Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Suns All-Decade Teams Part Two: 1980s

By Patrick Nash

SACRAMENTO, CA - 1987: Walter Davis #6 of the Phoenix Suns looks on against the Sacramento Kings circa 1987 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - 1987: Walter Davis #6 of the Phoenix Suns looks on against the Sacramento Kings circa 1987 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CENTER

PORTLAND, OR – 1988: James Edwards #53 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1988 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – 1988: James Edwards #53 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1988 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /

STARTER: JAMES EDWARDS

In a perfect world, we would be using Alvan Adams again. His career stretched all the way to 1987, spending more of his Phoenix tenure in that decade than the last. However, even though that is so, his best statistical years came in the 70s, and since we unfortunately are not reusing players, (ands the Suns really didn’t really have a good center to speak of, it comes to James Edwards. Edwards joined the Suns in 1982 and played six productive seasons in Phoenix through the 1987-88 season. Never really a player that did more than just the basic holding down of the fort until the team could find a younger replacement, he win’s the distinction as the best center of the 80s by default. Even so, with Phoenix he averaged a respectable 14.7 PPG, 2 APG and 5.6 RPG while shooting 51% from the field – his best offensive seasons of his career. His career high in scoring was set in 1985-86 with 16.3 points per game in a injury shortened season.

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