Lakers Suns 1/5/11

[Folster]

From my viewpoint, I haven't looked at the stats, but Gortat looks like a much superior rebounder to Lopez, which I know isn't saying much. I also think he's a better defender than Lopez. I'd like to see the Suns keep Gortat.

Gortat played solid D on Gasol who usually kills us, limiting him to 6 pts and 9 rebs. The two previous games Gasol torched us for 21/8 and 22/11.

 

[jagu]

Gortat played solid D on Gasol who usually kills us, limiting him to 6 pts and 9 rebs. The two previous games Gasol torched us for 21/8 and 22/11.

If we only had someone to stop Odom.... he keeps getting lucky...

 

[nashman]

People need to give this lineup a little time to gel three or four games is not enough. They looked and played pretty well against the champs if fentry can figure out the correct lineups we still have time to come together!

 

[jagu]

People need to give this lineup a little time to gel three or four games is not enough. They looked and played pretty well against the champs if fentry can figure out the correct lineups we still have time to come together!

Come together to do what? Honestly, do you think even if we gel perfectly that we beat Miami? Orlando? Lakers? Spurs? in a series?

I think we should plan for the future. We aren't beating any of those teams in a series. We now have a viable center in Gortat and a SF in Dudley who looks pretty darn good when he gets minutes. Everyone else? Dragic has regressed into nothingness, Lopez plays like Tony Harding took out his knees with a crowbar.

We need picks, young talent and need to move forward. No matter how much we "gel" the chances of us winning anything this season (let alone making the playoffs) is closer to 0 than 100 percent.

 

[Covert Rain]

People need to give this lineup a little time to gel three or four games is not enough. They looked and played pretty well against the champs if fentry can figure out the correct lineups we still have time to come together!

Who is "they"? Because if you are including Lopez, he has not looked good period. Some people speculated he would look better with Gortat by his side and he did not.

Lopez has done nothing this season to justify him being a starting Center. The starting 5 could in fact "gel" but it won't make Lopez a better player. It won't make him rebound or defend any better. Maybe he drops 2 or 3 fewer easy passes from Nash. Who cares? We don't need Lopez to put up 30. We need him to freaking rebound and defend which evidently he can't do.

I think it's time to start looking to the future. The Nash era is over and won't yield a ring.

Put some younger guys in there and make your talent evaluations NOW. This team must start planning for the future in terms of moves and draft.

I don't think the Suns make any more moves before the deadline but who knows. Assuming the Suns wait until the offseason, I for instance want to see Lopez out of the starting lineup and Gortat in. I also want to see what both Dudley and Pietrus can do given the chance to start on a regular basis so you know if they are starter material or career backups.

There are some things the Suns can do to help them in the future this season. This team cannot beat any title contender team in a 7 game series.

 

[nashman]

Yeah yeah this team can't win same thing we heard last year as we almost made it to the finals only to barely lose to the champs! There are no certainties inthe NBA yet people on here always know how to build it better. It's entertainment watch and enjoy your not smarter than the gm otherwise he wouldn't hold the job you would.

 

[Bufalay]

It's entertainment watch and enjoy your not smarter than the gm

Speak for you're self.

 

[jagu]

Speak for you're self.

+1 .

Which makes you better than Gortat. I wonder what the +/- rankings on these boards would be.

 

[Chaplin]

+1 .

Which makes you better than Gortat. I wonder what the +/- rankings on these boards would be.

For spelling? Probably -156. But our per48 isn't too bad.

 

[Covert Rain]

It's entertainment watch and enjoy your not smarter than the gm otherwise he wouldn't hold the job you would.

Speak for you're self.

+1.

That is the stupidest comment ever. Well I guess I could say that I am not smarter then a sanitation worker and that's why I don't hold that job. WTF does that mean?

There are ton of smart people on this board that are highly educated individuals that chose different career paths. That doesn't mean were not smarter then someone who holds a different job.

P.S. It's not entertaining to see the Suns go home every playoffs empty handed. It's like the time I tried to get to the center of my tootsie roll pop. The journey was entertaining until I realized there was no tootsie roll inside. I realized how hollow (literally) it was. My enjoyment was short lived.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah yeah this team can't win same thing we heard last year as we almost made it to the finals only to barely lose to the champs! There are no certainties inthe NBA yet people on here always know how to build it better. It's entertainment watch and enjoy your not smarter than the gm otherwise he wouldn't hold the job you would.

So you're saying that if, perhaps, you were a Cards fan, you'd never think of second guessing the coach or management? And you wouldn't be one of those guys that calls the coach out for cutting a QB or anything like that? Nice to know.

It is entertainment, and I KNOW I don't know as much as the coach does and I KNOW I don't have the inside information on every decision they make. But, this is a sports board and as long as you remember that you're just one of the many idiots expounding on something that's a little beyond our reach, then I see no problem with us playing junior GM every now and then. Because it IS entertainment.

