Brad wears a Michael Finley jersey in better times - when Finley didn't play for the Evil Empire.

There I am, maybe 15 years of age hanging out in Sun City in a Michael Finley Suns jersey. Surprisingly, the key statement there isn’t the fact I was in Sun City (boy, those were some crazy times), but rather the now-throwback jersey I was wearing of a guy who currently calls himself a Spur. It got me thinking about just how deep the roots to the Suns-Spurs Western Conference are and just how long I have loathed the NBA’s Evil Empire.

The first time these two ballclubs ever squared off in the postseason was back in the 1991-92 season – a time when grunge dominated the music industry, Terminator 2 dominated the box office and a certain forward by the name of Grant Hill was helping his Duke Blue Devils to two straight NCAA Championships. Phoenix swept San Antonio in three games, led by young up-and-coming superstars Cedric Ceballos, Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle.

The following year the two teams met again, with the workload being carried this time by new Sun Charles Barkley. In the series clinching victory, the Round Mound of Rebound and 1993 MVP would contribute 28 points and 21 rebounds. The Spurs, meanwhile, were led by their future MVP David Robinson, who in 1996 would have his revenge, dispatching the Suns in four quick opening round games.

Finley was a rookie with the Suns that season, while I was in the early stages of being an NBA fan. The Suns were the most entertaining team in the league that 1995-96 season, boasting a great combination of veterans (Barkley, Johnson) and rising, young stars (Finley, Wesley Person).

The Spurs also had a Person on their squad at that time, a sharpshooter by the name of Chuck, who wasn’t the only crafty veteran on the team’s roster. The Spurs that season were led by Robinson but had a plethora of talent surrounding him like Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, Vinny Del Negro and Doc Rivers.

Different as night and day, the two teams have been acquainted a lot over the years. Since that first postseason meeting in 1992, the Suns and Spurs have met in eight of the 14 seasons in which both teams qualified. For many NBA fans, it appeared the book regarding the rivalry closed with the departures of Barkley and Robinson to retirement and the smooth, front office transitions of guys like Johnson, Rivers and Del Negro. A new chapter was opened in 2002, however, when the Suns drafted a certain high school phenom by the name of Amaré Stoudemire.

STAT enjoyed a memorable rookie campaign during the 2002-03 season, earning himself Rookie of the Year honors en route to helping Phoenix return to the postseason. After a one-year hiatus from the playoffs (a rarity for the Suns organization), Phoenix was back as an eighth seed, and who better to be waiting for them than the San Antonio Spurs?

I was working my old job at the call center the night when Game 1 of that best-of-seven series tipped off. A number of co-workers and I were huddled around a friend’s computer keeping track of the action via a little play-by-play update he had set up on the bottom of the screen.

We read with excitement as Stoudemire’s banked 3-pointer from the top of the key forced overtime, having to contain ourselves as much as possible to avoid alerting the supervisors. By the time Stephon Marbury nailed the game-winner in overtime, our shifts had all ended but there we were, celebrating in the middle of the call center.

When the series returned for Game 3, I was there, watching Stoudemire receive his Rookie of the Year honors and unfortunately watching his 17-point performance come on the losing end of a 99-86 ballgame. That opening round would see the two teams play six games with the Spurs ultimately advancing all the way to yet another championship.

The Suns and Spurs would not meet again until the 2005 Western Conference Finals, with both teams having undergone some major changes by this time. Phoenix had brought back star point guard Steve Nash (his first of two-consecutive MVP seasons in the Valley), while San Antonio had replaced key role players like Stephen Jackson and Steve Kerr with Robert Horry and Brent Barry. What had not changed, however, was the intensity each team displayed when taking the court.

While the final results may have been the same, I’m far less fond of my memories concerning the 2005 series than I am the one in 2003. I was visiting New York at the time and to make a long story short, staying up until two o’clock in the morning to watch your team come up on the short end of a 4-1 series is not a good time.

But for all the good times and the not so good times which have taken place over the past decade between the two teams, the Suns-Spurs rivalry was truly cemented last year in the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals. I have never heard an arena as loud as the US Airways Center was for that dramatic Game 5, and like many other Suns fans, I will always wonder what could have been. Although now that I think about it, there is one solution to finally putting that series behind me. The cure could come in an opening round victory against the Spurs en route to the organization’s first-ever NBA Championship.

On May 22, 2007 I posted a blog about how in my eyes, the results of last year’s series almost guaranteed a Suns title in 2008. I mentioned how everybody had to do the impossible to finally get over the hump, from Peyton Manning’s improbably second-half comeback against the Patriots in 2007 to the Boston Red Sox bouncing back from not only Aaron Boone’s Game 7 homerun in 2004, but a 3-0 series deficit to the Yankees in 2005.

While the latter of the two still turns my stomach to this day, there’s no denying that getting over the hump takes every ounce of determination imaginable and for those who seem to want it most, it always seems to require doing the impossible against those who have always denied you. For the Suns, the path this season could require going through the Spurs, Mavericks and Lakers. That path doesn’t concern me in the slightest. I mean, do you think the Suns have ever been more determined than they are now? As a fan who has watched this rivalry almost from the beginning, I can definitely tell you where I stand.]]>Sat, 19 Apr 08 15:15:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_03130804.aspx

Shaq jumps back onto the court after a dive into the crowd during Sunday afternoon's win over the Spurs.    (NBAE Photos)

My response was always an honest one. I said I didn’t know whether or not the trade was going to alter our style, but I guaranteed the season was about to be a lot more fun.

The Diesel has since proven me right, bringing an energy to the Valley words just can’t describe. Since his arrival it isn’t just the contests against the Spurs or the Lakers which fans are anticipating, it’s each and every game. But that’s what happens when you’ve got a guy like O’Neal always providing the unexpected.

Before the match-up against the Golden State Warriors, FSN Arizona broadcaster Gary Bender and I talked to Mike D'Antoni in his office about O’Neal – specifically the play against the Spurs which saw him diving into the second row of Section 113. Bender suggested that could be the kind of play that turns around a season and the coach in no way dismissed the possibility.

D'Antoni broke his gaze from the Cavaliers/Wizards game on TV and said, “You know, it really could be.”

Later, KTAR’s Kevin Ray stopped in to discuss the play against Memphis where Shaq nearly repeated Sunday’s dive – this time into the Suns’ bench. While chasing down a loose ball towards the home team’s bench, the Suns reserves and coaches jumped out of their seats, expecting the 7-1, 320-pounder to come crashing through. This time, however, Shaq managed to put on the brakes and laughed at his sprawled out teammates.

“We all watched the replays of what happened on Sunday a few times so I wasn’t surprised to see their reaction,” D'Antoni said. “I don’t know what Linton Johnson was doing though. He was wrapping up a 10-day contract. If I were him I’d have taken the hit and spent the rest of the season collecting my checks.”

For years the Suns have been the most fun team in the league to watch, but now they have also become the most fun to talk about. When you think about it, the comedic moment during the Grizzlies game was actually just a play that never happened. Yet here we are two days later still talking about it. But that’s the kind of excitement O’Neal has brought with him from Miami and I don’t think things here could be any better.

Perhaps I’m a bit biased, having followed O’Neal’s career since he first came into the league. I finally had my chance to speak to the four-time NBA Champion earlier this week following a Suns’ practice. I needed to film O’Neal for a quick Suns.com video (look for that soon) and to be honest, I was a little nervous. I mean here was a guy – along with Reggie Miller, Grant Hill and Charles Barkley – I consider a founding father in my history as a basketball fan. Those players are why I started following professional basketball to begin with. In fact, yesterday I stumbled across a photo of me at the 1995 NBA Jam Session wearing a Suns t-shirt while posing with an O’Neal cardboard cutout. Having gone from 15-year-old Suns fan to 27-year-old Suns employee, I can now say the real thing is much more imposing.

As I approached the Diesel, I kept repeating in my head how great a guy everybody in the organization says he is but still I couldn’t seem to relax. I introduced myself, told him I was with the Web site and I just needed a second of his time. It was then I realized I was actually stepping on O’Neal’s shoe. Not enough for it to be really noticeable, but I could feel his shoe just under mine nonetheless. I thought to myself, “How in the world am I stepping on this man’s shoe if I’m standing five feet away from him?” and removed it as smoothly as possible.

Just like everybody had told me, O’Neal was great and meeting him definitely met my expectations. Even better for the team, however, is that he’s also exceeding expectations on the court. Pitching in 18 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets on March 5, Shaq followed that performance up with a 20-point game against the Jazz and a 16-rebound contest against the Spurs.

I honestly feel, however, with him continuing to get healthier and more comfortable, the best is yet to come. There were two major things taking place on the court for O’Neal and the Suns those first few games following the trade. For starters, the team had to learn how to play with a guy who’s among the most dominant big men of all time. At the same time, O’Neal had to play in an offense which ran through its point guard rather than him.

With their third-straight win coming against the Warriors, it appears the message is loud and clear: For the Suns, the learning period is slowly coming to an end. The timing couldn’t be better as the playoff positioning in the Western Conference is as tight as ever. In just a week’s time a team can go from hosting an opening-round series to being out of the playoffs completely. But while the race in the Western Conference may be no laughing matter, I’m still confident no fans are going to have more fun closing out the 2007-08 campaign than those right here in the Valley. Enjoy.
]]>Fri, 14 Mar 08 06:54:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_01050801.aspx

Me, Allan Greene and my favorite Gorilla of all time hanging out at Turf Paradise. (NBAE Photos)

Being too young to go myself, I stayed at home, most likely playing Tomb Raider and picking fights with my younger sister. When my parents got back, they said they had a little surprise and handed me a betting stub. Always the polite son, I pretended to be happy about the lackluster gift and it wasn’t until turning it over I saw what all the hype was about. The souvenir featured the autograph of Cotton Fitzsimmons, who at the time was serving as the Suns' chief color analyst on KTAR and KUTP-TV broadcasts alongside Al McCoy. The item went up on my wall and needless to say, has been an important keepsake ever since.

When I first moved to the Valley back in 1994, the only thing about Arizona I was familiar with was Phoenix Suns basketball. I had never heard of a swamp cooler, thought roadrunners only existed in cartoons and soda to me was soda, not “pop”. New to the area, Suns broadcasts quickly became my best friend and the one-two punch of McCoy and Fitzsimmons was a gigantic reason for that.

