The Rotation is a weekly study on the NBA by one of our All-Star voices. In rotation this week is Brett Edwards.
I don't know about you, but to me, this thing seemed to get out of hand really quickly. By "this," I mean the Suns once again failing to contend for an NBA championship. How did we go from potentially the greatest first round series of all time to a (likely) five-game domination by the Spurs?
I think the answer is that this team is done, we just didn't know it yet. (To be fair, neither did they.) Nash and company aren't just finished for this season, they're done competing for titles, period.
Look at how the past week unfolded and try to tell me otherwise.
The Spurs winning the first two games in this series wasn't a big surprise. The Spurs are the defending champs, and they were opening up the playoffs at home. So why did those games suck the life out of this Suns team? Steve Nash said the Game 1 loss felt like a "kick to the groin." And let's not forget, Nash knows exactly what that feels like.
Groins aside, the team still seemed to have its fire for the first half of Game 2. After a dominating two quarters by Phoenix, the Spurs pushed the tempo, and simply ran the Suns off the floor. That's not a typo: the Spurs were the ones pushing tempo, and the Suns were the ones that couldn't keep up. This led to Phoenix scoring just six third quarter points that weren't a result of Popovich's hack-a-Shaq strategy.
It was then that the Suns went flat, and they got blown out in Game 3. It had sunk in that the Spurs (of all people) were now better than they were at what used to be their own game.
Sure, the Suns may have suspected that this was the case since the trade for Shaquille. But they couldn't have known: during the regular season they were only tested twice by quality teams that could score like the Spurs have in this series. Once was in Shaq's first game against the Lakers, and the other was a home loss to Utah a couple of weeks later. Credit Popovich for recognizing the Suns' weakness and exploiting it.
And then there was Game 4, which was simply the "save face" game by Phoenix. It was the kind of temporary adrenaline surge you see from teams lucky to be in the playoffs. (Similarly, Washington lost by 30 in Game 2, then came back to win by 36 in Game 3.) But it didn't mean much.
The more talented teams -- the Finals-caliber teams -- almost always prevail after the adrenaline passes. The Cavaliers did so in Game 4, and I expect the Spurs to do so in Game 5. Looking back, people will be wondering how they ever expected O'Neal's Suns to contend with Tim Duncan's Spurs.
The Suns no longer know what they want to be. But at this point, they should be able to see what they are:
Slower. It's not that the trade for Shaq has necessarily been that bad, but his addition to the team completely changed their identity. Offensively, the Suns have no choice but to play at a slower tempo, and they're doing it with fewer weapons on the perimeter in terms of outside shooters.
More Dependent on Defense. They have yet to become a defensive-minded team, because honestly, they don't have the personnel that is willing (or able) to make defense a priority. So they're stuck in the middle of no longer being able to outscore people, but not being able to consistently get stops on the defensive end, either.
Incoherent. It's likely that the 28 regular season games after the Shaq trade simply weren't enough to prepare the Suns for the playoffs. But so what? With the way the team was trending, another 10 games might have knocked them out of playoff contention anyway. And then they'd be faced with the same questions.
Tied Down. With the roster that's in place (and one that the team is stuck with thanks to two more years and $40 million more dollars of O'Neal) the Suns' apparent identity crisis will continue, making it impossible for this team to ever win a championship.
And after this self-realization, the Suns now know what they are not: title contenders.
The Mavericks Are Dead Too
The Suns aren't the only ones who are dead. After falling behind 3-1 to the Hornets and going out in a blaze of embarrassing plays in Game 4, the Dallas Mavericks are as good as dead themselves. And I just so happened to come across their obituary, which is scheduled to run in the Dallas papers* as soon as the buzzer sounds to end Game 5. Take a look.
*Not actually.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. That obit is tremendous.
Posted at 10:14AM on Apr 29th 2008 by JCN
2. Close to reality,done.
Posted at 11:15AM on Apr 29th 2008 by frank
3. And yet the Spurs keep on keeping on!!!! Whats up now Tom Ziller!!!
Posted at 12:05PM on Apr 29th 2008 by Alien36281
4. LET ME JUST STATE SOMETHING. WHEN A #1 SEED PLAYS A #8 SEED, IT SHOULD GO THE MOST 5 GAMES RIGHT? WITH THE BETTER TEAM WINNING HANDS DOWN. BUT BOSTON, U BETTER GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR GREEN BUTTS AND COME TO PLAY. LA ON THE OTHER HAND DID WHAT A 1 SEED SHOULD DO TO AN 8 SEED. BEAT THEIR ASSES. I SENSE THAT A CERTAIN TEAM IN LA IS ON A MISSION.....LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Posted at 1:22PM on Apr 29th 2008 by Phil
5. a few items...I'm soooo glad Lakers didn't trade for Kidd even though many wanted to make a trade for him just to keep Kobe thinking something was happening...clearly JKidd doesn't have it much anymore...as for the Sun...well, you'd have to have been a blind man NOT to have seen this coming with Shaq "I'll bring them a championship" mr. huge ego and slow of foot prone to injury...very soon whatever Marion wanted will look like a bargain...Suns idea of defense is unfortunately Raja Bell on the other teams best player...and occasionally Diaw when they let him play...suns were toast the minute they traded for Shaq...too bad, I actually like Nash and most of the rest of them...
