Suns Sign Jermaine O'neal

[AfroSuns]

I was thinking, and should have said, Gortat is the closest thing to a franchise player we have this season. It will be ironic if he backs up Howard one more time -- in the All Star game.

That is a better description than saying he is a franchise player. I hope Dragic develops a good chemistry with Gortat or Gortat is going to struggle. I certainly hope he is developing his 1-on-1 game amongst others. He will be needing it in this post-Nash era.

 

[Griffin]

I hope Dragic develops a good chemistry with Gortat or Gortat is going to struggle.

They do have a bit of a head start in that department as both were part of Suns second unit in 2011 for 28 games before Dragic was traded.

 

[sunsfan88]

I was thinking, and should have said, Gortat is the closest thing to a franchise player we have this season. It will be ironic if he backs up Howard one more time -- in the All Star game.

If Dragic continues playing the way he did last season for Houston, then you could say that he's our franchise player.

I guess it all depends on standards though.

And hard to believe Gortat making the AS game unless Marc Gasol, and Bogut all get injured.

McGee and Cousins could also make overwhelming developments next season.

Would definitely be ironic though...and then Nash playing backup PG on that AS team as well

 

[Covert Rain]

Because the front office is under the impression that perpetually fighting for the 8th seed is a great idea.

AMEN BROTHER!

Because we didn't sign a likable young, veteran, franchise level, walk on, all star scrub, free agent to a long term minimum level deal. This doesn't fit with the lack of plan that the Suns are using to make the playoffs yet win the lottery. Further, this fits with other guys the Suns have or have not signed that were also unlikable young, veteran, franchise level, walk on, all star scrub free agents.

And damn it the Suns fans aren't going to take it anymore.

Hopefully that covers everyone's complaints?

Post of the day.

 

[JS22]

I figured I would just join in the complaining.

The Suns forum has basically turned into the same 10 guys complaining about every single move.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Suns forum has basically turned into the same 10 guys complaining about every single move.

I wonder why that would be exactly? Oh....let me take a stab....many of the recent moves do nothing to move this team away from mediocrity. I think generally speaking people can tell the difference between a good move and not so good moves (i.e. getting Gortat which was good, signing <insert mediocre player here> which is just a stop gap).

Please tell me which recent moves deviates from the mediocrity and why people should be elated? Maybe I missed it.

I would shout from the rooftops if they get their hands on the teams next franchise player who they can build around. Give me something to cheer about and I will cheer as loud as anybody.

 

[Chaplin]

I wonder why that would be exactly? Oh....let me take a stab....many of the recent moves do nothing to move this team away from mediocrity. I think generally speaking people can tell the difference between a good move and not so good moves (i.e. getting Gortat which was good, signing <insert mediocre player here> which is just a stop gap).

Please tell me which recent moves deviates from the mediocrity and why people should be elated? Maybe I missed it.

I would shout from the rooftops if they get their hands on the teams next franchise player who they can build around. Give me something to cheer about and I will cheer as loud as anybody.

Elated is a little much. Nobody is saying we should be jumping for joy, but a rebuild IS in progress. You may not like any of the new players individually, but we don't know what the team as a whole will be like.

The same people who were upset that we didn't get rid of Nash sooner are now complaining about what happened after we did get rid of him. We have a ton of young players on decent contracts with room to play again next summer. Most of our contracts are tradable assets too.

They tried to get a franchise player, and from reports they tried to get that prima donna from Orlando. I don't know what else you guys want. We have a completely different team from last year, which is what everyone wanted. Now that we have it, nobody will give it a chance. Are you upset that it might be awful, or that it won't? That is pretty ridiculous at this point, 3 months before the season starts.

 

[Covert Rain]

Elated is a little much. Nobody is saying we should be jumping for joy, but a rebuild IS in progress. You may not like any of the new players individually, but we don't know what the team as a whole will be like.

The same people who were upset that we didn't get rid of Nash sooner are now complaining about what happened after we did get rid of him. We have a ton of young players on decent contracts with room to play again next summer. Most of our contracts are tradable assets too.

