Suns at Bobcats Game Thread

[overseascardfan]

In any trade with the Lakers I would be looking at Kwame before Turiaf. Turiaf just had open heart surgery last year.

 

[cly2tw]

Yao 1, TD 0. Marbury won. Atl lost. Yi 1, his naysayers 0. So, all the better guys I might care for in todays games won!

 

[cly2tw]

In any trade with the Lakers I would be looking at Kwame before Turiaf. Turiaf just had open heart surgery last year.

Kwame has butter fingers. He is not that useful alongside the passers on the Suns, not to mention his contract is much larger than Turiaf's. So, Turiaf is a better fit and better risk.

 

[D-Dogg]

and you can keep Cook,
we'll take turiaf instead.

It's cook or no deal. like we'd give up Ronny.

 

[cly2tw]

It's cook or no deal. like we'd give up Ronny.

Right, I truly believe Ronny would be the deal breaker!

 

[D-Dogg]

Cook and Mo Evans. Ok, deal?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I think the Suns are the only team that makes sense for the Laker trade.

And yes I would do it too. ONLY because of the possibility of Amares knees not holding up. Cheese and his pessimissim are starting to get to me. This despite the fact that Amare played all 82 last year and seems to be only dealing with the consequences of surgery less than 4 weeks ago.

Saying all that I hate to kill everyones fantasies here but there is not a snow balls chance in hell it happens for two very important reasons.

1) When an NBA GM makes a trade, he always has to consider worse case scenario. What is the worst case scenario with Amare? Umm his knees. There is no way Kupcake makes that trade wth that kind of uncertainty around Amares knees - ESPECIALLY with the player who is considered the best player and biggest draw in the game. Thats the quickest way to get fired. And even though I know and you know that Mitch is gone anyway - hes not thinking like that just yet.

2) We are unequivically the biggest rivals of the Lakers over the last two decades. From the beatdowns we took in the early 90's in the playoffs to the 1993 playoff series to our absolutely dominating them the last three years. The kings were there for awhile but we have a longer history and more playoff matchups. Mitch, PJAX, and all of LA hates us and is doing everything they can to get better than us. You think they are going to trade us Kobe? Unless there is some kind of reverse cancer psychology that they think Kobe will end up cannibalizing the team there is no way they trade us that guy - especially when he will light them up for 50 for the next decade or so.

No No we will not get Kobe and unfortuantly it is the curse of the PHX franchise player (see Amare and Leinart, Matt) and our proximity that will keep it from happening.

Saying all that i was totally against the KG for Amare trade this offseason that was rumored. Not anymore.

Unless Amare gets miraculously better and the knee troubles go away for the rest of the year that was a trade I wish we would have pulled the trigger on.

Thats tough to even write as I love Amare. Damn microfracture.

 

[F-Dog]

Kobe lovers. Sure, Amare only helps the Suns against Dallas and San Antonio, so why bother keeping him.

Looks like the Suns are starting to get into gear. If Raja and Barbosa can keep hitting shots, they'll sweep this trip.

 

[Stargazer]

Tonight's Game:

1. Diaw played great. D'Antoni has got to find a way to get that kind of performance out of him when Amare is in the game. 5 Boards, 11 Assists, 15 points, 1 steal, 1 TO.

2. Hill played well. 7 boards and 11 points. If the baseline is JR from last year, this is a big improvement. I also like the chemistry that he and Marion have going -- two alleyoops from Hill to Marion. Marion needs a friend.

3. Welcome back, Raja. We missed ya!

4. Marks scored well, but I'm still nervous about defense.

5. 8 players in double figures (but none with more than 16), and 11 get minutes. NBA.com has plus/minus stats this year. All eleven guys had plus figures, meaning the Suns outplayed the Cats with every possible combination of players that they played. That's got to be rare.

6. Amare -- it does sometimes seem like the team doesn't skip a beat without Amare. Even Game 5 against the Spurs, the Suns actually led most of the game without Amare. I don't know what it means, but I can't see trading him. After all, the team plays great with him as well. Trading him for Kobe would be interesting in a mad scientist experiment kind of way, but does anyone seriously think that adding Kobe wouldn't disrupt the team's chemistry? I come back to where I started -- D'Antoni has to find a way to get Amare and Diaw both clicking at the same time.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

not down with trading amare.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Can we keep the trade discussion out of the game thread? Amare went 82 games last season with NO problems, missed TWO games so far due to surgery to remove debris in his NON-micro knee, came back a bit early, and is playing it safe. If this were march through june, he would be playing.

Amare for Kobe discussion from the same people worried about our lack of frontcourt boggles my mind.

And the next person to suggest bringing Kwame freaking Brown here will get a knock on their door from my hitman.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Kobe lovers. Sure, Amare only helps the Suns against Dallas and San Antonio, so why bother keeping him.

right, Amare's defense sure does help against the Spurs. Replace him with PJ Brown and have Kobe in the lineup and we can actually still put up points on them while actually being able to defend them better. Oh the horror.

Honestly, are you telling me that if we were to get Kobe and PJ in place of Amare, we wouldn't be better equipped to beat them? Kobe and Raja locking down Manu, having better shooters around the horn, another playmaker and a defensive center who gives Duncan fits? Yeah, that's a crazy idea.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Can we keep the trade discussion out of the game thread? Amare went 82 games last season with NO problems, missed TWO games so far due to surgery to remove debris in his NON-micro knee, came back a bit early, and is playing it safe. If this were march through june, he would be playing.

yeah and he'd look like he did on Friday... in other words, like crap. If you think everything will just be fine and dandy even though the guy ahs already have 3 knee surgeries at such a young age, that's your perogative, but I don't see how you can blast others for being worried about the issue.

