The fingerprints of rookie general manager Steve Kerr are all over the Phoenix Suns now, in fact, bubbling over with hot grease that has strangely taken on the shape of 330 pounds worth of Shaquille O’Neal.
Ah yes, the deconstruction of the Suns.
In the wake of their five-game playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Suns as we knew them are finished … virtually all the undoing of Kerr as the henchman for owner Robert Sarver. Coach Mike D’Antoni (232-96) is likely through, clashing philosophy with Kerr from Day 1 of this season, the effect of unloading Kurt Thomas in a preposterous trade to start the season, the dealing of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami for O’Neal, and it all came to a head in a first-round knockout – the only time that has happened in his four-plus seasons as the Suns head coach.
It’s easy to point to O’Neal, the Big Cactus, as an even bigger target. He was presumably brought in just for a series like this with the Spurs – to clog the middle defensively and be a problem for Tim Duncan. Well, Duncan averaged 24.8 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in the series. And point guard Tony Parker treated the lane that O’Neal was supposed to own as his own personal crash pad, averaging 29.6 points and 7.0 assists.
And on the offensive end, The Big Cactus was the Big Target, as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich took advantage of O’Neal’s legendary free throw bricks by fouling him continuously to disrupt the Suns whenever they did get on a run. O’Neal may contend he makes them when they count, but are we being presumptuous by saying the 32 he missed in this series meant even more than the 32 he made?
And while Kerr is being portrayed as the villain (how can the incredibly affable and bright Steve Kerr be a villain?), it all really started nearly four years ago.
You see, this whole thing was inevitable as soon as Sarver bought the team from Jerry Colangelo in the summer of 2004 and president/general manager Bryan Colangelo fled to Toronto in March of 2006. They were the guys that brought in D’Antoni, allowed him to build a new model of NBA basketball around the group of Marion, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire. They tweaked it with defensive additions Thomas and Raja Bell.
They created a new era of “fun-and-gun” basketball, with three consecutive Pacific Division titles, and other teams emulated what they accomplished. It took the NBA back to the 1980’s with a new version of Showtime, and rejuvenated flat television ratings for the league.
But Sarver began to break it down with a controversial sign-and-trade of the magnificently talented Johnson to Atlanta that brought Boris Diaw and draft choices. Sure, Johnson claimed he wanted to be the guy, but so did Marion and Stoudemire always complained about shots. That’s what coaching and being a general manager are all about. You deal with the egos, but at the end of the day, it’s all about performance and they performed at a high level for D’Antoni, the irrefutable NBA Coach of the Year in 2005.
They lost to the Spurs in the conference finals in 2005 and the Mavericks in 2006 … clearly knocking on the door. And then last season in the semifinals against the Spurs and the series tied 2-2, there was the controversial issue of Stoudemire and Diaw getting suspended from Game 5 for leaving the bench in the Game 4 Suns’ win when Robert Horry took a cheap shot at Nash that sent him flying into the scorer’s table. It killed the Suns’ momentum. They lost Game 5 and Game 6, setting up Kerr to take over the personnel department from D’Antoni and David Griffin.
The handwriting was on the wall at the start of the season when they dumped Thomas – a key figure for interior defense last season – and two first-round draft choices for a conditional second-round pick. It was about the last year of his $8 million contract, so wouldn’t that have been invaluable this summer? He was replaced by the much cheaper and less talented Brian Skinner.
The bigger deal came in February, of course, for O’Neal. D’Antoni put on a happy face for the trade, contending he pushed for the deal. And in some ways it helped them run because he added some rebounding. But Shaq didn’t help defensively because the big man never steps out on the screen-and-roll, which Parker and Manu Ginobili jumped all over in the series. He didn’t help the screen and roll with Nash on the offensive end either. It opened up the game for Stoudemire in a lot of ways, but O’Neal’s presence also inhibits others. It always has and always will.