The accolades McCoy has received over the years have obviously cemented him among the greatest of all time, but it was Fitzsimmons who helped me learn the game itself. Always candid, Cotton held no punches, which was what helped make him so effective. He gave his commentary based on what took place on the court, not what was in the best interest of the organization and the New Yorker in me appreciated that. I went from Suns fan to Suns fanatic during that 1994-95 season, and through Cotton learned the way the game of basketball was meant to be played.

Hard to believe that Fitzsimmons was probably an even better coach than he was a commentator. But with 832 wins and two NBA Coach of the Year Awards, that may have just been the case. It’s been said, however, that what Cotton was best at was being a good person. My parents are two people who say their brief encounter with the Missouri Basketball Hall of Famer led them to believe this to be the case.

With Cotton’s passing in 2004, I regret that I’ll never have the chance to find out for myself. Today though I did have a chance to witness how many more people share the same sentiments as my parents, as life again proved to come full circle. Now as an employee of the team I grew up watching, I had the opportunity to attend the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, an annual race created in Cotton’s honor at what some say was his home away from home, Turf Paradise.

A number of Cotton’s friends and family were in attendance, as were a number of familiar faces. Guys like Dan Majerle and Steve Kerr, all sharing their memories of the beloved Cotton. The afternoon also gave me the opportunity to meet Cotton’s widow, JoAnn, for the first time. Having never met Cotton, I can’t give my personal impressions of him, but I can say without hesitation that JoAnn is a great woman who instantly made me feel as if I’d known her for years. She is an absolute joy to be around.

Just before the big race, our party was escorted down to the track where we’d have the opportunity to watch the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile run up close and personal. Waiting for the elevator with Steve Kerr, I commented on how I couldn’t resist betting on the number eight horse – a horse with a jockey named Larry O’ Brien. Kerr laughed and said he too bet on the 30-to-1 long shot, whose jockey shared the same name as the coveted NBA Championship trophy. Upon boarding the elevator, Kerr made a revelation which quickly removed the smile from his face.

“Come to think of it, our whole party probably bet on that horse,” the General Manager said. “We probably just messed up the odds for everybody at this track.”

After the race – which unfortunately saw We Brothers come up short – our party had our picture taken in the winner’s circle. As our photo was snapped with the horse that had cost me a year’s worth of comic books, I regretted not taking the betting advice of Web and Publishing Manager Josh Greene and his father Allan more often on the day. Regardless, the experience at Turf Paradise today was more than worth a week without lunch money (especially when Ramen noodles are an option).

While meeting JoAnn and talking omens with Steve Kerr was great, perhaps the best part of today came in seeing Suns legend Connie Hawkins, who has not been around much lately while dealing with some health issues.

I first met “the Hawk” prior to my days as a Suns employee. Having gone to a number of Suns games as a fan, I received an invitation to a Suns season tip-off party being held at the then-America West Arena. Coming off a 29-win season the prior campaign, the assumption was the organization was just desperate to get people inside the building. I brought my friend Filippo and had absolutely no idea what to expect. The party was great and gave season ticket holders the opportunity to have their pictures taken on the court with several players.

Although we were not season ticket holders, Filippo and I still enjoyed ourselves, thanks in large part to guys like Mike D'Antoni and Cedric Ceballos, who were kind enough to pose for pictures with us just off the hardwood. At one point, the two of us were sitting in our seats looking over the autographs we’d collected when a voice asked why we weren’t down on the court with everybody else. The voice belonged to Hawkins who I recognized instantly. Being a basketball historian from Brooklyn, New York, how could I not know who Connie Hawkins was?

I explained to the All-Star that since we weren’t season ticket holders, we weren’t permitted to go onto the court. Almost as if instinctively, Hawkins told us to follow him down to the court.

“Are you sure they’ll let us?,” I asked.

The Ring of Honor member smiled. “I’m Connie Hawkins.”

We followed Hawk down to the court where he organized a photo of Filippo, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and I to be taken. Just before the photo was snapped, I called out to Hawk - who had taken a seat on the sideline - to join in. He was hesitant, commenting on how we didn’t want the “old man” ruining the picture. Shawn Marion called out, “Come on Hawk, old school, new school baby” and the picture has been a personal favorite ever since.

The next time I hung out with Connie Hawkins, I was at the 2006 Phoenix Suns Summer Camp up in Prescott. I had just wrapped up my internship with the organization and was coaching a team of young, aspiring NBA players. The team was off to a slow start and before we knew it, were the only winless team at the camp (you can point to coaching, but I point to a number of key injuries).

Our team was on a bye hour, spending the time enjoying refreshments, when one of the counselors approached with Hawkins. Apparently Hawk had heard about our struggles and wanted to know if he could spend some time with the team. Over the next hour, the Hall of Famer – who could have very easily have been spending the time relaxing himself – coached the team on everything from dribbling to shooting.

Our team went unbeaten in two of its last three contests and left camp with their heads held high. Part of it I credit to the drills Hawk had them run, but most of it I feel was the confidence he had given them. Regardless of what it was, the kids certainly felt the camp feeling a lot better about themselves then they would have had the team gone winless.

You always hear about the Suns family and how it includes not only the players, but the coaches, the front office, the employees and the fans. The organization does its best to prove this each and every day not only with its play on the court, but its work in the community.

I don’t think it will ever cease to amaze me that I am now an employee of the Phoenix Suns. In three seasons now with the organization, the US Airways Center has officially become my second home. As far as being a member of the Suns family, however, it seems it’s been so long now, I can’t envision life being anything but.

Thanks Cotton.
]]>Sun, 06 Jan 08 05:41:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_11010705.aspx

Among the highlights of the offseason was the luncheon for Suns Chairman Jerry Colangelo. (NBAE Photos)

Having been a college student now for what seems like 35 years, it seems like I find myself learning more outside of the classroom than inside it. Not to take away from the importance of school, but my job with the Suns has taught me much more about journalism, videography and life itself.

Take this past summer for example:

READING - didn't do as much of it as I'd have liked, but that usually ends up being the case for me over the summer. I read a couple of novels (counting CliffsNotes), some Suns blogs and of course, comic books.

WRITING - for the Suns I did quite a bit. When the organization drafted Wisconsin's Alando Tucker, I had the opportunity to discuss the move with not only Tucker, but new General Manager Steve Kerr and Head Coach Mike D'Antoni. Both are confident the guard has plenty of potential, not only for his ability on the offensive end of the floor, but his ability to "badger" opponents on defense as well. What the front office like best is the fact both he and second-round pick DJ Strawberry have plenty of collegiate experience.

ARITHMETIC - One Team. One City. One Goal. Mathematically, it added up for Phoenix's first ever WNBA Championship. I'm obviously a bit biased, but don't think it could have gone to a more deserving group. Everybody you speak with from the front office to the players themselves is a class act, and it's no wonder why so many people were pulling for them (other than the fact it involved rooting against Bill Laimbeer that is).

CHEMISTRY - While the Mercury were busy perfecting their chemistry on the court, the Suns did their best to improve their chemistry off of it. The signing of All-Star forward Grant Hill is a move which just looks better by the day. He's looked great in practice and many are predicting he'll be making his eighth All-Star appearance when the game is played in New Orleans later this season.

You can't seem to talk to anybody about Hill without some discussion of the person he is when away from the game of basketball. I’ve had the chance to talk to him a few times now and couldn’t agree more. But to be honest, what’s really impressed me throughout preseason is his decision-making ability. Whether he has the basketball in his hands or not, he seems to do the right thing each and every time on the break. With he and Steve Nash on the court together, Phoenix’s assist-to-turnover ratio could be tops in the league this season.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - I don't think I ever regretted a workout more than when Jeramie McPeek and I decided to take on Steve Koek and Josh Greene in a little two-on-two. Still in our work attire, we decided to play a "quick" contest to seven points, the winner having to win by two. That little stipulation cost us dearly as we played and we played and we played deep into the afternoon. McPeek and I emerged the victors (although I felt like anything but for the remainder of the work day) but it was Koek who delivered the best line. Passing by the air hockey table, an out-of-breath Steve asked, "Air hockey, why couldn't we just play air hockey?"

STATISTICS - Having been a fan since the day the organization drafted him, going to San Diego with Amaré Stoudemire for the motion capture process was indeed a surreal experience (although I've learned in my time surreal is just another way of admitting I'm getting old).

It was my first time traveling to San Diego and playing video games for “business” and it’s an experience I highly recommend. Speaking of San Diego, I had another great time at Comic-Con this past July. Fellow blogger Adam Beechen and I caught up on old times and Jim Lee sketched me a picture of the X-Men’s Rogue (those of you who appreciate comics can really appreciate the coolness in that).

HISTORY – It was in the making when the Suns.com Newsroom was unveiled on August 8. A number of celebrities were in the house including Stoudemire, D'Antoni and Suns owner Robert Sarver. The organization has been very good to us web guys over the years and the team is definitely enjoying their time in the new digs.

GRADUATION - We’re just a few hours from tip-off now and I am definitely ready to roll. My Suns predictions include a new franchise record of 63 wins, an All-Star appearance for Grant Hill and, of course, an NBA Championship.
]]>Thu, 01 Nov 07 20:40:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_10180701.aspx

STAT says he dedicated a lot of the offseason working on his defense, primarily to help our fantasy team with some steals and blocks of course. (NBAE Photos)

Don’t worry, I think the Suns.com team did a fine job representing and like the real Suns will be a team to reckon with come the start of the regular season. But like with any fantasy draft, you can’t help but look back and think of the things you’d like to have done differently.

But before we get into that, let’s take a look back at how today’s draft unfolded:

7:00 I wake up and see Micah Hart of the Atlanta Hawks has already sent out an e-mail informing everybody of the draft order. Yesterday I discussed the simplicity of picking early in a draft, the benefits of picking later and the stress of picking in the middle. The Suns.com Newsroom Team will be selecting sixth out of twelve. No comment.

8:30 On my way to a video shoot for class and weighing my options. I discussed my desire to draft Amaré Stoudemire yesterday, and while I feel he would normally slide a bit later, I don’t have much of a choice as he definitely will be gone come the second round. On the way down I’m going to complete the one-two punch ideally with an Allen Iverson-type player.

10:55 Not a good sign. I’m literally getting to my desk five minutes prior to the draft. I think I’m having a bit of a panic attack from the rush here and the thought the computer would auto draft Greg Oden for me.

11:01 Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the first three names off the board, no surprises there. With just three teams ahead, I’m starting to wonder if Shawn Marion will drop my way forcing me to make an interesting decision.

