Hill picks Phoenix

[Arizona's Finest]

I believe Jones started quite a few games, especially towards the end of the season and in playoffs.

What makes you think Jumaine will see the court in D'Antoni system even if he is under contract. I say 0.5% chance.

I really hope so... That brings up another point, insurance policy in case Hill gets injured. I don't want to go thru another post-season looking at another excuse "but we did not have our full roster, Hill got injured"...

I hate to break this to everybody (and apparently its everybody after seeing the 10 page James Jones traded thread) but James Jones sucks. Period. He was the best of a lot of bad options for D'Antoni last year. He had little value to the team and league wide.

This why I think a guy like Jumaine Jones could come and be an adequate replacement for the guy. Its not like he had a lot to live up too....

 

[Mainstreet]

That brings up another point, insurance policy in case Hill gets injured. I don't want to go thru another post-season looking at another excuse "but we did not have our full roster, Hill got injured"...

I'm hoping Kerr will fill D'Antoni's roster with players that are a better fit for his system. IMO, D'Antoni did not like the depth of his bench when he tried to expand his rotation. I guess D'Antoni the GM didn't cut it.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Next year's starters:

Nash-Bell-Hill-Garnett-Stoudemire

Keep Rose and JuJones along with Diaw, Banks, Tucker, Strawberry and find a way to sign PJBrown. Play the damned bench and get this team ready for a title!!!!

Please!!!!

 

[Rab]

I'm hoping Kerr will fill D'Antoni's roster with players that are a better fit for his system. IMO, D'Antoni did not like the depth of his bench when he tried to expand his rotation. I guess D'Antoni the GM didn't cut it.

He was a downright awful GM, but at the same time, I don't think he really wanted that title and I don't see how he ever had time to do the job right.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Next year's starters:

Nash-Bell-Hill-Garnett-Stoudemire

Keep Rose and JuJones along with Diaw, Banks, Tucker, Strawberry and find a way to sign PJBrown. Play the damned bench and get this team ready for a title!!!!

Please!!!!

I'm Feeling that Post!!

 

[elindholm]

I'm sorry, but there's no way that Stoudemire/Marion/Hill/Bell/Nash is a championship starting lineup, unless the bench is made up of Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, Gary Payton of ten years ago, and Jesus Christ. For those of you who have forgotten the San Antonio series, it wasn't a lack of offensive firepower that doomed the Suns.

 

[playstation]

to me, hill starting is less important. i want him to come in expressly when nash is out, then finish the game in the 4th. as long as he does that and plays 25ish minutes, its all good. Nash better sit for 16-18min/game, hill plays the last 6, that's pretty much his minute total right there.

 

[Rab]

I'm sorry, but there's no way that Stoudemire/Marion/Hill/Bell/Nash is a championship starting lineup, unless the bench is made up of Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, Gary Payton of ten years ago, and Jesus Christ. For those of you who have forgotten the San Antonio series, it wasn't a lack of offensive firepower that doomed the Suns.

Honestly, I think it's fine. James Jones was a good help defender, but his loss isn't going to impact us that much on defense. D'Antoni could use a better gameplan going into a SA series than what he had this year. I don't think he knew what he wanted to do half the time.

Let's not forget as well that Dallas isn't going to get bounced in the first round either again this year. We might have to go through them again, and this lineup suits a series against them well.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Next year's starters:

Nash-Bell-Hill-Garnett-Stoudemire

Keep Rose and JuJones along with Diaw, Banks, Tucker, Strawberry and find a way to sign PJBrown. Play the damned bench and get this team ready for a title!!!!

Please!!!!

How about sending him a telegram with the words

Nash-Bell-Hill-Garnett-Stoudemire

on it.

If we got Garnett NOW 90% of the free agents would play for the vet min with us.

 

[TucsonDevil]

If Hill starts...

Our lineup loses size. Our Starting Lineup against SA Spurs needs to continue to be our lineup this next year - KT, STAT, Marion, Bell, Nash

Stat will get into foul trouble every game. He will be the only presence down low to help out, and thus will pick up two fouls in every 1st quarter and then hit the bench.

Our bench doesn't improve. We need a someone to lead things in the second unit. LB loses patience to often, Diaw is a French puss, and KT can't control the ball. Hill would provide that leadership.

I don't see Hill starting unless we are playing Golden State, Toronto, or other squads that just want to run.

 

[azirish]

I'm sorry, but there's no way that Stoudemire/Marion/Hill/Bell/Nash is a championship starting lineup, unless the bench is made up of Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, Gary Payton of ten years ago, and Jesus Christ. For those of you who have forgotten the San Antonio series, it wasn't a lack of offensive firepower that doomed the Suns.

Against the Spurs, I would agree. But for most of the season, I think Hill starts (see http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=93006).

In any case, I think Hill would be a lot more useful against the Spurs than Jones was. The simple truth is that with the way the Spurs focused on beating up Nash, it was a huge problem that no one else in the Suns lineup could make his own shot or handl the ball handling.

 

[playstation]

how many 3's you think hill will take next year? i'm betting coach will tell him to shoot em

 

[Rab]

Against the Spurs, I would agree. But for most of the season, I think Hill starts (see http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=93006).

In any case, I think Hill would be a lot more useful against the Spurs than Jones was. The simple truth is that with the way the Spurs focused on beating up Nash, it was a huge problem that no one else in the Suns lineup could make his own shot or handl the ball handling.

