Sarver Has "Big Picture" Problems

[Evil Ash]

Just a bit of a run down from Sports Tonight

Mike D'Antoni

- Said that they were interested in 5 players in the draft and when they were unable to trade up, they wanted to do the best that was helpful to the team by freeing up money
- Were only going to a give TT what they viewed as reasonable, didn't want to affect the long term future
- Will throw bags of money at Diaw and LB and beg them to sign
- The role of TT will be replaced by the return of Amare and KT

Paul Coro

- Team has come to terms with Eric Piatkowski, somebody they were interested in whether TT signed or not
- Still in talks with Lindsey Hunter
- Will probably split the MLE amongst players instead of just spending it all on one player
- Hinted at Harpring (assuming they get him) replacing the TT role of being able to play multiple positions
- Also said that the Suns wanted to sign TT to a reasonable deal and were somewhat fearful that the saw the best of him for a 3 month run during a contract year. Basically he was probably playing for a big paycheck

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Hollinger isn't fond of either Piatkowski or Harpring...


Harpring has battled knee problems the past two seasons and that's been killing him on defense. He was never a speedster, but his inability to stay in front of quick forwards reached epic proportions last season as Harpring posted the worst Defensive PER in basketball. Harpring is probably better off at power forward, even though he's a couple of inches short. His strength and physical play are a better fit there, and he can hold his own against power forwards under the boards.

That also might help him out at the offensive end, since he's not a great outside shooter anyway. Harpring is fantastic at moving without the ball and draws lots of fouls by making hard cuts to the basket for lay-ups. He's also pretty good shooting from the middle ranges, although he's not a 3-point shooter and has a fairly long wind-up. That's most of his repertoire. Harpring isn't going to create shots off the dribble and his post game is surprisingly poor for such a physical player.

Unfortunately, moving to power forward isn't an option with Boozer on the team. It would make sense for the Jazz to trade either Harpring or Boozer to get more help for the backcourt, clearing out more minutes for whomever is left. Otherwise, Harpring will see relatively few minutes as a backup forward, and many of them will come in tandem with Boozer, who makes a poor partner for him.


A one-dimensional shooting specialist who is rapidly losing what little athleticism he possessed, Piatkowski nonetheless had some value for the Bulls because of his 3-point prowess. He took more than half his tries from beyond the arc and hit 42.5 percent, rebounding strongly from an off year in Houston the previous season.

Piatkowski has one year left on his contract and is likely to be mothballed until the Bulls face a zone defense and need him to loosen things up. His greatest value may be his expiring contract, which could enable the Bulls to swap him for a more current model at the trading deadline.


I guess if these guys are at the way end of the bench, that would be fine, but I am hoping for a somewhat quality guy that can play significant minutes. Maybe this is dilusional. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but this offseason hasn't gotten off to an auspicious start. Between the lack of an addition of a quality draft pick, to the loss of Thomas, there have been some unfortunate luck in both situations.

 

[Nasser22]

I think Harpring would be a good signing and can do well for us for a year or two. Hopefully they don't sign him long term. He did have good numbers though last year and hasn't missed a big amount of time even with injuries. His defense also can't be terrible. I would like him on this team as a forward.

Signing Piatkowski would be terrible. I liked the guy years ago but I don't want a 36 year old who can only shoot. I'd even take Hunter over him because at least he's experienced at running the point.

 

[overseascardfan]

I forget. Who was the owner who signed Steve Nash to his current deal? Who was it who signed Raja Bell? Q (who was traded for Kurt Thomas)?

I keep reading everybody bitching about losing Tim Thomas, but I'm not sure I've seen one person who said they would have preferred the Phoenix Suns give him $24 million over 4 years.

Same thing goes for the draft. Everybody is complaining about trading out of the draft instead of saying who they would have taken instead. I guess to be fair a few people have said they would have taken Sergio Rodríguez and left him in Europe. Of course we aren't sure he wants to stay in Europe, and Mike D'Antoni said the day before the draft that he did not want Sergio Rodríguez.