11:02 And just like that, the Matrix is off the board with the fourth overall pick. The only person left even debating taking instead of Stoudemire is big Dirk Nowitzki…. But there he goes.

11:03 And with the sixth overall pick in the 2007 Fantasy Basketball Draft, the Suns.com Newsroom selects… Amaré Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. Understandable I would want to make sure to grab a key Suns player, but I’m sure people are wondering why it wouldn’t be their two-time MVP Steve Nash. For starters, I think the scoring system in this league is going to favor STAT over Nash. I also think Boris Diaw is going to bounce back and have a solid season and Grant Hill will return to All-Star form. With other playmakers around him, I don’t think as much will be demanded of Nash and I wouldn’t be surprised if his numbers fell a little (to the benefit of the team of course). Finally, Stoudemire has center eligibility and good centers in the NBA are hard to come by these days – especially ones who could potentially average up to 30 points-per-contest this season.

11:05 Steve Nash is selected eighth overall. You’ve got to love an NBA team which has three players selected within the first eight picks. Dwight Howard (who I’m a huge fan of) follows and the first round closes out with two solid point guards, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul, followed by Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala.

11:09 Coming back my way again and believe me, my fingernails are paying for it. Carmelo Anthony just went off the board which gives me a tough decision to make. I’d love to have partnered Anthony with Stoudemire, but I still have Iverson available to complete the one-two scoring punch. Tim Duncan is still out there, but I refuse to give in to temptation. My other options are Yao Ming, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

11:13 Went the route of Allen Iverson. I’ve learned from past drafts that switching things up on the fly generally doesn’t result in much more than aggravation (i.e. Tom Brady). I worry about the wear-and-tear on Iverson’s body, but love the fact I can play a guy at point guard who can explode for 50 points on any given night. The guys in the Suns.com Newsroom are quite disappointed in me, but I doubt they’ll have complaints when we’re hoisting that Championship trophy above our heads… there is a trophy, right?

11:15 Jeramie McPeek is really lacing into me about the Iverson selection. Says he doubt the guy will even show up for our fantasy practices. Practice?!? I stand behind Iverson and while he may miss a few games here and there with injuries, the second round is too early to take a guy who isn’t a sure thing. Yao Ming and Ray Allen are both as susceptible to injuries as Iverson, and Pierce is a question mark in terms of where he’ll fit in with KG and Jesus Shuttlesworth. I expect great things from Pierce and should he be available come round three will be doing back flips over it, but Iverson is a guarantee and in round two that’s what I’m looking for.

11:25 With our third overall pick we’ve gone the route of Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, who happened to be my first non-Sun NBA interview by the way. He’s a great guy and will make a great addition to this team… Plus, Stefan Swiat vowed to take the heat if he gets injured which is an added bonus.

11:28 Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor just went off the board to the Grizzlies.com team. I like Okafor and think he’s due for a breakout season. Thought his injury problems would allow him to slip a little but guess not. At this point in the draft all your explosive scorers have pretty much gone off the board and I’m pretty comfortable with our trio of Stoudemire, Iverson and Redd. Jermaine O’Neal is still out there as is Kevin Durant. Those forwards can definitely light it up, but I’m not too big on O’Neal’s injury history or the fact that Durant is a rookie with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I would happily grab either though were they still available come our next pick.

11:33 This is it. All the superstars are off the board and this is when fantasy titles are won or lost. If you go with those can’t-miss players early like I suggested, you know what you’re going to get out of them. Now is the time for gambling and those guys who could potentially put your team over the top. I’m realizing I haven’t been in a fantasy draft with this many teams before. O’Neal would be a steal if he falls to me with six teams choosing ahead-- and there goes O’Neal to OrlandoMagic.com followed by Rashard Lewis. There’s something wrong with that picture.

11:35 We now have our fourth player in the form of Washington’s Antawn Jamison. You’ve got to be happy with getting an All-Star in the fourth round. Jamison is a great all-around player when he’s healthy and can score from both the inside and outside while also contributing rebounds. Leandro Barbosa was selected just before him which was kind of a surprise. I thought with him being a sixth man, teams would wait on him a little longer. Speaking of surprises, our selection was followed by Ron Artest who I think is suspended the first eight games of the season.

11:42 Although I did not agree with the pick, we’ve gone with Sacramento’s Kevin Martin here in round five (thanks to Swiat). Martin was great for me a couple years back when my dad suggested I grab him towards the end of the draft, but round five just seems way too early for the guy. I scrolled down to look for Grant Hill who is ranked #149. That is a huge mistake for whoever pre-ranked these players. I know the other guys drafting won’t sleep on him that long, but I am very interested in seeing how late I can allow him to slide. If I could draft him come the seventh or eighth round, that would be the kind of pick that really carries a team.

11:46 Jason Richardson has been drafted to close out round five. As we prepare for round six, I’m seeing names like Randy Foye, Andrei Kirilenko, Corey Maggette, Andrew Bogut and Eddy Curry. This is a big round in my opinion as those guys can go one of two very different directions this season. In a league with standard settings, Kirilenko would be the guy hands down. I’m not sure how his type of statistics would work with this kind of scoring, however. Maggette meanwhile will be playing without injured All-Star Elton Brand for a large chunk of the season and will probably be much more productive in Los Angeles.

11:53 Wow, what a series of events which just took place in the Suns.com Newsroom. During a heated debate between the possibilities of Kirilenko, Maggette and Detroit’s Richard Hamilton, the computer auto selected Danny Granger for us. Should Granger live up to his potential and play like he’s capable of playing, we may have just secured that championship… by complete accident.

12:00 Made my pick intentionally this time, Los Angeles Clipper Al Thornton. I’m going to put my stock in Hill being available in the next round and went with our first rookie. I remember watching Thornton when he worked out here in Phoenix over the summer and was more than impressed with his game. With Brand out, he’s definitely going to get some opportunities to shine alongside Maggette and former Sun Tim Thomas.

12:10 The trigger has been pulled, Hill is finally a member of our fantasy team. Maybe a little early in terms of how long we could have waited, but definitely a steal nonetheless. I said I wanted to wait until round seven or eight to grab the five-time All-Star and patience has paid off (maybe I’ll apply that lesson to life sometime). Hill is going to contribute here in Phoenix and expected averages of 15 points, four assists and three rebounds are more than you can ask now that we’re past the midway point. Right now, we’re hoping Jameer Nelson can slip to us so we can grab him as our backup point guard.

12:15 Nelson went the pick just before us to the Bourbon Street boys. I made a controversial move of sorts in selecting Houston’s Steve Francis over Daniel Banks’ suggestion, Cleveland’s Daniel Gibson. Banks was working with the Spurs last season and got the chance to watch Gibson up close and personal in the NBA Finals. Banks says he likes the fight in Gibson and I’m not opposed to the sophomore, but Francis to me has tremendous upside. Don’t get me wrong, I acknowledge he can be a complete bust, but back in Houston and playing alongside Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, big things could be ahead for Francis. And if you can get big things from a guy selected in round nine, you’re team is probably doing big things.

12:29 We were busy debating between Mike Dunleavy and Daniel Gibson when Hawks center Zaza Pachulia was selected for us. I’m not complaining too much as I had all three of them in the queue and had no idea where to go anyway. Each of those three players is so completely different, how can you choose?

12:35 Round 11 now and I’m looking in the direction of Memphis’ Hakim Warrick next. The Newsroom seems to agree and the fact we’d be in unison about anything is definitely a concern. Too bad Chicago is so forward-heavy right now, otherwise Tyrus Thomas would be a solid-- And as I type that, there he goes.

12:50 Warrick it is. Hopefully Memphis’ new Head Coach and former Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni will hook up that run-and-gun system and make him the go-to man for that ballclub. I’ll have to get the message to their new Director of Media Relations Dustin Krugel (AKA Meat) and insure that’s the case.

12:55 Round 12 and I’m very, very hungry. Right now anybody is looking like a good choice as long as they get us to the end of this draft. Derrick Zimmerman of New Jersey is still available, isn’t he?

1:00 Just grabbed Dunleavy who was still available. We’re in agreement that we’re going Acie Law IV next and are currently debating how to close things out here. DJ Strawberry or Sean Marks? I’m in Marks’ corner, but it appears I’m outnumbered. Marks has center eligibility, but the consensus is that Strawberry will make more of an impact with the Suns this season.

1:16 Just waiting to wrap things up. I’m going with Strawberry as our final pick.

1:18 Strawberry is off board and following the selection of Dallas’ DeSagana Diop (Mavs.com, what a surprise) the draft is complete. Here is our roster as it stands:

Amaré Stoudemire
Allen Iverson
Michael Redd
Antawn Jamison
Kevin Martin
Danny Granger
Al Thornton
Grant Hill
Steve Francis
Zaza Pachulia
Hakim Warrick
Mike Dunleavy
Acie Law IV
DJ Strawberry

3:51 Following lunch and a few assignments, I’ve had some time to reflect on our team now. I think if I can accept the fact this is a 12-team league and therefore teams aren’t going to be as loaded with talent, I’ll be more than happy with our squad. My projected opening day starting lineup consists of Allen Iverson, Kevin Martin, Grant Hill, Michael Redd, Antawn Jamison, Hakim Warrick, Al Thorton, Amaré Stoudemire and Danny Granger. All guys with heart (something which the Boston Red Sox could definitely use right about now) and all guys I’m confident will contribute throughout the 2007-08 campaign. I also like the fact that we’re not relying heavily on guys like Steve Francis, Zaza Pachulia, Mike Dunleavy, Acie Law IV and DJ Strawberry, but have them on standby should their services be needed.

Barring any huge, blockbuster trades, I’ll check back in to update you come the start of the 2007-08 season. Go Suns and go Suns.com Newsroom Team (we’ve definitely got to shorten that name).
]]>Thu, 18 Oct 07 23:08:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_10170701.aspx

The smörgåsbord of All-Stars, Shawn Marion, is a hot commodity in fantasy leagues with his ability to do it all. (NBAE Photos)

For me that process has come a little early this year. Usually my friends and I like to reserve our draft for the most last second, most inconvenient time possible. Say five hours before the first game of the season tips off for example. This season, however, the Suns.com staff was asked to participate in an NBA-wide fantasy basketball league – with opponents coming everywhere from houstonrockets.com to orlandomagic.com. Kind of like a “who’s who” in the world of NBA Web sites if you will.