Good point, I never really thought of that for some dumb reason. It could help tremendously to have another ball handler out there, just so Nash doesn't get it handed to him by Bowen every trip down the floor.

I don't really think our defense was awful against the Spurs. Amare's was, and Nash at times chose bad times to rotate and help, but other than that, we were okay.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Hill played just 200 regular-season games in seven years, meaning he earned $465,000 per game played with the Magic.

Holy @#$%

 

[fordronken]

There was a lot of poor execution on offense in the San Antonio series. That, to me, is where Grant Hill helps. My hope is that Tucker is as good on defense as the team seems to think and that he brings a lot of energy and toughness to the lineup. Hill gives us versatiliy, but if we need to play tough defense, we go with STAT, KT, Marion, Bell, Nash. If we need more shooting, we swap KT for Barbosa. I also like a star resting lineup of Barbosa/Hill/Tucker/Diaw/Thomas.

 

[azirish]

how many 3's you think hill will take next year? i'm betting coach will tell him to shoot em

It will be interesting. It is doubtful that Hill has ever had a huge number of wide open three point opportunities in the Magic scheme so I would imagine he's a bit better than his stats would indicate. Still, trying to change a 35 year old's style of play is probably a mistake.

 

[elindholm]

Asking Hill to run the offense while Nash gets mugged is way too optimistic. The reason Nash is a two-time MVP is that no one else can come close to doing the things that he does. The entire D'Antoni "system" is based on Nash's brilliance. Transfer Nash's responsibilities to a second-tier PG like Bibby, and the Suns offense takes a major step backward. Transfer them to a stopgap sort-of point forward like Hill or Diaw, and it's no longer the Suns.

I agree that Hill should help the Suns overcome their regular-season plague of getting outscored 22-4 every time Nash went to the bench. But in the playoffs, the Suns' improvement will have to come on the defensive end. That will help the offense by chain reaction, because the officials will take the Suns more seriously and be more inclined to call fouls on both ends of the floor.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Great signing and glad Hill chose to came to phoenix now if we just add another big man in eaither Mihm or Sow we will be set awsome job suns way to get this done

 

[az1965]

Hill will improve getting to the FT line, something Jones was not too good at.

 

[azirish]

Asking Hill to run the offense while Nash gets mugged is way too optimistic. The reason Nash is a two-time MVP is that no one else can come close to doing the things that he does. The entire D'Antoni "system" is based on Nash's brilliance. Transfer Nash's responsibilities to a second-tier PG like Bibby, and the Suns offense takes a major step backward. Transfer them to a stopgap sort-of point forward like Hill or Diaw, and it's no longer the Suns.

I agree that Hill should help the Suns overcome their regular-season plague of getting outscored 22-4 every time Nash went to the bench. But in the playoffs, the Suns' improvement will have to come on the defensive end. That will help the offense by chain reaction, because the officials will take the Suns more seriously and be more inclined to call fouls on both ends of the floor.

Better defense is certainly a key. Still, I think that opponents are inclined to go after Nash with traps knowing that all they have to do is play the three. Having an offense threat who can distribute creates another problem for opponents, which is why JJ was valuable beyond being a good spot up shooter.

 

[Rab]

Asking Hill to run the offense while Nash gets mugged is way too optimistic. The reason Nash is a two-time MVP is that no one else can come close to doing the things that he does. The entire D'Antoni "system" is based on Nash's brilliance. Transfer Nash's responsibilities to a second-tier PG like Bibby, and the Suns offense takes a major step backward. Transfer them to a stopgap sort-of point forward like Hill or Diaw, and it's no longer the Suns.

I agree that Hill should help the Suns overcome their regular-season plague of getting outscored 22-4 every time Nash went to the bench. But in the playoffs, the Suns' improvement will have to come on the defensive end. That will help the offense by chain reaction, because the officials will take the Suns more seriously and be more inclined to call fouls on both ends of the floor.

I don't think Hill will ever be running the offense full time by any means. Nash runs the offense, but when he is getting mugged, he can at least pass it to a player on the wing who can do something with it, instead of Bell or Marion looking to get rid of the ball like it was a hot potato. That alone can take some pressure off Nash. We haven't had this luxury since JJ bailed.

 

[az1965]

I hate to break this to everybody (and apparently its everybody after seeing the 10 page James Jones traded thread) but James Jones sucks. Period. He was the best of a lot of bad options for D'Antoni last year. He had little value to the team and league wide.

This why I think a guy like Jumaine Jones could come and be an adequate replacement for the guy. Its not like he had a lot to live up too....

I don't disagree regarding Jones, and I cannot agree regarding Jumaine. He could not replace a sucking James Jones. He is simply not a D'Antoni type player.

 

[az1965]

I'm sorry, but there's no way that Stoudemire/Marion/Hill/Bell/Nash is a championship starting lineup.

So, was Stoudemire/Marion/Jones/Bell/Nash a championship starting lineup?

 

[elindholm]

So, was Stoudemire/Marion/Jones/Bell/Nash a championship starting lineup?

No, obviously not. Upgrading Jones to Hill -- and it's an upgrade only for as long as Hill can stay healthy -- doesn't address any critical problems. Basically it's like if you have a car where the brakes don't work, and you try to solve the problem by putting in better speakers.

 

[slinslin]

As long as Hill is healthy its a huge upgrade.

Hill can impact games the way Nash and Kidd can. Having another playmaker on the floor will make life easier for Nash and for the Suns, but especially for Barbosa who doesn't have to play PG with Nash on the bench.