NBA All Time Starting 5 Suns

[FArting]

This is who they picked for the starting lineup

C Amare
F Barkley
F Marion
G KJ
G Nash

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...me-starting-five--phoenix-suns-182709836.html

 

[Chaplin]

This guy must be really young, he pretty much mentioned Alvin Adams, Connie Hawkins and other old school guys, but pretty much nonchalantly wrote them off.

I don't have a big problem with who they picked, although I think Marion could be replaced by one of the old guys. Maybe even Amare too.

 

[slinslin]

no-brainer 5

Barkley would be the first to drop off the list. Didn't play long enough.

Jason Kidd would be very deserving if there was a 3rd guard spot.

 

[Phrazbit]

no-brainer 5

Barkley would be the first to drop off the list. Didn't play long enough.

Jason Kidd would be very deserving if there was a 3rd guard spot.

lol, again with that argument?

Barkley played in a mere 3 less games as a Sun than Jason Kidd.

 

[Covert Rain]

lol, again with that argument?

Barkley played in a mere 3 less games as a Sun than Jason Kidd.

Ridiculous argument by slinslin. Amare would be the first to drop off that list IMO and probably be replaced by one of the older guys.

 

[Raindog]

I would replace Marion with Walter Davis, and as much as I love KJ, if we were straight up sticking to classic guard positions, I would have to take Westphal over KJ.

Got to have some old school guys from what were (in my opinion) the Suns most likable and fun to watch teams.

 

[slinslin]

Ridiculous argument by slinslin. Amare would be the first to drop off that list IMO and probably be replaced by one of the older guys.

Alvan Adams has 1 allstar game and rookie of the year, his achievements are not close to unsettling Amare (5 Allstar Games for Phoenix, 5 All-NBA 1st or 2nd teams) from that lineup.

Not to mention only Nash's MVP years and Barkley's MVP year were on par or better than Amare's peak.

Amare in 2007/2008 had a better season than Barkley in 1992/1993 - higher PER and higher winshares.

 

[Chaplin]

Alvan Adams has 1 allstar game and rookie of the year, his achievements are not close to unsettling Amare (5 Allstar Games for Phoenix, 5 All-NBA 1st or 2nd teams) from that lineup.

Not to mention only Nash's MVP years and Barkley's MVP year were on par or better than Amare's peak.

Amare in 2007/2008 had a better season than Barkley in 1992/1993 - higher PER and higher winshares.

Winshares mean nothing to your argument. We are looking at skill players, and of course you can't look much past the last 15 years, and even if you do, you're basing it on statistics you picked up from some website. Amare's weaknesses were very blatant, and are gargantuan compared to Barkley's weaknesses. Overall, Barkley was a better player. On the Suns and not on the Suns.

 

[HooverDam]

Drop Marion, put in Connie Hawkins, then the list is closer. I love KJ, but I'm not sure why you'd have him and Nash unless you're Jeff Hornacek and love a 2 PG lineup.

I'd go:

C Amare (Suns have never really had a great Center, Alvan Adams was built like a modern SF)
PF Barkley
SF Hawkins
SG Walter Davis
PG Nash

 

[Chaplin]

Drop Marion, put in Connie Hawkins, then the list is closer. I love KJ, but I'm not sure why you'd have him and Nash unless you're Jeff Hornacek and love a 2 PG lineup.

I'd go:

C Amare (Suns have never really had a great Center, Alvan Adams was built like a modern SF)
PF Barkley
SF Hawkins
SG Walter Davis
PG Nash

Kevin Johnson is my all-time favorite player, but even I would have a hard time to put him in the list over Nash just based on best ever to suit up for Phoenix. Nash is just too good.

 

[Covert Rain]

Alvan Adams has 1 allstar game and rookie of the year, his achievements are not close to unsettling Amare (5 Allstar Games for Phoenix, 5 All-NBA 1st or 2nd teams) from that lineup.

Not to mention only Nash's MVP years and Barkley's MVP year were on par or better than Amare's peak.

Amare in 2007/2008 had a better season than Barkley in 1992/1993 - higher PER and higher winshares.

You do nothing to bolster your argument. To include Amare on any list over Barkley is laughable.

Also, another reason I drop Amare is because he is not and has never has been a center. I don't like it when a list is put together a puts a player in a position just because he can't beat out another player at their natural position. I actually have a hard time putting KJ and Nash in the same starting lineup. I would rather have more strict criteria like best Suns players at their natural position. When you say best 5 of all time, it's a tad a free for all. I guess it's a tad better when you say only 2 guards and and the rest front court guys.

Either way, there is no world in which Amare would be on a list over Barkley. Period.

 

[slinslin]

He made the allstar game as a center and the all-nba teams as a center and played a lot of minutes at center his entire suns career.

He is much more for a center than Adams anyway.

