free agent list

[boisesuns]

colangelo mentioned he would possible pick up a free agent for help. here's the list. there are some pretty good guards on there, if we could somehow sign them.

http://www.realgm.com/src_freeagents.php?year=2003

a few that stuck out to me:

antonio daniels:not really a point, but fits with our style.
raja bell: would be a great fit
kevin ollie
shammond williams
damon jones
speedy claxton: probably got himself resigned with sa

not sure what the reality of getting one of these guys is. it would be nice to get one of these guys to back up marbs.

if we draft a guard, there might be a few on the list that can help us center wise. i'm not sure what scott willimas has left if we resign him. maybe big jake will come alive this year.

 

[slinslin]

Rafer Alston ,Demarr Johnson ,Steve Smith ,Dion Glover ,Jerome Moiso ,Smush Parker ,Shammond Williams, Earl Boykins ,Jon Barry ,Eddie House ,Rod Strickland ,Kenny Anderson, Lee Nailon, Mateen Cleaves ,Elden Campbell ,Charles Oakley, Kevin Willis

Those guys could possibly be available for close to the minimum.

Also Lenny Cooke has to be considered. The talent was never a question but the attitude. Reportedly he has really improved mentally and tore up the USBL.
http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/lennycooke.htm

Antonio Daniels, Speedy Claxton and Kevin Ollie are likely not in our price range.

If we drafted Sofoklis I don't think I would resign either Jake Voshkul or Scott Williams. I would rather go with Scott Williams another year for the veteran minimum and spent the money we would have to spend on Voshkul for a couple of cheap FAs.

Sofoklis, Rafer Alston, DeMarr Johnson those would be good cheap additions I think.

DeMarr will be cheap because he is coming back from that broken neck injury that he had. He is a wildcard and giving him a chance might really turn out into a steal.

Rafer as a backup for the Raptors this season averaged 8ppg 4apg 2rpg almost 1spg and .392%3s

Shorty/Big Jake/S-Will
Amare/Bo
Matrix/DJ
Penny/JJ/C-Jake
Starbury/Skip to my Lou

A roster full of nicknames.

 

[Chaplin]

Dermarr Johnson isn't worth the risk.

 

[slinslin]

The risk of a minimum contract? Probably not even guaranteed?

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by slinslin
The risk of a minimum contract? Probably not even guaranteed?

Well, for one, that won't happen. Somebody will give him a guaranteed contract--probably more like the smaller exception.

Secondly, we can get the same type of player for the same or less money without the scary injury situation.

 

[slinslin]

Secondly, we can get the same type of player for the same or less money without the scary injury situation.

How can we do that? And who is that same type of player?

And why would the team that offers DerMarr Johnson that contract not sign the same type of player without the injury situation?
Can only the Suns do so?

As far as I know DerMarr is practicing hard for half a season now to come back this summer. He obviously recovered from his injury and it is not like his head will fall off if he gets his shot blocked.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by slinslin
How can we do that? And who is that same type of player?

And why would the team that offers DerMarr Johnson that contract not sign the same type of player without the injury situation?
Can only the Suns do so?

As far as I know DerMarr is practicing hard for half a season now to come back this summer. He obviously recovered from his injury and it is not like his head will fall off if he gets his shot blocked.

I'm trying to figure you why you love him so much, but from my perspective, I'm tired of taking a chance on players.

We took a chance on:

Googs
McDyess
Penny

and look what happened.

 

[slinslin]

We didn't take a chance on Googs. Please
He came to Phoenix for less money than market value and nobody could expect that he has so many injuries.

McDyess didn't have anything to do with injuries.

And besides that DerMarr Johnson isn't a maximum contract type player like those 3 are. Giving DerMarr Johnson a chance is a low risk considering the potential reward.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by slinslin
We didn't take a chance on Googs. Please
He came to Phoenix for less money than market value and nobody could expect that he has so many injuries.

McDyess didn't have anything to do with injuries.

And besides that DerMarr Johnson isn't a maximum contract type player like those 3 are. Giving DerMarr Johnson a chance is a low risk considering the potential reward.

High risk medium reward isn't worth it.

But since I disagree with you, I'm sure you're going to continue to act insulted.

 

[slinslin]

Signing a player for close to the minimum is such a high risk.

 

[Chaplin]

We want a PLAYER. That's the bottom line. Sure, we won't lose much money, but it all counts on the floor. If we have a chance to get a player whose odds are better that he'd actually PLAY, then go for him.

We need a someone who can play basketball, not someone who is on the team just because he can get a small contract.

 

[schutd]

He doesnt sound insulted to me. If we could get DeMarr for the vet minimum how is that any more of a risk than signing Dan Langhi or Scott WIlliams for the same? When your getting players for the vet minimum, theres a reason, they're either old and breaking down (Williams) completely unproven and maybe undertalented (Langhi) and then theres the wildcard picks like Johnson who had a freak injury (not a typical b-ball injury) and maybe just need a second shot.

I understand you're saying you don't think we can get DeMArr for the min or unguaranteed, but put that aside, if we could, would you be interested?

Vet min contracts are NEVER high risk. By the numbers alone. Of course, we can assume the organization would do all the necessary homework to ensure the risk is lowered and/or adequate otherwise they wouldn't make the deal. So, assuming all that (which WOULD actually happen if the club had interest in him) would you still not do it?

If not? Who out there is better?

 

[Joe Mama]

Unless Johnson tears up one of the summer leagues and passes his physicals with flying colors there's no way he's going to get anything significantly more than a minimum contract. He certainly won't get anybody's exception.

