The Official Season Review Thread

[Folster]

Now that the season is all but over, let's hear the "I told you sos", "I was dead wrongs", and analysis about the following:

1. Q and Nate for KT
2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks
3. Bell signing
4. House, Jones, Burke
5. Stoudemire injury
6. season prediction
7. ???

1. I was a supporter of the Q trade. I felt that he was overrated and his constant shot chucking drove me crazy. I felt he would be easy to replace. I wasn't happy about giving up the pick, but after seeing how much KT improved our D and Barbosa's emergence I was okay with it.

2. I wasn't a big fan of this trade and thought that losing JJ was a huge blow to our franchise. I was more excited about the draft picks than I was about Diaw. Like most fans, I had no idea how good he would be. If I had a choice to undo the trade I wouldn't.

3. I liked the Bell signing, and thought he was worth the money. I was happy when we lost out on Finley because he would have taken minutes. I love his hard-nosed play.

4. House single handedly won some games for us early in the year, but cooled in the second half. Jones was a bargain. I love rooting for Burke.

5. I had a feeling that Stouds might be out for the season. I also didn't want him to come back too early.

6. I was way off on my season prediction. I thought the we would be lucky to stay at .500 when Amare went down. After we stumbled out of the gates, I flat out said that our team was not that good and that we were in for a long season. I was ready to sit Nash and pull a San Antonio to tank for the #1 pick.

 

[cly2tw]

1. I called for signing Bell 2 weeks before the start of FA period. I'm glad the Suns management answered my call!

2. I was all for a sign-and-trade of JJ. But Diaw panning out so quickly and beautifully is still beyond any imagination.

3. Anticipating #2, I wasn't thrilled that we traded Q. But knowing Kurt's resume make me accept it to some extent. After initial adjustment problem, Kurt turned out to be everything we hoped for, except for the injury.

 

[jbeecham]

1. Q and Nate for KT

I really liked this trade, although I thought it was better when it was rumored NY was giving us a 1st rd pick instead of us giving them one. I wasn't sure how good KT would be, but he really helped us out defensive and occasionally had a decent offensive game.

2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks

I went back and forth on the JJ situation because he had great talent and looked like a promising piece of our core. That was until he made his comments about wanting to leave even if we offered the same cash (he isn't worth 70 mil). I really expected nothing of Diaw and he's been the biggest surprise of the season. The picks are just icing on the cake.

3. Bell signing

I always liked Bell's toughness on defense are really didn't know he had this kind of an offensive game. He's been the 2nd best surprise of the season after Diaw. Great signing!

4. House, Jones, Burke

Jones is a steal and he's only going to get better. House is a decent role player that can get hot or be really cold......reminds me of a shorter Q. Burke is a waste of minutes.

5. Stoudemire injury

This devasted the season and I still wonder if he'll ever get back to his old form. When he came back for 3 games and then shut it down again it really made me lose interest in the Suns for a week or two because I really don't think they can win it all without him.

6. season prediction

I thought we'd get 54 wins even without Stoudemire and we're right on track to do that if we win on Wednesday.

7. Tim Thomas signing

I liked getting a max contract guy for cheap, but he's not really a max contract skilled player. His defense and rebounding have improved over the last 3-4 games (since the Raja Bell halftime speech) and his hard fouls have been a welcome addition. He's like a taller version of House on offense where he's either hot or cold and he guns either way.

 

[PhxGametime]

1. Kurt Thomas had a solid year but considering who we Traded with, I still think the Suns shouldn't have sent out a Pick...

2. I was in favor of Trade then and still am. I wanted the Suns to Draft Boris Diaw years back and I didn't feel the Suns wanted JJ and got 2 Picks out of it and TE sooo yeah. I do miss JJ's Game and the Suns could've easily gotten Diaw for a 1st... so losing JJ still stings, but lets see what they do with Picks...

3. Bell is solid, he's played really well and I actually like his offense a little bit more, I guess than what I expected on defense. I however didn't like his getting under people's skin then and still don't care for it now but I was probably his biggest critic and I like the pickup...

4. I was in favor for Jones and House and would like them both to return (unless the Suns get a young solid PG in Draft or Trade for a solid YOUNG Point). Solid and young being the key words there; I didn't say much about Burke and with his size and the threat to shoot on perimeter, I wouldn't mind him coming back...

5. I sort of stayed out of the injury comments (about if I had wanted him to return) but I said well in advance that the Suns should do something about getting a back-up for KT (if he goes down...) but I personally like Tim Thomas and even if it's for 1 year, the Team saved a 1st Round Pick NOT Trading for Ely (the others weren't available, at least to this Team) so maybe I was wrong again lol...

6. I had started out Season with I believe 70 or 72 wins and with Stat going down, i predicted 60 wins lol but I'm not disappointed ...

7. Well like I felt about last year, the Suns have the brightest future in League and it's really all up to Sarver to determine how the Team ends up in the near future and there after...

 

[elindholm]

1. Q and Nate for KT

I liked this from the beginning. Unfortunately Thomas defied the odds by getting hurt, but this will still work out well over the long term.

2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks

I kept going back and forth on whether the Suns should match a maximum deal for Johnson. Once he said he didn't want to stay with the team, however, the Suns had no choice but to get what they could for him. Of course Diaw has surpassed my expectations, and I'm optimistic about the higher pick as well.

3. Bell signing

I was lukewarm about this, but Bell has been great. He's second in the league in three-pointers made (Ray Allen) and a close third in percentage. I still think his defense is overrated, but he does bring a tough attitude that is sorely needed.

4. House, Jones, Burke

House has played much more than I expected, but I won't rehash here my assessment of what he brings to the table. Burke can't really play, which we all knew. Jones, for whom I had pretty high hopes, started off great but has been disappointing for a while now.

5. Stoudemire injury

I thought he would be back. I drafted him in the second round of one of my fantasy teams (which, I am obliged to report, came within a whisker of winning the championship anyway). I am cautiously optimistic about his ultimate recovery from THIS surgery, but I think the long-term future is going to be very bumpy and ultimately disappointing.

6. season prediction

I had the Suns on the playoff bubble. They're better than that, although over the last six weeks they've looked a lot more like a bubble team than a #2 seed. I do think they'll get by the Lakers, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see them bounced in the second round.

7. ???

Next year is their best chance. The Spurs will be old, the Pistons will be stale, and no other team is ready to fill the void. If they can stay healthy next year, they have a real shot. After that, I'm not too cheery. Salary restrictions will force some difficult roster moves, and I don't see Nash playing at this level too much longer.

 

[panfolk]

1. I was never a fan of Q and his chuck 'em up style so this was cool by me although I really liked Nate Robinson so losing him was irritating. Overall the trade improved the team.

2. I am pretty excitable so Diaw's performance in the international games had me pretty stoked for his arrival though I wouldn't have guessed he'd be a starter during the season. I miss JJ as his game was a joy to watch as smooth and powerful as he manages to play.

3. I knew nothing of Bell so I was just happy that his defensive rep preceded him.

4. I don't care for House much as I'm not a fan of streaky showboat types (like Q). Jones will bounce back from his lousy post-break play and be a valuable player for us for the duration of his contract. I wished Burke would be good and like Darko I think steady minutes would do good for his game, but I have to concede my defeat in early optimism with his play.


5. I am among the rarest of Suns fans in that I don't appreciate Amare's play much (though of course his dunks are electrifying) from last season. I would NEVER wish anything bad on him but I really don't think he played team ball well. His rebounding was always subpar for his abilities, he rarely passed out of the double team effectively (which made the whole Point Center thing kinda a joke), and his defense didn't seem effective (though he was often holding back because of foul trouble). KT is more my kind of player really. I feel bad for Amare and his injuries, of course. Overall we need to figure him into a good big rotation and not put "the man" pressure on those knees for the future. I don't know if he would accept that though.

6. I think I guessed mid 50s when we had our poll so I am pretty happy with the effort and everything else.

7. I agree that next year will be the Suns' year to win it all. Hopefully we'll get some size in the draft and resign our players to reasonable contracts. I think we can do without an exceptional backup point. I've come to the conclusion that in this era of combo guards and undersized centers you gotta make do. I would be ecstatic if we could pry a floor general loose from some source but as it is with Diaw moved into the second unit we could scrape by without Nash on the floor for 14 minutes a game or so.

 

[SirStefan32]

What a great thread!

1. Q and Nate for KT
Kurt Thomas has been one of my favorite players for years, and I was happy to see him in Phoenix. He helped the team before he got hurt, and I think he will be a major part of Suns' success in the next few years.

2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks
I went back and forth on giving JJ a max deal or letting him go. I was happy to get draft picks for him, and did not expect much from Boris. I must say that I was wrong on this one. Boris turned out to be one hell of a player.

3. Bell signing
I always liked Bell, but I had no idea he was going to be such an offensive force. Very important player for this team's future.

4. House, Jones, Burke
Eddie is awesome. One of my favorite players. We need to keep him.
Burke- I knew he was a crappy player, but I did not realize how TERRIBLE he is. I mean, I though he could make lay-ups, open j's and could grab a rebound.... but he can do NOTHING.
Jones... didn't really expect much and I must say I am dissapointed with him.

5. Stoudemire injury
I thought he would be back and better than ever. I was wrong, and I am becoming more pessimistic about his future. I think he will come back and be a good player, but I doubt he will ever be MVP material, or even all star.

6. season prediction
They did much better than I expected. Great job.

7. ???
If Amare comes back and manages to be a 20 and 10 player, and Thomas and Grant stay healthy, nobody leaves, I think this team can go all the way to the top.

Stefan

 

[jbeecham]

Honestly I'm surprised so many people are down on James Jones........

This is a guy that we got for a 2nd rd pick......just like Skita (whose shown next to nothing)

James has shown he's got a smooth shooting stroke from everywhere on the floor and personally I think his defense has been pretty good at times(blocking shots in the paint & rebounding well), although bad at other times (letting his man drive past him, not giving hard fouls). Foot and wrist injuries have plagued this guy since just before the all-star break and yet he's continued to play through it. In the last game he had 20 pts, 10 rebs, 5 asts, 2 blks, 1 stl on 9-13 fgs.......the guy has great potential to turn into a solid role player off of the bench and he could be starter material on other teams.

Next year our bench could probably start for some of the worse teams in the league with:

PG House
SG Barbosa
SF James Jones
PF Boris Diaw
C Brian Grant

Ok so it's not quite as good as Toronto's starting lineup, but it would be intersting to see who would win in a game between the two.

 

[F-Dog]

1. I had a problem with this trade last summer--the thing I always remember is, this trade is really KT for Antonio McDyess and Andre Iguodala.

Thomas was useful until he got hurt (which didn't surprise me at all, considering his age and mileage). Since Q has struggled with injuries himself, I guess you could argue that the damage was all done in the summer of 2004. I'll give this a push now, so I've revised my opinion upward.

2. The JJ trade makes more sense now that Amare is out for the year--if the Suns were marginal contenders this year, keeping JJ might have made the difference in winning a championship. Even with Diaw's emergence, JJ is still the best player in the deal; I won't try to score this until I see what kind of contract Diaw gets this summer, and what the Suns do with the L.A. and Atlanta picks.

3. The Bell signing seems to be worthwhile--the Suns certainly wouldn't have any problems moving him if they decided to do so. I'll score this as a pleasant surprise.

4. House is what I expected, but I didn't expect much; same with Burke. I've actually been pleasantly surprised with JR's all-around game, although his shooting has been streakier than advertised.

5. I didn't expect Amare back at the All-Star break, but I did think he would make more of an effort to come back at the tail end of the season. I was wrong here.

