Hunter vows to increase his size, strength, wealth

[azdad1978]

Suns sub wants to stay, but the price must be right

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
May. 31, 2005 12:00 AM

SAN ANTONIO - If center Steven Hunter gets his way, he'll be back with the Suns next season and he'll also weigh at least 20 pounds more than he does today.

"I've had a great time being with Phoenix," Hunter said Monday after the Suns' shootaround at the SBC Center. "I think I've gotten a lot better as a player and I would love to continue my career here. This is the team for me."

Hunter's contract includes a player's option for next season. He said although it's "unlikely" he would come back for the amount of the option ($745,046), he "would definitely like to be here."



The Suns won't publicly address Hunter's contract situation until after the playoffs.

Hunter has played extended minutes against the Spurs in the Western Conference finals because the Suns have needed his 7-foot presence and his ability to block shots.

Hunter swatted five shots and scored 16 points in the first three games vs. the Spurs, in which he averaged 25.3 minutes.

That's quite a leap from the less than seven minutes he averaged in six games vs. Dallas in the conference semifinals, and the 13.8 minutes he averaged over 76 games in the regular season.

Hunter came to the Suns in August via free agency thinking he would challenge Jake Voskuhl for the starting center spot.

The Suns, however, committed to a smaller lineup, and both Hunter and Voskuhl watched as Amaré Stoudemire was given the job they wanted.

"I thought it was going to be a conventional lineup," Hunter said. "But coach (Mike D'Antoni) went with this style and it ended up working. I'm happy with that. I love coach D'Antoni's style because it suits my game."

Hunter, who runs the floor well for his size, is hoping to bulk up to 260 pounds in the off-season and come to training camp with a better midrange jump shot.

"I want to work out and I want to get bigger and stronger," Hunter said. "This is going to be a summer that I will work as hard as I ever have in my career. I want to come back a more complete player next year."

First up, however, is surgery on the ligaments in the middle finger of his right hand, which he injured while dunking a ball against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 18.

Hunter, who tapes the finger thoroughly before each practice and game, said he thought about having surgery right away but decided he couldn't afford to be away.

"Anybody else would have sat out," Hunter said. "I needed to play this year so I kept going and toughed it out all year."


http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0531sunsside0531.html

 

[Goldfield]

That would be good if he added 20lbs of muscle mass.

I wonder if we use our mid level exemtion on him...

 

[boisesuns]

A Jumper and some basic bribbling skills would do wonders for him. Adding the weight would be good, but i hope he can still be quick. If he could develope himself into a bigger slighty more skilled center, it would make our team very solid.

he could start against the bigger teams, and we would have a deeper bench (wouldn't that be nice to have our bech get better without having to add someone?) I think he's on the right track, but you can really notice how nash really doesn't pass to him that often. Nash will take the ball if he doesn't trust someone to get him an assist

 

[George O'Brien]

If Hunter was able to keep big guys out of the lane, rather than try to block shots taken from three feet out - the Suns could magically become a pretty good defensive team. If Hunter develops a running hook shot, the Suns could create some major problems against teams who try to double Amare when Hunter is in the lineup.

That being said, Hunter is still more potential than performance at this stage. He is below standard as a rebounder and is still pretty raw when it comes to fundimentals. The Suns need to keep him because the alternative is worse, but he has a way to go before he can be a 25 minute a game player.

 

[az1965]

Rebounding & boxing out his guy would really do wonders for him. I would rather him work on that aspect then his mid range jumper. We need him to average 5-6 rebounds for his playing time.

 

[PHX2]

He's the kind of player who plays big in big minutes he has a lot of potential and I'm excited to see his growth...

 

[Joe Mama]

If Hunter wants to increase his its size and stamina I'll forward him some of the e-mails that I get at my Hotmail account. They guarantee it works.

Joe

 

[Errntknght]

Hunter needs to work on his FTs... preferrably with a 'shot mechanic' who can take the kinks out of his motion. That would a good first step towards developing a jump shot that's worth using, too.

I wouldn't want to see him bulk up much if it cost him quickness or speed. Overall conditioning would be worth while - as the season went on he slowed at running the floor. A lot of what he needs is just learning better footwork and techniques for holding position around the basket.

Iavaroni is supposed to be a good big man coach but judging from the results we've seen I'd have to say he isn't worth squat. Our best hope seems to be him getting the nod as a head coach somewhere - he's been in running a few times, according to scuttlebutt. BC clearly doesn't know enough to fire him.

 

[coloradosun]

I would offer him a contract comparable to what Voskuhl earned.

 

[Evil Ash]

I would offer him a contract comparable to what Voskuhl earned.

Then say buh bye because I highly doubt he would sign for that amount.

 

[elindholm]

Then say buh bye because I highly doubt he would sign for that amount.

