The Suns have faced several good teams lately and the tougher competition has given fans and NBA heads a better idea of how good this team actually is. Uneven efforts are going to be there early in the season and teams lose some games they shouldn’t lose- that’s acceptable. What becoming clearer, the more I listen to Jeff Van Gundy critique the team while they lose on national TV- this team is not as good as last year.

The same can be said for several teams who have awful records (Miami, Chicago) but the Suns’ record is good but their play is frustratingly inconsistent. They beat Utah at home, then can’t convert in the clutch against New Orleans. They play great defense and get clutch buckets against the Spurs and then spot Dallas 37 points in the 1st quarter of a game they lose by three. They get a balanced effort against Toronto then get worked by the Lakers, who are a better team at this point.

The team just isn’t putting together a solid 48 minutes. A major reason (beside starters admittedly not playing hard, poor chemistry and injuries) is the awful bench play. Some games the bench is weakened by LB starting due to Raja’s mounting injury issues. Overall though, the bench rarely builds a lead and often treads water until Nash returns to the game- especially against good teams. Similar to football, the formula for success isn’t just star players it’s an abundance of capable role players. When Coach D’Antoni turns to the bench he gets points from Barbosa, rebounds and blocks from SKinner and whatever from Diaw. In the West, all the teams are deep and right now it looks like the Suns don’t have enough versatility for the tougher match-ups.

Watching the team play, it seems they are revealing who they really are after a East-heavy start. The team feasted on the East last year as well but their 12-2 record against the East is the bulk of the “elite” record at this point. In many games the team is playing to the level of the competition and failing to bring consistent energy on defense. Meanwhile, Golden State plays small ball better than PHX and with more athleticism. The Lakers have a stellar bench that scores and defends in relief of Kobe. Just looking at these teams within the division who’ve handled the Suns to this point is cause for concern. It’s becoming obvious it’s time for a trade.

They have to bolster their bench or at least give some guys minutes to earn their money. I too have begun to feel as dumbfounded as other fans who don’t get how a team can make moves to save money yet play the shortest rotation in the league. Either stop wasting money on practice players or make a move to get some help. Marcus Banks either needs to play or be bought out. Watching Boris Diaw go through the motions makes me sick considering he makes more than players like Marcus Camby and Hedo Turkoglu and about the same as Tayshaun Prince. LB continues to be a great scorer but he isn’t a point guard and the 2nd unit offense just stagnates when his shot is off.

Of course with a team over the luxury tax, it’s easier said than done but it’s obvious on the court that this team is missing something. The team only plays defense when they’re down 10 or more. The Suns nastiness seems to primarily reside with Raja Bell. After watching the Lakers highlight reel on Christmas day- the team should be embarrassed with their defense. This is no longer the powerhouse team that came into your arena, lit you up and rolled out with a win. The Suns have a bulls-eye on their back but now they often fold after taking a team’s best shot.

I think at this point a personnel move is the way to go. Their role players have bad contracts but they do have a bargaining chip in Atlanta’s draft pick. Even if it’s a backup point who can actually run an uptempo team and create shots or another shooter, something has to be done because the gap has been closed in the division and the conference. The Suns weaknesses will not go away without a roster move. I’m optimistic the team can improve internally but it will require a far more consistent effort than they’ve put forth in recent weeks. No matter how good Coach D’Antoni says they are- pathetic defensive efforts like the one against LA are fuel for his critics and proof this roster can’t seriously challenge for a title.

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