There's a very interesting parallel between the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers of the mid '60s. Here's a comparison:Flashback to 1964-65: At the All-Star break the 76ers, a high-scoring team led by Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer, acquired Wilt Chamberlain (who was averaging 38.9 at the time) from the last place San Francisco Warriors. The trade allowed Luke Jackson to move from center to his natural power-forward position. It took a while for the players to get to know each other and the 76ers finished at .500 but nobody underestimated how goo
d this team could become. They went 55-25 the following season and finished first in the East ahead of the Boston Celtics, who had won the division nine consecutive years. But after getting dumped in five games by the defending champion Celtics, coach Dolph Shayes was fired and replaced by Alex Hannum, who had coached Wilt when he was in San Francisco. He changed the offense around to suit the talent and, most importantly, convinced Chamberlain to score less, pass more, and concentrate on defense and blocking shots. In 1966-67 the Sixers won 45 of their first 49 games, finished 68-13 and easily won the NBA championship, wiping out the eight-time defending champion Boston Celtics in five games in the process.Fast-forward to 2007-08: The Suns, already a powerful team, acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the last place Miami Heat. Like Luke Jackson, the trade allowed Amare Stoudemire to move from center to his natural power-forward position. However, it was clear that it would take longer than the rest of the season for O'Neal and the rest of the Suns to jell
after they were bumped from the postseason by the defending champion San Antonio Spurs - the same way Wilt's team was elimininated by the defending champion Celtics his first year as a Sixer. Getting kinda eerie, huh? Well, here's some more eeriness: Just like the 76ers, the Suns replaced coach Mike D'Antoni with Terry Porter, who, much like Alex Hannum, is changing the offense around to match the talent. A crucial element is that O'Neal is wisely accepting the fact that Stoudemire is the main man on offense. O'Neal is not looking to shoot first. He's playing defense, blocking shots, and scoring only when necessary. Meanwhile, Stoudemire has re-established himself as one the most dominant players in the game.
Flashback to 1971-72, Chamberlain, then 35, was on the Los Angeles Lakers team that broke the Sixers' win mark by going 69-13 (including an amazing 33-game winning streak) and won the NBA title in a rout. Chamberlain played every game, averaging over 42 minutes, 19.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. However, his scoring average was only 14.8 a game. That's because he understood the system devised by coach Bill Sharman that left the offense to guards Jerry West (25.9), Gail Goodrich (25.8) and small forward Jim McMillian (18.8). Despite his low average, Chamberlain led the league in shooting percentage (.649) because he was scoring only when he had to, mostly with follow-up dunks and tip-ins.
Fast-forward to 2008-09: Shaquille O'Neal is in almost the exact same position in his career, his game, and on this team, which gives him an excellent chance of winning another title. He knows he's no longer the first option (or even the second one), and even though he'll never come close to 42 minutes-a-game, the "new" Shaq can still play the same role Wilt did very effectively, if not statistically. Along with Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, good role players, a solid bench and a new coach who's system is better suited for everyone, the Suns may finally rise to the occasion this year. It'll be very interesting.
after they were bumped from the postseason by the defending champion San Antonio Spurs - the same way Wilt's team was elimininated by the defending champion Celtics his first year as a Sixer. Getting kinda eerie, huh? Well, here's some more eeriness: Just like the 76ers, the Suns replaced coach Mike D'Antoni with Terry Porter, who, much like Alex Hannum, is changing the offense around to match the talent. A crucial element is that O'Neal is wisely accepting the fact that Stoudemire is the main man on offense. O'Neal is not looking to shoot first. He's playing defense, blocking shots, and scoring only when necessary. Meanwhile, Stoudemire has re-established himself as one the most dominant players in the game.Flashback to 1971-72, Chamberlain, then 35, was on the Los Angeles Lakers team that broke the Sixers' win mark by going 69-13 (including an amazing 33-game winning streak) and won the NBA title in a rout. Chamberlain played every game, averaging over 42 minutes, 19.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. However, his scoring average was only 14.8 a game. That's because he understood the system devised by coach Bill Sharman that left the offense to guards Jerry West (25.9), Gail Goodrich (25.8) and small forward Jim McMillian (18.8). Despite his low average, Chamberlain led the league in shooting percentage (.649) because he was scoring only when he had to, mostly with follow-up dunks and tip-ins.
Fast-forward to 2008-09: Shaquille O'Neal is in almost the exact same position in his career, his game, and on this team, which gives him an excellent chance of winning another title. He knows he's no longer the first option (or even the second one), and even though he'll never come close to 42 minutes-a-game, the "new" Shaq can still play the same role Wilt did very effectively, if not statistically. Along with Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, good role players, a solid bench and a new coach who's system is better suited for everyone, the Suns may finally rise to the occasion this year. It'll be very interesting.
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