Black Jesus Disciples (via TrueHoop) has a slice of early news out of Phoenix. Attendance at Phoenix Suns Fantasy Camp (you do fun drills and meet cool people, just like real NBA players do) means hearing from new team president Rick Welts, which, in this case, means you get a scoop. Welts told the crowd that cheap acquisition Matt Barnes will be starting in front of Grant Hill.
Brilliant or another sign of the impending apocalypse? I'd skew toward the former. No one knows which direction the team is really headed, nor whether the Shaq/Amare will be as powerful in the spits of November as the playoff run. O'Neal is still rated highly as a rebounder, and Stoudemire is better than acceptable at the four. One category in which Barnes exceeds Hill is rebounding: Matty is very good for a three, and Hill is acceptable. Does Phoenix -- with Shaq/Amare -- need help on the boards? Can a Suns team actually clear the glass regularly?
The other area of focus: three-point shooting. Hill famously shot more treys than ever before last season, and he didn't do it particularly well. His mid-range game seemed oddly equipped for Phoenix's motion offense. Barnes had an atrocious shooting campaign last year in Golden State, but hit a good clip in '06-07. He also, unlike Hill, has no shyness pulling the trigger. Hill's wing play seemed uncomfortable and almost coerced when rolling with Nash and Marion. Speed kills, you know? Barnes will have no problem hanging back on the break and blasting off a threeball.
If Mike D'Antoni were still in charge, I'd call this Quentin Richardson 2.0. (My favorite statistic of maybe ever: six of every 10 shots Q took in his lone Phoenix season was a three. ! That kind of endorsed gunnerism is where babies come from.) Without knowing Terry Porter's (or, ahem, Steve Kerr's) intentions, the impetus or impact of an apparent Barnes ascension remains unknown.
But for the life of me, I can't imagine why someone would want to own an NBA team if he cared more about breaking even than winning a championship. What's the point? Anyway, if I were fortunate enough to own an NBA team, I would never, ever, EVER favor my pockets over a chance at a title. It's like going to Vegas for a guy's weekend and refusing to lose more than $100. Why even go then? Just stay home.-Bill Simmons
i'd be more than OK with this move if it comes to fruition. No need to grind Hill down to the nub he was at the end of last season and I like him coming in to help an inexperienced bench.
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Rubarb is what makes my feet look cheese!
It seems very strange to me that this decision would be made before training camp. In fact, it makes no sense at all. My take is that Welts is jumping the gun. There is no reason for Porter to have made this decision already, and I'd be amazed if he has.
If the Suns coaching staff is deciding who their starting lineup is going to be before ever even PRACTICING for a single second, then Terry Ford = Avery Johnson.
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Amare in New York in 2010. Book it.
If the Suns coaching staff is deciding who their starting lineup is going to be before ever even PRACTICING for a single second, then Terry Ford = Avery Johnson.
If the Suns coaching staff is deciding who their starting lineup is going to be before ever even PRACTICING for a single second, then Terry Ford = Avery Johnson.
OK. Unless,
Barnes play in the voluntary workouts has been so clearly superior to Hill's that its the obvious choice.
or
Hill is obviously having difficulty coming back from injury and it looks like he is pretty much done.
It seems very strange to me that this decision would be made before training camp. In fact, it makes no sense at all. My take is that Welts is jumping the gun. There is no reason for Porter to have made this decision already, and I'd be amazed if he has.
Actually if Porter plans on stressing defense in practices and all the energy that entails, it makes perfect sense. This year with the suns practicing defense, trying to learn porters schemes, Hill is too old to be a starter. With a greater emphasis on defense the young guys will need to get more time as the old ones will wear down with the practices and 80+ games.
Love the move. This will make us less reliable on Hill, so it wont hurt us as much when he goes down late in the year. (Or hopefully helps keep him fresh)
__________________ #14 Javier Hernandez, Manchester United FC, Mexico International
If the Suns coaching staff is deciding who their starting lineup is going to be before ever even PRACTICING for a single second, then Terry Ford = Avery Johnson.
After listening to him speak and engage us, it's easy to see how the man has been so successful in everything he has done. He's very, very excited for the upcoming All-Star Weekend, and looks forward to the Suns proving the media and their predictions wrong.
Welts explained that earlier in the day all the owners came to the arena to watch the team practice and after discussions with the coaching staff, they agreed the team had ably filled its three biggest holes:
-Robin Lopez is a big body in the paint who will bring energy, toughness, and rebounding, and will be a guy who can easily step in for Shaq if/when the big man goes down.
-Goran Dragic is better than advertised and there's very good reason the Suns' scouts have been drooling over his talent and what he brings to the table.
-in a roundabout way, Matt Barnes adds depth to the team, as he will be starting and Grant Hill will move to the bench this season.
This last point just about floored everyone in attendance, but it sounds like this is what Coach Porter and Hill want to do.
Once again, Welts was fantastic, and I very much enjoyed listening to him. What's more, he took a great number of questions and answered each and every one in great detail.
After he had the chance to knock a few softballs out of the park, I threw him another one and asked if there was any concern for Amare going elsewhere after exercising his early termination option in 2010, despite the fact that the collective bargaining agreement allows the Suns to offer him the most money.
Welts was very direct in answering my question, letting us know that Amare has always been part of the Suns family and always will be. The team will be taking a proactive approach to his next contract and hopes to get something done before the option can even enter the discussion.
I also like the stuff about Dragic and Amare's future with the Suns.
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