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New deals in works for Johnson, Stoudemire as Suns face bright futureBy BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
June 2, 2005
PHOENIX (AP) -- Shaking off their disappointment, the Phoenix Suns already were looking to their bright future a day after their elimination from the Western Conference finals. ``You've got to take your lumps somewhere along the line to be a champion,'' Steve Nash said, ``and hopefully this is one of those building blocks to be something better.'' The Suns held a team meeting on Thursday, then players met individually with Suns president Bryan Colangelo and coach Mike D'Antoni.
The top priorities for the offseason, Colangelo said afterward, are re-signing Joe Johnson and inking Amare Stoudemire to an extension.
There will be other minor adjustments, perhaps adding a bit more size on the bench.
``We're going to get better,'' Colangelo said. ``We're going to do everything we can this offseason to improve.''
Johnson is just 23, Stoudemire is 22, and the Suns want to lock up both rising young stars to long-term deals.
Johnson is the team's most accurate 3-point shooter, best perimeter defender and a player who can break defenders down off the dribble.
His absence was sorely felt when he fractured his left eye socket against Dallas in the conference semifinals and had to sit out the first two games of the Western Conference finals. Johnson is a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he gets from another team.
Colangelo has said that any team that signs Johnson will be wasting its time.
Johnson said Colangelo and D'Antoni assured him he is a crucial part of their plans. The Suns could have signed the young guard before the season began, and he will cost a lot more money now.
``I'd love to stay here and be a part of it,'' Johnson said, ``but like I've been saying all year, this is a business and business comes first.''
The Suns have exercised their option for Stoudemire next season under the contract he signed as a rookie, but with his emergence as one of the best players in the game, they want to sign him for what obviously will be the maximum amount allowed.
Stoudemire expressed no desire to play elsewhere.
``I love the city of Phoenix and I love the state of Arizona,'' Stoudemire said. ``The fans here have been amazing since the first day I got here. I have no complaints about the organization, team or anything like that, so it's looking good right now.''
The Suns' 101-95 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals and ended the NBA's feel-good story of the season.
With a frenetic, refreshingly entertaining style directed by Nash, and with Stoudemire emerging as an awe-inspiring performer, Phoenix went from 29 victories in 2003-04 to an NBA-best 62 this season, the third-best turnaround in league history.
The Suns averaged 110 points in the regular season, the most by any team in a decade, and boosted it to 112 in the playoffs. Nash, lured from Dallas by a big contract, had his best season and was named the league's MVP.
Nash, Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were named first-, second- and third-team all-NBA, respectively.
D'Antoni, who turned the team loose to run and gun while still exercising low-key control, was named coach of the year. Colangelo was the Sporting News executive of the year.
The biggest needed improvement, obviously, has to come on defense. The Suns often were able to outscore opponents without exerting much effort at the other end of the court. But the Spurs often shredded Phoenix for easy layups or wide-open jumpers.
``Our main focus is we've got to work on becoming a great defensive team,'' Stoudemire said, ``because our offense is unlimited.''
Through the playoffs, the higher the stakes, the better Stoudemire performed. He averaged 29.9 points in 15 playoff games, 37 against San Antonio in a jaw-dropping mix of mid-range jumpers, acrobatic inside moves and thunderous dunks. Stoudemire is well on his way to reaching his goal of becoming one of the NBA's best.
``With this team, once I polish my game up a little more,'' he said, ``I'll be able to take us to the promised land.''
Stoudemire defined his future role as ``point center,'' a hybrid position that would have him touching the ball even more.
``Playing the position I played this year with a different twist,'' Stoudemire explained, ``with more of an inside-outside type game. With that point center thing, I think that's the right position to call me right now.''
D'Antoni said anything Stoudemire wants to call himself is fine with him.
``He is developing into the best in the NBA ...,'' D'Antoni said. ``He's going to get better and he wants to be the best. He's going to define how to play in the NBA hopefully in the next 10 years. He's going to be the model that people are going to have to adapt to. ``That's a lot to heap on a 22-year-old kid, but if we're going to be successful, he's got some broad shoulders and I'm going to try to be sitting on them. I'll be riding them.''
