20 reasons the Suns will flame out

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They remain right there at the top of the Western Conference because so many opponents simply can't deal with their skill, but everything behind the scenes feels wrong for the Phoenix Suns.

Here are the top 20 reasons the Suns, for all their talent and experience, won't win the West this season:

1. They can't play the Clippers every night. (Tonight at Staples Center is the Suns' last gimme after three boosts from the Clippers already, and the Clips might even win this one considering how disjointed the Suns are right now.)

2. They are the worst rebounding team in the NBA. The worst.

3. Lead assistant coach Marc Iavaroni left to become head coach in Memphis. Iavaroni was the main pipeline into immature Amare Stoudemire, who crazily believes this should now be his team.

4. Coach Mike D'Antoni lacks the strong personality this team has grown to need: He took the easy way out and set the wrong tone for the season by giving Stoudemire a third slice of Steve Nash's and Shawn Marion's captaincy.

5. Nash's new "got milk?" print ad has him soaring through the air in a way that is all wrong. He looks like a ballboy using a trampoline so he can dunk.

6. The Suns are 1-6 against the other West teams currently slotted for the playoffs - and the one victory came when San Antonio was missing Tony Parker.

7. Owner Robert Sarver's bizarre approach - come in and cut payroll right away to pre-empt winning a championship that would establish personal credibility - has left them now sorely lacking depth. Athletic Joe Johnson is, in fact, just what this team needs, and even James Jones (leading the NBA in 3-point shooting for Portland) would be key.

8. Boris Diaw, acquired for Johnson, has seen his stats disappear and his waistline expand since getting his five-year, $45 million contract extension before last season. The Suns' best course of action now would be to put some French pastries on top of Diaw's contract and hope he cleans his plate, thus invalidating the horrible deal.

9. Nash's health, with chronic back problems, is an increasing concern. He turns 34 on Feb. 7. Such a marvel for three years in Phoenix, Nash could soon begin the sudden decline that Dallas' Mark Cuban expected much sooner.

10. Stoudemire already twice has called out teammates after losses in which he didn't get the ball enough - totally oblivious to his part in Phoenix giving up 122 and 118 points in those losses (Dec. 25 vs. Lakers, Jan. 5 vs. Hornets). Captain Stoudemire proceeded to skip practice the day after that loss to New Orleans.

11. Stoudemire didn't have to say he missed practice because his dog ate his playbook because D'Antoni doesn't even have a playbook: All he runs is the pick-and-roll, which continues to be a problem in the playoffs when your opponents can prepare properly for your pet plays.

12. With no hair on his head yet a huge dangling orange goatee, Brian Skinner looks frighteningly like an upside-down Carrot Top.

13. Both the father (Jerry Colangelo) and the son (Bryan) who built this have been pushed out by Sarver. New General Manager Steve Kerr is smart - smart enough to say: "In many ways, the league has adapted to us and our style."

14. Very much in Phoenix style, the Lakers have adapted with their effective pre-triangle-offense secondary fast break and are now quite good. Dallas is getting very good again. San Antonio is still really, really good.

15. Nash can't defend. The Suns are putting Marion on more and more opposing point guards these days.

16. That's tough duty for Marion, but he's even crazier than Stoudemire in thinking this should be his team. You might've missed that Marion requested a trade; the only way the world would've taken notice at the time is if Kobe Bryant had announced it for him. But Marion is making $16.4 million - $5 million more than Nash - even though Marion can't even create a shot. How about some appreciation for what you have instead of what you don't?

17. Little Leandro Barbosa is averaging 14 shots per game … the same as Stoudemire. See Amare's beef?

18. Grant Hill managed 34 consecutive starts before an appendectomy Wednesday knocked him out for 2-3 weeks, but don't be fooled. Many a time this season Hill's five-surgery ankle has been so temperamental that he thought about not playing. Beware.

19. Stoudemire is 24 and Kevin Garnett is 31. But by doing that deal and getting the defense and teamwork Garnett has brought to Boston, the Suns would've been a lock.

20. "You can't win at this level," Nash said, "if you don't have great chemistry and you don't pull for each other and if you're worried about your shots or worried about yourself or making excuses or pointing fingers at other players. That's for losers. We've been a winning ballclub here and if we want to take that next step that (chemistry) has to be a big part of our character."

Contact the writer: kding@ocregister.com

Link: http://www.ocregister.com/sports/suns-stoudemire-nash-1959287-marion-team

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This is going to be funny seeing Zodogg try and defend his team
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Heck the guy isnt smart enough to come up with 20 comebacks.

