So I just returned from two days in Tucson and here are some early impressions of training camp:
- Terry Porter has instantly placed his imprint on this team with a no-nonsense approach which will make this a tougher team mentally and physically.
- Terry is drilling the team on defensive fundamentals and even putting the guys through defensive slide drills! (You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Shaq do the same drills we all did back in high school!)
- Matt Barnes was the offensive star of the scrimmage last night at St. Gregory’s High School. He has a very quick release and showed off his accuracy from faraway.
- Goran Dragic displayed his wonderful feel for the game with a couple of priceless passes and the ability to direct the new offense. He may be more NBA ready than I imagined.
- Robert Hite will push Alando Tucker and Sean Singletary for the 12th spot on the roster. The Suns will likely keep 13 players and send that 13th player to their D-League team in Iowa. Hite is an explosive scorer who can either run some point or play alongside Nash at times.
- Dan Majerle is perfectly suited to be an NBA assistant coach. You can see the respect he has from all the players and will be a tremendous asset for terry Porter in the way he relates to veterans and rookies.
- There is no question that a new sheriff is in town and Terry Porter will bring a mixture of new offensive sets along with a demanding defensive philosophy which will immediately transform this squad into a fiercer unit that will covet each and every possession.
Also noteworthy: Steve Nash told Scott Williams (our new TV analyst) that he wants to play 4 more seasons. He has two years left on his current deal with the Suns, and barring any drastic dip in his abilities and production, he would like to play two more years after that. He remains in fantastic shape and still has that boyhood exuberance at the tender age of 34.
