JMarkJohns
01-08-2005, 01:11 PM
The AMICO REPORT
By Sam Amico
Still having phun in Phoenix
Mike D’Antoni and the Phoenix Suns are saving the NBA.
That’s the bottom line on this team that I can’t stop watching (or writing about).
They’re saving the NBA -- and showing the world how pro basketball was meant to be played.
When the Suns are open, they shoot it.
When they’re double-teamed, they pass it.
When the opponent scores, they refuse to hang their heads. In fact, my favorite thing about the Suns is how they react after an opponent’s made basket. Rather than sulk, they immediately in-bound the ball to point guard Steve Nash -- then sprint down the floor to return the favor before you can celebrate.
It’s as if they’re daring you to outscore them, knowing that you can’t.
So who really cares if they don’t reach the Finals this season? If they stay true to their current playing style, they‘ll forever be champions in my heart.
A few readers have e-mailed to say these Suns are nothing more than the old Dallas Mavericks, a team that follows a run-and-gun philosophy that won’t work in the postseason.
Not true.
The only thing these Suns and those Mavs have in common is Nash. And even he’s never been this good before.
Truth is, these Suns are a lot tougher than those Mavericks.
These Suns also have the best center in the league in Amare Stoudemire (forget the fact he’s really a power forward); those Mavericks had, uh, Shawn Bradley in the middle.
These Suns also put up a lot more points on a much more regular basis than those Mavericks. The Suns play with confidence, understand and appreciate each other’s roles, and have a coach in D’Antoni who possesses the perfect laid-back personality for this young team.
That’s right -- in case you didn’t already know it, Phoenix is the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 24.3.
How’s that sound for a bright future?
Granted, the Suns don’t defend or rebound very well, and the offense always seems to sputter when Nash, Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson aren’t in the game.
In other words, while reserves Steven Hunter, Casey Jacobsen, and Leandro Barbosa have been solid, the bench still has to mature.
And there’s no doubt that defense, rebounding, and bench play are all key ingredients to success in the playoffs. But they’re not the ONLY ingredients.
The purpose of this game is to put the ball in the basket, and the Suns do that better than anyone has in a very long time.
They also do it with more style than anyone -- from Nash pulling up in the face of taller defenders and burying jumpers, to Stoudemire twisting his way to the basket and throwing down dunks, to Marion tossing in one of his funky-formed 15-footers, to Richardson and Joe Johnson burning you from beyond the 3-point arc.
The bad news? Even if you manage to slow down their high-powered running attack, you’ll still have to face the Suns in the half-court set.
So, again, will it all result in a title at the end of the season?
WHO CARES?
It’s the WAY the Suns play that should make you love the NBA again. Winning is nothing more than an added bonus.
Of course, they’ve been doing plenty of that too -- and in my round, grainy, and orange heart, it doesn’t get any better than that.
More on the Suns
Dan Bohner (Beaumont, Texas) wrote, “Amico, how many times are you going to write about the Suns?! There are other teams in the NBA.”
--Dear Dan, how many times will I write about the Suns? Hopefully forever. I also love Seattle, and the Suns-SuperSonics game earlier this year was the best regular season game I’ve seen in a decade. As ESPN analyst Tom Tolbert proclaimed during the broadcast, “This is incredible! I feel like I’m watching ESPN Classic!”
So I guess my answer is this: When I‘m not writing about the Suns, I‘ll be writing about the Sonics, and vice versa. But as I’ve said numerous times, this is MY free electronic rag, so you’ll just have to read about the teams that excite ME, and like it.
Again, Phoenix could use a few more consistent contributors off the bench. At the same time, I love how Barbosa has been steadily improving at running the team when Nash needs a rest, and how Hunter has played with passion underneath when filling in for Stoudemire. Also, just ask the Sonics how deadly Jacobsen’s 3-point shooting can be.
Nobody asked, but I think it’s important for the Suns to bring back this unit intact next season. Championship teams need time to develop, with only minor tinkering taking place as they grow. Another hustling veteran to go with Bo Outlaw off the bench would be a big help.
As a player, D’Antoni was considered the Michael Jordan of the Italian League (Kobe Bryant, who grew up in Italy, wears No. 8 because that was D‘Antoni‘s number while playing). D’Antoni is also known as one of Italy’s finest coaches. So it’s no surprise that he’s turned around the Suns so quickly.
Despite the last name, D’Antoni is NOT a native of Italy. He was born and raised in Mullens, W.Va., and played his college ball at Marshall University. Although, he once told me that the hilly landscapes of Italy reminded him very much of West Virginia.
-- You’re probably asking, “When is this moron gonna say something about how the Suns got annihilated by the San Antonio Spurs?”
Well, I won’t deny the Spurs are the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, especially when you consider their playoff experience and the fact they have Tim Duncan. But even the Spurs have been scoring more -- and I think it’s a direct result of the success of Phoenix and Seattle. Yet another example that the Suns and the Sonics are saving the NBA.
Remember how people made a big deal of the Suns’ decision to opt out of the first round of the draft, when they traded the No. 7 overall pick (Luol Deng) to Chicago? It doesn’t seem like such a bad move now.
The NBA deserves credit for helping to create teams like Phoenix and Seattle, changing the rules and forcing guards to keep their hands off opponents when defending on the perimeter. Washington, Orlando, Dallas, and Chicago are other teams who are also playing an exciting brand of basketball.
