On Defense, Suns Prove to Be All That Jazz
Posted: Oct. 15, 2007
For those who might have missed, the US Airways Center held a block party on October 15, and apparently each and every member of the Phoenix Suns was invited.
Eight different players recorded a blocked shot in Monday evening’s 124-101 victory over the Jazz, while six contributed a minimum of two steals apiece. For a team with a reputation for not playing any defense, it was an effort Suns Head Coach Mike D'Antoni will certainly take.
“That was definitely our best outing both offensively and defensively,” D'Antoni said. “We were active defensively and that’s an area we’re looking to get a lot better in this year. For the most part I think we did a good job of it.”
Perhaps most impressive about the play on the defensive end of the floor is that it came against a Jazz team known for its size behind center Mehmet Okur, power forward Carlos Boozer and 6-9 "small" forward Andrei Kirilenko. The Suns meanwhile were without their center Amaré Stoudemire, still sidelined after his recent knee surgery and center Brian Skinner who could return to the Phoenix lineup against Los Angeles on Thursday. Tonight meanwhile, even Steve Nash, who compiled all of six blocks throughout the 2006-07 campaign contributed a blocked shot, the team finishing with 11 total.
Shawn Marion, who contributed two of those 11 blocks, believed it was the team’s intensity on the defensive end of the floor that helped Phoenix outscore Utah in each and every quarter of the contest.
“I thought we moved the ball very well, but we also played with a lot of energy on the defensive end. We were active, we got a lot of deflections and were able to create a lot of turnovers. What more can you ask?”
The defensive effort perhaps came as a surprise to newcomer Grant Hill, who signed with the Suns expecting to provide more of a punch to what was already the league’s best offense. But while the defense exhibited by Phoenix may have come as a surprise, the forward insists it didn’t happen by accident.
“There’s actually a scheme and a system here, and when applied it can be very good,” the All-Star said with a smile. “I know I didn’t think of the Suns as a defensive team but we have a lot of versatility and can switch a lot.”
As far as the Matrix’s question goes about what more one can ask from a team that forces 28 turnovers and holds their opponent to just 41 first half points, the answer might just come beyond the three-point line. Phoenix shot 61% from beyond the arc for the contest, led by guard Raja Bell who finished 5-for-6 from downtown.
Now that’s the Phoenix Suns team we’re used to seeing.
NASH KEPT ON HIS TOES BY NBA UP-AND-COMERS
A game after matching up with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Chris Paul, Phoenix’s Steve Nash again found himself matched up with an upcoming guard from the 2005 Draft, Utah’s Deron Williams.
Williams went a pick ahead of Paul in that year’s deep draft class, a move which many questioned at the time. While Paul would go on to capture the 2006 Rookie of the Year Award, Williams has been instrumental in Utah’s return to dominance in the NBA’s Western Conference.
“Both are playmakers who make good decisions and good passes,” Nash said of his counterparts. “I think Deron is more of a shooter and Chris is more of a penetrater, but they’re both confident and tough players.”
HORNACEK RETURNS TO PHOENIX
Former NBA guard Jeff Hornacek, who spent six seasons with Phoenix, made his way into the US Airways Center on Monday evening, this time as an opponent.
Hornacek recently signed on as a part-time coach with the Jazz and is currently working with All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko on his shooting. There are fewer more qualified for the position, as both with the Suns and Jazz, Hornacek was always regarded as one of the more dangerous shooters in the league.
Tonight’s contest, however, wasn’t the first time Hornacek found himself an opponent of the Suns. In 1992, the former second-round pick was part of the blockbuster trade which brought All-Star forward Charles Barkley to Phoenix. After a brief stint in Philadelphia, Hornacek was traded to Utah where he finished out his 14-season career.
As far as who the former guard roots for when the two teams face off, his new role with Utah has helped make that decision a bit easier this season.
“I always tried to just look at the games as fun games to watch,” the All-Star said. “Now that I’m working with the Jazz my decision on who to root for is a little easier, but every time these two teams play it’s great to watch two teams with two different philosophies do battle.”
Although he is employed on the opposing sideline, Hornacek remains a fan favorite in the Valley and says he has valued memories with both the Suns and Jazz organizations.
“When I was in Phoenix we went from being a team that was horrible to a team that won 55 games and qualified for the Western Conference Finals. Then in Utah, we had a couple chances to contend for a championship by reaching the NBA Finals. Both places have provided a lot of good memories for me.”
