Starting Barnes makes a lot of sense. He is an energy guy and a rebounder who will give a good, hard, first six minutes with the starters. He can shoot the 3-pointer, help spread the floor for Nash and give him a Shawn Marion-like target on the break. Bringing Hill off the bench gives the Suns another ball-handler and scoring option when Nash is resting.

The concerns are that Barnes is foul-prone and could get into early trouble, and that it made more sense for Hill, as with the other elder statesmen, to go from warm-ups to playing right away. But Hill's mantra seems to be "don't worry about what happens early, worry about what happens late," and that can be used for both individual games and the season as a whole.

8. Will Raja Bell or Barbosa start at shooting guard?

It's another question worth debating, but not as difficult to answer. You could make the argument for starting Barbosa because he brings the same energy and boost as Barnes, at least on the offensive end. It would mean more time with Nash and the possibility of some quick starts.

But if Porter is serious about bringing a defensive mindset to the team, your top defender isn't starting the game on the bench. And after working his whole career to become a starter, Bell would see such a move as a clear demotion, and it would play with his all-important psyche. He endured an injury-plagued season last year (mostly ankles) and was truly healthy for only a handful of games. But he has come into camp in great shape and perhaps to prove that at 32 he has a lot of miles left in his tank.

9. What do Porter and his staff bring to the table?

Porter is more hands-on on the practice floor than D'Antoni. Even in the voluntary workouts, he was constantly calling players over for instruction. He will joke and laugh at times, but he is much more serious with the players and the media. Like D'Antoni, he will rely on a veteran team to self-police but expects the right thing to be done.

His staff is a nice mix. Alvin Gentry has experience, both around the league and with this team, and is a great sounding board. Cartwright is known around the league as a good teacher and has rings to prove he knows what he's talking about. Dan Majerle is close to Porter and is the drill sergeant. He put in a long summer with Alando Tucker and D.J. Strawberry (before he was traded) and gets his hands dirty on the floor. He knows how to give a pat on the butt, but he knows how to kick it, too. Igor Kokoskov has a lot of experience in both the NBA and Europe and is a good X's and O's guy.

10. Can the Suns improve on their fifth-place finish in the rugged West?