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 99-00<br />
184<br />
Review99-00<br />
Review99-00<br />
Season<br />
RECORD<br />
In a season that was anything but scripted, the <strong>Suns</strong> recorded 50 or more wins<br />
for the ninth time in 12 seasons and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals 53-29<br />
for the first time since 1995.<br />
<strong>Phoenix</strong> opened the playoffs with a 3-1 series win over defending champion San Antonio before<br />
falling to the eventual champion Lakers 4-1 in the second-round.<br />
Defensively the <strong>Suns</strong> had their top season ever, limiting opponents to 93.7 points and .424 shooting<br />
from the field. Jason Kidd and Clifford Robinson were each named <strong>NBA</strong> All-Defensive Second Team and<br />
Kidd finished tied for fifth in the <strong>NBA</strong> with 2.0 steals.<br />
Kidd was named All-<strong>NBA</strong> First Team for the second-straight season and led all Western Conference guards<br />
in All-Star voting. Rodney Rogers won the <strong>NBA</strong> Sixth Man of the Year Award with the second-highest<br />
percentage of the vote in history (86.0%) and Shawn Marion earned <strong>NBA</strong> All-Rookie Second Team honors.<br />
The season was one of challenges as the <strong>Suns</strong> lost a total of 269 games due to injury, with Anfernee<br />
Hardaway (right foot, 21 games) and Marion (left knee, 31 games) missing most of two months. On<br />
December 13 with the club 13-7, Head Coach Danny Ainge unexpectedly stepped down and lead<br />
assistant Scott Skiles was promoted to the top spot. Days later without three starters, the <strong>Suns</strong> pulled<br />
out a <strong>11</strong>0-102 win at Portland behind Tom Gugliotta’s 17 points and 14 rebounds. Within an hour of<br />
the win, he suffered a seizure on the team bus and missed seven games. Back to form and playing<br />
perhaps his best ball of the season, he went down on March 10 with a season-ending left knee injury.<br />
Robinson moved into the starting lineup in December due to the injuries and supplied the missing<br />
offense. He finished the season with a team-best 18.5 points that included an America West Arena<br />
record and career-high 50 points on January 16 in a <strong>11</strong>3-100 win.<br />
With the return of Hardaway and Marion the club started to gel, going 10-3 in February and 12-4 in<br />
March (13-1 at home during that time). Too good to be true, Kidd went down March 22 with a fractured<br />
left ankle that left him sidelined until Game 4 of the opening round of the playoffs. <strong>Suns</strong> great Kevin<br />
Johnson came out of retirement on March 25 to replace Kidd on the active roster.<br />
FRONT ROW: Trainer Joe Proski, Assistant Coach Phil Weber, Assistant Coach Frank Johnson, Rex Chapman,<br />
Jason Kidd, Randy Livingston, Toby Bailey, Head Coach Scott Skiles, Assistant Coach John MacLeod, Video<br />
Coordinator Garrick Barr, Assistant Trainer Aaron Nelson.<br />
BACK ROW: Equipment Manager Rich Howell, Shawn Marion, Corie Blount, Tom Gugliotta, Mark West, Luc Longley,<br />
Clifford Robinson, Rodney Rogers, Anfernee Hardaway, Todd Day, Strength Coach Robin Pound.
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