1993–94 Phoenix Suns season

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1993–94 Phoenix Suns season
Head coachPaul Westphal
General managerJerry Colangelo
Owner(s)Jerry Colangelo
ArenaAmerica West Arena
Results
Record56–26 (.683)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Pacific)
Conference: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishConference Semifinals
(Lost to Rockets 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television
RadioKTAR
< 1992–93 1994–95 >

The 1993–94 NBA season was the 26th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the off-season, the Suns signed free agent A.C. Green, who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s.[2] The Suns were led by Paul Westphal, in his second year as head coach of the Suns. All home games were played at America West Arena. The team got off to a 15–3 start after a 7-game winning streak in December, held a 31–15 record at the All-Star break, and won their final seven games of the season, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 56–26 record.[3] In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Suns swept the Golden State Warriors in three straight games, where Charles Barkley scored a playoff career-high of 56 points in a 140–133 road win in Game 3.[4] However, after taking a 2–0 series lead over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semi-finals,[5] the Suns lost the series in seven games.[6]

Barkley, an All-Star coming off an MVP season, led a Phoenix offense that had five players average at least 15 points per game or more, with Barkley leading the team with 21.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He appeared in 65 games, missing 17 due to a quadriceps tendon injury.[7] In addition, point guard Kevin Johnson was the other 20-point scorer, averaging right at the mark with 20.0 points, and led the team with 9.5 assists per game, which was the fifth-highest assist average in the league for the season. In addition, Cedric Ceballos showed improvement finishing third on the team in scoring with 19.1 points per game, but only appeared in 53 games due to a foot injury,[8] while Dan Majerle provided with 16.5 points per game, and led the league with 192 three-point field goals, and Green contributed 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.[9]

Barkley and Johnson both returned to the All-Star Game, Barkley's eighth and for Johnson, his third and final All-Star selection. However, Barkley was injured and did not play in the All-Star Game, which was held in Minneapolis.[10] At season's end, both players had earned All-NBA Second Team honors. Following the season, Ceballos was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers,[11] and second-year center Oliver Miller signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, while Mark West was traded to the Pistons for a future draft pick.[12]

Offseason[]

NBA Draft[]

Main article: 1993 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 27 Malcolm Mackey Forward  United States Georgia Tech
2 49 Mark Buford Center  United States Mississippi Valley State
2 54 Byron Wilson Guard  United States Utah

Roster[]

1993–94 Phoenix Suns roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
G 22 Ainge, Danny 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1959–03–17 BYU
F 34 Barkley, Charles (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 252 lb (114 kg) 1963–02–20 Auburn
F 23 Ceballos, Cedric 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1969–08–02 Cal State Fullerton
G 10 Cooper, Duane 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1969–06–25 Southern California
F 21 Dumas, Richard (S) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1969–05–19 Oklahoma State
F 45 Green, A. C. 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1963–10–04 Oregon State
G 4 Henry, Herman 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1967–12–08 Oklahoma
G 3 Johnson, Frank 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1958–11–23 Wake Forest
G 7 Johnson, Kevin (C) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1966–03–04 California
C 35 Kleine, Joe 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1962–01–04 Arkansas
C 27 Mackey, Malcolm 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 248 lb (112 kg) 1970–07–11 Georgia Tech
G 9 Majerle, Dan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1965–09–09 Central Michigan
C 25 Miller, Oliver 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 280 lb (127 kg) 1970–04–06 Arkansas
F 0 Mustaf, Jerrod 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 238 lb (108 kg) 1969–10–28 Maryland
G 2 Perry, Elliot 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 150 lb (68 kg) 1969–03–28 Memphis
C 41 West, Mark 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1960–11–05 Old Dominion
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 15, 1994

Roster Notes[]

  • Small forward Richard Dumas was suspended indefinitely without pay by the NBA for refusing to cooperate in substance-abuse rehabilitation.[13]

Regular season[]

Standings[]

