Who is the greatest Sun of all Time?

akaespo · Post #1 » by **akaespo** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:32 pm

Fanster.com has compiled what they are calling the Phoenix’s Favorite Sun Tourney (PFST). It is a 32 player tournament to determine who is the greatest Phoenix Sun of all time. We have chosen 8 players from each of the four decades the Suns have been in existence (60’s/70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s) to compete.

The winner of each pairing will be determined by fan votes. The Suns players with the most votes over a two day period will advance in the tournament. You are encouraged to leave comments with your argument for the player you voted for.

The tournament is spilt up into four regions all named for the era it represents. The Somebody Up There is on Our Side Region (60’s/70’s), The Cotton Express Region (80’s), The Purple Gang from Phoenix Region (90’s) and The Seven Seconds or Less Region (2000’s).

In the Somebody Up There is on Our Side region (60’s/70’s) some of the greatest original Suns go head to head. The match ups are as follows:

1. Connie Hawkins vs. 8. Gail Goodrich (Voting opens Monday, March 16th)
2. Alvin Adams vs. 7. Paul Silas (Voting opens Wednesday, March 18th)
3. Dick Van Arsdale vs. 6. Neal Walk (Voting opens Friday, March 20th)
4. Paul Westphal vs. 5. Charlie Scott (Voting opens Tuesday, March 24th)
The Cotton Express Region see’s the best of the 80’s fighting it out.

1. Walter Davis vs. 8. James Edwards (Voting opens Monday, March 16th)
2. Larry Nance vs. 7. Eddie Johnson (Voting opens Wednesday, March 18th)
3. Dennis Johnson vs. 6. Truck Robinson (Voting opens Friday, March 20th)
4. Paul Westphal vs. 5. Charlie Scott (Voting opens Tuesday, March 24th)
The Purple Gang from Phoenix Region features the best of the boys who played during the America West Arena days.

1. Charles Barkley vs. 8. Mark West (Voting opens Tuesday, March 17th)
2. Kevin Johnson vs. 7. Danny Manning (Voting opens Thursday, March 19th)
3. Dan Majerle vs. 6. Cedrick Ceballos (Voting opens Monday, March 23rd)
4. Jeff Hornacek vs. 5. Jason Kidd (Voting opens Wednesday, March 25th)
Our final region, The Seven Seconds or Less Region, features the greats of the last decade.

1. Steve Nash vs. 8. Rex Chapman (Voting opens Tuesday, March 17th)
2. Amare Stoudemire vs. 7. Stephon Marbury (Voting opens Thursday, March 19th)
3. Shawn Marion vs. 6. Leandro Barbosa (Voting opens Monday, March 23rd)
4. Shaquille O’Neal vs. 5. Joe Johnson (Voting opens Wednesday, March 25th)
The tournament lasts from Monday, March 16th through the championship game Monday, April 6th. Check Fanster everyday for new match ups and updated brackets.

To download your own Phoenix’s Favorite Sun Bracket to fill out or to vote for your favorite player go to http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/16/introducing-fansters-phoenixs-favorite-sun-tourney/

akaespo · Post #2 » by **akaespo** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:11 pm

#1 Connie Hawkins vs. #8 Gail Goodrich

“The Hawk”, Connie Hawkins, gave the Suns credibility when he joined the team in 1969. Hawkins was the ABA’s Most Valuable Player during the 1967-68 season, and made an immediate impact in Phoenix, averaging 24.5 points per game and leading the Suns to their first-ever playoff appearance. The Hawk played in 4 NBA All-Star Games as a Sun, and ended his four-year stint in Phoenix averaging 20.5 points per game. He is a member of the Suns’ Ring of Honor, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Gail Goodrich came to the Suns from the Los Angeles Lakers via the expansion draft in 1968, and led the Suns in scoring at 23.8 points per game for a team that won only 16 games. He, along with Dick Van Arsdale, became the first Sun to play in an NBA All-Star Game when he suited up for the Western Conference All-Stars in Baltimore in 1969. Goodrich only played two seasons in the Valley, but averaged 21.9 points per game in a Suns’ uniform.

Vote Here:
http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/16/phoenixs-favorite-sun-round-1-hawkins-vs-goodrich/

Post #3 » by **TASTIC** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:31 pm

Has to be The Hawk...nothing against Goodrich, but he's primarily known as a Laker...

