Hedo Turkoglu seems determined to start his time with the Phoenix Suns on the right note. Given the chance, he wouldn't even complain about the 105 degree late September weather.
"Listen, I don't complain at all. I love it here, so it's been great. It's better waking up with the shorts and kind of wife-beaters then with sweats and sweaters," the Turkish Michael Jordan reported about his Arizona-appropriate sleeping attire.
Pajamas aside, the real question about Hedo will be his acclimation to the Phoenix offense and his comfort level playing next to and mostly behind Steve Nash when it comes to his most-favored role as facilitator.
Hedo, as with the dicey weather question, is saying the right things.
"I don't want people to think that like I'm going to come here and be the guy who wants the ball in my hands all the time and I'm going to cause problems to the other guys. Steve (Nash) is going to be our leader. He's going to run the show no matter what," he said.
"(Nash has) been doing great for how many years; he is leading the team in assists. I guess they think I can really help being versatile with this size (that) I can really create my own shot or for my teammates, too. So, I hope I can do that and make Steve's job a little bit easier."
That's exactly what Suns fans want to hear from Hedo Turkoglu. They want a guy who understands whose team this really is and is willing and able to fit in and do his part.
"A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski famously said. That's Phoenix Suns basketball at its finest.
For the Suns to once again overachieve expectations, that fist will need to be closed and not have Hedo Turkoglu sticking out like an obnoxious middle finger raised in disgust. That's the Hedo our friends in Toronto saw last season and for them, he showed that guy is still hanging around.
"I know I can really help in certain situation, because I was in the past, I was kind of facilitator. I can do that here too and I'll make some some other guys to get open shots. As long as I'm in the right situation, I know I can do good."
That's Hedo reminding us what he thinks the best situation for him is and letting us know that if that situation exists he can do good.
Now it's up to Alvin Gentry and Steve Nash to find the right balance for Hedo so he doesn't become the one-figured salute to Phoenix Suns basketball.