Suns Must Reestablish Relationship With Fans

By Spencer Hann | Mar 9, 2015

Oct 29, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe greets the fans during player introductions prior to the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the home opener at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-99. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

“Richardson for the tie. Yes!”

Those were the words of TNT play-by-play announcer, Marv Albert, as Jason Richardson completed the Phoenix Suns’ miraculous comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals.

Cheers, high fives and lots of hollering. Those would be the sights and sounds echoing through my house as my grandpa and I unleashed our exuberant joy. With three seconds left on the clock, the game all tied at 101 and momentum heavily favoring Phoenix going into a potential overtime, we couldn’t help but hide a premature celebration.

Readjusting our eyes back to the television, we calmed down just in time to see the final play.

“Bryant…comes up short. Ron Artest!”

The words of Albert making the final call of the game, as Staples Center exploded to the sight of an improbable Laker buzzer-beater.

Inside my house you could have heard a pin drop. It hurt. It hurt bad.

Not only as fans was the pain palpable, but it was as if you could feel the anguish and heartbreak the players felt as well.

Steve Nash, the face of the franchise, was now facing elimination with the elusive NBA Finals within his grasp once again. Channing Frye, the University of Arizona product, was now about to be sent home after a valiant effort trying to bring a championship to his home state. Grant Hill, playing in a what-if career due to so many early injuries, now faced the prospect of falling short yet again in the playoffs.

The list goes on and on.

Fans truly cared for these players. It was a love affair through the bad and the good. It was a partnership. It was a connection.

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That connection has not been rekindled since Jul. 5, 2012 — the day the Suns shipped Steve Nash to L.A., effectively ending an era and rendering the Suns without a “face of the franchise” caliber player.

While its unlikely Suns fans jumped ship to a different franchise that day, it’s possible that a big piece of their emotional attachment to the organization was shattered.

The last three years have shown as much, the Suns have ranked 23^rd, 24^th and now 23^rd in NBA attendance numbers. A far cry from ranking in the top 16 every year during the Nash-era.

Fast forward to present day, Phoenix remains in the midst of a five-year playoff drought. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and trail the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder by two games for the last playoff spot out West.

Collectively as a team, there has not been much for the fans to rally around. The Suns have played inconsistent all year long, posting a 12-20 record against teams above .500 and suffering 11 losses against teams that are sub .500.

Once again, there is no such connection this year. If Phoenix misses the playoffs yet again, there won’t be too many people hurting for the players, who have highly underwhelmed at times this year.

However, the fact of the matter is that this year’s Phoenix Suns team has been utterly disconnected from Suns nation in a way that is becoming alarming.

Creating that connection is usually through having an outspoken leader, preferably your best player, reaching out to the community and showing class in all of their actions.

Goran Dragic was that player for Suns fans, or at least the closest thing to it. Now he is gone for good.

Of the remaining players on the Suns roster, P.J. Tucker is generally seen as their leader. Yet, he is far from a franchise player and even farther from a player for fans to connect to, especially after an offseason DUI charge put a big damper on that possibility.

The Morris twins could be next in line for the community to be galvanized by. However, after both brothers chose to question and criticize the Suns’ home-court advantage (or lack thereof), that opportunity has likely gone out of the window, at least for the near future.

All signs then point to Eric Bledsoe and unfortunately, he may not be the answer either. The best player on the Suns is by far the quietest player in a locker room full of them. The fans need a voice to lean on and trust.

In the Suns’ defense, the organization participates in a community assist program, several players have come to local hospitals to visit with children and they may be just one playoff run away from reigniting the fanbase.

There is no rule about needing to have a vocal leader who the fans can connect with and above all else, they are the fourth youngest team in the NBA. A franchise leader may very well be in that locker room, a little growth and maturation is just needed. (Brandon Knight anyone??)

However, one thing remains undeniable: the next step in this organization’s growth and rise back to relevance must involve a leader coming forward and a fan base that is energized and excited.

For the Suns’ sake, they would hope those two things are directly related.

Next: Suns Analysis: Breaking Down Phoenix's Recent Offensive Woes

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