The draft is a day away now, and already my mind is weighing out all the possibilities. During class, all I could do was think of which options are best depending on where we end up selecting. With 12 teams participating, the margin for error is slim. Obviously there aren’t any mysteries with the first four or five selections. Unlike Alex Rodriguez, athletes like Kevin Garnett, Shawn Marion, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant are considered can’t-misses when it comes to October. Picking at the end of the first round, meanwhile, has its advantages as you can get yourself a nice one-two punch say in the form of Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. But where do you go if you’re dead in the middle? Is it too early to pick Amaré Stoudemire or do you chance waiting for him to come around again?

The scoring system in the league is unlike any I’ve experienced before, but it has made my strategy simple. The system gives you a point for every player’s point scored, three-pointer made, assist dished, rebound grabbed and blocked shot… um, blocked. Field goal percentage and free throw percentage are also factored in somehow, but that’s way too much algebra for me.

Anyway, while I am far from an expert in math, there is something which jumps out at me immediately. Most leagues I do are about balance and finding ways to be strong in a number of different categories. For example, you’ll have five different categories (points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals) and win based on the amount of total categories you beat your opponent in. This is obviously where a guy like the Matrix comes in handy. The Swiss Army knife of the NBA can help a fantasy team in a number of ways, from scoring to rebounding to blocking shots and grabbing steals. The scoring system we’ll be using in this league, however, makes guys whose strong suit is putting up points much more valuable.

If you get one point for each statistic, guys like Michael Redd and Ray Allen are much more valuable than in other leagues. Normally I would select Dwight Howard well before these scorers because he’s going to contribute fairly good numbers in a number of different categories. But here, I’ll take 30 points, three rebounds and three steals from Redd over 17 points, 12 boards and two blocks from Howard. Not to mention the fact that Redd is also going to help a lot more in the three-point category as well as free throw percentage (however that works).

So now you see what I’ve been dealing with all day and why a number of times during today’s class I found myself looking over statistics rather than my notes. Tomorrow morning is the draft and I’ll be sure to give you the breakdown of how things play out. Then over the course of the season I’ll keep you updated in terms of how things are going throughout the league as the Suns.com Newsroom Team tries to capture that all elusive fantasy championship.

If anybody has any suggestions in terms of where to go tomorrow, don’t hesitate to throw in your two cents.

]]>Wed, 17 Oct 07 21:59:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_09270702.aspx

Amare Stoudemire and Brad Faye try out NBA '08. (NBAE Photos)

When the Phoenix Suns drafted Amaré Stoudemire back in 2002, I received a number of calls from friends and family asking my opinion on the selection. For anybody interested in my two cents, my analysis of the youngster was simple – if he could ever develop a consistent shot from about 15 feet out, he would go down in history as a better power forward than Karl Malone. So far, he’s made me look pretty good. The two-time All-Star has scored 6,016 points and grabbed 2,732 rebounds five seasons into his NBA career, despite missing all but three games during the 2005-06 campaign. It’s hard to imagine that had STAT spent four seasons playing college ball, the 24-year-old would have just wrapped up his rookie season last year.

But for all the predictions I’ve been able to make over the years, there’s no way could I have foreseen what would take place just a couple weeks ago. With Stoudemire slated for the cover of the soon-to-be-released NBA ’08 video game, Sony invited me out to San Diego for a front row seat to the motion capture process involving STAT.

For anybody not familiar with the process, it records the movements of a participant – in this case Stoudemire – and maps them to a 3-D model created by a computer artist. In the case of video games, it allows more realistic and fluid motions from the characters being controlled. Quite a long ways from Super Mario and those Dig Dug guys, right?

The technology behind motion capture definitely pays off when playing these games, as you can see the difference between a player of Stoudemire’s size, stature and ability when compared to that of a Chris Paul. It not only makes for a better look to the game, but also makes things much more realistic.

When I arrived, I met up with several people in the video game industry who were there for a sneak peak. While I haven’t been in the video game loop like I used to be, it was definitely comforting to see I wasn’t as ancient as I thought. There were still references to Double Dribble and when playing NBA ‘08 against the experts, I didn’t do nearly as poorly as I expected. Not only did I spare myself embarrassment, but I was even able to emerge victorious in one of my two contests played (thanks in large part to a Raja Bell shot at the buzzer).

While a room filled with video game experts and a web guy would already seem to scream cool (to some, anyway), things managed to go up a notch when Stoudemire made his arrival. The big man hung out, talked a little hoop and did some gaming before calling it an early night.

I also called it a night early (minus some ESPNEWS) as I knew it would be a long day ahead tomorrow. The hotel room was great and minus the radio alarm randomly sounding off at 5 a.m., definitely had no complaints.

The following morning a couple of us enjoyed a breakfast buffet before heading over to Sony Computer Entertainment headquarters where the motion capture process would take place. Although it was early, Stoudemire was his usual approachable self, chatting with Sony representatives about everything from his gold-medal-winning play in Las Vegas to his knee surgery of a couple years ago (I really wonder if seven more All-Star appearances from now that will still be brought up).

Stoudemire then went to work, and an array of jumpshots and slam dunks later, the process was nearly complete. As the animators began piecing things together, STAT and I went head-to-head on the PlayStation 3. Taking over for game designer Steve Boldener midway through the first quarter, I was forced to use the Seattle SuperSonics while Stoudemire utilized himself and the Suns. With the game already out of reach, I just had a little fun, at one point beating both the video game Amaré and the real Amaré to the other end of the court with former Sun and current Sonic Kurt Thomas. Stoudemire questioned the realism of that specific play, but other than that, the game was met with nothing but positive feedback.

Speaking personally, I can honestly say this was maybe the best basketball video game I have ever played. The graphics are unmatched and the actual game play is as smooth and as fun as any I’d experienced in a long time. I think video games went through a period where designers spent so much time worrying about the graphics that the gameplay lagged. That definitely was not the case with NBA ’08 (and no, I am not being sent out several cases of PlayStation 3’s for saying that).

My only complaints came in the fact that when playing at the US Airways Center, the team photographer in the game looked nothing like our own Barry Gossage, and the pre-game introductions were not conducted by Suns game emcee Cedric Ceballos. I mentioned this to Boldender, the game’s designer, and he commented on how difficult it would be to get that specific for each and every team in the league. I stated that it didn’t need to be done for every team and that in the grand scheme of things only the Suns mattered, but the comment wasn’t taken as seriously as I’d intended.

Following lunch, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Stoudemire. Assuming he was going to be burnt out on talking about the motion capture process and the game, I went more the route of STAT’s summer recap and 2007-08 expectations. Needless to say, the All-Star is fired up and expecting big things to come out of Phoenix this season. He was excited about the addition of Grant Hill and says the forward is in the best shape he’s been in for ages. Stoudemire quickly credited our awesome training staff for that and says a new, rejuvenated Hill should be taking the court for the new season.

I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things as an employee of the Phoenix Suns, but I may be going out on a limb here by saying this was the coolest. As somebody who has played video games since the days of Commodore 64 (thanks Mom and Dad), and for ages has been a basketball fan, there aren’t many better assignments than flying out to San Diego and hanging out with a guy whose career you’ve followed from the very beginning.

In fact, I can still remember the night the news broke that Steve Nash would be returning to Phoenix to rejoin the Suns. I actually told a friend, “The guy I predicted to be the next Karl Malone now has his John Stockton.” Never could I have foreseen that I’d someday go from discussing my expectations of Amaré and the Suns to discussing the expectations of the Suns with the man himself.]]>Thu, 27 Sep 07 16:44:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_08160701.aspxJohn Paxson. Mario Elie. It's stung for Suns fans in the past, but never quite like this.

Jeter and Manning have been on both ends of monumental victories and defeats. (NBAE Photos)

Phoenix's elimination to arch-rival San Antonio for the second time in three seasons was tough, but it doesn't mean there isn't reason to be optimistic.

I know what you're thinking - here we go with another "rah rah" Suns.com blog justifying why next season will be different. I'm not here to predict anything but I did want to stop by and share a few stories with you.

It's hard to call Peyton Manning the most underrated player in football. After all, how do you call a league MVP underrated? It's simple, Manning carries that team and orchestrates that offense like no player we've seen this past decade. He makes reading an NFL defense look easy, and better than any player in the NFL (including running backs) allows his defense to rest on the sidelines for extended periods of time.

For whatever reason, however, Manning just could never seem to take his team deep in the playoffs, particularly when it involved getting beyond the New England Patriots. Even in 2005, after Manning shrugged off his 0-7 record in New England to help improve Indianapolis to an 8-0 regular season record, the Pro Bowler couldn't appear to get over that postseason hump as the Colts fell, this time to the eventual World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

I'll never forget the night Manning was officially able to get over the hump. It didn't come in the Super Bowl, but rather the AFC Conference Championship Game against those Patriots. I was working a Suns game that evening and was unable to watch the memorable gridiron contest. I did, however, receive a number of calls from people who wanted to rub it in that my favorite quarterback on my favorite team was again about to come up short to a team which plays near a city I can't stand. On this evening, I did make a guarantee. To everyone who called to update me on the Colts' 18-point deficit, I spoke of the events which would follow.

In my best rendition of Paul Westphal's 1993 Opening Round Series guarantee, I said, "We're going to win the ballgame. We're going to overcome the deficit and tomorrow everybody will talk about how Manning was finally able to get over the hump after doing the impossible."

Manning indeed pulled off the comeback, riding the momentum to an eventual Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears. The guy who just couldn't seem to beat Tom and his Brady Bunch did so when absolutely nobody gave him a shot - well almost nobody.

The tables were turned in 2004 when it was Boston doing what many felt was a mission impossible. Trailing their long-time rival Yankees in the American League Championship Series 3-0, all sports fans heard about was that fun little statistic discussing how no team in NBA or MLB history has ever climbed back to win a series when trailing 3-0. As if that wasn't enough for the Red Sox, to mount a comeback would mean mounting one against the Yankees, the team which had provided them with a lifetime of wedgies and swirlies.

With the series suddenly tied at three games apiece, I again remained confident. Perhaps biased by my New York blood, I claimed that this was all a marvelous setup, constructed by the Yankees themselves. The team had seemingly ripped out the hearts of Sox fans in every way possible, why not get creative? What better way to hurt a sports fan than by taking one who has gone from hopeless to hopeful and punching them in the stomach?

