Phoenix Suns Tickets

The Phoenix Suns made a coaching change in the offseason and it seems to have made all the difference for a team many felt had lost its chance at being an NBA title contender.

It seems that the Suns just aren't ready to set, as they are in second place in the Pacific Division and sitting pretty in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Suns elected to re-sign guard Steve Nash to a big contract in the offseason despite words of caution from many around the league. A lot of folks thought that Nash was heading for a sharp decline and that his style of play no longer fit what the Suns were looking toward in the future.

Instead, Nash has proven everyone wrong so far this year by playing just as well, if not better, than in any other season in his Hall of Fame career.

Nash is second on the team in scoring with over 18 points per game and obviously leads them in assists with more than 11 per contest. He is shooting 43 percent from behind the three-point line and almost 95 percent from the charity stripe.

Amare Stoudemire leads the Suns in scoring and rebounding with over 19 points and eight boards per game. He remains the subject of many trade rumors, but it would take a king's random to get him out of Phoenix.

Jason Richardson is also a big outside threat and shoots at a high percentage while Grant Hill looks younger than ever.

Jared Dudley is yet another player that shoots well from the perimeter. I always liked him coming out of college and thought he would turn into a very solid NBA player. He has really taken off in his second season in the league.

The Suns are certainly a deep team. They can bring Leandro Barbosa off the bench to spell Nash, and rookie Robin Lopez in to give Stoudemire a breather.

Forwards Channing Frye and Earl Clark and guard Alando Tucker also provide meaningful minutes off of the pine.

The Suns have changed their style of basketball just a little bit, but they still love to run and gun with the best of them. They might not have the personnel to truly be a contender for an NBA title, but they should at least cause havoc come playoff time.