The Lakerhead

Lakers Beat What’s Left of the Suns

The Portland Trailblazers of the late 80’s and early 90’s.  The New York Knicks of the mid-90s.  The Sacramento Kings of the early 2000s.  And the Phoenix Suns of the mid 00’s.  These are the teams that you just knew were going to win it all.  It was only a matter of time.

Then, something happened.  Time ended up becoming the enemy.  The Blazers didn’t have all the pieces against the Pistons in the Finals, and their time was gone when they met the Bulls in their prime in 1992.

The Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks also had the unfortunate situation of existing when the Bulls did.  Their one shot when Jordan retired was thwarted by the most skilled big man to ever play the game, Hakeem Olajuwon.

The Rockets employed the “Holy Crap!  This guy is so good!  Let’s just surround him with 3-point shooters and let him school the opposing big man!” strategy.  Even David Robinson and Patrick Ewing couldn’t help but become a defensive liability to “The Dream” in his prime.

The Sacramento Kings patiently waited until the Kobe-Shaq 3-peat Lakers fell to the Spurs.  Then, Chris Webber went down with a knee injury (he was never the same again, not even close) against the Mavericks in the playoffs, and the Kings were all but finished.

It was once again only a matter of time before the Suns became experienced enough to knock off the Spurs.  One Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw suspension later, and the Suns lose Joe Johnson to Atlanta and never seriously threaten the Spurs again.

What you saw tonight, when the Lakers beat on the Phoenix 132-106, is simply what’s left of the Suns.  When Odom shoots 12-13 from the field, Kobe has a quiet 10-13 shooting night for 22 points (and doesn’t play the 4th quarter), you know your defense has serious problems.

The Lakers passed it around with such effortlessness, got any shot they wanted on so many occasions, that the 3rd quarter was opened up by an analysis of when interim Suns coach Alvin Gentry Suns will throw in the towel and rest Grant Hill and Shaq for their game against Toronto tomorrow.  Gentry’s analysis of the Lakers after the game was spot on.

“Pretty good team, huh?” he said.  He followed this up with some talk about the Lakers playing effective zone defense and quickly pointed out that they were missing Nash, but the first statement must have been what he must have been feeling all game.

The Suns now have gaping holes on offense as well.  The Suns have done the one thing that takes teams from great to mediocre- they’ve lost their identity, more precisely, they’ve lost their sense of purpose.

I’m not willing to say that this is purely a mental game.  Mike D’Antoni himself couldn’t make this team win.  The pieces just don’t fit.  Gone are Marion, Johnson, and Diaw.  Senior citizens Grant Hill and Shaq played alongside youngsters Jared Dudley and Alando Tucker.

Steve Nash is 35, and probably eyeing a New York reunion with Mike D’Antoni.  He knows there will be a Lebron, or a Wade, or a Bosh waiting for him there.  Most importantly, he knows a system that he believes in is waiting in the Big Apple.

When the Lakers imploded, they had the NBA’s best player, Kobe, at a ripe 27 to rebuild.  The Suns, on the other hand, got a 35-year old Shaq and a 34 year-old Grant Hill (coming off multiple ankle surgeries).  Time has set on the franchise’s successful chapter.  For now.