For all the compliments Markieff Morris received after the Suns drafted him in June, the best one he has received might be in the form of interest from Athens.

---

Profile: Markieff Morris

---

European clubs are built with veteran players who are well-versed in team basketball and drilled in fundamentals. It is rare that any team, particularly a Euroleague power, reaches out to an American rookie but Panathinaikos is pursuing Morris to fill a power forward void.

Morris’ agent, Tony Dutt, said talks with Panathinaikos are “moving along” but nothing is imminent. Dutt said he would pursue an out clause so that Morris could return to the Suns if the lockout ends. It is not clear whether Panathinaikos, the Euroleague’s defending champion, would be willing to risk a midseason personnel loss to do that.

It is an interesting situation for Morris, who has yet to cash in on endorsements and could play for one of Europe’s most regarded coaches, Zeljko Obradovic. Former Arizona State player Mike Batiste has played for Panathinaikos since 2003. Panathinaikos has won the Euroleague title in three of the past five seasons.

Dutt said Morris returned to Kansas to train but soon will work out with former NBA player Pooh Richardson. Dutt also has asked a former client, Shawn Kemp, to play with Morris this summer.

Charity work

The Suns will give $1.3 million in grants to 178 charities in a ceremony Tuesday at US Airways Center.

Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods (ICAN) will receive Phoenix Suns Charities’ $100,000 Playmaker Award to help build a basketball court for kids.

Phoenix Suns update:

For all the compliments thrown Markieff Morris’ way after the Suns drafted him in June, the best one he has received might be in the form of interest from Athens.

European clubs are built with veteran players who are well-versed in team basketball and drilled in fundamentals. It is rare that any team, particularly a Euroleague power, reaches out to an American rookie but Panathinaikos is pursuing Morris to fill a power forward void.

Morris’ agent, Tony Dutt, said talks with Panathinaikos are “moving along” but nothing is imminent. Dutt said he would pursue an out clause so that Morris could return to the Suns if the lockout ends. It is not clear whether Panathinaikos, the Euroleague’s defending champion, would be willing to risk a midseason personnel loss to do that.

It is an interesting situation for Morris, who has yet to cash in on endorsements and could play for one of Europe’s most regarded coaches, Zeljko Obradovic. Former Arizona State player Mike Batiste has played for Panathinaikos since 2003. Panathinaikos has won the Euroleague title in three of the past five seasons.

Dutt said Morris returned to Kansas to train but soon will work out with former NBA player Pooh Richardson. Dutt also has asked a former client, Shawn Kemp, to play with Morris this summer.

Tweetin’ at www.twitter.com/paulcoro

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 06:42 PM

‘; at12k=document.createElement(‘div’); at12k.innerHTML=at12K; document.body.insertBefore(at12k,document.body.firstChild); at12k.style.zIndex=03641100; }at12l( ); }at12y( );

Report a Violation

The Phoenix Suns are inviting fans of all ages to take their
shot on the main court at US Airways Center, when the club hosts
“Suns Operation Orange Shoot-around at US Airways Center” from 5 to
8 p.m. July 22.

Admission is free. The event will offer fans an opportunity to
shoot baskets on the main court at US Airways Center. In addition,
participants of all ages will have a chance to compete in a variety
of basketball skills competitions, including 3-point and free throw
contests along with a skills competition. Prizes will be awarded
within each age group.

Members of the Suns Dancers, APS Solar Squad and Verve Sol
Patrol will be on hand to interact with fans. For younger
participants, the Suns will have two adjustable hoops and an
inflatable slide in the lower bowl of the arena. In addition, the
APS Gorilla’s Greenhouse will be open for free-play throughout the
event.

Operation Orange is the new outreach campaign giving fans an
opportunity to interact with the Phoenix Suns and the community
through family-friendly events, activities, social media campaigns
and charitable causes. Fans are encouraged to log onto
suns.com/orange for Operation Orange updates and events throughout
the summer.

If phrases such as “no question” and “no doubt” popped up about the Suns’ defense in recent years, they were part of opponents’ thoughts on being able to score on them.

With Elston Turner on board, those are the words he uses in exuding confidence about how the Suns’ defense and rebounding will improve, how center Marcin Gortat can be their lane protector and how Steve Nash can be a “great team defender.”

Turner agreed to a two-year contract to be the Suns’ “defensive coordinator,” an assistant-coaching position being added to a full staff to improve last season’s defense, which was ranked 26th in the NBA last year, and league-worst rebounding.

