The Man With No Aim was renamed The Man With the Golden Gun on Sunday night as Jason Richardson proved that he can play - at least against the Sacramento Kings - admittedly one of the Western Conference's worst teams.

J-Rich did so by knocking down 66% of his six 3-pointers and 55% of his shots from the field to Suns leading scorer with 26 points in less than 34 minutes of play. It was the J-Rich of old - someone who played like he is worth close to the $13++ million Richardson is getting under his present contract. 

And Steve Nash topped that off by passing for a blistering 17 assists - more than the entire Sacramento Kings team combined.

In addition Grant Hill just blew the doors off with a super hot scoring percentage (63%) as he hit 7 of 11 on his way to knocking down 16 points.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--  

So here we are - it's the waning days of February and the Suns are on a run. Not just a small run but the type that brings back visions of the 14-3 season start they had back in October and November. Could it be that we will close-out the season with a Big Shower of W's that will put us right up there with Denver and LA as one of the elite teams of the Western Conference????

Sure it is early yet to predict how this 2010 play-off run will end - or if the Suns will even make the post-season. But if all goes well tonight against the struggling Kings - and we've won three in a row against them this season - Phoenix will be well placed to best last season's 46-26 record. A small feat - but one few of our readers thought would happen.

This evening the big money guys in Vegas are on our side with the Super Sportsbook at the LV Hilton touting the Suns as 10 point favorites and the MGM Grand following suit. Amd that Big Love from the oddsmakers comes despite an awful performance by the Suns top scoring guards in Friday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks - Nash, Richardson, and Dragic combined for just 7 of 27 from the field in that Phoenix victory.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading---   

Despite an abysmal 3-point shooting percentage that would make Stevie Wonder blush - the Suns captured a low scoring 88 - 80 win from the Atlanta Hawks on Friday evening.

Marred by a series of long range airballs launched by Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic (0-4 and 0-3 respectively from beyond the arc) the Suns offense relied on the inside prowess of Amar'e Stoudemire, Grant Hill and ... Robin Lopez.

Combined the trio knocked down 50 of the team's 88 points while hitting 20 of their 35 shots from the field. As the Big Three played an upfront game that nailed more than 57% of their shots - the Suns guards were shooting like mobsters in cement shoes all night. J-Rich had the worst accuracy hitting just 2 of his 9 shots.

Yes - no need to take out your contacts - Jason Richardson really went just 2 for 9.    

Dragic was only slightly better as he went just 2 - 8 and Steve Nash had an off night with just 6 points and 6 assists to his credit.  

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--

Decades ago there was a play written by a guy named Samuel Beckett and the title - Waiting for Godot - remains an intriguing one to this very day.

The play involves a duo of characters who wait in the desert for a man who never comes - apparently a metaphor for much of the modern condition and also - lest we detour way to far - our Phoenix Suns this season.

But in this case - after all the hoopla leading-up to Thursday's trade deadline - we are glad to know that Godot never showed in Phoenix.

And Amar'e stayed the course. 

It's no secret that we are profound Stoudemire cheerleaders here at www.sunsstufft.com. We note that he's the highest scorer on the Suns and is the 10th highest scorer in the NBA at 21.4 points per game. Amar'e isn't just a scorer - his 55% from the floor is the second highest shooting percentage among the top 25 scorers in the league.

Along with having the 10th highest field goal percentage in the entire NBA, Amar'e is ranked Number 23 in the league when it comes to rebounds per game (8.7 boards) and is tied for 32nd in the number of blocks per game.

In short - despite weeks of backstabbing and unseamly media leaks from Suns General Manager Steve Kerr and his merry band of blame shifting middle managers - Amar'e Stoudemire is an awesome powerhouse on the court.

And we still have him.     

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--

Have the Suns bottomed-out and made a Big Time season turn around move in February - or is it just another rollicking Phoenix-style roller coaster ride to an unhappy place far, far away ???

That's the question of the day and this season... it is hard to tell.

But by knocking down five straight wins - the Suns franchise has gone from having an iffy will-we??? or won't-we??? outlook to the Number 5 spot in the Western Conference. What a happy way to prep for the All-Star break as Phoenix rolls into a Feb.10 game against the Portland Trailblazers.

On another upbeat note - the numbers coming from our man Amar'e Stoudemire have hopefully silenced a cheesy Steve Kerr-style rumor campaign designed to foist Amar'e off the roster. The chatter was in full gear over the weekend when some naughty trade talk was in the limelight at ESPN.Com.

Those guys should have known better. It was just Little Stevie looking for an alibi and he wanted to hang Amar'e out to dry. Another ploy by the Suns overpaid and underskilled General Manager - better known as the architect of our disaster last season.  

Never mind that Stoudemire has the 11th highest points per game average in the NBA with 21.2 so far this season and a blazing shooting percentage of 55.4% - the best of the top 15 ppg players in the league. Add to that an average of 8.6 rebounds per game and a block in every appearance.

Yes - Amar'e is a proven part of any Suns trip to the post-season this year - and any effort to drop him from the mix is ill-advised and plainly irresponsible.  

But that doesn't mean Kerr should stop shopping trades.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--

Getting back in their early season form - and doing it in style - the Phoenix Suns polished their credentials as they polished off the New Orleans Hornets by the score of 109-100 on Monday.

