Yes Marr?

[slinslin]

Actually there have been no reports that the Suns have cut DerMarr Johnson and he ist still on the roster on suns.com

Someone told me that 910 reported that they like him and will keep him.
I sure hope he plays tonight.

Also there was an article on slamonline.com from someone who saw some of the practices and it said DerMarr was very impressive in practice.

If they keep him afterall I think that the republic loses some credit for reporting that the Suns would cut an early fan favorite.

 

[Chaplin]

That's interesting. I don't remember seeing anything official.

For Joe or whoever, was there ever a press release saying they released DerMarr?

 

[Chaplin]

You know what, I don't thing we released him--ESPN has nothing on it and I googled DerMarr Johnson released Phoenix, and nothing came up.

 

[slinslin]

It didn't make sense to cut DerMarr anyway.

His talent can't be the question. And you would expect that a team that wanted to do everything they could to raise fan support again doesn't just cut a guy who is generally liked by the fans.

I mean you would at least expect the guys who are responsible for this to check things like that. I know if I was in charge I would try to please fans not piss them off.

It is like everyone wants to keep DerMarr because he is an exciting player and he is on a mission.
I think his spirit will only help the team and his youth fits right in.

The New Jersey Nets kept this Scalabrine guy although he injured his knee right when they drafted him, hardly played in his second season and they signed him to a contract again because of his attitude and because the fans love to cheer for him.

 

[slinslin]

It would be cool if fans would organise some kind of petition to keep DerMarr or maybe go to the game with "Keep DerMarr T-Shirts".
Too bad we don't have a home game anytime soon and the fans who are at the games don't seem too passionate on tv.

Pistons fans do some cool stuff for every rebound that Ben Wallace collects.

In european soccer for example it is very common that team's fan clubs organise some support actions every once in a while. Like purchasing a real big flag with the team's logo.

It's kind of sad that the NBA isn't more like that.

 

[elindholm]

Very strange. I wonder why the false reports would be out there. And if they are false, why haven't the Suns denied them?

I hope DJohnson sticks around for a while. Since the Suns are going to play small anyway, they might as well have as much talent as possible.

 

[Tank]

Maybe the Suns released the report to see what the fan reaction would be. Obviously, Bad Reaction=Keeping Demarr..... I never remember seeing an official report either, just a small blurb saying that he was going to be released the next day.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This is where the word started concerning DerMarr. Can't blame anyone for believing it Bob Young is a beat writer for the Suns and usually has access to legit info.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1012suns1012.html

 

[SUTTILL]

Possible salary cap move, trade Jacobson, keep DeMar??

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by SUTTILL
Possible salary cap move, trade Jacobson, keep DeMar??

I don't see how trading Jacobsen, and say, our Cleveland pick, would improve our salary cap all that much, even if we traded them for virtually nothing like a 2nd round pick--although that would be a travesty, since essentially it would be a mid- and a late-first rounder for a 2nd, and we really wouldn't be saving enough money to justify it.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by Chaplin
I don't see how trading Jacobsen, and say, our Cleveland pick, would improve our salary cap all that much, even if we traded them for virtually nothing like a 2nd round pick--although that would be a travesty, since essentially it would be a mid- and a late-first rounder for a 2nd, and we really wouldn't be saving enough money to justify it.

I agree. If we're going to move a first-round draft pick it better save the organization more than getting rid of Jacobsen would.

What and support is there for D. Johnson? They're probably aren't more than a couple hundred of us who really even know anything about him. I guarantee whether the Suns cut him or hold on to him has absolutely nothing to do with fan reaction. They're just wouldn't be much of a reaction either way at this point other than on a few message boards.

Now if he played well during significant minutes in the preseason fan reaction might play a very, very, very small part in the decision. But don't forget that this organization just shipped off one of the most popular players on the team to save money.

BTW I have not received any press releases regarding the team releasing Johnson. Bob Young is the best and most accurate source of Phoenix Suns information as far as I'm concerned. He must have had a strong reason to believe Johnson would be released before he wrote that. Perhaps they just changed their mind.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by Joe Mama

Now if he played well during significant minutes in the preseason fan reaction might play a very, very, very small part in the decision. But don't forget that this organization just shipped off one of the most popular players on the team to save money.