Let's see it people. What would all you have done?

Joe

Not bitching about losing TT, I would not have given him that much. My complaint is that they supposedly did the draft moves in order to retain TT like it was going to be that easy. The depth we have now is my bitch. We have 9 players under contract, and big concern being who gives Nash a breather, Rodriguez may not be a great shooter but he would have given us a backup PG cheap, who can run an offense. If we would have taken Josh Boone at 21 we would have added a big off the bench cheaper than what a FA will cost us to replace TT.

 

[Mainstreet]

Just a bit of a run down from Sports Tonight

Mike D'Antoni

- Said that they were interested in 5 players in the draft and when they were unable to trade up, they wanted to do the best that was helpful to the team by freeing up money
- Were only going to a give TT what they viewed as reasonable, didn't want to affect the long term future
- Will throw bags of money at Diaw and LB and beg them to sign
- The role of TT will be replaced by the return of Amare and KT

Paul Coro

- Team has come to terms with Eric Piatkowski, somebody they were interested in whether TT signed or not
- Still in talks with Lindsey Hunter
- Will probably split the MLE amongst players instead of just spending it all on one player
- Hinted at Harpring (assuming they get him) replacing the TT role of being able to play multiple positions
- Also said that the Suns wanted to sign TT to a reasonable deal and were somewhat fearful that the saw the best of him for a 3 month run during a contract year. Basically he was probably playing for a big paycheck

Great summary. Much better and detailed than what I could give.

A couple of comments interested me from I believe Coro... that Lindsey Hunter could play the tougher defensive assignment when playing with Nash. Unless I misunderstood Coro, I would not expect Nash and Hunter to be on the floor much together. Also, as you mentioned, Hunter has not committed to the Suns as yet. Anyway I found the comment strange since Hunter is only 6 ft. 2 inches. I know that Nash is not a good defensive player but why would Hunter be trying to guard a SG?

The other interesting comment was about Harpring... whether the Suns could even afford him.

The irony for me is this, here are the Suns looking at two players (Piatkowski and Hunter) that will turn 36 this year and clearly are on the downside of their careers and Coro is questioning whether the Suns can even afford a frequently injured player like Harpring. I do like Harpring and his game but he cannot play center where the Suns need some depth.

I hope the Suns have some other options in the fire, but it sure did not sound like it, at least at this time.

If this is the best the Suns can do in the market, I am afraid the Suns may be in bad shape concerning depth unless the summer league produces something.

 

[Evil Ash]

Great summary. Much better and detailed than what I could give.

A couple of comments interested me from I believe Coro... that Lindsey Hunter could play the tougher defensive assignment when playing with Nash. Unless I misunderstood Coro, I would not expect Nash and Hunter to be on the floor much together. Also, as you mentioned, Hunter has not committed to the Suns as yet. Anyway I found the comment strange since Hunter is only 6 ft. 2 inches. I know that Nash is not a good defensive player but why would Hunter be trying to guard a SG?

The other interesting comment was about Harpring... whether the Suns could even afford him.

The irony for me is this, here are the Suns looking at two players (Piatkowski and Hunter) that will turn 36 this year and clearly are on the downside of their careers and Coro is questioning whether the Suns can even afford a frequently injured player like Harpring. I do like Harpring and his game but he cannot play center where the Suns need some depth.

I hope the Suns have some other options in the fire, but it sure did not sound like it, at least at this time.

If this is the best the Suns can do in the market, I am afraid the Suns may be in bad shape concerning depth unless the summer league produces something.

I think he was talking more about how much the other teams are overpaying and with guys like Nene getting $10 mill a year after tearing his ACL, its hard to argue that point.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Wow.

Maybe some of you need to start rooting on the Raptors, because if I have to take any more of you 'fans', I'd puke.

