Game 29: Phoenix Suns (14-14) @ Washington Wizards (19-6)

[Scutt]

I would hope our front office is smart enough to realize Dragic is not that guy. He is not a franchise player that you build a contender around. He is a 28 year old point guard that can put up 20 and 6 if he is the #1 guy and handling the ball all the time. You don't build a contender around that. There are just so many teams with good point guards, the position is saturated. I know Dragic has his fan club around here though, and I think some of them really believe he is better than Nash, so I'm sure many do think he is that guy.

Point being, when the Suns put out a product that has the potential to be something more than fighting for the 8th or 9th seed, attendance will increase. If you don't have a franchise guy or all stars, you need to at least give fans some hope with selling them on potential. No one should be buying into the notion that Gerald Green, PJ Tucker, or even the Morris Bros or Thomas, will develope into perennial all stars. At least Bledsoe, Len, Warren, Goodwin, and Ennis have that chance, even if its a small one. Yet the Suns marginalize Bledsoe by having two other point guards in the rotation, Len gets ignored on the offensive end most nights, and the other 3 never get off the bench. This current team is a joke.

[BurningHeart]

I still remember my brother and I being told to sit down by two old fogies during Game 4 of the 2010 Western Finals.

Yeah, like I'm going to be quiet after driving 300 miles just to attend a game against Sports Al-Qaeda.

Pathetic.

[Revived]

Ah a pretty good weekend. Suns went 2-0, report is out that Suns prefer Dragic over all other PGs on the roster and the Chargers won a dramatic game on the road and are inching closer to a playoff berth

[Moochthemonkey]

Even during the Nash era, when the arena was packed, there wasn't the same energy that there was in the 90s. I don't exactly know how to describe the feeling, but there was just overall more support and passion for the team.

There's various reasons: the interest in new teams in Phoenix, including the Diamondbacks 2001 run, many of the older Suns fans here moving out of AZ (maybe like a 1/3 of the posters here still live in Arizona), and an even larger of amount of people immigrating to Arizona (and their sports interest with them), the ticket prices increasing- which coincides with the larger percentage of seats being sold to the more affluent casual fans, whom treat coming to the arena as more of a social event.

IMO, the overall interest in the Suns has been in a slow decline since Barkley left. Having entertaining or good players is part of it, but is not a great excuse, as the Warriors continued to have great support despite making the playoffs once in a time span of 18 years, as have the Kings and Raptors.

[Moochthemonkey]

He is a 28 year old point guard that can put up 20 and 6 if he is the #1 guy and handling the ball all the time.

Steve Nash was 27 in his sixth season also that put up 18/8.

I know Dragic has his fan club around here though

Realgm doesn't have a Slovenia forum, so that's probably the reason...

Point being, when the Suns put out a product that has the potential to be something more than fighting for the 8th or 9th seed, attendance will increase. If you don't have a franchise guy or all stars, you need to at least give fans some hope with selling them on potential.

I'm really not sure about that. For a long time now, the local fanbase has been very fickle. I don't think potential here will ever trump the quicker results. I agree on the notion that Sarver and the FO need to start the re-rebuild at some point soon, but I would not expect attendance to increase anytime soon if Ennis-Goodwin-Warren where inserted right into the fray.

No one should be buying into the notion that Gerald Green, PJ Tucker, or even the Morris Bros or Thomas, will develope into perennial all stars. At least Bledsoe, Len, Warren, Goodwin, and Ennis have that chance, even if its a small one.

IT is 25, Morri is 25, but Bledsoe is also 25, the brothers are older than Bledsoe by a few months- so what is the exact cut off age when having the chance of developing into perennial all stars is determined? 25 years and 1, 2, or 3 months?

[batsmasher]

Hearing Bled was turning 25 was a bit of a reality check for me. He is about 2 years behind where everyone would have liked him to be with his ball handling/decision making.

[JMac1]

Alex was borderline dominant. Dragic needs to pass it to him in the post.

Eddie Johnson Agrees!!

[DRK]

Just finished watching the game as I live in Australia. Another good win away. We are going to have to start playing every game away. Seems the further we play from phoenix the better we play. We will have to start playing all our home games here in Australia!

As a fellow Suns fan living in Aus, I can back that 110%