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Curry deserves a sunny future
November 8, 2004
I'd like to quote Shakespeare or perhaps Dostoevsky here, which would show people how smart I really am. It's what we newspaper writers do to impress everyone. Though I have to admit I never knew what either was talking about.
It may be because I spent more time watching the likes of the TV show "Car 54, Where Are You?" So I'll quote Gunther Toody.
"Oooh! Oooh!"
I've got the perfect trade for both the Bulls and Phoenix Suns, who play the Bulls Tuesday night and are the league's hottest team. How can it not happen?
Eddy Curry, the center the Suns franchise never has had, for shooting guard Joe Johnson and the Bulls' draft pick that went to the Suns in the Luol Deng trade, or Johnson and the Suns' No. 1 in 2005. Perhaps the Bulls could try to pry loose former draft pick Jake Voskuhl, who fits their style of play. Maybe the Bulls send back one of their one-year contracts from the Knicks trade like Othella Harrington or Frank Williams.
But the title-less Suns get a legitimate center. And the Bulls get a piece that fits their team and finally accept Curry will never be in their plans the way general manager John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles are shaping the team.
By the way, welcome back from your suspension, Eddy.
I know. Maybe this is not the right time for the Suns to do anything as they're leading the NBA in scoring at 110.7 points per game, are tied with the Jazz with an average victory margin of 24 points per game and are in the top five in shooting, rebounding and steals. Though if they're smart, they'll realize they've played Atlanta, New Jersey and Philadelphia and are not being redistricted into the East.
The Suns are better than most predicted. Steve Nash was a terrific addition. He's this era's Mark Price, running two-man games, pick-and-roll and pushing the ball as well as anyone in the NBA. Coach Mike D'Antoni, who slogged through European coaching before landing in the NBA, emphasizes that open-court, shooting-oriented game, and has the pieces for it.
Quentin Richardson now comes off the bench behind Johnson and could slip in as an able replacement with shooter Casey Jacobsen in reserve. Shawn Marion runs the wing and Amare Stoudemire is their inside force. Playing the smaller Eastern teams, the Suns have been able to get away with a small-ball lineup with Stoudemire at center. They'll have more trouble back in the West trying that. And as with all perimeter teams, the shots will eventually stop dropping.
If Curry is so great, why wouldn't the Bulls keep him?
Because it's not the way the Bulls are building their team. And they are nowhere near as close to serious competition as the Suns. The Suns are missing one piece. For the Bulls, it will be about assembling pieces for the next few seasons. With Shaquille O'Neal departing to the East, the West is open for any of several teams to make a move to the top. The Suns can be among them with a center.
No franchise has had a poorer roster of centers than the Suns.
They're one of the most successful franchises in the NBA, but they never won a championship because they always were a little too small.
When they got closest with Charles Barkley in 1993, they had Oliver Miller and Mark West. They had Neal Walk in their early years after losing the coin flip for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They got to the finals in 1976 with Alvan Adams. Their rebounding leader the last four years has been forward Shawn Marion.
We know Curry isn't going to lead anyone in rebounding, but he fits the Suns.
It's because he cannot be a first or second offensive option. He can be a threat with his size and offensive ability, but he needs to play with better, high-level perimeter players and a strong rebounding power forward—like Kevin Duckworth did in Portland in going to two Finals.
The Suns have the power player in Stoudemire, who is in no position to go up against the bigger inside players in the West. He has already said he doesn't want to be the center.Voskuhl, DePaul's Steven Hunter and rookie Jackson Vroman can't get it done. Nash will be 31 this season, which is why the Mavericks didn't want to give him a long contract. Small, quick guards begin to decline in their early 30s, as Price did. It's not like there's a long window for the Suns. They should take advantage of having Nash now.
For the Bulls, it's a chance to get a good shooting guard, whom the Suns—like the Bulls with Curry—are letting become a restricted free agent. Johnson can stretch the defense, and at 6 feet 7 inches, he's a nice backcourt pairing with Kirk Hinrich.
Curry is better than we give him credit for. There's a premium on 7-footers who can score. He's worth more than another shooting guard, which should get the Bulls a first-rounder back because the Suns don't need two more rookies.
And I'm running out of teams for Curry.
Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune
who pays this genius???