With full empowerment to lay out a strategy, Turner has some film to study. But it is clear the annual goal to improve the defense has teeth this time, with a commitment to 40-minute defensive sessions to be run by Turner during each practice.

“The emphasis is going to have a tremendous increase,” Turner said. “It’s something that is going to be constant, and we’re going to get better.”

Turner, a 14-year NBA assistant, held similar responsibility for Rick Adelman’s teams in Sacramento and Houston for 10 years. Houston was not far ahead of Phoenix last season in opponent field-goal percentage (22nd) but finished second and fifth in 2007-08 and 2008-09, when it had Yao Ming playing (with Dikembe Mutombo behind him), Shane Battier and Ron Artest.

On offense, Turner said Houston had one main plan against the Suns.

“We would always attack them and attack the rim,” Turner said. “We didn’t think there was a great rim presence there. Stay aggressive. Crash the boards. When you flip that, we need better rim protection and rebounding. Those are blanket categories that must improve and are going to improve.”

Turner said Gortat can be a defensive and rebounding force and added that Nash is not so different from most point guards in that he needs help to stay in front of quick point guards.

“You can’t single out Nash, because of his age, and say, ‘Stay in front of the quickest guys in the league,’ ” Turner said. “(Backup point guard) Aaron Brooks will have trouble staying in front of most guys. The whole thing is based upon help. Some need it more than others.

“Steve has knowledge. He has vision. I can tell how he passes the ball that he can see plays before they happen, and a lot of that is defensive instincts. I’m expecting him to be a great team defender, plugging holes, seeing plays and helping. There’s no doubt in my mind he can be a fantastic team defender and hold his own solo.”

Turner was nearly the Suns’ head-coaching choice in 2008 when Terry Porter was hired and has been interviewed for head-coaching jobs in Minnesota, Sacramento, Philadelphia and Chicago. He was out of work this summer after Houston fired Adelman. Turner’s easygoing way was ideal to integrate with an existing staff.

“I’ll meet with Alvin (Gentry) and come up with Plan A, Plan B and Plan C,” Turner said. “We’ll be ready when the time comes, no question.”

If he goes, O’Neal retires fifth all-time with 28,596 points, 12th with 13,099 rebounds and second only to Artis Gilmore among players with more than 2,000 baskets with a .582 field goal percentage.

O’Neal’s contributions to basketball went far beyond his presence on the court.

One of the most charismatic players in NBA history, O’Neal was a franchise-saver when the Orlando Magic made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft. He took them from the lottery to the playoffs in two years, and then led them to the NBA finals in his third year before they were swept by the Houston Rockets.

O’Neal, 39, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and had his greatest success there, winning three titles alongside Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson. But amid tension between O’Neal and Bryant over credit for the team’s success, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2004, fresh off a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the finals.

After 3½ years in Miami, a tenure that included his fourth NBA championship, O’Neal became a veteran-for-hire, moving to Phoenix and then Cleveland and finally Boston. But he couldn’t deliver another title for Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire with the Suns, with LeBron James with the Cavaliers or with the Celtics’ Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

At each stop, he endeared himself to the fans and his new teammates with his effervescent smile and playful attitude, including the habit of adopting a new nickname that he felt embodied his role with his new team. In Phoenix he was the “Big Shaqtus”; in Boston, the “Big Shamroq.”

He also embraced social networking, amassing almost 4 million followers on his Twitter account, where fans could find out his next move or even the “random acts of Shaqness” — like sitting in Harvard Square, pretending to be a statue, or going out in drag on Halloween.

But O’Neal’s off-court persona couldn’t disguise the fact that he was getting old, and while he showed he could still play with younger opponents he couldn’t manage to stay on the court with them. He missed a week in November with a bruised right knee, a week in December with a calf injury and another in January with a sore right hip.

He returned for three games — a total of about 34 minutes — before missing the next 27 games with what the team called a sore right leg. Although the injury was originally expected to keep him out just a few games, his absence stretched to more than two months.

He returned to play in one more regular-season game but lasted just 5 minutes, 29 seconds before reinjuring the leg and limping off the court. He missed Boston’s entire first-round series against the New York Knicks and made two appearances against Miami, a total of 12 minutes, and scored two points.

In all, O’Neal averaged just 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 20.3 minutes this season while playing in 37 games — all career lows.