On this night, however, it wasn't meant to be as the Red Sox destroyed the Yankees in the house that Ruth built - Yankee Stadium. It was the first and only time in my life I actually had people calling me to see if I was alright due to the result of a sporting event. It should have been a sign that I had become too emotionally involved in the world of sports, but of course it didn't.

Life as a sports fan is filled with hard times, but it's those hard times which make climbing the mountain worth it. And there's no better feeling than doing it when it appears you've had your last chance, just ask Peyton Manning or any of the players who were forced to wear Red Sox jerseys in 2004.

A lot of people feel the Suns had their best shot at winning a championship in 2007, but a lot of people also thought Manning could never get past New England and that the Red Sox could never get past the Yankees. When the clouds are darkest are when the great ones rise - and who better to rise next season than a team which calls Phoenix home?

Stoudemire’s summer sessions in 2006, helped him to another All-Star appearance in 2007. (NBAE Photos)

Making their way out as guests to the camp were the newest members to the Phoenix Suns roster, rookies Alando Tucker and DJ Strawberry. It worked out well as you couldn’t have asked for two guys more excited to be spending time with the kids. Of course I’m sure it also felt good for them to get away from the press conference podiums and back around basketball as well. I’ve had time now to talk with each of the two rookies and think both will be great fits for the organization.

Strawberry, while soft spoken, got along really well with the kids once he got more comfortable in his environment. As time went on, he got pretty vocal whenever one of the kids took Tucker to school. I joked with Steven Koek, “I thought we got this guy cause he could play defense.”

While we did draft Tucker in large part because of his ability to guard perimeter players, there is certainly more to the Wisconsin Badger than meets the eye (you knew I was getting a Transformer reference in there at some point). Tucker is quick, smart and experienced. He is also a lot better a shooter than people realize.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with Tucker one-on-one for an article I was working on for Suns.com. I’d done a lot of research on his collegiate career and asked him about the improvement his shooting saw throughout the years. To be honest, I was hoping maybe he could refer me to a specific cereal or magical refreshment beverage which could improve my game, but I wasn’t so lucky. Tucker’s response was simple:

“When I came from high school I was a perimeter player, but when I went to Wisconsin, I felt it better to play a four down low. Because of that, I spent so much time in the post that it ended up being a struggle adjusting when I was back on the perimeter. As I continued playing outside, though, the more and more confidence I got and the better I felt. Of course, it always helps putting in a lot of practice off the court, too.”

Practice is something I don’t see being a problem for either rookie as both are in love with the game of basketball. I’ve never been big on watching the Summer League, but will definitely be tuned in the upcoming weeks to see how these guys do.

Of course there is also some interest in seeing this Greg Oden guy I keep hearing about (I think he’s a center or something, I’m not sure) and some guy named Kevin Durant (who probably only did as well as he did in college having Vince Young as a teammate). All jokes aside, Corey Brewer who went to Minnesota and Al Thornton who will be playing for the Clippers will also make things interesting as far as rookies go.

The Summer League isn’t reserved for only NBA freshmen, however. Orlando’s Dwight Howard and Phoenix’s Amaré Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa have participated as non-rookies and things turned out fairly well for them. Howard is obviously one of the league’s top players, while STAT used the 2006 Vegas Summer League to rehab the knee injuries which forced him to miss most of the previous season. The “Brazilian Blur” meanwhile participated in both the 2004 and 2005 versions of basketball summer school and eventually sped his way to the 2007 Sixth Man of the Year Award.

For the most part though, the summer league is about the rookies. And with a draft class consisting of names like Oden, Durant, Tucker and Strawberry; it certainly should be a lot of fun to watch.

Jessica Alba is a Warriors fan, hence she can’t be part of the “Fun-tastic Four.” (NBAE Photos)

That said, I’m going to forge ahead anyway, and I’ll do so without trying to paint a pretty picture avoiding the fact we failed to reach our ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship. I will, however, take a page from Mike D’Antoni’s book and state that the season was anything but a waste because of that.

Again, there isn’t a Suns fan or employee on this planet who didn’t want to capture a title. But at the same time, there isn’t a Suns fan or employee out there who can say they didn’t enjoy the ride this season.

SEPT. 30 – The Suns enjoy their first practice in Treviso, Italy. Europe was the home for training camp in 2006, the team bonding greatly because of it. Friendships were born and it was kind of like one of those buddy films only instead of two guys you had like 14. The trip had more highlights than lowlights, but the worst moment perhaps came in a Steve Nash-planned trip to a Milan soccer game. As Sean Marks stated, “Unfortunately we were on a bus that's top speed led little to be desired and I am sure that a Suns fast break would have passed it by.” The group arrived at halftime to watch a game which ended in a 0-0 tie.

OCT. 17 – The Suns are back in their rightful home of Phoenix, Arizona for a contest against the Clippers. With D’Antoni preparing for the team which took them the distance in last season’s Conference Semifinals, I have the task of updating him on the Mets-Cardinals playoff game taking place. I ultimately have to tell him the disappointing news that the Mets fell in Game 4 by a final of 4-2. There is no joy in Mudville for Mets fans, and even worst, the Suns fall to the Clippers.

OCT. 31 – The Suns opened the regular season against the team they opened last season’s postseason against, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were without their star Kobe Bryant and as expected, the Suns took advantage early. A late comeback, however, was led by forward Lamar Odom and Los Angeles found themselves 1-0 on the season. The Suns meanwhile were 0-1 but quickly came back the following night against the Los Angeles Clippers and captured a 112-104 victory.

NOV. 9 – Trouble in paradise. Following a 112-119 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Suns quickly find themselves 1-4 on the season. D’Antoni is irate during the postgame press conference and states, “I guarantee the next game we will have some passion and every game out.”

NOV. 17 – As predicted by the Head Coach, the Suns improved their play instantly - a big win coming without the services of Nash against Philadelphia. It is during Phoenix’s 106-94 victory I take notice of Leandro Barbosa. The “Brazilian Blur” is a different player than he’s been in the past, confident and most importantly, poised. He scores 26 points and a la Wilt Chamberlain grabs 10 rebounds in the win.

“I have been playing with a lot of confidence right now,” said Barbosa after the game. “I’ve been comfortable. Everybody has been helping me. The coaches have made me comfortable and I think it’s been good for me.”

NOV. 20 – The Suns play a huge contest against the Golden State Warriors. No, not huge because the California team has found a way to reunite Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullen. Huge because it is a chance to prove they will bring it each and every night regardless of the opponent - something they’ve failed to do against subpar teams in the past. In a tied ballgame, Nash hits a tiebreaking three-pointer with just 4.1 seconds remaining. Phoenix hangs on for a 113-110 win in ORACLE Arena.

``Our record isn't where we want it to be, but it's only 10 games, and we're still learning how to play with this mix,'' the two-time league MVP said after the win improved Phoenix’s record to 4-6 overall.

DEC. 7 – Boy those Suns sure do learn fast, don’t they? After Nash’s comment about learning to play with this new mix of players, the team wins its next six straight contests and is looking to stretch their win streak to eight in New Jersey. Again it is Nash carrying the Suns on his back, finishing with an incredible line of 42 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. It was a performance reminiscent of Reggie Miller in my NBA Live 96 video game, back when I would go out of my way to have one player do everything. As if the statistical line wasn’t enough, Nash would also hit a three-pointer which would force the first of two overtimes in East Rutherford. In a score which was also reminiscent of something you’d see in a video game, the Suns outlasted the Nets for a 161-157 win.

DEC. 8 – Ignoring my request to give the Suns a night off following the double-overtime affair, the NBA keeps the Suns-Celtics contest slated for the very next evening. Unsure of how the team will perform, Shawn Marion shoulders the load and finishes with 29 points and 12 rebounds as the Suns are again victorious. His big shot with approximately 40 seconds remaining, sparks an argument between my friends and I about what point in the ballgame a shot can truly be called “clutch.” Either way, the Suns are looking good, and unless the league can clone the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s, it doesn’t look as if they will be challenged any time soon.

DEC. 20 – A night after winning a franchise-record 15^th-consecutive ballgame, the Phoenix Suns have their contest against the Denver Nuggets cancelled due to snow.

DEC. 22 – Just hours after returning from Denver, the Suns face off against the Washington Wizards and fall in overtime. I make the mistake of heading to the Suns’ tunnel in the third quarter to watch some of the game and eventually find myself standing there a lot longer than I’d anticipated. The results stink, but I do get one of my favorite quotes of the year from assistant coach Phil Weber. Writing a story about both the streak and the team being stuck in Denver, I ask the coach about his time in the Mile High City.

“We were definitely stranded and I got to know our hotel like none other,” the coach laughed. “We never left, stranded at the Westin Hotel and there was definitely no Ginger.”

The quote was definitely a lot better than the one I got from Jalen Rose, who looked at me a little funny when I asked whether or not the trip was a “bonding experience” for the team.

JAN. 2 – With the winning streak over, the Suns begin a new streak to start the New Year. Who better than Barbosa to stretch the new streak to three after his game-winning three-point shot in Chicago? My favorite memory of the shot was no doubt the look on Barbosa’s face. It was hard to tell whether he was grilling the Bulls or in shock. My first interview after joining the Suns organization in 2005 and an overall great guy, I think it is the latter. Loving the fact that Phoenix is winning ballgames they did not the previous season, something about Barbosa is apparent: The “Blur” is no longer just one of the nicest guys in the NBA, he’s one of the most talented. His efforts would be recognized at season’s end when he is named the Sixth Man of the Year. Another amazing story from this game was the Suns receiving another sold effort from big man Amaré Stoudemire. The All-Star finishes with 24 points, 18 rebounds and four steals and has already made the two separate knee surgeries a distant memory.

JAN. 21 – The Suns are hosting a contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A win would be their 13^th straight, but all I can think about is the fact I’m missing the Conference Championship matchup between my Indianapolis Colts and some team that plays in New England. With Indy trailing big at the half, a friend calls me to rub it in that my team will again be on the short end of the stick. I tell him in my best Paul Westphal voice, and I quote (hence the quotation marks), “We’re going to win this game. Peyton Manning is going to come out the second half on fire and lead us to victory. Then tomorrow everybody will talk about what a great game it was and how Manning had to do the impossible in order to finally get past New England.” The Colts win the contest, 38-34 and two weeks later defeat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.