Now all the league needs to do is clean up low-post play.
By Sam Amico
Still having phun in Phoenix
Mike D’Antoni and the Phoenix Suns are saving the NBA.
That’s the bottom line on this team that I can’t stop watching (or writing about).
They’re saving the NBA -- and showing the world how pro basketball was meant to be played.
When the Suns are open, they shoot it.
When they’re double-teamed, they pass it.
When the opponent scores, they refuse to hang their heads. In fact, my favorite thing about the Suns is how they react after an opponent’s made basket. Rather than sulk, they immediately in-bound the ball to point guard Steve Nash -- then sprint down the floor to return the favor before you can celebrate.
It’s as if they’re daring you to outscore them, knowing that you can’t.
So who really cares if they don’t reach the Finals this season? If they stay true to their current playing style, they‘ll forever be champions in my heart.
A few readers have e-mailed to say these Suns are nothing more than the old Dallas Mavericks, a team that follows a run-and-gun philosophy that won’t work in the postseason.
Not true.
The only thing these Suns and those Mavs have in common is Nash. And even he’s never been this good before.
Truth is, these Suns are a lot tougher than those Mavericks.
These Suns also have the best center in the league in Amare Stoudemire (forget the fact he’s really a power forward); those Mavericks had, uh, Shawn Bradley in the middle.
These Suns also put up a lot more points on a much more regular basis than those Mavericks. The Suns play with confidence, understand and appreciate each other’s roles, and have a coach in D’Antoni who possesses the perfect laid-back personality for this young team.
That’s right -- in case you didn’t already know it, Phoenix is the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 24.3.
How’s that sound for a bright future?
Granted, the Suns don’t defend or rebound very well, and the offense always seems to sputter when Nash, Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson aren’t in the game.
In other words, while reserves Steven Hunter, Casey Jacobsen, and Leandro Barbosa have been solid, the bench still has to mature.
And there’s no doubt that defense, rebounding, and bench play are all key ingredients to success in the playoffs. But they’re not the ONLY ingredients.
The purpose of this game is to put the ball in the basket, and the Suns do that better than anyone has in a very long time.
They also do it with more style than anyone -- from Nash pulling up in the face of taller defenders and burying jumpers, to Stoudemire twisting his way to the basket and throwing down dunks, to Marion tossing in one of his funky-formed 15-footers, to Richardson and Joe Johnson burning you from beyond the 3-point arc.
The bad news? Even if you manage to slow down their high-powered running attack, you’ll still have to face the Suns in the half-court set.
So, again, will it all result in a title at the end of the season?
WHO CARES?
It’s the WAY the Suns play that should make you love the NBA again. Winning is nothing more than an added bonus.
Of course, they’ve been doing plenty of that too -- and in my round, grainy, and orange heart, it doesn’t get any better than that.
More on the Suns
Dan Bohner (Beaumont, Texas) wrote, “Amico, how many times are you going to write about the Suns?! There are other teams in the NBA.”
--Dear Dan, how many times will I write about the Suns? Hopefully forever. I also love Seattle, and the Suns-SuperSonics game earlier this year was the best regular season game I’ve seen in a decade. As ESPN analyst Tom Tolbert proclaimed during the broadcast, “This is incredible! I feel like I’m watching ESPN Classic!”
So I guess my answer is this: When I‘m not writing about the Suns, I‘ll be writing about the Sonics, and vice versa. But as I’ve said numerous times, this is MY free electronic rag, so you’ll just have to read about the teams that excite ME, and like it.
Again, Phoenix could use a few more consistent contributors off the bench. At the same time, I love how Barbosa has been steadily improving at running the team when Nash needs a rest, and how Hunter has played with passion underneath when filling in for Stoudemire. Also, just ask the Sonics how deadly Jacobsen’s 3-point shooting can be.
Nobody asked, but I think it’s important for the Suns to bring back this unit intact next season. Championship teams need time to develop, with only minor tinkering taking place as they grow. Another hustling veteran to go with Bo Outlaw off the bench would be a big help.
As a player, D’Antoni was considered the Michael Jordan of the Italian League (Kobe Bryant, who grew up in Italy, wears No. 8 because that was D‘Antoni‘s number while playing). D’Antoni is also known as one of Italy’s finest coaches. So it’s no surprise that he’s turned around the Suns so quickly.
Despite the last name, D’Antoni is NOT a native of Italy. He was born and raised in Mullens, W.Va., and played his college ball at Marshall University. Although, he once told me that the hilly landscapes of Italy reminded him very much of West Virginia.
-- You’re probably asking, “When is this moron gonna say something about how the Suns got annihilated by the San Antonio Spurs?”
Well, I won’t deny the Spurs are the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, especially when you consider their playoff experience and the fact they have Tim Duncan. But even the Spurs have been scoring more -- and I think it’s a direct result of the success of Phoenix and Seattle. Yet another example that the Suns and the Sonics are saving the NBA.
Remember how people made a big deal of the Suns’ decision to opt out of the first round of the draft, when they traded the No. 7 overall pick (Luol Deng) to Chicago? It doesn’t seem like such a bad move now.
The NBA deserves credit for helping to create teams like Phoenix and Seattle, changing the rules and forcing guards to keep their hands off opponents when defending on the perimeter. Washington, Orlando, Dallas, and Chicago are other teams who are also playing an exciting brand of basketball.
Now all the league needs to do is clean up low-post play.