The big win is destined to raise the hopes of Suns fandom everywhere as they show signs of returning to the glory days of October and November when Phoenix won 14 out of their first 17 and made the whole NBA quake in fear.

The Suns scoring - yes they hit 109 despite Jason Richardson having another atrociously bad performance - showed how a combination of inside power from Amar'e Stoudemire and outside shooting by players like Channing Frye and Jared Dudley can make for a powerful score-busting mix.

And - as if to stress the point - Stoudemire blew the doors off poor ol' New Orleans on both ends of the court with a dozen rebounds and a scoring display of 25 points that showed why he is once again an NBA All-Star.

This is just the latest win for a Suns franchise that has spent the season on a roller coaster ride that began with a shockingly good 14 - 3 record only to be followed by a plunging winning percentage that nearly brought the team down to the dreaded .500 mark.

By clipping New Orleans - just a day after beating the Houston Rockets in OT - the Suns are working through the early days of February in impressive style. And Amar'e is doing it all in a fashion that should silence his critics.

C'mon - we can hope - can't we?!?

See ya'

Showing why he is the undisputed scoring leader of the highest scoring team in the NBA - Amar'e Stoudemire burned the Houston Rockets on Sunday with a season-high 36 points as the Phoenix Suns won an impressive 115-111 overtime victory. The hard fought win came after Amar'e added eleven boards to his impressive performance and Steve Nash's brilliance in the passing department stunned Houston with 16 assists.

Grant Hill - the best bargain in the league - also chimed in by knocking down 19 points as he hit 7 of 11 from the floor.

Building on his recently improved performance Jared Dudley was in fine form as he scored 13 points in just 24:41 on the floor. J-Duds also blocked a shot and passed for two assists during key points in the game.

Robin Lopez did his best to shut down critics - yes indeed we mean vocal folks like us - and showed real scoring firepower. Hitting 75% of his shots from the field RoLo nailed 14 points in 27:20 minutes and grabbed six rebounds.  

But the Suns real offensive blizzard came from Amar'e Stoudemire until the tenacious forward/center ended-up fouling out just three minutes before the overtime period ended.

But the damage had already been done - Amar'e had stolen the show.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading-- 

With the season rolling toward its mid-February All-Star break, there has been a lot of whining and nashing of teeth amongst the diehards of Suns fandom. 'Just look at how the mighty have fallen' has been a frequent reprise in recent weeks and the chorus has been growing louder as we've moved through the waning days of January.

The less than cheery attitude is to be expected given how the Suns had dropped 18 of their last 30 games before they hit the home court Thursday evening against the Dallas Mavericks. But after their scrappy 112 -106 victory - rubbing elbows with a Suns fan should be a little more pleasant and fewer domestic disputes are to be expected home in Phoenix.

The win will also send a much needed message to the rest of the Western Conference - YES - the Suns can still hit the hardwood with some play-off quality ball. You see, Coach Alvin Gentry really does know that the Suns play-off hopes are on the line and his squad is regaining its focuse on the prize.

Amar'e Stoudemire kept the game close early on - hitting for 22 points despite the trade rumors that are once against swirling around him - and the gap was closed due to the floor leadership of Steve Nash. The darling of the Phoenix hometown crowd, Nash was the king of the turnovers in the first quarter with five but he pulled it together in the third quarter and much of the fourth.

Jason Richardson also sought to redeem himself after a disappointing month with a combination of staunch defense and 17 points in just 28:36 minutes of play. As always the issue with J-Rich is C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-Y.

But Thursday's real story can be found in the second unit. You know - the least expensive back-up band in the NBA.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--

It took until we were more than 20 minutes into the game before Amar'e Stoudemire finally hit a bucket from the field and Jason Richardson continued to have trouble in the scoring department during the first half but - despite these drawbacks - the Suns went on to garner a fan pleasing win at home on Saturday night.

Powered by the offensive spark of Steve Nash, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic and Grant Hill - the 112-103 victory over Golden State was built on the backs of 35 points coming from bench players - another indication of just how far our second string has come along when playing against a lower tier NBA franchise.

Hopefully they will step up enough to spark a revival of the Suns early season prowess going forward. If not - making the play-offs could prove out of reach this year.

Please click "Read More" to continue reading-- 

Decades ago - sure we're talking lifetimes - our country was faced with a tough decision. What should we do about the Soviet Union's blockade of those poor folks in West Berlin?? It was a moment that tested a grumpy little President from Missouri but Harry Truman wasn't shaken. Instead the man in the Oval Office came up with an airlift that proved a point.

The Berlin Airlift proved to everyone - friend and foe alike - that America was not to be trifled with. And it inspired a nation to rally together during a challenging time.

Sorry for the history lesson - but it is a lesson - and we think it's time for the Suns to learn from it.

Looking at the latest Suns loss - a reasonably close 125-118 defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday - you could argue that the Suns aren't doing too badly. But this hardfought loss in Memphis is just the cherry on top of a very nasty sundae and we are in danger of getting our just desserts.

Come on - face it - four losses in a row for a team that was challenging the LA Lakers for the best record in the Western Conference earlier this season isn't pretty. And going from Number 2 in the conference to Number 6 - and falling - is a problem. The kind of problem that means it is time for the Suns to airlift our top players out of the danger zone and blow-out the rest of the franchise.

So who do we jettison in the weeks before the mid-February trade deadline and who do we keep?  

Please click "Read More" to continue reading--