The enigma of Justin Upton was in full display during his recent three-day return to Chase Field.

The Valley sports media has been tripping over itself in lauding the hiring of new Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, calling it a turning point and a ray of light for a franchise that has been in a death spiral during these past couple years of the Robert Sarver era.

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t need this.

It’s way too early. The National League West is way too talented. Summer in Arizona is way too long.

The Phoenix Suns have a chance to begin their ascension from the ashes this summer. With one lottery pick safely earned among the top five and another still possible — unless Kobe Bryant is intent on dragging the Los Angeles Lakers’ lifeless carcass to the postseason for a public funeral at the hands of San Antonio or Oklahoma City — the first seeds for resurgence are at hand.

For Suns fans, rooting against the Lakers has never been so much fun.

If the Phoenix Coyotes snap their run of three straight Stanley Cup Playoff appearances this spring, you can blame Thursdays.

Amare Stoudemire’s right knee, the microfracture knee, the knee we all know would surely bring a premature end to one of the most exciting NBA talents in this millennium, is now waving a white flag.

For a long time, two things felt as if they would always exist among Arizona Cardinals’ fans:

My first thought when the Suns acquired Marcus Morris from the Houston Rockets?