2011 Off-Season Wishlist

[Waysouth]

About all I hope for is:

1. Get rid of Lopez and Carter
2. Find a good 2 guard and backup big
3. Draft Nash's successor

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm torn on this point. I keep thinking he'll have to make the move to SF but keep in mind we're watching him play the role of a big man without another big man next to him. I wonder how he'd do if he were playing alongside a legit center (instead of having to play that spot often).

I keep hearing David West comparisons and I just don't see it. They are both undersized but other than that they really don't have that many similarities. West has a strong mid-range shot but Derrick has better range and the ability to put the ball on the floor. Derrick also tends to shine in the biggest moments. On top of that, Derrick is one of the best in the game (college or pro) in drawing shooting fouls and that should continue at either position.

I'd love to get Williams but if we get THAT lucky in the lottery, I'd still prefer Sullinger if he comes out. His added size and his space clearing butt will make him one of the better PF's almost from the day he walks onto the court.

Steve

i worry about sullinger's actual height and below the rim game and how it will transfer to the pros.

 

[Manu4five]

We're Suns fans, the insanity comes naturally. I don't see any way in the world that this team becomes a contender next season.
Steve

I just wanted to give you some props Steve, you are a funny and negative guy. I like you.

 

[jagu]

I think we are seeing the last few games of Nash in a Suns uniform... I would not be shocked to see him traded before the draft. I'll miss the guy, he plays his heart out and even though he is two-time he rarely gets calls because he doesn't flop, he just tries to make the play. I am impressed with Brooks though, this guy was a "steal" for Dragic and the first round lottery pick which looks like we will be keeping. They can have the Orlando pick.

Major needs:

One big man to come off the bench and just be a presence inside. Or if the Suns intend on returning Frye to the second unit (although he's improved so much that him and Gortat might look good as the starting C and PF) then a big man to play alongside Gortat.

A SG who isn't name Vince Carter.

I think Dowdell makes a fine backup PG so I hope he comes back and Brooks + Dowdell doesn't seem so bad for next year. If the Suns pick Fredette then we'll have 3 pretty good PG's.

 

[Michael]

My wishlist:

- do not trade Steve Nash unless he really wants to! And if we trade him, get some valuable assets in return, and trade him to a contending team I wouldn't mind barracking for (i.e. the Magic who would have a nice P&R attack and JRich).

- resign Grant Hill if he wants to stay. One of my favourite players ever to play for Phoenix who symbolizes what a professional athlete should be: love for the game, respect, role model, smart, team player, no ego, ...the list goes on.

- resign Aaron Brooks!

- end up with a top 5 pick and draft a future all star

 

[AfroSuns]

People keep saying Nash will be traded, but i highly doubt it.
The Suns are not going to dump him on a losing team and i don't really see Nash making a lot of difference on a contender.
I imagine the FO making a move to get Nash to stay next season, which is fine by me as long as Brooks gets lots of minutes to spell him and Dowdell get some playing time too to develop. Nash is still a top 5 PG in the league.

I wish Frye and Gortat keep improving
I will like to see a good backup PF
A good SG; wont mind seeing J-Rich returning

 

[jagu]

It's amazing if we trade Nash, we'd have a question mark at the PG, SG, and SF spot (assuming this is Hill's last year). That's a lot of missing pieces to fill in one offseason.

 

[jagu]

I wonder how the Suns will factor the looming NBA lockout in their offseason moves?

 

[mojorizen7]

I don't disagree necessarily with the idea that building around a PG is a relatively flawed way to go about winning a ring but NO ONE can make an argument that the Bulls are building around Noah... or that Rose is anything but SPECTACULAR... not "solid".

Ok Cheese he's OUTSTANDING! i have a feeling he won't end up on that list of ringless PG's because the Bulls seem to "get it"...but we'll see.
Chicago is SOLID defensively both at the point of attack w/Rose and at the rim w/Noah.....thats where its at IMO. Amare would have been a perfect compliment there i think.

Its crazy when you think about the names of the PG's that have been winning titles in the modern era...they aren't the elite guys you'd expect(they were all complimentary guys to either a stud bigman or a stud SG)...i guess that was my original point.

Isiah Thomas
Magic Johnson
BJ Armstrong/John Paxson
Kenny Smith/Sam Casssel
Avery Johnson
Ron Harper/Randy Brown
Tony Parker
Jason Williams
Derek Fisher

???? LOL

 

[Matt L]

Magic Johnson was a stud himself.

Who was the "stud" SG/Big man for the Pistons? I am willing to bet that most people would put Isaiah Thomas as the top player on those Pistons teams who won.

