Chad Ford Chat Today, Suns Future...

[sunsfn]

Rebounding and low post defense are my biggest concerns. Unfortunately KT is a lot slower than he was before he got injured and even then was not a GREAT fit. That's why I am so puzzled by all the people who want to draft another soft shooter like Yi.

It may sound odd, but I'm almost hoping that Horford turns out to be shorter than listed. I have an overwhelming fear that if he measures at 6'10" he'll go third. If he measures only 6'8" he could drop to 7 or 8.

If Horford goes 3rd, I would be very happy to draft Brandon Wright.

If Horford is 6' 8" I hope he goes 3rd so we can draft Wright.

In the games I have watched, Wright looks like another Chris Bosh. It may take him a couple years, but he could be an all-star, and I am not sure if Horford will ever be an all-star.

I realize that Horford may be able to play next year in the NBA as well as anyone drafted out of the top 10, but then again that is not proven yet either.

I am concerned that if the suns do not win it all this year that Sarver forces a trade of Amare or Marion. I would not like to see either player leave this team. Amare is the inside presence that a team needs in the playoffs, and Marion is very important to the way the suns play.

With the Diaw contract kicking in next year something has to give. They can trade KT and rid themselves on about 8 mil and that might do it, but they have to take back a player with money unless they can trade him to a team with some cap space, and that is probably not going to happen.

 

[asudevil83]

ASU:

Wallace is a FA? I'd trade Marion in a heartbeat for Wallace (S&T), a backup PG (they have a couple decent ones) and their pick! What more could they ask for?

you lost me when you included their pick.

Wallace would be PERFECT in our system....and yes he MAY be a FA after this season. he's got a $6.5mil player option for next season. and assuming he doesnt want to stay in Charlotte, then he may be had through S&T

the best scenario i could see with Charlotte would be:

Marion/Banks for Wallace/Knight

we save a BOATLOAD of money, and Charlotte gets a 2 year rental on Marion and a backup PG.

 

[asudevil83]

i say we plan on blowing up the team as soon as possible.....since according to many here, this team is on the verge of nuking itself....and it seems like each and every one of us hates a few players today.

so:

Amare to Chicago for Tyrus/Sefalosha/#11
Marion/Banks to Charlotte for Wallace/Knight
KT/#24/#29 to Denver for Camby

Draft Conley with the #11
Draft Branden Wright with the #4

Camby/Diaw
Tyrus/Wright
Wallace/Sefalosha/Jones
Bell/Barbosa
Nash/Coney/Knight

we pay NO Luxury tax for 3 years. Amare's selfish ass is gone, Marion's crybaby attitude is gone. we dont worry about a replacement for Nash. we keep our lotto pick. we get defensively better. we get a bench.

all is well, and suns fans can stop their bitching.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

i say we plan on blowing up the team as soon as possible.....since according to many here, this team is on the verge of nuking itself....and it seems like each and every one of us hates a few players today.

so:

Amare to Chicago for Tyrus/Sefalosha/#11
Marion/Banks to Charlotte for Wallace/Knight
KT/#24/#29 to Denver for Camby

Draft Conley with the #11
Draft Branden Wright with the #4

Camby/Diaw
Tyrus/Wright
Wallace/Sefalosha/Jones
Bell/Barbosa
Nash/Coney/Knight

we pay NO Luxury tax for 3 years. Amare's selfish ass is gone, Marion's crybaby attitude is gone. we dont worry about a replacement for Nash. we keep our lotto pick. we get defensively better. we get a bench.

all is well, and suns fans can stop their bitching.

But if we do that who are we gonna trade on this team for Garnett next season?

 

[Covert Rain]

Seriously, BC may have had his share of ups and downs early in his career as GM, but is there any doubt that the guy is the best GM in the league right now, having completely revamped the Suns from a 29 win team into a 62 game winner, then losing Amare and JJ and still putting pieces in place to get back to the WCF and then he goes to an absolutely moribund franchise and makes some key signings and controversial trades that has a perenial lottery team already win their division?

I so agree.

But if we do that who are we gonna trade on this team for Garnett next season?

Nice.

 

[hcsilla]

In the games I have watched, Wright looks like another Chris Bosh.

Wright's body-type and movement is similar to Bosh but his (non-existant) jumper is nowhere near to Bosh's.

