Enjoying the Journey

by TexSUN on Oct 8, 2007 9:59 PM MDT in Suns News

Mike D'Antoni has talked a lot lately about the importance of having a little fun on the job. In a recent ESPN article, Marc Stein quotes D'Antoni as saying that the Suns need to "enjoy the journey" this season:

"It can't be, 'This is all a disaster if we don't win the championship,' " D'Antoni said. "You don't enjoy the journey that way and I think we didn't enjoy the journey enough last year. We didn't enjoy January enough when we won 17 [games] in a row. We've got to get back to that gunslinging kind of mentality: 'If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose.' But we don't want to have this big burden on our heads at all times and I think it starts with me. I'll take care of it. Steve will take care of it."

For some reason, this struck a chord with me, perhaps because I am about to embark on a journey of my own. The annual TexSUN vacation starts in a few days, and I can't wait. Without a doubt I have traveling on the brain right now. But D'Antoni's statements also got me thinking about why I watch basketball in the first place. Is it just about wanting to see my team win it all? Or is it also about the joy of watching the most fun team in the NBA put it all on the floor night in, night out?

I suspect I have a different view on this than a lot of fans do. I didn't grow up watching this team (or any other for that matter), so I lack the perspective of someone who has "suffered" through thick and thin with this franchise for 39 ringless years. For those people, I imagine hearing D'Antoni say the season won't be a disaster if the Suns don't finally win one doesn't sit too well. But as for me, I rather like what the coach had to say because it mirrors all the reasons I watch this team instead of one closer to home. If I only cared about winning rings, I would make it easier on myself and just watch the Spurs every other year in June. They are based in the same state as me, and seem to have a knack for making ring-winning look easy--or at least for getting darn lucky in odd-numbered years. But I happen to like a little fun with my basketball, and "enjoying the journey" is an absolute requirement for me. Winning a ring would certainly be sweet, but I tend to think of it more as the icing on an already very delicious cake. I need my team to be one I'm proud of, whether that ultimately leads to the joy of winning it all or the bitter emptiness of coming up short. The 2007-08 Suns may or may not prove to be the best team in basketball when it comes time to hand out the rings. But regardless of how the journey ends, it's safe to say the road to get there will be filled with twists and turns with plenty of good times along the way.

Putting a Wrap on Camp

Both AZCentral and East Valley Tribune came out with rave reviews of D.J. Strawberry's performance during camp. It's still way too early for any "I told you so"s from yours truly, but it certainly seems to be looking good so far. He's getting most of his praise for his defense, and I would imagine a good portion of that defense is coming against maybe the most difficult-to-defend point guard in the NBA.
Not a hint of anything other than good news about Shawn Marion all week. If this keeps up, I may have to consume a sizable portion of crow for my premature prediction that the situation was broken beyond repair. (Yet another reason why I love this team. They may be the best team in the league at rising above adversity--even the self-inflicted kind).
If you haven't checked in on the official Suns.com blogs lately, you may not know that Alando Tucker has joined the fray. His latest post talks about his recent hazing experience at the hands of Steve Nash and other Suns vets. He also talks about how it felt putting on the jersey for his first "competitive game" with the Suns, and how much he appreciated the "enthusiasm" of the fans who were there. Bright Side of the Sun founder Dan Hilton also has a blog entry about training camp. He talks about his experience getting to run the shot clock during the scrimmage. How nerve-racking--and fun--that must have been.

Let's enjoy the journey, folks. It sounds like we have one mighty fun season coming up.

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Comments

Coping

Enjoying the ride is the only way that the 39 ringless years don't drive you insane. Welcome to the world of my coping mechanism. I keep telling myself that the heartbreaks will make winning that much sweeter, but that's a load of crap, too.