So it pushed D’Antoni into a corner, often confused the brilliance of Nash, and now they’re done. We know this love affair between Sarver, a Tucson native, is tied with Kerr, illustrious alum of the Wildcats. And he owns the team. Well, so be it.
With coaches about to play musical benches – beginning with jobs in New York and Chicago as starters – it won’t take long for D’Antoni to start anew. It’s all a matter of how this is finessed. But with O’Neal 36, Nash 34 and Grant Hill 36 in October, this team has Stoudemire, Diaw and Leandro Barbosa to build around.
The bad news for the fans is the most fun team in the league to watch is history.
The good news for the Suns is Sarver and Kerr have a much longer offseason to figure out what to do next.
Tip to Suns: at the end of games, throw the basketball...at the hoop, not straight out of bounds to nobody. Also, let players pick up foul number 6 as opposed to sitting them out in a must win situation.
The writer missed the games - the bigger problem was Steve Nash (again). Mr. No D Nash was severely outplayed (again) by Parker all series, and was the primary reason for the loss last night.
I for one never bought in to the "beautiful" basketball garbage of the Suns - they played like a pickup game team with no committment to defense or truly to winning.
No fair piling on after the crash. I don't believe you can blame this on Shaq except for the free throws. D'Antoni should have jerked him when they went to that ploy but from what I saw, Shaq was a big part of the reason that Phoenix was competitive. The big bust was failing to foul Finley in regulation of game 1. The whole series turned on that play and the 3 pointer Duncan hit in overtime. But for that we might be singing praises of Kerr and D'Antoni now. You have to give credit to the Spurs. Parker raised his game to a whole new level. He had been looking hurt the last couple of weeks before the playoffs but not now. This is not the first rodeo for the Spurs-they know when and how to turn it on for the playoffs. I wouldn't tear a team apart because of this series against the past and future champs. Add to this team and let D'Antoni coach them for a full year together before you jump off the cliff.
I knew his inability to defend the pick-and-roll would come back to haunt the Suns.
Here's an excerpt of a blog I wrote shortly after the trade:
Phoenix have always been a mediocre defensive team and Shaq makes them worse.
Following the trade that brought Shaq to Phoenix, I listened to countless NBA "experts" reason that Shaq's presence in the paint would improve Phoenix's "team defense" and each time I thought to myself, have these guys seen Shaq play the past 8 seasons?
As early as 2000, Shaq was terrible at defending the pick-and-roll. Eight years later, he's even worse.
So what did the Lakers do? Nearly every offensive possession when Shaq was in the ball game resulted in a high pick-and-roll with Shaq's man (Gasol) setting a pick for Kobe Bryant or Derek Fisher. Each time, the ball handler or the man setting the pick (Gasol) was wide open for a jumpshot or a rolling cut into the paint.
Kobe Bryant was 16-25 for 41 points. Pau Gasol was 13-19 for 29 points. Both players shot above 60%. The Lakers, as a team, shot 57 percent. Many of their shots resulted from the Suns defense having to overcompensate for the defensive liability that is Shaquille O'Neal.
And it's not going to get any better.
Every powerhouse team in the West has a dynamite guard who will exploit Shaq's inability to defend the pick-and-roll. Tony Parker, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, & Allen Iverson will have field days against the Phoenix Suns.
1st NBA game I watched in a long time, same old thing the ref's protect the spurs and Tim D they can make the outcome whatever they want I have never seen a team cry like the spurs, Have they ever made a foul, clean up the ref's Droe
I like how this is the second team that mortgaged so much to get an over the hill player in Shaq. We all saw in the 04 playoffs, and even 03, that Shaq was coming down from elite status. The heat were lucky, very lucky to win in 06, and gave up to very good players, Odom and Butler for Shaq. The Suns are now in the exact same boat. They overpaid for Shaq, and really have no were to go. Only difference is Heat already habe Marion, Wade, Haslem, and a great pick (rose). i really don't think there is going to be another sucker on Shaq. The Suns mite contend next year, but thats it, Shaq weighs more than the ship n it will sink. Sorry Phoenix your time has come n gone. Too bad, you were fun to watch
Sarver started the downfall of this team when he would not pay Johnson the $50 million. He was a cheap #### and held out for $45 million. He figured Johnson would take less the next year. We know what happened to that logic, Mr. Mark Cuban.
