Blessed resignation?

[Gaddabout]

At this point in the free-agent game, I'm about ready to concede the Suns have no viable options to acquire a second-tier level center (or better). For the interest of my sanity and likely future heart condition, I think I will just hope for the best and expect the worst. In the case of the latter, this would be my game plan if I were D'Antoni:

- Hold open auditions to anyone 6-9 or taller who's played center at any competitive level in the world. Let's get 100 stiffs in here and let them bang each other until there's only one left standing. Last guy gets a 1-year guaranteed minimum offer.

- Announce that Lampe will get 25 minutes a game, regardless of whomever else they bring in at 5. This is how Nick Vanos developed before his untimely death in the plane crash.

- Have a heart-to-heart with Amare (and his mother) that the Suns obviously want him at PF and not C, but in the interest of winning, effective small ball will be critical to the bottom line this year. The may mean Stoudemire plays 10+ minutes per game in the middle. Explain to him the Suns will be actively pursuing a trade during the season, but don't want to break up the promising core of the team for an overpaid, underpforming center who will just get in Amare's way.

- Look for a bargain one-year deal on a veteran power forward who can give Amare a breather while grabbing a few rebounds.

I figure if I can concede that now, I won't be setting myself up for disappointment come August and beyond.

 

[slinslin]

Amare has only said he isn't going to start at center. Of course he will guard centers every once in a while. He often played center for some minutes in the last 2 years...

 

[NJYAJ09]

We should have drafted Peter John Ramos instead of Vroman.

 

[George O'Brien]

We should have drafted Peter John Ramos instead of Vroman.

We'll see. Vroman is bigger than Bo Outlaw who was supposedly playing center. At this point, I suspect he has a chance to get 20 minutes a game unless there is some radical move.

BTW, I do NOT anticipate trading one of the core guys for a center. I know there are a lot of people who jump to the conclusion that this is the Suns plan, but the likely trade opportunities looks pretty dismal.

The brutal truth is the Suns may end up with Harvey again. He's not very good, but at least the Suns know him and he's really cheap.

 

[elindholm]

The brutal truth is the Suns may end up with Harvey again. He's not very good, but at least the Suns know him and he's really cheap.

I seriously doubt they'll re-sign someone that they already know they don't want to play. The same goes for Scott Williams. If they've been with the team and rarely gotten off the bench, that isn't much of an endorsement.

 

[NJYAJ09]

Maybe bring back Big Jake (even thou he sucks) I'm still gonna say that if we have enough to get ostertag (after Q signs) we should get him.

 

[Gaddabout]

Amare has only said he isn't going to start at center. Of course he will guard centers every once in a while. He often played center for some minutes in the last 2 years...

I realize what he was saying, but I got the impression he fully expects the Suns to acquire a legitimate starting center. Am I wrong, or did it seem like he was attempting to manipulate the front office using his newly found status as top dog in the organization.

 

[cepstrum]

How bout Joel Perzybilla. G and A mentioned him today on their show and I checked out his stats in atlanta. They werent bad. He averaged 1.6 blocks and like 8 boards. Does anyone know if Atl gave him a qualifying offer or is he an unrestricted free agent?

 

[NJYAJ09]

Pryzilbilla sucks. Maybe we should sign some unknown american for as cheap as we can.

 

[cepstrum]

Pryzilbilla sucks. Maybe we should sign some unknown american for as cheap as we can.

There's no one out there. That's the whole problem. We tried signing Kuterovic last year and that turned out real well. The guy was cut before even logging a minute in an actual game. You compare JP stats to the other remaining free agents and he's the best. Fact is, JP is the best of the worst and unfortenately that's what we have to settle for.

 

[George O'Brien]

There's no one out there. That's the whole problem. We tried signing Kuterovic last year and that turned out real well. The guy was cut before even logging a minute in an actual game. You compare JP stats to the other remaining free agents and he's the best. Fact is, JP is the best of the worst and unfortenately that's what we have to settle for.

I believe JP will stay with Atlanta. They have an enormous amount of cap space and he actually did some good from them late in the season.

He makes no sense for the Sun. Here is a guy who shoots only layups and shoots 36% from the field. Jahidi White is considered very poor on the offensive end and he shot 52.4%.

 

[cepstrum]

I believe JP will stay with Atlanta. They have an enormous amount of cap space and he actually did some good from them late in the season.

He makes no sense for the Sun. Here is a guy who shoots only layups and shoots 36% from the field. Jahidi White is considered very poor on the offensive end and he shot 52.4%.

If we depended on JP to score, then we'd be in real trouble. The guy is a good defender. I'd jump at the chance to get this guy, but it makes sense that atlanta will keep him

 

[Evil Ash]

I believe JP will stay with Atlanta. They have an enormous amount of cap space and he actually did some good from them late in the season.

He makes no sense for the Sun. Here is a guy who shoots only layups and shoots 36% from the field. Jahidi White is considered very poor on the offensive end and he shot 52.4%.

We don't need an offensive player for the Center position. We need a guy who plays good defense and can get rebounds.

His offensive game is insignificant

 

[Gaddabout]

We don't need an offensive player for the Center position. We need a guy who plays good defense and can get rebounds.

His offensive game is insignificant

While I agree in principal, you can't have a center so poor on offense it gives the team a 5-4 advantage. That's just not good basketball. You have to have a guy that can a least be a threat to score, or be someone they have to watch around the basket for cheap buckets. Otherwise any defensive advantage you would have with that player is voided.

Doesn't anyone remember what it was like the first two years Mark West was a starting center here? It wasn't until he developed a short game out to about eight feet before his defense became truly valuable. At first, he was such a liability on offense (and would pick up so many quick fouls), Cotton was moving to small ball shortly after tip off.

 

[George O'Brien]

A lot depends on the team philosophy. If you have a defense oriented team, having weak offensive play like Prince in the lineup is not a huge problem because you don't have to score a huge number of points. But on team which lacks a strong defense, not being able to score is a huge liability.

Curiously enough, Jahidi White's problem wasn't in the low block, it was at the foul line where he was as bad as Shaq. His shooting percentage was very good from 1 foot out.