Like I said after the KT fiasco, we should just watch them lace'em and run.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Oct 8, 2007 10:15 PM MDT 0 recs

being happy

I agree with you TexSun, I've been a Suns fan for 15 + years, and I want us to win a championship very badly, but, this team of the last 2-3 years has been so much fun to watch (95% of the time), that I'm just enjoying the ride, and if I new now that they weren't going to win this year, I'd still watch them play all their games anyway. I don't think I'd have learned this lesson if it wasn't for a family member
I watched over the last 2-3 years. If the Suns lost, he'd scream he was never going to watch again and how the nba is fixed, etc. Granted, the Suns have had some very poor luck in the playoffs, and some things that border on the need to have the tainted game replayed, but that's no surprise to me, Stern is not very intelligent or fair, never has been. But, watching this guy I know freak out and be a poor sport, helped me realize how I was starting to act around my wife when the suns lost, so, I took a lesson from it, and now, I'm still very into the game, but, if they lose, I'm ok. I don't think there are very many teams you could say this about, but, 2 yrs ago I went with the guy to a suns game, and the suns lost, but by 1 or 2 points. I was in the first row, center court, and I've never had so much fun in my life at a basketball game. Point is, they're fun to watch, and yes, the spurs have won more, but pretty much, most people, even some spur fans will tell you the spurs are boring to watch. Plus, we don't have guys on our team that will cheat to get an advantage - bowen - horry, and for those that might quickly think of bell and his clothesline of kobe, first, bell was suspended (not much advantage there), second, Kobe was elbowing and kneeing Bell in the face and groin repeatedly before this, Kobe had it coming. Glad Kobe wasn't hurt, but he had it coming...

by jasonsuns1 on Oct 9, 2007 9:43 AM MDT 0 recs

As a Chicago area native,

I have perspective from both sides. Since relocating here in "80-"81 season, I share the long history of Sun disappointments of many of you. But it was easy to take joy from the rise and eventual triumph of MJ and Co. over the despicable Pistons!

That (true dynasty) team is arguably the only real winner of the Chi teams of my (or my father's) lifetime. Even in the "93 defeat, I admired them with amazement. But slowly, I found my interest in the NBA regular season wane. The winning machine became an old story, even in the post season, finally.

Phil (though not to the extent of Riley) and MJ's focus on rings at the expense of the journey probably meant they only enjoyed them in retrospect. And perhaps that "winning is the only thing" attitude is necessary for such success. But Coach Mike's attitude here is one of the few things I agree with him on anymore. And I certainly don't want to see the Suns winning like the Spurs to do it, just like I didn't want to see the Bulls become Detroit bad boys.

So Tex, JSun, and Jason, I share you attitude and appreciate your observations. Everybody foaming at the mouth with their eyes on the prize was a bit much for me last year. Maybe this year, they can keep things low key and surprise everyone with rings at last? If the NBA still chooses to support unnecessarily physical teams that "bend" the rules, they likely won't. But at least the players (and we) will know they did it their way.

I'm not saying winning doesn't matter. I'm saying it wouldn't matter as much if they were to change their style or approach.

by marionette on Oct 9, 2007 1:15 PM MDT 0 recs

nice thoughts..

by jasonsuns1 on Oct 9, 2007 11:23 PM MDT up 0 recs

History in the making, lets enjoy it!

I'm glad there are some people who'll enjoy the "journey" as much as me.
Look, do I want the Solar Express to chug through to the NBA Finals, you bet your uncooked rump-roast yeah (especially after the near hits in '76 and '93)!
But at the same time I know that there are fans of other teams just dying to be in the position we are in now. Regardless if they win or lose they just want the opportunity to feel like there in the running and are apart of something special. Here in Phoenix we ARE in the midst of something special. OUR team is bringing an energy, creativity, an awesome strategy that has been long lost and is being revived with a few modern kinks. D'Antoni and Nash are revolutionizing the game, much like Bill Walsh and Montana did in the NFL. The "Controlled Chaos" is becoming the West Coast Offense of basketball. The nation is noticing what Golden State and us are doing. And now with disciples in Toronto and Memphis the movement is growing. So regardlss if we win, we'll be on the map for revolutionizing the game and possibly "saving" the NBA from itself.

And like I said when the D-Backs had Schilling and Johnson, lets not be too critical because there are fans out there who would love to be in our situation, we're just spoiled. Well now they're gone and I don't follow the team anymore, but I still do remember having fun watching them, and years down the line when this whole thing is over I'll remember Nash's kick-out passes, Matrix's Shaolin air dunks, Amare's Tomahawks, Bell's tenacity, and Barbosa's insane speed and heart and still be beating a purple heart and bleeding orange.

If ya can't jump 'em out, then box 'em out!

by PurplePinoy on Oct 9, 2007 3:05 PM MDT 0 recs