Hurry Up, Kerr. We're Waiting!

[Sunsman44]

I must admit, seeing a Suns trade in the headlines last week was pretty amusing.

Reading the details was not.

Not getting anything back for Kurt left an open roster spot and left everyone angry and hanging for more.

It appeared it was a prelude to more transactions. A prelude to more free agents.

But all is quiet in the front office. Crickets are chirping and fans are left wanting.

It is like going through the buffett line on an empty stomach, but not being able to purchase the food because you have no money.

It is like having a nice meal, but not having any room for the wonderful desserts that are rolling on the table pushed by the waiter.

It is like being shot in the leg and staying alive, but what you wanted was to get shot in the face and die.

Okay, you get the analogies. Fans are simply left hanging.

I want to see if this Kurt deal is a prelude to something big - or at least a prelude to giving the Suns a chance to sign a somewhat of a decent free agent in the likes of Skinner, Ely, Singleton, and/or Croshere.

As teams are gradually completing their offseason transactions, Suns still remain open on their roster slots and I am getting anxious to see which 8 players will be D'Antoni's rotation guys for 2008:

D'Antoni's Fav-8

C Stoudemire
F Marion
F Hill
G Bell
G Nash

C ????
F Diaw
G Barbosa

Zero Minutes Paul Shirley-Like Fillers Who Will Daydream

C Marks
F Tucker
F Piatkowski
G Strawberry
G Banks

 

[Gaddabout]

I think you can pencil Tucker in at both forward spots and Diaw as a 4/5. Marks is the backup plan if Tucker simply can't contribute in the regular rotation. That's how I understood Kerr's statements on the radio the other day.

There doesn't seem to be a backup plan if PJ Brown retires.

 

[Gee!]

I heard the Suns were just gonna sit back and wait for PJ Brown at this point.. They think he'll come around to wanting to play again and they want to be able to have that exception there for him when he does decide to come back..

 

[dodie53]

just pick 1 or 2 from the list of Skinner, Ely, Singleton, and Croshere.

did the suns already sign strawberry?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

If you are waiting for something big to happen, you are going to be waiting until at least the trade deadline next year.

 

[Bufalay]

If you are waiting for something big to happen, you are going to be waiting until at least the trade deadline next year.

maybe they could get a big guy with an expiring contract like Kurt Thomas or someone.

 

[Mulli]

Kerr plays the part of a GM like he played defense. Kind of slow.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

maybe they could get a big guy with an expiring contract like Kurt Thomas or someone.

then what would be the point of letting our expiring contract go?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

then what would be the point of letting our expiring contract go?

Get the umbrella out!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Get the umbrella out!

hidden sarcasm is much more fun. You should try it sometime!

 

[MastersofCombat]

There are going to be some roster cuts made by August 1st due to gaurantees dont be surprised if this is what they are waiting to see whom is available.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

There are going to be some roster cuts made by August 1st due to gaurantees dont be surprised if this is what they are waiting to see whom is available.

Give me one example of people who would get cut. You can't really get cut in the NBA with guaranteed contracts. Buyouts possibly, but not cuts.

 

[jbeecham]

Give me one example of people who would get cut. You can't really get cut in the NBA with guaranteed contracts. Buyouts possibly, but not cuts.

A 2nd rd pick that doesn't get signed is essentially cut. Hopefully we're not relying on a cut 2nd rd pick to take the place of KT though. We've still got some options open and I really don't care if our roster isn't set at this exact moment because there's still a decent amount of time before training camp.

 

[azirish]

Right now there is very little happening in the free agency market. The only "new" moves were the Mavs signing Bass and cutting (not re-signing) Pops Mensah-Bonsu and following the Darko signing by the Griz was the release of Alexander Johnson. I'm sure we'll see some more releases of guys drafted in the second round as teams avoid having their contracts guaranteed for another year.

BTW, the most interesting second round RFA (no extention period) is Andray Blatche of the Wizzards. Unfortunately, I cannot even imagine a scenerio that could get him for the Suns.

The case for waiting on most of the UFA's is that they all enter free agency with high expectations. It is typically not until close to training camp that they figure something is better than nothing.

 

[Nasser22]

If we don't get someone as good as PJ at least I don't have much hope for us against the Spurs. If getting Hill means the 1st seed and the Mavs playing the Spurs before us then I'll have some hope, but no scrub center is going to help the team much.

 

[azirish]

If we don't get someone as good as PJ at least I don't have much hope for us against the Spurs. If getting Hill means the 1st seed and the Mavs playing the Spurs before us then I'll have some hope, but no scrub center is going to help the team much.

As long as PJ does not sign with another team and "officially" retire, he's still in the mix. The challenge is that he would not play much and the Suns won't offer much in terms of money. All the Suns can really offer is a chance to win a ring.

