What will it take for the Suns to win a championship? They are a great team, but always end up falling short?

Here is what I think:



1. Steve Nash is not strong enough physically. He tires out too soon and could work on his stamina.

2. Amare Stoudemire gets fouled a lot, but the refs don't always catch it.

3. Raja Bell's defense is a little in the gray area. He's an excellent defender, and if he watches his tendency of grabbing other players' clothing, I see 2 DPOY awards for him. He gets a lot of fouls called against him that could be avoided.

4. Five less minutes of playing time for Nash, and five more minutes for Barbosa. The Suns need to start preparing their next point guard as soon as they can. Nash is aging

5. Mike D'Antoni needs to chill out. It's good for his players self-esteem and for his own health. We can all learn from LeBron James. He's so calm and composed, and takes winning/losing gracefully, and his interviews are so eloquent.



So why do the Suns fall short every year? Last year, Kobe almost single-handedly ousted them. What will it take for them to win it all?

What will it take for the Suns to win a championship? They are a great team, but always end up falling short?
All the Suns have to do to win a championship is to win four consecutive playoff series.
Reply:one thing i noticed is that once they were in the last quarter or so they would tire out...it almost would seem like they would begin to give up. but im a spurs fan all the way so...i have no problem with that.
Reply:the suns have to stop a team at the end of a game and become a more physical team
Reply:The Suns will win one. They are still a very young team when compared to the Spurs. This year would have been theirs.
Reply:They have 3 All-Stars who they need to build around. Nash, Stoudemire and Marion are a great combination of speed, strength and leadership. They have to get a true center whose focus is on defense. A Marcus Camby type player who is an excellent shot blocker with long arms would give the quick guards Nash and Barbosa endless fast breaks. This big man will also take alot of pressure off Amare on D. The other thing they need to do is find a way to not give the other team a 2nd 24 second shot clock. This also falls on the big man to grab all the defensive boards he can like Dennis Rodman did for da Bulls, and Ben Wallace did for the Pistons. The Suns are so concerned with running the fast break that they sometimes forget that they need to grab the rebound first before you can run down the court at full speed. So the key for Phoenix next year is getting a guy like Alonzo Mourning or Mutumbo or anybody over 6 foot 10 who can block shots and rebound and they should go deeper in the playoffs. There are a couple young guys right now who fit this profile named Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard.
Reply:Amare needed to learn to defend man-to-man and anchored the whole Suns defense instead of being just a shotblocker.



It's the most important key for the Suns.
Reply:I believe their pace needs to change a little bit on some of their possessions. Instead of Overdrive 4 quarters try a little cruise control.
Reply:Defense wins championships. Phoenix does not have a defensive mindset. They will never win a title until they sure up their defense. You cannot outscore teams who have a defensive mindset. They cannot beat a team like San Antonio who has a defensive mindset.
Reply:They mostly need to work on their defense. Also they complain to the refs a little too much. And they have to hope they don't have to play the spurs
Reply:GUESS what u should coach for the suns i agree with most of what u said.but i think that nash has at least 5yrs left if coach gives him a little more rest.he does have a bad back.but other than that ur right on the mark.
Reply:They just need better rebounders like Paul Milsap or Chuck Hayes.

I don't even think they need to have better defense. They just need to stop giving up offensive rebounds and get some of their own. Their offense can capitalize on those opportunities.



No one besides Steve Nash seems to be able to take clutch shots either. Maybe Amare but rarely does he take them.
Reply:Suns are overrated, they play well....until someone sticks it in their face, and then they fall apart...

Just like all the other finesse teams have.
Reply:they need to change their whole style of play yea it's fun to watch but when it comes down to it defense wins championships, why do you think the spurs have been so dynamic over the past 10 years. even the showtime lakers of the 80's could beat you up on the defensive end but their bread and butter was their offense, so they need to PLAY DEFENSE
Reply:SMARTER DECISIONS!!!!

