Compared to other teams, the Suns' reinforcement is like throwing a pebble into the sea, and it can't even make a splash.

They simply signed Raja Bell in free agency, traded Diop from the Cavaliers, and traded Scott Williams for second-round rookie point guard Steve Blake.

By this time, the Suns had assembled a new roster of 15 players.

Centre-forwards: Nene, Diop, Stoudeyer.

Power forwards: Gugliotta, Kukoc, Haslem, Chris Crawford.

Small forwards: Marion, James Jones, Kirisek.

Shooting guards: Joe Johnson, Raja Bell, Josh Howard.

Point guards: Guo Xu, Steve Blake.

No media or basketball pundits are optimistic about the Suns winning the championship this season, and most predict that the Lakers will rise to the top again.

ESPN expert Nicholas said: "If the Suns want to win the championship, it would be better to trade a rookie who played at a high level last season, package the role players on the team, and exchange for a peak player or veteran who has the ability to play as a starter, otherwise they are likely to play well in the regular season and end up in the playoffs like last year." ”

On the Internet, fans also left messages, saying that they are not optimistic about the Suns competing for the championship, thinking that their lineup has not changed much from last season, and the defense is definitely not good.

Manager Brian was unsure, and called Guo Xu again to discuss whether to make a big deal.

"Jason, should we trade for a quality veteran? The Nuggets manager called and asked if I would like to sign and trade, and they would like to re-sign Juwan Howard on a five-year mid-level contract and then trade Nenee plus Chris Crawford. ”

Guo Xu rolled his eyes, turned his head and blew a breath, and said into the phone: "What strength does Howard have?" He's obviously a data brush and a defensive colander, and it's reasonable to say that he is not as strong as Haslem in terms of mid-range shooting, isn't it a joke to replace Nene? ”

Just looking at the statistics, Howard is indeed very good, averaging 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3 assists per game for the Nuggets last season, and his career technical statistics also reached 17.9 points and 7.5 rebounds.

However, the Nuggets only won 17 games last season, and Howard played an average of 35.5 minutes per game, shooting 16.6 times and shooting only 45%. All things considered, Howard's defense is not as good as Horry's, and that one is much cheaper than him.

"Do you have any other second-rate star candidates? We are the same newcomers as last season, how can we compete for the championship with the Lakers, Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Kings? ”

Guo Xu said: "Don't trade, just fight." With Nesterovic able to sign a full mid-range sign, how can we possibly trade for a great interior star? Many people have no fame and no strength, and it is better to train newcomers more in the regular season. Don't buy out Crawford's vacant spot to sign a free man, just keep him. ”

Guo Xu has studied the lineups of each team in detail before, and the only interior star who may be traded is Rasheed Wallace, the salary is too high, and the Suns want to trade unless Marion is sent away, and other high-paid players cannot be seen by the Trail Blazers.

He also considered trading forward Gerard Wallace from the Kings, which seems to be picking up leaks, and it doesn't cost much to get a Kirisek in a one-man trade.

In fact, Gerrard is very brave and super physical, but his shooting is not good enough to be practiced for a long time, and his style of play and the role he plays completely overlap with Marion. The Suns have too many swingmen at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, and in exchange for him, he is in the same situation as when he was with the Kings, and he can't be cultivated.

D'Antoni is not a coach who likes to play games in a 12-man rotation, so it is estimated that Gerrard will only play five minutes.

In Guo Xu's view, the Suns will encounter "beautiful troubles" in the new season, and several talented players will have to play soy sauce.

He is full of confidence in the Suns' lineup, believing that as long as the run-in is good, next season will be "people block killing, Buddha blocking and killing Buddha"!

Last season, the Suns had flaws in both interior and exterior defense, poor interior frame protection, average ability to fight for rebounds, and Guo Xu on the outside could not change the defense when he encountered a block, and interfered with poor shooting, Joe Johnson and Kirisek were easy to be passed, and their speed was average.

The new season is different, Marion, Haslem, Bell, and Howard can prevent blocking and dismantling and escort Guo Xu. With Xiao Si and internal defense on the fast interior line, and Diap on the inside line who is good at attacking the restricted area, there are no obvious flaws on the defensive end of the Suns, and Guo Xu can focus more on the offensive end.

With Guo Xu and Xiao Si here, the Suns don't need to bloom more to ensure offensive firepower, and strengthening defense is the most important thing. While the young players are still not as experienced as the veterans, the Suns' roster is ready to handle a variety of tactics.

After several new signings joined, Guo Xu, who was filming in Los Angeles, did not attend the press conference to welcome him, but he asked for a mobile phone number and called everyone to chat for a while.

He suggested that the four of Small, Nene, Haslem and Diop train together in the summer, practicing both shooting and heads-up. Four people with different styles get together to train and get twice the result with half the effort.

As long as Xiao Si makes progress like in his previous life, practices his mid-range shooting in the summer, and only looks at the depth of the interior lineup, the Suns are firmly ranked in the top ten in the league, or even the top five. Most teams lack interior stars, and the Suns are lucky to have a lot of experience and a level of interior play.

Guo Xu also told Bell: "I asked the manager to sign you, I was very impressed by your defense in the playoffs, I am optimistic about your potential, you take the time to practice three-point shooting in the summer, as long as the shooting is strengthened, I will propose to let you play as a starter in the new season." ”

Bale was flattered and immediately assured: "I will definitely practice three points, you can rest assured, I will definitely help the team." ”

"Well, don't practice in Phoenix, the weather can heat you to death, just find a place, we'll see you in September." Guo Xu said with a smile.

As for Howard, Jones, and Blake, Guo Xu encouraged them to work harder in training and learn from their teammates. They certainly don't have a lot of opportunities to perform in the first year, they have to start with the fringe guys, and there are too many people in rotation.

Even a superman of quality like Howard can only be a marginal person, how strong is the sun? How can the new season not be a championship contender? They are not favored but the players are not famous, just like the Pistons of the star Milicic who is a fringe man.

Guo Xu chatted with Brian for ten minutes, explained his views to him in detail, and asked him to wait for the team's performance in the new season with peace of mind and stop thinking about the trade.

Brian was in a much happier mood and asked, "What do you think are the chances of us winning the championship next season?" ”

"I can't predict that, but it's definitely hard to have a chance. In short, I think the current squad is in the best condition, with a reasonable mix of players and complementary styles. I can guarantee that we will win against the Mavericks and Kings, and we will have to fight against the Timberwolves and Lakers. ”

"Jason, my lifelong happiness depends on you, I must win the championship." Brian sighed.

"It's not that exaggerated, is it?"

Brian smiled: "Yes, the old man said that as long as the team wins the championship, he will retire next year and let me be the boss." As long as I am the boss, you and Mike (D'Antoni) will have the final say on how to build the roster, and when your contract expires, the next one will definitely sign the maximum salary, and you have the right to veto the deal. ”

Brian's pie was painted very well, and Guo Xu was completely interested.