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Phoenix Suns Rankings: Which Western Playoff Team To Root For?

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) reacts alongside Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker at US Airways Center. The Warriors defeated the Suns 98-80. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) reacts alongside Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker at US Airways Center. The Warriors defeated the Suns 98-80. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 18, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) forward Manu Ginobili (20) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

8. San Antonio Spurs

I mean, duh. Even the most ardent LeBron James haters had a hard time cheering for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals over the last two seasons if they also happened to be Suns fans. This is the team that has denied Phoenix their chance at a championship so many times they became the embodiment of why Steve Nash never won a title.

To Suns fans, if you’re the biggest reason Nash never won a title, you are Public Enemy No. 1. It doesn’t help that almost every time the Spurs downed the Suns, they went on to win the damn title just to rub salt in the wound.

In Nash’s first season in Phoenix (2004-05), he won MVP, the Suns won a league-best 62 games and seemed poised to bring the franchise its first championship. Instead, Joe Johnson broke his face and missed the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, which the Suns lost in five games to the Spurs. San Antonio went on to win the title.

In 2007, the Suns lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. The turning point of the series? Robert Horry‘s dirty hip check of Nash into the scorer’s table that resulted in suspensions for Horry…and Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, simply for stepping off the bench. Without those two key players, the Suns fell in six and the Spurs once again won the title.

In 2008, the Suns lost to the Spurs in the first round, which is what made that sweep in 2010 so darn sweet. But even before the Nash years, the Spurs had beaten the Suns three of the last four times they had met in the playoffs. Their dominance of the Suns is the reason Phoenix is still missing a championship.

The Suns are 4-6 against the Spurs all-time in 10 playoff series.

So yeah, as much as Tim Duncan and co. demand respect, this fan base’s mindset toward the Spurs is, basically, f**k the Spurs.

Next: No. 7

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