The Phoenix Suns are just as hot as that yellow orb in the sky and in some ways even hotter. The Suns are 6 – 1 on the young season leading the Western Conference and a half game up on the Lakers in the Pacific division. The Sun God Ra would be proud of the way Phoenix is scorching the competition. The Suns have exceeded 100 points in every game this year.

Ok, enough with the puns, the Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash took down the Washington Wizards and Gilbert Arenas 102 – 90 in a road game. Road games appear to be a specialty for the Suns who now have a 4 -1 road record.

The Suns were turnover prone early and had to uncharacteristically depend on defense with Jason Richardson and Grant Hill guarding the Washington All Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

The Suns are supposed to be flawed defensively and with rebounding. They lured Washington into jump shots and the Wizards wound up shooting 39 percent from the field. Even bigger, they kept the Wizards to 12 second-chance points. Jason Richardson mostly guarded Gilbert Arenas, who went 7 for 22 from the field. Grant Hill covered the Wizards’ other All-Star in action, holding Caron Butler to 7-of-19 shooting while lead the Suns in rebounding for the fourth time in seven games.
source

NBAObsessed has discussed the contributions in offense and leadership by Steve Nash before.

——> Steve Nash is raising Arizona

Steve Nash looks one way and passes the other

Steve Nash continues to play at an MVP level for the Suns and this game was no exception. Jason Richardson was not only making Gilbert Arenas work hard, but was the major contributor in the scoring end for the Suns as well.

Nash had 17 assists to go with 11 points, assisting on seven Suns baskets in the third quarter that sent the Suns to the fourth quarter with an 80-71 lead. Jason Richardson led the Suns’ scoring again with 22 points, including four of the Suns’ 12 3-pointers. The Suns’ frontcourt players all had double-doubles – Hill (13 points, 13 rebounds, Amar’e Stoudemire (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Channing Frye (18 points, 10 rebounds).

It is early in the season, but maybe we took the Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash a little too lightly in our predictions of an easy Laker Division win.

Image: Zuma Press

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Grant Hill, who used to play for my Pistons (as if the ownership was mine. ha-ha) and Jason Richardson, who used to play for my Michigan State Spartans (hey, your intrepid author did graduate from there and paid a ton of expenses for that diploma, which sort of makes me an owner.) led Phoenix to their 5th victory in a row.

Phoenix 118 Denver 115

Grant Hill can still play!

Now in the who cares category, why should we care?

Hey, remember how crowded the playoff situation is in the Western Conference with 7 teams trailing the Lakers and having between 42 and 47 victories? Well, the Suns just won game 39. Hope springs for at least the rest of the season or when mathematically eliminated.

Hill hit a 12-foot jumper in the lane to break a tie with 58.6 seconds remaining, then added a free throw with 6.2 seconds left to help Phoenix extend its season-high winning streak to five games in a 118-115 victory over Denver on Monday night.

“That may have been the only jumper I hit,” said Hill, who had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but also committed six turnovers.

source

Now add this scoring note.

The Suns have averaged 131.5 points a game in their last four, passing Golden State to become the highest-scoring team in the NBA with a 108.8 average. The Suns ranked fifth in the league at 104.4 points per game when Alvin Gentry replaced Terry Porter at the All-Star break.

Photo source Newscom

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Dwight Howard has tremendous upside

Normally the All Star game is not a big ticket with your intrepid author.

A game with little or no defense has a hard time holding my interest.

In fact, today’s basketball with all the rule changes towards offense has really bothered me in recent years.

But this year may be an exception. The league is just so filled with exceptional talent.

One starter in particular could become a dominant force in the NBA sooner than we think. That man would be Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Hmm, may just have to tune in after all. Here are your vote getters.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the second returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,186,690; LeBron James (Clev) 1,005,733; Chris Bosh (Tor) 313,983; Paul Pierce (Bos) 268,926; Yi Jianlian (Mil) 192,828; Caron Butler (Was) 150,042; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 121,991; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 120,783; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 116,168; Antawn Jamison (Was) 106,370.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764; Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333; Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051; Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463; Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125; Michael Redd (Mil) 183,309; Richard Hamilton (Det) 121,663; Joe Johnson (Atl) 109,443; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 109,345.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 970,778; Shaquille O’Neal (Mia) 466,292; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 124,348; Ben Wallace (Chi) 114,245; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 100,622; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 89,900; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 55,217; Emeka Okafor (Cha) 51,490; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 43,036; Eddy Curry (NY) 37,252.

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 767,722; Tim Duncan (SA) 722,059; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 686,853; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 281,299; Josh Howard (Dal) 251,756; Shawn Marion (Pho) 240,752; Shane Battier (Hou) 227,112; Luis Scola (Hou) 222,896; Kevin Durant (Sea) 191,542; Grant Hill (Pho) 152,898.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 941,716; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 663,141; Steve Nash (Pho) 526,493; Allen Iverson (Den) 514,291; Manu Ginobili (SA) 220,620; Jason Terry (Dal) 200,693; Baron Davis (GS) 194,048; Chris Paul (NO) 189,646; Tony Parker (SA) 183,173; Jerry Stackhouse (Dal) 178,152.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 813,305;Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 463,916; Erick Dampier (Dal) 171,386; Marcus Camby (Den) 161,807; Pau Gasol (Mem) 118,759; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 85,715; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 69,691; Tyson Chandler (NO) 69,083; Andris Biedrins (GS) 67,862; Chris Kaman (LAC) 66,315.  source

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite player make the cut?