JAN. 26 – The Suns are still enjoying their second amazing streak of the season and are in Milwaukee for what I’m seeing a potentially dangerous contest. I hope the guys keep their focus on the Friday night contest against the Bucks and not on the Cleveland Cavaliers who they’ll play in a nationally televised contest that Sunday afternoon. Shawn Marion pulls down 23 rebounds as the Suns remain hot in the cold Milwaukee weather, winning 98-90.

JAN. 29 – In Minnesota, the new franchise record of 17-consective wins is snapped. Kevin Garnett is unstoppable and scores 44 points in one of the Timberwolves’ few bright moments of the season. Raja Bell leads the Suns with 26 points, including five shots from beyond the three-point arc. He would ultimately go on to tie Gilbert Arenas for the league lead in that category in addition to receiving All NBA Defensive Team honors.

FEB. 1 – A great night as the Suns defeat the San Antonio Spurs 103-87 at home. I rush to the arena following my night class at ASU just in time to watch us put on the finishing touches in the blowout victory. It’s a great occasion as I have always had more venom towards the Spurs than any of our other rivals. I guess it’s a case of Yankees-Red Sox syndrome of hating the team that seems to put you on your butt more than the others. Ever since Stoudemire and Stephon Marbury raised eyebrows against them a few years back, I have disliked San Antonio more than any other NBA franchise. They wouldn’t end up doing themselves any favors come May of this very season.

FEB. 18 – Three Phoenix Suns represent the team in Las Vegas for the All-Star Game, although Nash is unable to participate due to injury. Marion and Stoudemire help the Western Conference and their coach Mike D’Antoni to a victory, STAT nearly capturing the game’s MVP Award in the process.

MAR. 14 – I watch the NBA’s game of the year at the Rokerij – a restaurant ran by my good friend Clark. With the Mavericks seemingly having the game in hand, Clark grabs his “lucky charm” in the form of a flashing Phoenix Suns hat. The headpiece is beyond ridiculous but somehow manages to get the job done. Nash helps too I guess, scoring 10 points in the final minute of regulation and like he did in Jersey, forces the first of two overtimes with a clutch trifecta in the closing seconds. The Suns go on to win a nail biter 129-127 and the hat is immediately sent off to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Our hope is that it can find a home next to the basketball used the night Chamberlain scored 100.

APR. 14 – In what would prove to be one of the longest days of our lives, my friend Wes and I watch the Suns blowout the Jazz from a restaurant in Tempe. It would also prove to be the last regular season win for the Suns who would drop their final two contests against the Houston Rockets and Clippers. Even with the two-game skid to end the season and the slow start which began it, the Phoenix Suns still finish with an impressive 61-21 record overall.

APR. 22 – The Suns open up the 2007 NBA Playoffs against their long-time rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. I’m immediately reminded of what my biggest gripe with the team is – their pushy media. Following the Suns 95-87 win, I wait outside the Lakers locker room for reaction. The doors are open and a member of the Los Angeles media literally shoves two people out of his way to be the first inside. I wear a wide grin as he realizes that all he’s rushed into is an empty locker room as players haven’t finished showering.

APR. 24 – Another win over the Lakers, this one in blowout fashion. Phoenix burns Los Angeles 126-98 and I almost find myself sympathizing with the losing ballclub following the game (I repeat, almost). When I ask Kwame Brown what this Lakers team can do to slow down Phoenix, the center morbidly responds, “I was hoping you could figure that out and tell me man. Hopefully the coaching staff will figure something out because whatever it is, this isn’t working.” The mood in the locker room leads me to believe this thing will be over in four.

MAY 2 – It ends up taking five games, but the Suns to dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers after a 119-110 victory in Phoenix. The best moment of the day is when Bell – a new proud papa – tells me he enjoyed my Suns.com story about his being named to the All-Defensive Team. I ask him if this means I can have the trophy he received for his three-point efforts. He declines.

MAY 6 – The San Antonio Spurs make their way into town. Perhaps it is my subconscious dislike for the boys in black and silver, but it’s apparent early I won’t become friends with anyone on this team soon. Bruce Bowen gets aggravated at my holding the microphone too close to his mouth while Michael Finley asks me if a question of how to slow down a Suns team clicking on all cylinders is a “trick question.” I wanted the Lakers out of this building because of their media, I want this team out of this building because they’re making me feel like a rookie.

MAY 14 – The game which changes the series in favor of the Spurs comes after a Suns victory (go figure, right?). Robert Horry’s flagrant foul on Nash ends a 104-98 Phoenix victory, but leads to the suspensions of both Stoudemire and Boris Diaw who left the Suns bench during an altercation.

MAY 16 – One of the most heroic displays in NBA history takes place in the US Airways Center during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Undermanned, the Phoenix Suns hold their own with the Spurs through three and a half quarters of play. The game gets away from them late, however, and they fall by a score of 88-85. With a nation now rallying behind this team, it’s as close to a moral victory as one can get in the postseason. Nevertheless, the team now faces elimination.

MAY 19 – I report to the arena after a long night of Game 6. The Suns players will be cleaning out their lockers and it is the last chance for members of the media to get reaction on a season which didn’t meet expectations. The guys are as cool as you can be after being eliminated from the postseason, questions already surfacing on what changes – if any – the team will undergo during the offseason.

Today – I realize the importance of keeping a journal. This way next season’s “year-end wrap up blog bonanza” won’t be as difficult to write. It’s also a pretty good idea because it very well could chronicle a season which sees the Suns win their first NBA Championship.

A while back fellow blogger Adam Beechen issued a challenge to find a nickname for this scrappy, never-say-die Phoenix Suns team. After watching the effort they give while short-handed in Game 5, I think I have one. Comic book characters are notorious for never saying die. They’ll give you every thing they’ve got and even when they do fall short, still manage to make a return issues later (sometimes they do these “clone” storylines which drive me crazy, but that’s besides the point).

Anyway, this Suns team has battled as much adversity as one team can these past three seasons. Joe Johnson missing a crucial part of the 2005 postseason, Stoudemire missing nearly all of last season including the playoffs and the suspensions this year which cost them two of their top players. But the Phoenix Suns never bow out easy, they keep fighting, keep scrapping. And being that Beechen is in the business of writing comic books himself, I think it fitting to name them after a comic book team. To me these Suns will always be “The Fun-tastic Four.”

The Fun-tastic Four - Nash, Stoudemire, Barbosa and Marion - the four players who have remained constants on this roster since the two-time MVP made his way back to Phoenix. Nash is of course Mr. Fantastic himself and like the super team’s leader, never seems to disappoint. Stoudemire is The Thing, at times an unmovable force down low and this season proving to be a rock in terms of stability. Barbosa’s speed make him a Human Torch in his own right, Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson stating the nickname “Blur” doesn’t begin to do his speed justice. Finally you’ve got Marion who in terms of the national media has at times been Phoenix’s underappreciated Invisible Man. When you do something so good for so long, it’s funny how people begin to take you for granted.

But while it’s okay to be disappointed that this team didn’t bring Phoenix its first NBA Championship (yet), let’s realize that at times the grass has been greener on our side. I’ll take a ring in a second, but would you want it done any other way? The recap you just read provided double-overtime thrillers, amazing performances and team with a heart the Wizard of Oz himself couldn’t provide. There are a number of NBA fans who would kill to have that excitement surrounding their team day in and day out, so let’s not take that for granted.

A perfect example of this perhaps coming in the fact the San Antonio Spurs failed to sell out their Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Utah Jazz. While I don’t mean to imply winning a championship any way possible is fun, you can’t fail to see the irony. The Suns sold out every game of the 2006-07 season, but ultimately fell short. The Spurs meanwhile didn’t play in front of a sold out crowd when just eight wins away from the title themselves.

One who loves metaphors, I’ve got one which sums up the juxtaposition between these two teams perfectly. The Spurs are like the movie “The Piano.” Sure it wins all kinds of fancy awards, but does anybody really leave the theatre in ecstasy of what they’ve just seen? Do you call your buddies like, “Dude, you’ve got to see The Piano, you’ll have a blast.” The Suns – for these past three seasons anyway – have been more like Spider-Man. Everybody who sees it seems to enjoy themselves and everybody tells everybody they know it’s a must see. I’d much rather watch the latter.

I knew Peyton Manning would come through for Indianapolis because I know the way it usually works is that the great ones come through only after having their hearts torn out. It seemed to take Michael Jordan forever to get past the Pistons. The Boston Red Sox were crushed after their 2004 defeat to the Yankees and found themselves down 3-0 to New York the following year before getting over the hump. Great athletes never say die. Just like the “Fun-tastic Four.”

It's a new baby and a new playoff series for Raja Bell. (NBAE Photos)

8:00 a.m. - The day begins. My iPOD – one of the greatest inventions, not to mention Christmas presents ever - awakens me as it usually does to the glorious sounds of Frank Sinatra, the Supremes and Jay-Z. It only takes me three songs to get out of bed on this glorious morning, two below the average.

9:30 a.m. - Stop for gas. It’ll be a late night and the last thing I’ll want to do is stop at Circle K to refuel at three o’clock in the morning. I pat myself on the back for thinking ahead and treat myself to an energy bar and Rockstar drink which I will save for this evening. While I’m at it, I think I’ll even drive through the car wash. My car is silver, not brown, it’s about time I reminded people of that.

9:50 a.m. - Stop at another Circle K as fellow blogger and VP of Interactive Services Jeramie McPeek has requested a couple of Socko drinks. The location does not have Socko so he’ll have to settle for Rockstar. The beverage is sugar free and contains zero carbohydrates. I’m confident he’ll be quite pleased.

10:00 a.m. - I have arrived at the US Aiways Center. An e-mail is sent to employees stating the Lakers will be holding their practice on the main court beginning at 10:30. The e-mail reminds employees that they are not to watch the practice from the higher levels of the arena. I guess the team is real secretive about their top secret mission to get the ball in Kobe Bryant’s hands for tonight’s Game 5.

10:15 a.m. - I’m waiting for the Phoenix Suns to finish their shootaround so I can find out what the status is of guard Raja Bell. With his wife Cindy is the hospital preparing to give birth to their first child, his status for tonight is uncertain. As I wait outside the practice court, I read the e-mail my friend Alex sent me. He’s finished the next two issues of the comic book we’re working on and wants to know if I can review them. The timing is perfect.

10:20 a.m. - Arizona Republic writer Paul Coro approaches and informs me he found the answer to the trivia question I was asking at practice the previous day. With Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors, I couldn’t help but wonder who the last MVP was not to participate in the semifinal round of the playoffs. Coro informs me it was Moses Malone who in 1982 captured the honor just to fall in the Opening Round to the Seattle SuperSonics. I mention that after picking the Warriors to win their series over the Mavericks prior to Game 1, I have now switched my pick to the Mavericks. I am informed that sort of thing doesn’t fly.