All I have to say is that these aren't lies and this wasnt made up.These are all facts.


Edit: Warned - personal attack and search tag abuse.
 
2. They are the worst rebounding team in the NBA. The worst.
True

4. Coach Mike D'Antoni lacks the strong personality this team has grown to need: He took the easy way out and set the wrong tone for the season by giving Stoudemire a third slice of Steve Nash's and Shawn Marion's captaincy.
True

6. The Suns are 1-6 against the other West teams currently slotted for the playoffs - and the one victory came when San Antonio was missing Tony Parker
Yikes

8. Boris Diaw, acquired for Johnson, has seen his stats disappear and his waistline expand since getting his five-year, $45 million contract extension before last season. The Suns' best course of action now would be to put some French pastries on top of Diaw's contract and hope he cleans his plate, thus invalidating the horrible deal
Diaw has been playing like crap ever since he got that deal, it's disgusting
9. Nash's health, with chronic back problems, is an increasing concern. He turns 34 on Feb. 7. Such a marvel for three years in Phoenix, Nash could soon begin the sudden decline that Dallas' Mark Cuban expected much sooner.
I am pretty sure Nash will retire when his contract is up(next year?)


10. Stoudemire already twice has called out teammates after losses in which he didn't get the ball enough - totally oblivious to his part in Phoenix giving up 122 and 118 points in those losses (Dec. 25 vs. Lakers, Jan. 5 vs. Hornets). Captain Stoudemire proceeded to skip practice the day after that loss to New Orleans.

11. Stoudemire didn't have to say he missed practice because his dog ate his playbook because D'Antoni doesn't even have a playbook: All he runs is the pick-and-roll, which continues to be a problem in the playoffs when your opponents can prepare properly for your pet plays.


That trade for KG would have got them the chip, I am sure of it

And finally,
14. Very much in Phoenix style, the Lakers have adapted with their effective pre-triangle-offense secondary fast break and are now quite good.
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20. "You can't win at this level," Nash said, "if you don't have great chemistry and you don't pull for each other and if you're worried about your shots or worried about yourself or making excuses or pointing fingers at other players. That's for losers. We've been a winning ballclub here and if we want to take that next step that (chemistry) has to be a big part of our character."
Marion won't be back next year



In all honesty, they still have the 2nd best record in the West(partly because of their cupcake schedule)
The problem is, this team is built for the regular season, not the playoffs...
 
What does #5 and #12 have to do with anything?
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And #18... I thought Grant Hill felt great? The appendectomy has nothing to do with his ankle.
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suns had there chances past few years but a championship is not happening at this point
 
Originally Posted by GUILLERMO GUTIEREZ

What does #5 and #12 have to do with anything?
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EVERYTHING

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I am far from being a Phoenix Suns fan, but I'm still giving them the benefit of the doubt... They were 2 ejections away from the NBA Finals wherethey would have dominated the Cavs...
 
^


how can you guarantee that? they had their full lineup for 5 of the 6 games, and still lost 3 out of 5 of those.


regardless of whatever, you still gotta play and win the game. injuries, suspensions, off-nights, that's all part of the game.


but but but.. yeah, that's all suns fans got. every time they lose, it's a conspiracy theory.
 
It's all managment's fault. Think about the team they SHOULD have (not even counting KG): Joe Johnson, Rondo, etc...
 
Wow, this looks like some angry Fakers fan rant from a blog or a message board, not a "legitimate" column in an actual newspaper.
Is it that slow of a sports news day in SoCal that some columnist actually has time to sit at his computer and type out a completely random rant out of theblue about another team?
Is he just mad because the Fakers lost to the Suns in the playoffs for two years in a row?
Is he just mad because we have a Super Bowl in AZ, and the Los Angeles area doesn't have its own NFL team?
Is he just mad because the Dodgers didn't do crap this year and the Diamondbacks were in the NLCS?

Damn, it must be hard to live in SoCal. I mean, all that traffic, all that smog, all those gang shootings, and the clueless Fakers fans that run rampant...nowonder they have a high speed freeway chase every day.
 
2. They are the worst rebounding team in the NBA. The worst.


As much as I hate saying negative stuff about the Raps...I gotta admit that this title actually belongs to us.
 
21. Their haterific, homerific fans just don't deserve anything (except for their WNBA championship that has been noticed by no one outside of the greaterPHX area, and hardly anyone THERE is even aware).
 
Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

21. Their haterific, homerific fans just don't deserve anything (except for their WNBA championship that has been noticed by no one outside of the greater PHX area, and hardly anyone THERE is even aware).
You say that like Fakers fans aren't the most narrow minded homers in the NBA.
Fakers fans response to any argument - and I mean ANY argument regarding the NBA - is bringing up past championships. It's the arrogant sense ofentitlement that Fakers fans have that absolutely annoys the crap out of me. Whenever the Fakers play in Phx and I see some +#**!%+%# wearing a Fakers jersey Ijust want to go up and punch the dude in the face.
 
in all seriousness, the suns don't play defense. that, like every year, will be their downfall. also, who is their first option? being that you have tothink about it, and it's not clear cut, i think you have a problem there as well.

the phoenix brand of basketball has proven not to work in the playoffs. it's time to buckle down and play defense.
 
As much as I hate saying negative stuff about the Raps...I gotta admit that this title actually belongs to us.

D-boards, we are. O-boards, Bosh gets them down the stretch.
But yes, we suck at rebounding more than the suns.
 
Originally Posted by NBAdotcom

It's the arrogant sense of entitlement that Fakers fans have that absolutely annoys the crap out of me. Whenever the Fakers play in Phx and I see some +#**!%+%# wearing a Fakers jersey I just want to go up and punch the dude in the face.

this guy.. calling someone a homer? are you serious?


i'd love to see you back up your tough talk and actually go out and do it.


then i might actually have an ounce of respect for you.
 
Originally Posted by size twelve

Originally Posted by NBAdotcom

It's the arrogant sense of entitlement that Fakers fans have that absolutely annoys the crap out of me. Whenever the Fakers play in Phx and I see some +#**!%+%# wearing a Fakers jersey I just want to go up and punch the dude in the face.

this guy.. calling someone a homer? are you serious?


i'd love to see you back up your tough talk and actually go out and do it.


then i might actually have an ounce of respect for you.

First of all I never said I was actually going to walk up and punch someone in the face. I really don't need to get arrested. I just said I'd liketo do it.


As for you having respect for me...
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I don't even know who you are.I've never seen you screen name here before, and you're some random*$#! dude on the internet. So yeah, YOUR respect is really what's missing in mylife.
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me:
21. Their haterific, homerific fans just don't deserve anything (except for their WNBA championship that has been noticed by no one outside of the greater PHX area, and hardly anyone THERE is even aware).
NBAdotcom:
You say that like Fakers fans aren't the most narrow minded homers in the NBA.
Fakers fans response to any argument - and I mean ANY argument regarding the NBA - is bringing up past championships. It's the arrogant sense of entitlement that Fakers fans have that absolutely annoys the crap out of me. Whenever the Fakers play in Phx and I see some +#**!%+%# wearing a Fakers jersey I just want to go up and punch the dude in the face.

Like "Is he mad that the Suns have beat the Lakers in the playoffs the past two years?" Or doesthat not count as 'bringing up the past'? I mean, I can see how it wouldn't count, because the past started 3 years ago, right?

Therapy is recommended.

I don't know, color me ignorant, but 'Haha, the Lakers have more championships than the Suns' >'You're a Lakers fan? I want to punch you. Just for that. Not for anything else. Just that.'
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Strongly recommended.
 
Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

me:
21. Their haterific, homerific fans just don't deserve anything (except for their WNBA championship that has been noticed by no one outside of the greater PHX area, and hardly anyone THERE is even aware).
NBAdotcom:
You say that like Fakers fans aren't the most narrow minded homers in the NBA.
Fakers fans response to any argument - and I mean ANY argument regarding the NBA - is bringing up past championships. It's the arrogant sense of entitlement that Fakers fans have that absolutely annoys the crap out of me. Whenever the Fakers play in Phx and I see some +#**!%+%# wearing a Fakers jersey I just want to go up and punch the dude in the face.

Like "Is he mad that the Suns have beat the Lakers in the playoffs the past two years?" Or does that not count as 'bringing up the past'? I mean, I can see how it wouldn't count, because the past started 3 years ago, right?

Therapy is recommended.

I don't know, color me ignorant, but 'Haha, the Lakers have more championships than the Suns' > 'You're a Lakers fan? I want to punch you. Just for that. Not for anything else. Just that.'
smh.gif


Strongly recommended.
I didn't say I want to just punch someone for being a Fakers fan...however wearing a Fakers jersey in our home arena...that is worthy of beingpunched.
Of course, I might as well punch whichever Suns ticket-holder that actually sold their tickets to a Fakers fan, allowing that %@#@##!%@ into our arena.
 
Whoever wrote those does make many legitimate points in his article. With that said, they are still a very good team
 
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