The Run n Gun Phoenix Suns (2004-2010)
Don’t forget, these Suns were incredible. Steve Nash & Friends won the Pacific division three times, had two 60 win seasons, were one skirmish (resulting in critical suspensions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw) away from likely taking the Western Conference in 2007, and completely redefined NBA offense. Not a bad run. The Warriors have harvested the personnel from that Suns era like an Indiana teenager who can’t practice his jump shot until he’s harvested his father’s cornfield -relentlessly.
Outside of Warriors defensive coordinator Ron Adams and Luke Walton, the entire coaching staff has major Suns connections. Steve Kerr was the Suns’ GM from 2007-2010. Alvin Gentry (the Warriors’ offensive coordinator) was a Suns assistant coach from 2003-2009 and head coach from 2009-2013. Both Warriors player development coaches Bruce Frasier and Jarron Collins have Suns ties as Frasier was a Suns scout from 2004-2010 and Collins played for the Suns in 2009 & 2010. Even the President of the Warriors, Rick Welts, was the Suns’ President from 2002-2011. Throw in current Warriors point guard and former Suns sixth-man Leandro Barbosa, and Phoenix’s orange is the Warriors’ new black.
Yet, it’s not just the people that forge the similarities, it’s the style.
-The Suns originated the hyper speed offensive concept of “7 seconds or less”. The Warriors play at the NBA’s fastest pace and have the NBA’s shortest time of possession. In fact, the difference between the Warriors’ time of possession and the next shortest (the Mavericks) is equal to the difference between the Mavericks and the 18th shortest time of possession (the Nets) -the Warriors are that much faster than anybody else!
-The Suns turned a Steve Nash pick-and-roll into basketball’s deadliest play. Of NBA players who’ve run more than 250 pick-and-rolls as the lead ball-handler, Steph Curry is 2nd in the NBA in points per pick-and-roll at 0.98 points. Much like Nash, that’s insanely efficient.
-From the 2004/05 season through the 2006/07 season, the Suns led the NBA in three-pointers attempted per game. As the Splash Brothers nickname indicates the Warriors aren’t shy of the three. The team sits 4th in the NBA in 3s attempted per game at 27 per contest.
It wasn’t Gregg Popovich’s mind or Daryl Morey’s calculator that revolutionized NBA offense. It was Phoenix, a team the Warriors have been emulating close to perfectly of late. Speaking of that Popovich guy…