Sad but true. My guess is that he's gone. He'll exercise his option and someone else will outbid the Suns, who will be saving their salary exceptions for players who seem a bit better developed. I'm sure they'd be happy to bring him back for $1.5 - $2 million per, but someone will probably offer more than that. As Joe Mama has pointed out, it's not entirely unthinkable that a team desperate for height will offer him the full MLE.

 

[coloradosun]

Then say buh bye because I highly doubt he would sign for that amount.

Voskuhl signed a 3 year 5.3 million. Hunter may go for 5.5M-6M for 3 years. Hunters rookie contract was for about that amount. The MLE is about that amount.

Do you think he is going to get more than that elsewhere.

 

[Evil Ash]

Voskuhl signed a 3 year 5.3 million. Hunter may go for 5.5M-6M for 3 years. Hunters rookie contract was for about that amount. The MLE is about that amount.

Do you think he is going to get more than that elsewhere.

Considering the league is desperate for big men and ADONYLE FOYLE got paid $6 million per season roughly (I think he actually signed for higher than that) I'd say yeah

 

[se7en]

Iavaroni is supposed to be a good big man coach but judging from the results we've seen I'd have to say he isn't worth squat.

Hold on here. Iavaroni Isn’t worth squat? Not a good big man coach? What team have you been watching? You don’t want to give the coach any credit for helping Amare become the best center in the NBA and you don’t want to give him any credit for changing Hunter from an unknown stiff into a valued contributor on a deep playoff team and a desirable free agent within a single season? And while he’s no longer a useful member of the run and gun Suns, I do believe that Voskul improved after joining the Suns as well.

I mean those are the only centers we have to judge Iavaroni’s effectiveness. And well, when I look at those 3 players I can’t help but think he’s been pretty damn effective with what he has had to work with. What are using to judge Iavaroni’s ciahcing ability

 

[sunsfn]

Iavaroni is supposed to be a good big man coach but judging from the results we've seen I'd have to say he isn't worth squat. Our best hope seems to be him getting the nod as a head coach somewhere - he's been in running a few times, according to scuttlebutt. BC clearly doesn't know enough to fire him.

I think you are wrong.
Iavaroni is considered one of the best big man coaches in the NBA.

If a player is not doing something right in your eyes, it may be his fault not the coaches.

 

[Evil Ash]

Then say buh bye because I highly doubt he would sign for that amount.

Sad but true. My guess is that he's gone. He'll exercise his option and someone else will outbid the Suns, who will be saving their salary exceptions for players who seem a bit better developed. I'm sure they'd be happy to bring him back for $1.5 - $2 million per, but someone will probably offer more than that. As Joe Mama has pointed out, it's not entirely unthinkable that a team desperate for height will offer him the full MLE.

Entirely possible and probable. We have one chance in keeping Hunter around and that is if he feels that he has loyalty to this franchise.

I could see the Suns going up to $2.5 to $3 million a year but if Hunter really wants to hit the open market and we don't want to give the full MLE, he's as good as gone IMO

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Voskuhl signed a 3 year 5.3 million. Hunter may go for 5.5M-6M for 3 years. Hunters rookie contract was for about that amount. The MLE is about that amount.

Do you think he is going to get more than that elsewhere.

The MLE right now is about 6 years/40 million.

The STARTING salary is 5 million. Not the overall max. Voskuhl makes like 1.4 million next season IIRC, that is near the Vets min. for people with over 7 years (or something close to that).

 

[coloradosun]

The MLE right now is about 6 years/40 million.

The STARTING salary is 5 million. Not the overall max. Voskuhl makes like 1.4 million next season IIRC, that is near the Vets min. for people with over 7 years (or something close to that).

Sorry, I wanted to correct myself but I had to exit. I was going to edit the post to say that if teams could split the MLE that Hunter could get the smaller cut.

 

[Joe Mama]

Hold on here. Iavaroni Isn’t worth squat? Not a good big man coach? What team have you been watching? You don’t want to give the coach any credit for helping Amare become the best center in the NBA and you don’t want to give him any credit for changing Hunter from an unknown stiff into a valued contributor on a deep playoff team and a desirable free agent within a single season? And while he’s no longer a useful member of the run and gun Suns, I do believe that Voskul improved after joining the Suns as well.

I mean those are the only centers we have to judge Iavaroni’s effectiveness. And well, when I look at those 3 players I can’t help but think he’s been pretty damn effective with what he has had to work with. What are using to judge Iavaroni’s ciahcing ability

I have actually heard that Iavaroni is a very hard worker, but his knowledge of the game is quite limited. The person I spoke to said that he did not think Iavaroni would make a very good head coach unless he surrounded himself with some excellent basketball minds.

Joe Mama

 

[Errntknght]

Se7en, "Hold on here. Iavaroni Isn’t worth squat? Not a good big man coach? What team have you been watching? You don’t want to give the coach any credit for helping Amare become the best center in the NBA..."