 

[Covert Rain]

He made the allstar game as a center and the all-nba teams as a center and played a lot of minutes at center his entire suns career.

He is much more for a center than Adams anyway.

Was that because of his offense or defense? It still doesn't matter. There is practically nobody on the planet that if they could pick and choose it's front court would pick Amare over Barkely.

 

[Chaplin]

There is practically nobody on the planet that if they could pick and choose it's front court would pick Amare over Barkely.

Well, slinslin would.

 

[Milgod]

He made the allstar game as a center and the all-nba teams as a center and played a lot of minutes at center his entire suns career.

He is much more for a center than Adams anyway.

You still maintain that Barkley didn't play long enough, yet Champion Kidd. As has already been pointed out, he barely played more than the Round Mound of Rebound.

I always enjoy seeing you act silly on other sub-forums. I'm glad it's not just the football/soccer threads.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd put the following players as the Suns all time starting five:

C- Larry Nance
PF- Charles Barkley
SF- Shawn Marion
G- Kevin Johnson
G- Steve Nash

Since the article is using Amare at the center position, I think Larry Nance could play there as well. Larry Nance was a three time NBA All-Star not to mention he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

 

[BC867]

I'd put the following players as the Suns all time starting five:

C- Larry Nance
PF- Charles Barkley
SF- Shawn Marion
G- Kevin Johnson
G- Steve Nash

Since the article is using Amare at the center position, I think Larry Nance could play there as well. Larry Nance was a three time NBA All-Star not to mention he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

I don't see how your opinion that Larry Nancy could play Center would qualify him as the Suns all-time Center on any list.

It just shows how anti-Center the Suns have been since their inception.

Let's just do it the way they do it in the All Star game now. Three frontcourt players and two Guards. The Suns have no all-time Center.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You still maintain that Barkley didn't play long enough, yet Champion Kidd. As has already been pointed out, he barely played more than the Round Mound of Rebound.

I always enjoy seeing you act silly on other sub-forums. I'm glad it's not just the football/soccer threads.

it all comes down to this with Slin... if he wasn't old enough to watch something, it never happened.

 

[Bert]

The Suns went to the Western Conference finals without Amare for the whole year.

I wonder what the 92 team does without Barkley...

 

[elindholm]

The Suns went to the Western Conference finals without Amare for the whole year.

I wonder what the 92 team does without Barkley...

The 1990 team went to the WCF without Barkley. In fact it's fair to say that Barkley did not elevate the Suns' postseason performance; they won a total of five series in three seasons.

 

[Bert]

The 1990 team went to the WCF without Barkley. In fact it's fair to say that Barkley did not elevate the Suns' postseason performance; they won a total of five series in three seasons.

I know, I was just posting a non-sensical hypothetical that is impossible to prove or disprove because that is where this thread has gone.


The biggest difference for me is clutch play. With the game on the line we went to Charles, a lot. Amare was great and I loved him as a Sun, but with the game on the line I would take Charles. Other than that I think they were pretty even and it's a great debate to have.

And for the record as long as we are being hypothetical, I really think if we have Amare that season we win it all. Then again if we had Amare in game 6 against the spurs,,, grrrr. Anger, building, must not think of suns past... lol

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't see how your opinion that Larry Nancy could play Center would qualify him as the Suns all-time Center on any list.

It just shows how anti-Center the Suns have been since their inception.

Let's just do it the way they do it in the All Star game now. Three frontcourt players and two Guards. The Suns have no all-time Center.

I'd play Larry Nance at center over Amare at center if I had too. Nance was the much better defensive player. I agree, the Suns would be better represented by three frontcourt players and two guards.

 

[Covert Rain]

The 1990 team went to the WCF without Barkley. In fact it's fair to say that Barkley did not elevate the Suns' postseason performance; they won a total of five series in three seasons.

With a trip to the finals and a chance at a title. For team that has only been there twice since 1968, that is major and cannot be overlooked regardless of overall series won.

 

[slinslin]

But they did not and in the following years they choked and lost to one of the worst champions ever, Houston was not as a good a team and they lost twice to them even after being up what 3-1?

Fact is that Barkley joined a team that already was very close to contending and they only contended for 1 year with him.

 

[slinslin]

I'd play Larry Nance at center over Amare at center if I had too. Nance was the much better defensive player. I agree, the Suns would be better represented by three frontcourt players and two guards.

Amare was so much better than Nance, defense or not.

Nance only got MVP shares in one season he played and that was in Cleveland. Nance also never made an all-nba team. And just 1 allstar appearance as a Sun.

Nance was not in the same tier of talent as Amare. Amare's peak seasons measure up with the all-time greats. Nance's peak seasons are merely good.

By PER Amare had 2 of the top 100 seasons in NBA history the company is quiet exclusive
http://www.basketball-reference.com...at=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=per