Marcus Banks Has Officially Signed w/the Suns!!!!!!

[hawaiiansun]

how much PT do you think banks will get? I hope at least 20+ minutes a game.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Another reason why trading the picks for cash in retrospect was a good idea. There is not a pick in the draft at PG, even Marcus Williams that would be as good as Banks is from day 1 of putting on a Suns uniform.

 

[Muggum]

I'm gratified that we got Banks, but I'm not exactly over the moon about it. Be honest: if you'd heard about one of our competitors acquiring Banks, you wouldn't exactly have been devastated.

What makes me most excited is that we did this for Nash. We need to keep that gentleman healthy and happy. I think Banks can be a solid backup out of the Frank Johnson mold... the kind of guy you aren't cringing about when he enters the game. High energy. Solid defense. Knocks down a couple shots, drives and dishes a couple times. Sets it up for Nash's re-entry with 8 minutes remaining. That's what we need him for the in the short run. And I'm excited to see his 3P% rise in the Suns' system. Does he become the long-term answer at PG? Only time will tell. I doubt he'll ever be in the top ten at the position.

Make no mistake, the Spurs are still our nemesis. Let's hope they continue to struggle to land someone strong. Say what you want about Nazr, he used to eat us alive. But he's gone now. And with Bowen, Horry, Barry, Finley, Van Exel, and even Duncan aging yet another year, maybe we won't need Dallas to dispatch them this time out?

 

[JS22]

Any way that the topic title can be changed, now that it's "officially official?"

 

[B-Dogg]

I wonder since we are interested in trading for Gooden if a sign and trade could work for Wilcox as he is looking for similar numbers, Our trade exemption KT and clevelands pick. Not sure if I would do that but all things being considered I would rather have Wilcox as our center than Gooden backing up the two Forward positions...

 

[Chaplin]

I wonder since we are interested in trading for Gooden if a sign and trade could work for Wilcox as he is looking for similar numbers, Our trade exemption KT and clevelands pick. Not sure if I would do that but all things being considered I would rather have Wilcox as our center than Gooden backing up the two Forward positions...

Wilcox is asking for $10 million per year.

No thanks to that.

 

[asudevil83]

I wonder since we are interested in trading for Gooden if a sign and trade could work for Wilcox as he is looking for similar numbers, Our trade exemption KT and clevelands pick. Not sure if I would do that but all things being considered I would rather have Wilcox as our center than Gooden backing up the two Forward positions...

the problem with trading for either wilcox or gooden is that the suns will be financially screwed after this season. they'll be looking at a payroll of over $75mil.

i think the only way that we trade for either of those guys is if Marion is included in the deal, unless Sarver miraculously decides that money is no longer an issue with this team.

 

[Cheesebeef]

VERY solid move. Our backcourt depth is pretty insane right now, albeit a little undersized, but that doesn't both me so much. Now get some kind of big man to round out frontcourt depth and get Boris signed to an extension and the offseason will be deemed a smashing success.

One domino falls, let's see it continue!

 

[nowagimp]

I'm gratified that we got Banks, but I'm not exactly over the moon about it. Be honest: if you'd heard about one of our competitors acquiring Banks, you wouldn't exactly have been devastated.

What makes me most excited is that we did this for Nash. We need to keep that gentleman healthy and happy.

I think that the suns competitors are not going to like this at all, its bad news for them. Popovich and Avery always talk about killing the "head of the snake" to beat the suns. That has now become alot more difficult. The strategy was to beat up Nash for alot of minutes until he tires. With Banks around, that will be very difficult as Nash will get more rest while Parker is trying to guard Banks(you dont think udrih or van exel have a prayer there do you?). I also think you underestimate Banks athleticism, which is quite a bit more than Frank Johnson ever had. I see Banks and Barbosa as a harder matchup at guard for the spurs than Harris and Terry were, and that is when the MVP is resting. Its always bad news when you competition addresses their greatest weakness that you like to take advantage of.

 

[nowagimp]

Wilcox is asking for $10 million per year.

No thanks to that.

Agreed, that guy has a reality problem to think that 1/2 a season at 15ppg on a BAD team makes a 10million dollar man. He aint gonna be the next Jerome James, but somebody is gonna take a big risk at that price.