Posted at 2:07PM on Apr 29th 2008 by g
6. Before you start making funeral arrangements for the suns? Lets see which suns team shows up today for game 5? I think the fat lady is just warming up? One game at a time. If the suns win, suns go back to phoenix for game 6. Maybe this goes back to san anton for game 7, which is what everyone expected.
Posted at 6:16PM on Apr 29th 2008 by The Cooler
7. Can someone, anyone please offer me a solution to the Shaq trade? By that I mean, can someone tell me what Phoenix should have done? Everyone likes to bitch about how awful the trade was, yet no one seems to say what other options Phoenix had. If your the GM, what do you do? You know you have to do something. KG went to the Celtics, Pau to the Lakers. You know your team needs something to get over the hump. You have a player, while very good, asks to be traded and has been unhappy in Phoenix for many years. You know he's going to opt out of his contract next year, so you can either let him go and get nothing or trade him for something. You look around the league and you see what's available to you. So, in this situation, seriously, what should Phoenix have done? It's so easy to write little blogs about how the Suns are done, but Brett, what is your solution?
Posted at 11:42PM on Apr 29th 2008 by anny
8. I think Grant's nagging injury hurt this team. His presence was sorely missed. He should've stayed out until he was 100% during the reg games.
Also I think Nash is playing through his injuries. He never misses that many shots when he's in good health.
These players need to back off the extra extra extra activities during their summer vacations and get healthy by game time. Maybe then they can last through the grooling playoffs without injuries or being too tired to give a damn.
Good series Spurs. I knew it would be a physical series but nothing like last year. (And Celtics star didn't get suspended for pushing a ref. and players leaving the bench WTF!) Congrats on moving on. I think it's the Hornets year to be champs though. Chris Paul is having a hellofa year. It doesn't look good for the old player's teams this year. Until next year! Adios
Posted at 2:21AM on Apr 30th 2008 by Kelsey
9. anny, Brett may be soon saying that of his Lakers when the W finals are done. This is not the year for the old teams including the Celtics and Lakers. Chris Paul will have us all wondering if the BLUR could even catch him this year. Wait, no he couldn't. Shaq's trade came too late in the season to get into a good rhythm. Without Marion for Nash to pass to (FOR YEARS)for quick layups he had to make adjustments on the fly. Amare is much slower than Marion. Nash needed more time too. Marion's presence wasn't good behind the game anymore. He wanted out and the team lost it's spark until Shaq came. They've IMPROVED with the inside post, blocks, and rebounds. Some people just won't admit that it was for the better of this team.
Posted at 2:48AM on Apr 30th 2008 by Kelsey
10. The Suns played against the Champions , fresh and determined, firm;
Wait and see how ( Spurs ) they will dispose of the Hornets but after that the real test vs. LA will finally come and by then their old bodies will star taking is limits.
Posted at 10:06AM on Apr 30th 2008 by frank
11. What's the cliche? DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!!!
GO SPURS GO SPURS
Posted at 10:24AM on Apr 30th 2008 by Bink
12. O'kay...the fat lady is through singing...Once again the SPURS have taken the SUNS (shine away)!!! Reading through these comment's it's clear to me that some of you need a reality check!!! I know we all Love Nash, and some can't undrstand why Shaq is there. Here is the deal...Phoenix lost that series as a team...Nash was inconsistent, Shaq was Shaq, the rest of the guy's were trying to find their way most of the time...and in the end that is why they lost...Quit tring to blame this preson and that person...they were all on that Court together.I could really get technical,but why? It's over the Fat Lady just wasen't warm enough.
Posted at 10:26AM on Apr 30th 2008 by Bink
13. What's that cliche? DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS
GO SPURS!!!
Posted at 12:41PM on Apr 30th 2008 by Bink
14. I am not that impressed with the spurs, the suns had their chances to win last nt.and didn't close the deal. I will be more impressed if they get by the hornets. I still believe that those old bodies in san antonio, cannot keep up with the younger hornets and lakers. Not to forget that both match up very well with the spurs.
Posted at 1:40PM on Apr 30th 2008 by The Cooler
15. This suns team in this series just did not look comfortable or in sync, especially at the end of games, probably still adjusting to shaq. However the hornets and lakers bring a lot of energy and chemistry to the table. Lets see how the spurs respond, especially since the spurs have not been a good road team this year and the spurs don't have home court in either series.
Posted at 1:48PM on Apr 30th 2008 by The Cooler