Our present roster

[Errntknght]

If you break it down into defensive and offensive categories some interesting things come to light. On the defensive end we figure to have improved some but there's a chance we could improve a lot more if we had a coach that knew how to put together a sound team defensive scheme. D'Antoni and company have proved that they don't know how but BC could find a defensive minded assistant if he had the sense to even contemplate it.

Our offense figures to lose a little ground but it may be more than we expect because the offense can't be as simple minded as it was last year. Not to mention the fact that it didn't work well in the playoffs - it really failed against Dallas as well as SA but Nash went wild and carried us through the Mavs series. What concerns me is that there's no evidence to date that D'Antoni knows enough to put together a more complex offense. On top of that his oft stated philosophy has been to run the offense just the way he did last year and with the success it had it's highly improbable that he'll realize he needs to modify it until well into the season and, thus, too late.

 

[Joe Mama]

If you break it down into defensive and offensive categories some interesting things come to light. On the defensive end we figure to have improved some but there's a chance we could improve a lot more if we had a coach that knew how to put together a sound team defensive scheme. D'Antoni and company have proved that they don't know how but BC could find a defensive minded assistant if he had the sense to even contemplate it.

Our offense figures to lose a little ground but it may be more than we expect because the offense can't be as simple minded as it was last year. Not to mention the fact that it didn't work well in the playoffs - it really failed against Dallas as well as SA but Nash went wild and carried us through the Mavs series. What concerns me is that there's no evidence to date that D'Antoni knows enough to put together a more complex offense. On top of that his oft stated philosophy has been to run the offense just the way he did last year and with the success it had it's highly improbable that he'll realize he needs to modify it until well into the season and, thus, too late.

I would be surprised if I could find one post from you that doesn't somehow take a shot at the coaching staff of the Phoenix Suns. Of course there are some more things they can do offensively, but I can't believe how much you can criticize a coaching staff that had their team scoring 110 points per game.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if this team's average margin of victory is better next season than it was over the second half of last season.

Joe Mama

 

[JCSunsfan]

Depth Chart

pg
Nash, Barbosa, Diaw, JimJ, Bell, Graham

sg
Bell, JimJ, Barbosa, Diaw, Dijon, Graham

sf
Marion, JimJ, Padgett, Dijon, Graham

pf
Thomas, Amare, Marion, Padgett, Burke, Tischer

C
Amare, Thomas, Tischer


Thoughts.

We will sign a big man. I assume D. Davis or Grant. That will make a huge difference in the 4-5 spots.

Marion will still log some minutes at the 4--very effectively.

Jim Jackson will get a bigger role. He was considered redundant when we traded for him mid season last year. I believe the Suns knew they were going to trade Q at the point.

A backup pg is more necessary than Finley, but if we can get Finley, we should. McKie would also fit.

Payton might be a good addition. So would Dickau. Dickau is younger, fills more of a Nash role.

If we add 3 players like, Dale Davis, Finley, and Dickau, we are a better team than last year. It is not out of the question that we could add those players. I just hope we don't give up all our draft picks to get them.

Remember, that we have the option of dealing our OWN picks now, with trade exceptions, and keeping the Hawks and Lakers picks for our own. We really don't need more than one first round pick per year.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I would be surprised if I could find one post from you that doesn't somehow take a shot at the coaching staff of the Phoenix Suns. Of course there are some more things they can do offensively, but I can't believe how much you can criticize a coaching staff that had their team scoring 110 points per game.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if this team's average margin of victory is better next season than it was over the second half of last season.

Joe Mama

Hee, hee. He didn't like Ainge, Skiles, or FJ either. I really think EK wants to coach the team himself.

 

[Joe Mama]

Hee, hee. He didn't like Ainge, Skiles, or FJ either. I really think EK wants to coach the team himself.

Hey, I've spent my fair share of time criticizing the same coaches. I just don't do it in EVERY single post.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

It is hard to know if defensive breakdowns are due to the coach or to the personnel. Last season the Suns lacked a low post defender to take the burden off Amare. To keep Amare out of foul trouble and avoid physical mismatches against Marion, the Suns ended up double the low post most of the time which opened up other guys to score. No amount of strategy and training was going to solve the problem that Amare is not an especially good low post defender and Marion is very small for PF.

If the Suns can avoid doubling the post, they can play more straight up defense and can be in better position to blockout and rebound. The Suns problems at getting defensive rebounds was a recurring problem

I expect to see the Suns move from holding opponents to 44.5 to just under 44%. At 43.7% they would be 7th best in the NBA.

 

[Errntknght]

"Hee, hee. He didn't like Ainge, Skiles, or FJ either."

And I was right about every one of them. Hee hee. Though to my surprise Skiles has mellowed considerably and now seems to be doing a good job for the Bulls. I never thought he'd be able to change in that way. I always gave Scotty credit for his defensive schemes but I saw a good bit to complain about in his handling of players and his sideline coaching - two areas that he seems to have improved in from the little I've seen and heard.

Just in case you guys might be wondering I thoroughly disliked McLeod in almost every way - of course, I had to suffer an awfully long time with him. Cotton I liked the best but somehow his teams were always softer than they should have been - I really don't think he liked to play guys that had a mean streak. And I thought he did both the team and Westfall a disservice when he let Westy take over without earning his stripes. I liked Westfall as far as his philosophy went but he wasn't ready and he didn't take charge of the team. If he'd had to work his way up through the ranks of assistant coaches I think he'd have made a decent head coach.

"I really think EK wants to coach the team himself."

I like coaching and I have coached 'fun level' teams in a variety of sports including basketball - it will come as no surprise to you that I irritated the heck out of lots of players, so I was not a grand success. The experience was enough to conclude that I'd probably be slightly out of my depth coaching an NBA team. It'd be a blast every hour it lasted, though!

 

[Errntknght]

Joe, "Hey, I've spent my fair share of time criticizing the same coaches. I just don't do it in EVERY single post."


You admire consistency among the players so I'm surprised it bothers you to find that quality in a poster.

 

[playstation]

"Hee, hee. He didn't like Ainge, Skiles, or FJ either."

And I was right about every one of them. Hee hee.

OK, we have to ban the michael jackson laugh...

 

[elindholm]

You admire consistency among the players so I'm surprised it bothers you to find that quality in a poster.

LOL

 

[Joe Mama]

Joe, "Hey, I've spent my fair share of time criticizing the same coaches. I just don't do it in EVERY single post."


You admire consistency among the players so I'm surprised it bothers you to find that quality in a poster.

LOL

I guess I just need to learn to appreciate the ways you can work criticisms of D'Antoni into every single post. I guess it's just difficult for someone like me who is so scatter brain then all over the place. I can't stick with one idea for very long (subliminal: Lonnie Jones).



Joe Mama