Suns Draft: Decisions, Decisions for Steve Kerr in Phoenix

The Phoenix Suns were on the verge of winning an NBA Championship in 2007...until they ran into a brick wall called the Spurs.

Or was it just a cheap foul?

In any event, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench—and the rest is history. 

Now, the Suns have some decisions to make. Do they chalk up the past three years as flukes and assume they would have won it all if it hadn't been for bad luck? Or do they decide that the bad luck is due to a weak bench, poor thinking by players and coaches, and tired stars at the end of the season? 

This is the dilemma that faces new GM Steve Kerr going into Thursday's NBA Draft.

If Kerr decides that the Suns are almost there, he'll probably sit tight with the 24th and 29th picks—or at most trade those picks and some role players for higher selections. 

If Kerr thinks more extensive changes are necessary, he may move Shawn Marion to duck the luxury tax and make room for a missing piece. 

If Kerr has no confidence in anyone besides Steve Nash and decides that the team needs to be blown up entirely, you may even see him trade Amare Stoudemire in order to land a rookie he can build around.

Obviously, Kerr has some hard choices to make. In my discussions with fans, there seems to be an even split between those who think the Suns only need small tweaks, those who think Marion needs to leave, and those who want to see Stoudemire dealt. 

No matter what Kerr decides, there are going to be some fans who aren't happy with him. That said, I would guess that Kerr will play it safe this year—the Suns, after all, had the second-best record in the league and put together two double-digit win streaks. 

That isn't the kind of team you blow up just because you're the new guy in town and you want to make an impression. Besides, Kerr doesn't fit the maverick mold in the first place.

If nothing else, the next few days should be interesting for Mr. Kerr. I doubt he's getting much rest right now and it probably won't get better down the road, no matter which path he chooses.

It remains to be seen whether the fans will decide to follow him.

More Suns commentary and analysis can be found on Dan's blog, Bright Side of the Sun.