OMFG, it just hit me...

[playstation]

Diaw & Amare are gunna pick & roll the NBA to death.

hmmmm

who throws the oop better, nash or diaw?

who finishes better, stat or matrix?

there might be some friendly competitions going on next year

seriously, assuming health, we will be the most entertaining team the nba has seen since the runnin bulls (91-92).

runnin, dunks, 3's, unselfish ball movement. can't beat it

 

[BC867]

If Kurt Thomas is healthy, I'm willing to bet he starts over Diaw. Reason being, Diaw off the bench can add the ball handling we need when Nash is out.

With the emergence of Diaw, I don't think Kurt Thomas will start for the Suns, because Mike D' prefers small teams.

The problem there is that it doesn't build on-court chemistry, to be ready to face the Eastern Conference champs during the last Playoff round, when he probably would start K.T.

 

[Sir Charles Barfbag]

I'd say with our playoff success and the fact that T.Thomas will play for reasonable $$, that K. Thomas is gone - along with both 1st rounders for either 1 player or a higher draft pick for a PG.

We don't need K.Thomas and his 2 years for $15 mil. when we have Diaw, Stat, and T.Thomas (maybe for the MLE) to go with Matrix up front. Look for J.Jones to be Matrix' primary backup and he'll improve over the off-season.

Nash, Barbosa, Bell, and a good backup PG should make us about 9 deep next year and that should be enough.

We just need 12-13 guys who can come in and play PHX style bball, not stiffs like Burke, Thompson, Grant, and Skita. Anyone who can run and gun would do.

 

[Gaddabout]

How do you get rid of $15 million in salary without taking back at at least $12.75 in return under the current rules? You're still going to take on at least two players to get that number, and I'm not sure KT is going to bring two players of any value. Some team will need to really want KT for any trade involving only him worthwhile to the Suns.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The advantage of KT is his defense and rebounding. He never got in the groove with his offense, but he is an adequate offensive player and a very good midrange shooter.

His benefit in defense is that he can defend almost every big man in the league 1 on 1. Remember how he did that at the beginning of the year? THAT makes the whole team much better defensively because they have to do MUCH less switching.

TT filled in for Amare's absense, but not for KT's. With Amare coming back, TT is more expendable that KT--contracts aside.

If we don't make any trades, I expect the starting line up next year to be.

KT--center
Amare--pf
Marion--sf
Bell--sg
Nash--pg

First off the bench--Diaw (in any position on the floor).

I really think Diaw deserves to start, but I also cannot see NOT starting KT. Seems to me that Diaw will be more effective and get more minutes off the bench than KT would.

Barbosa will continue to develop as a pg. We might pick Sergio as a pg, and then let him play in Europe. It saves us cap $ and allows him to develop. If we need a pg going into the playoffs, we can bring him over once his season is done.

Tim Thomas is a nice piece to have, but only if he takes less than the mle. He's going to have to take around 3.5 mil to stay. Sarver is not going into lux tax land for Tim Thomas.

 

[Suns_fan69]

With the emergence of Diaw, I don't think Kurt Thomas will start for the Suns, because Mike D' prefers small teams.

The problem there is that it doesn't build on-court chemistry, to be ready to face the Eastern Conference champs during the last Playoff round, when he probably would start K.T.

Disagree on both counts.

Mike D' prefers skilled teams, not necessarily small teams. There is a difference.

And if there's one thing Mike has shown us is that he's very unlikely to change the gameplan for a specific team. He forces other teams to adjust to the suns. If Diaw starts all of next year at C, and we make it to the finals next year to meet Shaq and the Heat, you can bet that he's not going to all of a sudden throw Thomas in there to start the game. Shaq wouldn't play more than 30 minutes a game versus the suns in a playoff series. He'd be way too tired.

 

[Errntknght]

Suns_fan69, "Mike D' prefers skilled teams, not necessarily small teams. There is a difference."

Boris is far more skilled than KT at the offensive end and D'Antoni is considerably more offensive oriented than defensive, so your argument favors Diaw over KT.

Until the playoffs I would have guessed that next year we'd see KT starting and Boris subbing all over the floor, but now I think not. He showed over and over in the playoffs just how valuable he was setting up on the left elbow. Tilt the offense toward a typical high post with players cutting and Boris' passing becomes more valuable and team scoring gets easier. Nash's life gets much easier. Amare's life gets easier. Heck, I'll bet we get to play Barbosa at the point in this system - which is great for him because he gets picked on a lot when he guards SGs.

As I said in another post, Diaw is the best triple threat high post player since Webber in his heyday so how could you not build your offense around that?

And what about defense? Would you try to tell me that D'Antoni would favor having KT on the floor defending a big over playing Diaw and forcing the big to sit? Against Shaq or TD, who can't be forced off the floor, Kurt will undoubtedly play major minutes but many nights he'll just spell Diaw and Amare as needed - if we keep TT he won't need to do much of that.

 

[George O'Brien]

I would like to have TT available so the Suns don't have to use Marion at PF. Marion is simply not strong enough to defend most PF's and TT at least gives a credible effort. At the same time, TT's three point shooting is better than any of the other inside guys.

The trick will be making it work financially.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Suns_fan69,

As I said in another post, Diaw is the best triple threat high post player since Webber in his heyday so how could you not build your offense around that?

I am looking forward to this play next year.

Diaw sets up on the elbow and gets the throw-in from Nash. He turns to face the hoop and his man backs off, ever so slightly towards Amare who is floating left of the key. Diaw explodes toward the hoop extending high with the right hand as his man scrambles back toward him. Instead of laying it in Diaw flips the ball high in front of the rim. Slashing toward the hoop, Amare grabs the ball high above the rim and slams it home.

Can't be defended.

Back off Diaw, he cans the 15 footer. Play up on him and he drives and dunks or dishes to Amare. Double him and Amare flushes it home faster than you can blink.

And that's just our INSIDE game--and not all of it at that.

 

[Errntknght]

George, "I would like to have TT available so the Suns don't have to use Marion at PF."

With Amare, Diaw and KT to cover the 4/5 slots Marion will only play the 4 when its advantageous to the Suns. I would like to have TT around, too, because he did well in the playoffs and gives us nice options - and protection against injuries. But I don't think its in the cards. Not unless someone signs him for the MLE and trades him to us for House, Jones, Burke and Grant - and thats probably illegal.

 

[JCSunsfan]

George, "I would like to have TT available so the Suns don't have to use Marion at PF."

With Amare, Diaw and KT to cover the 4/5 slots Marion will only play the 4 when its advantageous to the Suns. I would like to have TT around, too, because he did well in the playoffs and gives us nice options - and protection against injuries. But I don't think its in the cards. Not unless someone signs him for the MLE and trades him to us for House, Jones, Burke and Grant - and thats probably illegal.

You've got to have those cheap roster players anyway. We could probably trade House for space. The other player we could trade for space would be James Jones. That would be enough to sign TT. Just depends on how badly we want him.

With Amare and KT coming back (assuming they will both be healthy) James Jones is probably a greater need than TT.

 

[jibikao]

I don't think Bell is Bruce Bowen type of defender (Bell is shorter too), but Bell has much better offense! Bell's offense is inconsistent but when he is hot..man, IT'S HOT. Bruce Bowen can hit very wide open 3pt and that's about it.

Having said that, if we won't win The Ring next season, we will never win. I am not excited about next season. I feel more anxious and pressured.