Pacific Ponderings: Are the Suns Really a Threat to the Lakers?

Something just doesn’t feel right about the NBA right now.  I can’t quite place my finger on it.  It is almost like something is wrong with the natural order of the basketball universe.  Hold on, it is coming to me now.  This is the problem:

Who the hell do the Phoenix Suns think they are and what are they doing in first place in the Pacific Division?  Don’t they realize that is the rightful place of the LA Lakers?  Lousy Suns and their crazy offense.

Alas, the season is only 13 games old for the Lakers and they are a mere half a game behind Phoenix for the divisional lead, so there is zero reason to panic.  But do the Lakers have cause for concern if this pesky Phoenix team continues to linger near the top of the Pacific Division?

Coming into the year, it was considered common knowledge that that Lakers were the only good team in the Pacific Division and would thus run away with the division and only have to worry about securing the best record in the Western Conference.  Now, they actually have to consider the possibility that they might not even win their own division since this Sun team looks as if it might very much be for real.

The season is young, but the Suns are at the top of their game (something the Lakers can’t exactly say for themselves), leading the league in both points per game an offensive efficiency.  And they don’t appear to be a paper tiger either as their only three losses have come against legit competition (Lakers, Orlando and New Orleans… OK, two losses against legit competition) on the road.  Amare Stoudemire is back and healthy and Steve Nash is once again putting up numbers eerily similar to the numbers from his MVP seasons.

Just a reminder that this short Canadian guy has more MVPs than Kobe.

Yes, the Lakers did thoroughly dominate the Suns in their lone match-up this season, but the Lakers alone aren’t going to be able to knock the Suns from their perch.  The Phoenix defense should take care of that before long.  As good as the Phoenix offense has been, the defense has been just as bad, checking at 23rd in defensive efficiency in the NBA.  That certainly isn’t a recipe for championship success, but the Suns have used it to achieve ample regular season success before, winning the Pacific Division with 61 wins just a few years ago.

But are the Suns a threat?  The Lakers are deeper and more talented and thus more capable of surviving the marathon that is the NBA regular season.  The Suns are saddled with having their two best players being incredibly fragile (Amare and his knee or eye, Nash and his back).  If anything, having a competitive Sun team hanging around should be good for the Lakers who could use that persistent nudge in the back to prevent them from kicking it into cruise control too early.  That alone should be enough to coax the Lakers into ramping up to their optimal level to keep the Suns in their rearview mirror and at a safe distance.

Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Pacific Division rivals, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash