Phoenix Suns - A house divided
by Seth Pollack on Feb 4, 2009 3:07 PM MST
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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PrintNote to readers: This blog post is interspersed with various audio clips provided by our partner, Sports 620 KTAR. If you prefer, you can listen to all of the clips together in this file or listen to them "in line" as you read by opening the links as you come to them.
After the Suns lost another game to a sub .500 team and ended their month with a losing record for the first time in almost 5 years, any pretense of denial was lifted.
There is no more blaming the long road trip or the big brother Spurs. The Suns are floundering and the entire team has moved past "if" and is on to "what's next".
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much agreement on where the trouble lies and what the next steps are. A divide has emerged on this team between those who are blaming the system and those that look at certain players inability or unwillingness to execute and perform.
It is easy to say that both are at fault, but in reality what the Suns do next is dictated by this decision. The team can stand pat and perhaps tweak the system and rotations in an attempt to coax better chemistry and effort out of the existing group. Or, as Steve Kerr suggests, they may have assembled the wrong group of players for the traditional defensive philosophy that the organization is trying to adopt.
There are those fans that crave the old style of run and gun but those days are gone. That battle has been waged. Until Robert Sarver changes his mind, his GM and coach are moving towards a specific direction that they believe is the proven road to the championship.
Terry Porter, speaking after the Bulls game was not concerned about Amare only getting one field goal attempt in the second half. He talked about the need to play harder and execute on the glass and in transition defense. This is Terry Porter. He's a fighter and a scraper and he's struggling to relate to his players who aren't.
Joining him is Shaquille O'Neal who looks out at his team's struggles and expresses his opinion in very blunt and uncensored terms. He isn't concerned about the offense or who's getting touches. He is looking for team mates that will step up and defend their man.
Who are Shaq and Porter specifically talking about? Clearly, Amare has been the focus of a lot of negative attention and trade discussion but for his part he's not seeing it as something for him to address. He talks about being put in a position to succeed which is fine for role players but $15m / yr "super stars" looking for max deals will either get with the program or will soon be finding themselves moving their restaurants to a new city.
Caught in the middle is two time MVP and golden boy Steve Nash. Nash for all his gifts and talents is simply not fitting in to the new philosophy. We've all hoped he could adapt his game to a new style but it is becoming increasingly clear that his defensive weaknesses and high risk passing game is not a fit in this system.
Steve is concerned with needing better spirit and finding ways to get everyone involved. When asked about trading players, Nash responded that "he doesn't think that way" and that "we need to find a way to make it work".
What this all tells me is that those who mocked the idea of this roster being a good defensive team were right and those in management that thought they could be a hybrid team were wrong.
The Suns started the season with the intent of running a high possession motion oriented offense that scored in the 90's, played hard defense and held teams to one possession. In other words, the Detroit Pistons. That was what Kerr wanted from Porter and that's what the plan was.
When that wasn't working, they adjusted on the fly and opened up the offense a bit but were never able to find the ability (in the case of Nash) or the desire (in the case of Stoudemire) to play even mediocre defense.
In retrospect, this fate was sealed a year ago when the Suns brought Shaq to town. There really was no other outcome for a deal that was hailed by many in Phoenix as the answer to our interior woes. I argued against the deal at the time but it's done and Shaq is here and playing well now. One year in, The Big Gamble has failed and it's time to move on.
There are two clear paths facing the Suns:
1) Trade Shaq and try and get a back up PG and some kind of mobile center that can defend away from the rim and rebound. Go back to running and feature Nash and Stoudemire with an understanding that interior defense and rebounding will suffer. This would be an admission of defeat by Kerr and would almost have to include his resignation as well. At this point, you would also have to consider if Porter is the right coach for that team.
2) Trade Amare for a defensive big man and draft picks and hope that having one less mouth to feed will help Nash. It is doubtful though that Steve will ever be a good fit with Shaq and the type of team Kerr and Porter have talked about wanting. They would either end up needing to move him too or will continue to struggle with turnovers, chemistry and "spirit". Trading Nash would be highly unpopular with fans who are used to a Suns organization that traditionally has been dynamic and entertaining (but not successful in the post season).
Neither option is good and the decision will say more about Sarver and Kerr and their commitment to winning "Spurs style" versus trying to walk a very thin line that keeps their Canadian star and his fans appeased.
While both options are painful we shouldn't forget that the window slammed shut last year. Regardless of what happens in next few weeks, the Suns were already rebuilding. It is just a matter now of what that new building is going to look like.