 

[mojorizen7]

It's amazing if we trade Nash, we'd have a question mark at the PG, SG, and SF spot (assuming this is Hill's last year). That's a lot of missing pieces to fill in one offseason.

You're right. Quite frankly it can't be done,which is why you don't consistently trade picks away,or hang on to an aging core for too long.

Like you mentioned there are a couple good pieces in place though(Gortat,Duds),plus some decent role players(Frye,Brooks,Childress). At some point the Suns(and their fans) will have to show some patience in terms of recognizing what little we've got now,and where we need to get to. It doesn't have to take 5 years,but it won't happen overnight.

 

[mojorizen7]

Magic Johnson was a stud himself.

LOL yeah,but he wasn't a prototypical PG either with his freakish skills at his size.

Who was the "stud" SG/Big man for the Pistons? I am willing to bet that most people would put Isaiah Thomas as the top player on those Pistons teams who won.

Yeah the Pistons won with both Thomas(88-89/89-90) and Billups(04-05) behind a roster full of pretty damn good defensive gems. It was more a case of building around a philosophy than a couple of elite guys i suppose.

I think Joe Dumars was just as much a stud as Isiah Thomas was for them...but i could be wrong,it was a long time ago

 

[Cheesebeef]

People keep saying Nash will be traded, but i highly doubt it.
The Suns are not going to dump him on a losing team and i don't really see Nash making a lot of difference on a contender.

Nash would make a huge difference on a team like Orlando. Jameer just ain't a leader/big time PG/clutch shot maker/great distributor.

I'd trade Nash to them for a 2015 unprotected pick... by then, Nash and Howard will likely be gone, they'll be terrible and it'll be a high lotto pick.

 

[jagu]

I'd want Brandon Bass for Nash. He's powerful, shoots free throws well, and he'd be a good fit next to another hard worker Gortat. Yea he is undersized but he still causes problems for PF's because of his strength. Not saying I'd trade him to Orlando but if it were to happen that's a guy I'd like.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Nash would make a huge difference on a team like Orlando. Jameer just ain't a leader/big time PG/clutch shot maker/great distributor.

I'd trade Nash to them for a 2015 unprotected pick... by then, Nash and Howard will likely be gone, they'll be terrible and it'll be a high lotto pick.

He would also make a big difference in Atlanta and New York. I think Dallas would be interested as well. I would want a pick and a young player. If it is a contender, it is going to be a mid to late first round pick.

Our needs this summer are as follows:

1. Starting two. I don't think Petrius or Dudley are quite up to this. We could try to sign a FA here.

2. Starting three. Isn't it funny how the position that we are most stocked up on is also our greatest need. We need to replace Hill, and I do not see anyone on the roster who is cut out for it. Draft this one maybe

3. Point guard. Not sure if Brooks is a starter. Dowdell seems to be a solid back up. We need a future here.

4. Back up 4. Mid way through the season we were thinking we needed a starter, but Frye has become an excellent all around player at the 4 for us. We need a back up 4

5. Our center position, with Gortat starting is set. I cannot see Lopez being that effective as a backup if he cannot take advantage of the starting opportunity he is getting now. Maybe a backup C would be a good addition.

Any young star level talent would be good. We just need to get the best players we can regardless of position. If we trade Nash, we might force a team to take Childress to get him. Boy has that guy regressed.

 

[mojorizen7]

Our needs this summer are as follows:

1. Starting two. I don't think Petrius or Dudley are quite up to this. We could try to sign a FA here.

Absolutely.

2. Starting three. Isn't it funny how the position that we are most stocked up on is also our greatest need. We need to replace Hill, and I do not see anyone on the roster who is cut out for it. Draft this one maybe

I don't know,i see Duds as a 3. He'd look better next to a legit PF and Gortat. He may not be the final answer there at SF but i don't see this as an immediate need even if Hill leaves.

3. Point guard. Not sure if Brooks is a starter. Dowdell seems to be a solid back up. We need a future here.

Brooks isn't a starter,he'd be a solid backup to a PG with more all-around skills.

4. Back up 4. Mid way through the season we were thinking we needed a starter, but Frye has become an excellent all around player at the 4 for us. We need a back up 4

Come on, you're willing to go with Frye at PF moving forward? He's shown improvement but he's a perfect example of a backup big who you can bring in off the bench to exploit a matchup or something like that IMO. He can be effective but there's a dozen guys in the league at PF that would eat him alive on a full time basis. He's not the answer.