Maybe it's because of Sarver, maybe it's in-spite of him, but the last two seasons have been some of the most memorable in Suns history, and all some of you guys can do is bitch about the new owner who footed most of the bills during the said two seasons?

How about some of you wait until the team is obviously ****ed, and even then, make sure that it is Sarver that ****ed them, before you whine so much, k?

 

[Mainstreet]

I think he was talking more about how much the other teams are overpaying and with guys like Nene getting $10 mill a year after tearing his ACL, its hard to argue that point.

I understand what your saying, however, from looking at the stats on Piatkowski and L. Hunter, I'm thinking these players should perhaps be thinking about retirement and they both will be 36 this year.

The Suns should be thinking about a Championship this year and not the luxury tax... at least for one year.

Now Harpring, if healthy, is a solid player. But I believe he has already had a couple of microfracture surgeries and has missed a considerable amount of games.

I just expected better from the Suns.

 

[SunsTzu]

Hollinger isn't fond of either Piatkowski or Harpring...

He's not fond of the rest of the Suns either, guess they'll fit in.

 

[hsandhu]

I understand what your saying, however, from looking at the stats on Piatkowski and L. Hunter, I'm thinking these players should perhaps be thinking about retirement and they both will be 36 this year.

The Suns should be thinking about a Championship this year and not the luxury tax... at least for one year.

Now Harpring, if healthy, is a solid player. But I believe he has already had a couple of microfracture surgeries and has missed a considerable amount of games.

I just expected better from the Suns.

Look at the piatkowski threat to see what I wrote about hunter, and you'll see why the suns want him.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Wow.

Maybe some of you need to start rooting on the Raptors, because if I have to take any more of you 'fans', I'd puke.

Maybe it's because of Sarver, maybe it's in-spite of him, but the last two seasons have been some of the most memorable in Suns history, and all some of you guys can do is bitch about the new owner who footed most of the bills during the said two seasons?

How about some of you wait until the team is obviously ****ed, and even then, make sure that it is Sarver that ****ed them, before you whine so much, k?

If i read one more post like this I am going to go crazy....

LISTEN YOU SUNS FANS WHO JUST WANT EVERYONE TO HOLD UP AND WAIT TP GIVE AN OPINION. NO ONE IS SAYING THE TEAM IS GOING TO CRASH AND BURN NEXT YEAR. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS/EXPECTED REACTION TO A TEAM THAT JUST TRADED AWAY OUR DRAFT PICKS FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW AND JUSTIFIED IT BY SAYING WE WANTED TO RETAIN TT! NOW HE IS GONE TO OUR STIFFEST DIVSIONAL COMP. THIS IS SHADES OF JOE ALL OVER AGAIN. ITS NOT THAT SARVER HASN'T DONE ANYTHING GOOD. ITS THAT ALONG WITH STUPID LITTLE THINGS (KICKING OUT ROCKIES PLAYERS, DOING THE CHICKEN DNACE, CUTTING BACK ON SCOUTS) HE IS NOW REFUSING TO PAY GUYS WHEN ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE TEAM IS MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST. AND HE JUST LET ARGUABLY THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER IN OUR PLAYOFF RUN OF LAST YEAR LEAVE. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. I AM NOT LESS OF A FAN BECAUSE I QUESTION THE GUYS WANT TO SPEND THE REQUISITE MONEY FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. I JUST HAVE A BRAIN. LOOK AT THE FACTS. READ THE NATIONAL WRITERS. FOR A GOOD LAUGH GO READ THE LOCAL ARTICLES ON HOW BRILLIANT THE SUNS WERE TO TRADE AWAY THOSE PICKS FROM JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS THE LAST TWO YEARS WE ARE STILL MISSING ONE IMPORTANT POINT...

