The 1997–98 Phoenix Suns season was the 30th for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns. Danny Ainge returned for his first full season as the Suns head coach. The Suns posted a 56–26 record as members of the Pacific division. They would make their 10th straight playoff appearance before losing in the first round, three games to one, to the San Antonio Spurs. All home games were played in America West Arena.
The team's top scorer, Rex Chapman at 15.9 points per game, was part of a Suns offense that included four other players averaging double-digits in points in Antonio McDyess, Clifford Robinson, Sixth Man of The Year Danny Manning and Jason Kidd. Kidd was the team's sole member to be selected as a member of the All-Star Game and finished second in the league in assists per game. Following the season, Kevin Johnson retired, but would make a comeback late in the 1999-2000 season.
Offseason
NBA Draft
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The Suns used their only draft pick to select future star Stephen Jackson, who was waived before the start of the season. The Suns traded their first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995 when they dealt Dan Majerle and Antonio Lang for John "Hot Rod" Williams.
Roster
| Phoenix Suns roster |
| Players |
Coaches |
| Pos. |
# |
Nat. |
Name |
Height |
Weight |
DOB (Y-M-D) |
From |
| C |
45 |
 |
Brown, Mike |
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
257 lb (117 kg) |
1963–07–19 |
George Washington |
| PF |
2 |
|
Bryant, Mark |
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
245 lb (111 kg) |
1965–04–25 |
Seton Hall |
| SG |
3 |
|
Chapman, Rex |
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
185 lb (84 kg) |
1967–10–05 |
Kentucky |
| PG |
7 |
|
Johnson, Kevin |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
180 lb (82 kg) |
1966–03–04 |
California |
| PG |
32 |
|
Kidd, Jason |
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
205 lb (93 kg) |
1973–03–23 |
California |
| C |
17 |
 |
Llamas, Horacio |
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
285 lb (129 kg) |
1973–07–17 |
Grand Canyon |
| PF |
15 |
|
Manning, Danny  |
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
230 lb (104 kg) |
1966–05–17 |
Kansas |
| SF |
21 |
|
McCloud, George |
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
205 lb (93 kg) |
1967–05–27 |
Florida State |
| PF |
34 |
|
McDyess, Antonio |
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
220 lb (100 kg) |
1974–09–07 |
Alabama |
| C |
40 |
|
Meyer, Loren (IN) |
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
257 lb (117 kg) |
1972–12–30 |
Iowa State |
| SF |
20 |
 |
Milič, Marko |
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
235 lb (107 kg) |
1977–05–07 |
Slovenia |
| PG |
13 |
 |
Nash, Steve |
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
195 lb (88 kg) |
1974–02–07 |
Santa Clara |
| SF |
30 |
|
Robinson, Clifford |
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
225 lb (102 kg) |
1966–12–16 |
Connecticut |
| SF |
4 |
|
Scott, Dennis |
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
229 lb (104 kg) |
1968–09–05 |
Georgia Tech |
| C |
18 |
|
Williams, John |
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
215 lb (98 kg) |
1962–08–09 |
Tulane |
|
- Head coach
- Assistant coach(es)
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|
Roster Notes
- Center Loren Meyer missed the entire season due to an injury.
- Center Mike Brown did not play any regular season games with the Suns this season, but did play in one playoff game.
Depth chart
Salaries
| Player |
Salary |
| Kevin Johnson |
$8,000,000 |
| Danny Manning |
$6,833,333 |
| Jason Kidd |
$5,223,333 |
| Hot Rod Williams |
$4,550,000 |
| Antonio McDyess |
$2,876,640 |
| Cedric Ceballos |
$2,605,000 |
| Mark Bryant |
$2,250,000 |
| Steve Nash |
$1,053,360 |
| Clifford Robinson |
$1,000,000 |
| Loren Meyer |
$722,760 |
| Mario Bennett |
$630,000 |
| Rex Chapman |
$326,700 |
| Tom Chambers |
$272,250 |
| George McCloud |
$272,250 |
| Horacio Llamas |
$272,250 |
| William Cunningham |
$50,000 |
| Total |
$36,937,876 |
Regular season
Standings
Playoffs
Even with a 56–26 record, the Suns were the fourth seed in the West heading into the Playoffs. They would face the fifth-seeded San Antonio Spurs, headlined by star center David Robinson and Rookie of the Year forward Tim Duncan. Duncan led the Spurs to a game one upset in Phoenix, scoring 28 second-half points in a 102–96 victory. The Suns recovered to win game two 108–101. Antonio McDyess led the Suns with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while holding Duncan to 16 points with six turnovers. On the night he received the Rookie of the Year Award, Duncan again led the Spurs with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Despite 26 points and 17 rebounds from McDyess, the Suns fell 88–100 and into a 1–2 series hole. The Spurs would clinch the series 3–1 in San Antonio, behind 30 points from Avery Johnson, 21 rebounds from Robinson, and 6 blocks from Duncan. McDyess pulled down 19 rebounds for the Suns, but shot only 5 of 14 from the field, while Kevin Johnson led the team with 18 points.
Game log
Awards and honors
Week/Month
- Jason Kidd was named Player of the Week for games played March 8 through March 14.
- Jason Kidd was named Player of the Week for games played April 12 through April 18.
All-Star
- Jason Kidd was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection. Kidd finished fifth in voting among Western Conference guards with 305,834 votes.
Season
Injuries/Missed games
Player statistics
Season
* - Stats with the Suns.
† - Minimum 300 field goals made.
^ - Minimum 55 three-pointers made.
Playoffs
† - Minimum 20 field goals made.
^ - Minimum 10 free throws made.
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Additions
| Date |
Player |
Contract |
Former Team |
| June 23, 1997 |
Kevin Johnson |
Signed one-year contract for $8,000,000 |
Phoenix Suns |
| July 1, 1997 |
Mark Bryant |
Signed two-year contract for $4,300,000 |
Phoenix Suns |
| July 8, 1997 |
John "Hot Rod" Williams |
Signed one-year contract for $4,550,000 |
Phoenix Suns |
| July 8, 1997 |
Rex Chapman |
Signed one-year contract for $326,700 |
Phoenix Suns |
| July 8, 1997 |
Horacio Llamas |
Signed one-year contract for $272,250 |
Phoenix Suns |
| August 22, 1997 |
Tom Chambers |
Signed one-year contract for $272,250 |
Charlotte Hornets |
| August 22, 1997 |
William Cunningham |
Undisclosed |
n/a |
| August 25, 1997 |
Clifford Robinson |
Signed one-year contract for $1 million |
Portland Trail Blazers |
| September 2, 1997 |
George McCloud |
Signed one-year contract for $272,250 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| December 11, 1997 |
Brooks Thompson |
Undisclosed |
Denver Nuggets |
| January 9, 1998 |
Brooks Thompson |
Signed two 10-day contracts |
Phoenix Suns |
| April 18, 1998 |
Mike Brown |
Signed for rest of season |
Viola Reggio Calabria (Italy) |
Subtractions
References
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United States
