Steven Hunter: NEW SUNS CENTER

[sly fly]

Best quarter by a PHX center I've seen in a long, long time.

 

[TopGamer]

I'm so impressed by Hunter. He's kicking ass!

 

[boondockdrunk]

But he is incosistent... I loved the quarter, but I just dont think he is ready to be put into the starting line-up.

 

[sly fly]

Hunter did more in that quarter than most other Suns centers would have doen in an entire year.

He ran the floor.

He finished high above the rim.

He guarded the rim.

He swatted away anything in his way.

The kid has something special. Let's hope he untaps it in PHX.

 

[boondockdrunk]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?statsId=3525&sYear=2002&sType=2

If you look at his games last year he had 17 point games, and then disappeared for a month, then had another game, disappeared. I think he is playing great and very solid, but I dont know if he is ready to be in the starting line-up. But by all means give that man more minutes.

 

[TopGamer]

Props to Q for carrying the team in the first half and for bringing in Hunter.

 

[Gaddabout]

Before we hop on the Hunter bandwagon, let's keep in mind the kid was probably motivated to beat a team that didn't want him. I would expect a similar kind of performance against Orlando. Also, he did the bulk of his damage against Robert Traylor, who is 6-8 but will never be confused for Wes Unseld.

Let's see if he can string this together over, say, a month.

 

[PhxGametime]

He was only Traded to Cavs to make deal work capwise - he worked out a deal, that Cavs would release him after Trade...

 

[binkar]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?statsId=3525&sYear=2002&sType=2

If you look at his games last year he had 17 point games, and then disappeared for a month, then had another game, disappeared. I think he is playing great and very solid, but I dont know if he is ready to be in the starting line-up. But by all means give that man more minutes.

If he is playing the best basketball of all our centers then you play him regardless of his past, period.

 

[PhxGametime]

I'm not sure how many minutes Steven Hunter deserves (I like his game) but Suns needed shotblocking IMO and he should be on floor a few minutes every game based on that... Maciej Lampe IMO should be on floor a few more minutes because of his shooting ability.

With Jake Voskuhl, Jackson Vroman, and Bo Outlaw all hustle players and Amare Stoudemire the 1 player that will be on court a lot with his total game package - I'd like to see a little less skillball. I never really had a problem with it and with strong start, I'm not complaining too much but Suns had a few players play a lot of minutes. It seems that Casey Jacobsen is the other player on team (other than big 5) that gets minutes and I'd like to see Hunter and Lampe get a tiny bit more currently.

Voskuhl/Outlaw the minutes should come and maybe Vroman will earn minutes - I just think Lampe should get a few more minutes, replacing skillball. I am glad Hunter after strong game in NJ, got the minutes today but we'll see how that works out. If Lampe (while not being a defensive stopper) can give solid minutes ala Jacobsen (another solid but not so great defender) and hit a few shots, Suns will be dangerous. Lampe is a skillball player and with outside shot, can give teams fits and I'm thinking has more size than rotating Marion, Johnson, Richardson, and Jacobsen all game... obviously Matrix, JJ, and Q will get their minutes.

Suns only need to win the next 77 games

 

[Errntknght]

To me it's simple - the team isn't going to succeed in the playoffs without a C significantly better than Voskuhl and we've got two candidates on the team in Lampe and Hunter. So the first order of business is to bring them along with all possible speed. Of course, they should have done that with Lampe last year as there was nothing else half as important to do. That's the real curse of skill or small ball - the coaches just don't get their priorities right. If coach Mikey doesn't do it this year we'll have the same problem again next year.

If they prove to be busts it's still progress because you know you have to find someone else. Whereas if you go by half measures (or less) you can delude yourself for years that they have untapped potential.

 

[scotsman13]

i really like what i have seen out of hunter in the games we have played him. there are a couple things that i think are important to understand with him. first orlando doesnt and didnt have any type of teaching coach. rivers is known to be very hard on rookies. also during his second year hunter had a very bad injury (i cant remember what it was, i think it was a torn acl). they states that it takes a year to come all the way back from these type of injuries. with good coaching i believe that hunter will come back to be a very valueable member of this team long term if we can keep him.


personally i would like to see hunter moved to the starting line up and q moved to the bench. i think that a frontline of hunter, amare and marion would end up being one of the scarest in the nba as far as getting a basketball back in your face.

 

[SirStefan32]

I was really impressed with Hunter, but let's not get carried away. He had one good game, reward him with ONE start. See how that goes, then reward or punish him accordingly.

Stefan

 

[elindholm]

Actually he's had two good games, but I agree that it's too soon to start him. He might be more relaxed coming off the bench. Also, given how his career has gone so far, I'd guess that playing well is a bigger reward to him than starting would be. Leave him in situations where he's most likely to succeed.

