Suns Sign Josh Davis to 10 Day Contract.

[JS22]

Just heard it on the broadcast....

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/josh_davis/

Apparently he won the CBA MVP award in 03-04. Other than that, all I can say is.... "Who?!"

 

[sunsfn]

.18 Josh Davis Houston Rockets

Position: SF
Born: 8/10/80
Height: 6-8 / 2,03
Weight: 235 lbs. / 106,6 kg.
College: Wyoming '02
Attended the SalemAcademy.
Played college ball at Wyoming till 2002.
Never drafted by an NBA franchise.
Selected by the Dodge City Legend as 14th overall pick in the 2002 USBL Draft.
Signed with Sicc Jesi (Italy) in 2002-03.
Joined the Chicago Bulls in October 2003. Waived later that month.
Joined the Idaho Stampede of the CBA in November 2003.
Signed with the Atlanta Hawks in March 2004. Released later that month.
Returned to the Idaho Stampede of the CBA in March 2004. Moved to Leon (Spain) later that season.
Signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in September 2004.
Signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2005. Waived in November.
Returned to the Idaho Stampede of the CBA in December 2005. Went back to the Milwaukee Bucks later that month. Waived again before the end of the month. Went back to the Idaho Stampede of the CBA.
Signed with the Houston Rockets in December 2005. Waived in January.
Named to the All-MWC 1st Team in 2000 and 2001.
Named to the All-MWC 2nd Team in 2002.
Played the CBA All-Star Game in 2004.
Named MVP and Newcomer of the Year of the CBA in 2004. Named to the All-CBA 1st Team.

 

[George O'Brien]

If memory serves, he put up fairly strong summer league numbers.

 

[ProdigalSun]

I think I remember him playing in a game against U of A awhile ago...he seemed pretty athletic like a Chris Anderson type. He'll end up just being a big body for practice though most likely.

 

[jibikao]

Just curious..why do we sign a SF?

 

[Chaplin]

Just curious..why do we sign a SF?

6'8"
235 lbs

...isn't THAT small of a forward.

Besides, he probably won't be used all that much.

 

[TRW]

Is this the Suns' new blogger?

Did they REALLY need someone to replace Paul Shirley?

I don't get it....

 

[sunsfn]

The suns roster is at 13 and 3 of them are injured.

They released the 2 players from the 15 man roster that were here just for practice becasue they were both injured.

Josh Davis gives them the 11th player for practice sessions, and with Barbosa doing limited practice yet, he gives them the 10th player.

 

[DevilPrideBAS]

I saw Josh Davis a couple times when I went to NCAA tourney games, and he was pretty impressive against more talented teams. He is damn athletic for his size and can muscle up in the paint. But as most of you have said already, he will be a good body to play against in practice. Hopefully he can stick around...

 

[jibikao]

6'8"
235 lbs

...isn't THAT small of a forward.

Besides, he probably won't be used all that much.

Cool. So another Diaw-size, athletic player? Suns seems to love this type of player so much! hehe

Hopefully he can contribute. I am just not very impressed with Burke.... I think even Steve Hunter did a better job than he does now.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns always seem to know what they are doing so I won't question this ten day signing. However, I will admit I was looking for the Suns to bring in more of an inside player. Maybe Josh Davis will fill the bill in more ways than one. Also the Suns have the TE and some picks to pick up another big if they so choose.

Davis' comment quoted in today's Arizona Republic article by Paul Coro, however, did give me pause:

"I'm a three-point shooter and I like to run," Davis said. "I fit in well with a running offense. I was extremely excited to come here."

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0108sunsnb0108.html

The three point shooting and liking to run will be a plus providing he will play inside when needed. I wish him well. I have never seen Davis play but Scott Padgett's name keeps coming to mind.

 

[George O'Brien]

Hopefully he can contribute. I am just not very impressed with Burke.... I think even Steve Hunter did a better job than he does now.

Hunter got a 5 year, $16.5 million deal. Burke has a one year deal for $750,000. Why do people keep comparing the two? Burke wasn't brought in to replace Hunter but to replace Voskuhl (who makes more than twice as much). As it is, Burke plays hard and the team doesn't totally fall apart every time he goes in like it did with Voskuhl.

If somehow Grant comes back and is healthy, then the Suns backup center situation will be fine. In the brief period he played, he was very effective in short minutes. Unfortunately, there is no assurance he will every be healthy.

 

[elindholm]

As it is, Burke plays hard and the team doesn't totally fall apart every time he goes in like it did with Voskuhl.

Wow, your hatred for Voskuhl runs really deep. You almost never pass up a chance to take a swipe at him. It's difficult for me to understand. He made some comments a couple of years ago that came across as devoutly religious -- is that what set you off?

I think Burke is doing fine, but let me know when me makes the winning basket in a critical playoff game, while defended by a dead cinch future Hall of Famer.

 

[Mainstreet]

Originally posted by George O'Brien

As it is, Burke plays hard and the team doesn't totally fall apart every time he goes in like it did with Voskuhl.

I think Burke is doing fine, but let me know when me makes the winning basket in a critical playoff game, while defended by a dead cinch future Hall of Famer.

Elindholm, I believe you are referring the critical bucket Voskuhl made (I believe against Tim Duncan) underneath the basket in the playoffs while Marbury was still with the Suns.

IMO, Voskuhl never got the regular playing time he deserved. I feel he could have been an effective player off the bench but he just did not fit in with D'Antonni's style so he didn't get the minutes.

Frequently, a player can only reach his potential if he plays for the right team and system. Steven Hunter and Eddie House are good examples of how this scenario plays out. Eddie is doing well in Phoenix and Steven is seeing alot of pine in Philadephia. Another example is Diaw's good play in Phoenix and his being an afterthought in Atlanta. Fortunes can quickly reverse.

I respect Voskuhl because he always played hard while he was on the court with the Suns and he appeared to be a class person.

 

[elindholm]

Elindholm, I believe you are referring the critical bucket Voskuhl made (I believe against Tim Duncan) underneath the basket in the playoffs while Marbury was still with the Suns.

Yep.

IMO, Voskuhl never got the regular playing time he deserved. I feel he could have been an effective player off the bench but he just did not fit in with D'Antonni's style so he didn't get the minutes.

Voskuhl was limited, as some people on this board will be happy to explain in gory detail. He never learned how to avoid offensive fouls and he wasn't good at catching the ball on the move or in traffic. But he worked hard, could be an effective rebounder, and was a credible defender.

Frequently, a player can only reach his potential if he plays for the right team and system.

Frankly, I don't really think that Voskuhl would blossom in any system, because he just isn't that good. But it's an unfair exaggeration to portray him as a raving incompetent, as some on this board tend to do.

I respect Voskuhl because he always played hard while he was on the court with the Suns and he appeared to be a class person.

I definitely agree.

I just realized that Burke's Irish roots may, just possibly, have something to do with O'Brien's relative exaggeration of his strengths.

 

[SweetD]

He might be brought in so we can send Dijon back down when Amare or Barbosa come back. I hope Dijon gets sent down again I would much rather him get real game time instead of sitting on the bench and practice.

 

[George O'Brien]

I have been pulling for Burke due to him being Irish, but I'll be the first to say he is awfully inconsistent. What I like about him is that he is able to stand his ground and not just get pushed around like Voskuhl. In any case, he was supposed to be the team's #3 center and people keep ragging on him because he's not as good as guys getting four times the money. Well "duh".

I hope that Burke will get better as he gets more experience in NBA basketball. In any case, I'm certainly all for drafting a shot blocker if possible and paying attention to potential free agents available for the MLE. But at this point Burke appears to be as good as the guys available for the TE.