A familiar model that's been fun but ultimately unsuccessful or a more traditional proven design that will frustrate many fans and be a long road back to entertaining.
The Suns have avoided this decision about their identity for long enough. They have tried to have their cake and eat it too and this lack of consistency and adherence to a vision is my biggest complaint with Kerr and Sarver over the last year.
It is time to decide what kind of team the Phoenix Suns will become.
[Note by ZonaFlash, 02/02/09 10:00 AM EST ]
Great post, Stan. A lot of the onus is getting put on the players ("Amare") here to perform, but let's not forget that if a team has a young talent like Amare Stoudemire and can't figure out how to use it, the burden is probably on the front office and the coach.
No one on the team is perfect, but D'Antoni is looking ever more the genius for hiding those imperfections and maximizing those players' strengths.
[Note by Phoenix Stan, 02/02/09 9:01 AM MST ]
Thanks. And I agree and it seems that Kerr does as well. He's saying that the pieces assembled while very talented individually might not fit together as a group. A lot of that to me comes down to Amare not being able to sacrifice his game for the greater good and Nash not being able to work well in a half court game either.
Kerr thought (as did I) that he and Porter could turn Amare into a better defensive player and it seemed early on that Amare wanted that as well. That clearly isn't going to happen. We certainly all thought (with good reason) that Nash would adapt as well but that also doesn't appear to be the case.
Now the question is do you want to re-sign Amare for a big long term deal and hope you can draft another super star / leader to play with him after Nash and Shaq are gone or is he just a guy that you no longer want as the "face" of the franchise moving forward. Unfortunately, I think Amare has made that decision with his actions on the court.
As you know, I have always been a big Amare fan and defended a lot of his ego-talk as what some young athletes need to motivate themselves. In many ways those traits of Amare's character are what separates him from a guy like Chris Wilcox. In other words, his desire and motivation is fueled by his ego.
Reading between the lines of what Kerr said, it is almost impossible to imagine them not making a major move in the next few weeks and I would guess sooner rather then later.
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This is a tough spot
However Kerr, Sarver, Porter and to some extent D’Antoni all have there hands in this mess. D’Antoni signed off on the Shaq deal, so he can take a minor hit on this.
If you keep Amare, then you are comitted to a max deal, which in my opinion would be a huge mistake.
So I would try to move both Shaq and Amare, get picks and serviceable players.
I am one that feels a complete overhaul is in order.
"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"
your not alone my friend
i would even go so far as to trade hill and barbosa for expiring contracts + draft picks. the only untouchable player, in my opinion, would be ironically enough, robin lopez.
Found this article
Closed-door meeting
The Suns have left the building … about two hours after the 122-111 home loss to Chicago.
Phoenix’s seventh loss in 10 games, a defeat that came to a Bulls team playing its third road game in four nights, prompted an unusual postgame sequence of meetings.
Coach Terry Porter did not have his postgame press conference at the usual time. He first met with staff in his office behind a closed door before emerging 20 minutes after the game ended to talk to reporters.
After most of the Suns players had left, Grant Hill and Steve Nash went into Porter’s coaches’ office at about 10:20 p.m. for another closed-door meeting with coaches, Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver and Suns General Manager Steve Kerr. Hill and Nash stayed for about 45 minutes before leaving together while the rest of the group wound up meeting for about one hour in whole.
“We’re obviously struggling right now,” Kerr said after the meeting. "We talk about everything. We talk about how our team is constructed. We talk about what we can do better as at team, different combinations that we can play. This is what we do. This is our job.
"We’re not supposed to lose this game and clearly I think … we’ve lost some confidence and we’ve lost some energy and our mojo, whatever you want to call it. We’ve got to get it back. That’s why you have a coaching staff. That’s why you have management. You have to figure it out. You have to talk about it. It doesn’t just happen. So we talked about it.
“We’ve got to keep pushing forward and pushing ahead. We have to figure it out. If the pieces don’t fit, then that’s on me. And I’m willing to take that blame if that’s ultimately the case. We have to determine that and go from there.”
At that, Kerr walked off to join Sarver as they headed for an elevator that takes them to the arena executive floor.
“We were filling out Super Bowl squares,” Sarver said.
I have a question?
Does anyone think that maybe Barbosa Should start and get 30 plus minutes a night? Jrich needs to step it up……perhaps he should come off the bench. I know Barbosa gets knocked on his defense, but is jrich better? Our backcourt d is the worst…..Barbosa is a guy that can take over a game when he is hot…..I have yet to see that from Jrich.
