So, how will this team look?

[JCSunsfan]

PG--Opposing pg's are going to hate to play the Suns next year. After chasing Nash around (still one of the fastest pg's in the league) they will be fatigued. The problem with Nash is that he is fast and you have to play him close. He is such a good passer and shooter that you can't give him any room.

Then, at the end of the 1st quarter, we sub in Barbosa--the fastest pg in the league. Who isn't the same offensive threat but gets those long arms out there and snatches your passes. Barbosa might benefit from Nash more than anyone. Nash is the idea mentor for Barbosa, who, I believe, has the potential to be one of the top pg's in the league.

Running--this team will move the ball. We haven't seen that since Kidd. Amare, JJ, Zarko, even Vroman will run. But the best fast-breaking finisher on the team, maybe in the league, is Shawn Marion. We've forgotten that because our team hasn't run much in the last few years.

Does anyone remember how, as a rookie, Shawn would rip down a rebound, toss it out to Kidd, and the BEAT KIDD TO THE OTHER END OF THE COURT TO FINISH.

We are solid, at every position except center. That is an ideal situation for a young center to develope. I am very interested in seeing some competition for playing time between Vroman, Lampe, and Jake. If we can somehow keep Dice, I am fairly comfortable with the center position.

I've got a hunch that we are really going to be surprise with Vroman.

The change in team tempo with Nash, should make opposing behemoth's less of a factor.

If we can keep Q, our bench will be a benefit. Bringing Q, Zarko, Barbosa, Casey, Jake and maybe Dice off the bench sounds good.

 

[devilalum]

I've got a hunch that we are really going to be surprise with Vroman.

I got this from the Suns web site:

The 31st pick in the draft, Jackson Vroman earned Third Team All-Big 12 honors with Iowa State in his senior season.

This is like saying, "He won honerable mention for his play in the South side class D summer liitle league."

I hope he turns into a good role player but I'm not getting my hopes up too much. The Suns have not been as good at finding long shots as they have been at picking higher players.

 

[George O'Brien]

I got this from the Suns web site:

The 31st pick in the draft, Jackson Vroman earned Third Team All-Big 12 honors with Iowa State in his senior season.

This is like saying, "He won honerable mention for his play in the South side class D summer liitle league."

I hope he turns into a good role player but I'm not getting my hopes up too much. The Suns have not been as good at finding long shots as they have been at picking higher players.

Vroman was well below the radar in college and didn't really make people take notice until the tryout camps in Portsmount and Chicago. What the Suns saw was his continuous hustle.

Sometimes guys in college get stuck playing out of position and fail to impress. Boozer fell to the second round because he was forced to bulk up to play center for Duke and was used mostly for defense. Who wanted an immoblile, 6'8" center? But after losing about 20 pounds and getting moved to PF, he just took off.

I don't see that happen to Vroman, but it is worth considering.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I got this from the Suns web site:
I hope he turns into a good role player but I'm not getting my hopes up too much. The Suns have not been as good at finding long shots as they have been at picking higher players.

Most old-time Suns fans would say just the opposite.

With such "stellar" high picks as Armon Gilliam, Tim Perry, and William Bedford, there were times when we actually preferred them to go for the second round or late first round longshots like, Jeff Hornacek, Cedric Ceballos, and Michael Finley.

They've done pretty well with the mid-first round picks (Majerle, Nash, we'll see about Zarko).

There is another aspect to that pattern. Their misses seemed to always be when trying to go "big". They've done much better drafting sf's and guards.

 

[F-Dog]

From what I've read about Vroman, I'm starting to think that the closest comp may be Eduardo Najera.


If Vroman is any good, that is.

 

[devilalum]

Most old-time Suns fans would say just the opposite.

With such "stellar" high picks as Armon Gilliam, Tim Perry, and William Bedford, there were times when we actually preferred them to go for the second round or late first round longshots like, Jeff Hornacek, Cedric Ceballos, and Michael Finley.

They've done pretty well with the mid-first round picks (Majerle, Nash, we'll see about Zarko).

There is another aspect to that pattern. Their misses seemed to always be when trying to go "big". They've done much better drafting sf's and guards.

That's why I mentioned it. The Suns used to be pretty good at finding those gems with later picks.

Malcom Mackey, Mario Bennet, Alton Ford, Big Jake, Stephan Jackson and C Jake are some of our latest late "gems"

There might have been more but the Suns have traded away half their picks over the last 8 years.

Amare and Shawn are the only good picks, its too soon to tell with Barbosa and Zarko.

 

[Dave64]

devil, isn't this a non-smoking board? LOL

 

[devilalum]

devil, isn't this a non-smoking board? LOL

It became a smoking board when the Suns drafted ol' Smokey Vroman.

 

[Dave64]

But your smoking bothers my sensitive asthma. I know it is the internet, but the smoke still seaps through!

 

[Yuma]

I know we debated whether Amare could play center on another thread. Well, if Shaq moves out of the Western Conference, I would say Amare COULD play center. He did in small ball lineups for some minutes in games last year. "IF" Amare could play center, and we get Q, then we could throw a small lineup of of these guys on the floor:

PG Nash
SG Q
SF JJ
PF MArion
C Amare

That would be a team that would be hard to match up with on the fullcourt game. Rebounding and blocking out would have to improve. On the halfcourt offense, if we dumped the ball into Amare, the shooters and cutters would be almost impossible to cover in a motion offense. Even in a "triangle" offense, Nash and JJ on the strong side, with Q and the Matrix spoting up and cutting off the weak side would be tought also.

 

[JS22]

I know we debated whether Amare could play center on another thread. Well, if Shaq moves out of the Western Conference, I would say Amare COULD play center. He did in small ball lineups for some minutes in games last year. "IF" Amare could play center, and we get Q, then we could throw a small lineup of of these guys on the floor:

PG Nash
SG Q
SF JJ
PF MArion
C Amare

That would be a team that would be hard to match up with on the fullcourt game. Rebounding and blocking out would have to improve. On the halfcourt offense, if we dumped the ball into Amare, the shooters and cutters would be almost impossible to cover in a motion offense. Even in a "triangle" offense, Nash and JJ on the strong side, with Q and the Matrix spoting up and cutting off the weak side would be tought also.

PLEASE NO MARION AT PF. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

 

[NJYAJ09]

Marion is weak at PF and Amare is weak at C.

Just let them play their regular positions.

 

[devilalum]

PLEASE NO MARION AT PF. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

JJ plays PF better than Marion.