Why did I get so down on Voskuhl? Mostly because it seemed as if he regressed. Yes he always played hard in the games, but I did not see any evidence he was working that hard in the off season. He was always getting pushed around like a bloody rag doll, yet showed no evidence of weight training. After years of being in the NBA, he never showed any improvement in anticipating where guys were going which might have come from watching film/tape. He seemed to get caught making moving screens repeatedly. His hands seemed to me to be awfully weak (balls would get slapped out routinely) which might have been reduced by weight training.

Maybe you're right and Jakes problems are just that he's a mediocre athlete. However, a lot of guys with limited athletic ability work like heck and become effective. But the problems were just physical, with Jake, he continued to make the same mistakes year after year. For me, in the game hustle isn't enough if the overall effort isn't there, and I don't think Jake worked hard enough.

 

[Errntknght]

Hey, George, welcome back. That's a good assessment of Voskuhl - I was a staunch supporter of him his first couple of years and one has to concede that it was not to his benefit to play under as bad a coach as FJ, but like you said, Jake just never learned. Well, he did learn to chase guards around the perimeter when FJ encouraged him to emulate Bo, but he never learned anything worth while. Rats, thats an exaggeration - he did learn to flush it when he got all the way to the rim. But, damn, he just couldn't keep his hands off other people's backs under the bucket and learn to use his hips and elbows. No footwork improvement either. And forever putting his hands straight up while pushing his lower body under the shooter - that wouldn't be a terrible tactic if he got away with it but the refs nailed him almost every time, and he didn't prevent many scores either.

I wouldn't say Burke is a major improvement at present but I like to see him play - he gets such joy out of everything - and I think he has possibilities. And a bit of toughness or maybe the Irish love of a good brawl. He's way ahead of Jake on offense with some cleverness around the hoop and a passable jumper. I'd guess that Jake could shoot jumpers pretty well in practice because he had a nice looking motion but Burke shoots them with much more confidence in games and I expect him to eventually prove the confidence is justified.

 

[jibikao]

Do you guys honestly think Burke is going to see much playing time when Amare/Brian come back? From the games I've watched, Burke looks....horrible. We are already lacking in size but he comes in, it doesn't really improve in that category. I've seen plenty of times when Nash passes inside to him and he either couldn't finish it or just pass it out.

I haven't seen much of Voskuhl but I am just not too impressed with Burke. I don't dislike him because he missed the chance to win the game in Knicks. That's too much to ask from him.

I believe we have enough scorers on the team. We don't need another "soft" player that can't get the rebound we need. We are terribly at defending the our boards and I think Brian Grant will provide better in that category than Burke and that's why I don't think we'll see much of him when Brian comes back (is he coming back this year at all?). I mean Kurt Thomas is in foul trouble almost every game. We need somebody else to step up to grab the rebound and I don't think Burke is the answer.

Maybe I am wrong about Burke... and I hope he proves me wrong.

 

[nowagimp]

Do you guys honestly think Burke is going to see much playing time when Amare/Brian come back? From the games I've watched, Burke looks....horrible. We are already lacking in size but he comes in, it doesn't really improve in that category. I've seen plenty of times when Nash passes inside to him and he either couldn't finish it or just pass it out.

I haven't seen much of Voskuhl but I am just not too impressed with Burke. I don't dislike him because he missed the chance to win the game in Knicks. That's too much to ask from him.

I believe we have enough scorers on the team. We don't need another "soft" player that can't get the rebound we need. We are terribly at defending the our boards and I think Brian Grant will provide better in that category than Burke and that's why I don't think we'll see much of him when Brian comes back (is he coming back this year at all?). I mean Kurt Thomas is in foul trouble almost every game. We need somebody else to step up to grab the rebound and I don't think Burke is the answer.

Maybe I am wrong about Burke... and I hope he proves me wrong.

