Once again back is the incredible ... Ball Don't Lie's NBA previews, outlining offseason moves, projecting win totals, spinning tracks and much, much more. It's a fun, hot mess. On deck, the Phoenix Suns.

2008-09 Record: 46-36, second place in Pacific Division
Head Coach/Facial Hair: Alvin Gentry/None
Key Additions: Channing Frye(notes)
Key Losses: Shaquille O'Neal(notes), Matt Barnes(notes), Ben Wallace(notes)

Though I've made this preview a bit more complex than it needed to be in terms of preparation, the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns are a pretty quick read.

I don't like this. I wish things were different, I wish Grant Hill(notes) were spending his last healthy years on a better team, I wish Jason Richardson(notes) fit better, I wish the Channing Frye renaissance were working for a better team, I wish Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) was actually going full bore, as he was in 2004-05.

And I wish Steve Nash(notes) was still playing, and paying off, as he did in 2004-05. I miss that so much. It was so much bloody fun. It turned this league around.

But we're about two months removed from wishing 2009 farewell. And though Steve took in a contract extension over the offseason, and while he's still a go-to watch 82 nights out, things have changed.

Hell, we're a decade removed from Nash's first full season as a starter. A decade removed from a bit of potential production that wouldn't be mitigated by Kevin Johnson or Sam Cassell(notes) or Jason Kidd(notes) or Achilles or back issues or some combination of the lot. And we're nine years removed from his debut as an honest-to-goodness healthy NBA player with a starting gig. With only Howard Eisley to beat, as Mark Cuban and two different Nelsons reminded us.

It's 2009, though. And all our friends are gone. And rich relations ...

This will be a fun team to watch. I can't wait to watch catch-and-shoot guys like Nash and Frye and Amar'e and the underrated Jared Dudley(notes) pair with Hill and Richardson and Leandro Barbosa(notes).

But the defense? It's so, so poor.

And the offense? It isn't good enough to make up for that anymore.

Put it this way — three starters on this roster couldn't start for the 2004-05 outfit, and the current version of Nash couldn't top that season's model. So why are the Suns expecting to use the same ideal (hopeful defense, league-best offense) to top the charts, when the defense they'll play this season will be much, much worse than the type they trotted out in 2004-05?

Because it's hard to say goodbye to a team like this. And it's hard to say goodbye to a pretty sweet job. I'd do anything I could to remain an NBA executive, as well.

I understand Steve Nash. And, considering the lot he was left with, I understand exactly where he's coming from. With Robert Saver running the team, passive and aggressive and all annoying points in between, it's hard to keep pace. No, the Shaquille O'Neal trade didn't work out. No, he hasn't exactly killed it in all other areas. But his turn hasn't been worth giving a miss.

That said, while I think the Suns can top out in the high 40s, the offense just isn't good enough to carry what will be a terrible, terrible defense. A defense that was actually middle of the road in 2004-05 (17th) and 2005-06 (16th), and ruddy miserable last season (26th in defensive efficiency).

And the organization is such a mess. Despite getting the services of Hill and Barbosa for just $10 million combined this season, the Suns will be paying the luxury tax. And even if Stoudemire splits this summer, and the team declines its option on Alando Tucker(notes), it's going to be only an MLE-chunk under next summer's salary cap.

So, yeah, big shocker. I'm pessimistic. Prove me wrong, Phoenix. A lot of us are sort of hoping for it.

Prediction: 39-43

— Kelly Dwyer

By going up-tempo, can Phoenix return to its elite level of two years ago?

Surely, Terry Porter's decision to focus on defense hampered a team so used to playing fast, and the change in philosophy was arguably the biggest reason the Suns missed the postseason for the first time since 2004. But Alvin Gentry only went 18-13, which is just a notch higher than Porter's .549 winning percentage.

So will Gentry's commitment to playing fast make a difference? Houston should take a step back without Yao Ming(notes) and Ron Artest(notes) and Utah is in some disarray, giving Phoenix a chance to return to the playoffs. But it's fair to say the Suns are no longer an elite team.

