What this team needs....

[arwillan]

I refuse to believe the Mavs are a better team than us everything else being equal. They have more horses for the regular season but we have the better overall players.....

Just wait.....

Sorry but they are the better team and sparring a fatal accident of dirk they will beat us. i hate to look at the negative but its true. Dirk is always going to have big games against us and we dont really have that guy that if the game is on the line we can hand the ball and have him take over the game like they do. SUre steve is himself but he isnt any kind of offensive powerhouse that can hit the big shots and do the things that players like Kobe/Wade/Dirk/Garnett/Arenas and the likes can do at the end of a game.

 

[Diawsome]

Sorry but they are the better team and sparring a fatal accident of dirk they will beat us. i hate to look at the negative but its true. Dirk is always going to have big games against us and we dont really have that guy that if the game is on the line we can hand the ball and have him take over the game like they do. SUre steve is himself but he isnt any kind of offensive powerhouse that can hit the big shots and do the things that players like Kobe/Wade/Dirk/Garnett/Arenas and the likes can do at the end of a game.

Via 82games.com

Clutch play (5 minutes left in the 4th quarter or OT, game within 5 points) per 48 minutes
1. Steve Nash 34.6 ppg, 15.7 apg, .511 eFG & 75.8 win%
2. Dirk Nowitzki 43.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, .364 eFG & 73.0 win%
3. Kobe Bryant 43.9 ppg, 4.6 apg, .352 eFG & 55.3 win%
4. Gilbert Arenas 38.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, .467 eFG & 61.7 win%
5. Dwayne Wade 43.2 ppg, 7.6 apg, .478 eFG & 75.0 win%

Though he may not put up the points the others do Nash is a better shooter, a much better playmaker and can hold his own with anyone when he feels he needs to take those shots.

 

[boisesuns]

Ray Allen would be nice to kick it out to for the three.

 

[CardNots]

Ray Allen would be nice to kick it out to for the three.

Ray Allen would be great not nice.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Marion/Bell/CLE#1/PHX#1 for Allen/Lewis? I'd do it in a heartbeat....

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Marion/Bell/CLE#1/PHX#1 for Allen/Lewis? I'd do it in a heartbeat....

Me 2.

 

[Scot1]

Yeah, Allen would be nice. I'd even take Kobe, if Nash would knock him into line. My guess is the chances of trading for either are about equal.

What we really need, echoing an earlier comment, is half a coach's brain. If D'Antoni could plan as well for when Nash is absent as he does for when Nash is present (different style, perhaps including some plays, needed), we'd be set. Exit Mavs, end of game, QED.

 

[devilalum]

Marion > Allen

 

[Ciani]

Marion > Allen

No way, but we need him more than Allen.

Actually what this team only need is a healthy Nash...

 

[Chaplin]

No way, but we need him more than Allen.

Actually what this team only need is a healthy Nash...

Ray Allen is a great player, but he's only good in ONE thing: shooting. Shawn is good in all sorts of other ways.

Marion is better than Ray Allen.

 

[Covert Rain]

Ray Allen is a great player, but he's only good in ONE thing: shooting. Shawn is good in all sorts of other ways.

Marion is better than Ray Allen.

Ray Allen is no stiff on defense but he has isn't going to get 18 rebounds per game. What is it about people on this board who don't understand this team can't give up any rebounding or defense?

You can't sacrifice rebounding for more scoring. We can't sacrifice defense for more scoring.

 

[justAndy]

will y'all just stop?
What this team needs is to be healthy for the playoffs.

 

[Ciani]

Ray Allen is a great player, but he's only good in ONE thing: shooting. Shawn is good in all sorts of other ways.

Marion is better than Ray Allen.

Well, Ray Allen can score without Steve Nash... Its not really fair to expect a SG to have 10+ rebounds or a lot of blocks, and Allen is not a bad defender. I dont say he is better than Marion, but imo he is not worse either.

 

[Chaplin]

Well, Ray Allen can score without Steve Nash... Its not really fair to expect a SG to have 10+ rebounds or a lot of blocks, and Allen is not a bad defender. I dont say he is better than Marion, but imo he is not worse either.

Are you saying that Ray Allen and Shawn Marion are equal as defenders? Seriously?

 

[sr7706]

....if we truly expect to win a championship is a killer. What I mean by that is we need a strong A personality along the lines of a Vince Carter-type. Stoudemire can dominate, but he ain't a killer. Nash is as close to a killer that we have and Marion is part man, part fish. I don't know who's out there, or who can be had, but the Suns need an absolute killer or we will never beat DAL in a series....

Yea I know what you mean...We need a guy who can create his own shot. Somebody who can take his man off the dribble and then isnt afraid to shoot the ball when the game is on the line. And yes Nash is the only player we have who is remotely close to being this player.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yea I know what you mean...We need a guy who can create his own shot. Somebody who can take his man off the dribble and then isnt afraid to shoot the ball when the game is on the line. And yes Nash is the only player we have who is remotely close to being this player.

I have no problem with the team picking up one of those guys. As long as we don't give up a guy who plays defense or rebounding. We can't give up either one of those things to get a guy who can create his own shot.

 

[azirish]

It would be nice to have a "make your own shot" guy who actually passes the ball. The Suns are loaded with guys who play well without the ball in their hands, but Nash and Barbosa are really the only ones who can make their own shots and Barbosa doesn't take games over.

