At the beginning of the season, who would have thought? Lakers dethrone the defending champs in five and are headed to the '08 Finals. What a year for that team and their fans.

Should be a good championship no matter who makes it out of the East. Both Detroit and Boston match up well against the Lakers. Though it's still uncertain who will actually have to play them. One thing is for certain...I will proudly be cheering on the Western Conference this year.

What's the yard say? Boston, Los Angeles or Detriot as the '08 Champs?

It's official, Mike D'Antoni is headed to New York.

It's going to be interesting to see what he manages to do with that team.

I have a feeling that franchise will make a complete turn around, fairly quickly. He's a great coach.

As for the Suns, there are so many questions.

Who will replace Mike?

How will this affect Nash?

Who will be gone from the Phoenix roster come next season?

I guess all we know for certain is D'Antoni will be making bank and the Knicks are one lucky team.

Best of luck Coach D, you'll be missed.

Great blog posted by: Dan Banks of the Phoenix Suns

(Click link to read entire post, definitely a must read for ANY Suns fan)

"The Spurs did what the Spurs have done for years - find a way to win. In Game 1 they used a comeback fueled by big shots. In Game 2, it was hack-a-Shaq and oppessive defense. It's nothing new.

But now we're headed to the place where the Suns have their own bag of tricks. It's time for the Suns to do what they did __ in the regular season. Defend their home.

I can already hear some of you saying, "But the Spurs are too hard to beat."

Tell that to the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers. The group of veteran stars (sound familiar?) fell down 0-2 to the defending NBA champion Spurs (sound very familiar?) and headed back to the Staples center where they decided the Spurs would get no closer to the trophy.

Tell that to the 2005 Detroit Pistons. They also stumbled out of the gate in San Antonio and flew to Detroit with their backs against an 0-2 wall. They answered the challenge and evened things up with two convincing wins.

Oh yeah, and tell that to the 2008 Phoenix Suns."

It took the full 82 games to determine who would meet who in the first round in the West while the Celts sat comfortably at the number one seed the entire season.

Here's where we're at...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1 Boston

2 Detroit

3 Orlando

4 Cleveland

5 Washington

6 Toronto

7 Philly

8 Atlanta

No surprises here...now onto the Wild Wild West

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1 Los Angeles

2 New Orleans

3 San Antonio

4 Utah

5 Houston

6 Phoenix

7 Dallas

8 Denver

Should be fun.

My questions to the yard...

Who makes it out of the first round?

Who do you want to see win it all?

What could have possibly been a preview of the 08 Finals, the Celtics visited Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. It was one of the most anticipated games of all season for both teams, and pretty exciting.

Boston got off to a pretty sketchy start, didn't score much in the first quarter. They did manage to cut the deficit to only one during a twelve minute offensive drought by the Suns. Phoenix took a thirteen point lead at halftime. And for the most part, it was all Phoenix in the second half.

Final score:

Boston 77

Suns 85

I have to ask, is there bad blood between KG and Amare?

There was a ton of tension from start to finish between the two.

It's a done deal. Shaq is a Sun, and Marion & Marcus are going to Miami. It's shocking and hard to understand but I'm going to try to keep an open mind about this trade, and hope for the best. Maybe Shaq is the missing piece to the championship puzzle. Maybe it was the biggest mistake in Suns history. Either way, one thing we know for sure is it's a huge gamble and the Suns and their fans alike can only hope that it works.

The Matrix will be missed, and you can be sure that most, if not all Suns fans will keep their eyes on Miami and how he is doing.

My question to fellow yardbarkers,

Do the Suns finally have what it takes?

Only a few weeks after a Sarver "Suns wont trade core" announcement, trade rumors are flying in Phoenix, AZ. And they all have to do with Shawn Marion...1/3 of the Suns core.

The Miami Heat met with the Phoenix Suns thursday and discussed a Shawn Marion, Marcus Bank for Shaquille O'Neal trade. Apparently only a Suns "yes" will be needed and Shaq will be on plane to Arizona to join the Suns, which he surely wont fit in.

I for one think it's one of the most shocking and horrible trades that could possibly happen for the Suns. Does anybody at all think this trade would benefit Phoenix? I'm not one to feed into these trade rumors, but this ones looking to be pretty serious. I know I dont and I will be a very disappointed Suns fan if this trade does go through, and I have a feeling I wont be the only one.

The New York Giants defeat the, before today, undefeated New England Patriots with a 17-14 victory in Arizona to become the XLII Super Bowl Champs. It wasn't a high scoring game, but definitely exciting. Eli Manning is this years Super Bowl MVP.

And I have to say...as much as I wanted to see them beat the Pats, I really didn't expect it. I am so proud of the Giants. That was hands down, the greatest upset I have ever witnessed.

Along with Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire, David West, and Carlos Boozer, Brandon Roy made the all-star reserves list. That's some pretty elite company.

Brandon Roy is the first Blazer in seven years, since Rasheed Wallace, to become an all-star and he is only in his second year!

This is huge news for Rip City and the Blazers, but most of all... Brandon Roy. Best of luck goes out to him and the rest of the all-stars out in New Orleans and I hope he has fun, he deserves it!

An unbelievable come back in Portland, the Blazers 19-down in the 3rd quarter, come back to beat the Atlanta Hawks for the second time in one week, 93-94.