Anxiety fills Planet Orange. The Suns are run by a banker, a former agent and a general manager who prefers to hide in the background. The franchise is perilously low on credibility and pedigree.

So why is Alvin Gentry in such a good mood?

“I definitely think there is a plan in place,” the Suns’ coach said. “I’ve never felt more confident that there was a plan in place. Lance (Blanks) and Lon (Babby), I have the utmost confidence in those guys.”

For a coach who missed the NBA’s postseason and was forced to watch every playoff game from his couch, Gentry’s optimism is surprising. He won’t go into specifics, but he has been encouraged by the depth and detail of recent meetings.

Unlike most fans, he is not stewing over what might’ve been had the team kept Amar’e Stoudemire, especially because the Lakers’ championship run is just about over.

“We have a chance to be pretty darned good,” Gentry said. “The first 20 games last year, we were awful. The next 20, we were as good as anyone in the league. Then we had too much fluctuation.

“But this is the first time we’ve been able to sit down and talk extensively about the team, where we’re going and what we need to add. And I’m very confident, I will say that.”

The Suns have some issues. They need a shooting guard who can create his chances, bailing out the offense when necessary. They need a legitimate hefty power forward alongside Marcin Gortat. With all due respect to Channing Frye and his remarkable growth spurt last season, the Suns won’t be a championship-caliber team until he returns to the bench.

Alas, all these years later, the team still needs a defensive upgrade, a point that Blanks has made clear to Gentry while assessing the wreckage from last season. Their relationship is worth watching.

By all standards, Gentry is an excellent coach, especially when blessed with talent. He sets the right tone, communicates with players and is unafraid to bench his starters. He coaches fearlessly, as he promised when he took the job, and earned much credit for the magical run to the Western Conference Finals in 2010.

Still, he was promoted by the previous general manager. He was not hired by Blanks or Babby. He surely will feel some pressure to perform next season.

“I feel comfortable,” said Gentry, who has two years left on his contract. “Lance and I have talked a lot. Obviously, there are things defensively that we have to get better at, and I understand where he’s coming from as far as that situation. We have to come up with stops and do it consistently.

“We made a big jump (in 2009-10). We were the 11th-best team in the league in defensive field-goal percentage. We have to get back to the middle of the pack, at least.”

More than anything, the Suns need stability. During the rocky tenure of owner Robert Sarver, they have plowed through players, blueprints and general managers. After missing the playoffs for a second time in the past three seasons, more changes are coming.

Grant Hill is a free agent. Steve Nash’s contract expires after next season and represents a huge dilemma/opportunity for the Suns. And at some point, the team has to figure out how to grow or when to deal Robin Lopez.

“We’ll spend a lot of time with Robin this summer,” Gentry said. “We gave him some time off, but we’re getting back with him soon. I thought he was on the right track two seasons ago, and this past season was just one of those years where things didn’t go right for him. We have to exhaust every avenue there.”

Yet once next season’s team is assembled, it must be for the semi-long haul. The revolving-door policy is not conducive to winning. It minimizes Nash’s remarkable team-building skills, wasting the end of a Hall of Fame career. It puts unnecessary strain on the coaches who invest a lot of time in these players. And it’s not fair to the fans who would like to see their team pick a plan and stick with it for a few years.

“All the teams that have done well have maintained a core and not had a lot of changes,” Gentry said.

After seeing what they’re missing in a wide-open playoff race, let’s hope the Suns have learned the hard way.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Read his online column at bickley.azcentral.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to “Bickley and MJ” 2-6 p.m. weekdays on KGME-AM (910).

In many ways it was a throwback game to so many past meetings between these two teams. The Suns came out with incredible energy and dropped 43 points on the Spurs in the first quarter. Everything was working right in the 65 percent-shooting quarter. A San Antonio team coached by Gregg Popovich and lead by Tim Duncan was not going to let that stand and they held the Suns to just 20-66 shooting in the final three periods.

The Spurs used their defense and interior scoring from Tim Duncan (17 points, 12 rebounds) to overcome an 18-point deficit and cut the lead to within three with under five minutes of play. In the past, the Spurs would have found a way to close out the game and break the hearts of Phoenix fans. Tonight, karma was on the side of the home team as the Suns found a way to close it out even with Steve Nash on the bench for the fourth quarter.

