This is from the East Valley Tribune
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=11070
Suns look weak in middle
By Mike Tulumello, Tribune
A week ago, when the Suns opened training camp, most NBA observers would have called their centers by far their biggest weakness, what with the still-developing Jake Tsakalidis, the graybeard journeyman Scott Williams and the improving Jake Voskuhl filling the spot.
Well, Suns fans, when it comes to the ever-troubled center position, think of last week as the good ol' days.
As the Suns open their exhibition season tonight, count these three out. Tsakalidis has been traded, Williams is on the shelf for six weeks with a hand injury and Voskuhl has missed much of training camp with a sore Achilles.
So meet the club's latest longshot prospect in the middle: Cezary Trybanski, a 7-foot-2, 240-pounder who is described in terms that won't draw many comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Asked to name his strengths, coach Frank Johnson said Trybanski — acquired in the trade that sent Tsakalidis and Bo Outlaw to Memphis — works hard and should be able to block some shots.
As for his offense, "We're not going to give him the ball on the box (down low) because he doesn't have the strength to keep his balance," Johnson said.
Also, he may not have the court awareness to know when to take his shot, the Suns coach said. Trybanski, who is in the second season of a three-year deal, acknowledges, "I must work on my shot" and continue adjusting to the differences between Europe and the NBA.
"Here, people push you. In Europe, if somebody pushes you, it's a foul. That's why I must be stronger." So don't expect him to be as advanced as Tsakalidis, a fellow European, who — for all his shortcomings — at least served as a decent backup-level center who could shine on occasion (he may have had his best game at the end of last season, in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers).
Still, Trybanski is a notable player for who he is: the first Polish-born player to compete in the NBA.
Back in his hometown of Warsaw, "Nobody believed I had a chance to be here," he says. "But I am here." Other players the Suns could use at center include Robert Archibald, another of the players acquired last week, who is listed as a 6-11, 250-pound forward. The Suns say he has a useful mean streak and could help them, especially on the defensive boards, which has been a priority during training camp.
Then there's a training camp invitee named Nick Sheppard, a 6-11, 270-pounder who played a few years ago at Pepperdine. Don't be surprised to see all of them tonight. The Suns don't have any other options, and club officials suggest these players are as good as any who haven't signed with other NBA clubs.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=11070
Suns look weak in middle
By Mike Tulumello, Tribune
A week ago, when the Suns opened training camp, most NBA observers would have called their centers by far their biggest weakness, what with the still-developing Jake Tsakalidis, the graybeard journeyman Scott Williams and the improving Jake Voskuhl filling the spot.
Well, Suns fans, when it comes to the ever-troubled center position, think of last week as the good ol' days.
As the Suns open their exhibition season tonight, count these three out. Tsakalidis has been traded, Williams is on the shelf for six weeks with a hand injury and Voskuhl has missed much of training camp with a sore Achilles.
So meet the club's latest longshot prospect in the middle: Cezary Trybanski, a 7-foot-2, 240-pounder who is described in terms that won't draw many comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Asked to name his strengths, coach Frank Johnson said Trybanski — acquired in the trade that sent Tsakalidis and Bo Outlaw to Memphis — works hard and should be able to block some shots.
As for his offense, "We're not going to give him the ball on the box (down low) because he doesn't have the strength to keep his balance," Johnson said.
Also, he may not have the court awareness to know when to take his shot, the Suns coach said. Trybanski, who is in the second season of a three-year deal, acknowledges, "I must work on my shot" and continue adjusting to the differences between Europe and the NBA.
"Here, people push you. In Europe, if somebody pushes you, it's a foul. That's why I must be stronger." So don't expect him to be as advanced as Tsakalidis, a fellow European, who — for all his shortcomings — at least served as a decent backup-level center who could shine on occasion (he may have had his best game at the end of last season, in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers).
Still, Trybanski is a notable player for who he is: the first Polish-born player to compete in the NBA.
Back in his hometown of Warsaw, "Nobody believed I had a chance to be here," he says. "But I am here." Other players the Suns could use at center include Robert Archibald, another of the players acquired last week, who is listed as a 6-11, 250-pound forward. The Suns say he has a useful mean streak and could help them, especially on the defensive boards, which has been a priority during training camp.
Then there's a training camp invitee named Nick Sheppard, a 6-11, 270-pounder who played a few years ago at Pepperdine. Don't be surprised to see all of them tonight. The Suns don't have any other options, and club officials suggest these players are as good as any who haven't signed with other NBA clubs.
