2006-2007 Finish: 54-28

What went well

The Phoenix Suns are one of the best teams in the league. There is no question about that. They had the best record in the Western Conference two years running, and they clinched the Pacific Division the year before that. GM Lemarcus is fairly new in town, however. His predecessor, GM Wizkid, built this powerhouse through cutthroat trading and little regard for his GM rating.

GM Lemarcus's team did not disappoint in his first season. With Wizkid gone, the Suns were no longer the team we loved to hate and they once again dominated during the regular season.

The Suns made a few moves before the season began. They traded Troy Murphy to the Lakers for Nene Hilario and pick. They brought in a couple of free agents and retained Jared Jeffries after he signed an offer sheet with the Knicks. Lucky for the Knicks, Jeffries did not do much last season.

After four weeks, the Suns had an impressive 11-4 record. Still fine-tuning, GM Lemarcus sent Hilario, Royal Ivey and rookie Renaldo Balkman to the Pistons for Mehmet Okur, Chris Duhon and Uros Slokar. In one final move, they sent Trenton Hassell to the Knicks for a second rounder.

A few more winning streaks helped solidfy the Suns's position for the end of the season. But if you take a look at the games from the last few weeks, losses began to pile up. This indestructable team began to show some chinks in the armor.

We all know now how the upstart Hornets dusted off the Suns in the first round. But this team is still strong, with a lot of stars. They will good for a long time.

What didn't

Hubris is one thing you can accuse the Suns of flashing and this season is nothing different. While most of the arrogance came from their old GM, the Suns took the court too over-confident with Agent Zero making bets with fans and the team walking about with the air of expecting to win it all. Steve Francis, re-signed to a $16 million plus contract didn't do much but stir up a fuss. Many in the league were happy when the Hornets knocked these guys out.

Stars

- Gilbert Arenas, PG-

It is hard to believe this guy was a second round pick. Arenas had his best season yet, averaging 31.2 points and 6.2 assists. He was elected to the All-Star game where he also won the three-point championship. Many fear his four year tenure is coming to a close in Phoenix. His contract is up and he's talking about testing the free agency market. Teams with cash will be drooling over this guy. Many blame the fall of the Suns on Arenas since he missed the last 12 games and the playoffs with a bum knee. Wherever he lands next season, he will make an major impact on that team.


- Dwight Howard, PF-

Another phenomenal young player, Howard has the interesting stat that he has never missed a game in his three years in the league. Like Arenas, the former slam-dunk champ was elected to the All-Star game this season. GM Wizkid saw something in this kid when he drafted him second and his decision paid off. Howard hit 16.3 points last season on an amazing 63%. He also grabbed 11.4 boards. This guy is a monster, on the court, on the glass and if Arenas leaves, he will step up to be the biggest star on this deep squad.

- Andre Iguodala, GF-

It is surprising how many times this first round pick has been traded already. Arriving in Phoenix in January 2006, Iguodala is now playing on his third squad. He had a strong year on his first full season with one team. He averaged 13.1 points. Though he will likely play even better without so many stars around, Iguodala has secured himself a starting place on this team and will continue to development into a great player.

- Marcus Camby, C-

Many in Denver wept when fan favorite Camby left town two years ago. In two seasons with Phoenix (one abbreviated by injury), Camby proved he still has gas in the tank. The first and most important thing to mention is this "injury liability" played in 72 games this season. He still averaged a double-double (10.3 points, 13.0 boards) with all the other young studs around. Health aside, Camby is one of the best centers in the league and hopefully his 72 games are an indicator that the injuries are a thing of the past.

Goat

-Steve Francis, G –

A big-mouthed player with a huge contract and doesn't play. Sound familiar? Like many other of the Insider picks for Goat this season, Francis fills those qualifications. The Grizzlies must be relieved to have found a taker for this guy before the bottom completely fell out (though they did Goat Kwame Brown in the trade). Francis played 38 games and did average a decent number of points (11.9- how are there this many points to spread around in Phoenix?) But he bagged the season early and the Suns and Francis are in the process of negotiating a buy-out or a cheaper contract for next season.

Looking to the future

The Suns remain a strong team with its current foundation. Their biggest concern will be Arenas, who has more or less said he will not be back there. This may be a good thing for the Suns. GM Wizkid left them up to their noses in debt. Without Arenas's $12 million contract, the Suns are almost $10 million over the salary cap. But Arenas is probably one of the top ten players in the league and losing him could be a major blow to this squad.

Forward Brian Cook also expires and the Suns shouldn't think twice before bringing him back. They do need his size off the bench and his contract is small. Uros Slokar will go back to Europe and Will Conroy may not be in the league come fall. The Suns made a big trade on a draft day. They sent away salary burden Jeffries, star Mehmet Okur and rookie Gabe Pruitt to the Timberwolves for Erick Dampier, Devean George and Thabo Sefolosha. The Insider is scratching his head over this deal. Why trade one of the best centers in the league and a rookie for a very old center, a peaked player and someone who had a fairly decent first year? Frankly, GM Lemarcus just doesn't possess the guile GM Wizkid had before him and this trade may very well signal where the Suns began to decline.

Size is where the Suns need most help now and that is not what they drafted this year. In the first round they grabbed Arizona sophomore Marcus Williams. This combo guard is quite versatile and athletic. He can't really shoot too well from outside and he needs to bulk up. But where does he fit? Behind A.I., Larry Hughes, George, Sefolosha? Also selected was Syracuse senior Demetris Nichols. Yet another small forward, Nichols is a three-point specialist and though his shooting will aid the Suns, like Williams he will struggle to find time on the court.