Then he sells five first round picks in three years.
The Suns have one pick from Atlanta this year, probably 13th, and other than that, they don't have another one until 2011. So, being cheap and no picks, you can expect the Suns to be a lottery team until at least 2012 or 2013, unless Sarver sell those picks too. Remember this era, it will be a long time before it is repeated by the Suns.
Worst trade ever, for the Buns that is. This is similar to what happened to the Lakers following their loss in the '04 NBA Finals. Steve Kerr and the Pringle Man are in hot water. Even if Phoenix has Slaq for the entire season, they'll still get a worn down has-been. He'll come to practice out of shape and heavier. Then, he'll fake an injury to sit out half the season. This has always been his habits. He doesn't care about winning so long as someone signs his checks. The Gasol deal was the only one of the big trades that makes sense. He's in his 20s and has a lot for him and Kobe to win championships.
all up front office want to wheel and deal and ending up trading good players let the head coach make these decisions.like old sayings to many chiefs not enough indians
droe38 must be a Suns fan that's still whining about last season and the inability of the Suns to play a basketball game as a TEAM!! Have fun figuring out what ya'll are gonna do with a 330 pound pile of c*r*a*p called Shaq.
as a Suns ticket holder, I am tired of the "it was a bad trade" junk. The Suns have the talent to win it all and then some. They need a coach, not player/coach (Nash). Dantoni never uses his bench throughout the year using a 7 sometimes 6 man rotation. He doesn't know how to develop players, and he doesn't understand time management. I have seen a lot (to many to count) where the Suns would be up and then the other team would go on a 10-12 point run without Dantoni calling a timeout to stop the momentum. No other coach would do this. Spurs, Lakers, Dallas, ect.. everyone of them would never let a team go on runs like that without trying to break the momentum. Dantoni never rested his older players throughout the year and Nash and Hill broke down. Dantoni is like a kid with a new toy, use it until it breaks. Heck, Shaq's first game with the Suns Dantoni played him over 24 minutes. Suns have the talent, just not the coaching staff to get them over the hump. Get a coach that coaches and it's a whole new game.
I really really love him. He is attracted by lots of beautiful women like me. We have a good talk on the FREE & HOT celebrity dating site ' R i c h M a t c h M a k i ng . c om'. I am a part-time model. He said I am his ideal match. I like the site. I like him.
Yes over the 39 years,starting when I was 7 in 1968, I've seen it all.
But I will say they don't stay down for long...
And for the same #### Suns fans ,who I guess never heard the words for Joe Johnson himself, that he asked Sarver not to match the offer because he wanted to be close to home and go to Atlanta.Plus they didn't sign him the year earlier because Joe didn't show he was worth it.If you are a true Suns fan , you would have knowm that from what you would have seen....
If they change, it'll be fine sooner than later and with a new philosophy..
As a Laker fan I was so excited when the Lakers got Shaq 12 years ago.
As a Laker fan I was almost as excited when the Suns got Shaq this year...especially because they gave up Marion to get him. Most everyone that understands basketball was left scratching their heads. How does Shaq fit with a run and gun team like the Suns? Well, not surprisingly, the answer came in...it's not a good fit.
The future does not look bright for the Suns. Shaq has 2 years left at 20 million per year. He's virtually untradable at this point. History will repeat itself when Shaq shows up to camp out of shape. He's always used the regular season to get into shape.
Had the Suns not made the trade, they would have had a better record, gotten a higher seeding and probably advanced past the first round.