5. Our center position, with Gortat starting is set. I cannot see Lopez being that effective as a backup if he cannot take advantage of the starting opportunity he is getting now. Maybe a backup C would be a good addition.

I agree,its too bad Lopez isn't that guy.

Any young star level talent would be good. We just need to get the best players we can regardless of position. If we trade Nash, we might force a team to take Childress to get him. Boy has that guy regressed.

I still believe in Childress,but he has no role on this team.....i think he can be a valuable backup 2/3 once Nash & Hill are gone. Of course(like you mentioned) if he needs to be included in a trade in order to make a move he's got to go.

 

[BC867]

... we might force a team to take Childress to get him. Boy has that guy regressed.

Do you think he's regressed or hasn't been given the chance on a team overstocked with wings?

Dudley has played the most time at backup wing and has come through at both SG and SF.

Pietrus was given the next chance because of his reputation on defense but has disappointed with his offense.

Childress was the odd man out. He brings excitement when he comes on the court. I guess we'll never know how much he would have out-produced Pietrus.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He would also make a big difference in Atlanta and New York. I think Dallas would be interested as well. I would want a pick and a young player. If it is a contender, it is going to be a mid to late first round pick.

all id want is a pick... and a pick well into the future when Nash is gone and that team is likely terrible... Atlanta would be a good call as well... same with NY except they don't have picks forever.

But i think if we could send Nash to Atlanta for an unprotected pick 3 years from now, I'd do that deal also. we're not going to pry any of their really good young talent from them, but in three years, Nash'll be gone and they'll likely be a disaster.

If the Hawks traded for Nash and gave us expirings and a pick... and then they went out and signed, say J Rich with their mid-level, you'd have:

Nash
Richardson
JJ
Josh Smith
Al Horford

that's a pretty good starting lineup. you've got enough guys to spread the floor with shooters and some decent size... and a leader most of all.

 

[elindholm]

Of course, IMO, we haven't been a contender for several years despite our WCF appearance last season.

I'm not much of a homer, but I disagree with that statement. I think the Suns would have beaten the Spurs if not for the Stoudemire/Diaw suspensions, so they were a contender then. And I think they were a surprise contender last season. Game 5 against the Lakers nearly went into overtime, so at that point, the Suns were a coin flip away from being up 3-2. As we were reminded a few days ago, the Lakers actually don't, historically, play especially well against the Suns, even though of course they have won the majority of the games. So it's well within the realm of possibility that the Suns could have scored an upset in that series, and then I think they would have handled Boston.

One of the weird things about sports is how past events always look inevitable in retrospect. "Of course" the Lakers were going to beat the Celtics, even though Game 7 was tied with only a few minutes to play. "Of course" Artest was going to score on a wild rebound with Game 5 on the line. "Of course" Wesley Person was going to miss his three-pointer at the buzzer against the Rockets, giving the "no-title" trolls fodder for the next 17 years. But actually it would have taken very little to rewrite those histories, and then we would have an opposite impression of what was destined to happen.

I did not think the Suns were contenders last season until they swept the Spurs. Once they did that and got to 2-2 with the Lakers, they were contenders by definition.

But incidentally, if the Suns do want to consider moving Nash to a contender this summer, they should be calling up the Celtics. That team is built to win now, and as much as everyone in green keeps talking up Rondo, he's the weak link among their quartet of alleged All-Stars. For the past few weeks he has been downright awful, and in some recent Celtics game I watched (I can't remember which one, but it was a last-second loss), his reluctance to take open shots was a crippling weakness for the entire team. Boston's team defense is good enough that they could tolerate a weak defender at the point of attack, and the improvement in their offense would be enormous. I don't know what a reasonable trade would be, but there would have to be something that could work out.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm not much of a homer, but I disagree with that statement. I think the Suns would have beaten the Spurs if not for the Stoudemire/Diaw suspensions, so they were a contender then. And I think they were a surprise contender last season. Game 5 against the Lakers nearly went into overtime, so at that point, the Suns were a coin flip away from being up 3-2. As we were reminded a few days ago, the Lakers actually don't, historically, play especially well against the Suns, even though of course they have won the majority of the games. So it's well within the realm of possibility that the Suns could have scored an upset in that series, and then I think they would have handled Boston.

One of the weird things about sports is how past events always look inevitable in retrospect. "Of course" the Lakers were going to beat the Celtics, even though Game 7 was tied with only a few minutes to play. "Of course" Artest was going to score on a wild rebound with Game 5 on the line. "Of course" Wesley Person was going to miss his three-pointer at the buzzer against the Rockets, giving the "no-title" trolls fodder for the next 17 years. But actually it would have taken very little to rewrite those histories, and then we would have an opposite impression of what was destined to happen.

