We're going to start a new little feature here at SB Nation Arizona, called (for now) the Phoenix Suns Player Thermometer. The name is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll explain anyway. Every week, Scott Howard, Jess Root and I will take a look at the Suns, analyze each player's contributions for the previous week and rate them based on who's got it going and who's lost it.
This week, a lot of players have been pretty cold, given the team's recent three-game losing streak in which they failed to notch over 100 points in any of the games and kindly declined to play any defense. This scale does not include last night's 128-122 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was devoid of defense but full on points.
Without further ado, here's the hot and cold for your Phoenix Suns in Week 7 (in order of hottest to not-est):
1. Steve Nash. Steve Nash is really good ... blah blah. Let's concentrate on the negative. Is there a Hall of Fame player who has less clock awareness than the two-time MVP? If he's dribbling the ball in a game-ending situation, the Suns are almost sure not to get a shot attempt. (Scott Howard)
2. Channing Frye. Frye, so far, has been probably the big surprise of the season. His shooting was terrible to begin the year, but that has come around. He is showing more toughness -- something we didn't know he had. With Lopez out, he has finally cracked the starting lineup again. He averaged 12 points and seven boards in the last week. He did, though, miss a free throw at the end of regulation against Memphis that would have won the game (a game they had no business winning in the first place). (Jess Root)
3. Earl Barron. Earl has basically kick-started some semblance of defense for the Suns since he moved into the starting rotation. That's about to change, however, with Lopez back in the lineup. Comes at a good time, too, because Barron's averaged a blech -4 in +/- in the three-game skid. (Justin Burning)
4. Grant Hill. Can't pin the three-game losing streak on the efforts of Grant. Old Man Winter shot 55% on the week and averaged 16.7 points a game. The guy just continues to be steadily above average. (SH)
5. Hedo Turkoglu. The enigmatic Turk had some hero moments this past week. In the magical-comeback-turned-into-an overtime-loss, he hit two huge threes late in the game, one that could and should have been the big shot we all remember from a come-from-behind win (thanks, Channing). After struggling to fit in with the Phoenix offense, it appears that he is finding a level of comfort and is willing to take big shots at the end of games. (JR)
6. Hakim Warrick. Warrick's effort has been inconsistent and Gentry hasn't taken kindly to this. Warrick, when motivated, helps immensely on the offensive end, and that's been helpful during their current drought. However, his complete and utter lack of defense has not. (JB)
7. Goran Dragic. Strange week from Goran. Went from one of his worst games in recent memory up in Portland to a 35-minute (his most in a game that Steve Nash played in), 17-point performance against Memphis and then back down to a 2-for-8 shooting game against Portland again. Maybe it's just Portland. (SH)
8. Jason Richardson. J-Rich was having as bad a stretch as he has had since coming to Phoenix. He was 6-for-28 shooting in his last three games (prior to Minny), including 0-for-12 on three-pointers, looking oddly uncomfortable doing it. He should be at or near the top of this list every week. Instead, he's just ahead of Jared Dudley. (JR)
9. Jared Dudley. Dudley has been mostly invisible this season. He's got his shooting numbers up a bit, but he's been a part of the bench problem, not its solution. I'm not digging his new-found love for dribbling the ball and attempting pull-up jumpers. Spot-up shooting, nagging defense, and smart decisions was an equation that worked for him. (JB)
10. Josh Childress. I don't know whether it's the finger, the speed of the game or the fact that he isn't as good as advertised, but J-Chill is having the worst season of his NBA career. He's played single digit minutes in three of the last five games (and didn't play at all against Minnesota) and is averaging just 3.2 points a game for the month. Yikes. (SH)
11. Earl Clark. Clark didn't play last week, but his name did come up in a trade proposition. That is why he stays ahead of the rest of the list. He could be valuable in a trade. That's more than Garret Siler can say. (JR)
12. Garret Siler. Siler's been basically a cheerleader since Barron was signed, and with Lopez back, he's not about to see any playing time soon. He does get credit for having the prettiest eyes in the NBA, though. (JB)
13. Gani Lawal. He's averaging 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds a game. Hell of a rookie campaign for the second-round pick from Georgia Tech. Wait, those are D-League stats? Nevermind. (SH)
14. Robin Lopez. Since Lopez finally came back against the Timberwolves, we will again see the crazy-haired tall guy not catching passes on the pick-and-roll. His return will likely be the demise of Earl Barron. (JR)