Very nice set up man...though I only have issue with Rex Chapman in the SSOL as he never played in it...perhaps Diaw would have been better? I mean Chapman played 53 games in 99-00 and was FAR from good...

Majerle vs Ced is tough...though I go with The Meatloaf

Everyone else going with JJ over Shaq?

And then sighing...?

akaespo · Post #4 » by **akaespo** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:27 pm

#1 Walter Davis vs. #8 James Edwards

Walter “Sweet D” Davis played for the Suns from 1978 to 1988. Drafted as the number 5 pick out of North Carolina Davis and posted impressive first year numbers. Davis averaged 24.2 points, 6 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game as a rookie and won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. His success continued after his rookie year as he appeared in 6 All Star games all as a member of the Suns.

He is the Suns all time leading scorer with 15,666 points and is in the top 5 in eight other statistical categories. Davis was inducted into the Suns ring of honor in 1999.

James Edwards joined the Suns in the middle of the 1982-83 season in a trade with the Cavs. The 7′1″ Edwards spent six seasons in purple and orange. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds at center. He was traded to the Pistons in 1988.

VOTE HERE:
[url]http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/16/phoenix’s-favorite-sun-round-1-davis-vs-edwards/[/url]

JohnVancouver · Post #5 » by **JohnVancouver** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:24 am

TASTIC wrote:Has to be The Hawk...nothing against Goodrich, but he's primarily known as a Laker...

--- yteah, he was only changing buses in PHX. But geez - did the Suns really trade him back for mel Counts?
Mel Counts?
I guess they couldn't get Henry Finkel from the Celts.

Everyone else going with JJ over Shaq?

--- Yes, JJ was a big part of that miracle team

And then sighing...?

ihateginobili · Post #6 » by **ihateginobili** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:52 am

Charles Barkley

Frank Lee · Post #7 » by **Frank Lee** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:04 am

If any of you ever had the chance to see Walter Davis play in person, hands down, you'd pick him over all.

In fact, the trio of Adams, Davis, and Westphal , I believe, was as good as what Phnx has ever suited up at one time.

Shaq shouldn't even be mentioned. THE BIG RENTAL will always be a fLaker to me.

Post #8 » by **TASTIC** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:35 am

Yeah I agree Shaq shouldn't be there. I think Raja and definitely Diaw ahead of him....

albasuna · Post #9 » by **albasuna** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:40 am

Bell should be there.

DaDragicShow · Post #10 » by **DaDragicShow** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:54 am

Rex Chapman. WHO LAUNCHES UP A 3333333333333333333333 GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

akaespo · Post #11 » by **akaespo** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:26 pm

#1 Charles Barkley vs. #8 Mark West

Charles Barkley - leading the Suns to the ‘93 NBA Finals and earning MVP honors that same season, the pinnacle of Barkley’s career coincided with new heights for the Suns franchise. Long known as the Valley of the Suns, the Phoenix faithful rallied around the Barkley-led Suns like no other team before or since.

Known as much for his shenanigans off the court as his basketball prowess, Barkley still finds himself in the Suns Ring of Honor despite an acrimonious exit from Phoenix and feud with team chairman Jerry Colangelo.

Mark West - part of the Phoenix/Cleveland trade that remade the Suns, West was a model of consistency for his new team, appearing in all 82 games in each of his six seasons. Solid if unspectacular, West is second all time in career field goal percentage, having shot better than 60% in five of his six full seasons with the Suns.

The Old Dominion Monarch with the most games played in the NBA, West has been part of the Suns front office in some respect since 2001.

Vote Here:
[url]http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/17/phoenix’s-favorite-sun-round-1-barkley-vs-west/[/url]

akaespo · Post #12 » by **akaespo** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:27 pm

#1 Steve Nash vs. #8 Raja Bell

Steve Nash-Two time MVP, 4-time All Star, NBA Citizenship Award, two Western Conference Final appearances and numerous endorsements all since his return to the Suns. Oh did we mention that ESPN named him the ninth greatest point guard of all time?

Nash has been the engine that drives the Suns run and gun style. His return to the Valley signified a return to prominence for the Suns franchise.

Raja Bell - Best known for his “heroics” versus the Lakers and Kobe Bryant Bell was an key piece of the Seven Seconds or Less era.

Bell was the teams “defensive stopper” making the NBA All-Defensive first team in 2006-07 and the All-Defensive second team in 2007-2008. Bell also showed the ability to hit the three as a Sun never shooting under 40% for a season.

