And where will Banks be when the season opens? He's available, as they say, but he fervently hopes it's Phoenix. "I'm in a great situation, a playoff team, playing behind a two-time MVP [Steve Nash]," he said this week. "I want to learn as much as possible from him. I don't have any problem staying in Phoenix, making it work there. But I also understand the business aspect of the game."
His initial season in the Valley of the Sun can be charitably described as disappointing. He played in only 45 games. He averaged 11.1 minutes a game. He played a grand total of seven minutes in the postseason, which consisted of 11 games for the Suns. He averaged just 4.9 points and 1.3 assists in the regular season, well below the career-best numbers in his half-season with the Timberwolves in 2006-07 (12 points, 4.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds a game). His struggles in Phoenix were the main reason people are still scratching their collective noggins as to why the Suns tossed $21 million at Banks last summer (for five years), when there didn't appear to be much of a market for the small (6 feet 2 inches) but strong (200 pounds) guard.
"I was a brand-new guy on a brand-new team last season, so it was a little difficult," Banks said. "I tried to be patient. I think this year can be better for me."
If the Summer League is any yardstick -- and it hardly ever is -- Banks is making an early statement. He dropped 42 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday in 32 minutes, including 4 of 5 3-pointers. If one can be showcased in Summer League, this had to be the ultimate example, although the Suns lost. (Banks sat out the next game with a sore left shoulder.) Then again, perhaps Banks's most memorable play in Boston came in his first Summer League game, when a crossover dribble left rookie LeBron James paralyzed at the top of the key.
