09/10 Squad Memories

Post #1 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:51 am

In light of how completely atrocious we are this season, and how this is likely Nash's final year with the team, I've been reflecting on how privileged we've been to witness some amazing squads over the past few years:

That 04/05 squad was just...incredible. They were an offensive force the NBA hadn't seen in a long, long time. We'll always wonder what happened if JJ didn't break his face.

The 05/06 squad constantly overachieved. They shouldn't have made the WCF but they did, and it was all because they banded together. No Amare? No problem. No Kurt and Raja though? Can't overcome that...

The 06/07 squad was our most talented lineup of the Nash era, and the best team in the league. Suspensions. That's all I'll say. No guarantee we make it past Utah in the WCF(they won the season series and were a tough, tough matchup for us), but losing in the Semis hurt so much.

07/08 and 08/09 were transition years....Marion out, Shaq in....D'Antoni out, Porter in...Porter out, Gentry in. Still, they were good teams. We closed out the 07/08 season going 15-5 in our final 20 games with Shaq that season...then Duncan hit that 3 in Game 1 and it was over.

Still, I thought with a full training camp, Nash/Shaq/D'Antoni/Amare could have been really something. Of course, D'Antoni left, we hired Porter, wasted half a season, and then right after we finally freed ourselves of him and started playing Seven Seconds or Shaq(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... ime-090217) and reeled off three 140+ point games in a row, Amare and LB got injured and we missed the playoffs one game.

That brings us to the 09/10 squad.

I just rewatched these vids that the Suns had on their youtube channel. That 09/10 squad really was something special. They had the best chemistry out of any Suns squad I can remember since Nash has been back. The only squad that I think rivals it in terms of how tightly the team meshed was the 05/06 group.

That 09/10 group was well balanced, deep, and had HEART....three things that are lacking for us this season.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSegt7ZwNEw&feature=related[/youtube]

Dragic and LB carve up San Antonio in the Western Semis, Game 3:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G5mv713WA0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNGMEqW4psE&feature=watch_response[/youtube]

Postgame Lockerroom(one of my favorite videos...really shows how tight this group was)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kG-8CrRZAg&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

One-Eyed Nash finally defeats his demons once and for all by sweeping Duncan's Spurs. Game 4:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU76A3T9pbE&feature=watch_response[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG6wlgoD9I4&feature=watch_response[/youtube]

Postgame Lockerroom
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuGqfGtPdOI&list=FLZKIih5aWM_uV-e-iPX45cg&index=4&feature=plpp_video[/youtube]

Planet Purple(our bench mob) evens the WCF at 2-2:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaVMZo5YxhI[/youtube]

Postgame
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgYTxC4s5I[/youtube]

Sigh.

Cutter · Post #2 » by **Cutter** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:22 am

Great memories. I really miss LB coming off the bench and the speed at which he could go to the basket. caused opposing defense so much trouble.

Think I'll have another beer and go dream of better days :-?

Sundamental · Post #3 » by **Sundamental** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:26 am

You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

No need, this kind of stuff just turns a potentially nice thread into a mudslinging fest

-Miklo

YouTube · Post #4 » by **Kerrsed** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:33 am

Sundamental wrote:You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

Post #5 » by **ATTL** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:59 am

Sundamental wrote:You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

Derp.

This thread should be a stickied memorial of the Steve nash era.

nash2amare · Post #6 » by **nash2amare** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:08 am

F**k you Metta World Peace...

sunskerr · Post #7 » by **sunskerr** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:40 am

I want the Suns to be competitors for a championship so badly... Every time in May should be Suns playoff basketball time.

schnakenpopanz · Post #8 » by **schnakenpopanz** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:52 am

very sad to watch because it could have been so much better.

sunskerr · Post #9 » by **sunskerr** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:33 am

schnakenpopanz wrote:very sad to watch because it could have been so much better.

Every year of the Nash era, in every playoffs something ridiculous just had to happen.

raff · Post #10 » by **raff** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:56 pm

Thanks for this rsavaj. It was good to see some of these videos again.

I like your little write up to bring the 09/10 Suns team into context. I think that 04/05 and probably the 07/08 teams will be remember in the league as great Suns teams from the Nash era, but with fans, 09/10 has to be right up there, if not the top.

Edit:
I just watched the postgame locker room video Gentry walks and says, "We're a team. We're a team." Damn, I miss that.

Cutter · Post #11 » by **Cutter** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:21 pm

Sundamental wrote:You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

You're back! We all missed you very much!!

Moochthemonkey · Post #12 » by **Moochthemonkey** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:30 pm

Kerrsed wrote:
Sundamental wrote:You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

JohnVancouver · Post #13 » by **JohnVancouver** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:57 pm

and both teams that made the conference finals did it without Stat ....

the 06/07 team is what got me back into the NBA and that takedown on Kobe will live in my Happy Place forever. and then Kobe in snit and refusing to shoot while his team is knocked out.

But much as i love that team, and they played some amazing basketball, the way i always thought the game should be played (errr, minus the defense ... somewhat, and I say we win it all if we'd had Kurt) that Purple Gang of 09/10 is the one I love the most. A real team - reminds me of my beloved 69/70 knicks - sharing the ball, the sum greater than the parts (and the Suns had far less in the way of parts than that Knicks team)

Great Days - we were damn lucky to have them. I still can't see how we let that team go. yeah, I know JRich needed to be re-signed and likely wanted too much but .... funny how it all comes down to not rewarding Lou with an offer. He didn't want much and he gave us so much more than we paid for

Post #14 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:16 pm

Sundamental wrote:You don't deserve the memories. You're getting exactly what is fair. You and all the other "fans". Enjoy what you wished for. I hope you like the next five years.

You're right. The Amare/Barbosa-less Hedo-led Suns would have replicated that success.

You seem to be a bigger fan of your opinion than you are a fan of the team. When the team does bad, I feel bad. I don't feel good because it validates my "opinion."

Post #15 » by **rsavaj** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:25 am

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahI8GLuPNQw&feature=related[/youtube]

Post #16 » by **ATTL** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:32 am

Great video, that was such a fun team.

King Of Wang · Post #17 » by **King Of Wang** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:31 am

those were the days

albasuna · Post #18 » by **albasuna** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:00 pm

i now am a sad panda.

Calvin Klein · Post #19 » by **Calvin Klein** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:58 pm

My favourite team/season.

I can't believe how they destroyed that team. It was not even 2 years ago.

baldy_pm · Post #20 » by **baldy_pm** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:48 pm

At risk of beating dead horses,

WHY AGAIN DID WE TRADE GORAN??????