Suvarna Garge (Editor)

2008–09 Phoenix Suns season

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General manager
  
Steve Kerr

Arena
  
US Airways Center

Owner(s)
  
Robert Sarver

Record
  
46–36 (.561)

2008–09 Phoenix Suns season

Head coach
  
Terry Porter, Alvin Gentry

Place
  
Division: 2nd (Pacific) Conference: 9th (Western)

The 2008–09 Phoenix Suns season was the 41st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season was to be a promising one, filled with All-Star talent at several positions. It was believed over the offseason, the Suns would be able to better incorporate Shaquille O'Neal, who necessitated changes to both the offense and defense after being obtained in a trade one season ago. It was also the first season head coach Terry Porter had been able to use the summer to implement his defensive approach for a team which had in seasons past scored a large number of their points off fast breaks and early in the shot clock. Sensing a need for change, team management traded for scorer Jason Richardson in December, but this did not appear to immediately reinvigorate an offense that had recently led the league in points per game. However, after Phoenix went 28–23 to start the season, Suns assistant Alvin Gentry was named to replace Porter as head coach. Less than one week after the All-Star Game, Amar'e Stoudemire sustained a season-ending eye injury while the improvement of the team never fully came. The Suns finished 46–36, second in the Pacific division but out the playoffs for the first time since Steve Nash rejoined the Suns in the 2004–05 season.

Contents

Key dates

  • June 26: The 2008 NBA draft took place in New York City.
  • July 1: The free agency period started.
  • October 1: Starting power forward Amar'e Stoudemire sustained a partially torn iris.
  • October 8: The pre-season started with a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
  • October 29: The regular season started with a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
  • February 14–15: Phoenix hosted the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend.
  • February 16: The Suns fired coach Terry Porter and named Alvin Gentry interim coach.
  • February 20: Stoudemire underwent surgery for a detached retina and was out for eight weeks after an injury sustained on February 18.

    • Offseason

  • June 7: Terry Porter was named as the Suns' new head coach.
  • June 20: Alvin Gentry, Bill Cartwright, Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov were named as the Suns' new assistant coaches.
  • June 26: Forward Grant Hill has exercised his player option for the 2008–09 season.
  • June 26: Suns have acquired the draft rights to the rookie point guard Goran Dragić from San Antonio Spurs.
  • July 10: Suns have signed center Robin Lopez, selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.
  • July 22: Free agent forward Matt Barnes has signed with the Suns.
  • August 14: Free agent forward Louis Amundson has signed with the Suns.
  • August 25: Suns have acquired rookie guard Sean Singletary from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard D.J. Strawberry.
  • September 22: Suns have signed Goran Dragić.
  • October 23: The Phoenix Suns have exercised the team's option on swingman Alando Tucker for the 2009–10 season.

    • Season

    * – Stats with the Suns.
    + – Minimum 70 games played or 2000 minutes, 1400 points.
    ^ – Minimum 55 three-pointers made.
    # – Minimum 125 free throws made.

    Awards

  • O'Neal was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

    • Week/Month

  • Stoudemire was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 3-9.
  • Stoudemire has been named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award for October.

    • All-Star

  • Stoudemire was voted to his 4th NBA All-Star Game as a starter.
  • O'Neal was named to his 15th career NBA All-Star Game in 17 seasons.
  • O'Neal was named the 2009 NBA All-Star MVP with former teammate Kobe Bryant.

    • References

    2008–09 Phoenix Suns season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA