No Expectations, No Worries for the Suns

PHOENIX -- Every team comes to training camp with a renewed sense of optimism. But the Suns might be as happy as any to begin this season with a clean slate.

Phoenix is trying to rebound from a season where it traded two rotation players, fired its head coach at the All-Star break, then had its best player suffer an eye injury shortly thereafter that kept him out for the rest of the season.

All that, and the team missed making the playoffs by only two games. But for the first time in a long time, there are virtually no expectations of success. And for a team that struggled with so many issues last year, they seem more than happy to enter the season pressure-free, while searching for consistency and a renewed sense of identity.

"I feel almost better than ever about this season, even though we're not [expected] to be the top team in the league right now," said Amar'e Stoudemire, who comes to training camp fully recovered from his offseason eye surgery. "I think, you know, fly under the radar with the team that we have and with the approach that we take, it's going to be great for us."

Steve Nash was also fine with the team flying under the radar to start the year, and echoed some of what he said at the end of last season, when he talked about how important it was to play in a situation where the vibe was mostly a positive one.

"My number one priority is how I feel about my team," Nash said. "If we're good enough that everyone is going to put a bull's eye on our backs, then fine. If we're not good enough and people want to underestimate us, perhaps like they may be this year, that's fine too."

It isn't that the team doesn't expect to be good, and in fact, everyone seems to think that making the playoffs -- something the team didn't do last year -- is a very real possibility. But everyone seemed really happy that for the first time in at least two seasons, there's really no pressure, and it's expected to be a relatively smooth ride with few, if any, surprises.

Of course, there is one foreseeable bump in the road, and that's Stoudemire's pending contract situation.

Coming off of the eye surgery, the team was unwilling to give him a max contract extension over the summer, and instead decided to have Stoudemire enter the season with no promises -- and with the possibility that the team will get nothing in return for him if he leaves after this year and signs elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.

Before the trading deadline, the Suns will likely have to make the tough decision: either Stoudemire is their franchise player for the foreseeable future, or he's an All-Star that they don't feel is worthy of a max deal. If they decide the latter, the roster could see its third midseason shake-up in as many years.

For the time being, though, the Suns aren't thinking too much about the future. The team is living in the moment, with its players content to play with good locker room guys, in the uptempo system that was so much fun for the better part of the last four seasons.

With the team feeling somewhat liberated by the lack of expectations on them, one wonders how the franchise will define success this season. Consistent with what we heard from the players, general manager Steve Kerr told FanHouse that the goals he is hoping to see the team achieve are ones that are, for the most part, intangible.

"I think a successful season for us is if we really redevelop our identity -- not just as a running team, but playing hard and playing together," Kerr said. "Really coming together as one; I'd be really surprised if that didn't happen. I think the circumstances are right, we've got a good blend of veterans and youth, we've got a coach who I know the players are in tune with, and we've got good guys, and we've got good talent.

"So, you never know with injuries and all that but I think from an emotional standpoint, if we can do those things then it's a successful year, because the wins are a byproduct at that point."