Previous week’s games
11/05/2010 SUNS 123, Grizzlies 118
11/07/2010 SUNS 118, Hawks 114
11/08/2010 Grizzlies 109, SUNS 99
Upcoming week’s games
11/12/2010 SUNS vs Kings, 7 p.m., Fox Sports Arizona
11/14/2010 SUNS @ Lakers, 7:30 p.m., My45
11/15/2010 SUNS vs Nuggets, 7 p.m., Fox Sports Arizona
11/17/2010 SUNS @ Heat, 5 p.m., My45
11/18/2010 SUNS @ Magic, 6 p.m., TNT
Could Hakim Warrick be the Suns' starting power forward soon? Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images.
Seven games into the 2010-11 season and the Phoenix Suns are a game below .500 with a record of 3-4. This has caused some people to overreact — so much that ridiculous trade speculation involving Steve Nash has even sprung up, granted none of that talk has come from the Suns (or any other NBA franchise for that matter), but it has come up regardless.
I’m not going to talk about any of that. The Suns are going to be fine. If you’ve watched any of the Suns’ first few games, the bright spots are there. This team has lots of potential. One of the brightest spots of this early season has been the impressive play of newcomer Hakim Warrick.
The season is very young, but it’s already clear to see that Warrick is the perfect fit for the Suns. He’s long, quick and extremely athletic. Plus, he loves to dunk — something all Suns fans love to see. His game is tailor-made for Alvin Gentry’s offense and Warrick is getting the chance to prove that.
The former Syracuse standout has been solid off the bench. Warrick is putting up 12 points a game on 62% shooting from the field while pulling down five boards a game. He leads the team in free throws, highlight reels and facial hair.
“Helicopter,” as he’s sometimes referred to as, is excellent in the pick-and-roll, which has been the Suns’ bread-and-butter play for years. The chemistry is already starting to develop between Warrick and Nash and fellow point guard Goran Dragic, and is sure to get better as the season progresses and the team continues to gel.
Early rumblings from fans have suggested that Warrick should be moved into the starting lineup to replace another newcomer, Hedo Turkoglu. This could be a good move, but I think it may be a little early in the season for a change like this. The bench is playing great and Warrick is a huge part of that success. Either way, I doubt this matters much to Warrick. The way he carries himself, you can tell he’s a great team player that is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Suns pick up some victories.
Warrick is quickly becoming a fan favorite with Suns fans not only because of all the posters he’s making out of defenders on the court, but also through his interaction with fans on Twitter. He’s not quite Jared Dudley (yet), but he’s quite interactive with fans and seems to be very down to earth. He’s even been known to discuss his frustration while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops with some of his followers.
Warrick will continue to win fans over with his impressive play the more they get to see him. He is a prime example of why Suns fans need not worry: He’s part of a core group of guys that are only going to get better the more than play with each other. I’m excited. All other Suns fans should be as well.
Be sure to follow Hakim Warrick on Twitter: @hdubb21.
