Suns in ESPN in top 500 players

[AzStevenCal]

Mulli knows his stuff.

I'm so ready for the NBA season to get started. I'm fired up and ready to go.

That's so sad. As I read that I had an image of Linus in the Pumpkin patch as he waits all night for a visit by The Great Pumpkin that never comes. It wouldn't really matter. If they get the season on track Lucy Sarver is just going to yank the ball away at the last second anyway. And I feel like Charlie Brown himself - everyone else got a basketball team for Halloween, all I got was this rock.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

That's so sad. As I read that I had an image of Linus in the Pumpkin patch as he waits all night for a visit by The Great Pumpkin that never comes. It wouldn't really matter. If they get the season on track Lucy Sarver is just going to yank the ball away at the last second anyway. And I feel like Charlie Brown himself - everyone else got a basketball team for Halloween, all I got was this rock.

Steve

I learned to watch and even enjoy watching the Suns during the period of the drug scandal. Back then I tried not to get so involved in winning and losing but just enjoy watching the players play the game. I may have to go back to this mentality but I just want to see the Suns play again... and complain about Sarver.

 

[Cheesebeef]

James is by far the most talented, but I think it's a stretch to call him the best at this point. The best player int he league maximizes his talents... or at least doesn't go mental midget the second things start going bad. The mental game is just as much a part of what makes the best player in the league the best player and James is severly lacking in that at this point.

 

[AzStevenCal]

James is by far the most talented, but I think it's a stretch to call him the best at this point. The best player int he league maximizes his talents... or at least doesn't go mental midget the second things start going bad. The mental game is just as much a part of what makes the best player in the league the best player and James is severly lacking in that at this point.

Honestly, I wouldn't even know who to call the best right now. Lebron falls apart in big moments like no superstar ever has before him but until that point he's one heck of a player. Dirk comes up big and is a great offensive weapon but he's average at best on the defensive end. Kobe just didn't look like Kobe last year so maybe the minutes have taken their toll but maybe it was just an off year (from injuries and exhaustion). Wade is a tremendous competitor but he's really never been completely healthy since early in his career. I guess I'd probably go with Durant but the guy still only weighs 50 pounds.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

Really? Did you watch Kobe in the playoffs? Tread is wearing a lil thin on those tires these days. Maybe it's just injuries, but regardless, Kobe appears to be regressing.

I think it's still him by default. Not following the Lakers closely, there's no way for me to guess whether he's slowing down in general or was just unusually banged up at the end of last year.

But I think of it this way: If we could pretend for a moment that the SF and SG positions were completely interchangeable, which team would benefit from a Bryant/James swap? For me the answer is that clearly the Heat would benefit.

I definitely prefer Nowitzki to either Bryant or James, but that doesn't mean that I think he's a better overall player. I'm not into ranking people according to touchy-feely notions about what they "deserve."

 

[BC867]

The NBA is desperate for an MJ, MJ or LB.

They even tried to make an instant superstar out of one-dimensional Blake Griffin with his jumping over the hood of a car in the slam-dunk contest.

Now if he had gone over the roof, that would have been something to talk about.

Kevin Durant has to be in the mix but, nope, no Michael, Magic or Larry in sight.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The NBA is desperate for an MJ, MJ or LB.

They even tried to make an instant superstar out of one-dimensional Blake Griffin with his jumping over the hood of a car in the slam-dunk contest.

one dimensional? The guy has actual post moves, can take the ball off the dribble and is a very good passer with 4 dimes per game... and that was all as a rookie. They didn't try to make a super-star out of Blake. His play did that all on it's own.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think it's still him by default. Not following the Lakers closely, there's no way for me to guess whether he's slowing down in general or was just unusually banged up at the end of last year.

I watch a lot of Laker games and he wasn't just unusually banged up... he's just slowed down. He's still a killer though and he's kind of the only guy in the league besides Dirk who's shown that consistently. But make no mistake, as good as Kobe is, he's pretty past his prime IMO.

But I think of it this way: If we could pretend for a moment that the SF and SG positions were completely interchangeable, which team would benefit from a Bryant/James swap? For me the answer is that clearly the Heat would benefit.

This is a really interesting question... to be honest, I think the Lakers would be terrifying with James. That team has SO much talent on it and it would just be HUGE if they played him basically at PF/SG. He would gladly feed the post at the end of games and that's where the Lakers won in the playoffs two years ago. In addition to this, the Lakers d would be downright awesome with their size. Kobe is still an incredible offensive player most nights, but the Lakers achilles D is their back-court defense... and D is what carried that Miami team. Yes, Kobe would give the Heat their last second killer... however, their defense would suffer GREATLY.

I definitely prefer Nowitzki to either Bryant or James, but that doesn't mean that I think he's a better overall player. I'm not into ranking people according to touchy-feely notions about what they "deserve."

i can agree with this.