Amare for Kobe discussion from the same people worried about our lack of frontcourt boggles my mind.

it comes with the caveat that we would have to get PJ or a big from the Lakers. It's not just straight up.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Yeah lets trade our 24 year old athletic beast for a 38 year old that wont be able to play but 25 minutes in our system, that isnt even in the league right now... and another shooting guard.

He barely played any minutes on friday. Im not talking about friday. Im talking about todays game vs charlotte. He shouldnt have and couldnt play friday, and it showed. He could have and shouldnt have played today, thats from his mouth and dantonis.

There's a difference between being worried and jumping ship. Im worried as hell. Moving him to the Lakers hasnt even entered my mind as a method to deal with my worry.

 

[TheHopToad]

1) When an NBA GM makes a trade, he always has to consider worse case scenario. What is the worst case scenario with Amare? Umm his knees. There is no way Kupcake makes that trade wth that kind of uncertainty around Amares knees - ESPECIALLY with the player who is considered the best player and biggest draw in the game. Thats the quickest way to get fired. And even though I know and you know that Mitch is gone anyway - hes not thinking like that just yet.

I can almost guarantee that any decision to trade Kobe will not be made by Mitch. No matter what he may want to do or not do, that call is going to be made by a Buss...

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah lets trade our 24 year old athletic beast for a 38 year old that wont be able to play but 25 minutes in our system, that isnt even in the league right now... and another shooting guard.

right, except it's really "let's trade our 24 year old PF who game is a bad defender, who's offense is predicated on athleticism but has very questionable knees for a 38 year-old PF who played very good defense last year, had a lot of interest from various teams in the offseason (including us), not to mention who gives Duncan fits and will be fresh... and the BEST PLAYER in basketball... who can shut down Manu, and score at will against anyone.

There's a difference between being worried and jumping ship. Im worried as hell. Moving him to the Lakers hasnt even entered my mind as a method to deal with my worry.

I don't see trading Amare for the best player in the game, who can help our perimeter defense (still a huge concern against the Spurs) and a defender who can give Duncan fits as jumping ship. I see it as IMPROVING it, especially when there's the possibility that the ship could go completely down if that questionable part gets worse (which is a possibility).

 

[dodie53]

Can we keep the trade discussion out of the game thread? Amare went 82 games last season with NO problems, missed TWO games so far due to surgery to remove debris in his NON-micro knee, came back a bit early, and is playing it safe. If this were march through june, he would be playing.

Amare for Kobe discussion from the same people worried about our lack of frontcourt boggles my mind.

And the next person to suggest bringing Kwame freaking Brown here will get a knock on their door from my hitman.

how much a 'hit'?
=)

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Youre jumping ship on the core of our team and future trying to make a steal for the best player in the game whom you only have a snowball's chance in hell of landing because he has demanded a trade.

How is that not jumping ship?! Just because it has the chances of improving the team doesnt mean youre NOT jumping ship.

I wouldnt mind getting kobe any day of the week, but im not about to sever ties with our potential HOF center because he missed 2 of the first 3 games after dominating all 82 last season.

 

[F-Dog]

right, Amare's defense sure does help against the Spurs. Replace him with PJ Brown and have Kobe in the lineup...

...and it's game 5 all over again, with the Suns firing away from outside and trying to get lucky despite being completely overmatched in the paint. How does a seven-game series of game 5 end up? 4-1?

Kobe is not that good. Even Lakers fans are starting to figure it out now, and I would think Suns fans have seen enough of him to do the same...

 

[Cheesebeef]

Youre jumping ship on the core of our team and future trying to make a steal for the best player in the game whom you only have a snowball's chance in hell of landing because he has demanded a trade.

How is that not jumping ship?! Just because it has the chances of improving the team doesnt mean youre NOT jumping ship.

Huh? Shouldn't a team ALWAYS try to improve itself if given the chance? How is that jumping ship? It's called improving the ship which has a questionable anchor.

I wouldnt mind getting kobe any day of the week, but im not about to sever ties with our potential HOF center because he missed 2 of the first 3 games after dominating all 82 last season.

right, because it's JUST because he's missed 2 of the first 3 games. It has nothing to do with THREE YEARS of knee injuries. Come on man. The above paints anyone worried about Amare as an idiot, completely ignoring the three year history of problems with his knees.

 

[D-Dogg]

Kobe is not that good. Even Lakers fans are starting to figure it out now, and I would think Suns fans have seen enough of him to do the same...

Please don't talk about Laker fans or Kobe Bryant. Your ignorance precedes you.

 

[dodie53]

Please don't talk about Laker fans or Kobe Bryant. Your ignorance precedes you.

 

[Cheesebeef]

...and it's game 5 all over again, with the Suns firing away from outside and trying to get lucky despite being completely overmatched in the paint.

huh? How is it Game 5 all over again? We have Diaw (who I KNOW you know plays better without Amare in there and actually makes an impact without him) to score inside and we have Kobe Bryant to attack the basket, like he always does and like he did back in the Shaq days taking over down the stretch against the Spurs. Are you seriously telling me that if we had Kobe and Diaw and PJ Brown in last year's Game 5, which we lost by 3 points, that we would have still lost?! That's adding 3 players, one of which who can score at the end of games and draw fouls while also having a C who can muscle Duncan.

Kobe is not that good. Even Lakers fans are starting to figure it out now, and I would think Suns fans have seen enough of him to do the same...

Laker fans are figuring out that's he a goner, not that he's not "that good", which is as head-scratching as thinking that Kobe, Diaw and PJ wouldn't have made a difference in a Game 5 that we lost by 3 points and led most of the way.

 

[dodie53]

when was kobe 'not that good'?

 

[Cheesebeef]

when was kobe 'not that good'?

against Utah when he shot 4 straight airballs in OT of the playoffs... when he was an 18 year old rookie.