The 1995–96 Phoenix Suns season was the 28th season for the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...

 of the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

. Head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...

, who had led the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals

1993 NBA Finals

The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...

, went 14–19 before being replaced by Cotton Fitzsimmons

Cotton Fitzsimmons

Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons was a college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Hannibal, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas...

, who would come on to coach in his third stint with the Suns. The Suns were eliminated from the playoffs

1996 NBA Playoffs

The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...

 by the San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....

, three games to one, in the Western Conference

Western Conference (NBA)

Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....

 first round. All home games were played at America West Arena

US Airways Center

US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...

.

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley

Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...

 led the Suns for the fourth consecutive year in both points

Point (basketball)

Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....

 and rebounds

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

, averaging 23.2 and 11.6 on the season. point guard

Point guard

Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...

 Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...

 again led the team in assists

Assist (basketball)

In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...

, averaging 9.2 per game to go with his 18.7 points per game. Michael Finley

Michael Finley

Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...

, a rookie

Rookie

Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

 from Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball

The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....

, who appeared in all 82 regular season games but none of the Suns' playoff games, was third in scoring, averaging 15 per game and was later named to the All-Rookie First Team

NBA All-Rookie Team

The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...

.

Barkley made his 10th consecutive All-Star Game

1996 NBA All-Star Game

The 1996 NBA All-Star Game was the 46th edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls was selected MVP of the game.-Eastern All-Stars:-Western All-Stars:...

. The power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

, who had turned 33 years of age during the season, made his 11th All-NBA Team

All-NBA Team

The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...

, appearing as a selection on the Third Team. It was the first time in Barkley's career he had not been selected to the First or Second Team.

Depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve	Inactive
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Hot Rod Williams	Wayman Tisdale	Joe Kleine Joe Kleine Joseph William Kleine is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Kleine, a seven-foot center, graduated from Slater High School in Slater, Missouri and originally enrolled to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame...	John Coker John Coker (basketball) John Michael Coker is an American professional basketball player.Playing at center at 7'0", he has played in the NBA for three different teams and also in the Continental Basketball Association with the Idaho Stampede...
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	A. C. Green A. C. Green A.C. Green, Jr., is a retired American NBA basketball player who played in more consecutive games than any other player in NBA and ABA history. With 1,192 straight games played, he earned the nickname "Iron Man". He played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat...	Danny Manning Danny Manning Daniel Ricardo "Danny" Manning is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Manning won the National Championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and...
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	Charles Barkley Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...		Mario Bennett Mario Bennett Mario Marcell Bennett is an American professional basketball player.- College career :The youngest of four children, Bennett was an early entry candidate for the 1995 NBA Draft despite having been in school for four years, because he missed the entire 1992-93 season recovering from knee surgery...	Michael Finley Michael Finley Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	Wesley Person Wesley Person Wesley Lavon Person is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Selected by the Phoenix Suns 23rd overall in the 1994 NBA Draft out of Auburn University, he played three seasons for the Suns, five for the Cleveland Cavaliers, 82 games over two seasons for the Memphis Grizzlies,...	Chris Carr Chris Carr (basketball) Chris Dean Carr is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 2nd round of the 1995 NBA Draft. Carr played six seasons in the NBA for the Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics...
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	Kevin Johnson Kevin Johnson Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...	Elliot Perry Elliot Perry Elliot Lamonte Perry is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.The 6'0" point guard from Memphis State University , was selected with the tenth pick of the second round by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1991 NBA Draft...	Terrence Rencher Terrence Rencher Terrence Lamont Rencher is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed at 6'3" ....

Standings

Pacific Division

Team	W	L	PCT.	GB
Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...	64	18	.780
Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...	53	29	.646	11
Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...	44	38	.537	20
Phoenix Suns	41	41	.500	23
Sacramento Kings Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...	39	43	.476	25
Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...	36	46	.439	28
Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...	29	53	.354	35