Phoenix Suns: Ten Must-See Matchups in 2009-10

Heading into the 2009-10 campaign, the Suns are an enigma.

They've vowed to re-transition back to the transition game. An older Nash, surgically-repaired (again) Stoudemire, and lack of three-point marksman (see Grant Hill, Lou Amundson) have many doubting whether increasing the pace will increase the win total.

With that in mind, here's a look at ten regular-season games that will be good barometers for Phoenix as they attempt to stay afloat in the rugged West:

October 30th at Golden State: What better way to test the Suns' return to the running game than visiting the Don Nelson led Warriors in their second game of the season?

The one thing that separated Phoenix's running squads of the past and Golden State's chaotic attack was the Suns' comparative discipline down the stretch of games. Nash is a big part of that.

Will his teammates be on the same page this soon into the season?

Another point of interest is that Amare Stoudemire was nearly traded to the Warriors on draft-day until Golden State was ultimately unwilling to give up draft-pick Stephen Curry. Stoudemire could find extra motivation when face-to-face with the reason he was almost shipped out...

November 4 at Orlando: The Suns' first game against a playoff team. The defending Eastern Conference champs will give the Suns an accurate measuring stick as to what they lack to become elite again.

Also, will Stoudemire ever answer the unspoken challenge given by Dwight Howard's superior rebounding? Early in their respective careers, Stoudemire was viewed as the better player?

Now? 

It's hard to find anyone who still believes that.

December 15 vs. San Antonio: The two teams used to be bitter playoff rivals. Both appeared on their way out the door of contention last season.

Then the Spurs acquired Richard Jefferson for peanuts, while the Suns traded away Shaq for peanut shells. If the Spurs show they've taken a step forward while Phoenix slides further out of relevancy, look for Steve Kerr's mug to appear on Phoenix's Most Wanted.

December 21 vs. Cleveland: Shaq's return to the desert, where even his promise of a championship failed to flourish. If Cleveland is even better than last season at this point of the year, Suns fans will be discontent, indeed.

The game also pits two Brazilian imports: the Cavs' Anderson Varejao and the Suns' Leandro Barbosa. Varejao could actually be as good as he thinks he is by learning how to shoot like his countryman, while Barbosa could do worse than take some defensive tips from his dirt-worker co-patriot.

January 28 vs. Dallas: The Mavs and Suns appeared to be at similar points last year: aging All-Star point guards, role players that didn't quite step up enough, and a sharp drop from their former lofty standards.

Phoenix responded by signing guys like Channing Frye and rookie Earl Clark. Dallas dug deeper by acquiring former Sun Shawn Marion, and then settling for Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas after failing to land Marcin Gortat.

Phoenicians will be upset indeed if Dallas' aggressive offseason yields better results than the Suns' more conservative approach.

January 31 at Houston: The Rockets will be without both Yao Ming (injury) and Ron Artest (free agency). They'll be one of the teams the Suns will hope to rob of a playoff spot.

To do so, Phoenix needs to make sure they take care of business in head-to-head matchups in order to win any tiebreakers. Crushing a former playoff contender in their own building is a good way to do that.

February 10 vs. Portland: The game before All-Star Weekend.

Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, and possibly even Nash could be part of a trading deadline deal if the Suns' haven't shown promise by this point. A game against an up-and-coming Portland team could be the final nail in the coffin for any of the aforementioned players.

In the background, centers Robin Lopez and Greg Oden will be looking to prove to their respective teams they're not the flops many think they are.

March 4 vs. Utah: If the Jazz trade Carlos Boozer, they'll be another conference playoff team that will have taken a step backwards. Given the Jazz's proficiency at home, Phoenix needs to take advantage of them when Utah is away from Energy Solutions.

At this point, second-year man Goran Dragic will hopefully be 100% comfortable backing up Steve Nash. It's also at this point of the season (before the All-Star break) where Nash needs a break due to either injury or fatigue.

Deron Williams will be a personal test of progress for the Slovenian point guard.

March 26 vs. New York: Could this be the last time Mike D'Antoni coaches against his former team as a non-contender? The Knicks, as everyone and their mom are aware, are biding time until their 2010 summer shopping spree.

This could be the last time Phoenix can take solace in their former coach heading a team not better than them.

April 3 at Milwaukee: This will be the final stop of a five-game Eastern Conference road trip for Phoenix. If Phoenix is in a race for a playoff spot, it's vital they not drop a dud against a cellar-dweller that's even worse off after losing Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva for nothing.

Being in rebuilding mode, the Bucks may have even traded away Michael Redd by this point.