Suns Disappointments: Whose Been The Biggest Bust Over the Past 15 Years?
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:06 PM MDT
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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PrintRemember Backcourt 2000? How about Googs? Was big Jake finally the answer to the Suns' hunt for a dominating big guy? There have been some serious disappointments via draft, FA signings, and trades. Below is a nice list of guys that offhand seemed to be big time busts. Or maybe not.
Check out the Suns Player Register. Who else was a bust?
Here's a small list we can use to blast off into trashing both players for their performance and FO for their acquisition. Let us not hold back:
| PLAYER | SEASONS W SUNS | ACQUIRED BY | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | COMMENTS |
| Marcus Banks | 2 | FA SIGNING | 12 | 5 | N/A | 1 | Bad signing, bad contract, blame D'Antoni for this one. |
| Matt Barnes | 1 | FA SIGNING | 27 | 13.6 | 5.5 | 2.8 | Shot 42% and 34% from beyond the arc, while starting a brawl with the Rockets. Barnes had his moments for the Suns, but did he help the Suns more than he hurt them with ill-advised long range bricks and nearly 3 fouls pg? |
| Zarko Caparkaba |
1 | DRAFT 1ST ROUND (17TH PICK) | 11 | 4.1 | 1 | N/A | Zarko had just begun to seemingly find his groove with the suns when he was brutalized by Danny Fortson on a drive to the hoop. He never really got healthy again and was subsequently traded into obscurity (Golden State) |
| Boris Diaw | 3 | Via Trade | 24 | 10 | 4 | 3.6 | Acquired in the Joe Johnson deal, Diaw had some wonderful moments (Game winner vs. Dallas in the playoffs) but too often turned into Doris when the Suns needed him to go beastly. "DUNK IT BORIS FOR GODS SAKES!" |
| Chris Dudley | 1 | FA | 11.6 | 1.4 | 3.5 | N/A | Another effort to get a big man. But Dudley was 35, put up shotputs from the line, and perhaps focused too much on helping children. Come on Chris, get your priorities straight. |
| Brian Grant | 1 | FA | 11.8 | 2.9 | 2.7 | N/A | 21 games 1.67 million dollars for a guy who needed to play on crutches. |
| Penny Hardaway | 4 | FA | 30 | 14 | 5 | 5 | Remember how stoked you were to hear about the ill fated Back Court 2000? Well, life's full of disappointment. |
| Sam Cassel | 1 | Trade | 24.5 | 14.8 | 2 | 4.5 | HA HA HA HA HA...Oh God. That Barkley trade didn't work out so hot for the Suns, no? Rule of thumb, don't pick up a guy(s) who really don't want to play for your team. Include Horry in this one. |
|
|
3 | Trade | 40 | 21 | 3 | 8.2 | Stephon put up some good numbers for the Suns. But would you rather have had Kidd? If only Jason would have had some anger management class before he became a Sun, who knows how history would have been changed. |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 1.5 | Trade | 29 | 15 | 9.5 | 1.7 | You tell me how this worked out. |
| Jake Tsakilidis | 3 | Draft-1st round (25th pick) | 18 | 5 | 4 | N/A | The Suns finally found the big man they'd been searching for since missing out on Lew Alcinder. Er, maybe not |
| Hot Rod Williams | 3 | Trade (Dan Majerle) | 22 | 6 | 6 | 1 | Just a stupid trade. It made me ill to watch this slow footed sasquatch play |
| Tom Gugliotta | 5 | FA | 20 | 9 | 6 | 2 | Googs never once played 60 or more games for the Suns in a single season due to injuries. |
*Editor's note: I rounded a lot of the numbers as I was doing the math in my small brain.
So, do you agree, disagree? If so, why? And what busts have I missed?
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Comments
He was a scrub by the time we got him.
No expectations
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:10 PM MDT up reply actions
okay, but what about jake, didn't he flame out of /memphis before we got him?
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
We drafted him.
Memphis had him after
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:13 PM MDT up reply actions
lol, oops, I thought memphis drafted him first, what pick did we select him with?