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-sunswrapup&prov=ap&type=lgns
June 2, 2005
PHOENIX (AP) -- Shaking off their disappointment, the Phoenix Suns already were looking to their bright future a day after their elimination from the Western Conference finals. ``You've got to take your lumps somewhere along the line to be a champion,'' Steve Nash said, ``and hopefully this is one of those building blocks to be something better.'' The Suns held a team meeting on Thursday, then players met individually with Suns president Bryan Colangelo and coach Mike D'Antoni.
The top priorities for the offseason, Colangelo said afterward, are re-signing Joe Johnson and inking Amare Stoudemire to an extension.
There will be other minor adjustments, perhaps adding a bit more size on the bench.
``We're going to get better,'' Colangelo said. ``We're going to do everything we can this offseason to improve.''
Johnson is just 23, Stoudemire is 22, and the Suns want to lock up both rising young stars to long-term deals.
Johnson is the team's most accurate 3-point shooter, best perimeter defender and a player who can break defenders down off the dribble.
His absence was sorely felt when he fractured his left eye socket against Dallas in the conference semifinals and had to sit out the first two games of the Western Conference finals. Johnson is a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he gets from another team.
Colangelo has said that any team that signs Johnson will be wasting its time.
Johnson said Colangelo and D'Antoni assured him he is a crucial part of their plans. The Suns could have signed the young guard before the season began, and he will cost a lot more money now.
``I'd love to stay here and be a part of it,'' Johnson said, ``but like I've been saying all year, this is a business and business comes first.''
The Suns have exercised their option for Stoudemire next season under the contract he signed as a rookie, but with his emergence as one of the best players in the game, they want to sign him for what obviously will be the maximum amount allowed.
Stoudemire expressed no desire to play elsewhere.
``I love the city of Phoenix and I love the state of Arizona,'' Stoudemire said. ``The fans here have been amazing since the first day I got here. I have no complaints about the organization, team or anything like that, so it's looking good right now.''
The Suns' 101-95 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals and ended the NBA's feel-good story of the season.
With a frenetic, refreshingly entertaining style directed by Nash, and with Stoudemire emerging as an awe-inspiring performer, Phoenix went from 29 victories in 2003-04 to an NBA-best 62 this season, the third-best turnaround in league history.
The Suns averaged 110 points in the regular season, the most by any team in a decade, and boosted it to 112 in the playoffs. Nash, lured from Dallas by a big contract, had his best season and was named the league's MVP.
Nash, Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were named first-, second- and third-team all-NBA, respectively.
D'Antoni, who turned the team loose to run and gun while still exercising low-key control, was named coach of the year. Colangelo was the Sporting News executive of the year.
The biggest needed improvement, obviously, has to come on defense. The Suns often were able to outscore opponents without exerting much effort at the other end of the court. But the Spurs often shredded Phoenix for easy layups or wide-open jumpers.
``Our main focus is we've got to work on becoming a great defensive team,'' Stoudemire said, ``because our offense is unlimited.''
Through the playoffs, the higher the stakes, the better Stoudemire performed. He averaged 29.9 points in 15 playoff games, 37 against San Antonio in a jaw-dropping mix of mid-range jumpers, acrobatic inside moves and thunderous dunks. Stoudemire is well on his way to reaching his goal of becoming one of the NBA's best.
``With this team, once I polish my game up a little more,'' he said, ``I'll be able to take us to the promised land.''
Stoudemire defined his future role as ``point center,'' a hybrid position that would have him touching the ball even more.
``Playing the position I played this year with a different twist,'' Stoudemire explained, ``with more of an inside-outside type game. With that point center thing, I think that's the right position to call me right now.''
D'Antoni said anything Stoudemire wants to call himself is fine with him.
``He is developing into the best in the NBA ...,'' D'Antoni said. ``He's going to get better and he wants to be the best. He's going to define how to play in the NBA hopefully in the next 10 years. He's going to be the model that people are going to have to adapt to. ``That's a lot to heap on a 22-year-old kid, but if we're going to be successful, he's got some broad shoulders and I'm going to try to be sitting on them. I'll be riding them.''
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-sunswrapup&prov=ap&type=lgns