Pacific Division
W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Seattle SuperSonics 63 19 .768 — 37–4 26–15 25–5
x-Phoenix Suns 56 26 .683 7 36–5 20–21 19–11
x-Golden State Warriors 50 32 .610 13 29–12 21–20 19–11
x-Portland Trail Blazers 47 35 .573 16 30–11 17–24 17–13
Los Angeles Lakers 33 49 .402 30 21–20 12–29 7–23
Sacramento Kings 28 54 .341 35 20–21 8–33 9–21
Los Angeles Clippers 27 55 .329 36 17–24 10–31 9–21
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Seattle SuperSonics 63 19 .768 –
2 y-Houston Rockets 58 24 .707 5
3 x-Phoenix Suns 56 26 .683 7
4 x-San Antonio Spurs 55 27 .671 8
5 x-Utah Jazz 53 29 .646 10
6 x-Golden State Warriors 50 32 .610 13
7 x-Portland Trail Blazers 47 35 .573 16
8 x-Denver Nuggets 42 40 .512 21
9 Los Angeles Lakers 33 49 .402 30
10 Sacramento Kings 28 54 .341 35
11 Los Angeles Clippers 27 55 .329 36
12 Minnesota Timberwolves 20 62 .244 43
13 Dallas Mavericks 13 69 .159 50


Record vs. opponents[]

1993–94 NBA records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta — 4–0 4–1 2–3 3–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 0–2 1–1 3–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 5–0 2–0 1–3 2–2 3–1 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0
Boston 0–4 — 0–4 2–2 1–3 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 0–4 1–1 1–1 2–3 3–1 1–1 1–4 0–4 2–2 4–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–2
Charlotte 1–4 4–0 — 1–4 1–4 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 1–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 1–3 3–2 2–0 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–2
Chicago 3–2 2–2 4–1 — 1–3 2–0 1–1 5–0 2–0 1–1 4–1 2–0 1–1 2–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–0
Cleveland 1–3 3–1 4–1 3–1 — 2–0 1–1 3–2 2–0 0–2 2–3 2–0 1–1 1–3 3–2 2–0 2–2 0–4 2–2 4–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1
Dallas 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 — 1–4 1–1 0–4 1–4 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–2 0–2 5–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 1–3 2–2 0–5 0–4 0–5 1–1
Denver 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–1 — 2–0 1–3 3–2 1–1 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–4 2–2 1–4 1–1
Detroit 0–4 1–3 0–4 0–5 2–3 1–1 0–2 — 0–2 0–2 1–4 1–1 0–2 2–2 1–4 2–0 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–2
Golden State 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 4–0 3–1 2–0 — 0–4 1–1 4–1 5–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–3 3–2 4–1 2–2 1–4 3–1 2–0
Houston 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–3 2–0 4–0 — 1–1 4–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–2 4–0 4–0 2–3 2–2 3–3 1–1
Indiana 2–3 4–0 2–2 1–4 3–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 0–2 3–1 3–1 2–0 3–1 0–4 2–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1
L.A. Clippers 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 4–0 1–3 1–1 1–4 0–4 0–2 — 2–3 1–1 1–1 1–3 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–5 2–3 3–2 1–3 1–4 1–3 1–1
L.A. Lakers 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 4–0 1–3 2–0 0–5 1–3 2–0 3–2 — 1–1 2–0 3–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 1–1 3–2 0–5 1–4 0–4 0–5 2–2 1–1
Miami 1–3 3–2 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 — 4–0 2–0 2–3 2–2 2–3 4–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1
Milwaukee 0–5 1–3 2–3 0–4 2–3 2–0 0–2 4–1 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 0–2 0–4 — 0–2 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–3
Minnesota 0–2 1–1 0��2 0–2 0–2 1–5 1–4 0–2 2–2 1–4 0–2 3–1 1–3 0–2 2–0 — 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–4 0–4 1–4 0–2
New Jersey 3–1 4–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 0–2 1–3 1–1 2–0 3–2 3–1 1–1 — 4–1 0–5 3–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1
New York 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 0–2 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 4–0 2–0 1–4 — 3–2 3–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 5–0
Orlando 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 3–2 3–1 1–1 5–0 2–3 — 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–1
Philadelphia 0–4 1–4 1–3 1–3 0–4 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–4 3–1 0–2 1–3 2–3 0–4 — 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–3
Phoenix 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–0 3–1 1–1 3–2 2–2 1–1 5–0 2–3 2–0 2–0 4–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 — 3–2 4–1 3–1 2–3 2–2 2–0
Portland 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–1 3–1 2–0 2–3 0–4 1–1 3–2 5–0 2–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–3 — 4–1 1–3 1–4 1–3 2–0
Sacramento 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 2–2 1–1 1–4 0–4 0–2 2–3 4–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 1–4 1–4 — 1–3 0–5 1–3 2–0
San Antonio 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 5–0 4–2 1–1 2–2 3–2 2–0 3–1 4–0 2–0 2–0 4–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 — 0–4 0–5 2–0
Seattle 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 4–0 2–2 1–1 4–1 2–2 1–1 4–1 5–0 1–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–2 4–1 5–0 4–0 — 3–1 2–0
Utah 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 5–0 4–1 2–0 1–3 3–3 1–1 3–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 4–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 5–0 1–3 — 2–0
Washington 0–4 2–3 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–3 3–1 2–0 1–3 0–5 1–4 3–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 —

