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2002–03 Phoenix Suns season

NBA team season

Field	Value
team	Phoenix Suns
end_year	2003
wins	44
losses	38
division	Pacific
division_place	4
conf_place	8
coach	Frank Johnson
gm	Bryan Colangelo
owner	Jerry Colangelo
arena	America West Arena
playoffs	[First round](2003-nba-playoffs-bracket)
(lost to [Spurs](2002-03-san-antonio-spurs-season) 2–4)
bbr_team	PHO
radio	KTAR

(lost to Spurs 2–4)

KUTP
Fox Sports Net Arizona
Cox 9

The 2002–03 Phoenix Suns season was the 35th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Suns received the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected power forward, and high school basketball star Amar'e Stoudemire, and signed free agent Scott Williams during the off-season.

In their first full season under head coach Frank Johnson, the Suns held a 29–21 record at the All-Star break, and posted eight additional wins from the previous season to finish in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record, and earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Suns returned to the NBA playoffs after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record. The team also posted a successful 30–11 home record at the America West Arena, but struggled posting a 14–27 road record during the regular season.

Stephon Marbury averaged 22.3 points, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Shawn Marion averaged 21.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, and led the Suns with 141 three-point field goals, and Stoudemire provided the team with 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, and was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Anfernee Hardaway provided with 10.6 points and 4.1 assists per game, but only played 58 games due to injury, while second-year guard Joe Johnson contributed 9.8 points per game, and first-round draft pick Casey Jacobsen contributed 5.1 points per game. Meanwhile, Jake Tsakalidis averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, but only played just 33 games, Tom Gugliotta provided with 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, but only appeared in just 27 games, Bo Outlaw averaged 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and Williams contributed 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Marbury and Marion were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was Marion's first ever All-Star appearance, and the second and final All-Star appearance for Marbury. Meanwhile, Stoudemire was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team, and also participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Marbury finished tied in 14th place in Most Improved Player voting, while Hardaway finished tied in 26th place; Marion finished tied in 13th place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Joe Johnson finished tied in eleventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and Frank Johnson finished in eleventh place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Suns faced off against the top–seeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Tim Duncan, second-year star Tony Parker, and David Robinson. The Suns won Game 1 over the Spurs on the road in overtime, 96–95 at the SBC Center, but then lost the next two games to the Spurs, before winning Game 4 at home, 86–84 at the America West Arena to even the series. However, the Suns lost the next two games, which included a Game 6 loss to the Spurs at the America West Arena, 87–85, thus losing the series in six games. The Spurs would go on to defeat the New Jersey Nets in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals, winning their second NBA championship in franchise history.

Following the season, Tsakalidis and Outlaw were both traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, while Williams was released to free agency, and would later on sign as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks midway through the next season, and Randy Brown retired.

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 2002 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College / Club Team
1	9	Amar'e Stoudemire	Forward	United States
1	22	Casey Jacobsen	Guard	United States	Stanford

Roster

Frank Johnson
Mike D'Antoni
Tim Grgurich
Marc Iavaroni
Phil Weber

Regular season

Standings

Playoffs

Game log

2–4

Awards and honors

Week/Month

Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April.
Frank Johnson was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for December.
Stephon Marbury was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played November 24 through November 30.
Stephon Marbury was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played January 5 through January 11.
Shawn Marion was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played April 7 through April 13.

All-Star

Shawn Marion was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his first All-Star selection.
Stephon Marbury was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected to play for the Rookie team in the Rookie Challenge.
Stephon Marbury was selected to compete in the Skills Challenge. Marbury lost the competition to the player he was traded to Phoenix for, Jason Kidd.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. Stoudemire finished third, behind Desmond Mason and champion Jason Richardson.

Season

Amar'e Stoudemire received the Rookie of the Year Award.
Stephon Marbury was named to the All-NBA Third Team.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Shawn Marion finished 13th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Joe Johnson finished 11th in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Stephon Marbury finished 14th in Most Improved Player voting.
Penny Hardaway finished 26th in Most Improved Player voting.