Slin, I can't believe you're suggesting that the Suns shouldn't at least try to resign Little Jake. IMO that would be terrible for the locker room atmosphere. According to everything I have read and seen his teammates absolutely love him and his effort. I'm not suggesting the Suns should break the bank for him, but I do think they need to seriously attempt to resign him regardless of who they draft.

Joe Mama

 

[schutd]

In all the hubub, I forgot about that. We have to resign Little Jake. He puts too much out there to not have him. RIght now, Id take him over Big Jake.

In fact, IM ready for the Big Jake experience to be over. I still hold out hope that he'll all of a sudden turn into the player we thought he could be, and even that would be nothing more than a regualr contributor and solid defensive player. But in my guts, I dont see it happeneing. We'd be lost without little Jake.

Which as Joe often says, speaks volumes about our center rotation, but what else is there?

 

[SweetD]

Originally posted by schutd
In all the hubub, I forgot about that. We have to resign Little Jake. He puts too much out there to not have him. RIght now, Id take him over Big Jake.

In fact, IM ready for the Big Jake experience to be over. I still hold out hope that he'll all of a sudden turn into the player we thought he could be, and even that would be nothing more than a regualr contributor and solid defensive player. But in my guts, I dont see it happeneing. We'd be lost without little Jake.

Which as Joe often says, speaks volumes about our center rotation, but what else is there?

Why is everyone ready to give up on Big Jake?? When Suns drafted him they even said he was raw and he has only been playing Ball for a very short time. IMO Big Jake will be the started next year and his contact is very small and worth keeping him around not all rookies become stars overnight like Amare. Big Jake will be a good C in this league and for the Suns. Rip me is you would like but I don't think evey other team in the NBA that year had Big Jake as a lotto pick except for his commitment with his country keept him from going alot higher. Big Jake is by far on of the better C we have ever had in a Suns uniform and has the most potential to fit into what the Suns need.

 

[schutd]

Oh, I wont rip you. I hope to hell you are right. I just havent seen anything to show that you are.

One word that needs to be banned from use in any capasity when referring to anything NBA related is potential. Its the most overused word in the league.

Oddly enough, when one speaks of potential, a lot of times one ends up speaking of disappointment.

And I'm not talking about freaks of nature like Amare. I'm talking about guys who are drafted solely on size(what other reason could there have been in drafting Jake? he doesnt shoot all that well, he doesnt jump, hes not athletic, and he doesnt rebound all that well), or hype.

Like I said, I hope youre right. Ill even cross my fingers that you are. Id like nothing more than to be worng in this instance. So in that regard, I havent given up, I'm just being true to my guts. And my guts are plentiful.

 

[SweetD]

Originally posted by schutd
Oh, I wont rip you. I hope to hell you are right. I just havent seen anything to show that you are.

Jake played very well at the end of 2001-2002 and at time did good last year but was never given the time to play (this maybe becouse of his back or FJ small ball theory). I have not seen Jake play bad enough or show he doesn't be long in the NBA. The Suns don't need a 15-20 pt per game C. Then need someone to be a big body and grab rebounds and block shots. Maybe Jake is not strating material, but IMO if we used Jake in the playoff this year we could have had a better chance. I would love to see a Swift or a Big Ben, but not many players come along that just want to play D.

 

[sunsfn]

I still have hopes big Jake will be a decent center in the NBA.

It seems like he was a better 10-15 ft shooter the first year than he has been since.?

I am hoping with Ivaroni and the other assistants that he will improve a lot.
It was to bad about his back last year and I hope we have seen the last of his back problems.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by SweetD
Why is everyone ready to give up on Big Jake?? When Suns drafted him they even said he was raw and he has only been playing Ball for a very short time. IMO Big Jake will be the started next year and his contact is very small and worth keeping him around not all rookies become stars overnight like Amare. Big Jake will be a good C in this league and for the Suns. Rip me is you would like but I don't think evey other team in the NBA that year had Big Jake as a lotto pick except for his commitment with his country keept him from going alot higher. Big Jake is by far on of the better C we have ever had in a Suns uniform and has the most potential to fit into what the Suns need.

You had me until that last sentence. I'm not ready to give up on Big Jake, but I'm not holding out much hope that he'll ever be anything more than a situational player. He is just so slow and unathletic.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

One word that needs to be banned from use in any capasity when referring to anything NBA related is potential. Its the most overused word in the league.

It's the second-most overused word, after "upside," which means the same thing.

I'm in complete agreement with you. "Potential" just means "something you haven't done yet." For every player with "potential," there are ten others whose gifts lie only in the imagination of those looking for them.

 

[schutd]

GAK! Elindholm!

Did you see the description on AZCentrals Mock Draft page????

"20. Boston - Sofoklis Schortsanitis. 6-9 F, Greece. Only 18 and more than 300 pounds. Lots of upside potential. "

They did it! They used them both in the same sentence!!!!

 

[ThatsAmare]

Whether or not Jake recovers from his injury is irrelevant. As long as Frankie boy is our coach Jake will not get consistant minutes.

If he was half a foot shorter, then maybe.

 

[elindholm]

Lots of upside potential.

Heh!

 

[Goldfield]

Originally posted by slinslin
Rafer Alston ,Demarr Johnson ,Steve Smith ,Dion Glover ,Jerome Moiso ,Smush Parker ,Shammond Williams, Earl Boykins ,Jon Barry ,Eddie House ,Rod Strickland ,Kenny Anderson, Lee Nailon, Mateen Cleaves ,Elden Campbell ,Charles Oakley, Kevin Willis

Those guys could possibly be available for close to the minimum.

Out of that list I would sign Earl Boykins and Elden Campbell ...

Those two with our draft pick would be nice and reasonable IMO...