Playoffs[]

Game log[]

1994 playoff game log
First Round: 3–0 (Home: 2–0; Road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 29 Golden State W 111–104 Charles Barkley (36) Charles Barkley (19) Barkley, Johnson (7) America West Arena
19,023 		1–0
2 May 1 Golden State W 117–111 Kevin Johnson (38) A. C. Green (10) Kevin Johnson (9) America West Arena
19,023 		2–0
3 May 4 @ Golden State W 140–133 Charles Barkley (56) Charles Barkley (14) Kevin Johnson (12) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
15,025 		3–0
Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (Home: 1–2; Road: 2–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 May 8 @ Houston W 91–87 Charles Barkley (21) Charles Barkley (12) Kevin Johnson (12) The Summit
15,073 		1–0
2 May 11 @ Houston W 124–117 (OT) Charles Barkley (34) Charles Barkley (15) Barkley, Johnson (6) The Summit
16,611 		2–0
3 May 13 Houston L 102–118 Kevin Johnson (38) Charles Barkley (14) Kevin Johnson (12) America West Arena
19,023 		2–1
4 May 15 Houston L 96–107 Kevin Johnson (38) Charles Barkley (14) Kevin Johnson (12) America West Arena
19,023 		2–2
5 May 17 @ Houston L 86–109 Charles Barkley (30) Oliver Miller (7) Henry, Miller (3) The Summit
16,611 		2–3
6 May 19 Houston W 103–89 Kevin Johnson (28) Charles Barkley (15) Kevin Johnson (13) America West Arena
19,023 		3–3
7 May 21 @ Houston L 94–104 Kevin Johnson (25) Charles Barkley (15) Kevin Johnson (11) The Summit
16,611 		3–4
1994 schedule

Awards and honors[]

Week/Month[]

  • Charles Barkley was named Player of the Week for games played November 15 through November 21.
  • Oliver Miller was named Player of the Week for games played December 27 through January 2.

All-Star[]

  • Charles Barkley was voted as a starter for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his eighth consecutive All-Star selection. Barkley led all players in voting with 794,936 votes. Barkley was unable to play due to injury and was replaced by Gary Payton.
  • Kevin Johnson was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his third All-Star selection. Johnson finished third in voting among Western Conference guards with 431,885 votes.
  • Other Suns players receiving All-Star votes were A. C. Green (368,601) and Dan Majerle (329,618).

Season[]

Player statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season[]

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Danny Ainge 68 1 22.9 .417 .328 .830^ 1.9 2.6 .8 .1 8.9
Charles Barkley 65 65 35.4 .495 .270 .704 11.2 4.6 1.6 .6 21.6
Cedric Ceballos 53 43 30.2 .535 .000 .724 6.5 1.7 1.1 .4 19.1
Duane Cooper 23 2 5.9 .439 .143 .733 0.4 1.2 .1 .0 2.1
Joe Courtney* 33 1 5.1 .513 . .719 0.8 0.3 .1 .2 3.1
A. C. Green 82 55 34.5 .502 .229 .735 9.2 1.7 .9 .5 14.7
Skeeter Henry 4 0 3.8 .200 .000 .500 0.5 1.0 .0 .0 1.0
Frank Johnson 70 5 12.5 .448 .167 .783 1.2 2.1 .6 .0 4.6
Kevin Johnson 67 67 36.6 .487 .222 .819^ 2.5 9.5 1.9 .1 20.0
Joe Kleine 74 4 11.5 .488 .455† .769 2.6 0.6 .2 .3 3.9
Negele Knight* 1 0 8.0 .250 . . 0.0 0.0 .0 1.0 2.0
Malcolm Mackey 22 0 3.1 .378 .000 .500 1.1 0.0 .0 .1 1.5
Dan Majerle 80 76 40.1 .418 .382† .739 4.4 3.4 1.6 .5 16.5
Oliver Miller 69 30 25.9 .609 .222 .584 6.9 3.5 1.2 2.3 9.2
Jerrod Mustaf 33 2 5.9 .357 . .591 1.7 0.2 .1 .2 2.2
Elliot Perry 27 9 16.0 .372 .000 .750 1.4 4.6 .9 .0 3.9
Mark West 82 50 15.1 .566 . .500 3.6 0.4 .4 1.3 4.7

* – Stats with the Suns.
† – Minimum 50 three-pointers made.
^ – Minimum 125 free-throws made.

