Insider Special: Best/Worst ~ Suns

[Weez]

By Chad Ford

ESPN.com

Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Phoenix Suns.

Amare Stoudemire has added a jump shot to his arsenal.

Best Case Scenario

Three things need to happen for the Suns to win 50 games and lock up a possible sixth seed in the West.

1. Amare Stoudemire takes the next step. Last season, Stoudemire shocked everyone in becoming the first high school player ever to win the Rookie of the Year award. This year, he'll catch no one by surprise. Stoudemire is going to see a steady stream of double-teams when he catches the ball on the block. How will he respond? So far, he's been the best player on the Suns through the first three preseason games. He's improved his perimeter shooting and is making smart decisions down low. If that continues into the regular season, Stoudemire will start being mentioned in the same breath as the rest of the great power forwards in the West.

2. Joe Johnson gets consistent. Johnson has the skills to be a star. He's a 6-foot-8 combo guard with great touch from the perimeter and unbelievable court vision. But last season, for every good game he had, he followed it up with two or three terrible ones. This past offseason, Johnson dominated the summer league. More importantly, he played well in six of the Suns' seven games. This preseason, he's also shown consistency. If he keeps it up, he'll push Penny Hardaway to the bench and give the Suns yet another lethal outside option.

3. Rookie Zarko Cabarkapa is as good as they think he is. The Suns can't stop raving about Cabarkapa. He was stellar in the summer league and gives them one more versatile weapon that can stretch the defense and make things easier on Stoudemire.

Worst Case Scenario

The Suns will slip into the lottery with 42 losses if the following three things happen.

1. Stephon Marbury regresses. Marbury played with a huge chip on his shoulder last season and turned in the best performance of his career. He's been awful in the first three preseason games and has drawn coach Frank Johnson's ire for his porous defense and nonchalant attitude. Marbury isn't worried -- he's promising to turn it on when the regular season starts. But the rest of the Suns are quietly wringing their hands.

2. The ghosts of Bo Outlaw and Jake Tsakalidis haunt GM Bryan Colengelo. Most GMs around the league can't understand why Colengelo traded Outlawand Tsakalidis to Memphis. Outlaw was the Suns' energy guy and gave them toughness on defense. Tsakalidis was shaky, but the Suns did nothing to replace his 7-2, 290-pound body in the paint. Colangelo isn't worried. He didn't think Tsakalidis fit the Suns' running style and wanted to move Outlaw to get Cabarkapa more time. But unless Jake Voskuhl, Scott Williams or Tom Gugliotta step up in the middle, the Suns will be awfully soft in the middle.

3. A draught of D in the Valley of the Sun. The Suns will light you up on offense, but when it comes to their effort on defense, it's indefensible. They've been awful this preseason and coach Frank Johnson is fuming. The team has plenty of capable defenders, but few willing ones. If Marbury's "we talk defense, but we play offense" philosophy rules the day, the Suns will take a step back this season.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's ESPN Insider.

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