 

[sunsfn]

Wright's body-type and movement is similar to Bosh but his (non-existant) jumper is nowhere near to Bosh's.

I know you follow the college game more than I do, but the games I watched he did very good with a short jumper.

The thing about him that has concerned me is his free throw %. It is .567 compared to Horfords .644.

His field goal % is .646 and Horfords is .604.

The Suns just do not need another 6' 8" player. They need a 6' 10" + player that can score some, block a few shots and run the floor. At this point I think Wright is a better fit. I have though all along that he would be gone on the Suns pick, but there is a chance someone wants a Brewer, Julian Wright, Noah, or Horford on the third pick.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Any trade involving Chicago should include Nocioni. Not as flashy as someone like Deng or even Sefolosha but I think he's a great fit for this team.

 

[azirish]

If you watched the championship game, Horford had 12 rebounds. Against UCLA he had something like 18; and the Buckeyes are a team that out rebounded Georgetown.

Height is less important than strength and quickness to the ball. Look at some of the top rebounders this season. Carlos Boozer is 6'8" and averages 11.8 rpg and Ben Wallace is only listed at 6'9" and averages 10.7 rpg. Reggie Evens has the highest rebounds per minute played in the NBA and he's at most 6'8".

Horford can rebound (senior year had 9.5 rpg in 27.8 minutes) and is generally considered to be a good low post defender. But unlike Reggie Evens, he can actually shoot. If it turns out he's no taller than Jones, it won't matter as much as being a lot heavier yet more athletic.

 

[sunsfn]

If you watched the championship game, Horford had 12 rebounds. Against UCLA he had something like 18; and the Buckeyes are a team that out rebounded Georgetown.

Height is less important than strength and quickness to the ball. Look at some of the top rebounders this season. Carlos Boozer is 6'8" and averages 11.8 rpg and Ben Wallace is only listed at 6'9" and averages 10.7 rpg. Reggie Evens has the highest rebounds per minute played in the NBA and he's at most 6'8".

Horford can rebound (senior year had 9.5 rpg in 27.8 minutes) and is generally considered to be a good low post defender. But unlike Reggie Evens, he can actually shoot. If it turns out he's no taller than Jones, it won't matter as much as being a lot heavier yet more athletic.

George,

I did watch Horford, and you are right about the height, and the suns may draft Horford and he is an all-star in a couple years.
I am just looking for a taller version of that and there is a chance that Wright could be that guy, and I like how he plays.
This is assuming the suns are going to get the Atlanta pick.

 

[dodie53]

maybe the suns will trade amare in fear he might re-injure his knee..

 

[Covert Rain]

maybe the suns will trade amare in fear he might re-injure his knee..

If that was the case they would have done it as soon as he had a monster month (which he already has). His trade value would have been really high at this years trade deadline if he was on the market.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

maybe the suns will trade amare in fear he might re-injure his knee..

The Suns are not trading Amare as long as Nash is here, just my opinion.

 

[cly2tw]

Trade Marion, I can see why; even just trade him for cap only. But trade Amare? Are you out of your mind?

Amare is recovering from two knee surjuries. So, he is currently tired and doesn't have the needed attention to play good defense and to rebound. Yet, he showed during the season that he was able to do the proper things from time to time, meaning he is capable of acquiring these skills. In those games, his defense and rebounding were quite good definitely much better than 2 years ago.

So, if his knees hold, with one more year of rehab, he should be able to do much better job at rebounding and defense, while becoming even more dominant on offense. If his knees acted up again, then we'd be stuck with him anyway and screwed for a couple of years. So, I guess that there is simply no market for Amare out there anyway.

 

[TheHopToad]

I can't see trading Amare at all. The only time I even gave serious consideration to it was when someone suggested in another thread that we trade him to Memphis for Gasol and the #1. Yeah, I probably do that one, but it ain't gonna happen!

 

[NastyOne]

The Suns will never trade a young Amare Stoudemire.

Everyone in the Suns front office would be fired by the end of the 2008 season if they pulled such a ******* move and Amare makes them pay for it.

People talk about how a GM doesnt want to be known as the guy that traded Oden or Durant, Well no GM in his right mind will trade a dominant young bigman like Amare either.