WE DON'T HAVE A RING JUST YET!!!! SO INSTEAD OF ASKING ME TO STOP HATING ON SARVER UNTIL WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS - WHY DON'T YOU START BANGING ON THE GUY UNTIL HE MAKES EVERY MOVE POSSIBLE TO GET A RING. LIKE IT OR NOT LETTING TT GO, PISSING OFF JOE, AND TRADING AWAY THREE YEARS OF DRAFT PICKS IS NOT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS! IT ONLY LINES HIS POCKETS NO MATTER WHAT THE SPIN SAYS! GET ME A DAMN RING AND THEN I WILL GIVE "FOAMY" THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. UNTIL THEN ANYSTEP BACKWARDS IS JUST ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT A CHAMPIONSIP IN MY MIND.......

 

[Mainstreet]

Look at the piatkowski threat to see what I wrote about hunter, and you'll see why the suns want him.

I understand your point about Hunter and admittedly have not really watched him play much. However, I agree with your feelings the Suns will need to trade Jones to acquire another big man for depth upfront.

 

[Errntknght]

As of this last season Lindsey Hunter could still defend - I watched one Det/Cleve game in the playoffs and they had Lindsey on LaBron. He did as well as anyone at slowing him down. He's a pesky defender who can deny the ball well and steal it if the guy gets careless. Knows all the tricks, too... draws more than his share of offensive fouls. Even Raja can learn something from him and Leandro could learn a bundle. Hopefully, he's looking forward to a coaching career and starts on it with our perimeter players.

I remember Piatakowski when he was with the Clips and he seemed to do well against us but I don't recall much about his game, except that he shot mostly 3's. He probably didn't stand out as a defender/rebounder or I'd remember that. I vaguely recall him being fairly quick but maybe all it means is that he was quick for a tall skinny dude. My guess is that he's insurance against JJones having permanently mislaid his shot though maybe he could defend some of the bigger SGs that give Leandro trouble.

It sounds like Harpring is very close to washed up. He could probably still operate okay down on the baseline because he was very clever about getting his defender just a little out of position then sealing him off with his sturdy body. But he sounds like a defensive liability, even for the Suns. My gut feeling is that getting him is, like Brian Grant, mostly wishful thinking.

Basically, we are looking at guys who are very risky... I'd rather have taken a flier on an athletic rookie who had a rep as a defender for one of our slots. Joe Mama was wanting us to name names - I did name two right around draft time and one was the SF/SG who went to the Mavs at #28 and the other's name was, perhaps, Andrew Johnson. He was an F who went at 37, IIRC. Both fit the description I mentioned above. If I were running the Suns scouting I'd gather up all the second round picks I could and pick guys on the basis of their defense and rebounding - try to turn up an occasional useful player. In other words the exact opposite of the Suns approach of discarding 2nd rounders like used gum wrappers - which to me seems to be admitting you don't know squat about scouting.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Wow.

Maybe some of you need to start rooting on the Raptors, because if I have to take any more of you 'fans', I'd puke.

Maybe it's because of Sarver, maybe it's in-spite of him, but the last two seasons have been some of the most memorable in Suns history, and all some of you guys can do is bitch about the new owner who footed most of the bills during the said two seasons?

How about some of you wait until the team is obviously ****ed, and even then, make sure that it is Sarver that ****ed them, before you whine so much, k?

you go girl.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

What will hating Sarver do? Absolutely nothing. Why do you want me to hate Sarver? Besides giving me some hate in my life? It won't change my favorite team one bit. I don't get that concept.

 

[Toro]

Sarver let BC go because he wanted to get out from under the Colangelo shadow and put all this debate about who is really making the smart moves business to rest.

Well now there's no debate. Everthing that has happened this off season is all Sarver.

Sarver wanted BC out because he thinks he can do it on his own and doesn't need BC. My bet is that he will fail.

 

[Mainstreet]

What will hating Sarver do? Absolutely nothing. Why do you want me to hate Sarver? Besides giving me some hate in my life? It won't change my favorite team one bit. I don't get that concept.

