At a Crossroads?
August 30, 2007 by Daren Galindez
Are we at a crossroads with the Suns? It’s an interesting question I have been asking myself. It sounds like a weird question to be asking with a team with a young star in Amare, the best point guard in the league and a team core that has only been together a few years. We even have a new ownership group. So how could we already be at a crossroads of sorts?
Steve Nash’s first year with us set the table in terms of expectations. He opened a metaphoric window that most us of didn’t even know came with our house. He set the bar so high for us Suns fans that it opened our eyes to something we were not sure this team was capable of before he arrived. I remember hearing everything from signing Nash was a mistake to he was nothing more then a stop gap until we can develop someone younger. So after year one the table was set.
Because of the outcome of year two with Nash and Amare being out, most people had written off that season. Then Nash again almost single handedly kept this team in striking distance of a title. Then came year three where it appeared we just couldn’t get a break against the Spurs whether you blame it on officiating, David Stern or just the Suns play.
Suns fans have been on a huge roller coaster ride in a really short period of time. Most teams in the NBA usually know what to expect from their respective teams. I know what Suns fans want. However, we have so many x-factors. Can Nash continue to play at this level? Will Amare’s knees last? Will Sarver financially support the team the way it needs to be while the window is still open? Will any of the new pieces make a difference? Does Mike D’Antoni’s system even allow you the opportunity to win a title? There has been so many questions at the end of each of the last three seasons despite the team’s success.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a good place (if not exhausting place) to be in if you have a shot at a title. We know this team is going to be good. I just think that if the team doesn’t come through this season, the expectations are going to take a huge turn in the fans and probably the media’s eyes at the end of the next season. So it’s possible by the end of next season our expectations will be right where they should be….for better or worse.
In my opinion, this season is a defining moment in the franchise’s history that will lead us down a glorious road or a road we traveled down so many times before.
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This does feel like a make or break year for the Suns. It’s our best chance at winning a title I feel, even back to the Joe Johnson era. If we don’t do it this year, I really feel like we just wont with this group at all.
I look at this offseason and to sum it up we traded 4 first round draft picks, got rid of kurt thomas, and james jones and only got Grant Hill in return. If anything this team has taken a step back and it hurts because we are so close. Now we have no answer for duncan or Nowitzki defensively and It seems like ownership is more worried about turning a bigger profit then winning a title.
Justin, I’m sorry brother but you can’t be more wrong, with your comments. James Jones was a liability, granite Kurt Thomas was an adequate piece to our team, but was he worth the money he was due this season. Offseason isn’t over yet. PJ Brown still wants to come here but is debating on playing or retiring. We had 2 bottom first round picks this year, we traded one and drafted Alando Tucker. Dick Vitale of ESPN called him the most underrated player in college basketball. DJ Strawberry in the second round is our future starting point guard. Him at the 1 Barbosa at the 2 Tucker at the 3. Nice young core we have there. This is our final big run with the stars we have, but it’s not like we are going to be awful after this year. Amare and Barbosa are here for a while, as well as the two rookies. We get Grant Hill who is 1 year removed from an All-Star season and he averaged 15.5 points a game last year, are you kidding me in that we took a step back?????? We still have Diaw, Barbosa, Tucker, Strawberry and maybe PJ Brown off the bench. I would not count this team out in June to host GAME 1 of the NBA FINALS
We did take a step back. This team can’t run over the Spurs and without Kurt Thomas, Amare will again get in foul trouble and we’ll have no chance against the Spurs. I asked a few Maryland fans and they said that Strawberry should definitely not be a starting point guard. On NBADraft.net, passing was his lowest rated skill. Some quotes:
Occasionally turnover prone when asked to run offense … Not capable of running point properly …
There is not way he’ll be the point guard. Both he and Tucker are defensive 2-guards with some point guard skills. One of them may develop close to Joe Johnson as a point guard, but nothing better than a back-up at the position.
If we get PJ Brown I will be more optimistic, but right now I wouldn’t expect this team to even take the Spurs to 6.
I honestly think the Spurs are done now…they won it one last time, but Duncan is getting up there in age, and I think Amare is coming into his own this season.
I really don’t see Kurt Thomas as the key piece that beats the Spurs…he helped, but that wasn’t our problem. Duncan still scored when he wanted, still put in over 30 points a game. If Amare’s defense is better, one on one, we’ll be no worse off than last year.
The Spurs aren’t done. Duncan is still only 30-31…he won’t drop off that much because Popovich is smart enough not to overplay his players. They are all fresh and very well rested for the playoffs. Kurt Thomas was a key piece because against Diaw, Duncan will do even better and that will negate any age issues with him. Amare will improve a bit on D, but Duncan is still a smarter player than him and will get Amare in foul trouble. I think if we get the 1st seed, there will be a chance vs. the Mavs and I don’t see the Bulls, Celtics, Pistons, Cavs or Wizards beating us, but against the Spurs there’s no chance. I think the fans would’ve learned by now that you can’t just run and gun and expect to beat the Spurs. Heck, even the Jazz worry me.
We had our best opportunity last year and it was taken away by Donaghy/Stern. Unless D’Antoni one day figures out that we did play our best ball with a center on the floor without Amare we won’t win it.
And you talked about Duncan getting older, but Nash will have more issues than he will with his back problem.
Center on the floor “with” Amare, my mistake.
I also forgot to mention after talking about Strawberry that Tucker is also undersized for a small forward so our future will be three 2’s, Diaw and hopefully Amare. And we have few picks left now thanks to the moves the front office made.
I still don’t think Thomas was the key to use winning or losing that series. I think we lacked a third scorer at times, and Grant Hill could be that.
I for one am sort of in between both of you guys. Grant Hill makes us better on the offensive end because he provides a legit 3rd scorer on this team. The Spurs IMO can’t stop 3 legit scorers at the same time. So to me this puts added defensive pressure on the Spurs which makes us better.
However, I still have to agree that we need another big body to keep Duncan honest. Compared to both San Antonio and the Mavs we don’t have as many big bodies. It will take it’s toll on our guys and eventually wear them down. So, at the very least we need to get another big body to take some of that punishment away from Amare.
Wow, I am stunned. We as Suns fans think that the Spurs are this God sent team. Guys, the Mavs were ousted in Round 1. The Suns played without Amare in Game 5 and we almost won every game in that series. The Spurs met the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals, are you kidding me. Who cares about the East. Spurs got rewarded last year for not outplaying the Suns but by winning the battle of breaks. They got the most breaks. I’m not at all worried, and if you think the Suns can’t beat the Spurs become a Spurs fan, cause your on their bandwagon.
And the Spurs won’t stop getting the breaks. They just know how to get away with things. Just because I’m a Suns fan doesn’t mean I should believe we are going to win it when it’s obvious to me we aren’t the best. I don’t need to chance my loyalty because I’m not overly optimistic.
We also were beaten pretty badly in ‘05…the game we won was when Hunter got more playing time and he and Amare were good together defensively and we lost Game 1 last year when D’Antoni didn’t put Kurt on the floor and then we he did give him playing time the Suns outplayed them when they had all their players together. The Suns won’t win without any interior defense. They’ll get everyone excited again before fizzling out.
See, I totally disagree. Granted, if we have to go through the Spurs, then we may need interior defense. But we could have beaten any other team last year as we were. So we are essentially worried about ONE team.
One team that we were THIS close to beating if not for a cheating referee who sat Amare with two fouls, and then two suspensions.
Here we go Spurs! Here we go! Let’s all jump on the aging Spurs train!!! Don’t tell me we traded Kurt Thomas, he is a superstar. He played 12 quality minutes for us last year. Oh no! Give me a break. Spurs won’t finish in the top 2 of their own division. Dallas and Houston are better teams. I really can’t believe we are arguing about this. The Suns top 7 players are better then any other team. We play the Spurs 4 times during the year. Plenty of time to develop a scheme to stop the immortal Spurs in the Playoffs, if we even have to play them. I think they are a 4 or 5 seed at best. Unbelievable
It was lack of depth that hurt us last year. We didn’t have a bench and that killed us against SA. Duncan is going to score no matter who you put on him.
I just hope Mike plays more of his bench players. I watched them bring in Rose only for him to ride the bench. I’d like to see 9 players in the rotation this year so when the playoffs come, we can rest the starters in some games so they are fresh in the 4th.
We’ll have good teams in the future, but Nash is the reason why we have a title chance this year. Nash has 2 or three years in him at the level he’s playing now but if they don’t get to the finals this year, frustration will start to settle in and it could start to hold a cloud over their heads. Last year they can chalk it up to a poor decision by Stern and poor officiating in Game 3. This year, there is no excuse. They must go to the finals.
Ryan wrote what I believe too. The only difference is that I don’t think Grant Hill will contribute much. He’ll either be injured, or be such a liability on defense that D’A will be afraid to play him in crunch time.
Right now, drinking Suns Kool-Aid, I think the Suns have the best shot at winning the NBA title.
Ryan, it’s not Kurt Thomas was a superstar. It’s Kurt Thomas provided big man depth that is needed on your road through the Spurs. It’s that we removed him from our team and essentially didn’t replace him. Who is going to take those minutes? Kurt Thomas wasn’t a superstar but he wasn’t a scrub either.
It’s all about depth. Grant Hill provides more depth on the offensive end but does nothing for you in the middle of the floor on defense. Until proven otherwise all roads lead through the Spurs. Meaning that you have to try and match up with them the best you can. I think this team is better offensively (if that was possible) but is worse defensively in the middle.
I think adding another big man in the middle will keep Amare out of foul trouble and allow the Suns to persevere during a grueling 7 game series. It’s not about getting superstar numbers out of another big man. It’s about getting more depth at that position to make the other teams big men earn their points. So far none of the scrub “big men” we have on this team are going to get that done.
Even Bickley sees hope…
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/0901bickley0902.html
That’s how I feel about this coming season.