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by itkonlyyou207s on Aug 1, 2010 7:20 AM MDT up reply actions
In 04-05, zarko averaged 29.5 ppg per 36, how could you say he is a bust.
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
just because he has one good season
doesn’t mean he isn’t a bust. in fact, that makes him more of a bust when he has a good year followed by a bunch of crappy ones or injury marred ones.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:24 PM MDT up reply actions
This is no place for that
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:27 PM MDT up reply actions
oh sarcasm...i don't recognize that-ever.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:38 PM MDT up reply actions
Barnes doesn't really belong
He was a one year flyer. How disappointed could you have been?
Also – how about Jalen Rose? Remember all the hub bub when he was brought on board? And how Miami/Phoenix fought for him? Then we benched his ass. Take that Fab Five.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
considering he took 4.4 threes per game, I hated that bastard
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
Barnes played great for the Suns
I still wonder why most of you hate on Barnes. He made the league minimum for his 1 year in PHX, where he had his best year of his career stats wise. Yes, he took some ill advised shots, but he played really good defense. And he was very versatile on offense, being able to play multiple positions. In many ways, he was a lot like the Matrix, except without the huge contract, less athletic ability.
by Aluminum Foyle on Jul 27, 2010 2:55 PM MDT up reply actions
I agree with you
plus it was good to have some edge on the court…which BTW he left that tude ON THE COURT.
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
+1
My theory is that once someone perceived to be knowledgeable bags on a player, everyone else does as well to sound smart.
The truth is, he was a good defender and a good passer who sometimes struggled from the 3. Would I want him back? If there was a spot for him, heck yes.
It seems the Lakers, who might know a thing or two about basketball, would agree…
because he lost us some games
directly because of his stupid plays.
Utah – Suns up 3 with 10 seconds to play. Barnes throws it in off Hill’s hip (who wasn’t looking) and Utah gets possession, ends up winning the game and ending Suns playoff hopes.
There were others, but this one tops them all.
Plus, ever wonder why a guy who is SO GOOD is on his 9th team in 8 seasons? And has never, ever gotten more than a 1-yr contract from any team?
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
"...And has never, ever gotten more than a 1-yr contract from any team?"
“Free-agent forward Matt Barnes has signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.”
but then I saw a report that only yr 1 is guaranteed
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Jul 28, 2010 11:12 AM MDT up reply actions
so important you had to do the comment twice huh?
looks like year 2 is a player-option (I’d heard both yrs werent guaranteed, but this is close enough).
http://hoopshype.com/salaries/la_lakers.htm
but that doesn’t hide the fact the Barnes has never made more than 2 mil a year, and he’s been in the league 8 yrs with 9 teams. All I’m saying is that he’s not all that and a bag of chips.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Jul 28, 2010 11:18 AM MDT up reply actions
well,
you made 2 separate comments, so I bolded the relevant points to reply to each one separately just to be sure :-)
anyways, I understand that you ( and most people here, apparently ) hated him here, and that’s fine..but you have to admit that’s mostly based on emotion and high profile memories ( yes, I remember that bone headed play in utah as well ), and not necessarily an impartial view.
Nothing wrong with that, there’s punks I bag on all the time because I dislike them even though I begrudgingly admit they’re not bad players. I just wanted to give the other side of the story…
that said...
now that he’s not only a laker but so freaking proud to be one…
he’s a no good, 3 pt chucking, tatt’ed up punk ass dummy who needs to be taken OUT!
Barnes defensive energy is great, never scared to guard anybody.
That game he played against Kobe in Orlando on national TV last season was Matt Barnes at his best (Orlando won). That bush league fake throw at Kobe’s head was one of the funniest thing’s I’ve seen on an NBA court.
His offense is what would bother me with Suns. He would be playing with four other players that were MUCH better scorers (HOFers!) then him and STILL hoist up a contested three. He’s a spaz on offense. A liability even.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Aug 4, 2010 2:38 PM MDT up reply actions
Im not going to call him a bust because he never got to play
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:17 PM MDT up reply actions
responding to Jalen Rose comment
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:24 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm not necessarily calling him a bust
Want to see what you all think. That’s kind of the point
I will say he shot way too many 3’s. And his tatoos were offensive to grandma
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:18 PM MDT up reply actions
I agree with this
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
He was a throw-in.