They tried to get a franchise player, and from reports they tried to get that prima donna from Orlando. I don't know what else you guys want. We have a completely different team from last year, which is what everyone wanted. Now that we have it, nobody will give it a chance. Are you upset that it might be awful, or that it won't? That is pretty ridiculous at this point, 3 months before the season starts.

In fairness Chap many people that have been wanting to get rid of Nash were asking to do so while you could still get something for him of value. Waiting until you have no choice IS NOT the same thing and why many people were upset about the results.

Also, why are you blaming the fans for expectations setup by this front office? You surely could not have missed the multiple opportunities that the Suns threw in fans faces that this would be the year they landed a major free agent. Based on the expectations thrown out there by the front office....it was a huge FAIL regardless if they tried or not.

Personally I have no problem with the team rebuilding and sucking for a while if that means we get young, get high quality draft picks and increase our odds at getting a franchise player. However, this team continually seems to be aiming for that 8th seed playoff spot and mediocrity as if 50+ years without a title is any longer acceptable. It's embarrassing for this organization to be the most winning franchise in all of sports without a title.

 

[Chaplin]

In fairness Chap many people that have been wanting to get rid of Nash were asking to do so while you could still get something for him of value. Waiting until you have no choice IS NOT the same thing and why many people were upset about the results.

Also, why are you blaming the fans for expectations setup by this front office? You surely could not have missed the multiple opportunities that the Suns threw in fans faces that this would be the year they landed a major free agent. Based on the expectations thrown out there by the front office....it was a huge FAIL regardless if they tried or not.

Personally I have no problem with the team rebuilding and sucking for a while if that means we get young, get high quality draft picks and increase our odds at getting a franchise player. However, this team continually seems to be aiming for that 8th seed playoff spot and mediocrity as if 50+ years without a title is any longer acceptable. It's embarrassing for this organization to be the most winning franchise in all of sports without a title.

I think there's a huge difference between trying to build your team with good players and flooding it with youngsters whose odds of actually succeeding aren't any better than 25%.

I find it funny that you are badmouthing the organization when they made a concerted effort to make the change. Like them or hate them, they did acquire a significant number of young players. Yes, they got Scola--but he's a guy they are getting for virtually nothing and is a very attractive trade asset with his low salary. O'Neal is an old man, sure, but why you are bringing this all up in a thread about a 33-year-old center who by November will either be our 12th man or riding the pine with "back spasms" is beyond me.

They are trying to rebuild--they are actually STILL rebuilding. The odds on them getting the 8th seed aren't very good. People dislike the collection of players we got, but they consistently think they ARE good enough to make the playoffs (even at an 8th seed)? That doesn't make a lot of sense. One day, we are the worst team in the league, the next we're an 8th seed. Which is it?

The organization may be incompetent in your eyes, but they aren't aiming for the 8th seed and the 15th pick every year. When Nash was here, yeah, it seemed like they felt they "owed" it to him to try to make the playoffs. If they were content with that now, then why improve any more after this? Do you actually think they won't try to improve the team more next summer (or even by the trade deadline)? I will be very surprised if we have the same team at the same time next year--hell, I'll be surprised if we have the same team by the All-Star break. There is very little hope for this season, but the year should still be very interesting. At least SOMETHING has happened, whether you like it or not.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think there's a huge difference between trying to build your team with good players and flooding it with youngsters whose odds of actually succeeding aren't any better than 25%.

I find it funny that you are badmouthing the organization when they made a concerted effort to make the change. Like them or hate them, they did acquire a significant number of young players. Yes, they got Scola--but he's a guy they are getting for virtually nothing and is a very attractive trade asset with his low salary. O'Neal is an old man, sure, but why you are bringing this all up in a thread about a 33-year-old center who by November will either be our 12th man or riding the pine with "back spasms" is beyond me.

Who says I am bad mouthing the organization for getting younger? I never said that. If you read my last post I specifically pointed out I am OK with the organization getting younger and sucking if that means better long term health of the organization.

