Suns Trump Golden State, Minnesota Over the Weekend

Channing Frye was quite deadly from the three-point line in back-to-back Suns victories over the weekend.

Channing Frye justified his two-year, $3.8 million contract (and then some) this past weekend. The 6-foot-11 center was a basket-making dynamo who helped the Phoenix Suns thump a pair of hapless Western Conference pretenders at U.S Airways Center.

Frye was fantastic in both games. He grabbed 22 points during Friday night's home opener (including sinking six of seven three-point shots from downtown and landing eight rebounds) as Phoenix easily steamrolled the Warriors in a 123-101 victory. The 26-year-old also got plenty of help from teammate Steve Nash, who fed Frye the ball on numerous occasions as a part of Nash's 20 assists for the evening.

Frye proved equally as deadly from three-point range in last night's battle versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, nailing another half-dozen treys and totaling 25 points in the contest. Embattled Suns star Jason Richardson also made a big contribution in his first game back from his DUI-related suspension, earning 23 points in the 120-112 win over the T-Wolves.

But lest ye get excited that the Suns are now 3-0 after the first week of the regular season (and atop the Pacific Division), let's take a look at some sobering facts.

Of the three teams that the Purple and Orange Gang have defeated thus far, only the L.A. Clippers are expected to be in contention come post-season time. Sports pundits have been predicting that both the Warriors and the Timberwolves will finish near the bottom of their respective divisions and will play spoiler roles at best.

Phoenix's Fun 'n' Gun offense proved more than effective against both opponents, but Golden State and Minnesota are lacking when it comes to defense, much like Steve Nash and company. It's a bugaboo that will likely bite the Suns in their collective asses during their five-game road swing through the Eastern Conference over the next week against such powerhouse teams as the Boston Celtics.

All we can say is, these past three games were fun to watch. But now the real season begins.