From Start To Finish

While watching the first game of the preseason, something struck me as peculiar towards the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. We went through a stretch of the game where the most consistent outside shooter on the floor for the Suns was Marcus Banks... which means a couple things. One, Marcus Banks' shot looks much better than it did before, I no longer cringe and hope for a long rebound as opposed to expecting the shot to go in when he gets an open look. That's definitely an upgrade. But it also means something else, which is both fascinating and funny, given the team that had done it.

The Suns came out with a line up including Marcus Banks, DJ Strawberry, Alando Tucker, Boris Diaw and Sean Marks for a period of time... and the Suns pulled away. They didn't do it through the usual array of irrepressible scoring prowess, flinging three after three at the hoop in a barrage that made the opposition hang their heads in shame... nope... they played defense. Excellent defense. And, following that, put their head down and went to the rack, clawing desperately at a chance for a lay up, dunk, or free throw. It's not something that Suns fans are used to seeing, outside of the occasional Amare isolation play.

Through this stretch, DJ Strawberry played outstanding man and team defense, Marcus Banks pressured his man all the way up the court, Boris Diaw denied the ball in the post, Alando Tucker stuck his man through screens, and Sean Marks made a legitimate attempt to block every shot that came at him. (He still wasn't actually playing good defense, but he made an effort to do so.)

The Kings second (and part of it's third) unit scored 9 points in the 6-7 minutes from where Barbosa left the game to when Barbosa had to come back in after Marks somehow managed to foul out. Now, I'm about the biggest Barbosa fan out there, and in no way am demeaning his game... but the Suns can now field a legitimate five man unit that is all about defense and can still score. Substitute Sean Marks with Brian Skinner, and you've got a legit interior defender, and only one man in the starting 7 of the rotation involved (Diaw).

The new look of athletic finishers who play gritty, hard nosed defense could find the Suns starters resting easy as the Suns have a line up available where, once they have taken the lead, they ought to be able to keep it, and even get some opposing players in foul trouble when things are clicking properly, something that was never available before and something which always seemed to push D'Antoni into having to keep his starters in well after they should have gotten some rest. Garbage time has a new meaning in Phoenix... but does it have to be garbage time?

An eight point lead leading late into the 3rd quarter, a unit to bring in when the opposing team is making a run on the oft-beleaguered defense of the starting unit, perhaps a unit that will find it's way permanently into D'Antoni's game plan. It may be a lot to ask, but hey... sometimes, dreams come true.



Added bonus:

Watching Grant Hill with a Suns uniform was a thing of absolute beauty. The Suns have plenty of players who will shoot the open three or dish it off to the next player for their attempt at a three... but with Grant Hill, the Suns have someone who will force the issue, take the mid range jumper, take it to the basket (and finish), and force defenders to make a decision on how they want to get beat. I love it.