Nope
LB isn’t consistent enough. I do think they can share time like they are now but I would still like to see a real back up PG which would leave even less minutes for both LB and JRich…and Tucker is never going to see the floor.
At some point we aren’t going to be able (or should we) keep both LB and Richardson and JRich is by far the better of the two.
Blogging Suns Basketball
PhoenixStan, this is a fantastic post. One of the best things I’ve read all year.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Feb 1, 2009 3:11 PM MST reply actions
No, not really. I’m apathetic about it from a Spurs fan point of view. This team totally fascinates me from a sports franchise-fan base psychology point of view.
I write all the time at PtR. You and I might be twins separated at birth when it comes to typos, homonyms, and the overall butchery of the english language. But you outline this discussion beautifully. I think you capture every essence of it very well and distill it to the reader without ever choosing a side.
Here’s what I was thinking about regarding the Suns.
Why did Sarver, and I think it was Sarver, try to change the Suns style to win a championship?
The guy obviously cares a lot about money and isn’t willing to go over the cap to get there. He had a team that was consistently getting into the second round of the playoffs. You guys, on the whole, were an energized fan base. Yeah, defense wins championships and I didn’t think you had a good chance. But, you had a chance. Maybe you need an injury to the other team and none to your team. But, you had a chance.
Why change that if you aren’t going to do the full Cuban and drop a load of cash to get there? Ride your entertaining cash cow. I mean, even if you “do things the right way”, you have to be lucky to win it all. Would you guys be happy with a boring team losing in the Conference Finals? The Spurs have been very fortuitous. We put a team out there with a chance every year and hope things go well. If we hadn’t won titles and had the bad breaks go our way, we wouldn’t be a happy fan base watching our boring ass team trot up court.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Feb 2, 2009 9:06 AM MST up reply actions
My apologies
What I meant to ask is, “Was Sarver’s changing the Suns style to win a championship a good business decision? Why did he do it from a business perspective?” I didn’t meant to ask should they have given up on SSOL. You guys debate that enough and it is probably a tired subject.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Feb 2, 2009 6:18 PM MST up reply actions
Second that
Poetically clears away the distractions, outlines the options, and pinpoints the problem—-identity. Well done!
There's magic out there. Telepathy. Power. Precision. Speed. But don't invest your emotional entirety or be swallowed up by addiction. After all, it's just a game.
by Permapaulur on Feb 1, 2009 10:26 PM MST up reply actions
LB isn’t consistent enough....
Barbosa doesn’t get enough playing time to be consistent. Plus he didn’t get a full preseason. He has a lot more potential if given a chance. He and shaq could have a nice inside out game……Barbosa has played well when given chances to start.
Blow it up....
Shaq thing would’ve worked if we had some sort of dominant guard on the perimeter like Kobe or Dwyane Wade.
by whatisboxhappening on Feb 1, 2009 8:01 PM MST reply actions
Blow it up
Barbosa could be that dominant guard.
Trade Nash, start Barbosa.
Turnovers go down due to less “creative passing” by Nash. It seems like Barbosa has some clutch ability, he’s hit some big shots this year, which is something Nash does well. True he has seemed to dissapear in the playoffs vs the Spurs everytime. I think that has something to do with his minutes are inconsistent.
The Lakers/Miami Heat teams and the Spurs do not feature high assist point guards.
This system that Porter/Kerr/Sarver seem dead set on putting in have featured a spot up shooting point guard (aka Derek Fisher), or a ball-hogging off guard as whatisboxhappening says.
Chiming in
Unpopular or not, I do think the time has come to make the best deal possible for Nash (hopefully one that lands him on a team where he can really be Nash again), and close the door for good on the 7 Seconds or Less era. I can’t see Shaq going anywhere no matter how “fabulous” he’s looked this year, because that would be like Kerr personally coming onto this site and moving Stan’s Moron Meter all the way to the left. So, we’re probably stuck with him, and since I just don’t believe a team with Shaq and Nash together in the starting lineup will ever truly function smoothly with both of them pulling the team in opposite directions, I sadly conclude that it’s time for the Suns to acquire the best defensive-minded point guard they can, and go “all in” with an offense built around Shaq. Besides, I’d rather watch a post-centric, Shaq-led team walking it up the floor, all on the same page, than see Nash playing like a shadow of his former self on a team that looks like they’re positively miserable on the floor together. Win or lose, it makes them hard to watch—it’s a constant reminder of what could have (and should have) been.