Player statistics

Season

GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
32	0	8.2	.372	.	.750	0.8	1.1	.5	.1	1.3
11	0	2.8	.333	.	.333	0.5	0.1	.0	.0	0.6
27	11	16.6	.455	.000	1.000^	3.7	1.1	.5	.2	4.8
58	51	30.6	.447	.356	.794	4.4	4.1	1.1	.4	10.6
72	0	15.9	.373	.315	.686	1.2	1.0	.5	.1	5.1
82	34	27.5	.397	.366	.774	3.2	2.6	.8	.2	9.8
60	0	9.0	.401	.290	.600	1.5	0.4	.3	.1	3.1
81	81	40.0	.439	.301	.803	3.2	8.1	1.3	.2	22.3
81	81	41.6	.452	.387	.851^	9.5	2.4	2.3	1.2	21.2
80	20	22.5	.550†	.000	.621	4.6	1.4	.6	.9	4.7
82	71	31.3	.472†	.200	.661	8.8	1.0	.8	1.1	13.5
33	27	16.5	.452	.	.672	3.7	0.4	.2	.5	4.9
65	1	14.6	.564†	.	.667	3.5	0.6	.3	.4	3.8
69	33	12.6	.411	.000	.786	2.8	0.3	.4	.3	4.0

† – Minimum 300 field goals made.

^ – Minimum 125 free throws made.

Playoffs

GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2	0	5.0	.500	.	.500	1.0	0.0	.0	.0	2.5
6	6	40.7	.386	.360^	.722	6.0	4.3	2.2	.8	12.7
6	0	6.5	.200	.400^	.000	0.5	0.3	.5	.0	1.0
6	0	27.3	.275	.154	.400	4.3	1.3	.7	.3	5.3
6	6	45.2	.375	.227	.758	4.0	5.7	1.2	.0	22.0
6	6	47.2	.374	.321	.846	11.7	2.0	1.8	1.8	18.5
6	0	11.7	.100	.	.500	2.2	0.8	.2	.2	0.7
6	6	33.8	.523†	1.000^	.571	7.8	1.2	1.7	1.5	14.2
6	0	16.3	.706†	.	.923#	3.7	0.3	.7	.7	6.0
6	6	13.8	.344	.	1.000#	2.5	0.2	.7	.5	4.0

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.

^ – Minimum 5 three-pointers made.

– Minimum 10 free throws made.

Player statistics citation:

References

"2002-03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats".
Passan, Jeff. (June 27, 2002). "Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft". The Washington Post.
(June 26, 2002). "Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick". ESPN.
"2002 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
(October 28, 2002). "WESTERN CONFERENCE: Team-by-Team Preview". The New York Times.
"NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference.
"2002–03 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
(April 25, 2003). "PLUS: N.B.A.; Stoudemire Named Rookie of the Year". The New York Times.
(April 25, 2003). "Stoudemire Is Rookie of Year". Deseret News.
"NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.
"2002–03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
Sheridan, Chris. (February 9, 2003). "Something Old, Something New on Court at All-Star Game". Ocala Star-Banner.
(September 13, 2021). "2003 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com.
"2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference.
(February 8, 2003). "Basketball". The Madison Courier.
"2003 NBA Rising Stars: Sophomores 132, Rookies 112". Basketball-Reference.
"NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference.
"2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
(April 20, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Suns Cash In on a Couple of Unlikely Bank Shots". The New York Times.
(April 20, 2003). "Suns Put Win in the Bank". Los Angeles Times.
(May 2, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Spurs Finish Suns' Season". The New York Times.
Teaford, Elliott. (May 2, 2003). "Another Shot at Champs". Los Angeles Times.
"2003 NBA Western Conference First Round: Suns vs. Spurs". Basketball-Reference.
(June 15, 2003). "Spurs Defeat Nets to Win N.B.A. Title". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (June 16, 2003). "Spurs Reduce the 'Risk". Los Angeles Times.
"2003 NBA Finals: Nets vs. Spurs". Basketball-Reference.
(September 30, 2003). "Grizzlies Acquire F Outlaw, C Tsakalidis from Suns". ESPN.
(October 1, 2003). "Suns Send Outlaw and Tsakalidis to Grizzlies". Deseret News.

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