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**Dissonance19** · 10-09-2006, 11:01 AM

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By Jerry Brown
East Valley Tribune
Oct. 7, 2006

Knowing he would be a free agent in a few months and that he wasn’t going to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Marcus Banks took time out of his vacation in Hawaii last May to carefully watch every game of the Suns-Lakers playoff series.

“All the talk at the time was the Lakers would come after me hard. They were about an ‘8’ on the Richter Scale,” Banks said. “I watched the whole series, every game, thinking what I might do and how I might attack the Suns as a point guard.”

The Lakers were in the market to upgrade from Smush Parker, but they weren’t able to swing a signand-trade deal for Banks. They drafted Jordan Farmar and signed journeyman Shammond Williams from Spain and passed on Banks.

All that time watching the Suns didn’t go to waste, however. After the Suns lost Tim Thomas to the Clippers and were left standing at the altar by John Salmons early in free agency, Banks took advantage, scooping up the mid-level exception and sliding into a deep rotation as Steve Nash’s backup.

“It’s funny because when I was still in Boston (before being dealt to Minnesota last January) I thought about the Suns. The way they played the game was so attractive,” said Banks, pumped that he is now a 45-minute flight from his native Las Vegas. “But when the MVP is playing your position you figure that team isn’t looking for much else.”

The Suns were in the market, looking for someone who could keep up the tempo and add a more defensive dimension to the point. But they figured Banks would be out of their reach until Banks let it be known he was willing to be flexible for the chance to study under Nash.

Without suitable players to emulate in Boston and Minnesota, Banks felt like his game was beginning to stagnate.

He’s a good shooter. I believe he can be a great shooter,” Weber said. “The most important thing is developing a consistent release point. He’s committed to working on it, it’s going to be a yearlong process, and you can tell it’s a priority for him.”

At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Banks is very fast (second to Leandro Barbosa among Suns) and built like a fullback. He also has a Raja Bell-like defensive toughness that has caused more than one dust-up with teammates during practices.

“We’re lucky he and Raja don’t guard each other much, or we’d have even more tempers flaring,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Marcus is going to be just what we need. He’s fast and he works hard. We want him to give us added defense in the backcourt and allow us to keep our offensive tempo high, and so far he’s everything we’ve hoped.”

Banks credits his work ethic and defensive mind-set to Cimarron Memorial High School basketball coach Hank Girardi, who won the Las Vegas state championship with Banks at the point.

“Every day, we’d start practice with 30-35 minutes of defense and it was just drilled into my head,” Banks said. “I picked up full-court, 94 feet and I have ever since. He taught me that locking your guy down was the No. 1 priority and what you get at the other end is gravy. When I forget that is when I struggle.”

“I’m 24 years old and I’m here to learn,” Banks said. “Steve has sat behind some the greatest point guards in the game, guys like Kevin Johnson, Sam Cassell and Jason Kidd. He’s seen the position from every angle — guys who are fast, savvy, explosive, creative — and took the best of what he learned and became an NBA player. I want to do the same thing, continue my education under the best.”

bircan · 10-10-2006, 08:02 AM

nice read. banks could very well follow that same path as nash once did, behind some great PG's, and then florishing later in his career. Fingers crossed that banks, as well as jumaine jones and amare help us meaningfully, fit in, and provide a quality rotation - signs are good Suns!!!