As for the other half of the Twin Towers of Ego, Amare needs to grow up and let his game (not his mouth) make him “the man”, or else it’s time for him to move on as well. I truly believe that ego, not a lack of talent or even defense is what kept the 7SOL Suns from winning a championship. From D’Antoni’s alleged inability to accept criticism, to Marion’s whining about lack of respect, to Amare’s self-aggrandizing drivel, the biggest reason the Spurs have championships and the Suns don’t is because the Spurs managed to package up all that little egotistical nonsense, box it away somewhere, and just focus on playing ball. The Suns, sadly, never could get past the “I have to get mine” mentality, and that’s why we now have crazy ex-bloggers like me posting comments in the middle of the night about blowing up what should have been a multi-ring dynasty.
If they do decide to go to option 2, and trade
They should trade Amare, and Nash……
A perfect analysis would be this, Nash and Amare don’t fit the system…… or the system doesn’t fit Nash and Amare….. take a pick
Essentially this team needs a steady Chauncey Billups……… and a defensive big like KG….
Whats up doc?
Hmmm
Maybe something like…
Amare and Nash to his Canadian Raptors for Bosh (closest thing to a KG), Calderon (who gets steals and is just behind Nash in assists …. when he’s healthy), and a throw-in Kapono (and is a draft pick possible?)
There's magic out there. Telepathy. Power. Precision. Speed. But don't invest your emotional entirety or be swallowed up by addiction. After all, it's just a game.
by Permapaulur on Feb 1, 2009 10:30 PM MST up reply actions
Right, people keep tossing this scenario out there...
But why would the Raptors ever make this deal?
exactly...
…i wonder about this every single time someone throws out this trade scenario.
if kerr does end up pulling the trigger on another huge trade, that specific trade won’t happen. you can quote me on that. and if it does, i’ll eat my words.
by Trevor Paxton on Feb 2, 2009 1:07 AM MST up reply actions
Gosh NO!
If you want to trade someone, trade Barbosa. He shoots way too much. It seems to be that he looks to shoot first and pass second. Barbosa is good slashing off the ball and in fast break transition. Ever notice how scoring goes down when he is in? It not just that Nash is out, its that Barbosa is in.
Why not Bobby April?
Great post!!!
For the longest time I thougt trading Nash or Stat was a huge mistake. I just have to say, one of the two must go if not both. Nash has become too much of a liability with his TO’s. He is confused out there not knowing how to play this style. I think we all remember Boris Diaw when he came off the bench. Well, Stat has become the newest Boris Diaw. 1 out of every 4 games he will show up and then it is only on offense. 1 field goal in the entire second half. Hey coach, he is not performing on offense, we all know he does not play defense. With those types of numbers, let me play for 15 mill a year, I think I could get at least 1 field goal, no boards and no D. I am tired of him being lazy. What is it about every player that was under Mike D with the suns, they just seem to be tainted with his departure. LB appears to be the only one who is striving and even then its inconsistant. At this point, make a trade let the season play out and do not count on anything more than 1 and done in playoffs.
LB.
the reason i like barbosa so much is because he is willing to work at and try to help the team as much as possible. he seems like a great guy. i love his work ethic and his willingness to improve where he needs improvements.
heck, blow up the team and rebuild around him. both he and grant hill (and occasionally shaq) are the only ones that look like they’re trying out there, usually.
by Trevor Paxton on Feb 2, 2009 1:10 AM MST up reply actions
Amare is the future,Nash is Nash.. Let's think about it..