My second choice is still Brian Skinner, even though I'm not sure he'll have much success against Duncan. From all indications, at least he could keep up with the Suns pace but his weak offensive skills would be a serious limitation.

 

[Sunsman44]

This just in: Michael Pietrus just signed a 2-year $3.4-million contract with the Warriors.

Couldn't the Suns give him about the same? Afterall, they trashed 8 million by getting rid of Kurt. I'm sure this would've been a fantastic addition for 3 million. And he gets to be with another Frenchman Diaw.

Warriors used him as a power. Suns could use Diaw at center and Pietrus at power.

-----------------------------------------

Now, as far as the PJ-BROWN / SKINNER comment above,

I'd definately go with Brian Skinner. He is the quickest of all the choices at the free agent big category (except Singleton) and is the youngest as well (except Singleton, Ely).

Ely has attitude problems and didn't work well with 3 teams so what makes u think Suns would work?

PJ is extremely old and is simply another Kurt minus the offensive game plus block shots. If Kurt didn't work in the Suns system and played only 14 minutes off the bench, what makes PJ work so well?

PJ is very slow, doesn't have any authority in the paint and would do exactly what Kurt did and why the Suns traded Kurt: Slows the team down when they wanna go fast.

Brian Skinner, meanwhile, is going to run the floor. He is a banger, can rebound both offense and defense, and has the ability to finish strong. No wussy Kurt Thomas layins.

Brian Skinner or bust....

 

[Nasser22]

Kurt worked just fine. The team was at it's best with him on the floor with Amare. If the Suns can only play one way they will never win a championship. They need to be able to play at a slower pace at least decently because the good teams will slow it down. Right now we really can't. Our defense is worse than last year's which was already below average.

 

[Mainstreet]

Was Michael Pietrus a FA? I don't know. Anyway, I'm on the Skinner bandwagon right now.

 

[azirish]

Was Michael Pietrus a FA? I don't know. Anyway, I'm on the Skinner bandwagon right now.

Pietrus was a restricted free agent. There are lots of teams that would be interested at that price, but nobody was willing to offer more than the Warriors would match.

We don't know what Skinner is asking. His name has not been mentioned on any other team's radar but is in the laundry list of available bigs along with PJ and Pat Burke.

The case for PJ is that he has had better luck against Duncan than anyone else. The case against PJ is that he might not play in any other games.

 

[Sunsman44]

Perhaps I can make this big enough for SARVER to see:

Get Skinner, bro.

 

[nashman]

Skinner sucks what is your fascination with him? And have you yet posted anything positive or you here just to complain?

 

[scXfreakX]

I mean, maybe we shouldn't go for a veteran. I read on another board, and its very obvious, by playing Kurt, we played into the Spurs hands a bit. I mean Kurt is no speedster and by having him in, we sort of tied ourselves up a bit. I mean, I know we need another big very badly, but we sort of helped the Spurs. I know we have to play bigs, but there's gotta be a way to do this!

 

[Sunsman44]

Skinner sucks what is your fascination with him? And have you yet posted anything positive or you here just to complain?

Wow. Talk about an attitude problem, nashman. Talk to me when ur in a better mood or else go away.



2006-2007 Statistics, ESPN


Skinner, Brian: 4.4pts 49% 5.7reb 22min 31age

Thomas, Kurt: 4.6pts 48% 5.7reb 18min 35age

Brown, PJ: 6.1pts 40% 4.8reb 20min 38age

Ely, Melvin: 3.0pts 36% 1.8reb 11min 29age

Ruffin, Michael: 0.6pts 27% 2.1reb 09min 30age

Sweetney, Mike: 3.2pts 43% 2.5reb 08min 26age


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Because you just traded Kurt, your best option is now Skinner.

Kurt and Skinner are the best of the group. They are the best in field goal percentage and rebounding from what u have in the free agent pool. Skinner, in fact, shoots a hairline better than Kurt as u see above.

I'd even go far and argue that Skinner is an upgrade from Kurt because of his speed, ability to run the floor on fast breaks (see Skinner w/ Kings), and finish in the paint with authority unlike Kurt.

One must be a fool to think Brian Skinner is a bad player and that the Suns don't need him. If not Skinner, then who else? Marks? A retired PJ?

Skinner and Suns = Match made in heaven.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I mean, maybe we shouldn't go for a veteran. I read on another board, and its very obvious, by playing Kurt, we played into the Spurs hands a bit. I mean Kurt is no speedster and by having him in, we sort of tied ourselves up a bit. I mean, I know we need another big very badly, but we sort of helped the Spurs.

when we played small in Game 1, as usual, the Spurs were in the process of beating us at our own game, just like they always do. Going to KT was the ONLY way that series was competitive otherwise it would have been more of the same, us scoring a lot of points and giving up even more.