What is the deal with Phoenix?

[dude1394]

This team seems to be just full of prima-donnas. First marion..now Amare. I get the feeling (not sure where it's coming from) that Nashty is biding his time before he's outta there also.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...udemire-081128

PHOENIX -- The scene was the home locker room, minutes after the Suns had emphatically illustrated they are not who we're used to seeing and certainly are not where they want to be. Amare Stoudemire stood at his locker with his head bowed, looking distant amid a crowd of familiar faces, resembling a sad puppy who had lost his way.

The Phoenix Suns had not only been beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers over the course of 48 excruciating minutes in last week's 105-92 loss, they had been beaten down. L.A.'s precision had been in full effect, its togetherness undeniable, as had been the Lakers' depth and confidence. And so, indeed, had been the good time they were having at the Suns' expense.

"They did look really good out there," Stoudemire said, deadpan. "They were fluid, flowing. Just doing what they do. I remember when we looked like that."

Stoudemire stopped right there.

He knew he didn't need to say another word.

The Suns, at 11-5, still sit near the top of the Western Conference standings. They still have Stoudemire and Steve Nash. Add the usual bandits like Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Grant Hill, and one would think Phoenix is still the same potent team it's been in recent memory.

Except that is simply not true.

For one thing, the Suns don't have departed coach Mike D'Antoni, who averaged 58 wins the past four seasons. In his place is new coach Terry Porter, whose mandate is to tweak the offense and cater more to Shaquille O'Neal (acquired from Miami halfway into last season) -- but more so to fix a defense that surrendered 105 points per game (24th in the league) and 45.6 percent shooting from the field (18th) last season.

Supposedly, this transition will transform the Suns from all-entertainment status to legitimate title contenders. So say Hill and almost everyone else in Phoenix's locker room.

Almost.

"I hope so," said Stoudemire, who is averaging 22.6 points and 8.3 rebounds and is shooting 57.4 percent from the field thus far, showing little regression despite the changes. "The goal is bigger than just myself. It's to win a championship. Do everything it takes. But in the process, I'm also trying to be the best I can be, too."

Sorry! But few, if any, can tell what direction Phoenix is headed right now.
....
When asked about his situation, Stoudemire said, "You've got LeBron James who's a featured guy. You've got Dwyane Wade. He's a featured guy. Dwight Howard? They go to him. Chris Bosh? They go to him.

"Bottom line: I want to be that guy. I want to show the league and the world that I feel like my game has improved to that level."

When asked whether he felt Porter's new system was helping that cause, Stoudemire said, "I'm not sure."

When told it wasn't good for him to feel that way, his response: "It ain't great!"