Die Hard

So I was going to write about the tournament and players I'd like to see in purple and orange next year. Then the Suns went into Die Hard mode and have put together a win streak in the face of being a lottery team.

I love points. I love the exciting finishes. I'm loving the bench guys making plays. I look forward to watching my team play again.

Worst Case Scenario

We needed a good road trip to keep the playoffs in sight. The Suns lost four toughly contested games, finding new ways to lose each one. They went cold in Orlando. They couldn't get a stop in Miami. They couldn't get the last shot to drop in Houston. They were out-executed in the clutch in San Antonio.

At this point it looks bleak for the Suns making the playoffs. The team hasn't quit. Nash is making plays, Shaq is still a force and different role players are contributing something each night. But this trip was a chance to step up to another level and really strengthen their case as a playoff contender. Unfortunately nothing good came out of it.

The Suns lost ground on the inconsistent Mavericks. We got word Amare Stoudemire is officially out until next season (even though it was highly unlikely he'd return). The Suns are four games back of the Mavs who currently reside in the 8 spot (aka the 'get housed by the Lakers' slot). They play two more times, including Tuesday night in Phoenix.

The team is not terrible. If they were in the East, they'd be battling for homecourt advantage in the first round. But Phoenix is in the West, where you need 50 wins to get into the party.

So maybe it's time to start thinking about the lottery. Here's the reality, as I've mentioned before. The Suns are going to battle until the season ends which means they'll be the best nonplayoff team. So the Suns are practically guaranteed (98.2% chance) of getting the 14th pick in the draft. If they don't get that pick- it'll be in the top 3 of the draft (1.8% chance of that happening). Is there a player out there who can have an instant impact at 14? Is there a rotation player that can be developed at 14? Even better question, what type of team are the Suns going to be going forward?

The Steve Kerr era has been a failure. This talented yet aging team continues to lose tough games and see a playoff run slip away. If Kerr has a strategy after the stutter-step mess this season has been, we'll see it deployed this offseason. Not sure how much faith I have in Kerr to rebuild this team quickly but perhaps some luck may finally give this franchise a boost.

Seven Seconds or Shaq

Steve logs on to FML and types. "I traded my backup power forward because he hated our new coach and was overpaid as a backup. The team plays awful under my hand-picked coach who's a friend and former teammate and I fire him. I promote an assistant who brings back the old style. My All Star power forward goes down for the season after we decide not to trade him for draft picks and expiring contracts. His eye injury is the continuation of a training camp injury dealt by the backup I traded. F my life."

Seven Seconds or Shaq
This is the Suns hope for the remainder of the season. If the early offense isn't there, dump it down to the Big Cactus. The fact of the matter is we have a guy who really wants to win another title... who's done it before. We have two guys who are desperate to win a title before their stellar careers come to a close. Shaq is rested from having sat out all the back to backs early in the season. He's been rejuvinated by the training staff. Now the team really needs him. Some nights, they'll run people off the floor. Other nights Shaq will have to dominate for the Suns to win. He passes well out of the post. He's hitting a decent percentage of his free throws. He's probably as funny as he's ever been.

The Suns victory over LA today was their best of the season for many reasons. They were missing Steve Nash and dependent on Shaq and someone else to step-up. Matt Barnes after saying the Suns owed the Lakers one, has his best game of the season. The Suns built a lead and rebuilt it after a furious Laker rally. The Suns also goaded Kobe into 38 shots. Kobe put it on him today and kept firing until he had 49 points and a 2nd straight loss.

So the Suns are 6-2 in their quest to go (at least) 22-9, secure 50 wins and hopefully a playoff berth. The warmups against the Clippers and Nonics are nice but the Suns will have to get playoff-quality wins to get into the playoffs. It's time to start playing to the strengths and fight like this season is not lost. Hearing so many Laker fans in the crowd on national TV was a disgrace. This team needs it's fans back. If the Suns are going to beat the mountain of odds building against them, they need all the help they can get.