“I had no idea Miles Plumlee was this good.”
“I could watch Eric Bledsoe dribble all day long.”
“Is it me, or has Goran Dragic gotten faster?”
One of the best parts about working for the Suns is having real-time access to the collective reaction of fans – good or bad. But in the Suns’ home opener
against the Trail Blazers, the latter was hard to come by.
The quotes above were ones I randomly overheard while walking through the halls of US Airways Center at halftime.
Halftime.
Think about that for a moment.
Just 24 minutes into the NBA season, fans were already so impressed with the hard work and effort from the team that their praise was audible in the midst
of all the other noise, hustle and bustle.
Perhaps even more significant, the admiration was justified.
At that point, Miles Plumlee already tallied a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe had combined for 23 points, seven
assists and seven rebounds. Plumlee would go on to finish with 18 points and 15 boards while Bledsoe and Dragic finished with a combine 48 points, 15
assists and 13 rebounds.
Obviously, since those statements were made at the half, nobody knew whether the Suns would win or not. (They did, 104-91.) None of those individuals could
have predicted that the Suns would score 31 points in the third quarter to go up by 12 entering the fourth, and go on to eventually lead by 17.
Still, more than anything, fans noticed the passion, determination and work ethic from the Suns that Jeff Hornacek instilled from the time he arrived.
Ultimately, that’s what’s most important. Wins and losses will come and go, but how the team approaches every game should remain the same.
It inspires confidence – something that is a welcomed assurance for fans.
“Can I just say that you were right about this Suns team?” read a text I received midway through the third quarter from a friend I haven’t heard from in
over a year. “I’m impressed. It feels like they have a new energy. So much fun to watch.”
It’s been said that the best result from hard work isn’t what you get out of it, but what you become from it.
If the product on the court tonight was any indication, this Suns team is poised to become something special over the course of the next few years.