The Taylor Griffin of his time.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
Dijon
WellI’ma huge Grey Poupon fan, so I thought I’d let that one go.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:39 PM MDT up reply actions
Sadly, Dijon Thompson couldn't cut the mustard.
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 2:40 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
instantrimshot.com
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:43 PM MDT up reply actions
We selected PF Ed Pinckney at #10 in the 1985 NBA draft
Karl Malone was selected at #13 in the same draft. I know I’m going back a long time, but try to top that one.
thank you, BKJ.
If my math is correct, 15 years ago leaves us at ’95. Or at least in my mind it is.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:19 PM MDT up reply actions
Oops
I can’t be expected to see that. It was only in the……title.
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 2:20 PM MDT up reply actions
Its okay, I was about to say armen gilliam, but then I looked at the title and was dissappointed
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
Definitely Banks.
I would take Chris Dudley off of this list, as he helped us cleanse ourselves of the Luc Longley disaster.
Hot Rod Williams is a close second, as …ugh… Dan Majerle was traded for him and it was the beginning of the end of the relationship between Barkley and Colangelo.
But Banks must have put a Jedi mind trick on somebody to get himself a long-term deal.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
or by his lattin name
brickious clankious
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
Actually
Considering all the money he has pocketed over the last five years for minimal contribution, Banks is a quite appropriate name.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
by RMason on Jul 27, 2010 3:58 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs
reccd for irony er something like that
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:03 PM MDT up reply actions
You know who was a gigantic disappointment although his on the court ability was great?
Richard Dumas. He keeps his nose clean and the Suns could probably have pulled off 94 or 95.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:17 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Dumas returned to the squad in '95 after rehab and all that
But I considered him more of a 1992-3 guy so I didn’t include him….But yeah total bust
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:22 PM MDT up reply actions
Yea you're right....
I wanted to stretch a little.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:23 PM MDT up reply actions
I want to say Q-rich because of the ungodly amount of threes he took
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
He also made a whole lot
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:22 PM MDT up reply actions
Read the part about Q-rich by this article by Rmason
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
believe it or not i had Q-Rich on the list, but I had to put Googs in
couldnt’ add another row…..Nice one, though.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:34 PM MDT up reply actions
PORTER! PORTER! PORTER!
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
No! Don't do it Bkj! I made it all up!
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
He was the only guy who looked good doing it though. He wore the #3, won the 3-point competition, and took as well as made more 3’s than anyone else in that season. It all make sense. I wouldn’t call him a bust. He was perfect for our system and a fan favorite then. His contract was just too big. Plus, he hit like 4 game winners for us that year.
Don't trade Dudley!
I don't care what his % was, Q was Qlutch that year
He easily won 10 close games with timely 3s.
His trade demand handcuffed the Suns though.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Aug 4, 2010 2:44 PM MDT up reply actions
I love this thread a lot.
Another possibility…Antonio McDyess the first time around.
We traded Person, 2 first round picks and 2 second round picks for a 1 year rental of Dice. That’s pretty disappointing.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
your approval
warms my heart, scott. feeling real warm and fuzzy….
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:37 PM MDT up reply actions
"Big Jake" Tsakilidis
There was a LOT of hype around this guy when we drafted him, and it was such a big deal when we were able to get him out of his Euro contract. Then, he got here, and he was a big, slow stiff. A poor man’s Joe Kleine.
"Big Jake" Tsakilidis
Can’t shoot,can’t jump,can’t move,can’t defend,can’t run,can’t catch,can’t rebound,can’t hit layups,can’t read.
Gugliotta
In 01-02 he played 44 games, 6.5 ppg and 5 rpg, .422 FG%, and made $10.1 million.
