| Suns Learning Defense Wins Championships Authored by Tim Donakowski - August 13, 2005 - 7:37 pm
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Joe Johnson is on the Suns, he’s on the Hawks, he’s on the Suns, he’s on the Hawks, and now he’s back on the Suns. Or is he?
With Joe Johnson’s future in limbo, fans are wondering why the Suns have been so aggressive this off-season. Even with the best regular season record, the Suns failed to make the finals.
Both teams that made it to the finals last season were strikingly similar. Both the Pistons and the Spurs play smart basketball and tough defense, which are the key ingredients to winning championships.
Trading Quentin Richardson to the New York Knicks for Kurt Thomas was the first indication that the Suns organization knew they needed a stronger defense.
The Suns did not have a player like Thomas on the roster last season. The addition of Kurt Thomas now gives the Suns a veteran savvy player who is tough in the middle. He might not put up 15 points a night like Richardson, but it’s the little things that don’t show up in the box score that make Thomas so valuable.
Thomas will also be able to help young players like Amare Stoudemire become a great all around player in the middle. Stoudemire, like many of the Suns, definitely has the ability to score. It was on defense where Stoudemire showed his age as it is common for high school big men to come into this league and not understand the concept of team defense. Stoudemire has the ability to be a great one on one defender, but Thomas will be able to teach the other kind of defense, team defense.
The Suns also picked up shooting guard Raja Bell from the Utah Jazz. Bell will also help the Suns become a better defensive team. Throughout Bell’s career he has been known as a defensive player. Bell, after two seasons under Jerry Sloan, now has a complete understanding of team basketball as well. Last season, Bell proved he was more than just a defensive specialist by averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game.
Scoring was obviously not the Suns problem last season. Without Richardson, and possibly without Johnson, the Suns will still be able to put up points. Why? Steve Nash. Half of the reason Johnson and Richardson were able to put up the numbers they did was because of Nash. Thomas and Bell, having the same advantages as Richardson and Johnson, will only make the Suns a better all-around team. |
