By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Phoenix Suns.
Amare Stoudemire has added a jump shot to his arsenal.
Best Case Scenario
Three things need to happen for the Suns to win 50 games and lock up a possible sixth seed in the West.
1. Amare Stoudemire takes the next step. Last season, Stoudemire shocked everyone in becoming the first high school player ever to win the Rookie of the Year award. This year, he'll catch no one by surprise. Stoudemire is going to see a steady stream of double-teams when he catches the ball on the block. How will he respond? So far, he's been the best player on the Suns through the first three preseason games. He's improved his perimeter shooting and is making smart decisions down low. If that continues into the regular season, Stoudemire will start being mentioned in the same breath as the rest of the great power forwards in the West.
2. Joe Johnson gets consistent. Johnson has the skills to be a star. He's a 6-foot-8 combo guard with great touch from the perimeter and unbelievable court vision. But last season, for every good game he had, he followed it up with two or three terrible ones. This past offseason, Johnson dominated the summer league. More importantly, he played well in six of the Suns' seven games. This preseason, he's also shown consistency. If he keeps it up, he'll push Penny Hardaway to the bench and give the Suns yet another lethal outside option.
3. Rookie Zarko Cabarkapa is as good as they think he is. The Suns can't stop raving about Cabarkapa. He was stellar in the summer league and gives them yet another versatile weapon that can stretch the defense and make things easier on Stoudemire.
Worst Case Scenario
The Suns will slip into the lottery with 42 losses if the following three things happen.
1. Stephon Marbury regresses. Marbury played with a huge chip on his shoulder last season and turned in the best performance of his career. He's been awful in the first three preseason games and has drawn coach Frank Johnson's ire for his porous defense and non-chalant attitude. Marbury isn't worried -- he's promising to turn it on when the regular season starts. But the rest of the Suns are quietly wringing their hands a little bit.
2. The ghosts of Bo Outlaw and Jake Tsakalidis haunt GM Bryan Colengelo. Most GMs around the league can't understand why Colengelo traded Outlawand Tsakalidisto Memphis. Outlaw was the Suns' energy guy and gave them toughness on defense. Tsakalidis was shaky, but the Suns did nothing to replace his 7-2, 290-pound body in the paint. Colangelo isn't worried. He didn't think Tsakalidis fit the Suns' running style and wanted to move Outlaw to get Cabarkapa more time. But unless Jake Voskuhl, Scott Williams or Tom Gugliotta step up in the middle, the Suns will be awfully soft in the middle.
3. A draught of D in the Valley of the Sun. The Suns will light you up on offense, but when it comes to their effort on defense, it's indefensible. They've been awful defensively this preseason and coach Frank Johnson is fuming. The team has plenty of capable defenders but few willing ones. If Marbury's "we talk defense, but we play offense" philosophy rules the day, the Suns will take a step back this season.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's ESPN Insider.
---------------------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, October 13
Updated: October 13
11:50 AM ET
Atlanta Hawks: The good news is that Terrell Brandon's knee surgery went well. The bad news is that they performed the procedure so that he could function as a normal person, not an NBA superstar with a multi-million dollar deal. "I feel for all of us [who have suffered career-ending injuries]," Brandon said in the Minnesota Star Tribune. "You see the other guys go through it, and then it's you. You really have to appreciate your body and appreciate the game while you can. I'm grateful. I mean, I'm 5-11 and I played 11 years in the NBA. Can you believe it?"
Mourning
New Jersey Nets: Alonzo Mourning signed with the New Jersey Nets and that's who he wants to play for. "I didn't come here to go to Long Island," Mourning said in the NY Daily News about the rumor that the Nets may move to New York with a new owner. "I just bought a nice house over in New Jersey. My family is just getting settled in. I understand the nature of this business. (But) I came here to play in New Jersey at the Continental Airlines Arena. I just got this system down, don't change it now."
Minnesota Timberwolves: Ask Wally Szczerbiak and he will tell you that his left toe is connected directly to his shooting arm. "I don't want to have a setback to the point where like last year I had to go back," he said in Pioneer Press after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. "This is an injury where I couldn't play even if I wanted to. The toughest thing is that it seems like this injury came from the toe a little bit. The stupid toe injury is causing me even more difficulties."
Washington Wizards: The Nets may miss Eddie Jordan now that he's the head coach of the Washington Wizards. But he misses them, too. "The last two years, I had a team that really ran it well," Jordan said in the Washington Times of his motion offense. "We had an [All-Star] point guard [Jason Kidd] who really got people in their spots and was adept at running the show. We have young players here. It's probably a little more difficult because of what I'm used to the last couple of years."
New York Knicks: Age may only be a number to Dikembe Mutombo, but that court sure does seem to be getting longer. "The coach was hesitant about me playing, but I told him I have to get in basketball shape," Mutombo said in Newsday. "I felt good about myself, but I think I could do more. I have to get my emotions going ...I need to get my wind to go up and down." His coach agreed after the newly acquired center tallied four points, three boards and one block in 13 minutes. "Considering the fact he hadn't played in awhile, he did OK," Don Chaney said. "You could tell his timing was off a little bit. You don't expect him to play the minutes he did, but he didn't want to come out of the game. He's a gamer. He loves playing."