What irritates me is this organization continues to make moves with Veteran players that will never net you anything but a few more wins with the hope of grabbing that 8th seed. That has always been the Suns MO. Be happy with just making the playoffs. Was that the goal this time around? Who knows but hopefully the Suns are making the moves with the thought of getting a franchise player to insert with this younger group. It's just with this FO you can never tell.

They are trying to rebuild--they are actually STILL rebuilding. The odds on them getting the 8th seed aren't very good. People dislike the collection of players we got, but they consistently think they ARE good enough to make the playoffs (even at an 8th seed)? That doesn't make a lot of sense. One day, we are the worst team in the league, the next we're an 8th seed. Which is it?

Have no clue what your saying here. My reference to the 8th seed is this front office has always been happy with winning and just getting to the playoffs. They have a long history of signing players who chew up cap space just to meet that goal. That is all I was saying. I would prefer the Suns forget about the playoffs and just work on developing young talent. I am just not convinced that is what they are trying to do.

The organization may be incompetent in your eyes, but they aren't aiming for the 8th seed and the 15th pick every year. When Nash was here, yeah, it seemed like they felt they "owed" it to him to try to make the playoffs. If they were content with that now, then why improve any more after this? Do you actually think they won't try to improve the team more next summer (or even by the trade deadline)? I will be very surprised if we have the same team at the same time next year--hell, I'll be surprised if we have the same team by the All-Star break. There is very little hope for this season, but the year should still be very interesting. At least SOMETHING has happened, whether you like it or not.

The organization has been incompetent in my eyes because it's the most winning organization in sports without a title. That doesn't mean guys like JC didn't try. That doesn't mean that this organization isn't finally taking steps all of us have been asking for. I hope that is where this franchise is headed but you know what? I have guys that try to do a hard job where I work that simply are not good at their jobs. It doesn't make them any less incompetent at what they do. This Suns FO is largely incompetent no matter how hard they may or may not be trying.

I hope the Suns finally have a clue. My only issue with much of this is the Suns FO could have done a much better job at getting us to this point and netting us much more versus where we are at now. This FO has blown several opportunities to move pieces when we needed to.

I love the fact the Suns are finally moving on from the Nash era. I am just not convinced that any of the recent moves are going to net anything in return. Just like I was not convinced that this supposed big free agent year was going to result in the Suns landing a franchise player. The Suns finally appear to be headed in the right direction but as usual, with this FO, they screwed up a bunch to get there.

 

[Phrazbit]

Who says I am bad mouthing the organization for getting younger? I never said that. If you read my last post I specifically pointed out I am OK with the organization getting younger and sucking if that means better long term health of the organization.

What irritates me is this organization continues to make moves with Veteran players that will never net you anything but a few more wins with the hope of grabbing that 8th seed. That has always been the Suns MO. Be happy with just making the playoffs. Was that the goal this time around? Who knows but hopefully the Suns are making the moves with the thought of getting a franchise player to insert with this younger group. It's just with this FO you can never tell.



Have no clue what your saying here. My reference to the 8th seed is this front office has always been happy with winning and just getting to the playoffs. They have a long history of signing players who chew up cap space just to meet that goal. That is all I was saying. I would prefer the Suns forget about the playoffs and just work on developing young talent. I am just not convinced that is what they are trying to do.



The organization has been incompetent in my eyes because it's the most winning organization in sports without a title. That doesn't mean guys like JC didn't try. That doesn't mean that this organization isn't finally taking steps all of us have been asking for. I hope that is where this franchise is headed but you know what? I have guys that try to do a hard job where I work....it doesn't make them any less competent at what they do.

I hope the Suns finally have a clue. My only issue with much of this is the Suns FO could have done a much better job at getting us to this point and netting us much more versus where we are at now. This FO has blown several opportunities to move pieces when we needed to.

I love the fact the Suns are finally moving on from the Nash era. I am just not convinced that any of the recent moves are going to net anything in return. Just like I was not convinced that this supposed big free agent year was going to result in the Suns landing a franchise player. The Suns finally appear to be headed in the right direction but as usual, with this FO, they screwed up a bunch to get there.

