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Shooting Guard
By Steven J. Koek, Suns.com
Posted: Sept. 29, 2006
This season’s rotation at the No. 2 position will be second to none. With instant fan favorite Raja Bell’s tenacious defense and deadly outside shooting, and Leandro Barbosa progressing with every trip down the court, the Suns’ shooting guard slot is expected to be a display of consistency throughout the 2006-07 season.
RAJA BELL
When Phoenix signed guard Raja Bell last summer they had a pretty good idea of what they were getting. The six-year NBA veteran out of Florida International came to the Valley with the reputation as a hard-nose defensive stopper with the ability to knock down the outside jumper.
What the Suns and their fan base got, though, was that and a whole lot more. Bell parlayed his best offensive campaign in the league into a status held by only a handful of players in the organization’s 38-year history.
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During the regular season, Bell was a major reason the Suns led the league in three-point shooting for the second straight year. The 6-5 guard ranked third in the NBA for three-point shots made (179) and also recorded career highs in points (14.7), rebounds (3.2) and minutes played (37.5).
His offensive production combined with his aggressive defense earned him the praise from fans, as well as the respect of his teammates and opponents alike. Bell finished off the 2005-06 campaign by claiming the fourth annual Majerle Hustle Award, presented to the Suns' player who most exemplifies the attributes that made Suns legend Dan Majerle among the most respected players in the game.
Bell punctuated his arrival in Phoenix with a playoff run saving three-pointer in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, staving off elimination by the Clippers and enabling the Suns to advance to the Conference Finals for a second straight year.
Summer Headlines:
LEANDRO BARBOSA
Change is nothing new to Leandro Barbosa. The native Brazilian had to adjust to a new game, a new country, a new language, a coaching change and the departure of his best friend and mentor to the NBA game. And that was just in his first NBA season.
“LB” will now be expected to make yet another change, although this one has been a gradual adjustment from the role of point guard to shooting guard, a position his long frame, lightning quickness and shooting touch favor.
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“I think what you’ll see is that those guys can play together,” said assistant coach Alvin Gentry. “We can kind of keep LB in the position where he performs his best, where he’s out running, catching the ball on the break and finishing.
“It takes the total ball handling responsibility from LB. He’s still going to handle the ball and make plays for us, but it doesn’t solely put it in his hands, which I think will really help him.”
While Nash has taken over the mentor role to Barbosa on the court, off the court he has been helped immeasurably by the addition of Dan D'Antoni to the coaching staff. The older brother of Head Coach Mike D'Antoni took “Starbosa” under his wing last season and the two worked together to improve Barbosa’s skills and confidence.
The elder D'Antoni is pleased with LB’s progress and looks forward to another season of growth and success from his No. 1 student.
“He’s going to be better,” Dan D'Antoni guaranteed. “He’s played well with the Brazilian National team and if Marcus Banks is what I think he is, then with Raja and Steve you’ll see a three-guard lineup at times. I think we’ll be extremely quick allowing us to do a lot of things.”
Summer Headlines:
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
Newcomer Eric Piatkowski could see some action at off guard as the sharp-shooting veteran finds his way among the rotation. James Jones and Jumaine Jones (no relation) could also slip into the No. 2 spot at times, as matchups and rotations dictate.