ESPN.com
Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Phoenix Suns.
Amare Stoudemire has added a jump shot to his arsenal.
Best Case Scenario
Three things need to happen for the Suns to win 50 games and lock up a possible sixth seed in the West.
1. Amare Stoudemire takes the next step. Last season, Stoudemire shocked everyone in becoming the first high school player ever to win the Rookie of the Year award. This year, he'll catch no one by surprise. Stoudemire is going to see a steady stream of double-teams when he catches the ball on the block. How will he respond? So far, he's been the best player on the Suns through the first three preseason games. He's improved his perimeter shooting and is making smart decisions down low. If that continues into the regular season, Stoudemire will start being mentioned in the same breath as the rest of the great power forwards in the West.
2. Joe Johnson gets consistent. Johnson has the skills to be a star. He's a 6-foot-8 combo guard with great touch from the perimeter and unbelievable court vision. But last season, for every good game he had, he followed it up with two or three terrible ones. This past offseason, Johnson dominated the summer league. More importantly, he played well in six of the Suns' seven games. This preseason, he's also shown consistency. If he keeps it up, he'll push Penny Hardaway to the bench and give the Suns yet another lethal outside option.
3. Rookie Zarko Cabarkapa is as good as they think he is. The Suns can't stop raving about Cabarkapa. He was stellar in the summer league and gives them yet another versatile weapon that can stretch the defense and make things easier on Stoudemire.
Worst Case Scenario
The Suns will slip into the lottery with 42 losses if the following three things happen.
1. Stephon Marbury regresses. Marbury played with a huge chip on his shoulder last season and turned in the best performance of his career. He's been awful in the first three preseason games and has drawn coach Frank Johnson's ire for his porous defense and non-chalant attitude. Marbury isn't worried -- he's promising to turn it on when the regular season starts. But the rest of the Suns are quietly wringing their hands a little bit.
2. The ghosts of Bo Outlaw and Jake Tsakalidis haunt GM Bryan Colengelo. Most GMs around the league can't understand why Colengelo traded Outlawand Tsakalidisto Memphis. Outlaw was the Suns' energy guy and gave them toughness on defense. Tsakalidis was shaky, but the Suns did nothing to replace his 7-2, 290-pound body in the paint. Colangelo isn't worried. He didn't think Tsakalidis fit the Suns' running style and wanted to move Outlaw to get Cabarkapa more time. But unless Jake Voskuhl, Scott Williams or Tom Gugliotta step up in the middle, the Suns will be awfully soft in the middle.
3. A draught of D in the Valley of the Sun. The Suns will light you up on offense, but when it comes to their effort on defense, it's indefensible. They've been awful defensively this preseason and coach Frank Johnson is fuming. The team has plenty of capable defenders but few willing ones. If Marbury's "we talk defense, but we play offense" philosophy rules the day, the Suns will take a step back this season.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's ESPN Insider.
---------------------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, October 13
Updated: October 13
11:50 AM ET
Atlanta Hawks: The good news is that Terrell Brandon's knee surgery went well. The bad news is that they performed the procedure so that he could function as a normal person, not an NBA superstar with a multi-million dollar deal. "I feel for all of us [who have suffered career-ending injuries]," Brandon said in the Minnesota Star Tribune. "You see the other guys go through it, and then it's you. You really have to appreciate your body and appreciate the game while you can. I'm grateful. I mean, I'm 5-11 and I played 11 years in the NBA. Can you believe it?"
Mourning
New Jersey Nets: Alonzo Mourning signed with the New Jersey Nets and that's who he wants to play for. "I didn't come here to go to Long Island," Mourning said in the NY Daily News about the rumor that the Nets may move to New York with a new owner. "I just bought a nice house over in New Jersey. My family is just getting settled in. I understand the nature of this business. (But) I came here to play in New Jersey at the Continental Airlines Arena. I just got this system down, don't change it now."
Minnesota Timberwolves: Ask Wally Szczerbiak and he will tell you that his left toe is connected directly to his shooting arm. "I don't want to have a setback to the point where like last year I had to go back," he said in Pioneer Press after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. "This is an injury where I couldn't play even if I wanted to. The toughest thing is that it seems like this injury came from the toe a little bit. The stupid toe injury is causing me even more difficulties."
Washington Wizards: The Nets may miss Eddie Jordan now that he's the head coach of the Washington Wizards. But he misses them, too. "The last two years, I had a team that really ran it well," Jordan said in the Washington Times of his motion offense. "We had an [All-Star] point guard [Jason Kidd] who really got people in their spots and was adept at running the show. We have young players here. It's probably a little more difficult because of what I'm used to the last couple of years."
New York Knicks: Age may only be a number to Dikembe Mutombo, but that court sure does seem to be getting longer. "The coach was hesitant about me playing, but I told him I have to get in basketball shape," Mutombo said in Newsday. "I felt good about myself, but I think I could do more. I have to get my emotions going ...I need to get my wind to go up and down." His coach agreed after the newly acquired center tallied four points, three boards and one block in 13 minutes. "Considering the fact he hadn't played in awhile, he did OK," Don Chaney said. "You could tell his timing was off a little bit. You don't expect him to play the minutes he did, but he didn't want to come out of the game. He's a gamer. He loves playing."
