Everyone has their opinions...

[Mike Olbinski]

...which is what a messageboard is for...so I can't fault everyone for posting them.

But we win 62 games, make it to the conference finals, and yes, we're down 3-0, and now people are saying McGrady for Marion would have been good? Do we need to keep JJ?

Do you think this team would have been anywhere close to the same with McGrady? Nash is the leader, and McGrady wouldn't have been able to deal with that I think.

Guys...just 4 games ago, we were oogling over Marion and his 38 points.

It's amazing to me...this is our first year together as this team. The core of guys will grow over the next few years. You HAVE to give them time to get better. Amare is so young still.

I don't want to see anything changed, except the possibility of somehow adding some defense to go with the offense somehow. Maybe a center to relieve the pressure on Amare.

Anyways...looking back, and saying ANYTHING other than the Suns made the right moves and this team was awesome is crazy.

Just my thoughts,

Mike

 

[az1965]

Exactly! Great thoughts! We should not muck around with this roster except for adding bench depth. Maybe get rid of barbosa and Walter Mac. These players have gained experience now, they will be battle tested and hopefully learn some defense.

 

[hsandhu]

Whoa, relax. I went out of my way to point out several times what an amazing year this has been, had how amazing shawn marion was. I don't even care about his struggles in this series, he's done more than enough this season to prove he can play big in the clutch.

My post simply was about the real big picture. And that's winning a championship. This season was as fun a suns season there has been, even accepting what happened in this series. But it's just a hypothetical question, does a team with two superstars and the mvp, have a better chance at winning a title that a team w/ one superstar, the mvp, an all star, and a player who when consistent is an all star level talent, my opinion is yes.

Bryan Colangelo did a great job putting the team together, and his job sucks because he can't go back and change his moves, however if he could I ultimately feel make this move should have been done. I wasn't sure about this for the longest time, but McGrady's first round performance (where he single handley carried the rockets the entire series, yao was great because of mcgrady's pick n' roll, but didn't show up enough in the series). This proved he can play in the clutch, just like marion proved he can play in the clutch, but ultimately mcgrady just has more talent than shawn (not more heart, just more talent).

 

[JS22]

Whoa, relax. I went out of my way to point out several times what an amazing year this has been, had how amazing shawn marion was. I don't even care about his struggles in this series, he's done more than enough this season to prove he can play big in the clutch.

My post simply was about the real big picture. And that's winning a championship. This season was as fun a suns season there has been, even accepting what happened in this series. But it's just a hypothetical question, does a team with two superstars and the mvp, have a better chance at winning a title that a team w/ one superstar, the mvp, an all star, and a player who when consistent is an all star level talent, my opinion is yes.

Bryan Colangelo did a great job putting the team together, and his job sucks because he can't go back and change his moves, however if he could I ultimately feel make this move should have been done. I wasn't sure about this for the longest time, but McGrady's first round performance (where he single handley carried the rockets the entire series, yao was great because of mcgrady's pick n' roll, but didn't show up enough in the series). This proved he can play in the clutch, just like marion proved he can play in the clutch, but ultimately mcgrady just has more talent than shawn (not more heart, just more talent).

I disagree 100%. Tmac and Amare would probably clash. Not to mention Tmac would NOT like Nash being the leader of this team. I just get crazy visions of chemistry problems.

 

[hsandhu]

I disagree 100%. Tmac and Amare would probably clash. Not to mention Tmac would NOT like Nash being the leader of this team. I just get crazy visions of chemistry problems.

Fair enough, you may be 100% right, I just happen to disagree.

 

[goldseraph]

It's a messageboard nobody is slamming our current roster, it was just a thought of a 'what might have been'. I love our current team, but I think McGrady would have been very interesting too. I think McGrady is a hell of a player, top 10 in the league, so it's not that crazy to talk about that trade.

 

[Chaplin]

It's a messageboard nobody is slamming our current roster, it was just a thought of a 'what might have been'. I love our current team, but I think McGrady would have been very interesting too. I think McGrady is a hell of a player, top 10 in the league, so it's not that crazy to talk about that trade.

I think you're totally wrong and way off base considering the year we had.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

 

[Errntknght]

In retrospect, I'm just as happy now as I was then when we didn't get TMac. And just as glad we didn't get Kobe. I know either one may have worked out but I just cannot envision how they would have fit in with our team. So I'm inclined to think we did well to avoid them.

On the other hand the great season we've had doesn't indicate that the team is in wonderful shape. Our defense is weak and didn't show much improvement during the course of the year - and I don't think the coach has clue one regarding what to do about it. And the offense is not a great system that we can build on - it's the Steve Nash show and we don't have a young PG learning how to make it run, if that's even possible. Besides Steve we have a fairly good crew of one-on-one players and long range gunners but we've seen how ineffective they can be without Nash creating opportunities. Amare and JJ will probably improve some more and it's possible that the team could storm by the Spurs next year but it looks like long odds to me if we don't reshape this team, somehow.

I tend not to think in terms of shuffling players but, if, say Philly offered Dalembert for Marion we have to seriously consider it. I'd like to see BC hire a defensive guru as an assistant coach, just like I would have last year. Whether or not that happens the team also has to diversify the offense and not in terms of more 1-1 play. It's got to expand the playmaking to more than Steve in a big way or we're heading down a blind alley. In another thread I suggested involving Amare heavily - envisioning him as the key piece of a high post attack, ala Chris Webber.

