Phoenix Suns: Backcourt Cavalry on Its Way

Last week, the Suns were woefully shorthanded in the backcourt, but steady with their frontcourt.

One week has changed all that.

Channing Frye is out (for one game, at least), but Leandro Barbosa and Goran Dragic will make their respective comebacks this Friday versus the Lakers.

Barbosa will make his return after what seems a season-long absence. That's not an overstatement.

Even before being shelved with wrist surgery, Barbosa was a shadow of his former self in the 29 games he did play, averaging just over 10 points-per-game on 42-percent shooting.

Not reminiscent of a former Sixth Man award winner.

Still, that lack of former production was attributed to Barbosa's wrist issues, which, after various methods of treatment, were ultimately fixed with surgery.

If Barbosa can return to form, the Suns can feel more comfortable knowing they've got better scoring coming off the pine, as opposed to hot/cold gamble taken every time Frye takes off his warmups.

When Frye was cold, that left Jared Dudley and Lou Amundson to carry the scoring load.

Yikes.

Barbosa isn't the only guard the Suns are grateful to see return. Second-year man Goran Dragic will make a comeback after turning an ankle last week and missing two games.

The Slovenian has been nothing short of a revelation this season. Ridiculed after being highly touted by Suns' staff only to be benched for most of his rookie year, Dragic is averaging a solid eight points, two boards and three assists a game.

The issue with Dragic (and, ironically, Barbosa) has always been confidence. When he's sure, Dragic comfortably directs the offense and takes his shot.

It doesn't hurt that his improvement has helped save Nash minutes during the grind that is the Western Conference playoff push.

It will be telling if Dragic and Barbosa come back tentative after layoffs from injury, which tend to mentally restrict players if nothing else.

The swap of Dragic/Barbosa for Frye against the Lakers could be a mixed bag.

Frye would have greatly helped Phoenix (assuming he wouldn't turn in one of his 1-for-7 nights) stretch the floor against the Lakers big frontline of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest.

Instead, Robin Lopez and Amare Stoudemire will go to war with only Lou Amundson and Jarron Collins behind them. Dudley has occasionally played power forward, but might come up short against the Lakers' bigs.

It'll be imperative for Stoudemire and Lopez (whose aggressiveness is a double-edged sword) to stay out of foul trouble.

As for the backcourt, nothing should give Barbosa and Dragic confidence more than seeing Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown marking them.

Whether that's enough to help Phoenix beat the Lakers at Staples Center won't be known until Friday.