6. I said the Suns would win 50 on another message board--this was after they whipped up on Seattle and Sacramento in the preseason. The logic turned out to be wrong (Sonics and Kings were both disappointments) but the prediction turned out to be fairly accurate.

 

[nowagimp]

1) KT for Q, pick(nate): I liked this deal then, but the injury to KT has delayed the result. If KT comes back next year and plays the same way with a healthy Amare, its a winner. Just the defensive numbers 100.2ppg, 34% 3's w/KT, 109ppg, 42% 3's without tells the story. The OPPOSITION is the best 3pt shooting team in the NBA w/out KT. KT's presence makes this a very good defensive team (points/possession 4th in the NBA).

2) JJ deal: he had to go since he was jealous of Nash and Amare, sorry JJ but you wouldnt have helped win a championship with that jealousy. Boris Diaw was a steal, period. Boris is a better defender than JJ, and a better passer. Boris does a better job of running the offense than JJ ever did. Additionally, the mere presence of JJ on the roster would have stunted the development of both LB and JR. We may find out next year what that exactly means. The picks are also useful in a number of ways.

3) Bell: Very good move, better than I thought, and I liked him. Better defender than JJ, and great shot selection. Raja(and KT) also brings defensive toughness that wasnt here last season.

4) House: about what I thought, a good scorer with defensive drawbacks and not a point guard. My concern is that if the suns play him much at the 2, defense at the guard position is scary.

5) JR: considering the impact of his ankle injury on his shooting(FG% down), we still dont know what JR can be. When healthy, he appeared to be a very good 3 ball shooter. More development will be needed to round out his game. I think it was a good deal, though I envision him as a 7th or 8th man long term.

5) Amare: I said in Dec that he should not be brought back too quickly, but it happened. No suprise here that suns management wasn't listening.

6) I had the suns making it to the WCF, before the injury to KT. If they make it now and the young players get good playoff experience for next year, I will be happy.

7) TT: a steal at the minimum. I think he will be gone next year though. He played real well against the MAVS recently. If the Mavs upset the spurs, and the suns meet the Mavs, the suns just might win that 7 game series. Against the Pistons or spurs, I dont think TT would have as big an impact.

 

[Chaplin]

5) Amare: I said in Dec that he should not be brought back too quickly, but it happened. No suprise here that suns management wasn't listening.

How much longer until everyone stops believing this fallacy? Suns management WAS listening--to AMARE. As far as they were concerned, Amare's left knee was fine, and to this day, STILL is fine.

Perhaps they should have taken a more specific test of the right knee, but if Amare says he's not feeling any pain, especially in the repaired knee, well, what are they going to say? Get out there and try it out--see what happens.

 

[Errntknght]

1. KT - Hooray, someone tough and defensive minded! But still undersized. The Knicks will hate Q on their team. Later, oh no, we're giving up a low 20s pick in a deep draft.

2. I thought JJ was posturing and when it proved that he wasn't, JC & Co. made a nice recovery. Very nice when Diaw turned out to be a gem.

3. I was calling for Bell because I'm always wanting more defensive minded players. Surprised JC did it and Bell's offense has been a pleasant bonus.

4. House - a gunner wo conscience can be useful and the price is right. Jones - damn, another frontcourt player with no muscle, no inside game. (We thought we had Scott Padgett around that same time, which added to my ire.) Burke - he's looks strong and he's tall, so worth a look. Later, experiment failed... next!

5. Stoudemire - we are truly jinxed. Now I'm cautiously hopeful. About a month before IT happened I wrote a long post about how the Suns should develope an offense using Amare also as a passer to utilize to the fullest the threat he poses with the ball in his hands and to diminish the stress on his body. Universal derision and condemnation followed.
Needless to say I haven't changed my mind.

6. Season prediction - I predicted D'Antoni would wear the top guys out in hopeless cause when he should be looking a year ahead and giving the young guys lots of playing time to upgrade their games and make sorting the wheat from the chaff easier. Well the cause proved not to be entirely hopeless and youth mostly got its chances to boot. Obviously, I didn't earn good marks.