I can almost guarantee that if The Suns never made the trade for O'neal and kept the team they had this series goes 7 games and the Suns have a chance to win. Not to mention that without adding the Big Oaf the Suns would not have lost so many key games after the trade and finished with a higher seed and perhaps the opportunity to play the Spurs later in the playoffs when they might have been wore down some.
The problem is now that they have the Big Oaf's ridiculous contract against their salary cap and can't sign anyone of value...one of the worst trades in NBA history.
OK, I've had enough of the one sided BS and the unsportsmanship of other team fans.
First off, I am a Suns fan, and have been all my life. This should tell you that I am not a fair weather fan.
I am not pouting, crying, blaming etc. The Suns let me down again.
Now for you fans of other teams. The Suns are a great team. If they weren't, they wouldn't have been in the playoffs.
For you Spurs fans, if you look at the final scores of the games, they were very competitive, minus the one blow out of 16 by SA and the one plow out by Phx of 19. The SA players even said they didn't want to go back to Phx.
It is time to be a little more sportsmanlike on these boards and be a little more realistic over the play of the players.
The Suns have, and have had, enough offensive talent, including this year, to beat any team in the league in a 7-game series. With that said, as a Spurs fan, I just saw the Spurs play their hearts out, and put more effort into beating these Suns, with the great Nash, than any other team they have faced in the past six years, excluding Detroit (05). This series made the finals last year look like a cakewalk.
The Suns never gave up, but they made mistakes when it counted, and if they had a coach with a half-way decent defensive system, or had enough time to build this same team up with a coherent and harmonious offensive/defensive synthesis, they would be very hard to beat.
Look at it this way, it is not the Suns players fault that they stink at defense. Every NBA athlete has the potential to play devastating defense, if he learns and stick to the fundamentals. This falls on the heads of the coaching staff, who must as an imperative predicate playing time for each player throughout the whole season, on the mastering of the defensive game.
This is a main reason for why Detroit has failed, and will fail, under Flip. It is a glaring myth that guys like Nash, Mello, Amare, Iverson, and Dirk do not have the potential to play great D.
This is the secret of Poppovich, who from day one, instills a defensive mindset into every player who wants to play consistently. If Mike Finely and Brent Barry can do it, anyone can.
Great Series Suns, but I hope you guys never figure this simple fact out.
Last edited by PhilosopherKing on April 30th at 11:23 PM.
D'Antoni is who you're blaming this on? Kerr picks up a slower, rapidly aging O'Neil at the tail-end of the season by trading away the versitile Marion, expects everything to be figured out by the start of the playoffs, and D'Antoni is your scape-goat? Mike Kahn hit it spot on at the end the above "article." Re-read the paragraph that has "Manu Ginobili" in bold.
happ99,
Nana-nana-boo-boo, you're city and the players are blow-hards.
PhilosopherKing,
That's quite the handle you have there, more so when coupled with your comment. Glaring myth? The guys you mentioned don't play D for a number of reasons; they don't have the desire to, they use up a lot of energy on the offensive side of the ball, they don't have the mental toughness to play D...
Playing great defense is not something a coach can just teach. A good defensive game takes a lot of sacrifice and will power from the player that chooses to make this a part of his game. Plus, it's not as rewarding to play great D as it is great O in the eyes of most players. You can score buckets, or you can make the guy you're defending pass the ball out...um, I'll score buckets!
The Spurs have some excellent defenders and excellent team defense, but Finely and Barry still don't play great D, nor are they in when the Spurs need a defensive stop.
Last edited by ElGalloGigante on May 1st at 7:06 AM.
The Suns had to take a chance. The Spurs beat them every year. Besides why not take a chance on a 4time champion and future hall of famer. Shaq is not the problem here. The biggest problem is the disappearance of Steve Nash, and Amares lack of defense.They need to bring in a defense of minded coach.Even with all this it may not be enough the Spurs are very well coach and have perhaps the best power forward ever.
"The Spurs have some excellent defenders and excellent team defense, but Finely and Barry still don't play great D, nor are they in when the Spurs need a defensive stop."
