Steve Nash, the two-time and reigning NBA MVP, is the best point guard in basketball.  Nash leads the fast break like no one I’ve seen since Magic Johnson.  Last season, Nash averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game.  Nash also hit 51.2% of his shots from the field and 92.1% of his free-throws.  Nash has really come into his own after sitting on the bench his first few seasons.  Nash, now 32, is playing the best ball of his career and is showing no signs of slowing down. 

The Suns figured they needed a back-up point guard that could help limit Nash’s minutes and keep the offense rolling for 15 minutes a game.  They signed Marcus Banks, who is coming off of his best season in the NBA, averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.  Banks is super-quick, but he’s not the shooter or passer that Nash is. 

In D’Antoni’s third season with the Suns, he led the team to the Western Conference Finals where they lost in six games to the Dallas Mavericks.  D’Antoni leads a high-octane offense that he wants taking shots after 10 seconds…….not 24.  This puts a ton of pressure on the opposing team to play at the Suns pace.  D’Antoni has a record of 137-88 with the Suns and for his career, he is 151-124.

D’Antoni was 10-10 in last year’s playoffs.  D’Antoni is 19-16 is his 2 playoff appearances.