I don't want to go back in history, but if Jerry Colangelo had not bought controlling interest in the Suns (I believe after the drug scandal), the Suns would have undoubtedly been moved out of Phoenix. It was that bad.

I really became loyal to JC for keeping the Suns in Phoenix and trying his hardest to win a Championship. If the Suns had not lost coin flips for Kareem and David Robinson the Suns would probably have several Championship banners. JC did not always make the right moves but you could always count on him to try to make the right moves until he decided to sell the team to Sarver's ownership group.

So yes, ownership does matter. Actually how a business is run always starts at the top with ownership.

 

[Nate]

Not bitching about losing TT, I would not have given him that much. My complaint is that they supposedly did the draft moves in order to retain TT like it was going to be that easy. The depth we have now is my bitch. We have 9 players under contract, and big concern being who gives Nash a breather, Rodriguez may not be a great shooter but he would have given us a backup PG cheap, who can run an offense. If we would have taken Josh Boone at 21 we would have added a big off the bench cheaper than what a FA will cost us to replace TT.

D'Antoni said even before the draft in an interview that he doesnt like Rodriguez as a player and that there are only very few prospects he likes. Therefore I dont understand your complaint.

The Suns additionally used TT to appeace the fanbase in regard to their decision not to draft and I didnt like the way they spun it, but they were very clear that they had no use for the players available to them (esp Rodriguez). Whether their judgement of talent was right or wrong will be clear in hindsight.

 

[WildBB]

AND HE JUST LET ARGUABLY THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER IN OUR PLAYOFF RUN OF LAST YEAR LEAVE.

TT was importannt to the rotation this yr. Mainly because Amare and Kurt were not there. He would've played next yr too but not such a major role IMO. Quote: GO READ THE LOCAL ARTICLES ON HOW BRILLIANT THE SUNS WERE TO TRADE AWAY THOSE PICKS FROM JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.

Who would they have gotten that would have helped the run next yr? The Mich ST. kid? They got three 1st rounders next yr. when the 19 yr. olds will be eligable to enter into a deeper draft.


WE DON'T HAVE A RING JUST YET!!!! SO INSTEAD OF ASKING ME TO STOP HATING ON SARVER UNTIL WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS - WHY DON'T YOU START BANGING ON THE GUY UNTIL HE MAKES EVERY MOVE POSSIBLE TO GET A RING. LIKE IT OR NOT LETTING TT GO, PISSING OFF JOE, AND TRADING AWAY THREE YEARS OF DRAFT PICKS IS NOT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS!

The JJ trade worked out better than anyone could have hoped (Diaw).

TT made his BUISNESS DECISION to take the cash instead of a ring. His bad. He won't get it with the Clips. That's for certain.

 

[JS22]

If i read one more post like this I am going to go crazy....

LISTEN YOU SUNS FANS WHO JUST WANT EVERYONE TO HOLD UP AND WAIT TP GIVE AN OPINION. NO ONE IS SAYING THE TEAM IS GOING TO CRASH AND BURN NEXT YEAR. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS/EXPECTED REACTION TO A TEAM THAT JUST TRADED AWAY OUR DRAFT PICKS FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW AND JUSTIFIED IT BY SAYING WE WANTED TO RETAIN TT! NOW HE IS GONE TO OUR STIFFEST DIVSIONAL COMP. THIS IS SHADES OF JOE ALL OVER AGAIN. ITS NOT THAT SARVER HASN'T DONE ANYTHING GOOD. ITS THAT ALONG WITH STUPID LITTLE THINGS (KICKING OUT ROCKIES PLAYERS, DOING THE CHICKEN DNACE, CUTTING BACK ON SCOUTS) HE IS NOW REFUSING TO PAY GUYS WHEN ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE TEAM IS MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST. AND HE JUST LET ARGUABLY THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER IN OUR PLAYOFF RUN OF LAST YEAR LEAVE. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. I AM NOT LESS OF A FAN BECAUSE I QUESTION THE GUYS WANT TO SPEND THE REQUISITE MONEY FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. I JUST HAVE A BRAIN. LOOK AT THE FACTS. READ THE NATIONAL WRITERS. FOR A GOOD LAUGH GO READ THE LOCAL ARTICLES ON HOW BRILLIANT THE SUNS WERE TO TRADE AWAY THOSE PICKS FROM JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS THE LAST TWO YEARS WE ARE STILL MISSING ONE IMPORTANT POINT...

