NBADraft.net Suns Preview

[Chaplin]

Not a bad read...

http://www.nbadraft.net/amico025.htm

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Excellent read, it is always nice to see someone who actually knows about the team, and can make accurate commentary, good find Chap.

 

[jimjames1]

This guy is an idiot, he has no idea what he is talking about...

The Li'l Penny commercials were awesome!!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It is nice to see penny get some positive recognition. His contribution to the team last year was quite important, yet all many people want to do is bitch about his large contract. He is clearly not the player he used to be, but he does the best with what he has left.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by ASUCHRIS
It is nice to see penny get some positive recognition. His contribution to the team last year was quite important, yet all many people want to do is bitch about his large contract. He is clearly not the player he used to be, but he does the best with what he has left.

I think some bitching about Hardaway's contract is very well justified. I also think he has said enough stupid things and clashed with his teammates enough to merit some criticism. That said, he did a great job last year. He seems to have really found his place with the team. He knows he is not the first, second, or even the third option, but he will step up if the team needs him. He knows and has excepted his place on this team. Although it might be nice to get rid of that massive contract part of me hopes that he gets through it here and signs a cheap contract afterwards to finish with the Suns.

I hope he plays well this season.

Joe

 

[hcsilla]

Very good article.

 

[elindholm]

I'm going to side with Marbury on this one. I don't think he has changed his play much at all. Certainly he has a better attitude, but that comes from being in a better situation with better teammates. To me, his game is the same: he wasn't selfish before, and he isn't selfish now. He is an average defender -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but certainly not among the NBA's "staunchest."

Similarly, Hardway's attitude is also better, but there's no way he's a more "complete basketball player" than when he was all-NBA in Orlando. I like Hardaway (usually), but the idea of him becoming a coach is laughable.

The author implies that Marion had a breakout season in rebounding last year. Of course that is not true. His rebounding numbers were even higher in '01-'02.

The Suns' center trio may be "reliable" in a narrow sense of the word, but they certainly aren't "productive," because they're rarely on the floor. Between the three of them, they averaged 28.8 minutes per game last season. That means that for nearly 20 minutes each game, the Suns had no center at all.

Joe Johnson became the sixth man as soon as he lost his starting job to Hardaway, which was very early in the season. Hardaway's injury put Johnson back in the starting lineup, but it's incorrect to say that Johnson became the sixth man at the end of the year. And there is absolutely no way Johnson could have been a sixth man award candidate, given the strength of the field.

Jacobsen's perimeter game was "remarkable" at Stanford. So far in the NBA, it is lousy, and that's a kind word for it. Based on last year, Jacobsen would be a solid bench contributor for no team in the league. The author is correct about Jacobsen's surprising ability to get to the basket, however.

It's gratifying to read an article which is positive, but I can't consider it particularly good with so many misconceptions.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm
I'm going to side with Marbury on this one. I don't think he has changed his play much at all. Certainly he has a better attitude, but that comes from being in a better situation with better teammates. To me, his game is the same: he wasn't selfish before, and he isn't selfish now. He is an average defender -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but certainly not among the NBA's "staunchest."

OK, but didn't Marbury become last season to a slightly better than average defender?
He made remarkable and effective defensive efforts on AI, Francis, etc.

Similarly, Hardway's attitude is also better, but there's no way he's a more "complete basketball player" than when he was all-NBA in Orlando. I like Hardaway (usually), but the idea of him becoming a coach is laughable.

I agree.

The author implies that Marion had a breakout season in rebounding last year.

I didn't realize at all that the author implied that.

The Suns' center trio may be "reliable" in a narrow sense of the word, but they certainly aren't "productive," because they're rarely on the floor. Between the three of them, they averaged 28.8 minutes per game last season. That means that for nearly 20 minutes each game, the Suns had no center at all.

Yes, that's correct.

Joe Johnson became the sixth man as soon as he lost his starting job to Hardaway, which was very early in the season. Hardaway's injury put Johnson back in the starting lineup, but it's incorrect to say that Johnson became the sixth man at the end of the year.

Actually Joe Johnson did become the 6th man at the end of the season,IMO.
Early in the season (when he lost the starting SG spot) he qualified only as a 9th-10th man.

And there is absolutely no way Johnson could have been a sixth man award candidate, given the strength of the field.

JJ averaged 16/4/4 in his last 10 games which is definitely a 6th man OY-candidate level.

Jacobsen's perimeter game was "remarkable" at Stanford. So far in the NBA, it is lousy, and that's a kind word for it. Based on last year, Jacobsen would be a solid bench contributor for no team in the league. The author is correct about Jacobsen's surprising ability to get to the basket, however.

Yes, I also had the feeling that the author is overrating Jacobsen.

It's gratifying to read an article which is positive, but I can't consider it particularly good with so many misconceptions. [/B]

Exactly.
What a stupid article........

 

[Joe Mama]

Eric,

I think you pretty much said everything I was feeling when I read the article. It was nice to read a positive article, but I thought it was a little too positive.

IMO, the difference between last year's Phoenix Suns and the 2001-02 team is actually very easy to identify. It was Amare Stoudemire. It did also help that for stretches Marbury's outside shot was consistently falling.

Shawn Marion's three-point shooting got better as the year went on. Joe Johnson really didn't progress much. If anything I would say the center play took a step backwards. To say Hardaway is now a more complete player than he was in Orlando is ridiculous. He seems to have excepted his role on this team, but he's definitely not better or more complete than he has been.

I do think the Phoenix Suns will be a better team this year. I think Cabarkapa is going to really help off the bench. I hope Marbury will be even better this season with healthy ankles. I think Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire will be even better this season. I'm also hoping Joe Johnson and maybe even Casey Jacobsen provide more off the bench. Lastly I think the continuity will help.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

OK, but didn't Marbury become last season to a slightly better than average defender?

Okay, sure, maybe slightly better than average. I haven't really thought that carefully about exactly how good the average defender in the league is.

I didn't realize at all that the author implied that.

He wrote, "Well, somebody forgot to tell Marion, because last season he crashed the boards as if a pot of gold was about to fall off the rim" (emphasis mine).

Early in the season (when he lost the starting SG spot) he qualified only as a 9th-10th man.

Yes, that is essentially correct. However, the article says that it was a brilliant brainstorm of Frank Johnson to give Joe Johnson sixth man minutes. Of course this is nonsense. The team wanted Johnson to be the starter, he couldn't handle that, and he eventually played his way back to a sixth-man role.

JJ averaged 16/4/4 in his last 10 games which is definitely a 6th man OY-candidate level.

I get 3 apg over his last 10, not 4. Still, you are right that he had a good last ten games. I thought the author of the article was talking about a longer stretch than that. Johnson disappeared in the playoffs, so the only way you can call him a sixth-man candidate is by choosing your group of games very carefully.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Pretty much correct Eric.

I would argue that Stephon has improved his defense, but is not one of the staunchest in the league.

Its funny. I remember pg ratings when Stephon was in NJ that rated him above Kidd.

Penny is not better in any way than in Orlando except maybe in maturity. Many people thought that Penny was the best player in the league at the time, even above his gigantic teammate.

And you're right, I cannot imagine him as a coach.

I guess is is safe to conclude that many sports writers have short memories.

 

[elindholm]

I remember pg ratings when Stephon was in NJ that rated him above Kidd.

I remember that too. In fact, when the Suns made the trade, my first thought about Marbury was, "he's that guy who Sports Illustrated always ranks incredibly high for some reason." I think there were a couple of years when Marbury was in the top 10 of their preseason "player value ratings," maybe '98 and '99, before he started getting depressed with the Nets.