Were I to learn that Iavaroni had a big hand in Amare's greatly improved body control and jump shot, I'd have change my tune to some extent. I rather doubt that's the case - it's certainly not the kind of thing one associates with Mark Iavaroni, if you've ever seen him play. What I haven't seen is much of an increase in is Amare's defensive play either one-on-one or in patrolling the paint. Nor improved technique in rebounding or controlling space under the hoop. That is where I expect to see the guiding hand of a good big man coach.

"... and you don’t want to give him any credit for changing Hunter from an unknown stiff into a valued contributor"

Hunter came here with a reputation as a shot blocker. After his first game with the Suns in preseason I said that he was definitely a shot blocker but he got pushed around rather easily. I also said that he had more offensive game that we'd heard about. In other words his game then was very like his game now. Hunter has made some progress and probably would have made more with more PT. As with Amare, he hasn't shown particular strides in the areas I'd expect a big man coach to help with. He hasn't learned ways to snag offensive rebounds or a clever up-and-under move. He still gets pushed around near the hoop. If Iavaroni was key to Amare's improved jump shot he didn't prove it by getting the rough spots out of Hunter's FT form.

"I do believe that Voskul improved after joining the Suns as well."

He's improved less than one would expect from the amount of PT he's gotten and four years in the league. The last I saw of him he was still committing the same poor fouls he's always done - walking into shooters with his lower body while ineffectively keeping his hands raised and pushing everyone around him in the back with two hands when jockeying for space. And making dumb switches in screening situations. Jake's a poster child for how ineffective Iavaroni has been. The one notable improvement in Jake's technique is going hard to the basket for a crush when he gets a lane - early on he often laid the ball up soft and he didn't carry it high, either. That I could imagine Iavaroni having a hand in, though Big Jake didn't learn to do that during the same time frame.

I was tickled pink when the Suns finally decided to get a big man coach and Iavaroni came with lots of good notices but I watch our big guys techniques very closely and just have not seen improvements beyond what you'd expect with experience - certainly nothing eye-opening in the realms of defense, positioning or rebounding.

 

[AZZenny]

Maybe I'm alone on this, and I defended him most of the season - but Hunter hasn't learned very damn much this year - he still gets in the way, forgets his task, and is as much a liability as an asset on the floor at any given time. I thought he sucked last night. He's not worth a penny more than he's getting now, and I'd love to see him end up last on the bench - meaning that we somehow improved the bench that much. Sarver IS hooked, so I hope he'll strtech the wallet as much as he possibly can justify.

 

[JPlay]

Man I wish we could just cut Voskul and re-sign Hunter. The big reason for the Suns success was not playing Voskul and Barbosa as starters.

Hunter would be great if he was more physical and stepped out to block shots instead of waiting for them to come to him. Better rebounding effort, better hands and little jump shot would be nice also.

If Amare and Hunter could get better at defense and grow we could be great.

 

[Joe Mama]

Maybe I'm alone on this, and I defended him most of the season - but Hunter hasn't learned very damn much this year - he still gets in the way, forgets his task, and is as much a liability as an asset on the floor at any given time. I thought he sucked last night. He's not worth a penny more than he's getting now, and I'd love to see him end up last on the bench - meaning that we somehow improved the bench that much. Sarver IS hooked, so I hope he'll strtech the wallet as much as he possibly can justify.

just based on what he provided as a big man this season he earned more than $750,000 salary. Shot blockers like him get paid a lot in the NBA. I do agree that he has a lot to learn, and hopefully he is capable. I don't expect him to ever be an intelligent basketball player, but he needs to avoid making stupid mistakes.

That said, anything more than $2 million annually is too much unless he really improves.

Joe Mama

 

[DeAnna]

What was the line on Hunter last night? Prolly pretty bad - I don't remember him getting one single rebound and he got pushed around by TONY PARKER for God's sake!

 

[George O'Brien]

Hunter's main value is forcing guys to shoot from futher out. It doesn't show on the charts, but he has been a help. That being said, Hunter is a long way from being the guy the Suns need.

In any case, Hunter is better than most of the $2 million a year big guys who populate the NBA. Some recent signings included:

Rebraca makes $2.5 million and averaged 16.0 minutes and (3.2 rpg)
Drobnjak makes $2.8 million and averaged 20.2 minutes (3.4 rpg)
Ostertag made $4.2 million and average 9.9 minutes a game
Tsakalidis signed for $2.9 million and averaged 9.0 minutes a game
Divac made $4.9 million and played in 15 games an average of 8.7 minutes (it's not like it was a secret that he was far far over the hill)

So amazing as it might sound, I think Voskuhl may have some market value and Hunter is almost certainly going to get overpaid.