Like 1993 all over again

[Treesquid PhD]

It's funny it seems that it is inevitable that Phoenix and San Antonio will match up in the WCF. I know I am totally getting ahead of reality, tough series ahead and I agree! but I could help but think of how that series would remind me of the 1993 series Phoenix v Seattle. However, this time I think the Spurs remind me more of that 92-93 Suns team and the Suns remind me of the Sonic team of that same year.

Anyone have any lineups from that series? I think if you look at it it would be kind of striking to see the strenghths of those teams compared to the Suns and Spurs of today.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It's funny it seems that it is inevitable that Phoenix and San Antonio will match up in the WCF. I know I am totally getting ahead of reality, tough series ahead and I agree! but I could help but think of how that series would remind me of the 1993 series Phoenix v Seattle. However, this time I think the Spurs remind me more of that 92-93 Suns team and the Suns remind me of the Sonic team of that same year.

Anyone have any lineups from that series? I think if you look at it it would be kind of striking to see the strenghths of those teams compared to the Suns and Spurs of today.

KJ, Majerle, Dumas, Barkley, West vs. Payton, Kendall Gill, Ricky Pierce, Shawn Kemp, Sam Perkins

I think those were the starters - they also had EJ (yes - our Eddie Johnson) on the bench for them.

That was a sick series - Game 5 and Game 7 were the stuff of legends - Majerle's 3's in Game 5 and Barkley's 44 and 24 in Game 7.

 

[frdbtr]

Barkley's 44 and 24 in Game 7.

Amare will have to have some games like that against SA for the Suns to win that series. Barkley was the reason that the Suns got past the sonics in game 7 that year and Amare is the only person on this Suns roster that can have a monster game like that. Maybe Marion but I don't see him scoring like that, only rebounding.

 

[Chaz]

Starting lineups for the '93 WCF (game 7)

Suns:
Johnson
Majerle
West
Chambers
Barkley


Sonics:
Payton
Pierce
Perkins
Kemp
McKey

 

[Cheesebeef]

McKey! I knew there was someone I was forgetting.

 

[Chaz]

McKey! I knew there was someone I was forgetting.

And Dumas came off the bench.

Excellent memory though.

 

[Cheesebeef]

And Dumas came off the bench.

Excellent memory though.

Ah ha! Dumas however only came off the bench in Game 7 - Chambers got the spot start in that game and I remember him hitting a big three at the beginning and then having just a ridiculous two handed reverse dunk after which Charles looked up in the heaven's and thanked God.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

we also had ced ceballos. it was a really talented suns team. and that sonics team was also ridiculously talented.

 

[Cheesebeef]

we also had ced ceballos. it was a really talented suns team. and that sonics team was also ridiculously talented.

Ced got injured in Game 3 or 4 of the WCF I think.

That team - and the Sonics team were ridiculously good squads. We had Chambers, Ced/Dumas, Ainge, Olly and even floudering Frank Johnson -all coming off the bench providing big minutes.

 

[Chaz]

Ced got injured in Game 3 or 4 of the WCF I think.

That team - and the Sonics team were ridiculously good squads. We had Chambers, Ced/Dumas, Ainge, Olly and even floudering Frank Johnson -all coming off the bench providing big minutes.

Ced getting injured was a killer that season. Even Charles said he might have made the difference.

He is one of my all time favorite Suns for his creative play on the floor and around the basket.

 

[lancelet's cousin]

Big O in OT. Best moment that guy ever had.

 

[Mulli]

Did Nate McMillan come off the bench for them at that time?

 

[lancelet's cousin]

SONICS

Ricky Pierce
Shawn Kemp
Eddie Johnson
Gary Payton
Derrick McKey
Nate McMillan
Dana Barros
Michael Cage
Vincent Askew
Gerald Paddio
Steve Scheffler
Rich King


SUNS

Charles Barkley
Dan Majerle
Cedric Ceballos
Danny Ainge
Tom Chambers
Kevin Johnson
Richard Dumas
Mark West
Frank Johnson
Negele Knight
Oliver Miller
Jerrod Mustaf
Tim Kempton
Alex Stivrins
Kurt Rambis

Teams really do seem better from those years.

edit to add: Mozilla rocks! I didn't know I could copy & paste entire url links.

 

[seattle_sunsfan]

The big O was pretty amazing at times. It is a crying shame he wasted away. Did he just not have the work ethic or was he just addicted to junk food? If I had that God given size and ability, I sure wouldn't piss it away!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Actually - did Cage start for them with Sleepy Sam coming off the bench?

Forgot about Nate also - man that team was tough.

Fewer teams in the league = better benches/better depth

 

[Chaz]

Actually - did Cage start for them with Sleepy Sam coming off the bench?

Not in game 7.

 

[Mulli]

No, expansion was good for the league. Don't you get it?

 

[lancelet's cousin]

The big O was pretty amazing at times. It is a crying shame he wasted away. Did he just not have the work ethic or was he just addicted to junk food? If I had that God given size and ability, I sure wouldn't piss it away!

That whole Arkansas class of Miller, Todd Day, & Lee Mayberry were a pretty rough group. I never saw a future for any of them except possibly Oliver Miller.

But Miller had all the talent in the world. I remember when Shaq was at LSU and he came to Barnhill. Miller really had the game of his life then, blocking Shaq 2-3 times in one sequence. He had brilliant talent. Especially his vision and great hands. And those football passes the length of the court.

But it seemed common knowledge here in Arkansas that he had no willpower at all. A bigger waste of basketball skills than Dumas, IMO.

 

[Lefty]

I can't believe that was 12 years ago. It seems like yesterday. Losing Ceballos really did hurt the Suns. I wonder how good the Suns would of been if Dumas had stayed cleaned?

If Danny Manning had not gotten hurt along with Tisdale, the 1995 team would of won it all.

 

[asudevil83]

i thought it'd be kinda fun to compare the salaries of the 05 suns to the 93 suns.....and it is interesting

Amare.....$2,032,000 (rookie contract)
Marion.....$12,330,000
Q...........$5,800,000
JJ............$2,358,000 (rookie contract)
Nash.......$8,750,000

TOTAL - $31,270,000


West...........$1,000,000
Chambers....$1,885,000
Barkley........$2,420,000
Majerle........$735,000
Johnson.......$1,850,000

TOTAL - $7,890,000

The total payroll for the suns this year was $44,256,720 (27th highest in the league), while the 93 suns payroll was $14,305,000 (14th highest in the league).

just another tidbit of info.....Jordan, in his last year with the Bulls ( 1998 )made $33,000,000. that's roughly $2mil more than our starting lineup THIS year

 

[Mulli]

I can't believe that was 12 years ago. It seems like yesterday. Losing Ceballos really did hurt the Suns. I wonder how good the Suns would of been if Dumas had stayed cleaned?

If Danny Manning had not gotten hurt along with Tisdale, the 1995 team would of won it all.

If Danny Manning hadn't gotten hurt? If If If

 

[Cheesebeef]

I can't believe that was 12 years ago. It seems like yesterday. Losing Ceballos really did hurt the Suns. I wonder how good the Suns would of been if Dumas had stayed cleaned?

If Danny Manning had not gotten hurt along with Tisdale, the 1995 team would of won it all.

iF cHARLES AHDN'T GOTTEN HURT IN gAME 6 AGAINST THE rOX THAT YEAR as well - even without Manning, that team should have won the whole thing.