 

[Mainstreet]

Now do people realize why some of us were saying stop jumping off a bridge two weeks ago?

No. The reported threats of fans jumping off the Tempe bridge forced Sarver to make a bold move instead of just signing veteran minimum type players.

Seriously, I for one, just wanted Sarver to step up to the plate and make one key signing. I think signing a back-up PG for Steve Nash was the most important move of the off season. I was tired of seeing Steve Nash worn out because he did not have an adequate back-up. So the news of this signing (of Banks) makes me very happy.

Now if Sarver can get a key role player for the frontline, I will be ecstatic.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

 

[CaptainInsano]

I'm gratified that we got Banks, but I'm not exactly over the moon about it. Be honest: if you'd heard about one of our competitors acquiring Banks, you wouldn't exactly have been devastated.

If banks would have signed to another team for lets say 24 million 5 years, we would have had an 6-8 page topic of people yelling about how we could have offerend him the same or a little more and missed another opportunity to get a backup pg and then other people would have countered its early in the season and then this and that and this and sarver is cheap and counter argument and this and that and it would have been another topic of anger and bridge jumping and counter-bridge jumping. You all know it.

This is an EXCELLENT move because its great talent for a great price in the post JJ 70 million nba era where peja and ben wallace get stomach churning jaw dropping contracts. Even with just this now our offseason could be considered complete come the start of the season.

What happends to the mavs who lost some players, the pistons, spurs? What happends if the bulls don't live up to snuff? New orleans? Heads will roll thats what!

This is actually a good offseason because our core of good players is intact and we have found a possible great backup pg. Mission complete as far as im concerned. A backup big/shotblocker is just an addition to our complete roster IMHO.

 

[CaptainInsano]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

Well after reading that...

Best. Signing. Ever.

 

[scoutmasterdave]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

Ah, the joy of seeing Laker fans writhe.

 

[arthurracoon]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

 

[JS22]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

Reading those threads made my day.

 

[Nash]

Some in Lakerland are gNashing their teeth over this, as they wanted Banks too, since they need a PG probably worse than we do:

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=27718

http://www.clublakers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57275

This signing now makes me twice as happy...

Funny thing is how they cry about their division being the toughest division and stuff! What the hell are they implying? That they can't win the division title because of that? those losers should be happy enough to clinch the last playoff berth every season.
After all their griping that the colorado rapist on their team should have been the MVP last year, its funny to see every poster on that board wetting their pants everytime they mention Nash.

 

[CaptainInsano]

I love the excuses the lakers homers have:

- Paid way too much.
LOL right. Nowadays a 21/5 year offer is pocket change.

- Won't get any minutes.
They are lakers fans and have no idea, so I guess no need to retort this

- Will "steal" minutes from nash making the team worse.
Ok... like I said they are lakers fans... but this is just completely asinine and at the level of idiocy I would expect from a trained monkey.

- Will be worse in this system or won't contribute, not worth the money.
Same thing happend to Tim Thomas eh?

- Doesn't make us much better.
Because we are already really good or...?
HE IS A BACKUP.

Ah why am I even wasting my time on this actually. I dunno im just kind of amazed the excuses people will come up with to make themselves feel better.


***edit:

And they are talking about how the lakers didn't want to offer him such and such. THE LAKERS. How big of franchise are they again!?!? How much money do they have?!! And then we have D-Dogg coming in here reveling in how cheap sarver is and how he won't even spend to go over the lux. Uhm, give your own team a lookover there buddy.

 

[B-Dogg]

Reading the club laker sight was funny its like they forgot we didnt have Amare last year and the loss of Tim Thomas while being replaced by Amare is going to be a loss for us and not a huge gain... We got alot better and we have three first round picks in what will be a deep draft next year... In my opinion the best draft in a long long time...

 

[Gaddabout]

If the Banks:

- Keeps the offense relatively rolling
- Doesn't get embarassed on defense
- Earns D'Antoni's trust to play 15 min p/g regularly

That means:

- Nash has fresh legs (and back) for the playoffs

Which means:

- Banks may want to renogtiate for about three times what he's getting paid.

Seriously, if Banks allows Nash to stay healthy and fresh, it's the best FA signing of the year.

 

[arthurracoon]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jul-19-Wed-2006/sports/8561486.html

GOOD FIT IN PHOENIX: Banks to ply trade with Suns
Ex-Rebel agrees to deal, will back up MVP Nash
By STEVE CARP

Marcus Banks decided that security is better than starting in the NBA.

The former UNLV and Cimarron-Memorial High School star agreed to a five-year, $23 million deal with the Phoenix Suns late Monday night. The 6-foot-2-inch point guard will serve as the backup to two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash.

"If I'm going to sit behind anybody, I don't mind sitting behind Steve," Banks said Tuesday. "I'm super excited. We're going to have some fun in the sun."

Banks, an unrestricted free agent, had been looking for a new home for nearly a week after the Minnesota Timberwolves signed veteran Mike James. Houston, Cleveland, Miami and Indiana had expressed interest, but it was Phoenix, a team that plays a wide-open style and is considered by many a championship contender, that made the most sense for Banks' high-octane style.

"I'm going to a great group of guys who know how to win," Banks said. "I always believe that things happen for a reason, and it was tough waiting to see what would happen. But this is a great situation I'm going to. The coaches there want me to be myself, and with the way they play, wide open, I think I can be very successful."

Banks' agent, Mike Higgins, said he had been talking to the Suns since the free-agency period began July 1. Talks picked up steam over the weekend.

"They were looking at John Salmons first, and we were focused on trying to get a deal done in Minnesota," Higgins said Tuesday. (Salmons went to the Toronto Raptors last week in a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.)

"But once we started getting serious over the weekend, it looked more and more like Phoenix would be the place.

"They don't want Steve playing so many minutes, and he has three years left on his deal. Long term, they're looking at Marcus as their starting point guard. But he's going to get more minutes in Phoenix, and he's going to a system that's wide open and will allow his natural game to emerge."

Nash averaged a career-high 35.3 minutes per game last season for the Suns. He turns 33 in February, and the Suns are concerned about the wear-and-tear from logging so many minutes over a 10-year NBA career.

In the 24-year-old Banks, they have a young, experienced player who they think is versatile enough to play in the backcourt alongside Nash and with talented shooting guards Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa.

"We think we caught him at the right time," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said of Banks, a three-year NBA veteran. "We think his speed, his strength fits in nicely with what we do, and he's improving all the time."

Banks was drafted by Memphis with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, then was immediately traded to Boston. Banks spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Celtics, then was dealt in January to Minnesota. In 40 games with the Timberwolves, Banks averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals, playing nearly 31 minutes a game.

For his career, Banks has averaged 18.3 minutes, 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

On Oct. 15, Banks will get to show off his game at home when the Suns face the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason game at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"I can't wait," Banks said. "I feel great, and I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I'm in a great situation."

 

[tlim]

Good move in my opinion. The acquisition of Banks will definitely help the team, overall.

 

[Ciani]

It was really important to get a solid backup PG, so I'm happy with this signing. Banks is not the best shooter and its not likely that he can run the half court offense - however, he produced very good numbers with the Wolves. But thats not why he was signed, in the Suns' run&gun game Banks fits perfectly, and maybe he can improve his 3point shooting.

I like our backcourt depth very much.

 

[Mainstreet]

I really like this signing and it appears Banks will be a good fit for Phoenix's style (also the PG of the future). However, the most important element of this acquisition is that he may prolong Steve Nash's career. Nash is instant chemistry and IMO, his play is the most important element for the Suns to win a Championship.

If Amare comes back healthy, both the inside and outside game will be open.

Just a thought, I'm wondering if the Suns have enough 3 point shooting? If James Jones does not step up, and with the loss of TT and probably Eddie House, there is some concern on my part. I'm not really counting on Pike to get the job done although it would be nice if he could.

The Suns 3 point shooters as of now are JR, Bell, LB, Nash and maybe a little Pike. I really did not want to put Nash in this category as he frequently is the one dishing the ball. Maybe I'm forgeting someone. Of course, with KT and Amare inside maybe the Suns will shoot more mid-range shots.

Any thoughts?