This offseason, we at Gino's Jungle would like to think we have covered everything from A to Z when it comes to the Boston Celtics. With the regular season tip-off quickly approaching we decided it was time to take a look at the enemies. For the next five weeks we will be giving you the down low on all thirty teams in the NBA. We'll be doing this somewhat in conjunction with Celtics Blog's NBA team previews.
Team Name: Phoenix Suns
Last Year's Record: 54-28
What did they do this offseason?
It's time to get to know last season's Western Conference runner-ups. This offseason the Suns took a small step back by getting rid of the face of their franchise, Ama're Stoudemire. The loss of Stoudemire will create a small hole on the frontline for the Suns.
In addition to losing Stoudemire, the Suns also made a trade to acquire forward Hedo Turkoglu from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Leandro Barbosa. The duo of Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu should provide great wing depth for the Suns.
The Suns also picked up Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick, and lost Louis Amundson this offseason.
What will they be good at? Bad at?
Good: The Suns have put together a roster that is very experienced and knows how to win. With Steve Nash once again controlling the floor for the Suns this season, you can be sure that they will not lack any kind of leadership. In addition to Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Channing Frye, and Goran Dragic return from last year's Western Conference runner-up's squad.
Good: Backcourt depth. If it weren't for the loss of Ama're Stoudemire I could simply write "depth" here, but with Stoudemire gone we're going to have to settle for "backcourt depth". If a team was just made of players at the 1, 2, and 3 position the Suns may be one of the deepest teams in the league, but it isn't. With Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu starting, and Goran Dragic, Josh Childress, and Grant Hill coming off the bench, the Suns should have a solid backcourt on the floor at all times.
Bad: Lack of size up front may be the one thing that holds the Suns back this season. They are going to look at Channing Frye, Robin Lopez, and Hakim Warrick to beat n' bang with other bigs, and quite frankly that's going to be difficult to do. Frye is what you would call a "soft" center, Lopez is still young and injury prone, and Warrick is one of those players that is better off playing at the four spot. Match these guys up with a team like the Celtics and they may be giving up a lot of second chance opportunities.
Bad: Just like people say about the Celtics, the Suns may have to get their walkers out at some point this season. The majority of their quality players, like Nash and Hill, are on the downfall of their careers and prone to injuries and fatigue.
What should we expect from the Suns this season?
Without any significant injuries the Suns are clearly a playoff team once again this season. The loss of Stoudemire does set them back a little, but, if Turkoglu can become the player he was during Orlando's title run in 2009 they should be able to compete with the best in the west (well, besides the Lakers). The
Expert's Take: (Bright Side Of The Sun on goals for this year’s squad)
It begins with acclimating the new acquisitions and finding the chemistry that catapulted the Suns into the 3 seed of the playoffs then Western Conference Finals last season. A run at the post season is a reasonable goal for them. But a deep run in a reloaded Western Conference will be difficult. But if we've learned anything from last season, this team is capable of nearly anything when running on all cylinders.
Final Prediction: 49-33 (4th/5th in Western Conference)
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