Ten questions as Suns prepare for 2008-09 season

O'Neal set the bar of expectation himself by saying he would be in town working with the training staff this summer. That didn't happen, save a few cameo appearances. When you are rapping about Kobe Bryant, walking around Belmont Park and Churchill Downs in a jockey suit, building a high-rise condo in New Jersey, promising help for families with upside-down mortgages in Orlando, Fla., patching up a marriage and dealing with restraining orders ... well, the summer can really fly by. (There is also talk that Shaq wasn't too fond of our 110-degree weather.)

But those who have seen him scrimmage this month report his weight is within 10 pounds of where he finished last year. He continued workouts with Royce Gracie (Ultimate Fighting legend) religiously, and videos show a trim physique. For some reason, his "730 days to retirement" pronouncement made big headlines, but it is the same mantra he's been using for more than a year, and one he worked into almost every interview session since becoming a Sun. No news there.

3. Amare Stoudemire has been the first to criticize Phoenix's lack of defensive desire but is often a bigger part of the problem than the solution. Is he ready to walk his talk on the other end?

The opportunity is certainly there for him. From Kerr to Porter, the emphasis on defense is the highest it has ever been during Stoudemire's tenure in Phoenix. The addition of Bill Cartwright to the coaching staff is tailor-made for Stoudemire, and will fill the void created when Marc Iavaroni left for Memphis. With no big-man coach last year, the post-practice defensive workouts disappeared.

But more than anyone else, Amare has to put in the time. He has shown that with work and desire he can make tremendous strides in his offensive game.

With O'Neal here, Stoudemire is a power forward most of the time, so the excuse for defending out of position is eliminated. He has praised Porter's commitment to defense and jabbed at the lack of the same by former coach Mike D'Antoni and his staff. His teammates, who tired of hearing him calling out the group for defensive lapses when he was often the culprit on bad switches or poor positioning, will be watching.

4. What is the personality of the Suns under new coach Terry Porter? How will they be different?

While they have almost an entirely new coaching staff and several additions to the roster, the top seven players from last year return intact.

So a complete transformation of how the team operates would not only be difficult, but it's not expected. The front office knows Suns fans remain partial to an up-tempo style, and with Nash, Stoudemire and their friends leading the way, playing in the 80s isn't going to happen.