The key point here is: "nor are they in."
They play good enough D to get playing time, even in the crunch, but when they're not getting it done, they're not on the floor. There is a minimum standard of consistent D that all Spurs players have to meet to even stay on the floor, which Suns players do not even come close to reaching.
When Spurs players fail to meet this requirement
Pop instantly calls a time out to snap his players back into shape, or yanks the inept defenders all together. How many times has anyone see D'Antoni do this?
It takes years of hard work to play good and consistent defense. My point was that it can and has been taught to many players, but a defensive minded coach is necessary to make sure players do not forget, and even the best of them, look at Detroit in 07, do, including the great Duncan and Bowen.
Having a great system from a great coach is a large part of maximizing overall team D, and compensates for players defensively deficient in one way or another. But when each individual fails to perform his duty, the whole system fails.
Last edited by PhilosopherKing on May 1st at 10:31 AM.
I think there are a bunch of kneejerk reactions to the loss by the suns. Despite going out 4-1, they were competitive in every game, and a lucky 3 pointer by Duncan changed what could have been a huge Suns advantage. The Spurs are the defending champs, too - it's not like they lost to the Nuggets. The Spurs are simply a better, more disciplined playoff team, but the Suns had a great year. Steve Nash is still a very productive player, Stoudemire just needs to play better defense, but there's no reason this team can't compete for a title next year if they want to keep it together. Not that they are likely to. In my opinion though, decreasing Shaq's minutes and picking up a bruiser to play interior defense is all they're really missing. Getting rid of Kurt Thomas may have cost them the championship this year.
It was truly a great move of Steve Kerr to add Shaq. Shawn Merrion always invoked fear in the opposing team and fit in perfectly in Phoenix. Acquiring Shaq helped seal the door of fate on Phoenix, thankfully. Amare is a great player, but won't lead Phoenix anyway. Let Amare get his 25+ pts and let Phoenix lose.
Stoudemire doesn't rebound or play defense. Steve Nash is a total liability on defense. Shaq can't defend the pick-n-roll. Phoenix was doomed against the Spurs. The media completely supported Phoenix; but their greatest accomplishment under Steve Nash was defeated the Clippers in Round 2 two years ago. The Suns deserve no credit - against the Spurs and the Mavs they always got beat handily and have won no more than two games in a seven game series during crunch time. Look at the East Playoffs this year 3 teams that are down have won 2 games. That is how good the Suns ever really were - just a 2 game winner. The media was always fooled by their offense against weaker teams and surprised when teams with better defenses dominated them.
Pay Shaq his 20 million dollars and keep him. Hopefully, Steve Nash can still play well next year. Steve Nash reminds me of Steve Young's inability to beat another good team. Check Steve Young's stats against Dallas in the 94 Championship game; absolutely lousy. The only way the 49ers finally beat the Cowboys was due to 21 pts in turnovers in the 1st quarter. Maybe, Steve Nash has a chance for a freaky miracle if he is ever to advance.
No team deserves to lose more than the Phoenix Suns. For the last few years they have strutted around like they were the best team in the NBA. The media also bought into the Suns and expected titles out of them. Finally, this edition of the Suns will be laid to rest. Steve Nash, Amare & Company are no longer a threat. At the end I felt sorry for Nash and Amare & Company. They finally died in front of everyone. No champion wants you to feel sorry for them; but Steve Nash and the Suns are no champions. Hopefully, Nash and the Suns will accept their position as losers.
Trades did not prevent the Suns from winning a championship. All the title talk is just hype to get the fans going. The NBA has been dominated by a few select teams for most of its existence. The Suns have never been apart of that equation. The current Suns (or NOW previous Suns) never had the ability to defeat teams like Dallas and San Antonio. The Suns never came close against those teams. The Suns greatest accomplishment was defeating the Clippers in Round 2 two years ago. The Suns are pathetic.
