The 2004–05 NBA season was the 37th for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the offseason, the Suns re-acquired All-Star guard Steve Nash from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent Quentin Richardson. During that same period of time, it also became the team's first season under Robert Sarver's ownership tenure, as he controlled major duties with the franchise for 18 seasons after Jerry Colangelo sold the team to him until a year-long suspension during the 2022–23 season for actions he did behind the scenes from as early as this season caused him to eventually sell off the team during that season in 2023. Also during that same period of time, the Suns would honor former head coach and broadcaster Cotton Fitzsimmons, who passed away on July 25, 2004, by wearing a white patch on their jerseys for the entire season, including their playoff run.[2] The Suns got off to a fast start winning 31 of their first 35 games, but then lost six straight afterwards. They finished with the best record in the NBA at 62–20 under head coachMike D'Antoni, tying their franchise best 1992–93 season record which would hold until 2021-22, when they won 64 games. Three members of the team, Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion were all selected for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. The Suns also gained solid play from Richardson and Joe Johnson. Nash finished the season averaging 11.5 assists per game, while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his three-pointers in the regular season. He ended up winning the MVP award. D'Antoni was awarded Coach of the Year, and Bryan ColangeloExecutive of the Year.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Suns swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games, and, in the semifinals, defeated Nash's former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in six games. In the Western Conference finals, however, the Suns lost 4–1 to the 2-seed, and eventual NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs. The Suns' 62–20 record was the best in the league and tied the franchise record for wins.[3] The 33-win improvement over the 2003–04 campaign constituted the third-best year-to-year jump in NBA history.[4] The 2004-05 Phoenix Suns were the youngest team to earn the 1-seed since seeding began in 1984 (and held the record until the 2023-24 Oklahoma City Thunder displaced them).[5] Following the season, Johnson was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, and Richardson was dealt to the New York Knicks.
The Suns drafted Luol Deng with the 7th pick, who was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls for second-round pick Jackson Vroman, a conditional first-round pick (which conveyed as the 21st overall pick in 2005), and cash considerations.[6][7] The Suns received the 16th pick (Kirk Snyder) in a trade with the New York Knicks, but traded the pick to the Utah Jazz. The Suns second-round pick was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2003.
Free agency
After trading Stephon Marbury (owed $76 million through 2008–09) and Penny Hardaway (owed $30.4 million through 2005–06), the Suns freed enough cap space to sign free agent point guard Steve Nash to a 6-year, $65.6 million deal, with a sixth-year team option, and swingman Quentin Richardson to a 6-year, $43.5 million deal, with a sixth-year player option.[4] The Suns also signed Steven Hunter, Yuta Tabuse and Derrick Dial as free agents. Hunter played the season as a back-up center, Tabuse played 4 games before being waived in December, and Dial was waived before the start of the season.
Regular season
Before the season, the Suns were widely predicted to finish in the middle of the pack of the Western Conference.[4] Defying expectations, Phoenix won 31 of its first 35 games.[1] The team then lost its next six games, in large part due to a thigh injury suffered by Nash.[8] Despite this minor blip, the Suns finished with a record of 62–20.[1] Nash won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, while three Suns – Nash, Stoudemire, and Marion – were named to an All-NBA Team.[9]
In their first full year under D'Antoni, the Suns channeled his particular basketball philosophy, which emphasized rapid ball movement, pick-and-rolls, and high-volume three-point shooting.[10][11][12] This style of play benefitted from rule changes enacted in 2002, which including new penalties against hand check fouls committed on the perimeter.[4] Over the course of the season, Phoenix led the NBA in a large number of metrics, including points per possession, points per game, three-point shots attempted, and three-point shooting percentage.[9][13] The Suns' fast style of play earned them the moniker "Seven Seconds or Less."[14][15]
Legacy
Writing for the Washington Post in 2017, Tim Bontemps credited D'Antoni and his Suns teams – starting with the 2004–05 squad – with demonstrating the possibility of success for a team built to play small ball, run a high-tempo offense, and shoot a large number of three-pointers. Bontemps argued that the Suns' model inspired teams around the league to adopt many of D'Antoni's offensive principles, leading to dramatic changes in the NBA's style of play.[14] Other writers have made similar arguments in favor of the proposition that the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns revolutionized the modern game of basketball.[4][10]
Multiple commentators have drawn direct parallels between D'Antoni's Phoenix teams and the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, who also shot a large number of three-pointers and used small ball lineups.[16] The Stephen Curry-led Warriors set the regular season record of 73 wins before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played November 14 through November 20.
Shawn Marion was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played November 21 through November 27.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played December 5 through December 11.
Shawn Marion was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played December 12 through December 18.
Steve Nash was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played December 19 through December 25.
Steve Nash was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played February 6 through February 12.
Steve Nash was named Western Conference Player of the Month for November.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Player of the Month for April.
Mike D'Antoni was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for December.
All-Star
Steve Nash was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his third All-Star selection. Nash finished third in the All-Star voting among Western Conference guards with 1,148,275 votes.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his first All-Star selection. Stoudemire finished fifth in the All-Star voting among Western Conference forwards with 640,370 votes.
Shawn Marion was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection. Marion finished eighth in the All-Star voting among Western Conference forwards with 264,203 votes.
^Berri, David; Schmidt, Martin; Brook, Stacey (2007). The Wages of Wins: Taking Measure of the Many Myths in Modern Sport (Updated ed.). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 97.