WE DON'T HAVE A RING JUST YET!!!! SO INSTEAD OF ASKING ME TO STOP HATING ON SARVER UNTIL WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS - WHY DON'T YOU START BANGING ON THE GUY UNTIL HE MAKES EVERY MOVE POSSIBLE TO GET A RING. LIKE IT OR NOT LETTING TT GO, PISSING OFF JOE, AND TRADING AWAY THREE YEARS OF DRAFT PICKS IS NOT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS! IT ONLY LINES HIS POCKETS NO MATTER WHAT THE SPIN SAYS! GET ME A DAMN RING AND THEN I WILL GIVE "FOAMY" THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. UNTIL THEN ANYSTEP BACKWARDS IS JUST ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT A CHAMPIONSIP IN MY MIND.......

Are you clueless, delusional, or both? "Letting" TT go? You do realize that if they matched the Clips offer you would have to kiss either Diaw or Barbosa goodbye. Do you want that? Probably not.

Not to mention the fact that he was playing for a contract! Coach D'antoni himself said that this worried him.

 

[Chaplin]

Are you clueless, delusional, or both? "Letting" TT go? You do realize that if they matched the Clips offer you would have to kiss either Diaw or Barbosa goodbye. Do you want that? Probably not.

Not to mention the fact that he was playing for a contract! Coach D'antoni himself said that this worried him.

Doesn't matter, WF. Nothing anybody says is going to make a difference. People are still whining about this draft while not even taking into consideration the pick we received next year in what many consider the best draft since 1984 (the Jordan draft).

People look at the Suns and see a team with no Kurt Thomas, a team with no Amare Stoudemire, and now with no Tim Thomas. Wait a second. That ISN'T this team. This team is now Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Kurt Thomas, Leandro Barbosa, James Jones AND Amare Stoudemire. Now how is that lineup bad? And people are saying we are a sinking ship?

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

And people are saying we are a sinking ship?

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chap, c'mon man. just b/c you keep saying people are saying that doesn't mean that people are. NO ONE has said we're a sinking ship. we're just bemoaning a string of bad moves (or nonmoves). you can criticize individual moves while still seeing the worth of our team as a whole. it's called seeing the trees AND the forest. apparently you can only concentrate on the forest. if you cut down a tree those of you only looking at the forest won't see a change. those of us concentrating on the tree see a cut down tree but a strong forest. however if we see two or three trees cut down we start seeing a trend. the forest may still be strong, but now we see a potential problem looming. you're still looking at the pretty forest, oblivious to the possibility of pending deforestation. we're just voicing concerns before the trees are all gone.

also, the 8 you listed are pretty good, yes. but that's only one player deeper than two years ago when we were bemoaning our lack of depth. and, given jr's disappearing shot in the playoffs, it's arguable that we're still stuck at 7 deep. not to mention that one of the main cogs is coming off an injury and we have NO idea how he'll respond. granted, if amare is less than wonderful we're not winning anything no matter who else is on the squad.

disclaimer - i am not saying, intimating, or implying that this is the end of the suns, our championship hopes, or the world. this disclaimer will now be included in every post of mine to ward off exaggerplins (that's asfn-speak for chaplin's exaggerations).

