I've been a huge Matt Barnes fan and apologist for quite a while now.  Many years ago I read about his struggles with racism in high school, his collegiate career at UCLA, and always thought he'd be a perfect fit with the Suns when he was at Golden State.   Needless to say I put him in my off-season wish list for the Suns last year.  And when I read he was officially signed, I was through-the-roof ecstatic. 

A column today by Paul Coro on Matt Barnes affirmed how thankful I am that he is a member of the Phoenix Suns. 

No, it wasn't the clutch shot he hit last night that propelled us to a win.  It wasn't the energy and defense he's brought to the Suns this year.  And it wasn't his myriad of tattoos (which I'm jealous of by the way). 

It's the way he has taken Barbosa under his wing during an extremely difficult time not only in Leandro's life, but Matt's as well. 

As a cancer survivor, that is something I respect even more so than his play.

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As anyone that knows me can attest to, my mood is generally reflective of how the Suns are doing as a whole.  This would include any off-season moves, wins or losses, reaction from how they played, injuries etc. – the list could go on.  Sure, it’s somewhat pathetic and ulcer-inducing, but that’s my life and I’m pretty set in my ways.   

So, naturally, seeing the Suns get picked apart by a Laker team that shot 47% from both the field and three-point line, this was my initial reaction:

After the swelling subsided, I convinced myself this could be a good thing for the Suns in the long run. 

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For lack of a better word, we've all seen a change in Nash's play.  It's not that he isn't playing well or losing a step per se, it's just....changed.   

Let me preface this blog by saying he is, by far, my favorite player of all time.  It's rare to see someone so good, giving back to the community and being so selfless - something I personally respect more so than his actual play.  

But I do admit we've seen a sharp change in Nash's play, so I set out to see why. 

We haven't seen Nash distribute the rock on the fastbreak like we are accustomed to seeing.  We haven't seen as many jaw-dropping passes and marveled at his vision as much as we used to.  In fact, he's had only one game this year of 10+ assists.  Being a Nash apologist, I wanted to see statistical evidence of who to blame and when this truly started happening. 

My original hypothesis was that his change in play could be identified from the point we acquired Shaq (February 6, 2008).  So, I compared Nash's numbers pre-Shaq and post-Shaq.

What I found surprised even me. 

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Suns fans can sleep well tonight.  We finally saw what Kerr and Porter have been preaching for months now - a balanced team.

This message was engrained into our heads since Steve Kerr took over as GM and Terry Porter took over as coach.  After previous years of losing to incredibly balanced teams in the playoffs, it was a message I think we were all ready to hear.  Seven Seconds or Less was dead and we weren't going anywhere unless our defense and bench improved.  After the addition of a new coach, new role players and a new philosophy, Suns fans were anxious.  Excited, but nervous.  Hopeful, but reserved.

The start to the 2008-2009 season hasn't necessarily calmed our worries.  Already, it's been reported that players and staff aren't on the same page, aren't sure when to run and when not to, and question when it's okay and not okay to shoot.

Sure, 8-3 is a good record and many teams would love to face the problems we have.  But this is a team that has been expected to contend for a championship for several years now.  We are equipped to make a run against anyone in the playoffs. 

That is...if we could figure out a way to balance our run-n-gun style with our depth and better defense.

Tonight we did. 

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I'm as incensed as every Suns fan is (and Rockets fan for that matter) regarding the suspensions handed out today to Barnes, Nash, and Alston. 

Although I've always been a "by the book" guy and believe that rules are rules, some ounce of subjectivity must come into play when making decisions regarding fines, suspensions, etc.  These are situations that must be dealt with on a case by case basis while maintaining as much consistency as possible.  The only consistency, it would seem, is that Stern and the NBA are inconsistent. 

Based on reaction from the players, they are just as upset as us fans.

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