It was another crazy win for the Blazers, but they pulled through and if there was any question in anyone's mind as to whether or not Portland is for real...you better believe, they are.

No argument, the Portland Trail Blazers are the leagues future.

Blazers beat the Hawks in OT in Atlanta, 111-109.

Blazers went up a dozen with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Joe Johnson and the Hawks were on fire from the 3 point line (9-17). Tied at 100 with 33 seconds left, Roy misses a chance to give the Blazers the lead. Then, on the other end, Johnson misses a chance to win the game and it goes into OT. OUTLAW wins the jumpball and later on sinks a 22 footer with .9 seconds left and the Blazers win the game in OT. Blazers are now 3-3 on this 7 game road trip.

Brandon Roy has a new nick name for Mr. Fourth Quarter..."Big-Shot Trav"

Which seems appropriate.

Look out Hornets, HERE WE COME!

If you love the Suns' stars and what they do, rest easy and keep enjoying it.

If you want a team shake-up, don't hold your breath.

Managing Partner Robert Sarver said Saturday that the team will not make a major deal before the NBA's Feb. 20 trade deadline and added that nothing will change his mind over the next month.



"As far as doing anything with our core players, that's just not going to happen," Sarver said. "I feel very strongly that we are capable of winning a championship with who we have, and I'm going to let these guys go for another shot at a championship."

National reports have run rampant with rumors that the Suns have discussed significant deals that included All-NBA center Amar? Stoudemire and All-Star forward Shawn Marion.

"They are just flat-out not getting traded," Sarver said. "We are going to play the season with our core. They deserve another chance to win a championship.

"Our best chance to win a championship is with the core we have. Whether we are going to trade Shawn or Amar? and whether we have the right coach and whether our GM is making the right decisions is just a bunch of nonsense."

Marion requested a trade during the summer but has put that aside.

"I don't even worry about all that (trade talk)," Marion said Saturday. "I'm just trying to play ball. He (Sarver) didn't have to say that, but it's good that he did."

Sarver said he looks at the first half of this season, which concludes at home tonight against New Jersey, with a "glass half-full" perspective, because the Suns have the best record in a loaded Western Conference.

With a $71.3 million payroll, the Suns face a luxury-tax penalty of about $3.5 million. They could make a "minor addition" if General Manager Steve Kerr and coach Mike D'Antoni wish, Sarver said.

"We are going to operate at a (financial) loss this year whether we win a championship or not," Sarver said. "There are times to go for a championship. This is a time we can. If we need to do a little more, we will."

Memphis guard Damon Stoudamire, a former Kerr teammate in Portland and fellow University of Arizona product, could be bought out of his contract. Phoenix and Boston would be considered favorites to sign him.

He would solidify the Suns' backup point-guard spot with leadership, open-court play and perimeter shooting. D'Antoni was an assistant coach in Portland during one of Stoudamire's seasons there.

The rumor mill has gone beyond the Suns' locker room and into the executive room, with Kerr and D'Antoni denying reports of discord between them.

"Having different views and opinions is a healthy thing to come up with a consensus that is the best," Sarver said. "Mike and Steve have been on the same page. Steve was actually Mike's choice. Mike and I had an agreement that if we hired a GM, he'd have veto power."

If Phoenix wins tonight, it would have 29 victories at the season's midpoint. That is one off the team's average over the past three first halves. Yet Sarver feels the Suns are not getting their proper respect, especially considering the contributions of newcomers Grant Hill and Brian Skinner.

"If we're in the top eight of the league, we're doing a pretty good job," Sarver said. "If we're in the top four, we're doing a great job. How that ends up in the playoffs depends on a lot of variables - injuries, if shots fall or if players get suspended. We just need to be in a position to win a championship. I think we are good enough to win it with what we have."

Paul Coro

The Arizona Republic

Jan. 19, 2008 11:09 PM

Suns defeat the Lakers 106-98 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

It looked for a few seconds there that the Lakers would make a come back but our boys were just too hot at that three point line. This was a BIG win for Phoenix, putting them back at the #1 spot in the West.

I'd like to see the Suns come out every night and play with the intensity they had tonight.

Great effort from everyone all around, especially Boris.

"Suns forward Grant Hill's best run of good health in years took a surprise interruption today when it was learned he would need to undergo an appendectomy this evening.

Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said Hill likely is expected to miss about two weeks of play.

Hill, mired by acute injuries in the past eight years of his career, had started all of Phoenix's 34 regular season games, his longest run of consecutive games played since he was in Detroit in the 1999-2000 season. Hill is averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists and is shooting 50.7 percent from the field.

Hill came to US Airways Center this morning feeling ill and was sent to the hospital by Phoenix head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson because he was not showing any of the usual flulike symptoms. At the hospital, it was determined Hill would undergo an appendectomy."

Paul Coro

The Arizona Republic

Jan. 9, 2008 01:08 PM

Here's to a speedy recovery.

Best of wishes go out to The Thrill.

The Suns are really going to have to play even harder with Grants absense.

Winners of thirteen straight after defeating the Seventy-Sixers Sunday afternoon at the Rose Garden. Blazers were down by eleven at the beginning of the third, but managed to come back and win the game 97-72. Blazers go on the road for the next three games and face the Jazz tomorrow night in Utah. Let's make it fourteen!

If anyone can find a clip of Outlaw's slam down... please share!