Saddened by the Setting Suns

A year ago when the Suns lost to the Spurs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, I was ready to write the franchise off as a pretendor, and was ready to bid farewell to one of my favorite NBA players of all time. It wasn't that I wanted Shaq to retire, it was just that after several injury-plagued seasons with slumping numbers, the Big Cactus's future didn't look too bright, especially after he was not able to help the Suns complete the task that they had acquired him for in the first place; to contend with the Spurs in the playoffs. I was devestated by this loss, as the high-tempo Suns had become one of my favorite teams in the past half-decade, and the addition of Shaq left me with high hopes. Many were skeptical of the trade, but there was always that gleaming ray of hope, and the feeling of "hey, this might actually work."But once again, the Suns fell short in the playoffs, leaving many wondering if they would ever be able to get over the hump and become a true title contendor.

A year, and a seemingly rejuvinated Shaq later, only one thing remains the same: the Suns are once again not a title contendor, and they won't be until changes are made. The Suns playoff hopes were basically ended yesterday as the Mavericks solidified their hold on the 8th spot by dropping 140 on Phoenix . Now comes question time for the Phoenix Suns. Where to go from here? For a team full of aging veterans (Nash, Hill, O'Neal) and dispensable parts (Richardson, Barnes, Lopez) the answer may not be so simple. No team wants to dive head first into the rebuilding process, but at this point, there seems to be little else for the Suns to do. They have already proven that they cannot be successful with the run-n-gun style used by Mike D'Antoni, or with the slower, more defensive-minded scheme run (sort of) by Terry Porter. At this point, it is usually time for a franchise to unload and re-tool, and Phoenix should be no exception. Although beginning the rebuilding process may cost them their young superstar, the Suns have already proven that they are not opposed to dealing Amare, as he was shopped around at the trade deadline.

The high-tempo, explosive offense employed by the Suns since Alvin Gentry took over is fine, but not when you are allowing other teams to score upwards of 125 point on a nightly basis. For this team to be successful a commitment to defense must be made, and it may simply not be possible with their current rotation. Shaq proved that he still has some Diesel fuel in the tank (thankfully), but he is no permenant fixture in Phoenix, as the Suns looked to deal him at the deadline as well. Nash is a two-time League MVP, but his age and lack of defensive ability may make him a liability in the future, especially when time comes for a new contract after next season. Where to go for the Phoenix Suns is a question that cannot easily be answered, and will unfold over time. However, it is safe to imagine that we have seen the end of the Phoenix Suns as we've known them.