 

[Mainstreet]

chap, c'mon man. just b/c you keep saying people are saying that doesn't mean that people are. NO ONE has said we're a sinking ship. we're just bemoaning a string of bad moves (or nonmoves). you can criticize individual moves while still seeing the worth of our team as a whole. it's called seeing the trees AND the forest. apparently you can only concentrate on the forest. if you cut down a tree those of you only looking at the forest won't see a change. those of us concentrating on the tree see a cut down tree but a strong forest. however if we see two or three trees cut down we start seeing a trend. the forest may still be strong, but now we see a potential problem looming. you're still looking at the pretty forest, oblivious to the possibility of pending deforestation. we're just voicing concerns before the trees are all gone.

also, the 8 you listed are pretty good, yes. but that's only one player deeper than two years ago when we were bemoaning our lack of depth. and, given jr's disappearing shot in the playoffs, it's arguable that we're still stuck at 7 deep. not to mention that one of the main cogs is coming off an injury and we have NO idea how he'll respond. granted, if amare is less than wonderful we're not winning anything no matter who else is on the squad.

disclaimer - i am not saying, intimating, or implying that this is the end of the suns, our championship hopes, or the world. this disclaimer will now be included in every post of mine to ward off exaggerplins (that's asfn-speak for chaplin's exaggerations).

I guess i'm just having a "deforestation" day. Good post.

 

[Chaplin]

chap, c'mon man. just b/c you keep saying people are saying that doesn't mean that people are. NO ONE has said we're a sinking ship. we're just bemoaning a string of bad moves (or nonmoves). you can criticize individual moves while still seeing the worth of our team as a whole. it's called seeing the trees AND the forest. apparently you can only concentrate on the forest. if you cut down a tree those of you only looking at the forest won't see a change. those of us concentrating on the tree see a cut down tree but a strong forest. however if we see two or three trees cut down we start seeing a trend. the forest may still be strong, but now we see a potential problem looming. you're still looking at the pretty forest, oblivious to the possibility of pending deforestation. we're just voicing concerns before the trees are all gone.

also, the 8 you listed are pretty good, yes. but that's only one player deeper than two years ago when we were bemoaning our lack of depth. and, given jr's disappearing shot in the playoffs, it's arguable that we're still stuck at 7 deep. not to mention that one of the main cogs is coming off an injury and we have NO idea how he'll respond. granted, if amare is less than wonderful we're not winning anything no matter who else is on the squad.

disclaimer - i am not saying, intimating, or implying that this is the end of the suns, our championship hopes, or the world. this disclaimer will now be included in every post of mine to ward off exaggerplins (that's asfn-speak for chaplin's exaggerations).

Someone on this board actually posted a blatant smilie comparing the Suns to the Titanic. That and the complaining done by NastyOne and others doesn't give you the idea that people are complaining that our chances are declining? Even with Amare coming back. You mention criticizing moves vs. seeing our team as a whole. I see very few people on this board that actually say they like our team as a whole. You might think that, and I'm sure cheese does as well, but when all you do is whine about Tim Thomas, and totally go off on how that ruins the team, that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the "team as a whole".

And I'm the one who's exaggerating. Better take off those cheesebeef colored glasses Ouchie.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Someone on this board actually posted a blatant smilie comparing the Suns to the Titanic. That and the complaining done by NastyOne and others doesn't give you the idea that people are complaining that our chances are declining? Even with Amare coming back. You mention criticizing moves vs. seeing our team as a whole. I see very few people on this board that actually say they like our team as a whole. You might think that, and I'm sure cheese does as well, but when all you do is whine about Tim Thomas, and totally go off on how that ruins the team, that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the "team as a whole".

And I'm the one who's exaggerating. Better take off those cheesebeef colored glasses Ouchie.

the reason we focus on the tt move or the loss of draft picks is because it is NEWS. the fact that the team has amare, nash, marion, lalalalalala, isn't news, it's old fact. we're talking about what's currently in the news.

and if nothing else the past couple of weeks have provided us with quite a bit more in the way of creativitiy. i like the "cheesebeef colored glasses" comment.