The Numbers Game: Suns experience change of pace

A change has come.

The Phoenix Suns are no longer the torchbearers for the speed movement in the NBA. Mike D'Antoni has taken that torch to New York.

Through the first eight days of the season, the Knicks are playing at the fastest pace in the league, averaging 97.5 possessions per game.

The Suns, meanwhile, have slowed things down under coach Terry Porter. They rank 22nd in pace thus far, averaging 88.6 possessions per game. This comes after averaging more than 95 possessions per game in each of D'Antoni's four full seasons in Phoenix (league rank in parentheses):

• 2004-05: 95.2 (1)
• 2005-06: 95.5 (1)
• 2006-07: 95.2 (3)
• 2007-08: 95.6 (5)

Popular opinion was that the Suns couldn't win playing that style and if you're talking about championships, that's true. Phoenix didn't win a title under D'Antoni, coming closest in 2006 when they lost to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals.

But the Suns did win more regular season games than all but two teams (Dallas and San Antonio) over the course of those four seasons. And of course, there likely wasn't a more fun team to watch.

When Porter replaced D'Antoni, he thought a change was in order.

With Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal anchoring the frontline, Phoenix needed to be more willing to slow down and play in the halfcourt. While Stoudemire surely can run the floor, O'Neal surely can't at this stage of his career.

The change of pace is certainly tangible.

When Steve Nash comes down on the break and doesn't find an immediate opportunity to score or pass, he'll pull the ball back out to run through the offense.

Additionally, amount of screen-and-rolls Phoenix runs has gone down while the amount of post-ups has gone up. Just watch Shaq posting, re-posting and then re-posting again on the Suns' first possession of Tuesday's game in New Jersey as evidence of that change.

Simply put, the Suns are more deliberate.

"We realize that we've still got to push the ball to be a really good team," Nash said Tuesday morning, "so there's got to be a balance there."

There's no doubt that they're a potent offensive team no matter what pace they play at. Last season, they ranked second offensively, scoring 115.2 points per 100 possessions. This season, they're right there again, ranking second through the first eight days at 118.2.

Tuesday night at the IZOD Center, Phoenix shot a scorching 77 percent from the field in the first half of their 114-86 win over the Nets. Four of their starters combined to shoot 76 percent for the game.

Just as before with Phoenix, scoring is not an issue.

"This team knows how to score," Porter said after the game, "and we have the weapons to score. It's always been about defense."

Ah, yes. There is that other end of the floor to deal with and Porter wants that to be his team's focus, but it's easier said than done.

"They still can't guard," a scout said of the Suns while sitting courtside Tuesday night. "And that's nothing Terry can do. It's just the makeup of the team."

Indeed, while Raja Bell and Matt Barnes are solid defenders, the rest of the Suns' lineup has defensive issues. They were a decent defensive team under D'Antoni, but they lost their best defender when they traded Shawn Marion for Shaq.

Last year, the Suns' defensive rating before the trade was 107.9 (points allowed per 100 possessions), ranking them in the top half of the league. After the trade, it was a Milwaukee-like 113.0.

Still, it's very early. Proper judgments can't be made from four games and Porter is pleased with his team's willingness to work at the defensive end.

"The effort's there," Porter said. "I think everybody's really trying to make sure they're in the right spots. We just have to keep working at it."

Porter's promise that if they get stops, they can run could be enough motivation to keep Phoenix focused on defense.

"If we get stops," Bell said, "he doesn't mind us shooting threes in transition."

They got quite a few of those on Tuesday. Not coincidentally, it was their best defensive game of the season, holding the Nets to less than a point per possession. But that was aided by New Jersey's 14 straight scoreless possessions in the fourth quarter against the Suns' backups.

Just five days earlier, the Suns couldn't stop the high-octane Hornets at home, allowing a rating of 120.0 points per 100 possessions.

"We are a work in progress," Bell said. "When we go to that film, I'm sure there's a lot on there that needs to be taken care of, but the effort, I think, is there. The understanding is coming.

"There are certain things we want to do and [things] we don't want to give up. I think we understand that. And that's the first part, having something that you know you can go to, you know that you're going to do. I think we all understand that. We're getting better every game, I think. But we all are realistic. We have a lot of work to do on that end of the court."

It's a long season, giving the Suns plenty of opportunity to improve their defense. And we'll be right here ready to measure it in the coming months.

The numbers will tell us if this change is for the better.