A way-too-early comparison to the 2010 squad...

[GatorAZ]

Guards: Nash, J-Rich, Dragic, Barbosa vs Paul, Booker, Payne, Carter, Galloway

Advantage 2010 - Nash was still Nash, 2nd team all NBA and Dragic was capable of taking over games. J-Rich and Barbosa were instant offense. On just talent I might give it to the current backcourt but we’ve yet to see them play with anything on the line with the exception of Paul (which is why this is an unfair comparison in the first place)

Wings: Hill, Dudley (J-Rich) vs Bridges, Cam, Crowder

Advantage 2020-21 - blowout here considering the 3pt shooting & defense

Bigs: Amare, Frye, Lopez, Amundson vs Ayton, Saric, Smith

Advantage 2010 - I think it’s close but I’d give the edge to Amare & Channing. I would take our current frontcourt defense but Amare was still a force and Frye was huge coming off the bench. Robin and Lou were active and physical.

Coaching: Gentry vs Monty

Advantage Monty - Alvin did a great job and rejuvenated the team (post Terry Porter debacle) making basketball fun again but Monty took an awful team turned them into a playoff contender. When’s the last time the Suns were a defensive juggernaut? You have to be a great motivator to get rich athletes to buy in and play their a’s off on D.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Guards seem to be about a wash to me. Nash and CP3 are about even, Booker > JRich, Cam and young Dragic about even and at that point Barbosa > Carter.

2010 were probably a better offensive group, but this years group is way better defensively.

 

[1Sun]

Guards seem to be about a wash to me. Nash and CP3 are about even, Booker > JRich, Cam and young Dragic about even and at that point Barbosa > Carter.

2010 were probably a better offensive group, but this years group is way better defensively.

Unfortunately, CP3 appears to be closer to 2013 Nash than 2010 Nash.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Monty is a good coach, but for me it is hard to listen to him. I swear he is just about to fall asleep in the middle of his sentences.

 

[GatorAZ]

Guards seem to be about a wash to me. Nash and CP3 are about even, Booker > JRich, Cam and young Dragic about even and at that point Barbosa > Carter.

2010 were probably a better offensive group, but this years group is way better defensively.

I wasn’t a big J-Rich fan. He played no defense and was a ball stopper that couldn’t really create his own shot. I would’ve preferred Raja.

 

[95pro]

I wasn’t a big J-Rich fan. He played no defense and was a ball stopper that couldn’t really create his own shot. I would’ve preferred Raja.

What was good about him was that he could post up, but thats not really any guard/sf game today.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The 2010 team was 1st in ORTG, 23rd in DRTG, 6th in SRS, and 4th in pace.

The current team is 5th in ORTG, 10th in DRTG, 9th in SRS, and 30th in pace.

What’s funny is that the pace this year is absolutely faster than 2010’s pace. Basketball is more exciting now.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Cam Payne is currently way beyond 2010 Dragic. Our guards now are significantly better than 2010 guards. Chris Paul now overall is a little worse than 2010 Nash (defense is half the floor), and he will probably shoot better and bridge the gap to a wash. Booker is way better than the second best guard of 2010.

 

[Yuma]

Unfortunately, CP3 appears to be closer to 2013 Nash than 2010 Nash.

CP3 Doesn't have Amare to get assists with.

 

[1Sun]

CP3 Doesn't have Amare to get assists with.

True. Though he does have Booker and Ayton. And that doesn't the fact that he is barely shooting 40% from the field and 30% from three.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

CP3 Doesn't have Amare to get assists with.

We also don't play a run and gun style that the 09-10 team played with.

That being said I can give Nash that year the edge offensively over Paul, but Paul is still a much better defender than Nash ever was.

All things considered I would call it nearly even between those two.

 

[1Sun]

We also don't play a run and gun style that the 09-10 team played with.

That being said I can give Nash that year the edge offensively over Paul, but Paul is still a much better defender than Nash ever was.

All things considered I would call it nearly even between those two.

Paul used to be a better defender. Not anymore.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Paul used to be a better defender. Not anymore.

This is just laughable. Do you honestly believe that this current version of Paul isn't a clearly better defender than a 35 year old Nash?

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

True. Though he does have Booker and Ayton. And that doesn't the fact that he is barely shooting 40% from the field and 30% from three.

It’s a 7-game sample lol. He’s been a clear positive while shooting poorly: the sign of a star.

How much do you want to bet he shoots below 45% on the year from the field?

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

We also don't play a run and gun style that the 09-10 team played with.

That being said I can give Nash that year the edge offensively over Paul, but Paul is still a much better defender than Nash ever was.

All things considered I would call it nearly even between those two.

As I wrote above, we are last in pace this year but we still play faster than 2010 Suns.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

As I wrote above, we are last in pace this year but we still play faster than 2010 Suns.

They aren't playing faster than the 09-10 Suns, but the opponents do play faster and that makes this year's pace slightly higher.

The Nash Suns were always trying to get out and run at every opportunity. This current team really doesn't play like that and that has a lot to do with Paul's more methodical style.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It would be an interesting match based on offense verse defense. I’d be interested to see an apex amare offensive beast go against an apex Ayton defender.

 

[Mainstreet]

Amare would foul Ayton out of the game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Amare would foul Ayton out of the game.

That’s why I said “apex” for both. I don’t think Ayton has yet reached his peak. If he gets even better, at his size and athleticism it would be an epic battle. And mind you, in his prime I think amare was close to unstoppable.

 

[Mainstreet]

That’s why I said “apex” for both. I don’t think Ayton has yet reached his peak. If he gets even better, at his size and athleticism it would be an epic battle. And mind you, in his prime I think amare was close to unstoppable.

I'd like to see the battle. Amare was so explosive.

 

[itlnsunsfan]

I think pre-micro fracture Amare would eat Ayton's lunch. Even Duncan couldn't stop him.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Current team would smoke them.

DEPTH

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I think pre-micro fracture Amare would eat Ayton's lunch. Even Duncan couldn't stop him.

amare got micro surgery in 2005

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I think pre-micro fracture Amare would eat Ayton's lunch. Even Duncan couldn't stop him.

While Ayton certainly isn't the interior defender that Duncan was (at least not as of now) he is probably quicker than Duncan was and more equipped to stay in front of quick players.

We have seen it with Ayton guarding guys like LeBron and Giannis for instance and doing a great job of staying in front of them and forcing the ball out of their hands.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think pre-micro fracture Amare would eat Ayton's lunch. Even Duncan couldn't stop him.

True. But again, that’s why I said apex Ayton. I believe Ayton will grow into an even more substantial defender. He’s more athletic than Duncan with similar size. If his peak exceeds Duncan’s (as a defender only - I doubt we’ll ever see the full game Duncan had from Ayton) it would be a true clash of Titans