Nash (8 points, 10 assists, 30 minutes) tweaked his hamstring in the third quarter and didn’t return. Aaron Brooks didn’t exactly light it up in his place, finishing with just four points and two assists. All four of those points came at the free throw line from game-extending intentional fouls. Goran Dragic, by the way, recorded a triple double tonight playing for the Houston Rockets.

The Suns only shot 40.2 percent from the field and were led by Marcin Gortat’s 21 points and 13 rebounds. He defended Tim Duncan well and shot an efficient 10-13 from the field. Gortat said after the game that he will most likely forgo playing for the Polish National Team so he can spend the offseason working on his game and his body.

By winning the game, the Suns prevented the Spurs from securing the best record in the league and finished their season with 40 wins. Both coach Alvin Gentry and some of the players felt that it was important  to reach the 40-win mark.

“It’s important for us, you know really for the fans to let them know. We’ve kind of had the fans on a the emotional roller coaster this year where we played well and then we struggled, then we played well,” Gentry said.

Both Steve Nash and Alvin Gentry gave strong indications that Nash would return next season. Gentry said he expects Nash to retire in a Phoenix uniform and Nash said he could see himself playing two more years past his current contract (one year remaining) and would consider signing an extension this summer to stay with the team.

Before the Suns can look to rebuilding and adding more talent to this roster, the NBA will be facing a likely lockout as the current collect bargaining agreement expires on July 1.

Garret Siler had most of his moments of arrival in the NBA months ago.

In the fall, there was the day he signed a contract for Suns training camp, the day he made the opening-night roster and the night he entered his first NBA game.

In the final week of the season, the Suns rookie center had another moment of arrival Sunday. Rarely used even for mop-up duty this season, Siler played the entire fourth quarter of a blowout loss to Dallas. Not only was it his first full quarter of action since he played for the Shanghai Sharks last season, but he played all 12 minutes against Brendan Haywood, a center with a similar build, now that Siler is trimmer, who is making $7.6 million this season.

“Honestly, that’s what I’m trying to go for,” Siler said, referring to Haywood. “He’s getting paid. He’s making himself have a good career. He is not known for thousands of points. He’s known as a good defender, rebounder and shot blocker. He’s there to set good screens and be there on offense and for putbacks.”

Siler saw more action Monday night, getting rotation time that was limited to six minutes in the first half because of three fouls. In Sunday’s fourth quarter, Siler had six points, one rebound (Dallas missed just six shots) and no fouls. Haywood had one point, three rebounds and a foul in the quarter.

“It was different playing that long and playing against good competition, just running the floor more than a couple minutes so you can actually get into a flow, know what people are doing, know the defense and know what your role is,” Siler said. “It was good. It was something I haven’t done in a long time. I’m glad Coach (Alvin Gentry) trusted me enough to be out the whole time.”

Siler has worked out and changed his diet to be physically able for such action. He said he has lost 40 pounds, from 330 to 290, and would like to get to 280. He credited the program that strength and conditioning coach Mike Elliott put him on, not to mention the full-court basketball workouts that Mercury coach Corey Gaines, helping the Suns this season, has regularly run with him.

Siler will return home to Atlanta in the off-season but plans to work out with Marcin Gortat and Vince Carter in Orlando and Channing Frye in Portland, Ore., too.

“Everyone is saying this summer will be an important summer for me to be ready to help the team as much as I can next year,” Siler said. “I want more balance. A confidence. I came from a small school (Augusta State), not really knowing that I could make it in this league. You’ve got to have that confidence that you can play in this league if you work hard.

“They like me. They’re always talking about summer plans of what I need to do and have my plan assessed where I am for the lockout so I don’t come back where I was last year.”

Cotton Award

Salome High School girls basketball and track and field coach Byron Maynes was selected as the sixth winner of the Spirit of Cotton Award, which annually honors an Arizona high school coach in memory of Suns Ring of Honor member Cotton Fitzsimmons.

Maynes, also Salome’s athletic director and dean of students, has coached football, boys and girls basketball, softball and track at Salome for 25 years.

Free throw

Suns swingman Mickael Pietrus (quad-tendon strain) will remain out for the season finale Wednesday night. After staying in Phoenix for rehabilitation during the Suns’ eight-day trip, Pietrus said it remains painful to walk.

- The Suns were the third NBA team this season to play a home game the night after a five-game road trip ended.

DALLAS – Channing Frye will not change his identity but he is not opposed to enhancing it.