10:35 a.m. - Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni is unsure of Bell’s status. Should the defensive specialist not be able to go, Leandro Barbosa would start in his place. Members of the media question what this means in terms of Kobe Bryant enjoying a little bit more offensive freedom. My mind wanders to another scenario: Forward Shawn Marion, snubbed from the NBA All-Defensive Teams is given the assignment of guarding Kobe Bryant. To show the world how wrong it was to exclude him from the team, Marion gives us a defensive display like we’ve never seen. Bryant shoots a mediocre 2-for-16 as the Lakers fall, 119-97. I like my scenario but realize I’ve been so caught up in it, I’ve failed to get reaction from both Amaré Stoudemire and Shawn Marion. Luckily, the “Brazilian Blur” has just become available.

10:37 a.m. - As he always is, Barbosa is accommodating in letting me speak to him about tonight’s game. A group of reporter’s spot us and we are quickly surrounded. I feel guilty that what went from an early leave for LB has now turned into a game of 21 Questions. As always, Barbosa says all the right things. He discusses that the important thing for Raja right now is to be with his family and regardless whether he comes off the bench or starts tonight, he’ll be ready for Game 5 against the Lakers. Caught in the huddle with tons of Los Angeles press, I can’t help but think about how nice a win would be tonight so the circus can finally leave town.

11:00 a.m. - Back at my desk, it is time to take care of something very important – checking the status of tomorrow evening’s Spiderman 3 premier. There’s nothing better than waiting on line with a bunch of grown men in Spiderman costumes at 11:30 pm, but I decide to get my tickets off the internet instead. To my surprise, a number of shows have already sold out, including the IMAX presentation at Deer Valley 30 I had so hoped to be a part of. I instead op for the standard screen and hope it still does Venom justice.

11:30 a.m. - I put my finishing touches on the article I wrote about Mike D’Antoni’s appearance in “Phoenix Metropolitan.” The magazine discusses who will be the future face of Phoenix, listing candidates which include Mayor Phil Gordon and Dean of ASU’s School of Design Wellington Reiter. I can’t help but appreciate the fact it is D’Antoni who is chosen as the cover boy for the publication.

12:00 p.m. - Community Relations Coordinator Chris Mallory and I enjoy lunch at Cooperstown. The Mets game is being televised and the team is currently enjoying the lead over the Florida Marlins. We are both Mets fans. Life is good.

3:40 p.m. - We’ve just received word - Cindy Bell has just given birth to a baby boy. Congrats to the Bells, it is indeed an accomplishment worthy of exclamation points!!! Hopefully Raja will get here and score 50 tonight so he can brag to his son about the night he scored 50 and eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs the day he was born.

4:03 p.m. - I check to make sure the Mets were able to hang on in their contest against Florida (their bullpen really appeared to be struggling). They did hang on and my dream of watching the Colts, Mets, Suns and New York Rangers capture Championships in the same year is one step closer to being realized. Tomorrow and Friday I’ll have the chance to watch the Mets up close and personal over at Chase Field. At this point, that seems like a long way away.

4:10 p.m. - Word is that Suns guard Raja Bell is on his way to the arena. I am off to capture video with my trusted Panasonic DVX100B and will check back when possible.

4:30 p.m. - Hanging out in the player’s parking lot waiting for guys to start showing up. With stuff like this you could sometimes find yourself waiting a really long time but luckily they’ve got the ESPN Braves-Phillies game on.

4:32 p.m. - I’ve just seen one of the worst cases of base running at the expense of Philadelphia. Today just keeps getting better and better.

4:50 p.m. - Guys are showing up. What are the odds that Raja is the first guy I get on tape? He’s brought his mother to the game which is great. I’m sure it’s always nice having an extra fan out there cheering for you.

5:15 p.m. - I’m supposed to go capture Phil Jackson’s pregame media session and get the health status of Kobe Bryant. I’m hoping one of the other reporter’s asks because I would hate to be the recipient of one of those patented Phil Jackson stare downs. I heard there’s a reporter from 1996 who’s still trying to recover from one of those.

6:00 p.m. - Well my Spidey-sense was tingling and with very good reason. I was waiting around for Phil Jackson just outside the Lakers locker room located just next to the Suns practice court. I thought about how Raja was unable to practice with the team today and how he was one of the most dedicated players in the NBA. I check out the practice court and there he is shooting by himself, didn’t even have anybody rebounding for him. I start shooting video, hoping the stress of what he’s gone through today doesn’t kick in and he gives me the boot. Always the professional, he just kept on shooting and I was able to capture some great stuff.

6:10 p.m. - I rush out of the practice court just in time to get Phil Jackson. He talks about something, I’m not really sure what, I’m too busy thinking about the great video I just captured.

7:30 p.m. - The game is finally underway and Raja Bell starts off the contest on fire! He hits his first three shots from the field and a headline pops into my head. For a guy who has a reputation of not handing in headlines with his work, this is big. I’m getting a vision of a Raja Bell pic, maybe him holding up his Suns jersey with pride for the camera. The headline: “Who’s Your Daddy?” In the words of Kenny Bania, “It’s gold Jerry, it’s gold.”

8:00 p.m. - Mmmm “Negozio del Formaggio.” I have no idea what it means, but they make the best chicken Caesar pizzan ever!

8:25 p.m. - I’m told to interview Jeremy Piven of “Entourage.” I’m instantly reminded of how uncool I am because I have no clue who that is. Jeramie informs me he’s the guy who played George on the pilot episode of “Seinfeld.” All is well.

9:13 p.m. - Just about 12 hours after purchasing it, that Rockstar sure is sounding good. Sugar free and zero carbohydrates…. I’ll be right back. Mmmm tastes like gummy worms.

9:21 p.m. - I was just informed that photos are beginning to make their way in from the game. It’s time to organize them and add some captions for our gallery.

9:42 p.m. - The Suns are looking to pull away as things have gotten fairly tight. My Shawn Marion philosophy hasn’t taken to form as I’d hoped. Bryant has 26 points but the Suns have the lead 100-91 so I’ll take the trade off (not to mention the free tacos).

9:54 p.m. - Gary Bender just mentioned that Bryant is now 2-of-11 in the second half. My 2-for-16 philosophy could somewhat hold true. Great success!

10:05 p.m. - Suns win! Suns win! Suns win!

10:20 p.m. - Just got reaction from the Lakers locker room and while I bleed Suns orange, it’s always a downer seeing a team is disarray – yes, even the Lakers. My post-game responsibility for this series primarily had me in the Lakers locker room and the guys were usually accommodating despite coming up short. Guard Jordan Farmar particularly, which is cool because I’m a big UCLA fan.

10:35 p.m. - I’ve chronicled the adventures of Raja Bell all day and am pleased to report I’ll get to close out his story with a happy ending. On his way out, I made sure to grab him to wish him congratulations on the new son. He let me know he appreciated it before stopping himself and asking, “Were you the one that wrote the article about me being on the All-Defensive Team for Suns.com?” When I informed him I was, the guard responded, “Good looking out man, that was a great article.” Perhaps it means I need to get my priorities in order, but getting the vote of confidence in my writing from Raja Bell was better than getting it from Shakespeare himself. While he didn’t score 50, Bell no doubt set the tone early with his hot shooting and was a big part of tonight’s win.

10:59 p.m. - Just got back to my desk and our television has already been tuned into “Seinfeld.” It’s not the Keith Hernandez episode but it’s “Seinfeld.” ‘Nuff said.

11:10 p.m. - Will now work on posting the notes and quotes from tonight’s game.

11:47 p.m. - Two notes that jump out at me, one from each side:

• Phoenix improved to 5-1 (.833) under current Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni when it has had an opportunity to close out a playoff series.

• For only the second time in the post-Shaq era, two Lakers scored 30 or more points.

12:00 a.m. - It’s Midnight on the dot. Seinfeld is over meaning it will either be MASH or really bad science fiction movies the rest of the night. Twenty-four hours from now, however, I will be seated comfortably at Deer Valley 30 ready to watch my favorite web-slinger in action.

12:15 a.m. - I’m starting to wish I’d been a bit more conservative with that Rockstar. Will probably be making a coffee grab here shortly, we’ve got a nice selection in our break room.

12:35 a.m. - Just got an e-mail stating 38 more images are ready to be added to the photo gallery for tonight’s game. The night is just beginning. Thank goodness for iTunes and coffee.

1:01 a.m. - Captain’s Log: Currently working on the photo gallery. We’ve got the Sopranos on. My dad enjoys the show, but I never really got into it. To make sure I’m understanding this correctly, this man is a gangster but he’s receiving psychiatric help? Don Corleone would be ashamed.

1:30 a.m. - Still going through photos and haven’t had the strength to grab that coffee I alluded to earlier. There’s a great shot in here of Bell and Bryant following the contest. While it definitely added intensity to the rivalry when these guys were perceived as enemies, it’s nice to see them having buried the hatchet. There’s a mutual respect between these two which is well deserved on both ends. Love him or hate him, Bryant is the most prolific scorer this game has seen since Michael Jordan. Bell’s being appointed to the NBA All-Defensive First Team meanwhile, serves as proof he has gained the respect of not only those in Phoenix, but everywhere throughout the league.

1:33 a.m. - How fitting that “Hotel California” would play at random via my iTunes. Barring a Western Conference Finals matchup against the Warriors, the Hotel California is a hotel Suns.com will not be visiting again this postseason. Nevertheless (or none-of-the-less as some like to say), it’s a lovely place… Wow, after that tidbit, I’m thinking I should really go grab that coffee.

2:03 a.m. - Finally grabbed that coffee. I went with the French Vanilla in fear that the French Mocha would be too much for me to handle at this point. With the exception of the Suns.com crew, the US Airways Center is fairly quiet. We’re looking to finalize our responsibilities – Steven Koek editing video, Josh Greene stories and Jeramie working on the Flash intro among other things. Having learned Flash in school this past semester I don’t envy him.

3:05 a.m. - Well I’m packing it in. No, we’re not quite ready to leave yet, but I need to get this blog to Steve if it’s to be posted (not to mention he’ll have my head if I had any more to it). We probably will be heading out shortly and again I’ll end by patting myself on the back for the gasoline stop from 9:30. The day started with me needing only three songs from my iPOD to get me out of bed. I don’t see that being the case tomorrow.

