Phoenix Suns 2010-11 Media Guide - NBA Media Central
Phoenix Suns 2010-11 Media Guide - NBA Media Central
Phoenix Suns 2010-11 Media Guide - NBA Media Central
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Season Review 96-97<br />
178<br />
Review96-97<br />
Review96-97<br />
Season<br />
In a season of growth and transition, <strong>Phoenix</strong> overcame a club-worst<br />
0-13 start and qualified for the postseason. The <strong>Suns</strong> became the first<br />
team in <strong>NBA</strong> history to make the playoffs after losing its first 13 games.<br />
RECORD<br />
40-42<br />
The reshaping of the team began with the offseason trade of Charles Barkley to Houston<br />
in exchange for veterans Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Robert Horry and Sam Cassell and<br />
the signing of free agent Rex Chapman and rookie Steve Nash. Then on December 26,<br />
1996, the <strong>Suns</strong> acquired All-Star guard Jason Kidd from Dallas, along with Tony Dumas and<br />
Loren Meyer, for fan favorites Michael Finley, A.C. Green and Cassell. Less than a month<br />
after the Kidd trade, former Sun Cedric Ceballos was re-acquired in a deal that sent Horry<br />
and Joe Kleine to the Lakers.<br />
Bolstered by the improved lineup and new Head Coach Danny Ainge, who took the reins<br />
from Cotton Fitzsimmons on November 15, 1996, the new-look <strong>Suns</strong> compiled a 19-6 mark<br />
over the final two months of the season and qualified for the playoffs. The “small ball”<br />
group of Kevin Johnson, Kidd, Chapman and Wesley Person carried the bulk of the scoring<br />
load down the stretch. <strong>Phoenix</strong> averaged a league-best 109.9 points in that time. The club’s<br />
torrid second half included an <strong>11</strong>-game winning streak from March 20 to April 10 that<br />
enabled <strong>Phoenix</strong> to become the first team in league history to own a double-digit losing<br />
streak and a double-digit winning steak in the same season.<br />
While the <strong>Suns</strong> fell 3-2 to Seattle in the first round of the 1997 postseason, the series was<br />
memorable. Chapman’s running, one-handed three-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in<br />
Game 4 sent the game into overtime. Chapman connected on an <strong>NBA</strong>-record nine<br />
three-pointers and had a playoff career-high 42 points in the <strong>Suns</strong>’ Game 1 win at Seattle.<br />
KJ became just the sixth player in league history to record <strong>11</strong>,500 points, 6,000 assists,<br />
2,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals for his career.<br />
FRONT ROW: Trainer Joe Proski, Assistant Scout Jae Staats, Video Coach Garrick Barr, Assistant Coach Donn<br />
Nelson, Assistant Coach Paul Silas, Rex Chapman, Wesley Person, Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Steve Nash,<br />
Assistant Coach Frank Johnson, Head Coach Danny Ainge, <strong>NBA</strong> Scout Todd Quinter, Assistant Trainer Aaron<br />
Nelson, Equipment Manager Rich Howell.<br />
BACK ROW: Cedric Ceballos, Danny Manning, Horacio Llamas, Loren Meyer, John Williams, Mark Bryant,<br />
Wayman Tisdale, Ben Davis, Strength Coach Robin Pound.
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