Amidst all of this frustration and trade talk we have not taken a moment to sit back and take a good(not nostalgic)look at our recent past and actually see that as always the solution lies where we do not care to look at first. At the end of my Comment i will be presenting us with a few trade ideas but before that,allow me to explain where i am comming from. We have all seen and been amazed by the power,precision and finishing abilites that Stoudemire possesses,we have seen him progress in aspects of his game with his outside jumper and remain stagnant with his help defense and boxing out. Nobody is perfect,that’s why in this game you have team-mates that cover your deficiencies and help you in the same way you help them. It’s not about the 5 best players on the court it’s about the 5 players the play best for the team. The does mean of course that Amare in his search for greatness and acceptence as complete player should not work harder on his game elements that are lacking and just rely on others. What i mean to say is that he is our future and we should surround him through the years with players that will work well with him. Steve Nash is the face of this franchise,in a perfect world we should just allow him to decide when he want’s to leave and absolutely not the other way around. He is everything this team and organization needed,needs and has,an unselfish player who makes everyone around him better,a leader,clutch player,strong but calm voice in the locker room. In a system that doesn’t work for him or through him he is trying to make the most of it for others but unfortunately his few shortcomings are showing now and sometimes costing us in games. Can’t hide from the truth. He needs help in the backcourt. The coach has to use him and rotate things around him in a way to protect him and utilize his many many strengths. Nash can be our Stockton(playing at a high level for 4 more years)while at the same time smoothing the transition to a younger player in a couple of season,if not next year. At the end of the day,It’s obvious that although we love Shaq and his new found energy and even though i still believe that we can be fearsome in the playoffs,in my opinion,the way that he is canceling out Stat in the paint with the force feeding he requires and Steve nash’s up tempo game(even in mild form) plus his serious pick n’ roll defence problems.Now that Shaq’s trade value is up let’s try to ship him out and try getting a defense-rebound-mid range jumper player like (Hawes,Bogut,Murphy or even Rasheed Wallace)(someone like kurt thomas…)along with a guard that can control the tempo and just be tough.(sessions,jack,marcus williams,conley,)dangle barbosa or richardson to get the guard you need and just get a filler for shaq. It’s much smarter to trade a 36 year old great player that hurts the production of your other 2 great players. If not for Nash do it for Grant Hill who has been an inspiration this year.
Sorry about the long post…
Don't trust anyone over 30
Next yeat — not this year — let the old-timers go. Give them until the end of the year, though. For three reasons: (1) the players deserve a chance to prove all the doubters wrong (2) big changes now doom all hope for this year, and there’s still a sliver of hope, and (3) there does not appear to be any indication that anything that can be done right now cannot be done in the off-season (and/or the off-season may be a better time to do it).
All old-timers need to go for different reasons:
Grant Hill — I can’t stand to see him suffer here any longer. He’s got 2 to 4 more good years. Why does anyone think he’ll re-sign here at the minimum, anyway? If he really wants to win, why wouldn’t he go to a team like the Cavs and play alongside LeBron James next year? From a basketball fan’s standpoint, wouldn’t that be fun to see?
Shaq — There may be a contender or two willing to take on one year at $20M. He’s played well and might be able to make a difference on the right team. Maybe. He might be able to net some badly-needed draft picks in the off-season. Also, how long is it going to be before this losing results in The Big Pouter showing his colors?
Nash — It’s just getting painful to watch, isn’t it? Pick up his option and trade him? He, too, may be able to get the Suns some draft picks and another guard.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
Overheard
Something to consider …
Shaq is having a good season, but at what cost? According to a source near Leander at the bar on Saturday night, the fault lies with the Shaq-centric offense. Too many turnovers, not enough opportunities, not enough involvement from the other players and less entertaining. If it’s boring to call the game, how much less fun are the players having this year? Having fun is an important part to winning. Not that Leander is that bright anyway …
Mmmmm ... Guinness
Catch 22
The Suns have tried to find a middle ground w/ Shaq but there is none. If he’s going to be on the floor the offense needs to go through him or just shoot jumpers. Period. You can’t play him anywhere but the low block and when he’s there the lane is clogged for Amare and Nash and JRich and Hill and LB.
I you take him off the floor you are left with Amare as the center which means no defense in the middle and no rebounding (sound familiar).
So, either Shaq goes or Amare and maybe Nash go. Pick your poison but it all comes back to the fundementally flawed notion that Shaq could fit with this team. He’s thrived with great shooters and one dominant creative shooting guard for a reason. The Suns tried to change the laws of Shaq gravity and failed and I don’t think you can blame Shaq for that.
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Seth Pollack on Feb 2, 2009 11:06 AM MST up reply actions
Seemed like D'Antoni had it figured it out
I actually liked the trade. I felt Shaq was going to help us with rebounding (which he did) and allowed Amar’e to play freely (which he did). Shaq came in happy to be a role player, 13-15 PPG and 12 rebounds a night was all we needed from him. Slow the game down whenever we needed to. That was the plan right? That was how Mike was using him and it was working.
Now, Porter is making him the first scoring option. And although Shaq is responding with +20 points a game, he can’t sustain that for 48 min. How many times have we seen Shaq score +15 point in the first half and finish with 22? He get’s tired. He’s not 24 anymore. You can’t expect the same results that he had back in his Lakers days when the offense was centered on him. He can’t carry this team on his own.
"Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it"
finally, someone else gets it..
Mike’s plan, as I understand it, was to have last year’s team with a more mobile Shaq, and a pre-season under their belts. That could have been amazing to watch, as it was during those moments, last year, when the team jelled.
"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".
by Pliny the Elder on Feb 2, 2009 12:51 PM MST up reply actions
Professionals
I always Suns fans/players talk about a need for fun. That’s BS, these are all professionals, this is their job. Look at all the championship winners in this decade. The Shaq – Kobe had just as much, if not more, ego and chemistry problems but kept it from affecting their play. The role players were all high character players who knew what was expected of them and didn’t try to do too much (Rick Fox, Derek Fisher, Robert Horry). There wasn’t any need for fun there. The Spurs don’t go around in post-game interviews telling reporters that going through Duncan is boring and everyone needs to have more touches so they can have some fun. The Pistons were another high Defense, low possessions team. The only two players who got touches on the Heat team were Shaq and Wade. Everyone on the Celtics made sacrifices and were concentrated on winning games, not having fun.
This is why this team will never, ever win a championship. If your “superstar’s” first, second, and third priority isn’t winning games and the championship, you’re not gonna win period.
Partly True
But if you’re not enjoying your work, are you going to excel? Few, if any, successfuls person do not enjoy what they’re doing. It’s a positive feedback loop. If you enjoy it, you do it more, you do it better and you enjoy it more.
The Sp*rs players are not unhappy. Neither are the Celtics’ players.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
exactly..
Most people don’t realize that when it comes to talent and ability, the difference between the best and worst teams isn’t that great. The biggest difference is mental.
It doesn’t take much, as anybody who has worked in a cube farm knows, to eliminate any enthusiasm for the job. Giving 85% feels pretty much the same and as giving 100%, so it’s even hard to judge that anyone is slacking off.
That, in of itself, can be the difference between a 55 win season, and a 55 loss season. Just look at the Knicks’ resurgence under Mike D. Same players, different attitude = more wins + energized fan base.
"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".
by Pliny the Elder on Feb 2, 2009 1:30 PM MST up reply actions
Sure
But my point is, it should be fun to WIN. The Spurs/Celtics arent unhappy because they derive their joy from winning. I have a feeling that even if the Suns were first in the West, Amare would be unhappy if he wasn’t getting his touches and would play as he’s playing right now.
It's a vicious circle
I can’t think of a single team that won a championship, or even came close, where the coach was a complete bastard and had alienated his players. Even Larry Brown does a decent job of building locker room harmony.
imho, good morale is a prerequisite for winning, which in turn reinforces morale. But you have to start somewhere.
"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".
by Pliny the Elder on Feb 3, 2009 12:07 AM MST up reply actions
I don't quite agree
I think if the Suns are winning, Amare is relatively happy. If the Suns lose, but he scores a ton he is about as happy (maybe slightly less so). If the Suns lose and he’s not touching the ball, he can be downright disruptive. On that last point, it’s good if you’re an MJ clone (e.g., Kobe Bryant the summer before last) but bad if you’re now being put into the Vince Carter and T-Mac category.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
Amare is only happy..
if he’s the man.. Doesn’t care if the team wins, if he wasn’t center stage.
We saw it the year he came back from injury, and singlehandedly destroyed the locker room harmony, that had built up the previous season, with his preening for attention, and his demands to start, despite his inability to actually contribute meaningfully until mid-season.
Actually, the one mistake Steve Nash made, imho, was not inviting the rest of the team to his 2nd MVP presentation, the way he did the year before. I think that would really have helped cement Trix’s status as player 1b on the team, to Steve Nash’s 1a, and establish the locker room pecking order as far as Amare was concerned.
"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".
by Pliny the Elder on Feb 3, 2009 2:36 PM MST up reply actions
Kerr is a goner
I think that GM Steve Kerr will be fired at the end of the season. When he took over, he turned a team that was a competitive, top-3 team in the West into an also-ran. Goes to show you if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…
Oh but if the championship was the goal
It was already broken, and needed a fix…. but the fix is not the right fix……… yet!!!! (Hey, I’m optimistic :D, this is a team of professional basketball players, all with a certain hunger, and a collective talent thats greater than most other teams, they’ll figure it out)
Whats up doc?
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- Evan Turner loves getting his butt kicked
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