2007-2008 NBA Season Preview: Phoenix Suns

Despite the meteoric revival of All-Star forward/center Amare Stoudemire and the brilliance of Steve Nash, - for the third consecutive season for the Phoenix Suns since his return to the Valley of the Sun in 2004 - the Suns went down in a Western Conference playoff showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. Amid controversy for questionable calls against Phoenix by recent NBA outcast referee Tim Donaghy and now-seemingly banished official Danny Crawford, the Suns saw their dreams of holding a Larry O'Brien trophy go down in fire. For the upcoming 2007-2008 NBA season, the Suns seek to capitalize on their new roster additions to make competing for the title a much, much more serious matter, as the window of opportunity is somewhat dimmer.

Enter Grant Hill-while seen as an oft-injured player with Hall of Fame talent passed his own prime, Hill can still bring many things to the table that the Suns have made a habit of getting from other similar players such guard/forward (and sometimes center) Boris Diaw and All-Star forward Shawn Marion. At 6'8" and a ball-handler in nature, Hill has the size to play either power forward or small forward in the Phoenix run-and-gun system, while allowing for Nash to get a rest on the bench as the team's backup point guard-an area of legitimate concern considering Nash's fragile back condition and his advancing age at 33.

The Suns have also added to youngsters through the 2007 Draft in first-round pick Alando Tucker from Wisconsin second-round pick D.J. Strawberry from the University of Maryland. Experienced as a good wing defender and scorer, Tucker can allow for a seamless fit with the roster as a primary substitute for starting shooting guard Raja Bell. Strawberry, the son of (in)famous MLB star Darryl Strawberry, also has many tools that can help the Suns in their quest for a championship. Highly experienced in the backcourt, Strawberry brings great size as a quality bench player for a combination guard at 6'5" and can also help to fill in at point guard for Nash.