2007-08 Stats at a Glance
The days of seven seconds and shoot have set on the Phoenix Suns.
But after last season's first-round playoff exit to Wednesday night's season-opening opponent - the San Antonio Spurs - a change in philosophy might be the best thing for them.
With Mike D'Antoni taking his up-tempo pace to the New York Knicks, Suns president of basketball operations and general manager Steve Kerr selected former Spurs teammate Terry Porter as the Suns' new bench boss.
"Obviously, there will be differences and there will be nuances,'' Kerr said. "But the key for us was having somebody who would be balanced on both sides of the ball, who wanted to continue to push the ball and maintain our up-tempo style but could also help us come in and improve defensively."
Phoenix was third in the NBA with 110.1 points per game last season, but allowed 105.0 - 25th in the league. Porter spent the past two seasons as a lead assistant in Detroit, and the Pistons led the league in scoring defense at 90.1 points per game in 2007-08.
"I will be hands-on when it comes to the defense,'' said Porter, who coached the Milwaukee Bucks from 2003-05. "When you talk about defense, there's got to be a desire there, and there's got to be a lot of repetition.''
It will take that if the Suns hope to compete in the loaded Western Conference.
"I think it is a championship-caliber team,'' Porter said during his press conference in June. "I think they have some pieces in place that have obviously competed at that level over the last four years.''
What up dre. That time of the year again.
