Phoenix Suns' backcourt game remains on point

For eight legendary years, it was hard to imagine how long it would take for the Phoenix Suns to replace Steve Nash at point guard.

It figured to take a few tries, like the Arizona Cardinals with quarterbacks after Kurt Warner retired.

Instead, point guard remains the position that defines the Suns. Phoenix has become the point guard capital of the world with a triple-threat backcourt made up of three of the NBA's best, uniform Nos. 1, 2 and 3: Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas.

Mystified doubters wondered how Dragic and Bledsoe would co-exist last year, and then buried the Suns in Western Conference predictions. Dragic and Bledsoe won 23 of the 34 games that they started together. The Suns likely were kept out of the playoffs by their injury absences during a 48-34 season that fell one victory short of the postseason.

The Suns stumped the basketball world again this summer by making Thomas, a point guard, their major acquisition in a quest to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Their strength became stronger.

"Everybody can do something special," Bledsoe said.

When Dragic and Bledsoe were on the floor together last season, the Suns had two playmakers who could overwhelm backpedaling teams with tempo, and balance the floor with offensive creators on each side to expose mismatches. Every other team has a drop-off when a starting point guard leaves, but the Suns always could have a starting point guard on the floor.

Now, they can go an entire game without ever having a pair of top point guards off the floor. A strength got stronger. The NBA's best fast-break team became faster.

"They can't do it every once in a while," Suns second-year coach Jeff Hornacek said of pushing tempo. "We have to have them do it every time. We can get better there. That's the goal — to keep pressure on teams.

"If they're going to walk the ball up the court, we'll probably be in trouble. We're not a big team. We need to get up and down and spread the court."

The three point guards, who might play together on occasion, shoot well enough to play off the ball offensively, but defensive matchups can be difficult for them against bigger shooting guards. Dragic's 6-foot-3 frame sufficed at times while his guile and gumption made up the difference other times. Bledsoe is shorter but ox-strong to go with some of the best perimeter defensive ability in the league.

Thomas, at 5 feet 9, is short, even for a high school team, but is pesky and relentless. Those qualities have him openly wanting to start — and finish — Suns games like he did in averaging 20 points and six assists for Sacramento last season.

"If somebody goes out, the next guy comes in and probably the opposing guy is thinking, 'Oh, no, Isaiah.'" Dragic said.

Having their best players all in the backcourt is a splash that could make waves. Gerald Green, a part-time starter because of injuries last season, will lose playing time at the guard position. If he moves to small forward, P.J. Tucker and/or Marcus Morris could lose time. If the Suns go small with one of them at power forward, Markieff Morris or Anthony Tolliver are squeezed except for small-ball lineups.

"Their rotation fit so well last year with that innocent climb," ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. "I don't think there should be expectations but there is. Everyone is always happy when you start to win a little bit more. To me, it shouldn't be a playoff-or-bust mentality."

Making the playoffs in the West is no given, even for a good team with improvement. None of last year's eight qualifiers look to be coming out. Denver and New Orleans, beset by injuries last season, figure to improve. That makes Hornacek guess that 45 wins will be enough to make this season's playoffs in the West.

"I'm jacked up for the season," said Bledsoe, after a preseason that had the look of an All-Star player. "I'm looking to prove people wrong. We won 48 games last year, and I want to win 50. Even more. I want to prove people wrong and make the playoffs."

The Suns were the league's most improved team last season, going from 25-57 to 48-34 with a new coach, a new general manager and a made-over roster. The difficulty in maintaining the momentum and improvement of a young roster comes largely with handling the loss of power forward Channing Frye, who signed a four-year, $32million contract with Orlando during free agency.

Without Frye, the Suns are smaller and less experienced up front and will lose the spacing his 3-point threat created for Bledsoe and Dragic to drive for scores and kick-out passes.

In some ways, that could make the Suns more reliant on their big men.

Markieff Morris and Miles Plumlee have to follow up breakthrough seasons with consistency and rebounding — and without foul trouble. Alex Len is now counted on to be a healthy, nightly big presence for an undersized frontcourt. A newcomer journeyman, sharpshooting, 6-foot-8 Anthony Tolliver, is now asked to be the Suns' stretch power forward.

"People still look at us and say we're not going to make it that far," Tucker said. "They're still saying we're not one of the top teams in the West. They're still saying we're not a contender so we love it. Same thing as last year. No chip. We just go in and do what we do and leave. We don't talk about it. We go out and play."