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Grant Hill slashing to victory

If ever there was a nicer guy in the NBA than Grant Hill, then that player would be a Saint.

Grant left the Pistons and they still wanted him back.

We are now very close to Grant Hill’s debut as a Sun.

Phoenix did not hesitate to pick him up, because Grant is more than nice, he is capable of still putting up big numbers.

When Grant played for the Detroit Pistons, back when he was healthy, they had him at a new position called point forward. In other words, he would not bring the ball up, but the point guard would immediately pass to Grant Hill popping out from the baseline on every play.

Grant then took over as the playmaker for that possession. Point Forward.

Grant Hill did not have a very good shot at that time and eventually had to hire a shot coach will helped him to a great degree. So, Hill was mainly a slasher and rebounder in those days.

The Pistons were an anemic team back then and Grant was not accustomed to being the sole leader. He needed a partner at that time, especially one that could knock down the crucial bucket.

The rules at that time made it difficult for a slasher with no jumper to score the big bucket. The referees tended to favor the defender, unlike now where some players have actually learned how to lean into their defender and earn a trip to the foul line.

After his Piston time came the Orlando years of having little talent around him and constant foot injuries. Hill enjoyed a huge salary at the time, but would have given it all up to win.

The Suns dial the phone

Phoenix came calling this year and what they offered was the chance to win it all. Come play with us and be involved and win it all. The contract was for a meager 1.83 million.

Phoenix has come so close year after year with always some freakish event holding them back.

If Amare Stoudemire could have stayed on the bench when San Antonio’s Robert Horry slammed Steve Nash into the scorer’s table in last season’s conference semifinals, the Phoenix Suns might be the reigning NBA champions….

If Nash hadn’t had to leave the court with a cut gushing blood from his nose last season in Game 1 of that series, maybe the Suns would have won. If Joe Johnson didn’t smash his face in the 2005 conference finals, if Raja Bell hadn’t missed two games of the 2006 conference finals. source

It is not to dwell on what might have happened if the circumstances had been slightly different, but it is more to show just how close the Suns are to finally winning it all with this nucleus of Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire.

Grant Hill longs for the winning feeling he once enjoyed at Duke.

Someday, the laws of nature insist Nash will show signs of age. These runs at the title won’t go on forever. Just ask Hill, who played on a constant contender at Duke but hasn’t come close in his injury-plagued pro career.

“I played 13 seasons in the NBA and we never expected to win a championship on those teams,” he said. “So I know these opportunities don’t come around often.

You could say Grant Hill longs for Phoenix as much as Phoenix longs for Grant Hill.

Grant has a chance to not only win with the Suns, but perhaps be that difference between winning it all and having to say what if.

And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!

strong>NBA Basketball Fan Question Will Phoenix win it all?

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Grant Hill has a new wardrobe

My Pistons would have taken Grant Hill back in a second.

No, your intrepid author does not own the Pistons. It is a figure of speech, geez.

But we still would have taken Grant back!

Phoenix is where Grant has ended up and the land of retirement sun and dry air may be the final resting place for this basketball legend.

Motown

If we back up a few years, well, several years to a Piston team that had very little beyond Grant Hill to work with, you will see a determined Hill that was put into the position to be the main star on the team.

Hill averaged over 20 points and 7 boards while shooting a percentage in the high 40’s.

At the same time, Grant struggled with the leader role. He could not be the main star at that time, because his game was limited to taking it to the rack and during crunch time that does not always work.

Disney World

Unfortunately in spite of universal love by Detroit and all fans in Michigan, money got involved and Grant had to leave for Orlando.

As a side note, Orlando allowed Ben Wallace to go to Detroit where he brought a championship to the town.

Orlando brought nothing but pain to Grant with multiple surgeries and very little talent surrounding him.

The speedy Suns

Now he finds himself in Phoenix and does not have to be a starter, let alone a star. Those jobs belong to Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion.

Grant feels healthy and even though he is 35, Grant has not logged a lot of minutes in his career because of the prior injuries.

From injuries to the Suns, it is a whole new world for Grant.

That was then, before six surgeries, including five on his ankle, and 374 missed games in seven years with the Orlando Magic. This is now: Hill, who turns 35 Friday, begins his 14th season with a healthy ankle and a hunger to win a ring matched only by his new Phoenix Suns teammates, who have flirted with a championship the past three seasons. source

Grant even said he was working on his 3 point shot, but it remains to be seen.

Can Grant Hill get it done at 35?

Will Grant Hill finally get his ring?

Nobody knows for sure, but there is one thing for sure, Grant Hill is excited to be a Phoenix Sun!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will you be rooting for Grant Hill to do well?

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