Playoffs[]

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Danny Ainge 10 0 23.0 .458 .425 .714 2.3 2.1 .6 .1 8.6
Charles Barkley 10 10 42.5 .509† .350 .764 13.0 4.8 2.5 .9 27.6
Cedric Ceballos 10 8 21.2 .462 .000 .833 4.4 0.8 .8 .2 10.1
A. C. Green 10 2 35.0 .482 .412 .613 8.4 1.3 1.0 .2 12.5
Skeeter Henry 3 0 5.3 .167 .000 . 1.0 1.0 .0 .0 0.7
Frank Johnson 7 0 6.6 .083 .000 .500 0.6 0.7 .3 .0 0.4
Kevin Johnson 10 10 42.7 .458 .300 .852 3.5 9.6 1.0 .1 26.6
Joe Kleine 8 0 10.1 .429 . .667 2.1 0.4 .1 .5 3.5
Dan Majerle 10 10 41.0 .362 .339 .688 4.3 2.4 1.1 .4 12.3
Oliver Miller 10 4 14.6 .593† . .429 4.4 1.3 .6 1.2 3.5
Elliot Perry 4 0 3.3 .143 . . 0.0 0.3 .3 .0 0.5
Mark West 7 6 9.9 .333 . .700 2.9 0.0 .0 1.0 2.4

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.

Transactions[]

Trades[]

November 8, 1993 To San Antonio Spurs---- To Phoenix Suns----

Free agents[]

Additions[]

Date Player Contract Old Team
July 23, 1993 Richard Dumas Re-signed to multi-year contract Phoenix Suns
July 28, 1993 Frank Johnson Re-signed to 1-year contract for $500,000 Phoenix Suns
August 13, 1993 Joe Kleine Signed to 4-year contract for $3.8 million Boston Celtics
August 26, 1993 Cedric Ceballos Re-signed to 5-year contract for $11 million Phoenix Suns
September 3, 1993 Joe Courtney Signed to 1-year contract for $150,000 Golden State Warriors
September 28, 1993 A. C. Green Signed to 5-year contract for $15.1 million Los Angeles Lakers
October 7, 1993 Rod Higgins Undisclosed Sacramento Kings
November 10, 1993 Duane Cooper Signed to 1-year contract for $150,000 Los Angeles Lakers
January 22, 1994 Elliot Perry Signed to two 10-day contracts Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA)
February 11, 1994 Elliot Perry Signed for rest of season Phoenix Suns
April 15, 1994 Skeeter Henry Signed for rest of season Dijon (France)

Subtractions[]

Date Player Reason Left New Team
June 25, 1993 Tom Chambers Free agent Utah Jazz
October 16, 1993 Byron Wilson Waived Oklahoma City Cavalry (CBA)
November 2, 1993 Rod Higgins Waived Cleveland Cavaliers
January 21, 1994 Tim Kempton Waived Charlotte Hornets
February 26, 1994 Joe Courtney Waived Milwaukee Bucks

Player Transactions Citation:[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "1993-94 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats".
  2. ^ "Suns Turn Up the Heat by Signing Green". Deseret News. September 29, 1993. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "1993–94 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "Barkley Scores 56 Points as Suns Sweep Warriors". Los Angeles Times. May 5, 1994. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "PRO BASKETBALL; Suns Stage A Record Comeback". New York Times. May 12, 1994. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "PRO BASKETBALL; Rockets Give Houston Victory as Big as Texas". New York Times. May 22, 1994. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Barkley Is Back". New York Times. February 17, 1994. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "WARRIORS GET HELP". Orlando Sentinel. October 26, 1994. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "1993–94 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "1994 NBA All-Star Game: East 127, West 118". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "Deal to Bring Ceballos to Lakers Nearly Done". Los Angeles Times. September 22, 1994. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  12. ^ "OLIVER MILLER SIGNS PISTON OFFER". Chicago Tribune. September 8, 1994. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  13. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Dumas Is Suspended by N.B.A." New York Times. September 17, 1993. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "1993–94 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  15. ^ "1993–94 Phoenix Suns Transactions". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
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