Suns Sign Skinner

[Gee!]

Suns get their big man: Skinner
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 24, 2007 08:14 PM

The Suns have their new big man.

Eight-year veteran Brian Skinner and the Suns agreed to terms Monday on a one-year veteran's minimum deal, half of which is guaranteed. If Skinner remains on the team when opening day rosters are set Oct. 29, his $1.1 million salary will be fully guaranteed.

Skinner, 31, was the best of the big man prospects the Suns considered because he can offer Phoenix rebounding and defense with enough speed to play at the Suns' pace. Initial plans would be to have a platoon backup center system with Skinner and returnee Sean Marks, who played three games for Phoenix last season. Skinner is accepting of the part-time role and had Phoenix atop his wish list because he wanted to play for a title contender after missing the playoffs last season, when he had 44 starts for Milwaukee.

"This is an opportunity to be on the inside looking out," Skinner said after his Thursday workout for Phoenix.

Skinner, 6 feet 9 and 265 pounds, has played for six teams in eight NBA seasons with career averages of 5.1 points and 5.0 rebounds.

He is limited with his offensive skills and shoots free throws poorly (56.4 career percentage) but does not try to score outside his skill range.

The Suns are not expected to give any more contracts with any guarantee because Skinner gives them 13 players, the minimum a team must carry on its roster. Skinner's salary will count as $770,610 against the salary cap with a league fund that protects veterans covering the $332,615 for the Suns.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Excellent signing...with the additions of Skinner, Hill, Strawberry and Tucker I think we have significantly improved our depth and bench. Hopefully PJ signs on as well, although I am pretty happy at where we are now.

 

[elindholm]

Well, Hill is an upgrade over Jones, and Skinner is a downgrade from Thomas. Hill will play more, but Thomas filled a greater need. I won't count on anything from the rookies until I see it in an NBA game. Overall the Suns have taken a step backward, but given the mandate to slash salary, they've done pretty well.

The big question is, can last year's spectacular luck with health be duplicated? Thomas broke down again and Diaw allegedly had back issues -- frankly I think that's an alibi, but whatever -- but the rest of the core was practically bulletproof.

 

[azirish]

I feel more a sense of relief than anything else. I was certain they'd get somebody and considering how much they were willing to pay, he was easily the best option with PJ being so reluctant.

As with every other low end guy, there is a real risk that he won't play much. But at least he CAN play, which is not necessarily certain with Marks and he does things none of the other Suns bigs playing with Amare can do (post defense, rebound, and run).

He'd be well advised to join the informal practices beginning tomorrow so he can learn how to play the pick and roll -- and spend five hours a day practicing free throw shooting.

 

[elindholm]

He'd be well advised to join the informal practices beginning tomorrow so he can learn how to play the pick and roll -- and spend five hours a day practicing free throw shooting.

The free-throw practice won't help, of course -- just look at O'Neal. Skinner's shot is what it is, and he isn't going to overhaul it at this stage of his career for a team paying him the minimum.

Setting picks is important, though. And I wonder how many of Thomas's defensive cheats Skinner knows.

 

[azirish]

The free-throw practice won't help, of course -- just look at O'Neal.

O'Neal has a wrist problem, so I'm not sure he's a good example. The guy I cannot figure is Duncan.

 

[Mainstreet]

I feel more a sense of relief than anything else.

Now I can breathe.

I don't understand the Suns reluctance to give Skinner a fully guaranteed contract for the veteran minimum, unless like Kobe might say, the Suns have bigger fish to fry. I don't think their waiting on PJ because they could afford both unless their really squeezing the dollar on a potential Championship team. Could a Marion trade still be in the mix?

 

[elindholm]

O'Neal has a wrist problem, so I'm not sure he's a good example.

He's had it his whole career? Okay, Chamberlain then, whoever.

The guy I cannot figure is Duncan.

With Duncan it's clearly mental. His general shooting mechanics are fine. I haven't studied Skinner from the line, but I'd guess that his problem is that he just doesn't know how to shoot.

 

[Mainstreet]

Skinner's salary will count as $770,610 against the salary cap with a league fund that protects veterans covering the $332,615 for the Suns.

However, does anyone know if the LT hit is the combination of both figures?

 

[F-Dog]

Duncan's FT shot is flat. Usually it has almost enough arc to be OK, but the more pressure he's under, the flatter it gets.

Here's some Skinner scouting, from fans of his former team:

I would have preferred to give Skinner $4 mil for one year as opposed to Voskuhl at $3 mil for one year.
That was the Bucks preference as well, but Skinner wanted a multi-year deal equivalent to a lion's share MLE deal.

I'd agree, but that extra million saved probably means more to Kohl than to you and I. And if Skinner would have come begrudgingly on those terms, best to let him walk imo. But considering Skinner's past negotiations with the team, he probably feels that he's due some premium staying in Milwaukee as opposed to one of his desired locations.

He'll be lucky to get 2/6.