I agree that Burke can never be nearly as effective as a healthy grant, and will not get any PT once Amare or Grant returns. I have watched Voskuhl alot and the most disappointing thing is that he couldnt play high(or low) post offense and is a poor passer. These are fatal flaws in the D'Antoni system. Burke is acceptable, for now, in that he can shoot, and he can pass, if he doesnt get too fancy. He also seems to have better hands than Hunter when given the ball in traffic. At any rate, he is a 32 yr old 3rd string center, not a backup center who was an all star(Grant).

 

[coloradosun]

Back to Josh Davis

This kid was a stud at Wyoming, great interior player but with a good shooting stroke. Very athletic but injured his knee in the WAC tournament his senior year if I remember correctly. Was playing very well for Philly last year started 5 games and scored a career high of 19 versus Boston.

I really like this signing even if it meant that we let a Hawkeye (Riener) go to make room. Hope he sticks longer than 10 days.

 

[George O'Brien]

The key to why Burke is more effective than Voskuhl is that Burke plays opponents straight up on defense, while Voskuhl never could. It is very important that the Suns are not required to double the post which made them so vulnerable to good passing teams.

BTW, one of the oddest stats I've come across is that that Burke blocks a shot every .057 minutes while Hunter is making a block once every .052 minutes. This is not so much due to Burke being a great shot blocker but that Hunter's blocks are well down.

 

[elindholm]

The key to why Burke is more effective than Voskuhl is that Burke plays opponents straight up on defense, while Voskuhl never could.

Please, just stop it.

Voskuhl was a capable one-on-one defender -- below average, but not incompetent. The problem, as Errntknght has articulated, is that Frank Johnson often directed Voskuhl to take himself way out of position for misguided double-teams. That meant that opposing big men tended to be wide open under the basket. It was a defensive nightmare, but hardly Voskuhl's fault.

In the cases where Voskuhl was permitted to play defense by himself, he held his own. Naturally he tended to get abused by the likes of Duncan, but who doesn't?

Finally, Voskuhl's rate of picking up fouls on defense really wasn't that high. He got them constantly for moving screens, and he was pretty clumsy in loose ball situations, so he got a lot of fouls there.

 

[jibikao]

The key to why Burke is more effective than Voskuhl is that Burke plays opponents straight up on defense, while Voskuhl never could. It is very important that the Suns are not required to double the post which made them so vulnerable to good passing teams.

BTW, one of the oddest stats I've come across is that that Burke blocks a shot every .057 minutes while Hunter is making a block once every .052 minutes. This is not so much due to Burke being a great shot blocker but that Hunter's blocks are well down.

I am not a big fan of shot blocking... we are actually having quite a few blocks this year. Aren't we like the top 5 shot blocking team in the league?

What we need is REBOUND. We are terrible at it. We have the defense to steal the ball and to disrupt the opponent's offese but we can't seem to secure our rebound. Kurt is not a big guy and nor is Marion/Diaw. They get out-muscled often.

Both Hunter and Burke can't provide the rebound we need and I believe that's why we got Brian/Kurt in the first place. I fail to see what's Burke's purpose on this team. The only reason he is seeing playing time is because Kurt is constantly in foul trouble and Brian is injured. Other than that, Burke is average at best.

 

[Louis]

I am not a big fan of shot blocking... we are actually having quite a few blocks this year. Aren't we like the top 5 shot blocking team in the league?

Obviously rebounding is important. For the Suns offensive rebounding is key as they give up plenty and don't accure much.

At last check the Suns were #1 in the league in blocks per game. Which is pretty good but covers one of their weaknesses.

Any player worth their weight can drive the ball down the lane w/o much resistance from the Suns.

The Suns don't have a guy that puts fear in the players out their.

Take for example Dalembert. Diaw's first shot was eliminated by Dalembert. It seemed to affect Diaw the rest of the game as he looked timid and weak versus Dalembert.

That imposing player on the court can make all the difference in the world as you constantly players go up against guys like Dalembert and shoot high arching shots, rush shots, or just plain dish the ball back out because they don't want to get blocked.