Steve

 

[tobiazz]

I don't know why Brandan Wright can't get any playing time in GS
We should try to get him.

Because he's a stiff.

 

[jagu]

If I was the GM I think most of you can guess what my first move would be lol.

 

[mojorizen7]

If I was the GM I think most of you can guess what my first move would be lol.

I'd re-sign Nash thru 2019 and surround him with more SF's and skinny bigmen that aren't really bigmen....and keep 1 token defensive player on the roster.

Anybody with me?

 

[sunsfan88]

If I was GM Frye & Warrick would be long gone.

 

[sunsfan88]

Houston Rockets

One league source pointed to Houston as the team the Suns should keep on speed dial in the event that Nash wants out, since they have a bundle of assets that could hit the reset button for a rebuilding team. The Rockets can flaunt Yao Ming's expiring deal (with half the salary picked up by insurance), a 2011 first-rounder, the league's reigning Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks and another expiring deal in Jared Jeffries or Shane Battier. If the Suns' front office wants to save money, unload some contracts and build for the future, the Rockets need to be on their list of suitors. Replacing Brooks with Nash would instantly turn Houston into one of the NBA's most efficient and high-octane offenses. With Kevin Martin, Battier and Brad Miller, the Rockets already have a three-point arsenal to rival that of any other team in the league. And don't let the record fool you: Houston's point differential suggests that even though the standings say it's 16-18, it's more like an 18-16 squad.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insi...espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=5991448

What do you guys think of that? Maybe we can add more to the trade than just Nash.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=25ytzy7

We get the best PG that we can possibly get in return for Nash in Aaron Books. Also get a young PF with a lot of potential in Patterson. Yao's expiring deal and maybe we can sign him back to see what magic our medical staff can do. Hayes is an extremely good rebounder so that would definitely help us.

 

[mojorizen7]

LOL
I was trying to unload Nash to the Rockets(and Boston) 17 months ago.
I must accept now that he's not going anywhere.....at least thats what everyone keeps telling me.

With the thinking that HOUSTON plans on keeping TMac and resigning Artest.....and would consider renting Nash for a year to try to get over the hump in the West. They would still have Brooks to share minutes with Nash and take over when Nash's deal runs out.
This deal really guts Houston's depth though so its very unlikely that they'd consider it.
Their starting 5 would look good:
NASH
TMAC
ARTEST
SCOLA
YAO


ROCKETS trade:

Battier $6.4 mil (2 yrs left)
Landry $3 mil (1 yr left)
Lowry $1.1 mil (1 yr left)

SUNS trade:

Nash $12.2 (1 yr left)
Tucker $1 mil (1 yr left)

Suns could go with:
DRAGIC/LOWRY
JRICH/BARBOSA
BATTIER/DUDLEY
AMARE/LANDRY/LOU
SHAQ/midget clown
--------------------------
or.....we could give the Rockets backcourt an offensive lift, relieve them of TMac's undependable services and have 2 expiring contracts worth $40 mil next season(Shaq/TMac).
Hope that between Dragic and Lowry that one of them emerges as our PG of the future.

ROCKETS trade:

TMac $20.3 mil (1 yr left)
Lowry

SUNS trade:

Nash
JRich $12.2 mil (2 yrs left)

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/f45/nash-trades-131449-2.html

 

[tobiazz]

I'd re-sign Nash thru 2019 and surround him with more SF's and skinny bigmen that aren't really bigmen....and keep 1 token defensive player on the roster.

Anybody with me?

I'm in as long as the none of the SFs have any star potential. We wouldn't want one to have a break out year and end up costing more than $10M per year because we'd have to get rid of him and find a replacement SF.

 

[sunsfan88]

Hickson got benched on one of the worst teams in the league.

Hard to understand you fascination with bad big men.

Thats cause he aint good in their offense. A lot of problems going on in CLE...

Hickson would be good with Nash running the PnR.

 

[sunsfan88]

If Dudley could be more consistent, I can see him turn into an elite player.

 

[Bufalay]

If Dudley could be more consistent, I can see him turn into an elite player.

If he could run faster, jump higher and handle the ball better then I would agree with you.

 

[Covert Rain]

If he could run faster, jump higher and handle the ball better then I would agree with you.

I don't know. He lacks all those skills but several times this season opposing teams couldn't stop him.

 

[AfroSuns]

I don't know. He lacks all those skills but several times this season opposing teams couldn't stop him.

Exactly, his tenacity and smarts makes up for lack of athleticism. I am not surprised he got better this season after losing those baby fats.

 

[BC867]

I don't know. He lacks all those skills but several times this season opposing teams couldn't stop him.

I love seeing Dudley when he outplays his talents.

But several times this season has doomed the Suns. Inconsistent play from JRich (who was to pick up the slack of being our leading scorer) made each game a crapshoot.

And inconsistent play from the bench, leading to no set lineup (as well as with the starters) has removed any semblance of chemistry, which Nash needs to make the rest of the team better, both as Point Guard and All Star.