7. TT - a fake big is better than no big. Surprise - he does a half decent job 1-1 D. on bigs, blocks out & rebounds ok.
Negative surprise - cannot defend P&R to save his life. Started out giving a few hard fouls then adopted the normal Suns attitude about it and has shown a few signs of late of understanding he has to smother drivers one way or another when he goes to help because he's conceding an uncontested putback if the shot goes up. (The Suns absolutely suck at rotating to a helpers man, especially if he's big and near the basket.)

8. Skita - why not use an available slot for an inexpensive, young big? On the other hand, since the cause isn't hopeless, discard Burke if necessary but get some muscle, too.

 

[Gaddabout]

1. Trading small for big almost always makes sense to me, so I was initially for the Q for KT trade. Until I learned about giving up the draft pick, which I thought was overpaying. When I learned it was Nate Dog, I was less concerned, because I felt his attitude was not so desirable. Since then, I've really, really wished we had him on this year's roster. I wish we didn't have to give him up.

2. With all the picks and Diaw for JJ, I felt from the beginning the Suns robbed the Hawks. I loved JJ, didn't want to see him go, but that deal was very sweet and acceptable. I also predicted back in August on this board the Suns would end up using him in a Marion-type role, not so much backup PG. I felt then and still feel Sarver is determined to never pay luxury tax as a principle, and turnover based on financial decisions will be a regular part of the Suns' off-season because of it.

3. I had little opinion on the free-agent signings. I liked that Bell came with some endorsement as a defensive player. That's about it. Not much to judge there. I thought House was an OK move for a deep bench player. I was disappointed to learn Burke didn't write a blog.

4. I was pretty sure the Suns were going to wind up in the lottery when Stoudemire got hurt, and then draft another great post player a la Spurs and Tim Duncan. Honestly, I'm kind of torn, because I may always wonder what a Marion-Tyrus Thomas-Stoudemire frontline would be like.

 

[boisesuns]

1. Q and Nate for KT
Richardson's role with the suns was nothing that couldnt be replaced, so I wasn't worried about it. We finally got some toughness, so It was a great trade.

2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks
I wanted to keep JJ, but still didn't think he was worth the money, and things seem to be working fine without him. Diaw fits this offense well.

3. Bell signing
Right with the Kurt Trade. Coach D got the right player for the system, and added some toughness, that will play off.

4. House, Jones, Burke
Jones has been decent, but a guy like Burke will never play much in this offense anyways. House is good inconsistent offense.

5. Stoudemire injury
I think it will turn out to be a blessing for the team. Amare puts us over the top as a contender, but this year it made the team stronger, which is great.

6. season prediction
I picked a "dynasty is born." Maybe Momma and Daddy Dynasty have only talked about kids, but one could slip through the defense.

7. ???
I think the suns will surprise us in the playoffs, but lose in the finals.

 

[myrondizzo]

1. Q and Nate for KT
i was sad to see Q go but knew that it had to happen. to bad kt got injured because i like our chances in the playoffs alot more with him.
2. JJ for Diaw and draft picks
JJ had to go and at the time i was most excited by the draft picks. but now im kinda torn because diaw has shown so much promise. all the way around i think we robbed them.
3. Bell signing
I was really excited about his signing and predicted to my buddy that the nash factor would have him shooting 45% from 3 by the end of the year so maybe i was a little off but i think he is a bargin on his contract.
4. House, Jones, Burke
i loved the house signing and i think has done a great job off the bench provideing instant offense. i was really surprised by jones. i really like his effort on D i think he just needs some more confidence to become a solid 6th man. burke is just another warm big body. he has had a few nice moves
5. Stoudemire injury
im still totally bummed before he went down i didnt think that there was anyone that could stop him or us. maybe he could come off the bench in the finals like when randy johnson came in to get the save in game 7 of the world series.
6. season prediction
i predicted 55 wins once amare went down so i wasnt too far off.