Special guest post today from Ben York, writer at Deep Purple and SLAM, on the Suns' blazing hot start ...

I'll be the first to admit I wasn't all that excited for the Suns '09/10 campaign; not because I didn't think they could win a lot of games or make some noise in the West, but because of the sheer up-and-down drama of the past five years that saturated every game, every practice, every play. I was done. I had had enough. Mind you, I've been a die-hard for a couple decades now, and this was the first start to a season where seemingly all the passion and enthusiasm was missing.

Now, I won't go into a brief history of the 2004-2009 Suns. You know the story. They brought a unique and fun aspect to the NBA again and then, essentially, recanted their beliefs and successes and brought in Shaquille O'Neal(notes). Obviously, it didn't turn out like Suns fans (or NBA fans) wanted it to. The organization and fans moved on, shed some salary, re-signed a couple of thirty-somethings and went back to Mike D'Antoni-like basketball.

And it's working.

I'm not going to sit here and say that I predicted the Suns to start 6-1. Or that they would go into Miami and win. And then Boston. And then Washington. In fact, I remember looking at the schedule, seeing this brutal five-games-in-seven-nights road trip to start the season, then quickly curling up in the fetal position and crying for a good two hours.

I'm as surprised as all of you are.

But, the exciting and encouraging thing isn't that the Suns went back to the run-and-gun (they really aren't close to what they were in 2004-2007), it's that they are playing hard, gritty, tough basketball. Descriptors like that certainly haven't been used to describe the Suns in the past five years, even with Shaq. They've had the "soft" label, and rightfully so. This season, however, they've shown glimpses of hustle and fortitude that should encourage any Suns fan. The way Jared Dudley(notes) brings intensity and intangibles, the way Goran Dragic's(notes) confidence has soared, the way Channing Flipping Frye is shooting the ball, the energy that Lou Amundson brings; all while being undersized and under appreciated.

I've been hard on Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) in the past, but I've been incredibly impressed with his play thus far as he is already making a strong case to get a max deal. He still has a way to go in terms of getting his explosiveness back, but he's (finally) making a conscious effort on the defensive end and playing smart basketball. He isn't close to where he could be defensively, but his awareness has undeniably increased. It matters not what his motivation for this is (money, wins, recognition, etc.), just that it's happening; quite simply, he's becoming a bona fide leader for the Suns. The television has even picked up some of what he says on the defensive end of the floor, which signifies that he's actually communicating with teammates on defense — a fantastic sign. Granted, I've heard him yell "Rebound!" several times to other teammates as he's standing in the lane somewhat aimlessly ... but at this point I'll take anything.

However, as always, the success of this team will ride on Steve Nash's(notes) shoulders — and he's fine with that. There is still a lot of talk about his age and how he's lost a step, but the way he keeps himself conditioned doesn't fit the mold of a typical 35-year-old. Sure, he's played a lot of minutes and a lot of games in the NBA, but he continues to display an innate ability to dominate and take over games at a moment's notice. He's averaging 18 points and 12 assists per game this season on 51% FG shooting and 51.5% 3PT FG shooting. Those numbers best any season he's had in a Suns uniform.

Perhaps what's most appealing is how hard this team is playing — something that was missing last year. Alvin Gentry has instilled a belief in this team that if they are going to win, they're going to need to play their butts off — and it's showing. There is a clear effort to box out opponents on a consistent basis, gang-rebound and help out on the weak side. Don't look now, but the Suns are right in the middle of the pack defensively; opposing team's offensive rebounds have declined, teams aren't shooting as high a percentage as they have against the Suns in the past, and Phoenix is actually 10th in the league in average rebounds per game. These principles may seem elementary to some, perhaps not warranting even being written about, but they're unquestionably what has doomed the Suns in previous years.

Yes, I know how early in the season it is. I know how quickly things can go wrong. I know that health will be a question mark as the season progresses. But, my goodness, one can't help but be impressed with not only their six wins thus far, but how they've got them.

The Suns are for real.

You can reach Ben York at bjyork15@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter.  

Related: Jared Dudley, Amar'e Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash