2005 Phoenix Suns Preview

At the time of publish the NBA regular season is around the corner. What better way to get you locked and loaded for a winning season than a free season preview from Maddux Sports. We remind you that MadduxSports.com is an expert NBA handicapper and offers NBA Picks against the point spread. For more information on this years basketball package click here. Onto the individual team preview for this years Phoenix Suns.

2005 Phoenix Suns Team Preview

The Phoenix Suns looked golden until star- forward/center Amare Stoudemire went down with a season ending knee injury. The question is—now what?

Last season the highest scorer on the high-scoring Suns was Stoudemire, who threw in 2,080 points with an average of 26 points per game over 80 games. Despite the fact that two of Phoenix’s starting five went to other teams this year the prolific point-men still possessed perhaps the best one-two punch in the league with Stoudemire and MVP Steve Nash. Stoudemire, who is entering his fourth professional season, even said he was determined to be the NBA’s MVP this year! That won’t be happening.

Plus, during the off-season, the club lost other important starters. Talented swingman Quentin Richardson, traded in the off-season, took his versatility and 14.9 points per game to New York, New York, while Joe Johnson, with his 17.1 points per game, went to Atlanta in a controversial 70 million dollar deal. The new guys in Phoenix, Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas, bring 12.3 and 11.5 points respectively to their new team. But the point differential is not the only distinction between the newly arrived and the recently departed; there is the issue of Johnson’s 3-point accuracy (47.8%) and Richardson’s play that opened up lanes for Nash, enhancing his effectiveness.

However, the Sun’s certainly gained something with Thomas, a sweet pick-and-roll player with a fine shot and excellent rebounding skills. Rebounding was key in the Spurs’ defeat of the Suns in the Western Conference Finals last season. At 6’9” Thomas is bigger than his predecessor and his defensive skills will be exceedingly helpful to a team that did little to stop their opponents from scoring. Last year the theory was the Suns could out gun and out run their opponents, and they did exactly that for awhile.

But with Stoudemire out and facing major surgery Sun’s coach Mike D’Antoni will have to rethink his strategy. The man who was a key element in Phoenix’s impressive 2004-05 season, an essential part of this year’s team, and prophesized to be the next full-fledged NBA superstar is out of the picture. How the Sun’s deal with that is anybody’s guess.

For more information on the 2005 Phoenix Suns Team, click here to visit their official team website.