Suns vs. Cavs

I feel validated. I said a few things on this blog that came to light last night on TNT. First, the Phoenix Suns took the challenge and sent a solid message to a national audience that their defense is not only vastly improved, but it is no different than that of the two other Western Conference contenders. The Suns took Lebron and company so far out of their game that Doug Collins had no choice but to dedicate 30 seconds of air time to telling the NBA nation what the Valley of the Suns have known all year - the Suns play solid defense. TNT went so far as to put up a graphic mid-game to illustrate the point. There was Phoenix and its field goal defense percentage, sandwiched between Dallas and San Antonio.

Despite Lebron’s 34 points on 15-28 shooting (9-19 for 20 points against Shawn Marion through three quarters, 6-9 for 14 points against Diaw and the blowout boys in the fourth), Cleveland managed to be the fifth victim of the Suns sub-40 club, shooting 37.9% for the game. A defensive performance standing out like a snowstorm in Phoenix against the over hyped MVP candidate duel and potential NBA Finals preview, even ESPN’s resident hoopologist Marc Stein was flabbergasted enough to devote its theme to his Daily Dime.

“I came to see signs that LeBron’s Cavs are ready to fill the gaping void of best team in the conference that could badly use a beast … and came away more impressed by the Suns’ improving D than anything else.”


Yes, Marc. That was the defense I’ve been talking about for weeks. That was the defense that prompted me to e-mail you last week - the e-mail practically begging you to do a story on it.

More importantly than validating my argument regarding the Phoenix defense is the fact that, on the day I mentioned it on the aforementioned azcentral blog, the Suns came out and stomped on the Cavaliers’s collective throats and didn’t take their foot off until the game was so far out of reach, the USAC fans put a call to the bullpen for one Pat Burke. And what better time to do it than against the current best in the East (as laughable as that sounds)?

Cleveland has not been the be-all of the weaker conference. With big losses against New York, Charlotte, Toronto, and Atlanta, it’s hard not to mitigate the importance of this most recent home sellout/blowout. But this is Lebron James, the darling of the NBA marketing machine. This is the Cleveland Cavaliers, the league’s third best defensive team, and winners of three straight against NBA Finals stalwart San Antonio.

This was national television. Touted for days as a possible preview of the NBA Finals. A chance for Lebron James to prove that he is worthy of dethroning the league’s reigning MVP. This was a laugher. The Suns victory was lopsided enough, but seemed to be an absolute demolition of any hopes that the Eastern Conference has a glimmer of a chance to produce back-to-back NBA champions under the long shadow of all the pre-game hype.

All season long the media has been searching for the new “Beasts of the East” to emerge from the rank and file of CBA, Sr. As it turns out, they’ve been looking at the wrong side of the map. Sporting a 15-1 record (7-1 against the current top eight), no team has a better inter-conference record than Phoenix.

Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns did what they have to do against inferior opponents. They took them to the mat early, and held them down for the full count. 1-2-3 pin. Game over.