Your ex girlfriend was right, the sunrise really is more beautiful than the sunset.

The Phoenix Suns officially learned that lesson the hard way this week announcing that Amare Stoudemire is done for the season. And no, not the regular season, the whole season, post-season included. Just like that, the sun disappeared beyond the desert horizon.

Since 2004 Nash lead the resurgence of the run and gun Suns, sparking the team to the upper echelons of the NBA and resulting in the NBA’s best record in 2005.  There is no debating their style of play was exciting and attracted new fans. But what is the price of the new found glory?  What do you have to give up, what do you have to sacrifice in order to win?

The Sun’s have had their taste of success, but no franchise has experienced as much bad luck as the Suns have. Whether it’s losing to Spurs in 5 games because Joe Johnson broke his face, being blown out by the Mavs in 06′ because of playing two 7-game series beforehand against the Lakers and Clippers, or because Stoudemire ran down the bench, stepped over black line, and was suspended against the Spurs in 07. The Suns have been served set back after set back. And as Nash continues to get older, you see them become more desperate. They trade for a snail speed Shaq, fire DiAntoni, hire Terry Porter, then try to right ship by firing him half way into the season.

How does it get that bad? One thing that surely led to the decline is the ownership has screwed over the team time and time again. By refusing to open the checkbook, shipping Joe Johnson out and trading several first round draft picks, (which included Rudy Fernandez this year). It’s no wonder why they got so old, they trade for fading stars and fail to draft new young talent.

And now the news about Amare, the last good draft pick they didn’t trade away, undergoes season ending surgery that was announced two days after the trade deadline. The one trade they should have made, quite possibly shut the door on their faith.

The main reason people fail to appreciate the beauty of the sunrise is because it arrives early and unnoticed. You go about your day enjoying the sunshine; much how Phoenix and its fans loved being witnesses to the run and gun, and you never fully appreciate what you have. All this only to discover that the end comes faster than you thought/wanted it to. And it hurts because in the end the only person to blame for the end of an era is yourself.

The sun has set in the desert. Their dreams, hopes, and desire to one day hoist the Larry O’Brien have faded into the horizon with it.