Agreed across the board.

And in many ways they were saved from themselves along the way. What is the ceiling of a team with Eric Gordon, Gortat, Beasley and no cap space? A borderline playoff team only if they stay healthy?

What bothers me about these moves is I dont see any semblance of a plan. Unless, as others fear, the plan is to try and build a team that purpetually wins 40-45.

 

[Chaplin]

I love the fact the Suns are finally moving on from the Nash era. I am just not convinced that any of the recent moves are going to net anything in return. Just like I was not convinced that this supposed big free agent year was going to result in the Suns landing a franchise player. The Suns finally appear to be headed in the right direction but as usual, with this FO, they screwed up a bunch to get there.

But you can pretty much say that about all the years the Suns have been around, including those run by the Colangelo's.

The "free agent year" is certainly an ever-changing thing. I think a lot of the "bigger" signings this year were adversely affected by the Dwight Howard saga. Which of course will continue until he signs his inevitable extension with the Lakers.

What moves this season would have netted a return in your eyes? (Excepting trading for Dwight Howard and signing Deron Williams, that is)

I think the Suns are showing some cajones doing what they are doing. The odds of it blowing up in their faces are high, of course, but the potential reward must be pretty nice in their eyes. And honestly, it's not THAT bad. Sure, I wish we had a guy like Kevin Love, Demarcus Cousins or LeMarcus Aldridge to build around, but none of those types of players were available (except Williams, but he was never going to come here). So where do you start? Gordon would have been a start, maybe not to the above players level, but a start nonetheless.

Every championship-calibre team needs that one or two players who transcend the game and can control all 48 minutes. We don't have that at all. However, championship teams also need bench guys, role players, seasoned vets and young projects. I'd say that although we didn't get that franchise player (yet, hopefully), we've gotten a pretty good start of building the other required aspects.

 

[Mainstreet]

I could never accept the idea of trying to rebuild the the Suns like the Orlando Magic model. This is against all my ideas sportsmanship. I hope no one is suggesting the Suns should be following this path. I know you are not Chaplin.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Why is this small, no impact player just another weird, clunky, & awkward move by our front office?

For the life of me...... I cannot find the upside . Is he the final piece in the puzzle to get us to the 8th seed? Nope. So why waist ANOTHER roster spot on someone with no upside.

As I scan our roster we have a bunch of mediocre players who have been passed around the league because they haven't lived up to the hype, pressure or expectations of the first, second, or in some cases, third team they have been on. We know what we will get, and it will in no way be worth wasting my money or time on.

Does anyone expect any of these guys (other than maybe Goran) to become more than what they currently are?

Watching our FO pick up a slug like O'Neal when they could have just as easily picked up someone with some possible upside is beyond maddening to me.

 

[mojorizen7]

Jermaine O'Neal thread has 5 pages.

Its gonna be an interesting season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Why is this small, no impact player just another weird, clunky, & awkward move by our front office?

For the life of me...... I cannot find the upside . Is he the final piece in the puzzle to get us to the 8th seed? Nope. So why waist ANOTHER roster spot on someone with no upside.

As I scan our roster we have a bunch of mediocre players who have been passed around the league because they haven't lived up to the hype, pressure or expectations of the first, second, or in some cases, third team they have been on. We know what we will get, and it will in no way be worth wasting my money or time on.

Does anyone expect any of these guys (other than maybe Goran) to become more than what they currently are?

Watching our FO pick up a slug like O'Neal when they could have just as easily picked up someone with some possible upside is beyond maddening to me.

You can only have so many young players with upside. If you rebuild with only young players on your roster they do not develop correctly. Think the clippers for the last decade or more. Another young player on this roster will just be bench fodder. ONeal bring a veteran presence to the practice court and bench.

 

[Phrazbit]

You can only have so many young players with upside. If you rebuild with only young players on your roster they do not develop correctly. Think the clippers for the last decade or more. Another young player on this roster will just be bench fodder. ONeal bring a veteran presence to the practice court and bench.