 

[Joe Mama]

I have no problem whatsoever with the post about Tracy McGrady. I figure it's a legitimate question, especially with the very real possibility that the Phoenix Suns lose JJ this summer without getting any compensation. I know most of you are convinced that the songs will absolutely re-sign JJ. I am not. I'm not even convinced that his preferences to return to the Phoenix Suns. Somehow I get the feeling that while he might not have been complaining about it he is feeling the same underappreciation as Shawn Marion. I'm sure his agent is telling him he could get more attention/appreciation/Money from joining LeBron James in Cleveland... as long as they are confident that James will be staying in Cleveland.

I think the small lineup works for the Phoenix Suns most nights. I don't think they should get rid of it or even need to change the starting lineup. However I do think they need to play a traditional lineup more often. Hunter had his problems this season. Nobody is arguing that. He gets lost sometimes. That said, he was underused most of the season, and even last night when he had already proven that he was the best option on Tim Duncan.

Joe Mama

 

[RJ May]

The real question is, is this the best Marion can do against the spurs? If so the Suns must trade him or they'll play second fiddle to the Spurs for a long time.
The West will come down to Phoenix and San Antonio again next year and if Marion plays like this AGAIN, the Suns will lose AGAIN. I love Marion as a player but if he can't get it done against the best.....well you know the rest.

 

[tobiazz]

The real question is, is this the best Marion can do against the spurs? If so the Suns must trade him or they'll play second fiddle to the Spurs for a long time.

You can't specialize your team to beat one opponent. We don't need any Majerle for Hot Rod or Jermaine Oneill for Dale Davis trades.

 

[jibikao]

You can't specialize your team to beat one opponent. We don't need any Majerle for Hot Rod or Jermaine Oneill for Dale Davis trades.

Like how Mavs got Dampier to beat Spurs and they couldn't even pass Suns? That's a lesson we should learn.

Marion may not be useful in this series but we have Hunter. That's what Team is all about.

Spurs has the MOST WEAPONS in ANY situations. Barry is only useful against us so far. He was dead useless against the Sonics.


If we truly want to win this series, we should bench Marion for Hunter since 1.) we have no fast break points (that's -10pt for Marion) and 2.) Marion can't create his own shots and find easy baskets against Spurs who really protects their boards.

Hunter can provide our fragile defense some support AT LEAST.

The problem now is that DA thinks Marion is TOO IMPORTANT to let him sit. Marion is an all-star and he shouldn't sit. If DA did that, Marion will be super pissed.... not like Marion is not pissed now.

Part of the big problem is we don't have backup plan if we DON'T HAVE FAST BREAK GAME. Besides Nash/Amare combo, we have no other set plays for other guys. Everything stems from Nash's creation and you know Spurs WILL STAY TO THE SHOOTERS. So the only way is to have set plays to free our shooters but quite frankly, we have none and Spurs knows it.

So our ONLY hope is to make Nash a scorer like he was against the Mavs and Game 1/2 against the Spurs. Him passing out will only make turnovers because Spurs ANTICIPATES him to pass out. If our players want to get themselves involved, they need to help defensively and create turnovers for the Spurs so we'll have some fast break points.

 

[RJ May]

Like how Mavs got Dampier to beat Spurs and they couldn't even pass Suns? That's a lesson we should learn.

Marion may not be useful in this series but we have Hunter. That's what Team is all about.

Spurs has the MOST WEAPONS in ANY situations. Barry is only useful against us so far. He was dead useless against the Sonics.


If we truly want to win this series, we should bench Marion for Hunter since 1.) we have no fast break points (that's -10pt for Marion) and 2.) Marion can't create his own shots and find easy baskets against Spurs who really protects their boards.

Hunter can provide our fragile defense some support AT LEAST.

The problem now is that DA thinks Marion is TOO IMPORTANT to let him sit. Marion is an all-star and he shouldn't sit. If DA did that, Marion will be super pissed.... not like Marion is not pissed now.

Part of the big problem is we don't have backup plan if we DON'T HAVE FAST BREAK GAME. Besides Nash/Amare combo, we have no other set plays for other guys. Everything stems from Nash's creation and you know Spurs WILL STAY TO THE SHOOTERS. So the only way is to have set plays to free our shooters but quite frankly, we have none and Spurs knows it.

So our ONLY hope is to make Nash a scorer like he was against the Mavs and Game 1/2 against the Spurs. Him passing out will only make turnovers because Spurs ANTICIPATES him to pass out. If our players want to get themselves involved, they need to help defensively and create turnovers for the Spurs so we'll have some fast break points.

I'd bench Q in favor of Hunter. That would put the best defensive team out on the floor. Second thing I would do is get JJ more involved in the offense. It's a shame Phoenix doesn't run the two man game between him and Stoudamire more often.

 

[fordronken]

My question is, how much would Steven Hunter, and the team as a whole, progress if Hunter was playing 30 minutes per game for the whole season?

 

[JS22]

Fair enough, you may be 100% right, I just happen to disagree.

That's what message boards are for.