The Suns were in control when they won game 4 of the series and lost the series with the suspension of Stoudermire and Diaw in game 5. Their defensive strategy was working and they were winning games.

The Suns are too nice. If someone takes out you star player the way Horry took out Nash you cannot allow guys like Parker and Ginobili to enter into the painted area without putting a body on them at the very least.

Diaw was the man last year in Stoudermire's absence and he play so unaggressive in the playoffs this year. I know Stoudermire is back but it makes no sense not to use Diaw more, especially in the playoffs when that 3rd scoring option is extremely valuable.

Lastly, Stoudermire's foul trouble hurt the Suns as well. Understanding defensive angles and knowing when to not contest a shot to stay out of foul trouble was his biggest problem in my opinion. They needed that man on the court.

They could work on their half court game when Nash is on the bench resting; can't believe I just said that about the nbr 1 offensive team in the league.

Play Smarter and the Suns will stand a better chance of winning a championship.
Reply:Mayby a strong sixth man
Reply:they are a good offensive team but....they don't have a good defense. Raja is good but they need a whole team.
Reply:I think for the suns to win a championship they have to play more aggressively and Leandro Barbosa has to play better. And Steve Nash has to attempt more shots. If they do that they will win a champion ships in the next five years
Reply:They need to learn how to play better defense, they showed good signs playing against the spurms. I think D'antonie coaching philosophy is very flawed , nobody wins it all just playing offense. I think the team is very talented, maybe a new coach is the answer. I know defense will never be their strong suit but they have to be able to step it up, becuase they can't run teams off the floor in the playoffs.
Reply:There is proposedly a trade involving the Suns, Bulls, and Minnesota. I do not know all of the details, but one side has Amare for KG. I think this is exactly what the Suns need. Their interior defense gets better ten-fold, and along with Bell and Marion, if they decide to keep him, they would be in a class with the Spurs. KG is still young enough to give Phoenix four or five good years. Amare is young, but he's one demintional. Duncan killed him. KG can at least match him and there is a rivalry there. Without a much better defense, Phoenix will never win the West, even more so now with Portland getting Oden.
Reply:It is as simple as them getting a quality center who can defend, and KG will do that for them. The problem is that they may have to give up too much to get him, and find another hole that can be exploited and needs to be filled.



For the record, I think their team is good enough as is, if Stoudemire and Barbosa make a good step forward next year. Stoudemire needs to become a better defensive player and has the quickness to do it, he just needs to put in the effort, defense is all about effort. Barbosa needs to learn how to take better care of the ball and make better decisions when he's at the point, and this is all about practice and listening to your coaches, which everyone says he's very good about. They are running out of time with Nash though.
Reply:they need to use more of their bench. throughout the whole season, the phoenix suns have like a 7 man rotation and thats about it. they have 2 learn 2 trust their bench more
Reply:Stop there whining and get tougher with better defense.
Reply:yeah i agree wit all wat u said and they totally need to work on d =D that's jus about it =D then they'll go and make it to the championship =P
Reply:they need to play great defense and a lot of teamwork..encourage those bench players to also step up.
Reply:one word "defense" they are an offensive minded team, u can't win games by just offense alone, u need 2 be more physical and a defensive team 2 win championships.
Reply:If they can only get pass those San Antonio Spurs that might do the trick.
Reply:I think they need a true center who play great defense and bring amare back to his natural position.
Reply:they need to play better defense that's about it
Reply:a new shooting gaurd. or leandro barbosa gets more playing time and a starting spot
Reply:Everybody always disses the suns defense, but it really is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. They just need to add a deeper bench and somebody other than barbosa who could relieve nash of some minutes. I think with a few small tweaks and some good luck (unlike what they got this year) they can win the championship next year.



I definitely think the kg/amare deal is never going to happen and even if it could happen it would be a bad deal for the suns.
Reply:Agree with everything you said and we need to improve on defense

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