Guys like Amare, Dwight Howard and Yao Ming have so much value as young dominant inside forces that no matter what offer you receive you still wont get back positive value in return for them.(So its pointless to trade them)

Amare will be a Sun until he either walks away as a free agent down the road or when hes in his 30's and is starting to slow down and gets traded.

My guess is that he retires with the Suns.

 

[JWF]

Amare in a trade?

I dont think I could ever forgive Sarver and Dantoni if that happened.

 

[Gaddabout]

Amare in a trade?

I dont think I could ever forgive Sarver and Dantoni if that happened.

Hey, I must be having 80s flashbacks, because I remember fans saying the same thing when Colangelo traded Larry Nance. And they let Walter Davis go to Denver the year before! Unforgiveable! Never watch another game! At least not until next season! Um, hey, who is this Kevin Johnson kid ...

never mind.

 

[Covert Rain]

Hey, I must be having 80s flashbacks, because I remember fans saying the same thing when Colangelo traded Larry Nance. And they let Walter Davis go to Denver the year before! Unforgiveable! Never watch another game! At least not until next season! Um, hey, who is this Kevin Johnson kid ...

never mind.

Totally different scenarios. The team was coming off the drug scandel years, trying to reshape their image. This team is trying to do neither now. They have a young core and one of the best big men now.

 

[azirish]

George,

I did watch Horford, and you are right about the height, and the suns may draft Horford and he is an all-star in a couple years.
I am just looking for a taller version of that and there is a chance that Wright could be that guy, and I like how he plays.
This is assuming the suns are going to get the Atlanta pick.

The consensus seems to be that Horford is much more NBA ready, but lacks the upside of Brandan Wright. If I was the GM of a team like Milwaukee, I'd take Wright because they are building for the future. The Suns need a guy who can come in IMMEDIATELY and get the Suns over the edge while Nash is still around.

The Suns might end up with Wright, but he wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[slinslin]

I think most teams including Milwaukee (if they needed a PF with Bogut and Villanueva) would take Horford because he is more likely to be a scorer in the post type player than Brendan Wright and I guess that's more appealing for many teams since not every team has an Amare Stoudemire already.

 

[Gaddabout]

Totally different scenarios. The team was coming off the drug scandel years, trying to reshape their image. This team is trying to do neither now. They have a young core and one of the best big men now.

Different scenarios, but same principle. It's possible to give up one player for multiple lesser players and improve your team. The Suns got to the WC Finals without Amare, and if they had two more reliable bench players, they might've made it to the Finals where it's not impossible to conceive the Suns running the Heat ragged. Steve Nash is the star of the team and should never be traded. Amare adds another dimension that changes how teams can defend the Suns.

I reserve the right to criticize any Amare trade, but I don't think he's untouchable. I wouldn't object on principle, only details.

 

[Griffin]

I don't think Ford meant to suggest the Bulls would be the team the Suns might consider trading with to move up. I think he mentioned the Bulls/Suns trade as another option (if the Suns can't move up, for example). The Bulls pick will likely be in the late lottery; not sure what protection it has, if any.

As far as the actual trade scenarios, I'll stay out of that until after the playoffs.

 

[panfolk]

Different scenarios, but same principle. It's possible to give up one player for multiple lesser players and improve your team. The Suns got to the WC Finals without Amare, and if they had two more reliable bench players, they might've made it to the Finals where it's not impossible to conceive the Suns running the Heat ragged. Steve Nash is the star of the team and should never be traded. Amare adds another dimension that changes how teams can defend the Suns.

I reserve the right to criticize any Amare trade, but I don't think he's untouchable. I wouldn't object on principle, only details.

Agreed. I think Amare is messing up what chemistry we had last year. IF D'A thought Boris would re-emerge then I'd say trade Amare if the package is right.

 

[azirish]

There is nothing wrong with the Suns chemistry that hitting open shots wouldn't cure.

It would be nice if the Suns didn't get so depressed when the ball keeps rimming out. Their energy drops and they look awful.

But when they are hitting their shots, their energy is up, they play good defense, pass the ball, and can get onto incredible rolls.

The sad truth is that good shooting makes for good chemistry, but even great chemistry doesn't make it any easier to hit open shots.

Obviously tight defense causes the Suns problems when they start forcing shots and stop moving without the ball. But the Suns players will get open looks against any team, but they have to hit them.