The Suns do not have the offensive talent to beat teams to win a title nor they never did. Never in NBA history has a team been so highly touted that has never even made it to the finals. To put things into perspective the Suns greatest accomplishment to date has been to defeat the Clippers in Round 2 two years ago. How is that a champsionship team?
The New Jersey Nets made it to the finals twice; that team was better than the Suns. The Seattle Supersonics with Gary Payton to the finals; that team is better. Last year the Cleveland Cavs made it to the finals; that team is better than the Suns. Right now the Cleveland Cavs are a greater team than the Suns. Even the 8th seeded Hawks have played better than the Suns in this year's playoffs. Goodnight, goodbye, Phoenix is history.
I've never heard so many experts "expound" on the Suns. Funny they're mostly LA orSA fans. I would think that even you morons would have to ask yourself what impact the it would have had in the three previous years if:
a. Joe Johnson doesn't get fouled, land on his face, and disappear.
b. Nash doesn't get cut on the nose or checked into the scorers table, ultimatley losing Amare and Boris for game 5.
and
c. Grant Hill would have been healthy.
I will give credit to the Spurs for being a smart, tough, and talented team with a great coach. I will say the same for the Lakers. But I wish you so called experts would study the "game", not just your blogs, and be thankful for YOUR god fortune! Suns fans are not the whiners that you claim. Suns fans not only love their team, they know the game. And we know, that if any one of these "events" had not occured, the Spurs may very well be the ones "crying" foul.
A. Joe Johnson was a nonfactor in the first two games of that series, in which the Spurs demolished the Suns and basically sealed the series victory. Do you remember, everyone was wondering where Joe Johnson had went. He was long gone.
B. Nash went for an ill-advised steal and paid the price for his defensive ineptitude. The suspensions were not a result of the foul, the foul did not cause A and B to leave the bench, who freely choose to leave the fate of the Suns in the hands of King David.
C. Has Grant Hill ever been healthy? To say that the series was contingent upon the health of Hill is to not say much about the Suns.
Stop Crying
Last edited by PhilosopherKing on May 1st at 3:39 PM.
The Shaq trade made the Suns a better playoff team - it just came too late in the season. If the Suns win that 1st game and the series, everyone is praising Kerr. Duncan makes the 3, we all know the rest.
D'Antoni is not a great coach. Avery is not a great coach. Pop is a great coach. You can see it at the end of playoff games. When it counts. Dallas and Phx were lost in critical situations during close games. The Spurs almost always do the right thing.
Phx fans, you were a fun to watch team, but never a real contender the last 3 or 4 yrs - Kerr will make you a contender. I'm thinking he probably learbed a little bit about basketball, playing for 2 HOF coaches; and, playing with the best guard and power forward in the history of the NBA.
You would actually be better off with Van Gundy as your coach. You need to learn that defense and rebounding wins championships - not 50+ win seasons, lots of pretty dunks, and no discipline. Believe me, even an old Shaq makes you more of a contender than Marion ever did.
Hey 1MADSUN-
If "if's and but's" were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry christmas!
The picture of Shaq in the above article is great! You can almost hear him saying "Ouch, my hip!"
I agree with the comments regarding Steve Nash's defense. He presents the same problem as Iverson, at any given time he's over matched by a bigger guard, who is almost just as fast. Teammates have to help by switching, stepping out,etc. Shawn Marion could do it, and did it willingly. Shaq can't, or won't. Personally I expect Shaq's real birth certificate to surface, and he's really 45 years old,
All these Shaq haters need to give it up. He didn't cost the Suns the series it was poor coaching and Steve Nash. Nash got outplayed, committed too many turnovers, and his scoring was awful. Poor coaching began when D'antoni refused to take shaq out when the Spurs kept fouling him to gain points. Why didn't he take Shaq out? The Suns went no where in the playoffs with Marion the past two years, but you don't here no one talking about that. If Shaq wern't in there to guard Duncan, Duncan would have scored even more points. Having Amare guard Duncan all game would have put him in foul trouble early and often, not to mention would have slowed Amare's offense down because he would have been exhausted from having to guard Duncan all game. Barbosa didn't show up in game 6 either. So stop blaming Shaq for al the Suns' problems and start looking at the real problems. An old, non-defensive playing, low-scoring point guard in Steve Nash. Too many turnovers by all Phoenix players. Too many missed easy shots by all players. And finally, poor coaching in the end. Getting away from Amare to instill Diaw, and allowing the Spurs to catch up and then pass them when they kept fouling O'neal. Why wasn't he yanked?