Profile: Channing Frye

Frye still is the league’s most unique big man, ranking in the NBA’s top five for 3-pointers taken and made. The Suns power forward has more made 3s over two seasons than any player except ex-Suns guard Jason Richardson.

While that part of his game has remained, Frye has expanded his post-up repertoire, taken more mid-range shots and improved as a defender and rebounder.

Frye does not look at the growth as a transformation into something else but just a way of being better at his role.

“I’m always going to do what I do and that’s continue to space the floor,” said Frye, who had six points and seven rebounds in Sunday’s loss at Dallas. “For me to continue having success, I need to make more decisive moves in the post. Make sure I’ve got my three things I go to. Being comfortable there and being able to handle the ball with one or two dribbles and create. You’ve seen me try to develop that. At times, it’s looked kind of awkward but that’s the only way you’re going to get it.”

Frye is on his way to career-high averages for scoring (12.3) and rebounds (6.7) and his worth was apparent when he missed five games and the Suns went 1-4 just as they had re-entered the playoff race.

“I don’t want to change who I am completely,” Frye said. “I know I’m a jump-shooting big but people shouldn’t be able to switch little guys on me. I should be able to continue to try to get better on the glass. In the second half of the season, you saw me try to get more double-doubles or six, eight, nine rebounds a game.”

Frye has taken about two more shots per game this season with more use of a post hook, fadeaway and his left hand. Defensively, averages a blocked shot a game and distinguished himself with efforts against Clippers star Blake Griffin.

Frye said he will continue rehabilitating his right shoulder this summer and follow strength and conditioning coach Mike Elliott’s workout program, which he credits for giving him “more bounce in my legs” this season. A goal for next season is to improve his offensive rebounding.

“I still think I’m a role player,” Frye said. “That doesn’t mean I can’t continue to grow. I’m not selling myself short. I have a specific job to do and I can build off that. It’s exciting because if they take that away, everything else is comfortable.”

Free throws

Sunday marked the Suns’ final game shown on My 45. The Suns’ local broadcasts will air exclusively on FSAZ next season.

- Swingman Mickael Pietrus stayed in Phoenix during this five-game, eight-day trip to rehabilitate a right quadriceps tendon strain. With no practice time, he remains unlikely to play Monday.

- Rookie Gani Lawal will hit the halfway mark this week on his rehabilitation following January right knee surgery.

- Grant Hill has played in 311 of 326 games as a Sun. At 95.4 percent, Hill has played in a higher percentage of games in Phoenix than he did over six seasons in Detroit (94.6 percent) that preceded his serious injury problems.

Steve Nash can relate to Suns fans.

He did not want to get caught in a franchise transition stage, either. He wanted to go for it after the Suns found their way to the conference finals last year.

Void of the same chemistry and ability, the Suns came nowhere close to replicating that team’s achievement and wound up with only five of the same players.

But like most Suns fans, Nash is showing his loyalty and wants to remain in Phoenix despite it all. Nash is bracing for more transition and hoping for the best – but patience will be necessary.

“I want to stay and be part of the franchise moving forward,” Nash said. “I would love to see us improve. I’m not going to be satisfied or happy on a team that doesn’t make the playoffs, but it’s up to us to fight and improve. Whether it was announced or desired, this is a team in transition. We’ve made moves continuously since July 1, and I don’t think we’re quite settled on what we want to be. I don’t think management is going to stop until they get a group or project they feel good about.

“I have no choice. We are in transition. I’m a part of it. I want to do the best I can to help. I don’t want to leave. I want to do the best I can to get us back to contention.”

Other than the Suns’ June draft pick, likely around No. 13, there won’t be much help anytime soon unless the Suns pull off a draft-day trade. They could include Vince Carter’s contract in a three-way trade (avoiding the need to take back a big contract) before Carter has to be waived and paid $4 million by June 30.

There will not be swift action to make over the team in July like a year ago, when they quickly signed Hakim Warrick in the wake of losing Amar’e Stoudemire and took on too many wings by adding Hedo Turkoglu and Josh Childress. This time, an NBA lockout appears inevitable.

That likely would give the Suns a short window to improve. Many expect a lockout to last until the season, when players begin missing paychecks. If an agreement is reached in the late fall or winter, a free-agency period would come and go quickly with much to decipher in a new collective-bargaining agreement, part of the reason the Suns hired former agent Lon Babby to be president of basketball operations last year.

