ESPN Rumor Mill- Finley

[Chaplin]

i also forgot to mention that the moves that we are making point in the direction of starting Marion at PF.

starting Kurt and Amare would leave us desperate for a front court.....i mean DESPERATE. instead of using the MLE to remedy that, we sign another backcourt player.

BUT, if we were to slide Marion back to the PF slot, then the signing of Bell makes sense. he fills in the role of Q while being both cheaper, a better defender, and more efficient.

the Q for Thomas trade wasnt a move that was an attempt to make us more conventional. it was a move to fix what we needed. Amare is the ONLY front court player (besides Voskuhl) that is under contract next season. Adding Thomas gave us SOMETHING if we were unable to re-up Hunter.

I'm sorry, but how does starting Shawn at the SF, Thomas at the C/PF and Amare at the C/PF spots make us DESPERATE for front court help? What's the difference? We'd still only have 3 players for those spots, regardless of where Thomas is at the beginning of the game. You make it sound like we're saying that Shawn will NEVER play PF at all!

 

[asudevil83]

Dude, the season isn't starting tomorrow, take a pill for a second and relax. Everybody is interchangable on this team, and I fully expect us to bring in at least one other big man--we sorta have to with roster limits, and like you said, backup help.

i'm just looking at this and seeing stuff that leads me to believe that starting Marion at PF is what we are going to do. i could be wrong, but at this moment that's what i see.

right now we have only two big men. Voskuhl doesnt really count because we never use him.

during the FA period we havent addressed the need that starting Thomas would bring about. the ONLY talk is us picking up Bell, and now showing interest in Finley. their isnt much of anything else. even re-signing Hunter isnt definate.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i agree with everything chap just said. and that's rare.

 

[Chaplin]

i'm just looking at this and seeing stuff that leads me to believe that starting Marion at PF is what we are going to do. i could be wrong, but at this moment that's what i see.

And I don't understand how you see only that. We traded a starting guard for a starting C/PF. There you go.

 

[asudevil83]

forget it. i throw my opinion out, just to have you do everything possible to throw it right back down my throat.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

ouchie and chaplin (i knew i could expect the voice of reason to be a Cat) preaching the gospel...............

isnt this argument over yet? we traded for KT to have a more traditional team that can bang inside but then we are going to start marion at the 4 and have KT off the bench???? There are times the small ball line up will be out there but does anyone realize the quotes from the suns brass.....?

"KT will NOT slow down our running game"

"amare needed down low help"

"now we have one of the best rebounding front lines in the NBA.."

and all this so KT can sit on the bench...seriously someone start a thread about you lunatics and this hare brained idea (RAJA BELL starting!!!!) that marion will be starting at the four. You guys need to get a grip. And its like two weeks into the offseason so you can be assured the suns will find a way to get a back up big....if come early November (barring injury of course) Marion is starting PF, Ouchie, Chaplin and I will buy all of you a round...till then, it really needs to stop....

 

[Chaplin]

forget it. i throw my opinion out, just to have you do everything possible to throw it right back down my throat.

I thought this was a message board, I would think you'd want people to respond to you. Sorry.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

opinion should be based on factual evidence if its going to have any credence devil.................

 

[Chaplin]

ouchie and chaplin (i knew i could expect the voice of reason to be a Cat) preaching the gospel...............

isnt this argument over yet? we traded for KT to have a more traditional team that can bang inside but then we are going to start marion at the 4 and have KT off the bench???? There are times the small ball line up will be out there but does anyone realize the quotes from the suns brass.....?

"KT will NOT slow down our running game"

"amare needed down low help"

"now we have one of the best rebounding front lines in the NBA.."

and all this so KT can sit on the bench...seriously someone start a thread about you lunatics and this hare brained idea (RAJA BELL starting!!!!) that marion will be starting at the four. You guys need to get a grip. And its like two weeks into the offseason so you can be assured the suns will find a way to get a back up big....if come early November (barring injury of course) Marion is starting PF, Ouchie, Chaplin and I will buy all of you a round...till then, it really needs to stop....

I've already got some kind of bet with F-Dog, but I don't remember what it was.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I've already got some kind of bet with F-Dog, but I don't remember what it was.

that's a good bet. i'll help jog your memory. it was if i could get my posts up past 3,000 you'd send me a $1,000. i'll pm you my mailing address.

 

[arthurracoon]

then who the hell is going to backup Amare and Kurt?

If we dont get a good enough big man (which I think we will - get a good big man that is) we will go small ball when Amare or Kurt has to come out, and we will play like we did last year.

 

[asudevil83]

i'm perfectly fine with Thomas starting. but with no guarrantee that we will find a big guy who can actually give us minutes, i see Thomas becoming our backup C, which means that Marion will see more minutes than Thomas at the PF slot.

i keep hearing that the FA period isnt over. but in my eyes, it is for big men. just look at the thread with the list of FA C's within our range. its horribly sad. are any of you telling me that you'd rather have one of them play the minutes that Bell or any of the others would get if Marion were moved to the PF?

i'm not trying to argue just for the sake of argueing. i just see that if these guys that we are after or will be signing (Finley and Bell) are going to see any significant minutes, then Marion will be playing a good amount of time at the PF. whether than means he starts or not, i really dont care. i just figure that it would be nice to have a fresh real big in the game when it matters. there is no sense in playing both Amare and Thomas early in the first quarter, when Thomas could be just as effective giving Marion or Amare breaks.

 

[PhxGametime]

If the team Trades Jim Jackson, Jake Voskuhl, Leandro Barbosa, Picks, and/or Cash - I'm hoping they don't get screwed again...