— Frank Hughes, Yahoo! Sports 2009-10 NBA Preview magazine

• Bright Side of the Sun: "There's two basic ways to look at this Suns season. 1) You can choose to see a team trying to recapture the glory years by returning to its running roots but doing so without key players (Marion, Diaw and Bell); with an older core (Nash and Hill); and with whatever Amare may or may not be able to give on a microfractured knee and an eye that almost fell apart. To put it yet another (even more cynical) way, if the Suns aren't moving forward toward a championship and they aren't rebuilding for the long run then they are basically treading water in a desperate and blatant attempt to sell tickets while delaying the inevitable collapse. Or ... 2) You can see a team that is hitting the reset button after making the Big Mistake and promising to return to Phoenix Suns basketball which was exciting and won a lot of games. A team with great chemistry and a promise of consistency (no trades) and a team who will release its Canadian hummingbird from the plastic bag and run like the wind. A Suns team that is getting better defensively and is deeper then at any point since Charles Barkley weighed less than Eddy Curry(notes)." [more]

• Valley of the Suns: "Just like in Cleveland, Miami and Toronto, a potential key member of the much-ballyhooed Class of 2010 free agency class resides in Phoenix. The end result of the Amar'e Stoudemire Situation will go a long way toward determining the future direction of this franchise. Phoenix does not want to negotiate with Amar'e before seeing how he returns from a very serious eye injury, and even completely healthy the Suns may be hesitant to give max money to a player who is inconsistent defensively and on the boards at times. After asking for that max extension, Amare sees only a 50-50 chance of returning to Phoenix. The answer to this conundrum will determine whether the Suns build around their 26-year-old, potentially franchise big man or if they will have a few dollars to throw around next offseason to chart a new path." [more]

• The Baseline: "Older, wiser, more self-conscious and with only 2.5 real aggressive players (that would be Amare, Nash and Richardson), I just don't see this renewed commitment to the running game building any buzz. Or, for that matter, working as a sustained means of blowing opponents off of the floor. There is no shock and awe here, no reckless 'what-will-they-do-next' edge. Nothing here but veterans pushing the tempo and spreading the floor. That's almost regressive, considering how much the rest of the league has absorbed the Suns' original lessons." [more]

LCD Soundsystem, "Losing My Edge"

Steve Nash is back. Amar'e Stoudemire's eyeball works now. Alvin Gentry lets them run like the olden days. But it kinda feels like the Suns are just trying to stay relevant. Like, "Hey, guys, remember when we used to be the future of basketball?" And that kind of makes the sadness happen. But they're actually really, really nice.

— Trey Kerby, The Blowtorch

Fantasy owners have anxiously awaited the return of fun-and-gun. Shaq's departure means that things open up for everyone, and this team has the offensive talent to put up some big numbers. Amar'e Stoudemire is the featured player and makes an appearance in the middle of Round 1. While there still is some risk associated with the eye injury he suffered last season, the reward potential is just too great to pass on. There aren't many reasons to expect a drop-off from the 34-year-old Steve Nash, and he's a solid addition to your squad once you get a few picks into Round 2. There isn't a better system fit for a point guard in the league. Jason Richardson wasn't particularly assertive in his stint with the team in 08-09, but that should change now that the reins are off. Target him as early as the fourth round and be looking for guady 3-point totals and solid numbers overall.

Leandro Barbosa will benefit as much as anyone from the team's return to previous form. He was up and down in 08-09 but is just a few seasons removed from a top-25 roto impact, and he's a mid-round steal in drafts this season. Channing Frye's unique offensive skills (he made half of his 3-point attempts in preseason play) will play well in the Suns system and in fantasy, and he's one of the better speculative late-round picks available. Any excess boards, steals and blocks would be gravy for fantasy owners. Magic fans let out a collective sigh when Grant Hill played 82 games for the first time in his career last season — at age 36 — and he delivered an underrated roto impact. Don't underestimate his potential as a late-round glue guy.

— Matt Buser, Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Basketball / BuserSports.com

Sign up now for Fantasy Basketball '09.

SunTzu: Let your offensive plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

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Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors
Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs
Central Division: Bulls | Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Bucks
Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers | Jazz
Southeast Division: Hawks | Bobcats | Heat | Magic | Wizards
Pacific Division: Warriors | Clippers | Lakers

Related: Shaquille O'Neal, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Leandro Barbosa, Matt Barnes, Amar'e Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Yao Ming, Ron Artest, Eddy Curry, Steve Nash, Ben Wallace, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Sam Cassell, Phoenix Suns, 2009-10 NBA Season Previews