In 02-03 he played 27 games, 4.8 ppg and 3.7 rpg, and made $10.9 million.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/guglito01.html
That makes me want to cry.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
Bottom line production, yes, he was awful
Especially considering his salary. But I’m inclined to give him somewhat of a pass because it was due to injuries and not really his fault.
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 2:31 PM MDT up reply actions
Perhaps,
But if you check out the link you’ll see that his decline started before the injury. The injury just sealed his status as an enormous salary bust.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
freaking randy livingston
i still remember watching that game when malone threw him into googs’ knee
typing the name randy livingston just made me realize that the one thing the Suns have always sucked at is signing backup point guards (until we drafted Dragic). livingston shouldn’t have been in the league
Barnes?
everytime an opposing player pissing me off and thought man i wish some one would clock that guy in the face, barnes would go clock in the face plus he put up solid number despite being porterd…hey …speaking of wich why the hell isn’t his ass on this list. man that guy pissed me off
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
who Porter? or Barnes
Didnt include coaches.
doesn’t ANYTHING make you people happy…Cripe.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:36 PM MDT up reply actions
But, I agree with you that I sorta liked Barnes
The only problem was, when I talked trash to my Nugget fan friends about all the tatted up players they had, they could return with, “what about Matt Barnes?”
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 2:38 PM MDT up reply actions
If we were going to do a similar post on coaches...
Frank Johnson having an affair with the wife of the owner of Hancock Homes would have to top the list.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
so that led to his firing? were they a big sponsor or something?
i never heard that story
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:40 PM MDT up reply actions
It's not detailed in this article,
But it contributed to Frank’s dismissal, plus it cost the Suns a 600K a year sponsership.
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/11/03/20081103biz-hancock1104-ON.html
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
you said busts
and nobody was more busted for PHX then that GUY.
Stats;
the ONLY Nash team to miss the playoffs
and no thanks to scott howard NOTHING makes me happy any more
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
I think Porter was just misunderstood.
Kind of like the Godfather Part III.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
sweet jesus
you’re right!
I just thought the acting was atrocious, the plot preposterous, and the movie was as boring as watching old people make love. Turns out I was too slow to understand the brilliance of Sophia Coppola
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:42 PM MDT up reply actions
Yup
Like Sofia Coppola, Terry Porter was operating on a plane of excellence that we just aren’t meant to understand.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
don't fart on my lap and tell me its roses
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
I have an off-topic question: Why did we unload rudy fernandez and james jones to the blazers
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
NO OFF TOPICS HERE, BKJ.
ID SAY $$$$ OFFHAND WITHOUT LOOKING anything up
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 2:35 PM MDT up reply actions
Damnit, I remeber draft day, what was it 4 mil for a quality bench player and a draft pick?
Jones was my favorite bench player next to jim jackson
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
Rudy was $$$, I think JJ was no longer needed after the Grant Hill signing. Could be wrong.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
Hill wasn't signed until a full year after, it was 2007 that rudy was drafted, right?
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
Grant Hill signed in 2007
Rudy Fernandez was drafted in 27, RMason was right.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
I think JJ was to avoid paying more luxury tax
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 2:45 PM MDT up reply actions
how about guys that showed promise but then we coincidentally got rid of...
todd day, casey jacobson, james jones, alando tucker, tony delk, rodney rogers, and so on…
casey jacobson showed promise???
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
nah
he was drafted as a project/potential defensive stopper. i wouldnt call him a bust, he had about a 2% chance of sticking around and winning a job.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 3:15 PM MDT up reply actions
I'd like to see a thread about the Nash/Suns effect
How many players have come to Phoenix as mediocre and shined as a Sun only to leave Phoenix to suck on another team?
6 is correct for $1,000
Where did you get that number from?
He did a write up on it a while back, if I'm not mistaken
For every sunset, there will always be a sunrise.
Nah.
I’m just smug
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 3:31 PM MDT up reply actions
scott write that up
and be as negative as possible
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
Smugness nearly murdered
al of South Park. Don’t by a hybrid Scott, it will lead you down the path of destruction.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:08 PM MDT up reply actions
you can write that up on a fanshot, man. id love to read it.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 3:14 PM MDT up reply actions
Not Luc Longley
The Nash effect…Or Luc Longley. Australians are dreamy.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:08 PM MDT up reply actions
Luc Longley!
