Suns remain cloudy on who they are

Confused. Frustrated. Uncertain. All are words which can be used to describe the Phoenix Suns after eight games as they adjust to new players and a new system on both ends of the floor.

But there are also two numbers which can be used to describe them: Six and two.

And Phoenix’s record has general manager Steve Kerr, who all but warned Planet Orange fans that a bumpy start was coming, optimistic as coach Terry Porter and his players seek to work out the bugs that have so far proven annoying, but not costly.

“I like what we’ve shown on defense (allowing just over 98 points a game) and the offense has lots of room from improvement,” Kerr said. “Change isn’t easy.”

But it’s easier against New Jersey, Indiana, Milwaukee and Memphis – teams that the Suns have seemingly beaten by osmosis in the Steve Nash/Amaré Stoudemire era. So while the Suns have coughed and sputtered their way to more than 17 turnovers a game – 25th out of 30 teams – so far this year, they have relied on good shooting, timely defense and veteran guile to keep posting wins as they figure it all out.

But the schedule now turns unfriendly, and grades won’t be calculated on a curve with Houston, Detroit, Utah and the L.A. Lakers all on the horizon over the next nine days. A sour quarter or an epidemic of turnovers against the cream of the league can’t be as easily erased.

“We’re trying to prepare for playoff-caliber games, and there is a lot less margin for error,” Porter said. “You turn the ball over against good teams and you’re really going to struggle, New Orleans (who beat them in the second game of the season) showed us that.”

The second unit continues to struggle with continuity, although Leandro Barbosa’s 27 points was the difference in Monday’s 107-102 win over the Grizzlies. But the starters are also wrestling with Porter’s offense – not only how, but when to use it – and the hesitation and passiveness is hard to watch at times.

When defenders front the Suns players in the post, the pass from the perimeter has often been a lazy lob or telegraphed bounce pass that is getting picked off.

And in transition, some players are thinking up-tempo while others are content to walk.

Both point guard Steve Nash, who struggled through a six-assist, six-turnover night against Memphis, and guard Raja Bell were expecting the philosophy pendulum to swing back toward the familiar on offense.

So far, it hasn’t.

“Honestly, we are a running team. That’s what we’re built to do,” Bell said. “You can see we are confused about what we’re doing offensively, whether we want to run it or try to slow it down. And when there is uncertainty, there are turnovers.”

Porter agrees. He wanted the Suns to shift down from the frantic days of Mike D’Antoni, something that had already happened after the Shaquille O’Neal trade in February. But he didn’t want a dead stop either, and the Suns are slow getting into their offense, moving through the options and finding open teammates.

“Some of it is guys trying to make passes that just aren’t there,” Porter said. “As far as the rhythm of our offense, especially the early part, we haven’t done a good job of getting our spots quicker. You can see the flow of the game and you can see when it’s not clicking. It gets to the point when we’re almost too slow. … I’d like to see us push it more, even on “makes.”

BONUS SHOTS: Porter played for and served as an assistant under Houston coach Rick Adelman and says he had picked up the phone often to pick Adelman’s brain as he’s moved up through the coaching ranks.

“He’s a guy I respect as a coach,” Porter said. “When I got into it, I called him to ask about the profession, dealing with players, offense, and the whole gambit. He’s someone I can and I still call.”

Porter used so much of Adelman’s offense when was hired as a head coach in Milwaukee in 2003, that his matchups with Adelman and Sacramento were almost comical.

“It was like an intrasquad scrimmage,” he said, laughing. “Players knew what was up. They were screaming, 'Here he comes!’ Now it’s a lot more of a mixture.

“I watch tape now and still see some of the old Portland stuff and I think, 'Hmm, is that my old play?’ ”

Rockets at Suns
When: 8:30 p.m. today
Where: US Airways Center
Radio: KTAR (620 AM)
TV: Fox Sports Arizona/ESPN
Records: Rockets 4-3; Suns 6-2

History: The Suns lead the overall series 93-81 and have won eight of the last 11 meetings and 13 of the last 18 against the Rockets. The teams split the season series 2-2 and finished with identical 55-27 records last season, but the Rockets earned the fifth seed over the Suns by virtue of a better Western Conference record. The Suns won the last meeting 101-90 in Houston behind 37 points from Amaré Stoudemire and 16 points and 11 rebounds from Shaquille O’Neal.

Rockets — With high expectations after the off-season acquisition of Ron Artest, the Rockets jumped out to a 3-0 start but have now lost three of their last four games. The most recent defeat was a 111-82 drubbing from the Lakers in Los Angeles. Houston was within seven after three quarters but was outscored 39-17 in the fourth by the unbeaten Lakers. Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 20 points, but Tracy McGrady missed 10 of 11 shots from the field and scored only three points, his lowest output in almost two years.

Suns — The Suns lead the league in field goal percentage (.515) and are second to the Lakers in scoring at 103.3 a game.