 

[SirStefan32]

Good point Eric, but the Suns also need to realize that they will not be able to play with a PG, and three swingmen against any decent teams, especially in the west.
Someone will have to start- Voskhul, Lampe, or Hunter.

 

[JS22]

Good point Eric, but the Suns also need to realize that they will not be able to play with a PG, and three swingmen against any decent teams, especially in the west.
Someone will have to start- Voskhul, Lampe, or Hunter.

unfortunately i have to ask why you think that..

Amare was on Z all night. What makes you think Amare wont be on every other center in this league? It really pissed me off watching that matchup.

 

[slinslin]

We still need a another big guy who can play valueable minutes consistantly. Small ball really didn't work against the Cavs.

Call me crazy but I read that Curry wants to be traded now and the Bulls are prepared to do so.
He played poor against the Suns (of course the Suns double teamed him which hurt him) but I think I would be willing to take a chance on him because he does have a ton of talent and might just need a change of scenery.

If Jacobsen, Voskuhl, Zarko and the Bulls pick could get it done. Probably just letting Chicago have better protection on the pick. It might be worth it.

I'd rather have Curry than Nene.

 

[SirStefan32]

unfortunately i have to ask why you think that..

Amare was on Z all night. What makes you think Amare wont be on every other center in this league? It really pissed me off watching that matchup.

Well, you may be right, Amare was on Z, and Johnson, Marion, and Q got killed by Gooden. Amare fouled out. If you play your 4 on 5 and your 3's and 2's on 4, you will get destroyed just about every time.

If Phoenix wants to win, they will have to play with a PG, two swingmen, a legitimate power forward and a legit center (or at least two very large PF's).

I mean, I love Amare, but he is a PF. He can not guard big Centers.
Sean is a great rebounder, but he does not have the strenght to defend and block out legitimate PF's. (Hell, Gooden is not even a legit PF and he still kicked Marions ass all over the court.)

 

[elindholm]

If Phoenix wants to win, they will have to play with a PG, two swingmen, a legitimate power forward and a legit center (or at least two very large PF's).

I mean, I love Amare, but he is a PF. He can not guard big Centers.
Sean is a great rebounder, but he does not have the strenght to defend and block out legitimate PF's. (Hell, Gooden is not even a legit PF and he still kicked Marions ass all over the court.)

All true.

 

[WildBB]

I think they have a legit #2 guy there at Center now , who can push the #1 guy.

 

[Joe Mama]

I agree that Shawn Marion cannot be expected to play big minutes against opposing power forwards. Neither can Richardson or JJ. Amare Stoudemire can play center though. He was fine last night against Z, especially when he got some double-team help.

Joe Mama

 

[Yuma]

I agree that Shawn Marion cannot be expected to play big minutes against opposing power forwards. Neither can Richardson or JJ. Amare Stoudemire can play center though. He was fine last night against Z, especially when he got some double-team help.

Joe Mama

Amare has been handling the centers. If you watch, it's the PFs and SFs that beat us after everyone has to rotate. What was interesting last night, was because of foul trouble, Hunter and Amare didn't get many minutes together to see how that lineup would work along the frontline. I do like how Hunter and Amare are hitting the boards hard. The shot blocking and scoring by Hunter are just a bonus after the board work.

Hunter runs the floor better than any other center we have, so the fast break doesn't suffer so much with him in the game! I think I would move him up in the rotation.

 

[Joe Mama]

I only wish that some of the other Phoenix Suns players were moving without the ball and finding the open spots in the middle of the floor and around the basket as well as Hunter did last night in the third quarter. JJ, Shawn Marion, and now Richardson have terrible habits of standing around on offense.

Joe Mama

 

[cly2tw]

Amare needed a lot of double helps to handle those centers. It's no coincidence that we ran up 19pt leads with him on the bench. With Hunter, we had a better post defender in the 3rd qtr. Successful fast break starts with defensive stops.

I really think we should try to play half-court offense with a normal lineup at least half of the game. It's a long season. The post seasons are more important. And Amare is to have A LONG career with the Suns, so that we could not really afford the 'win-now-on-all-costs' attitude. I'm willing to take more losses if Amare could learn the proper way of playing ball much faster this way.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Amare needed a lot of double helps to handle those centers. It's no coincidence that we ran up 19pt leads with him on the bench. With Hunter, we had a better post defender in the 3rd qtr. Successful fast break starts with defensive stops.

I really think we should try to play half-court offense with a normal lineup at least half of the game. It's a long season. The post seasons are more important. And Amare is to have A LONG career with the Suns, so that we could not really afford the 'win-now-on-all-costs' attitude. I'm willing to take more losses if Amare could learn the proper way of playing ball much faster this way.

Excellent post.