Richardson and Jackson are much better than Bell and Finley. They could replace them enough, if the player was worth Trading those pieces for (quality big) but I'd want quality... and I'm not a GM, so I'm not sure who I'd choose from - I'd much prefer to be an NBA Draft scout

 

[AsUdUdE]

Signing Finley would be awesoeme for the suns, and if the interest is mutual.. (and there is no word saying it isn't), the suns can figure a way to get Fins minutes... Here is how I invision it..


PG : Nash (30), JJ (12), Bell (6)
SG: JJ (23) Fins (15) JJax (10)
SF: Marion (15) Bell (15) Fins(13) JJax(5)
PF: Amare (20), Marion (20), Hunter -8
C: KT (30), Amare -18,

So... Nash would have his 30-36 Minutes a game depending on the game.

Nash- 30 MPG
JJ- 35 MPG
Marion- 35 MPG
Amare- 38 MPG
KT- 30 MPG
Finley- 28 MPG
Bell- 21 MPG
JJAx- 15 MPG
Hunter- 8 MPG
Barbs- as needed...
filler- As needed
filler- As needed
filler- As needed
filler- As needed

The suns would basically have to give up on Barbs... but to win a championship.. I think they will (IE see WCF)

What this also does is give the suns a dynamic that would keep teams off balaence... because they could be traditional and run, and then with one or two subs, turn into a high powered unstoppabled force, and with oanother two changes turn into a tall defenseive minded group.... for example see here

Traditonal (to most likely start games)
PG: Nash
SG: JJ
SF: Marion
PF: Amare
C:Thomas

Then with about 4 minutes to go in the first, switch into high power mode, and blow them away till the end
PG: Nash
SG: Finley
SF: JJ
PF: Marion
C: Amare

For the start of the 2nd you could put in your defensive unit, that is tall and powerfull

PG: JJ
SG:Bell
SF:Marion
PF: Amare
C:Thomas

And at an instant they could go back to tradiitonal.... all the while never getting tired, and still running teams out of the gym, because they are deep, and poised...

I am excited just to think of all the possibilites, and these are just a few... I say sign Fins, because as we see, there are infinante possibilities!!

and the suns still would have barbs, and perhaps JJax, as trade bait...for anny other pieces they might need.....

 

[George O'Brien]

If Finley wants to come to the Suns for the veteran minimum and the Suns want him to come back; is there a compelling reason not to?

The difference between Finley and Payton is temperment. Finley is likely to fit in very well while I have serious doubts about Payton. I'm not sure I wouldn't risk it with Payton anyway if he came for the veteran minimum, but I'd be quick to dump him if it didn't work. I just don't have the same concerns with Finley.

In any case, there are guys like Steve Smith and Robert Horry who manage to latch onto great teams. Smith was all but invisible a couple of years ago until the playoffs when he contributed. Horry's playoff reputation is legend. If the Suns pick up guys like this, it is a statement of just how strongly people believe in their chances.

 

[Joe Mama]

PG : Nash (30), JJ (12), Bell (6)
SG: JJ (23) Fins (15) JJax (10)
SF: Marion (15) Bell (15) Fins(13) JJax(5)
PF: Amare (20), Marion (20), Hunter -8
C: KT (30), Amare -18,

that's not been. You have Bell only getting 21 minutes, and none of them at his natural position which is shooting guard. You also have Jimmy Jackson with only 15 minutes. My guess is that Hunter will not be re-signed, and if he was he would surely get more than 8 minutes per game.

You would have at least a couple of guys complaining about 10 minutes, and they would probably be justified in doing so.

I'm almost positive that Thomas will be starting, but I don't think it's an absolute sure thing. I either read or heard Coach Mike say just the other day that they will wait until at least training camp to figure out the starting lineup.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

I'm almost positive that Thomas will be starting, but I don't think it's an absolute sure thing. I either read or heard Coach Mike say just the other day that they will wait until at least training camp to figure out the starting lineup.
Joe Mama

I would expect KT start most of the time, but it will depend. Marion did an outstanding job on Dirk and caused major problems for teams like the Nuggets. He was overmatched playing Gasol or the Spurs. Somehow, I think Mike will figure out a way to balance it out.

 

[Chaz]

I don't see what the big love affair with Finley is all about.

I really liked him when he was on the Suns (and probably would again).

But he is old and plays a position where we already have players.

Besides a supposed low price tag I don't understand the appeal.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I don't see what the big love affair with Finley is all about.

I really liked him when he was on the Suns (and probably would again).

But he is old and plays a position where we already have players.

I am willing to bet Cheese's paycheck we saw this same exact quote about this same time last year.

 

[Chaz]

I am willing to bet Cheese's paycheck we saw this same exact quote about this same time last year.

About Finley?

From Who?

 

[Cheesebeef]

About Finley?

From Who?

and why my paycheck? Chaz - I agree with you though. We're already set at that position - there is a such thing as too much depth at one position (see the Los Angeles Lakers and their glut of SFs/SGs last season).

 

[sunsfn]

I don't see what the big love affair with Finley is all about.

I really liked him when he was on the Suns (and probably would again).

But he is old and plays a position where we already have players.

Besides a supposed low price tag I don't understand the appeal.

I agree with you.

I would think the quote from last year was about Nash.

But last year we were not overloaded at the point.

 

[Joe Mama]

I honestly don't understand what the problem is with Finley. I mean if he wants to come here why wouldn't they sign him? I think it's a no-brainer. Of course I don't think he would want to come here because there simply isn't enough playing time for him assuming the Phoenix Suns re-signed Joe Johnson. If they don't he would be a great and far less expensive backup plan.

Joe Mama

 

[coloradosun]

I would imagine that Finley as well will wait and see what happens with JJ. If for some unforseen reason the Suns do not want to match, Finley would be in the best position to fit right in with a championship contender.

The Suns may use Finley as negotiating chip with JJ and it is a good fall back position for management, probably the best because he has played with Nash.