PAUL CALVISI

Quality vs. quantity: Another game Phoenix Suns are losing

Mar 6, 2013, 6:52 PM | Updated: 6:52 pm

If you’re wondering whether the Phoenix Suns franchise has a viable game plan going forward, you’re going to need to get in line behind former point guard Sebastian Telfair.

“I think last year we competed a lot better,” Telfair told Arizona Sports 620’s Craig Grialou while in town with the Toronto Raptors.

“I understand they’re going in a new direction, but I wished we would’ve known that this summer. I really can’t understand it. I’m not mad at nobody, but I don’t understand it.”

Can we get a show of hands here? Who else doesn’t quite get it? #NoComprendo.

From here, we see a front office that has cornered the market on mediocrity. Planet Orange is more like Planet Ordinary.

Between players and picks, if the name of the game is amassing non-star talent that would never start a game for a contending team? #Ding. Or if the plan is to accumulate all the mid-first round and/or second round picks possible, then somebody please cue Al McCoy because “Suns Win! Suns Win!”

Thing is, when it comes to box scores and turnstiles, the NBA is a star-driven league. Get a superstar to drive your team into the passing lane or you’re marooned in the bike lane with your blinker on desperately trying to merge into traffic.

Right now, the Suns are the snowbird in the Buick sporting Wisconsin plates. Their only hope appears to be hitting the lottery before the lottery hits back. Meaning the Suns better pray those ping-pong ball bounce their way or virtually every draft pick they possess will net a mid-round rookie. And how has that worked out recently (Robin Lopez, Earl Clark, Markieff Morris, Kendall Marshall)?

Once upon a time, when the Suns stank out loud, Jerry Colangelo would take a big chance. BIG, BIG chance. Trade All-Star Larry Nance for a young Kevin Johnson. What? My team still stinks? Let’s make history with the blockbuster free agent signing of Tom Chambers.

Hey, that still doesn’t put us over the top? Move the meter and trade for Charles Barkley. Heck, you ain’t trying if you ain’t trading. Tom Gugliotta. Penny Hardaway. Jason Kidd. Stephon Marbury.

None of that works? Let’s call Knicks GM Isiah Thomas. Still not championship caliber? Hey Bryan Colangelo, please make a midnight recruiting visit to bring back Steve Nash. The Big Cactus.

Bold attempts for legit star power; that’s what’s missing with the current iteration of the Phoenix Suns. Anybody ever see pawns moved around a chess board, only to be followed by the word “checkmate” shouted out? Yeah, me neither.

Paul Calvisi

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