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Phoenix Suns (Last Year: 54-28)
Live 2010 NBA Draft Grades:
Suns Overall Team Grade
With no first-rounders and a pair of second-round picks, Phoenix did a nice job with what it had. As expected, the Suns added some depth at the four with Amare Stoudemire likely leaving via free agency. Lawal is nice selection at No. 46 while Collins is a solid Mr. Irrelevant. My only concern is that Lawal and Collins do not have the ideal games for a run-and-gun style of offense, but you can only do so much in the second round. (Grade: B)
46. Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech
A great value at No. 46 and also fits a major need with Amare liking leaving Phoenix. You can’t ask anything better although I’m not sure Lawal fits in an up-tempo offense though. (Pick Grade: Make Sense)
60. Dwayne Collins, PF, Miami
I was never that high on Collins but the Suns add another power forward to prepare for life post-Amare. I would have preferred seeing them rolling the dice on a more dynamic player with upside like Charles Garcia. (Pick Grade: Meh)
2009-10 Season Summary:
Rejuvenated, revitalized, reinvigorated. All three words are excellent at describing the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns. Amid trade rumors all season, the team was an extremely cohesive unit and surprised a ton of people in and outside Phoenix with their success.
Finishing second in the Pacific Division and third overall in the Western Conference was a big step forward for the Suns who missed the playoffs the year before, and that was without any meaningful contributions from lottery pick Earl Clark. Instead, the team bought into head coach Alvin Gentry’s style and reaped the benefits. The Suns were one of the few teams that really employed two units on the floor and the method worked to maintain fresh legs for both groups. Though they came up short in the Western Conference Finals, the future for Suns basketball is once again bright… well, depending on what Amare Stoudemire does.
2010-11 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Robin Lopez/Channing Frye
PF: Hedo Turkoglu/Hakim Warrick/Gani Lawal/Dwayne Collins
SF: Grant Hill/Jared Dudley/Earl Clark
SG: Jason Richardson/Josh Childress/Matt Janning
PG: Steve Nash/Goran Dragic
NBA Free Agents:
C Louis Amundson (UFA)
C Jarron Collins (UFA)
2010-11 Team Salary: Approximately $61.3 million
2010-11 League Salary Cap: $58 million
Offseason Moves:
NBA Offseason Needs:
1. Prayer- After getting back to the Western Conference Finals, the Suns are on the brink of being decimated by the loss of Amare Stoudemire. If Amare does in fact leave it will give the Suns some cap room, but it’s unlikely any free agent acquisition would be close to the talent of Stoudemire. If Amare stays with Phoenix (and Frye to an extent) the team could be in shape to do something that is quite rare these days – play two full seasons with the same top nine players.
2. Big Improvement from Clark- After a very disappointing rookie season from Earl Clark and the pending departure of two guys ahead of him on the depth chart, Clark will have to get markedly better if the Suns have any hope of staying among the top four teams in the West. Phoenix drafted him because of versatility and athleticism. If that potential is reached, he could flourish in the up-tempo Phoenix style of ball.
3. A Front Office Rebuild- Even with the exceeded expectations this past season, general manager Steve Kerr decided to hit the road and was then followed by the team’s VP of Basketball Ops David Griffin. Whoever replaces the duo will have to get on the same page quickly so that the team can maintain the winning ways whether it’s with or without Stoudemire.
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