Even then, the Suns will have to be creative once the salary cap is lowered because their main target for a free-agency splash always has been next year, when Nash’s contract expires.

Nash and Grant Hill have expressed desire to stay and the Suns brass has reciprocated the feeling despite the players’ ages (Nash 37, Hill 38), citing their high level of play and influence on teammates. The Suns consider their current starting lineup of Nash, Hill, Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat and Channing Frye to be keepers. Beyond that, nobody is secure.

“You want to get better,” Nash said. “I don’t know how we can do that. I think the obvious places are to try to work for a balanced roster with more cohesion perhaps. Last year, Channing was our backup center. This year, he’s a starting power forward. He’s done a great job and played the best basketball of his career. Those kinds of things shift your team. It’d be great if we could find balance and depth in the front court.”

The Suns could be interested in a defensive, strong-shooting free-agent guard such as Arron Afflalo, who will be a restricted free agent, but they still have four wings on the roster. Dudley and Childress are under contract. Hill is expected to re-sign. Mickael Pietrus is looking at a $5.3 million player option to return, even though he is a bit disenchanted.

The Suns undoubtedly will make their moves with defense in mind. A top post defender such as Houston unrestricted free agent Chuck Hayes would help. The Suns will be limited in spending unless Pietrus opts out. In the December trade with Orlando, the Suns sacrificed about $1.5 million of their cap room for this summer but also landed a long-term, solid big man (Gortat) with a reasonable contract ($21.8 million over the next three seasons).

As Babby recently told a group of fans, “We have a lot of needs.”

Put Josh Childress’ season on a shelf, and the bookends would be more attractive than the stories in between.

Profile: Josh Childress

On the front end, Childress’ NBA return thrilled the Suns as much as him. He was the star of Suns training camp in October and had carved out a regular role.

On the back end, Childress is a rotation player coming off a season-high four steals in Friday’s win against the Clippers.

The tales between the bookends were arduous for Childress, who suffered a broken finger and lost his role to an overabundance of Suns wing players.

In the fall, Childress was “very optimistic.” Now?

“I still am,” Childress said. “There’s been a lot of lows, but I’m still optimistic that I can really help and be an integral part of this team. I wouldn’t allow me not playing to affect my teammates. In situations like this, it’s easy for people to look at themselves and say, ‘Woe is me. Why am I not getting this? Why am I not getting that?’ Then you see the situations in Asia and wars. You realize my life is pretty darn good.”

Childress’ chances began in March with Channing Frye’s and Mickael Pietrus’ injuries but he was prepared, having used post-practice time to stay sharp. Part of that was retooling his shooting form to extend his range. Working with player development assistant Nenad Trajkovic, Childress raised his release point and lost the tension.

“When you’re loose, it flows,” said Childress, who watched video of shooters, including teammate Vince Carter. “The biggest thing is keeping me from being so rigid. When I shot, it took a lot of effort to shoot a 3.”

Childress said he needs to be a better 3-point shooter to fit Phoenix’s ways, although coach Alvin Gentry said he can use Childress as a slasher more easily with Frye as a shooter at power forward.

Childress made 36 percent of his 3s over four seasons with Atlanta but is 1 for 13 this season.

“It’s hard to gauge where Josh is because he went through such a long period of not playing,” Gentry said. “I do like that he’s very aggressive on the boards, and he’s done a good job defensively.”

Childress has played six consecutive games and might play the final seven with Pietrus not joining the five-game trip that starts Sunday in San Antonio.

“I want a greater role,” Childress said. “I want to help the team a lot more than I am. That’s just going to come with me working harder and really just making sure that I’m 100 percent dialed into the system and my role with the team.

“I’m using this for myself to get some confidence going into the summer, and I’ll work that much harder.”

The Suns could have been mistaken for a team fighting for their lives at the edge of a playoff cliff.

Photos from the game | Box score | NBA standings – West

The fall is certain and imminent, but the Suns avoided playoff elimination Friday night by doing what they really needed to do almost three weeks ago – win without Steve Nash.

Nash was sent home early Friday evening with flulike symptoms on “Green Night” at US Airways Center, but the Clippers looked less fit to play, getting behind by as many as 25 points in a 111-98 loss to the Suns.

Phoenix had gone 0-4 this season without Nash but got 26 points and 11 assists from the platoon of Aaron Brooks and Zabian Dowdell alternating full quarters.

