottie Pippen role and if Russell Westbrook trims his turnovers, look out. Still, it's hard to imagine OKC improving by so much so soon. Are they really poised to crack 40 wins? And press for a playoff role? That's what they're on pace to do.
> 
> *4. Phoenix: This is no reflection on Alvin Gentry, a player's coach. Or Nash. Or Amare. Or even Channing Frye, an early season revelation. And yes, the Suns did well on their Eastern trip, winning four of five. But they can't keep making half their shots, can they? The ball's gotta stop falling at some point. The Suns deserve all the applause they're getting, and yet there's the nagging suspicion that this is the best Phoenix can play.*
> 
> ...


http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/shaun_powell/11/24/false.starts/index.html


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Someone should tell him the Suns shot exactly 50% as a team last 2 yrs. No rounding. 49% or better since 2006. And if that's a reason why they're not as good as they seem, he should come up with a better argument than that.


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## shoop da whoop (Jul 6, 2006)

Organized Chaos said:


> Someone should tell him the Suns shot exactly 50% as a team last 2 yrs. No rounding. 49% or better since 2006. And if that's a reason why they're not as good as they seem, he should come up with a better argument than that.


lol owned.


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## Seuss (Aug 19, 2005)

People quickly forget about the 04/05 Suns. That played with a 7 man rotation and no defense, that won 62 games. 

This Suns team is only going to get better imo


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## MeirToTheWise (Nov 9, 2005)

I remember reading this and was like "what an idiot..." Diss hit it on the head. The Suns have always been able to shoot at a nice percentage. Sure there are some nights they're off, but more often than not, they'll make teams pay for leaving the shooters open. I don't think the author understands how many good looks Nash gives the shooters on this team.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

I actually emailed him since I took the time to type it here and his addy was above the article. Just copy/pasted but started off with how he should have done a little research. Probably came off as a dick. But he responded




> Suns have changed personnel somewhat over the years, so it's surprising they're still hitting shots. Anyway, thanks for writing, check back oftn, and have a great holiday.
> 
> shaun


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## bircan (Jul 17, 2005)

Interesting. Changed personnel? Well, sure... But this team still has many shooters (or enough shooters who can score 3pters). I would have thought age was a major disadvantage for the Suns, since Nash is 4 years older and Amare 4 years older but gone through a few knee and eye operations. If Suns can out-muscle opponents defense with their offense, then it gives us a good shot like in previous campaigns.

How does Amare look at this stage? Is he close to the old Amare or is he somewhat trying to adapt and become smarter because of injury fears?


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## Zei_Zao_LS (Apr 1, 2005)

bircan said:


> Interesting. Changed personnel? Well, sure... But this team still has many shooters (or enough shooters who can score 3pters). I would have thought age was a major disadvantage for the Suns, since Nash is 4 years older and Amare 4 years older but gone through a few knee and eye operations. If Suns can out-muscle opponents defense with their offense, then it gives us a good shot like in previous campaigns.
> 
> How does Amare look at this stage? Is he close to the old Amare or is he somewhat trying to adapt and become smarter because of injury fears?



Amare can be roughly as explosive, athletically speaking, in small bursts as he was even back in 04-05. The problem is that he's not in good condition at the moment, so occasionally you see someone throw him an oop and instead of cramming it down, he grabs it, comes down with it, gets assailed by the defense, *then* makes a bucket.

All in all, with how pure his jumper has become, and with a serious improvement on defense (which is true, he indeed has improved a lot), he has become a more well rounded player for sure. I'm sure once he's back to 100% he'll have the majority of his explosiveness also.


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