Respect...from Phoenix??? [azrepublic.com]

Keep in mind that this is from the Arizona Republic--not a whole lot on the Rox but still interesting considering the source...

Playoffs? Suns? Don't count on it

Bob Young
The Heat Index
Oct. 13, 2005 12:00 AM

Like the rest of you, we're sitting around, still trying to digest the terrible news about Amaré Stoudemire.

Or maybe it's the chicken wings.

At any rate, it's not sitting well. advertisement




We didn't like a lot of the stuff the team did this summer, especially letting Joe Johnson go - and make no mistake, they let him go because it was their option to match the contract Atlanta offered.

That said, we still figured they would be in the upper echelon of the NBA's Western Conference.

Now? Not so much.

A year ago, the Suns were unique because they could put five fast, athletic offensive players on the floor at the same time. Three of them - Stoudemire, Johnson and Steve Nash - could create their own shots.

Of that starting five, now just two - Shawn Marion and Nash - remain, and only Nash is a creator.

Nope, it's definitely not the chicken wings.

OK, so where does this leave the Suns?

Wishing they'd kept Johnson, that's where.

Sorry, we're living in the past. Let's try to look forward. As we look around the West, the team that probably helped itself the most is the team that needed it least - the Spurs.

However, we figure some of the other top teams could slide and there might be a few surprises from below.

We figure the Suns are going to end up bunched with several teams that are capable of making it into the playoffs if everything goes right, or missing the postseason with any more bad breaks.

Here's how The Heat Index sees it shaking out, with last year's record and an arrow that indicates whether we think they're better, worse or about the same as last year:

1. San Antonio (59-23) - Added Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel. Rich get richer.

2. Houston (51-31) - Added Stromile Swift, but we'll believe Jeff Van Gundy has loosened the reins when we see it.

3. Dallas (58-24) - With Finley gone, only Dirk Nowitzki remains from "The Big Three."

4. Denver (49-33) - Nuggets didn't lose anything and added Earl Watson. Full season under George Karl. Could they be this year's run-and-gun Suns?

5. Sacramento (50-32) - Lot of folks love the Kings, who added Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells. Abdur-Rahim is a classic "numbers" guy, who puts ups stats but doesn't make anybody better. Wells is just a nut.

6. Minnesota (44-38) - Addition by subtraction. Malcontents Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell are gone. Wally Szczerbiak re-emerges.

7. Memphis (45-37) - Jason Williams, Wells out. Bobby Jackson, Damon Stoudamire and Eddie Jones in.

8. LA Lakers (34-48) - Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson are back together. But the season might depend on whether Kwame Brown amounts to anything.

9. Suns (62-20) - Chance to make it into the playoffs if nobody else goes down.

10. Seattle (52-30) - The Sonics kept Ray Allen, which is nice. But they overachieved under coach Nate McMillan, and he's gone.

11. Golden State (34-48) - All depends on health of point guard Baron Davis. First-round pick Ike Diogu busted hand. Bad karma.

12. Utah (26-56) - Guy with the best nickname in sports is healthy again: Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko.

13. LA Clippers (37-45) - C'mon, it's the Clippers. Does it really matter who is on the roster?

14. Portland (27-55) - Too bad Qyntel Woods is gone. Maybe he could have taught a dog like Darius Miles how to fight.

15. New Orleans/Oklahoma City (18-64) - This team needs a ton of retooling. Byron Scott first to be fired.