Vote Here:
[url]http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/17/phoenixs-favorite-sun-round-1-nash-vs-bell/
[/url]

Mr. Sun · Post #13 » by **Mr. Sun** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:22 pm

I idolized Gail growing up a Laker fan. But I'll go with the Hawk.

ihateginobili · Post #14 » by **ihateginobili** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:51 am

Barkley put up more points and rebounds than Hawkins, also won MVP and led us to the NBA Finals. I remember the finals like it was yesterday; I was actually living in New York at the time and was a big fan of Phoenix because of Barkley.

Nash would have been all-time greatest sun if we won a championship with him, until another superstar leads us to the NBA Finals; Barkley has to be considered the greatest Sun of all time.

WTFsunsFTW · Post #15 » by **WTFsunsFTW** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:16 am

WTF KJ FTW

akaespo · Post #16 » by **akaespo** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Results for our first two match ups in the Phoenix’s Favorite Sun Tourney are in and there were no surprises.

The 1 seed from the “Somebody Up There is on Our Side” Region, Connie Hawkins defeated the number 8 seed Gail Goodrich 91% to 9%.

In the “Cotton Express” region number 1 seed Walter Davis crushed James Edwards receiving 93% of the entire vote.

Hawkins advances to take on the winner of 4. Paul Westphal vs. 5. Charlie Scott. Davis will take on the winner of the 4. Tom Chambers vs. 5. Maurice Lucas match up.

For an updated bracket click here. http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03 ... n-tourney/

Post #17 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:35 pm

WTFsunsFTW wrote:WTF KJ FTW

akaespo · Post #18 » by **akaespo** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:36 pm

#2 Alvin Adams Vs. #7 Paul Silas

Alvin Adams- Known as the Oklahoma Kid was selected 4th overall in the 1975 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He won rookie of the year for the 1975-76 season and helped lead the Suns to an improbable appearance in the finals that year against the powerhouse Boston Celtics.

Adams recorded a 47 point, 18 rebound, 12 assist triple-double against the Buffalo Braves on February 22nd 1977. To this day Adams is only one of four players in NBA history to record a triple-double that had at least 46 points and 16 rebounds (Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Vince Carter are the other three),

According to Suns.com Adams is the Suns career leader in games played at 988, minutes played at 27,203, rebounds 6,937 and steals 1,289. He also ranks second in assists with 4,102. His jersey was retired in 1988.

Paul Silas - An Arizona native, Silas played for the Suns for three seasons from (1970-72). His best season as a Sun came in 1971-72 when he averaged 17.5 points per game, 11.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He also posted his best career shooting percentage that season at 47% from the field.

Vote Here:
http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/18/phoenix’s-favorite-sun-round-1-adams-vs-silas/

akaespo · Post #19 » by **akaespo** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:14 pm

#2 Larry Nance Vs. #7 Eddie Johnson

Larry Nance, or “Leapin’ Larry” as he was called by Suns’ play-by-play man Al McCoy, came to Phoenix as a first round draft pick out of Clemson in 1981. Few had seen a player with Nance’s mixture of length and athletic ability. He put that athleticism on display in 1984 during All-Star weekend, when he defeated the legendary Julius Erving to win the NBA’s first-ever Slam Dunk Contest in Denver. Nance played 6 1/2 seasons in Phoenix before being dealt to Cleveland in the trade that brought Kevin Johnson to the Suns. He averaged 17.3 points per game in purple and orange, and represented Phoenix in the NBA All-Star Game in 1985. Nance still holds the Suns’ career record for most blocked shots with 939.

Eddie Johnson came to the Suns from Sacramento in 1987, and immediately made his presence felt, averaging 17.5 points per game. In 1988, Johnson flourished in his role of coming off the bench for head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, scoring 21.5 points per game, and winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. In 1988, he set a Suns’ record that still stands, scoring 43 points in the 2nd half of an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Johnson averaged 18.4 points per game in 3 and a half seasons for the Suns, before being traded to Seattle in 1990 in the deal that brought Xavier McDaniel to the desert. “E.J.” was beloved by fans for his instant offense, and is still regarded by many to be one of the greatest NBA players to never play in an All-Star game. Johnson is still very much involved with the Suns, serving as a television commentator on Phoenix broadcasts.

Vote Here:
http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/18/phoenix’s-favorite-sun-round-1-nance-vs-johnson/

Post #20 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:27 pm

47/18/12? Holy crap...