The 2003–04 Phoenix Suns season was the 36th for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. It was also the last season under longtime associate Jerry Colangelo's ownership, as he later sold the franchise to an ownership group led by Robert Sarver starting the following season. After advancing to the playoffs the previous season, the Suns started off to a disappointing start under head coach Frank Johnson. With the team at 8–13, team management elected to turn to assistant coach Mike D'Antoni to take over for Johnson. Under D'Antoni, the Suns would lose 40 of their next 61 games and miss the playoffs, finishing sixth in the Pacific division with a 29–53 regular season record, the first time since the 1987–88 season the Suns recorded 50 losses or more. The Suns played their home games at America West Arena.
Before the halfway mark of the season, the Suns sent starting point guard Stephon Marbury along with Penny Hardaway to the New York Knicks for Antonio McDyess, and a lack of offense was felt the rest of the season. Marbury, a future All-Star, was replaced with rookie SG Leandro Barbosa, who only averaged eight points per game. The oft-injured Tom Gugliotta was released and signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz. The Suns found the injury bug, with reigning Rookie of the Year Amar'e Stoudemire missing nearly 30 games (and the Suns his 20 points and nine rebounds per game). Power forward Shawn Marion did not repeat as an All-Star, despite ending the season averaging 19 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and finishing second in the league in steals per game. Joe Johnson had a breakthrough year in his third season NBA season, leading the league in minutes played and providing the Suns nearly 17 points a game.
By trading Marbury, the Suns were without a point guard to lead an improving young core of Stoudemire, Marion, Johnson and Barbosa, all 25 years of age or younger. By shedding the injury-riddled Hardaway and Gugliotta, as well as Marbury, the Suns ended the season with a need for a club leader and money at their disposal. Following the season, McDyess signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons.
For the season, they added new orange alternate road uniforms with grey side panels to their jerseys and shorts they remained in used until 2013.
Offseason
NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 17 Žarko Čabarkapa Forward
Roster
Regular season
Awards and honors
All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire was selected to play for the Sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge.
Season Shawn Marion led the league in steals with 167. Joe Johnson led the league in minutes played with 3,331. Joe Johnson finished ninth in Most Improved Player voting.
Player statistics
Season PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG * 1 0 6.0 .000 . .500 1.0 1.0 .0 .0 1.0 70 46 21.4 .447 .395 .770 1.8 2.4 1.3 .1 7.9 49 4 11.6 .411 .188 .660 2.0 0.8 .2 .3 4.1 * 34 0 21.4 .345 .308 .830 1.9 3.4 .8 .1 7.l * 30 3 10.1 .313 .000 .750 1.9 0.7 .5 .1 2.3 * 34 10 25.8 .443 .400 .857# 2.9 2.9 .8 .2 8.7 * 36 7 12.2 .473 . .795 2.6 0.4 .4 .4 3.9 78 13 23.4 .417 .417^ .820 2.6 1.3 .6 .1 6.0 82 77 40.6 .430 .305 .750 4.7 4.4+ 1.1 .3 16.7 * 3 0 6.3 .333 . . 1.0 1.3 1.0 .3 0.7 21 0 10.7 .489† .000 .769 2.4 0.4 .1 .1 4.6 * 34 34 41.6+ .432 .314 .795 3.4 8.3+ 1.9 .1 20.8+ 79 79 40.7+ .440 .340 .851# 9.3 2.7 2.1 1.3+ 19.0+ * 24 14 21.1 .484† . .516 5.8 0.7 1.0 .5 5.8 55 53 36.8 .475† .200 .713 9.0 1.4 1.2 1.6+ 20.6+ * 4 0 2.5 .000 . . 0.3 0.0 .0 .3 0.0 66 43 24.3 .507† . .740 5.2 0.9 .6 .4 6.6 * 61 17 14.1 .524† . .500 4.3 0.1 .4 .8 4.3 * 16 10 16.7 .525† 1.000^ .692 4.5 0.4 .9 .4 7.3
* - Stats with the Suns. + - Minimum 70 games played or 2000 minutes, 400 assists, 100 blocks, 1400 points. † - Minimum 300 field goals made. ^ - Minimum 55 three-pointers made. # - Minimum 125 free throws made.
Transactions
Trades June 26, 2003 To San Antonio Spurs 2005 first-round draft pick ( David Lee) To Phoenix Suns Rights to Leandro Barbosa September 30, 2003 To Memphis Grizzlies Bo Outlaw / Jake Tsakalidis To Phoenix Suns Robert Archibald Brevin Knight Cezary Trybański November 5, 2003 To Washington Wizards Brevin Knight To Phoenix Suns Jahidi White December 23, 2003 To Orlando Magic 2004 second-round draft pick ( Antonio Burks) To Phoenix Suns Donnell Harvey December 26, 2003 To Orlando Magic Robert Archibald To Phoenix Suns Conditional 2005 second-round draft pick January 5, 2004 To New York Knicks Penny Hardaway Stephon Marbury Cezary Trybanski To Phoenix Suns Howard Eisley Maciej Lampe Antonio McDyess Charlie Ward Rights to Miloš Vujanić 2004 first-round draft pick ( Kirk Snyder) 2010 first-round draft pick ( Gordon Hayward) Cash considerations February 19, 2004 To Utah Jazz Tom Gugliotta 2004 first-round draft pick ( Kirk Snyder) 2005 second-round draft pick ( Alex Acker) 2010 first-round draft pick ( Gordon Hayward) Cash considerations To Phoenix Suns Keon Clark Ben Handlogten
Free agents
Additions Date Player Contract Former Team July 16, 2003 Scott Williams Re-signed to 1-year contract for $1.07 million Phoenix Suns July 22, 2003 Jake Voskuhl Re-signed to 3-year contract for $5.1 million Phoenix Suns September 23, 2003 Trevor Huffman Undisclosed Brandt Hagen (Germany) September 23, 2003 William Pippen Undisclosed September 26, 2003 Nick Sheppard Undisclosed Gary Steelheads (CBA) September 26, 2003 Ray Weathers Undisclosed Shanghai Sharks (China) October 1, 2003 DerMarr Johnson Undisclosed Atlanta Hawks October 8, 2003 Dejan Koturović Undisclosed Virtus Bologna (Italy)
Subtractions Date Player Reason left New team September 29, 2003 Alton Ford Free agent Orlando Magic October 8, 2003 Trevor Huffman Waived Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski (Poland) October 8, 2003 William Pippen Waived Tokyo Apache (Japan) October 16, 2003 DerMarr Johnson Waived Long Beach Jam (ABA) October 23, 2003 Dejan Koturović Waived Tau Cerámica (Spain) October 23, 2003 Nick Sheppard Waived Beijing Ducks (China) October 23, 2003 Ray Weathers Waived Dakota Wizards (CBA) January 6, 2004 Charlie Ward Waived San Antonio Spurs January 28, 2004 Scott Williams Waived Dallas Mavericks February 20, 2004 Ben Handlogten Waived Utah Jazz
References
Standings on Basketball Reference