Joe Mama

But then again, if DerMarr is completely healthy, I believe he would contribute a lot more than Outlaw ever would. I loved Outlaw and he brought a lot to our team, IMO, but I'm not naive enough to not believe he was a liability on the floor in many ways.

 

[JJ Slim]

Bo? A liability? Let me count the ways...

 

[elindholm]

I thought the question was whether the Suns floated the possible DJohnson release in order to gauge "fan reaction." Joe Mama brought up Outlaw as an example of the Suns' management being unconcerned with how the fans feel about a player. I don't believe that his point was that Outlaw was a great loss from a basketball standpoint.

 

[slinslin]

Also the difference between keeping Outlaw or Dermarr in terms of money is huge.

If Dermarr sucks they could still cut him before his contract becomes guaranteed.

 

[F-Dog]

Originally posted by elindholm
Very strange. I wonder why the false reports would be out there. And if they are false, why haven't the Suns denied them?

I hope DJohnson sticks around for a while. Since the Suns are going to play small anyway, they might as well have as much talent as possible.

The funny thing is, if the Suns keep DerMarr, they'll have to cut one of their centers.


I've been thinking about why the Suns would cut DerMarr, and the best answer I can come up with is that he won't be around anyway in two years, when the Suns are ready to compete for the title. (You could argue the same about Bo & Big Jake.)

If DerMarr isn't going to be there when the Suns need him, why would they want to commit the money to keep him, much less minutes and roster space that could go to someone that might help in the future?

I think we can assume that winning games this year isn't high on the C's priority list.


Who knows, maybe the Suns are threatening to cut DerMarr to pressure him into making a multi-year commitment. Strangely enough, DerMarr doesn't seem to have a lot of other options at the moment...

That's what I'm hoping, anyway.

 

[slinslin]

They could still use him as trade bait if they signed him to a 2 year partially guaranteed contract.

 

[Tank]

Originally posted by elindholm
I thought the question was whether the Suns floated the possible DJohnson release in order to gauge "fan reaction." Joe Mama brought up Outlaw as an example of the Suns' management being unconcerned with how the fans feel about a player. I don't believe that his point was that Outlaw was a great loss from a basketball standpoint.

I kinda meant that as a joke. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by elindholm
I thought the question was whether the Suns floated the possible DJohnson release in order to gauge "fan reaction." Joe Mama brought up Outlaw as an example of the Suns' management being unconcerned with how the fans feel about a player. I don't believe that his point was that Outlaw was a great loss from a basketball standpoint.

At least one person followed me there.

Tank, I was actually responding to slin's questioning whether fan reaction had something to do with Johnson's status here in Phoenix. I assumed you were joking tank.

I'm not saying Johnson is or isn't worth a roster spot. I know Bill Outlaw was overpaid. I'm just saying fan reaction has nothing to do with whether DeMarr makes the team.

Joe Mama

 

[3rdside]

demarr's on the playing list for tonight's game.

Surely we lose archibald, weathers and sheppard and not demarr.

 

[Errntknght]

Lets run through the roster again...
PG: Marbs, Knight, Barbosa
SG: Penny, JJ, Casey
SF: Marion, Zarko
PF: Amare, Googs
C: Jake, Koturovic, Trybanski

That's 13 contracts if I didn't forget someone significant. Which leaves two slots open, counting 3 on the IL. So they have to lose one of DerMarr, Archibald and the other 'big' whose name I don't remember at the moment. From that point of view they have more need for someone who can contribute at SF than they do for two more 'bigs' who likely won't play much at all - that's assuming DJ is close to being able to play.

As I said some time back I think it would be great to have a fit DerMarr on board because they could take their time with Zarko, who by all accounts needs to develope on defense - and may prove to be less of a liabilitly at PF than at SF.

 

[Starbury]

Scott Williams is the "big" man you left off you roster. With all those contracts and Dermarr, the roster total is 15 (12 active, 3 on IL). I haven't heard if the plan is to keep a full 15 on the Suns roster or not. Maybe they only want 13 or 14 players.

A secondary goal of moving Knight could be the ability to keep Dermarr on the roster. That would leave the Suns with 14 and clear cap room in the process.

I hope in the coming days, the Suns say goodbye to Archibald, Sheppard, Weathers and Knight rather than cutting Dermarr.