More of the same, but one better

After 17 straight, what is there left to discuss?

The defense? Been there, done that several times over. Still, I can’t help myself.

At the very least, it’s been consistent, despite the injury to Kurt Thomas. But one has to wonder how his absence will affect the Suns’ defensive presence over the long haul. It was no secret (at least to those who acknowledged the existence of a Suns defense) that KT was the anchor of a solid defense during the 2005-2006 season. Until a stress fracture in his right foot sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season, the Suns were in the top ten in field goal defense (my pet stat for determining defensive effectiveness), and they held an impressive 38-16 mark. After the injury - 16 wins, 12 losses, and a defense that suddenly dropped to the bottom of the league. (If memory serves, their 44% field goal defense dropped to between 45 and 46% in the end. That’s a staggering drop, considering that they only had 28 games in which to accomplish that feat.)

But there’s a glaring difference with this year’s rendition of the Suns - Amare Stoudemire and his commitment to team play and, as he promised after the 2005 playoffs, defense. The numbers don’t show it, but how can they when he’s only a year and a half removed from microfracture surgery? His rebounding is virtually identical to his last full season, and his blocks per game have dropped off. Aside from the recovery time, that’s to be expected while sharing the front court duties with a solid post defender as Kurt Thomas and an improved (as unbelievable as that sounds) Shawn Marion. Take off the first five ineffectual games of the season (he averaged 15 minutes a game), and his numbers improve across the board.

So where can we see Amare’s improvement? Look into his eyes. When the game gets tight and the shots aren’t falling, you can almost see the flames bursting through as he follows the ball. When the opponent is threatening to take the lead, or when the Suns find themselves in a hole late in the game, that’s when it ignites. He watches the ball, waiting for the cutter to bring it close to the rim, challenging his surgically repaired knees. And when a shot goes over him, he still follows, waiting for the inevitable miss. We’ve seen him rip rebounds away from two, three, even four opponents this season, and it’s all just a sign of things to come - when he’s *gulp* 100%. If it could be measured in a box score, Amare Stoudemire would lead the league in clutch ferocity.

And what can be said about Shawn Marion? Well, he’s a small forward playing out of position at the four spot. He’s 12th in the league in rebounding, 22nd in blocked shots, and an astonishing 3rd in steals per game. The Matrix is half man, half machine, and all amazing. He’s the only top 25 shot blocker averaging more than 2 steals and 10 rebounds a game. And he’s the only player in the league to play lock down man-to-man defense on every player at every position in the league. This is a man built on endurance and intensity, with a deceptive body containing freakish explosiveness and ultra-quick reflexes. Why he is consistently snubbed from placement on the All NBA Defensive Team is beyond me, and is something even he questioned after last year’s statistical performance.

Then we have the most underrated overrated defender in the entire league wrapped in an intensely competitive, lanky 6-5 frame known as Raja Bell. His job is relatively simple - stay in front of the opposing two-guard, slow him down as much as possible, and hit the open three. He does all three better than most people realise, the first point exemplified in the number of charges he takes. And that’s indicative of his tenacity and absolute unwillingness to back down in the face of anybody - including Kobe Bryant. (Cheap shot or not, that clothesline in game 5 of the 2006 first round was the turning point of that series. He may have missed game 6 due to suspension, but he sent a message to the Lakers, the officials, the League, and even his teammates that the Suns would not be bullied, not last year, and certainly not this year.) If a player is going to score on Raja, he is going to have to work his tail off to do it. And he’d better not try to pull any flying elbows out of his pocket, lest he find himself eating hardwood for dinner.

So while one thing has changed, everything else has stayed the same on the defensive end for the Phoenix Suns. They are still flirting with top ten defense, as they were last season at this time. They’ve been running neck and neck with both Dallas and San Antonio in that department for the better part of the season, although few mention it in their “professional” opinions in regards to the Suns’ standing as a title contender this season (I’m looking at YOU, Greg Anthony.) So after 17 straight, where do the Phoenix Suns stand? Tenth in opponent field goal percentage, first across the board in offense, and number one in the two most important categories in the entire box score - wins and point differential.

The most magical and exciting question to ponder, though, is simply this - Will they match one less than this win total in the playoffs?