With Stoudemire out, Suns need to run even more
By Jim O'Brien
ESPN Insider


Coach Jim O'Brien led the Boston Celtics (2002, 2003) and Philadelphia 76ers (2005) to the Eastern Conference playoffs. This season he will write NBA analysis and commentary for ESPN.com Insider. This is his first contribution to ESPN.com's NBA coverage.

The loss of Amare Stoudemire for four months to knee surgery is devastating for the Phoenix Suns. Coach Mike D'Antoni has lost his only real inside scoring threat (26.0 ppg) and his team's second leading rebounder (8.9 rpg).



With the Stoudemire injury, the Suns are now down three big-time offensive contributors from last season's league-leading 62-win team.

Stoudemire, Joe Johnson (traded to the Atlanta Hawks) and Quentin Richardson (traded to the New York Knicks) combined to score 58.0 points per game in 2004-05.



Where will Phoenix get that point production from this season? The Suns will use Raja Bell, Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant to fill the holes, but their points-per-game averages for the last couple of years look like this: 11.2, 12.3, 11.1, 11.4, 8.7, 3.8. If each repeats his numbers from last year, the Suns will get only 27.5 points per game from those three, which is more than 30 points less than Phoenix got from the three guys they're replacing.



So what does D'Antoni do?


He and the Suns will have to continue to play small ball, and, if possible, increase the tempo even further -- and shoot even more 3-pointers, one season after firing up 2,026 and sinking an NBA-record 796 3s. That's a tall order for the team that led the NBA in scoring (110.4 ppg) and 3-point attempts (24.7 per game) last season.



One way to get increase the already hectic tempo is to increase defensive pressure. Phoenix can harass the ball handler from end to end and try to get more tips and steals. If the Suns can fast break off the defensive pressure, look for Bell, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and James Jones to rain 3s. Still, without Stoudemire getting on the defensive glass and out running on the break, Phoenix will have a very difficult time keeping or increasing last year's pace, which was the highest in the league.



On the bright side ... Steve Nash is phenomenal with the ball. He led the NBA in assists last season (11.5 apg) and will have no problems setting up newcomers Grant and Thomas on pick-and-pops. If there is one thing that both Grant and Thomas can do, it's drain the midrange jump shot. Look for the Suns to use this a lot in their half-court sets.



One more thing that works to the Suns' advantage is the schedule. The Suns play 23 of their first 35 games at home and that's huge for a team that has been devastated by an injury like this. It's also important for a team that likes to play at an up-tempo pace. A rested team can run and gun much more successfully than a road-weary team. If the Suns can hold their own at home during the first half of the season, they may have a shot on the road, assuming Stoudemire can stick to his projected four-month rehab schedule and return after the All-Star break.



Realistically, it will be very difficult for the Suns to get 45 wins this season. But if Stoudemire comes back healthy and plays at a high level, Phoenix could make the playoffs in the Western Conference with a late-season run.

If Nash the MVP can invigorate others around him again, he will have substantiated his "stripes" and proven his award. Suns will be carefull with "the franchise".

Anybody got their no. 1 pick this year? It might not be a lotto pick, but it goes up in value!

They got ATL's picks and some youth, and in light of a not so great season, shelling out 14 mil signing bonus, plus Joes salary proved to be a smart financial move for them. Suns will survive long term.

Does moving Nash at high value make anysense and do a rebuild if Amare not there this year?

KT trade is excellent for them this year. Maybe this possiblilty of worst case scenario was in the back of their mind when they made the deal.

If they need any more PF's, we still have some inventory!

Send them Rose or Mo.

No send them Anotonio "no show" Davis for that Jones kid from Indiana and Dijon Thompson. That should give us more than enough swingmen