2007–08 Phoenix Suns season

2007–08 Phoenix Suns season
Head coach Mike D'Antoni
General manager Steve Kerr
Owner(s) Robert Sarver
Arena US Airways Center
Results
Record 55–27 (.671)
Place Division: 2nd (Pacific)
Conference: 5th (Western)
Playoff finish Lost in first round to San Antonio (1–4)

Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

Local media
Television FSN Arizona, KUTP
Radio KTAR
Players warming up prior to a January 2008 Suns road game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 2007–08 Phoenix Suns season was their 40th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season was seen as the end of the "Seven Seconds or Less" era, after four-time All-Star Shawn Marion was traded midseason to the Miami Heat for big man Shaquille O'Neal.[1] The Suns failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since re-signing Steve Nash in 2004, leading to the departure of head coach Mike D'Antoni.

Offseason

Forward Shawn Marion was set to earn $36 million over the next two seasons, putting the Suns over the salary cap next season and fueling speculations that he, one of the key Suns, may be traded during the offseason.

On June 6, former TNT analyst and NBA three-point specialist Steve Kerr was appointed Suns' General Manager and President of Basketball Operations. Kerr is close to team owner Robert Sarver and University of Arizona head men's basketball coach Lute Olson (Kerr's college coach); Kerr was also a part of the Sarver-led investment group that purchased the franchise from Jerry Colangelo.

On June 28, 2007, Spanish guard Rudy Fernández was taken 24th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Suns, who subsequently traded the rights to the pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash. SF Alando Tucker of Wisconsin was taken with the 29th pick.

On July 5, 2007, the Suns came to an agreement with former Orlando Magic SF Grant Hill on a one-year $1.8 million deal with a player option for a second season at $2 million. In August 2007, Hill and his wife, R&B vocalist Tamia, purchased a home worth $3.78 million in the exclusive upscale community of Paradise Valley, adjacent to Scottsdale and home to several prominent local residents, including many star players for the Suns, Diamondbacks and the other local sports franchises.

On August 27, Maryland guard D. J. Strawberry (son of former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry) signed a two-year contract with the Suns that included a guaranteed first year and a team option for the second season. Strawberry was drafted with the 59th selection in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft; in the 2007 NBA Summer League he averaged a league-best 6.4 assists.

NBA draft

Main article: 2007 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Club
1 24 Rudy Fernández Guard  Spain DVK Joventut Badalona
1 29 Alando Tucker Forward  United States Wisconsin
2 59 D. J. Strawberry Guard  United States Maryland

Season

The Suns won at least 50 games for the fourth straight season and faced the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs for the third time in four years. Even with the presence of Shaquille O'Neal who was traded to the team just before the All-Star break for Shawn Marion, the Suns were yet again eliminated, this time in five games.[2] Just days after the loss Steve Kerr allowed Mike D'Antoni to pursue coaching positions elsewhere and he was subsequently signed as the head coach of the New York Knicks less than two weeks later.[3]

Roster

Phoenix Suns roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB (Y-M-D) From
G 10 Brazil Barbosa, Leandro 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 202 lb (92 kg) 1982-11-28 Brazil
G 19 United States Virgin Islands Bell, Raja 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1976-09-19 Florida International
F 3 France Diaw, Boris 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1982-04-16 France
G/F 2 Croatia Giriček, Gordan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1977-06-20 Croatia
F 33 United States Hill, Grant 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1972-10-05 Duke
F 43 United States Johnson, Linton 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1980-06-13 Tulane
F/C 4 New Zealand Marks, Sean 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1975-08-23 UC Berkeley
G 13 Canada Nash, Steve (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1974-02-07 Santa Clara
C 32 United States O'Neal, Shaquille 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 325 lb (147 kg) 1972-03-16 LSU
G/F 52 United States Piatkowski, Eric 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1970-09-30 Nebraska
F/C 54 United States Skinner, Brian 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1976-05-19 Baylor
F/C 1 United States Stoudemire, Amar'e 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 249 lb (113 kg) 1982-11-16 Cypress Creek HS
G 8 United States Strawberry, D. J. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 1985-06-15 Maryland
F 29 United States Tucker, Alando 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1984-02-11 Wisconsin
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Depth chart

Pos. Starter Bench Reserve Inactive
C Shaquille O'Neal Brian Skinner Sean Marks
PF Amar'e Stoudemire Boris Diaw
SF Grant Hill Gordan Giriček Linton Johnson
Alando Tucker
SG Raja Bell Leandro Barbosa Eric Piatkowski
PG Steve Nash D. J. Strawberry

Regular season

Standings

Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 57 25 .695 – 30–11 27–14 12–4
x-Phoenix Suns 55 27 .671 2 30–11 25–16 10–6
Golden State Warriors 48 34 .585 9 27–14 21–20 10–6
Sacramento Kings 38 44 .463 19 26–15 12–29 3–13
Los Angeles Clippers 23 59 .284 34 13–28 10–31 5–11
2007–08 game log
November: 12–4 (Home: 6–2; Road: 6–2)
December: 10–5 (Home: 3–1; Road: 7–4)
January: 16–8 (Home: 11–5; Road: 5–3)
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.