Alot of Phoenix hate in here. We'll I'm sure everyone of you have seen the Suns kick your teams #### all over the place. hence the hatred. The suns will be back, the New orleans Hornets will take care of the rest in the West. So don't worry you cheating #### spurs. Every team has it's problems, but we still got stoudamire and nash . I've luved the suns since the Barkley days and will continue to be good. NBA as a hole #### blows now, ratings are down year after year. Maybe these money hungry athlete will go back to the old what was that called, oh yeah luv of the game. There isn't any of that left now days. BTW BOston will win it all over New Orleans. Spurs days are done
The trade for over-the -hill Shaq was the end of the program ! The earlier trades were just the beginning of the END.! A WONDERFUL and EXCITING team to watch-- ruined by managements' POOR judgement ! So now what ? If D'antoni leaves (quits or is fired) the team becomes an also ran-but not fast enough to finish any where near the top again !! Shame, shame on management !You have lost me and thousands of other loyal fans !!
Who cares if they were the most entertaining team in the NBA. They were never going to win a championship with the team they had and the no-defense style endorsed by D'Antoni. The article criticizes Shaq's reluctance to step out on the pick and roll, but Stoudemire was even worse (lazier) on that issue.
I have been a Suns fan since before I could talk. I know the SUNS have enough offensive talent to win a title. But, I agree with a lot of the other posters here. If the SUNS don't commit to playing good TEAM DEFENSE for at least hal####ame they will never get to have the downtown parade that they had when Barkley was the man here in PHX! You know maybe Barkley should come help coach the bigs here in PHX, then maybe Amare could really learn how to board?? What was Barkley maybe 6 foot 5, and he was always near the top pf the league in rebounding!
What the SUNS really need is a backup PG to Nash and another big guy ( 6'10" tall or over) to both come into the game and get 12-15 mins. off the bench.
I also love D'Antoni, but how are we ever gonna win a ring only playing a 2 or 3 man bench- especially when 4 of those 8 you do play are 30 or over!!! We need a coach in PHX who will preach defense and is willing to lose a few games in the regular season for the sake of developing young talent.
I have heard that mike D'antoni has been quoted as
saying in response to a question about young player devolpment(ie DJ strawberry tucker etc.) "I'm not here for player development" SO what Mike ? Are you just going to keep using your older starting five Nash Shaq Hill etc. and throw in barbosa and Diaw. And run them into the ground and let some nice potential sit over there on the bench and watch from now on. Mike is too stubborn to see that there maybe other possibilities that could enhance the team over all . it may require some patience and time. The more minutes these older players are playing the sooner the future is knocking on the door saying where are your young players that in time must replace your older players.Yes barbosa, Diaw
and stoudamire are still in there prime. However the idea that barbosa is the future replacement for nash or bell for that matter is unsettling and uncertain and doubtful. The question is then Who are these players Strawberry and Tucker?? What are they capable of?could one of or both of them after summerleagues and devolpmental games and coaches working with them on their skills and game, emerge as some really fine talent? They just need playing minutes to showcase their skill and talent.
After all the Suns have really limited their ability to aquire new players,younger talent due huge contract and salary cap obligations and limitations. This is the third edit to this blog
I believe i made refernces after game three about how D' antoni and staff should be in Sarver's office getting their #### chewed out and send mike packing. And
