The Phoenix basketball team who calls US Airways Center home just won a Championship

[BC867]

Congratulations to Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Paul Westhead, GM and Coach of the Phoenix Mercury, who recognized that both defense AND rebounding would have to step up to capitalize on a team with 3 superstars.

If only the Suns would not only recognize it, but do it.

How about if GM Meyers-Drysdale and Head Coach Paul Westhead switch places with Steve Kerr and Mike D'Antoni. I mean, right now.

 

[slinslin]

The Mercury are the Suns version of the WNBA and PS having just 12 teams or so to fight for the championship as well as 2 #1 picks in 4 years with one draft having the best college player of all time in it, doesn't hurt either.

 

[BC867]

... 2 #1 picks in 4 years with one draft having the best college player of all time in it, doesn't hurt either.

True, but stealing what became the 2 1/2 time MVP Steve Nash from Dallas and having a repaired and rejuvinated Amare Stoudemire is just as much reason to get our first ever title . . . rather than stumble, fumble and mumble and take a step back as have the Suns.

The Mercury did whatever it took.

The only thing that wouldn't hurt is for the Suns to do the same.

 

[SunsTzu]

The Mercury did whatever it took.

They probably wouldn't have if the economy of the WNBA was like the NBA.

I have no idea how much the WNBA players get paid but I bet all the players on the team combined make less than the MLE.

 

[Mr.Dibbs]

They probably wouldn't have if the economy of the WNBA was like the NBA.

I have no idea how much the WNBA players get paid but I bet all the players on the team combined make less than the MLE.

My apartment complex is three streets from US Airways and has a bunch of the Mercury players staying here, so they aren't making that much. We also get the Roadrunners and a few of the Rattlers- no Suns or Diamondbacks- if that puts it in perspective.

 

[azirish]

The Mercury played a gutty game on the road against the defending champions. I watched the second half and the Shock were hitting their threes (13 of 26), but somehow the Mercury kept making plays and beat off every run. (One thing I'd like to see would be for the Mercury shooting coach to work with the Suns on free throw shooting - they went 29 of 30.)

 

[elindholm]

Pointing to the Mercury's success to look for reasons behind the Suns' failure is too absurd for words.

 

[azirish]

Pointing to the Mercury's success to look for reasons behind the Suns' failure is too absurd for words.

Actually, the Suns are a terrific free throw shooting team. The guy I have in mind is Diaw whose 68.3% sticks out as a sore thumb and was in part why France lost to Russia. But unless the Suns get PJ (78.7% free throws), they are likely to get a big who does not shoot threes very well.

Skinner 58.2%
Ruffin Career 46.6%
Batista Career 61.7%
Potapenko Career 69.4% (did shoot it well in 2004-05)

 

[haverford]

Good for the Mercury. Let's hope some of that championship vibe resonates next June in Phoenix.....

 

[Alan]

When I worked for Sacramento, Taurasi was definitely the nicest opposing player I had met. Glad to see her win a ring!

 

[fordronken]

Congratulations to Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Paul Westhead, GM and Coach of the Phoenix Mercury, who recognized that both defense AND rebounding would have to step up to capitalize on a team with 3 superstars.

If only the Suns would not only recognize it, but do it.

How about if GM Meyers-Drysdale and Head Coach Paul Westhead switch places with Steve Kerr and Mike D'Antoni. I mean, right now.

I'll bet the Suns could beat the Mercury.

 

[elindholm]

Actually, the Suns are a terrific free throw shooting team.

Yeah, I was just commenting on the thread in general, not your post. The only thing wrong with your post was your typical over-interpretation of a very small sample size, but I was going to let that slide.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, I was just commenting on the thread in general, not your post. The only thing wrong with your post was your typical over-interpretation of a very small sample size, but I was going to let that slide.

man, you and me ARE pretty tough on George!

and wow, Sunday nights are soooooooooooooooo much better when the Cardinals actually win.

 

[ryanshaug]

Congratulations to the Mercury, but in my opinion you are comparing apples to oranges here - it is a great success, but please leave it at that and don't try to diminish the Suns accomplishments

 

[BC867]

Congratulations to the Mercury, but in my opinion you are comparing apples to oranges here - it is a great success, but please leave it at that and don't try to diminish the Suns accomplishments

The Mecury overcame its rebounding deficiencies, while concentrating on scoring and improving its defense, and won a Championship.

If the Suns can overcome its rebounding deficiencies, while concentrating on scoring and improving its defense, they too could win a Championship. That's apples to apples.

Instead they're trying to recover from getting rid of KT, just to catch up, but not move ahead.

Accomplishments? I want to see a Championship while Nash is still in his prime and Amare is uninjured..

 

[nowagimp]

Pointing to the Mercury's success to look for reasons behind the Suns' failure is too absurd for words.

How true absurd is the word!! The biggest parallel I can see is that in the waning moments of game 3, the mercury players were NOT suspended for leaving the bench area during an altercation under the IDENTICAL rule. If they had been suspended and the mercury lost the series, it would have been an incredible story line, but the WNBA apparently did not want to destroy the credibility of its post season champion. Now the question is are we sure donaghy is not somehow connected to the WNBA refs.

 

[Maligzar]

The Mecury overcame its rebounding deficiencies, while concentrating on scoring and improving its defense, and won a Championship.

If the Suns can overcome its rebounding deficiencies, while concentrating on scoring and improving its defense, they too could win a Championship. That's apples to apples.

Instead they're trying to recover from getting rid of KT, just to catch up, but not move ahead.

Accomplishments? I want to see a Championship while Nash is still in his prime and Amare is uninjured..

It's not as easy to overcome those things in the NBA. This is more like Apples to Apple seeds.

 

[haverford]

Well, I do agree that there are differences worth taking note of here; the Suns' difficulties are not transposable completely into the Mercury's situation, and vice versa. But there are significant similarities between the Suns and Mercury, insofar as both teams are predicated on speed, smaller players, offense as opposed to defense, etc. and they share some sort of organizational/management DNA. Somehow, the Mercury managed to overcome that grittiness factor that seems to plague the Suns--they seemed to adopt a swagger in the face of Detroit's attempt to intimidate them.

 

[Bufalay]

The Mercury play more like golden state than the suns