2009–10 Phoenix Suns season


The 2009–10 Phoenix Suns season was the 42nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association. Head coach Alvin Gentry—who coached the Suns the final 31 games of the previous season—was looking to reinstill in the Suns their offensive tendencies of seasons past: using the strengths of Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire. A season-and-a-half experiment with Shaquille O'Neal ended in the summer before the season. With this subtraction and the retention of Jason Richardson, the Suns were primed for a return to the playoffs after a one-season absence. Phoenix would be the only team in the league to post a three-point field goal percentage of 40% or more while leading the NBA in scoring at 110 points per contest. They would return to the playoffs, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the First Round and sweeping the rivaled San Antonio Spurs in four games in the Semifinals. Returning to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in four seasons, the Suns met the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers but lost the series in six games to the defending and eventual NBA champions.
As of 2019, the Suns have not qualified for the NBA playoffs since this season.
Following the season, Stoudemire signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks, and General Manager Steve Kerr left to return as a commentator for TNT.

Key dates

NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege / Club
114ForwardUnited StatesLouisville
248ForwardUnited StatesOklahoma
257Forward /
 Fenerbahçe Ülker

Roster

Pre-season

Regular season

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

The Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the first round. They swept the San Antonio Spurs in four games in the Western Conference Semifinals, defeating them for the second time in 10 years, after having been eliminated by them in recent seasons four times in five playoff series. The Suns would face the Pacific division-winners Los Angeles Lakers, also the West's top seed, in the Western Conference Finals, but lose the series in six games.

Game log

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

Week/Month

Milestones

Trades

Free agents

Additions

On July 11, the Suns re-signed Grant Hill and Louis Amundson. On July 13, the Suns signed a two-year contract with former University of Arizona center Channing Frye.

Subtractions

Depth chart