“We came out with really good energy,” Suns forward Grant Hill said of the Suns’ 17th starting lineup this season. “The goal regardless is to play hard and feel good about ourselves either going into the summer or going into the postseason. We can control that.”

The Suns are a loss or a combination of New Orleans and Memphis wins away from elimination but at least ended a seasonlong-tying four-game losing streak by keeping Clippers rookie star Blake Griffin in check again. Channing Frye again led the defensive effort on Griffin, aimed at taking away Griffin’s fast breaks, alley-oops and other easy, electrifying plays.

Griffin went 6 for 15 from the field Friday night after going 6 for 18 in the teams’ previous meeting, when Frye also had the bulk of the duty on Griffin.

The Clippers (29-47) shot only 44 percent with 21 turnovers against an active, helping defense that let the Clippers go 11 for 27 on 3-pointers to take away Griffin rolling to the basket.

The Suns (37-38) exploited mismatches to shoot 52 percent, putting six scorers in double figures while Frye finished with nine points.

“It was a big win in a sense that it’s good to get a win without Steve here,” forward Jared Dudley said. “We just gained some confidence. You see when opportunities come knocking, certain players stepped up. Zabian played tremendous for us, giving us a spark and willing us to get a win.”

Hill, who defended Clippers top scorer Eric Gordon, led the Suns in scoring with 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter to help get the Suns out of an early 14-9 hole. The starting wings, Hill and Dudley, established the effort, exemplified by Hill’s attempt to save a ball over press row that he credited to Shaquille O’Neal’s influence.

“I tried to send a message, and my body felt good,” Hill said of his non-stop energy.

Dudley had a balanced game of 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks (one on Griffin) and two steals, giving him games of at least 16 points in five consecutive contests, four of which came since he became a starter.

The Suns’ eighth consecutive home win against the Clippers also came with double-doubles from big men Marcin Gortat (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Hakim Warrick (17 points, 10 rebounds).

Suns report

Key player: Suns guard Jared Dudley contributed across the board with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals.

Key moment: Suns forward Grant Hill scored seven points in 48 seconds to give the Suns their first lead at 21-19. They never trailed again.

Key number: 36.4. Clippers star Blake Griffin’s shooting percentage against the Suns in the past two games in which Channing Frye has defended him.

View from press row

The only thing that created much of a contest Friday night was Jared Dudley’s third-quarter dunk try. Needing two dunks to get to his preseason pledge of 10, Dudley was on a breakaway early in the third quarter and went up with two hands slightly over the rim. The official scorer recorded it as a dunk, but the press-row ruling, along with what FSAZ’s Mark McClune gathered from the Suns bench, was no dunk. The Dudley dunk-o-meter stays at eight with seven games to play.

It might be hard to tell because of a four-game losing streak and the likelihood of having to watch the playoffs in two weeks but the Suns might have as many Hall of Famers on their active roster as any NBA team.

Profiles: Steve Nash | Vince Carter | Grant Hill

It is hardly noticeable when the team is 36-38 and the three candidates are on the back sides of their careers.

Suns guard Steve Nash is a shoo-in for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Every Hall-eligible NBA Most Valuable Player has made it and he is one of only 12 multiple MVP winners.

It is Suns swingmen Grant Hill and Vince Carter who have cloudier candidacies.

Hill was robbed of much of his prime by injuries but still is a seven-time All-Star who ranks in the all-time top 100 lists for points and assists with more basketball ahead at age 38. Hill also was on two national championship teams at Duke, was a first team All-American and played for the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medal team.

“It’s a basketball hall of fame, not the NBA hall of game,” said Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo, who remains a Suns chairman. “It covers all levels of contributions. By definition, the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame that honors people from all levels of the game.”

Carter also has an Olympic gold medal from 2000 but his candidacy is more rooted in numbers.

Carter is one of 37 players in NBA history to score 20,000 points. He ranks 36th all-time after passing Tom Chambers, leaving Mitch Richmond as the only Hall-eligible player ahead of him who is not a Hall member. Carter will pass him on the scoring list with 57 more points.

“Those are tough calls,” ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said of Hill’s and Carter’s Hall of Fame hopes. “That’s why stats are very difficult to go by. Some part of it has to be an eye test. You watched. You felt.

“The stats would say yes for Carter. The longevity would say yes. You’d have a hard time saying no.”