Not every vet makes for a good veteran presence. I'd rather have another young guy around than a veteran of such questionable character and work ethic as Jermaine O'Neal. And he will not be happy with a backup role. The guy is either going to get PT or he is going to whine about not getting PT.

 

[elindholm]

The guy is either going to get PT or he is going to whine about not getting PT.

It will be moot, because by Thanksgiving he'll be too injured to play. There will be a small side drama about whatever his problem is and whether he can get better, and then after several weeks of no improvement, everyone will forget about him.

 

[Dr. Jones]

You can only have so many young players with upside. If you rebuild with only young players on your roster they do not develop correctly. Think the clippers for the last decade or more. Another young player on this roster will just be bench fodder. ONeal bring a veteran presence to the practice court and bench.

There is a reason I called him a slug. Don't we want Gortat to be our big man mentor? Maybe Dudley for the 1's, 2's, & 3's?

O'Neal is bench fodder.

Do we have one potential all-star on our team? I can't see it.

 

[BC867]

It will be moot, because by Thanksgiving he'll be too injured to play. There will be a small side drama about whatever his problem is and whether he can get better, and then after several weeks of no improvement, everyone will forget about him.

Isn't that the Suns intention? To buy time with O'Neal until they put Frye back into the Center rotation when he returns?

 

[Phrazbit]

Isn't that the Suns intention? To buy time with O'Neal until they put Frye back into the Center rotation when he returns?

Posters keep saying this but its very hard to imagine that is the Suns actual intention. Frye is worse at center than he is at PF. And O'Neal, who this summer whined about his lack of PT in Boston, would surly not have been thrilled with signing as a 3rd string on a bad team.

I fully expect O'Neal to be the backup center throughout the season... when healthy.

And I expect Frye to end up out of the rotation unless Morris totally falls apart.

 

[BC867]

And I expect Frye to end up out of the rotation unless Morris totally falls apart.

Man, I hope you're right. It's OK with me if Frye plays 23 feet from the basket . . . as long as it's behind the basket, up in the stands, selling gift card to Fry's Food Stores.

And Morris shouldn't play 23 feet from the basket at all.

I just don't see the Suns ever dropping Frye out of the rotation when he's healthy, unless it's via a trade.

 

[95pro]

maybe frye is projected to be out longer than expected?

 

[Phrazbit]

Man, I hope you're right. It's OK with me if Frye plays 23 feet from the basket . . . as long as it's behind the basket, up in the stands, selling gift card to Fry's Food Stores.

And Morris shouldn't play 23 feet from the basket at all.

I just don't see the Suns ever dropping Frye out of the rotation when he's healthy, unless it's via a trade.

Without Nash, Frye will be completely worthless... and he wasnt worth much even with Steve. A below 40% shooting big who stays 20 feet from the hoop, doesnt board or play defense. He already has confidence issues, with his shoulder problems and the lack of open looks that he used to get in abundance, he is going to have an awful season.

When he gets healthy he will initially be in the rotation, but I think after a month he will only get very sporadic PT. He is not a center, he cannot play center, at least not in any effective sense. He will be splitting time with Scola and Morris for the most part.

My call for Frye's stats this year: 5 ppg, 2.5 boards, 38% fg, and 40 games played.

 

[Neo]

Without Nash, Frye will be completely worthless... and he wasnt worth much even with Steve. A below 40% shooting big who stays 20 feet from the hoop, doesnt board or play defense. He already has confidence issues, with his shoulder problems and the lack of open looks that he used to get in abundance, he is going to have an awful season.

When he gets healthy he will initially be in the rotation, but I think after a month he will only get very sporadic PT. He is not a center, he cannot play center, at least not in any effective sense. He will be splitting time with Scola and Morris for the most part.

My call for Frye's stats this year: 5 ppg, 2.5 boards, 38% fg, and 40 games played.

Frye is not an All-Star by any stretch, but to be fair he has shot about 45% from the field and 39% from three for his career. Nash shot 39% from behind the arc last season. Frye is not a bad shooter.

If his shoulder is healthy, he will likely shoot better this than last year.

However, we are still gonna suck next season.