Though we're a little late here at SB Nation Arizona in getting this feature rolling again, it's once again time to start the Phoenix Suns Player Thermometer! We're going to gauge each player's "hotness" or "notness" in terms of their positive or negative contributions to the team's success (or lack thereof), and monitor how hot or cold the Suns on-court personnel are from week to week. Being on top means a player is doing well; being on bottom means the opposite.
WIthout further ado, here is this week's thermometer, which includes road games against the Chicago Bulls (bad loss), New York Knicks (win), and Boston Celtics (win):
1. Steve Nash: Steve Nash was simply Steve Nash all week. Showing us that he has not lost a step, Nash averaged just over 20 points and just under 10 assists a game this week. Nash was a key component in the Suns getting two key road wins this week, as well. He scored 26 points against the Knicks and had 11 points and nine assists in a win over the Celtics. (Ryan Bafaloukos)
2. Marcin Gortat: The Polish Hammer continued his fantastic play and double-double rampage. He exploded on Friday, going for 24 points (1 point short of his career high) and 12 rebounds in the win over Boston. He's playing like one of the best centers in the West lately, averaging 16.3 points, 13 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks over the last three games. (Justin Burning)
3. Grant Hill: Hill was solid for the Suns all week, posting averages of just over 10 points and just under five rebounds per game. His four steals against the Celtics played a key role in claiming Friday's ugly 79-71 victory. (Nikil Selvam)
4. Jared Dudley: Dudley hadn't done anything overly spectacular since being given the starting spot this season. For the past two games, the Junk Yard Dog had moved back to the bench, where he's probably better used as a spark plug sixth man. His shooting numbers are down, in general, but he's still been helpful with the "little things." (JB)
5. Shannon Brown: Shannon Brown had a nice week for the Suns. Brown has been solid off the bench all season and this week averaged 10 points. Brown scored 14 in a win against he Knicks, and shot 43% from the field this week. (RB)
6. Channing Frye: Channing continued his disappointing season this week. While he did register 4 blocks against the Knicks, he's struggling everywhere else. Though his shot has been off all season, he was compensating with rebounding prowess earlier in the year. But that effort (or perhaps just the results) are disappearing, as well. (JB)
7. Ronnie Price: This could have been Price's big week. He replaced Dudley in the starting line-up for Phoenix's last two games, but managed to record only six points and two assists in 45 total minutes. Still, his speed brought a new energy to the starting group, and the Suns went 2-0 with Price as a starter. (NS)
8. Markieff Morris: Morris looked like he was going to be a potential breakout player earlier in the season, and many "experts" had him high on their rookie rankings. He's slowed down lately, though. This week, he's only made 2 of his 12 shots and is averaging only 2.6 rebounds a game in 18.7 minutes. (JB)
9. Robin Lopez: Lopez had a great game in a loss against the Bulls this week. Lopez put in 16 points and six rebounds against Chicago. The rest of the week, Lopez was quiet, scoring only five points against the Knicks and three points against the Celtics. Lopez had 10 total rebounds in three games this week. (RB)
10. Hakim Warrick: It looks like this season will be the same as last season for Warrick: inconsistent minutes to match inconsistent production. He got playing time against Chicago and New York and then sat against Boston. Hakim's likely to continue being a ghost most days, with inexplicable production explosions every once in a while. (JB)
11. Sebastian Telfair: Telfair only played 20 minutes this week. If he wants to earn more playing time going forward, he'll need to rack up more assists (zero total this past week) and shoot better (3-for-7 this past week) during his short stints on the floor. (NS)
12. Michael Redd: Redd had himself a decent first game, but has disappeared since then. He has not logged any minutes in Phoenix's past two games (both wins). It's likely his conditioning is still not where it needs to be, and an 11-man rotation is hard to sustain in general. (JB)
13. Josh Childress: Josh Childress did not play in any game this week. He has only played in five games this season. (RB)