Not done yet

It is remarkable that Hill has a chance after ankle injuries robbed him of most of his prime seasons. For the four seasons that he was 28 to 31 years old, Hill played in only 47 of 328 games. Until then, he had been All-NBA first or second team for five consecutive seasons.

“When you’re young and your ego consumes you and things are going well, you get caught up in your legacy – as crazy as that might sound,” Hill said. “It seems so far in the future then. After going through my injuries, that’s not something that consumes me at all. If it happens, it happens. It’d be a huge honor. But I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do and what I’ve been able to overcome. I’ve been humbled a bit so it’s not something I think about often.”

Carter had not noticed the legendary names that surround him on the list. He recently passed John Stockton, Bob Lanier and Gail Goodrich, who are Hall of Fame members.

“I never thought about that (Hall of Fame) aspect of it,” Carter said. “I’ve never looked at the list. I never thought about myself or considered myself in that group. I feel like you play out your career and it’ll speak for itself. You always hope for that, just like you hope to be an All-Star. You hope to win a championship. You hope at the end of your career that it happens. You never know.”

To a degree, they control their fate, although neither has many years left to play. Hill plans to return next season, when he will be 39, and the Suns likely will make Carter, 33, a free agent this summer. On Monday, a new Hall of Fame induction class will be announced with a group that could speak well for Hill’s chances with a multi-level basketball resume.

Hill might find his way to Hall of Fame distinction before he ever retires. There is speculation that Hill will be appointed as the first ever active player to serve on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors. The board next meets in May.

“I’ll just have to play another 10 years, add another couple thousand points and see what happens,” Hill said. “It makes you appreciate those who get in. It doesn’t just take two or three good years but it’s a whole body of work and doing it consistently over a long, successful career.”

SACRAMENTO – Once the Suns’ playoff hopes ostensibly were crushed with home losses to New Orleans and Dallas, Suns co-captains Steve Nash and Grant Hill began talking about the Suns’ future.

A future with Nash, while always subject to trade, is tied to the final year of his contract. But with Hill, his look ahead was an acknowledgement that he wants to re-sign with the Suns for a third contract in Phoenix this summer.

“It’d be nice to come back and prove that we can be better than we were this season,” Hill said Tuesday. “Let’s just hope and pray we have a season first and foremost and then we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, it works out and we can improve and get better.”

When the Suns missed the playoffs two seasons ago, Hill re-signed for a two-year deal talking about unfinished business. He had seven interested teams and narrowed his choices to Phoenix, Boston and New York but did not enjoy the drawn-out process.

“I’m too old for all that,” said Hill, 38. “Depending on what happens, for all free agents, if there’s a work stoppage and if we miss some of the season, there will be a mad dash or scramble to get everyone signed. You have a new labor agreement that you have to understand and interpret. I anticipate it being a lot different than it was two years ago. Let’s say the lockout hypothetically ends in November. Going off what happened 12 years ago (for the 1999 lockout), we’re starting a week later. There will be a lot going on. It will be kind of a frenzy.”

Hill will turn 39 next season and has expressed an interest in playing at age 40, especially after looking like one of the NBA’s top defenders this season as the Suns stopper on opposing team’s star point guards, wings and even power forwards. He has done that while averaging 13 points per game, the seventh NBA player to do that at his age.

Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver has expressed a desire for Hill to finish his career with Phoenix.

“Hopefully, we can move forward, improve and get into the postseason next year,” Hill said. “It kind of motivates you a little bit.

“I still feel like I can play. I like the guys on the team. We’ll see what happens.”

Carter’s OK

Suns guard Vince Carter came off the bench for the 10th time in his career Tuesday night at Sacramento. Prior to Sunday’s demotion in favor of Jared Dudley in the starting lineup, Carter last came off the bench in November 2009.

“I’m good,” Carter said with his reserve role. “There is nothing to talk about (with coach Alvin Gentry). JD’s playing great basketball so he should be in the lineup now.

“It’s a different approach to the game. You’re playing in a different time of the game. It’s an adjustment. I know that first game was going to be different because of that. I always prepare myself for starting. It’s a new challenge.”

Carter’s move to Phoenix has cost him a starting job and likely a postseason. “I didn’t expect to be traded,” Carter said. “It’s a great situation for me. Great teammates. Great staff. You just try to make the best of it. It’s been a good experience regardless.”