Amar'e Stoudemire reminds Suns fans what could've been

Amar'e posterizing Anthony Tolliver/Getty Images

While doing some promotional press and appearances in Manhattan this past Wednesday, former Sun Amar'e Stoudemire offered up his opinion on the Dallas Mavericks winning their first NBA championship.  He proceeded to stick a fork right in the heart of every Suns fan across the state of Arizona and remind us all just how good we had it during his career in the desert.  He also said he was happy to see former teammate Shawn Marion win a title, which may come as a surprise to many in Phoenix.  It was widely known that the two didn't always see eye to eye.  It was what he had to say about recent playoff failures that tug on fans heartstrings the most.  STAT pointed out that the three teams that the Suns often faced in the playoffs, Dallas, San Antonio, and the Los Angeles Lakers, had all won titles in recent years. 

"I figure all the teams that we battled with in Phoenix all went on to win a championship except for us," Stoudemire said. "I figure if we stayed together one more year, we might have had it. We played Dallas every year, the Spurs every year in the playoffs, the Lakers every year in the  playoffs. Each of those teams has won a championship."

While many fans were probably rolling their eyes at the mere thought, it's hard not to reflect back and think what might have been.  Especially after seeing the New York Knicks, led by Mike D'Antoni and Amar'e Stoudemire, take on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2011 playoffs.  Meanwhile the Suns failed to make the postseason for the second time in the past three years.  With Dirk Nowitzki finally being able to get the monkey off his back and win his the championship that had previously eluded him for the first 13 seasons of his career, many consider Steve Nash to be the best player currently still playing that hasn't had atleast a shot at playing in the Finals.  Fans seem to be divided on the notion of whether or not Nash should be traded to a contender to finish out his hall-of-fame career or remain with the Suns until the very end.  Unfortunately, the window is barely even cracked open at this point, and with the current state of young talent in the NBA, from Oklahoma City to Miami, the chance of the Suns returning to even the conference finals appears bleak to say the least.  Marcin Gortat is a nice piece, and fills the void at center that the organization has been seeking for years but the Suns desperately need that "go to guy" as Alvin Gentry stated last week.  Without having Amar'e on the pick and roll with Nash, those wide open 3 pointers aren't so wide open anymore.  Opposing teams don't fear Gortat on the roll the way they feared Amar'e.  Opponents knew that at anytime they could be on the receiving end of a vicious Stoudemire dunk that would be re-played on SportsCenter for days.  It is going to be a very interesting off-season for the Phoenix Suns organization.  Most people's advice would probably be for fans to just get over it and stop living in the past.  It's easier said than done.  When a former franchise player opens old wounds, it goes to show that even he is reminiscing about the good ol' days.  The 7 seconds or less era is sorely missed around the Valley.  It's times like this when you can empathize with the jilted fans in Cleveland.  To have seen your team come so close to the top of the mountain for so many years, and then all of the sudden one year later have that vantage point change so drastically.  That can make for an awfully bitter pill to swallow, looking up from the bottom.  Unfortunately for Suns fans, that could very well be our point of view for years to come.

What Should Nash Do?

If you've been following the playoffs in the NHL and NBA you undoubtedly have seen Steve Nash popping up all across the map.  The two-time MVP has been spotted in Vancouver and Boston taking in the playoff hockey action of his beloved hometown Vancouver Canucks.  It just so happens that his brother in-law, Manny Malhotra plays for the Canucks as well.  He's also been seen in Miami, supporting old pal Dirk Nowitzki and his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in their quest for that elusive championship.  After seeing his best buddy finally hoist the trophy after 13 years in the league, it makes you wonder just what exactly is going through Nash's thoughts these days.  He has always been viewed as a loyal employee who would never stir the pot and publicly ask to be traded,  Personally though, it has to really tear him apart, knowing how close he has come on several occasions, only to see his team blown up each and every time and never even given the opportunity to try and make it back.  Granted many people thought the cinderella Suns of 2010 were playing way above their heads to begin with, but had that Ron Artest putback in Game 5 missed, who knows what happens in overtime and Game 6 thereafter.  The summer of 2010 didn't stop with the players as the entire front office was overhauled.  After a while, you start to question just what the priorities of an organization are.  Three times the Phoenix Suns have made the conference finals since Nash returned in 2004.  And each time, the team has been torn apart the following summer with little chance to build on the previous season's accomplishments.  Nash will turn 38 this coming season, so the window of opportunity is barely even cracked open at this point.  You can't help but feel sympathy for a player who just saw his best friend finally conquer the mountain, and hope that he will be given atleast one more opportunity.  Selfishly, I would love to see Steve Nash end his career in purple and orange playing for the Suns.  But I wouldn't blame him one bit if he walked into Robert Sarver's office and asked to be traded to a contender.  For everything he has done for the Suns organization, the least they could do is give him one final shot at that elusive title.  Lord knows the Phoenix Suns won't be back in the Finals anytime soon.