The downside of most "make your own shot" guys is that they think they should try to beat their opponent every time rather than finding the open man. Still, there are times when opponents really tighten their defense and play denial style that it is awfully nice to have someone physically able to break his man down.

 

[dodie53]

diaw, bell, james and banks for rashard, allen, and petro

 

[Mainstreet]

It would be nice to have a "make your own shot" guy who actually passes the ball. The Suns are loaded with guys who play well without the ball in their hands, but Nash and Barbosa are really the only ones who can make their own shots and Barbosa doesn't take games over.

The downside of most "make your own shot" guys is that they think they should try to beat their opponent every time rather than finding the open man. Still, there are times when opponents really tighten their defense and play denial style that it is awfully nice to have someone physically able to break his man down.

I'd just settle for a 1-3 type player that can play solid defense on a player like Josh Howard and shoot the three. Am I asking for too much?

Not exactly related, but I sure wish the Suns could find a way to get Shaun Livingston on their roster, but I know it's not going to happen.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Ray Allen is no stiff on defense but he has isn't going to get 18 rebounds per game. What is it about people on this board who don't understand this team can't give up any rebounding or defense?

You can't sacrifice rebounding for more scoring. We can't sacrifice defense for more scoring.

Did you not watch the ATL game? You really think Marion is that great of a defender? He does all the intangible things, yes. He plays, for the most part, his heart out, yes. He is usually matched up against a bigger opponent and he gives his all, yes. BUT, He gets burned more often than he locks anyone down. He gets backed down and shot over. His height is his disadvantage when you consider how he is used on this team. He can't create his own shot and his is a mediocre player if Nash isn't around.

Speaking of overated defenders, Raja Bell. How many times do we need to allow Jason Terry to double his season averages against us before we realize we are fooling ourselves into thinking we're OK? How many times does Ginobili need to triple his season averages before we realize we need a counterpunch? How many times do we need to get sliced up by the Ellises, the Martins, the Hinrichs, the Magettes, the Odoms, hell, the Harprings of the world before you guys realize that we can't hang on defense in spite of our so-called defensive minded players?

How many times do we have to get out-boarded by the Dengs, the Biedrinses, the Howards (Josh), the Collisons, the Obertos of this world before you'll admit that trying to keep the status quo is not playing to our strengths?

You guys talk about giving up defense, but the fact of the matter is we are NOT giving up defense because we truly don't have it to give up.
I'd rather have more and better and more consistent options on offense because the defensive side of things is, frankly, unattainable to this team, period. Arguing for defense is fighting an uphill battle. Our strengths are strictly our offense, our running, our conditioning and hustle plays. Defense is nowhere in the mix. I'd add players that play to our strengths quicker than I would add players that bring us one step closer to a goal that is 100 steps away....

 

[JS22]

I'm talking about personality type. I'm talking about fire. I'm talking about the guy who thrives on late-game pressure and actually wants the ball for the potential game winning shot. We don't have attitude or swagger. I'm not trippin' over the last few games, either. I am talking about the personality of this team over the course of the year....

Would anyone seriously suggest that SEA is 24 points better than a team that has Stoudemire and Marion and Bell and Barbosa on it? The team's psyche is too tentative or aprehensive or nervous, or something. That's a problem and it will be a problem in the playoffs....

Are you forgetting Raja last year? What about Nash, Amare, or even Barbosa this year?

 

[asudevil83]

this thread has just gone downhill......we've got argueing about defense and how this teams most decent defenders are useless, while others want to trade away the bench for starters, and others who just want to trade for an aging SG because he can score (something we dont really need).

sooooo.....i'm just going to contribute my two craps worth to the convo.

Diaw/Banks/Marks/07 First for Lewis/Ridinour

we throw Lewis into the starting PF slot (he has the size), along with Marion and Amare up front. this allows Marion to play closer to the basket on offense because Lewis has the three point shot. Ridinour would be a more than decent backup for Nash.

Amare/KT
Lewis
Marion/Jones
Bell/Barbosa
Nash/Ridinour

 

[Divide Et Impera]

I would absolutely do that trade, but SEA ain't getting any kind of value for Lewis in that scenario. Banks does not even equal Ridnour and Diaw/#1 does not equal Lewis. Either Bell/Jones or Marion would have to be involved and if Marion were involved, it would have to be for Allen in which case Bell is expendable. So, Marion/Bell/Diaw/Jones for Allen/Lewis is better, but I don't know that SEA does that. Allen is the man....

 

[asudevil83]

if Lewis isnt traded, he's going to opt out this summer. Seattle doesnt want to commit more money to him because of the ownership transition and possible franchise movement. they are trying to keep salaries to a minimum.

either way, the suns wouldnt do this trade either. sinse Diaw is poison pill, then we have to take back the average of the remaining years of his contract, $7mil or so, which would automatically put us DEEP in the LT this year. and the suns have already stated that they are not adding any additional salary to the team.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

if Lewis isnt traded, he's going to opt out this summer. Seattle doesnt want to commit more money to him because of the ownership transition and possible franchise movement. they are trying to keep salaries to a minimum.

either way, the suns wouldnt do this trade either. sinse Diaw is poison pill, then we have to take back the average of the remaining years of his contract, $7mil or so, which would automatically put us DEEP in the LT this year. and the suns have already stated that they are not adding any additional salary to the team.

Hmmm. Then I'd probably look for a way to send Marion/Jones out for, say, Lewis/Collison/Ridnour, or something like that....