I did not think the Suns were contenders last season until they swept the Spurs. Once they did that and got to 2-2 with the Lakers, they were contenders by definition.

But incidentally, if the Suns do want to consider moving Nash to a contender this summer, they should be calling up the Celtics. That team is built to win now, and as much as everyone in green keeps talking up Rondo, he's the weak link among their quartet of alleged All-Stars. For the past few weeks he has been downright awful, and in some recent Celtics game I watched (I can't remember which one, but it was a last-second loss), his reluctance to take open shots was a crippling weakness for the entire team. Boston's team defense is good enough that they could tolerate a weak defender at the point of attack, and the improvement in their offense would be enormous. I don't know what a reasonable trade would be, but there would have to be something that could work out.

i was in complete agreement with you all the way up to the last paragraph. Rondo's been awful the last couple weeks because he's been injured. otherwise, he's the engine that has made that team go the last two years and his ability to play D is instrumental to what that team does. You put Nash there and that D I think suffers mightily. I mean, MAYBE this could have worked if Perkins was still there, but without him, their team D has already suffered greatly. throwing Nash in there without Perkins as well and I think that creeky-ass team's D would go straight into the toilet.

i think the C's are finished, but it's not because of rondo. it's because they decided that to take their greatest strength... big bodies who can play D and decimate them by getting rid of a big man who gives everyone problems.

 

[mojorizen7]

I'm not much of a homer, but I disagree with that statement. I think the Suns would have beaten the Spurs if not for the Stoudemire/Diaw suspensions, so they were a contender then.

I completely agree with this. Despite their defensive shortcomings,that team's engine was roaring,and they were deep with offensive options,as well as having a healthy KT to protect Amare.

i was in complete agreement with you all the way up to the last paragraph. Rondo's been awful the last couple weeks because he's been injured. otherwise, he's the engine that has made that team go the last two years and his ability to play D is instrumental to what that team does. You put Nash there and that D I think suffers mightily. I mean, MAYBE this could have worked if Perkins was still there, but without him, their team D has already suffered greatly. throwing Nash in there without Perkins as well and I think that creeky-ass team's D would go straight into the toilet.

i think the C's are finished, but it's not because of rondo. it's because they decided that to take their greatest strength... big bodies who can play D and decimate them by getting rid of a big man who gives everyone problems.

+1
I don't see a chance in hell that the Celtics would look to get older by aquiring Nash,not to mention opening up the defensive turnstile behind Pierce,Garnett etc...

I understand what Elindholm is saying about Nash playing with a lineup of better defensive pieces might work(and it might have worked a couple years ago) but not at this point IMO. Rondo is a beast. I'd do just about anything to get him into a Suns uniform,pair him with Gortat at the rim and build around that.... (sigh)

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm not much of a homer, but I disagree with that statement. I think the Suns would have beaten the Spurs if not for the Stoudemire/Diaw suspensions, so they were a contender then. And I think they were a surprise contender last season. Game 5 against the Lakers nearly went into overtime, so at that point, the Suns were a coin flip away from being up 3-2.

I debated between several and few but yes, I think we were a contender the year of the suspensions. IMO, that's the last year we were a contender. I don't think we win last year even if we had gone up 3 - 2 on the Lakers. And, if somehow we did get past them we had no answer for the physical play of Boston. Unless we drew that heretofore-never-seen miracle team of refs that doesn't allow contact in the playoffs we would have been hammered IMO.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

I completely agree with this. Despite their defensive shortcomings,that team's engine was roaring,and they were deep with offensive options,as well as having a healthy KT to protect Amare.

The years all blur together for me but aren't you off by a season? I believe we had already traded KT earlier that season.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

I debated between several and few but yes, I think we were a contender the year of the suspensions. IMO, that's the last year we were a contender. I don't think we win last year even if we had gone up 3 - 2 on the Lakers. And, if somehow we did get past them we had no answer for the physical play of Boston. Unless we drew that heretofore-never-seen miracle team of refs that doesn't allow contact in the playoffs we would have been hammered IMO.

Steve

i gotta disagree. that Celtics team was banged up and i think the main reason that they took the Lakers to 7 was because mentally, they were in the Lakers head.

I think you would have seen an inspired Suns team... with home-court... against a tired and beat up opponent... finally bring the title home last year.
but, the Lakers were just too good to let us get there.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The years all blur together for me but aren't you off by a season? I believe we had already traded KT earlier that season.

Steve

we had KT during the suspension year. that was 2007. our last legit dynamite team.