Now, I don't know whether Harris wanted to sign Skinner to the kind of multi-year contract Skinner wanted, but I do know that Kohl refused to green light giving Skinner the kind of contract Skinner was stubbornly demanding.

Skinner can play PF, scrub C {Voskuhl} cannot. But hey, in scrubs defense he really cannot play C either.

While Skinner had obvious offensive deficieencies and his understanding of his game plan assignments was less than one hopes with a veteran, he was one of the four decent defensive players on the team. How do you improve defense by ridding yourself of two of your only defensive capable players (Patterson and Skinner) and not replacing them with players of equal competence defensively?

Despite the presence of Bogut and Skinner at center, I still believe there were more minutes for Gadzuric....particularly some of Skinner's 24 minutes. Skinner's PER differential was awful in those 24 minutes. Gadzuric's production in the similar minutes (again 05) blows Skinner's out of the water.

The opportunity for minutes was there, but Terry chose Skinner. I must say that I'm not surprised that Skinner was not brought back. He was waaay overated by this board.

http://http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=694707&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[F-Dog]

However, does anyone know if the LT hit is the combination of both figures?

No, only the first.

 

[Bufalay]

skinner looks like king tut with that stupid beard. therefore this is a bad signing.

 

[Mainstreet]

No, only the first.

Thanks. This makes it all the more difficult fo me to understand why the Suns did not give him a fully guaranteed contract.

 

[Bufalay]

also he let amare score 20 points in his first game back from microfracture surgery when amare had no business being on the floor.

 

[Cheesebeef]

okay, well, it looks like we're ready to roll with our roster number at 13. I'm not counting on PJ, and while I wish we still had KT who fit this team perfectly as the banger/guy who could hit the trailing fifteen footer, Skinner can bang a little bit and shouldn't kill us on offense and is a scrapper that every good team needs.

With good health, it's a virtual toss up for who wins this sucker. should be an interesting season to say the least.

 

[Mainstreet]

skinner looks like king tut with that stupid beard. therefore this is a bad signing.

Watch who your talking about.

Tut did alright for himself considered he had such a short life and he lived thousands of years ago... and their still talking about him.

 

[HooverDam]

Well Im pleased as punch with this, of course he's not KT, but in relation to their prices, Skinner is a better deal. If the Suns can still land PJ Brown in January or something, then I'd be ecstatic. I think an Amare, Brown, Skinner combo can certainly out duel a Elson, Duncan, Oberto trio, or at least hold them to a draw, and the rest of the Suns line up is better than the rest of what the Spurs have.

 

[Errntknght]

Eric,

He's had it his whole career? Okay, Chamberlain then, whoever.

According to Jerry West, Chamberlain's FT shooting woes were entirely mental. A few years after he retired Jerry spoke to a reporter at some length regarding Wilt's shooting. Just in case you've never heard Chamberlain rarely shot from more than arm's length from the basket, but West said that he was the best long range shooter on the team in practice. He said that Wilt's favorite game was '4 corners' - like horse but you rotate your shots among the 4 corners of half court.

My guess is that Shaq's problems are mental, too - he looks like he's in agony when he's shooting freethrows.

 

[elindholm]

According to Jerry West, Chamberlain's FT shooting woes were entirely mental.

Okay, look, I don't care who the example is. If Chamberlain was a bad choice, fine. Just pick someone who has had a lousy shooting mechanic throughout his career and correspondingly struggles at the line. There's your example.

My guess is that Shaq's problems are mental, too - he looks like he's in agony when he's shooting freethrows.

Maybe, but his technique is terrible. There's no way O'Neal could ever win a shooting contest in practice, probably not even against me. What I meant about Duncan is that there's nothing horribly wrong with his mechanics, even though (as F-Dog says) he could use more arc.

 

[Black Jesus]

Duncan shoots a line drive and uses the backboard, which accepts his linedrives from an angle... It wouldnt surprise me if duncan could shoot FTs better off the backboard... as weird as taht would be.

 

[HooverDam]

Duncan shoots a line drive and uses the backboard, which accepts his linedrives from an angle... It wouldnt surprise me if duncan could shoot FTs better off the backboard... as weird as taht would be.

I shoot my free throws off the backboard and I won the Westphal basketball camp free throw shooting contest when I was a kid Its weird but it works

 

[scXfreakX]

This is good news. A good signing.

 

[panfolk]

Well Im pleased as punch with this, of course he's not KT, but in relation to their prices, Skinner is a better deal. If the Suns can still land PJ Brown in January or something, then I'd be ecstatic. I think an Amare, Brown, Skinner combo can certainly out duel a Elson, Duncan, Oberto trio, or at least hold them to a draw, and the rest of the Suns line up is better than the rest of what the Spurs have.

I wish I could get this post tattooed on Kerr's forehead so Sarver would have to read it every time he spoke to him.

 

[tobiazz]

My guess is that Shaq's problems are mental, too - he looks like he's in agony when he's shooting freethrows.

Shaq is cross-eyed. I imagine his huge hands may be an issue as well.

 

[Bufalay]

Shaq fell out of a treehouse and broke his wrists when he was a kid