Curry deserves a sunny future
November 8, 2004
I'd like to quote Shakespeare or perhaps Dostoevsky here, which would show people how smart I really am. It's what we newspaper writers do to impress everyone. Though I have to admit I never knew what either was talking about.
It may be because I spent more time watching the likes of the TV show "Car 54, Where Are You?" So I'll quote Gunther Toody.
"Oooh! Oooh!"
I've got the perfect trade for both the Bulls and Phoenix Suns, who play the Bulls Tuesday night and are the league's hottest team. How can it not happen?
Eddy Curry, the center the Suns franchise never has had, for shooting guard Joe Johnson and the Bulls' draft pick that went to the Suns in the Luol Deng trade, or Johnson and the Suns' No. 1 in 2005. Perhaps the Bulls could try to pry loose former draft pick Jake Voskuhl, who fits their style of play. Maybe the Bulls send back one of their one-year contracts from the Knicks trade like Othella Harrington or Frank Williams.
But the title-less Suns get a legitimate center. And the Bulls get a piece that fits their team and finally accept Curry will never be in their plans the way general manager John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles are shaping the team.
By the way, welcome back from your suspension, Eddy.
I know. Maybe this is not the right time for the Suns to do anything as they're leading the NBA in scoring at 110.7 points per game, are tied with the Jazz with an average victory margin of 24 points per game and are in the top five in shooting, rebounding and steals. Though if they're smart, they'll realize they've played Atlanta, New Jersey and Philadelphia and are not being redistricted into the East.
The Suns are better than most predicted. Steve Nash was a terrific addition. He's this era's Mark Price, running two-man games, pick-and-roll and pushing the ball as well as anyone in the NBA. Coach Mike D'Antoni, who slogged through European coaching before landing in the NBA, emphasizes that open-court, shooting-oriented game, and has the pieces for it.
Quentin Richardson now comes off the bench behind Johnson and could slip in as an able replacement with shooter Casey Jacobsen in reserve. Shawn Marion runs the wing and Amare Stoudemire is their inside force. Playing the smaller Eastern teams, the Suns have been able to get away with a small-ball lineup with Stoudemire at center. They'll have more trouble back in the West trying that. And as with all perimeter teams, the shots will eventually stop dropping.
If Curry is so great, why wouldn't the Bulls keep him?
Because it's not the way the Bulls are building their team. And they are nowhere near as close to serious competition as the Suns. The Suns are missing one piece. For the Bulls, it will be about assembling pieces for the next few seasons. With Shaquille O'Neal departing to the East, the West is open for any of several teams to make a move to the top. The Suns can be among them with a center.
No franchise has had a poorer roster of centers than the Suns.
They're one of the most successful franchises in the NBA, but they never won a championship because they always were a little too small.
When they got closest with Charles Barkley in 1993, they had Oliver Miller and Mark West. They had Neal Walk in their early years after losing the coin flip for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They got to the finals in 1976 with Alvan Adams. Their rebounding leader the last four years has been forward Shawn Marion.
We know Curry isn't going to lead anyone in rebounding, but he fits the Suns.
It's because he cannot be a first or second offensive option. He can be a threat with his size and offensive ability, but he needs to play with better, high-level perimeter players and a strong rebounding power forward—like Kevin Duckworth did in Portland in going to two Finals.
The Suns have the power player in Stoudemire, who is in no position to go up against the bigger inside players in the West. He has already said he doesn't want to be the center.Voskuhl, DePaul's Steven Hunter and rookie Jackson Vroman can't get it done. Nash will be 31 this season, which is why the Mavericks didn't want to give him a long contract. Small, quick guards begin to decline in their early 30s, as Price did. It's not like there's a long window for the Suns. They should take advantage of having Nash now.
For the Bulls, it's a chance to get a good shooting guard, whom the Suns—like the Bulls with Curry—are letting become a restricted free agent. Johnson can stretch the defense, and at 6 feet 7 inches, he's a nice backcourt pairing with Kirk Hinrich.
Curry is better than we give him credit for. There's a premium on 7-footers who can score. He's worth more than another shooting guard, which should get the Bulls a first-rounder back because the Suns don't need two more rookies.
And I'm running out of teams for Curry.
Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune
who pays this genius???
