by William Menna

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

As has been the case since Steve Nash returned to the desert in 2004, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. Phoenix's up-tempo style has been great for their regular season performance, but it has been less effective in the playoffs. In 2008, to try to create a more playoff-friendly roster, the Suns swapped athletic forward Shawn Marion for former All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal. Unfortunately for Phoenix, the playoff success did not follow.

Steve Nash is the catalyst for the Suns' offense. A two-time MVP winner, Nash has finished in the top two in assists in every season since re-signing with Phoenix. In the 2007-2008 season, Nash dished out more than three assists per turnover while shooting over fifty percent from the field, making for an extremely efficient offensive year. At an even forty-seven percent, he led the league in three point percentage. He was every bit as good as he was in his MVP years.

Suns' center Amare Stoudemire provides the biggest dose offensive firepower for Phoenix. With a combination of athletic ability and size, he is a match-up nightmare for any opponent and one of the most talented big men in the game. Stoudemire averaged more than twenty-five points per game and he did so on 59 percent shooting; each number was good for the fifth best mark in the league. He also ranked sixth with just over two blocks per contest.

Nash and Stoudemire had an outstanding supporting cast. Their biggest offseason acquisition was former All-Star-turned-role player Grant Hill whose unselfish style and playmaking ability made him a perfect fit in Phoenix. Returning Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa provided a great offensive punch, dropping in sixteen points per game off the bench. Starting shooting guard Raja Bell is great from long range and is a skilled on-the-ball defender. Boris Diaw is perhaps the most versatile player in the game, filling up the stat sheet and having played every position on the court.

Shawn Marion was the Suns' wild card in 2007-2008. Through the first half of the season, he was having another of his typical All-NBA years: sixteen points, ten rebounds, two steals, and only one turnover per game. At midseason, the Suns were looking like championship contenders, holding the best record in the highly competitive west. However, their fortunes began to change at midseason after the trade of Marion for Shaquille O'Neal.

General Manager Steve Kerr believed acquiring O'Neal would give the Suns the extra boost they had lacked in previous seasons. However, this did not turn out to be the case. While they played well after the trade, the Suns dropped from first to sixth in a tight Western Conference. They were scheduled to face the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. Overmatched by the experience and talent of the Spurs, the Suns were thoroughly trounced, losing the series in just five lopsided games.

The 2007-2008 season ended uneventfully for Phoenix. Being knocked out of the playoffs by the Spurs has become something of a tradition for the Suns, as this scenario has ensued in four of their last five playoff appearances. At the season's end, Coach Mike D'Antoni faces scrutiny over his defense-lacking coaching style and there are indications that he will not return next year. The real question will be how the performance of GM Steve Kerr will be evaluated as his grand scheme led the Suns to their first opening round loss in the Steve Nash era.

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