28 Dec 10 Signs of Change: Suns Show Similar Flaws, Get Different Result Against Spurs

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesThe Suns led most of the game. The Spurs made several second-half charges and gave Phoenicians a sick, panicked feeling in their stomachs.Greg Popovich even played his despicable, intentional-foul card on the Suns' worst free-throw shooter.All that is familiar. The end result, Washington Redskins jersey
a 111-102 Suns win, was incredibly different.The Spurs are not the same team that tormented the Suns in the past. Gone is the cold-blooded shooting of Bruce Bowen and Robert Horryand it showed.George Hill and Robert Mason Jr. missed what would have been dagger three's for San Antonio in the past.Those might go in later in the series, and that should keep Phoenix from getting complacent, as they did with Portland in round one. The reserves won't stay cold and the confines won't stay friendly.Still, it's a Game One win, something the Suns have been unable to snag in postseasons past.Phoenix Exorcises (some) DemonsDon't underestimate the importance of this win for Phoenix. They have never played from a position of strength. The Suns have always felt as though they were playing from behind, trying to catch the Spurs.In both single-game and playoff series situations, that's nearly impossible to do.Luckily for Phoenix, they led almost the entire way in Game One. Steve Nash and Jason Richardson were essential in building their various leads, while Stoudemire converted key, contested baskets when the Spurs threatened to overtake them.That kind of crunch-time poise has one of the Suns' biggest downfalls. Phoenix has to feel good knowing that is no longer the case.Still, it was alarming how easily Parker and Ginobili got to the rim in the final two minutes. Phoenix' defense, solid up to that point, went lazy thinking the game was sewn up. Given the history between the teams, the Suns should know better.If it weren't for their double-digit leads, that mental lapse might have proven fatal.Another new strength for Phoenix: their bench. After a shaky first half, the Suns' reserves, strengthened by either Stoudemire or Hill's steady hand, out-worked and out-hustled their San Antonio counterparts.One other observation: When will the Suns truly focus on making Ginobili drive to his right?Spurs Know How to AdjustThe Spurs will grudgingly take a moral victory from knowing they could have Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
won despite Stoudemire, Nash, and Richardson combining for 83 points. Also, Hill wasn't nearly as effective guarding Ginobili as he was on Portland's Andre Miller.No shocker, but at least a disappointment for the Suns.Disappointing for the Spurs was the abysmal play of Richard Jefferson (five points on 1-of-3 shooting). He just doesn't seem to fit as well as his less-talented predecessors. His lack of three-point shooting hurts the spacing on the Spurs' offense. That left San Antonio with the cold shooting of Mason and Hill.If San Antonio chooses to play Hill over Jefferson, as they did for much of Game One, they'll have to figure out how to hide him on defense. Whether it was Nash blowing by him, or Richardson and Grant Hill posting him up, George Hill was an obvious target for the Suns' offense.Given that and his sub-par performance, Parker will likely start for the rest of the series, leaving Hill to contend with the Suns' bench crew.Game Two OutlookPopovich attempted to play small at the end of Game One, with short-term gain and long-term loss. The Suns are used to playing small, and have been since Robin Lopez went out in late-March with injury.Look for reserve DeJuan Blair to make more of an impact than the two-point, two-rebound performance in Game One. His ability Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
o crash the boards seems too good a weapon against the slighter Phoenix frontline.Also, don't expect the Spurs role-players to underperform two games in a row.At the same time, one of the Suns' reserves is due to perform better than bench-best six points. It's a good bet that someone among Dragic, Dudley, Barbosa, and Frye will get a hot hand, especially in front of the home crowd.The biggest key will be the point guard matchup. Will Parker match his starter status with starter production and make Nash pay in the process? Will Nash be able to get the same results he did in Game One, whether it's for himself or others?Oh, and Robin Lopez, a maybe for Game One, could be back.