Why I’m picking on Adam, I’m not sure. Either studying for finals is getting to me or I’m bitter about the fact he gets to write comic books. I’m a huge comic book fan, everything from Spider-Man to X-Men to even Beechen’s current title of Robin. The latter is more of an ‘Adam’s-writing-thing’ than a ‘Robin’ thing though (never really was a huge fan of the “Boy Wonder” before).

One of the coolest projects I got to work on last year was asking each of the players which superhero they would want to be for a week if given their pick. Forward James Jones went by power and said Nightcrawler to which I could not argue. The ability to transport would be awesome and definitely cut down on time sitting in traffic. For Jones, the fastest team in the NBA would get even faster as he could teleport from the defensive end of the court to the offensive end in just the snap of the finger. The only set back probably comes in having a long pointy tail and oh yeah, being blue all the time.

Former Sun Brian Grant (always a guarantee to give a good answer to these types of questions) got deep on his answer and went with Superman. While it was far from the most creative answer (Eddie House and Tim Thomas said the same), Grant’s reasoning for choosing the Man of Steel was more than valid. He said while other superheroes are looked at as normal people who disguise themselves as superheroes, Superman is the only hero who disguises himself into his alterego. For example, people look at Bruce Wayne as a guy who dresses up as Batman and fights crime. Superman, however, dresses up as Clark Kent just to fit into society when not saving the world.

Amaré Stoudemire didn’t fall into Grant’s philosophy and still went with the Dark Knight AKA Batman anyway. STAT’s reasoning coming in the fact that Bruce Wayne doesn’t have any actual powers and therefore is a way cooler superhero. At this point in time I saw that we were losing sight of the task at hand. The question was which superhero you would like to be for a week, not who was the coolest superhero. I called together a quick huddle and we got the situation all worked out.

The Matrix really gave some thought to his answer which should’ve come as no surprise. Marion is no stranger to all which is nerdy – and believe me, as a guy who owns a Spider-Man shirt and still has several of his old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, I mean no disrespect. Shawn is known for counting down the days until Tuesday, the day when the new DVD’s hit the rack at Best Buy. More specifically, DVD’s which feature the cartoon shows Shawn enjoyed as a youth. He also owns a Curious George shirt, but discussing that would take this blog way off course. Shawn gave a lot of thought to the question and at last, gave me his answer. The All-Star went with the daughter from the Incredibles, seeing her ability to turn invisible as one which would come in very handy to the already elusive Matrix. I thanked him for his answer and left thinking to myself, “Wow, Shawn’s really got to be comfortable with himself for choosing a girl.” All jokes aside though, I was glad Marion had given me the most offbeat answer as I expected such from him.

But while Marion gave a lot of thought to his answer, he wasn’t the Suns player who spent the most time thinking the question over. That honor went to the then-recently named 2006 Most Improved Player Boris Diaw, who I thought at the time was blowing me off. Upon asking Diaw for his answer, the Frenchmen thought for a few moments before asking if he could get back to me on that later. Being this was less than an hour before a playoff game (I can’t remember which one, and yes I ask them this stuff just before games), I understood and figured my story would be Boris-less.

The next day, however, during Suns practice Boris tracked me down. I myself had completely forgotten about asking him, so was shocked when he approached me and simply said, “Wolverine.” I was so thrown off in fact, I had no clue what he was talking about. “For my superhero,” he said with his French accent. I laughed and explained I needed a reason why. Boris’ response, “Because he can heal himself. I’d never have to worry about injury.”

With a new group of guys now in the locker room, perhaps it’s time to recycle the question once again. While I haven’t caught Marcus Banks catching up on his Ultimate Avengers reading, who knows? Maybe there’s another nerd in purple and orange waiting with another great answer.

The Suns tip off against the Lakers in about an hour and a half. Figured I’d take a page out of Jeramie’s book with some frequent entries. How Jeramie did his while driving, I’ll never know. I’m usually too busy wondering how those around me got their licenses to worry about blogging. The man is truly dedicated to his craft.

Anyway, the Bulls are whooping up on the Heat right now. I think it’s a combination of both how good Chicago is and how emotionally spent Miami is from their pregame ring ceremony. I don’t think you’ll see a championship hangover from the Heat this season. Pat Riley is too good a coach and I doubt Gary Payton came back for his twenty-ninth season to play for a struggling ballclub.

There’s no telling what can happen in the Eastern Conference this year. To me they’ve got a number of really good teams, but not too many great ones. Miami, Chicago and Detroit are solid, but I don’t think any of them are better than any of the top three teams out west (Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas).

My dark horse playoff team for the season is Portland. Sure I could go with an easy pick like the Hornets or the Magic, but I think those teams should be expected to play well. The Hornets were a playoff contender before adding Peja Stojakovic, and Dwight Howard should emerge this season as one of the top give players in the league. I like Nate McMillan entering his second season with Portland and am really comfortable making them my sleeper pick. I mean, if they ball I look like a genius. If they stink, I could just say, “Well what’d you expect?”

7:30 p.m. - As far as the Suns – now an hour away from tip off – I don’t remember expectations so high since Sir Charles left. I think it’s great to see how people have embraced this team, but I hope they realize just how hard it is to win an NBA Championship – any championship for that matter (well except maybe slow-pitch softball). Everything has to go your way and for 29 out of 30 teams this year, that won’t be the case.

Do I think the Suns can win the title? Absolutely. Do I find it annoying when people answer their own questions? No doubt about it.

People point to Phoenix’s depth as being the difference this season. I think it’s more the defense that could put them over the top. Shawn Marion is among the best defenders in the league. You put him on the court with Raja Bell, Kurt Thomas and James Jones, and I think offenses are going to be surprised. The Suns lost some big leads last year, particularly early in the season. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this time around. We’ll have our first chance to find out in about 40 minutes.

8:30 p.m. - Well we’re just minutes away from tip off, and as expected I’m home to watch it. I really wanted to be out in Scottsdale watching it with coworkers and friends, but know this is for the best. I’m tired, and this is prior to what will probably be a 14-hour work day tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll cut away from this absolute annihilation taking place in Miami soon so we can get down to business.

8:55 p.m. - Game is underway and no Kobe. That’ll suck the life out of Los Angeles for a while. Bryant’s absence, however, now makes this a game Phoenix can’t win either way. You lose and the media sharks will smell blood. You win and people will say it wasn’t by enough.

The Suns look good early, nice to see them playing a game which means something.

9:02 p.m. - Mike D’Antoni is going to the bench, and who better to bring in than Amaré Stoudemire. Nice! STAT throwing it down for two, sure he liked that. The guy can really provide a spark to what is already the most energetic team in basketball. Everybody obviously knows what Stoudemire could bring statistically, but it will be the other tangibles which help Phoenix early this season. As if Raja Bell, James Jones and Shawn Marion aren’t good enough already, imagine once that floor opens up for them even more.

9:56 p.m. - iDVD is burning the heck out of my eyes right now so figured I’d get back to the looseleaf paper (that’s right, old school). Suns were up big on the Lakers but let them right back into it. Charles Barkley is lacing into Phoenix and right now they deserve it. I know it’s hard to build or sustain a lead when up 20, but the fact this game followed a contest where the Bulls executed the art of the blowout perfectly doesn’t help. Yes Phil Jackson is a great coach, and yes Lamar Odom is incredibly underrated, but this game should be over.

10:36 p.m. - What the heck is going on here? I said coming in this was a game the Suns couldn’t win, but I didn’t mean that literally. The fourth quarter is starting and Phoenix needs to play some defense. Offense alone will not erase a 10-point deficit.

I guess this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after what we saw from thee two teams in the postseason. The Lakers have inside guys who can score consistently, meaning if the Suns aren’t hitting their jumpers (which they aren’t), they’re in for a long night. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know inside shots are easier to hit than outside ones.

These commercials where the people look like cartoon characters are weird.

Mike D’Antoni has gone small (even for him), and it seems to be paying off as Phoenix has made a bit of a run. The speed has created some quick turnovers which have manufactured even quicker scores. Looks like it may be too little too late, however, as the Lakers came out tonight and played a full 48 minutes.

While the night will result in a 0-1 start on the season, it wasn’t a game without some positives to take away. Leandro Barbosa was great on both ends of the court, showing why everyone has been so high on him coming into the season. Let’s also not forget that last season also started off with a loss and things turned out alright. The brightest bright side comes in the fact the Suns won’t have long to lick their wounds. They’ve got the Clippers in about 20 hours.
]]>Wed, 01 Nov 06 20:59:00 UThttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_10270606.aspxTo have chronicled everything, from a double-overtime loss on opening night to Raja Bell’s Game 5 shot against Los Angeles, would’ve definitely given me something to look back on and treasure from my, “rookie season” as a Suns employee. While I doubt this year will hold a candle up to last (barring fancy jewelry at season’s end of course), one thing I said I would not accept is making the same mistake twice.

So when my Online Media class required us to keep a weekly blog, there was no question my subject matter would be the team I had not only been a fan of since growing up in Brooklyn, New York (can you imagine the garbage I had to take?), but ultimately landed a dream job with a decade later. I submitted my subject matter immediately and my professor said she looked forward to reading it.

Multitasking is huge for me and to be doing something I wanted to do anyway AND have it credited as homework was almost as solid as a Phoenix victory over San Antonio. From that day forward, I blogged my friends. I blogged day and night on everything from interviewing Jumaine Jones fresh off his signing to keeping Head Coach Mike D’Antoni updated on the Mets score as he prepared for a preseason contest against Sacramento (the Suns coach is a Mets fan, isn’t life grand?).

Recently, Jeramie McPeek, whose blog you have come familiar with since the 2006 NBA Playoffs, stumbled across my work online and said he really enjoyed what I had to say. He asked if I’d be interested in keeping a blog throughout the 2006-07 NBA season – my second year as an employee with the organization. I mean come on, if I love multitasking, can you imagine my excitement at the concept of keeping a blog (my original intent anyway), while getting credit for both class work AND work work at the same time??? That might be even better than a victory over San Antonio (it’s close though, very close).

So throughout the year I’ll try keeping in touch as often as possible and give some insight to life inside the location which has become a second home - the US Airways Center. I look forward to interacting with my fellow Suns fans and will keep you updated as the team we all know and love works its way to its first NBA Championship in franchise history. Go Suns!

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