How did we forget about him? We traded 3 players (yeah, they were scrubs Bubba Wells, Mark Bryant and Martin Muursepp, but still), and the draft pick that was eventually used by Chicago to select Ron Artest for Luc freaking Longley. Oh, and we paid him $4M and $5M for his 2 seasons with us, not chump change in the late 90s.
I am very puzzled by why Jacobsen failed. Why didn’t the Suns or anyone else seriously want him? He could shoot.
Not a good fit at the time.
He was a shooter, but just didn’t have the body to go with it. Like a smaller, less talented Mike Miller or Mike Dunleavy. Plus he was the token white-guy on the team.
You can blame D'Antoni for this one.
He never played his rookies. Or even went seven deep! I loved Jacobson coming out of Stanford. I always rooted for him when he got PT. But then he could never hit his threes, and I would keep telling my wife, “Trust me, this guy can shoot!” But then he would miss again and get sent to the bench.
guys
when a player doesn’t succeed for ANY TEAM, why do we harbor belief that they were actually a good player? hellooooooo
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I remember that draft well..
I was stoked we got Amare, was not sold on Drew Gooden or Chris Wilcox..
However I was hoping that we would snag Tayshaun Prince with our next pick, but instead the Suns felt Jacobsen was a better prospect..
Jerry Colangelo could be impulsive and impatient
For the simple reason that Hot Rod Williams had been injured in an auto accident and was damaged goods, the Dan Majerle-Hot Rod Williams trade was ridiculous on its face. (Unless Williams got injured after the trade occurred, and if I recall, he didn’t.)
In light of that, it seems that Jerry Colangelo was capable of making extremely risky trades out of desperation (in this case, provoked by Hakeem Olajuwon embarrassing his team two years in a row). The Majerle trade destroyed the Charles Barkley era by making Barkley mad; also by ruining the chemistry of that team, which was obviously unstable. We all know Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley couldn’t stand each other, and I suspect that Dan Majerle, having played with Kevin Johnson before Barkley but evidently being friends with both Johnson and Barkley, was the bridge between them; if so, then by trading Majerle, Colangelo burned the bridge.
My other idea is: since trading Charles Barkley to the Rockets for spare parts was obviously a one-sides trade in the Rockets’ favor—all it ever did was help the Suns get Jason Kidd—could Jerry Colangelo have made that stupid trade on purpose to insult Barkley? They were supposedly feuding, and since the Suns were likely to have some bad times for a while after losing Charles Barkley, perhaps Colangelo thought he had little to lose. I don’t know enough about his psyche…
I wonder if Colangelo was angry enough that
Danny Manning
I’m glad nobody was harsh enough to cite Danny Manning. We must all agree that those damn knee injuries were bad luck.
thought about it....but i remember those squads with AC Green and maybe it was post Barkley-cant remember
He was pretty big for the Suns in an otherwise boring team
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:10 PM MDT up reply actions
Was gonna mention him
He qualifies, but wanted to add “with all due respect to the deceased”, since he died last year.
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 3:39 PM MDT up reply actions
yeah wasnt gonna touch he or Rodney Rogers.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:10 PM MDT up reply actions
i get em confused but i think he's disabled. like relegated to a wheel chair
atv accident
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:33 PM MDT up reply actions
Wil's right
Really sad story on Rogers http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5073753
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 5:53 PM MDT up reply actions
That is a sad story
It should also be noted that Rogers was a good player for us. He won 6th Man of the Year in 2000, and then we were able to get Joe Johnson for him in a trade.
by East Bay Ray on Jul 27, 2010 6:16 PM MDT up reply actions
i like him. he was a huge body and could hit a three
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 6:31 PM MDT up reply actions
Wayman was a MONSTER bass player - and a sweet man.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Wayman was alright
Just a little over valued coming from a team where he did all the scoring. He certainly didn’t hold the team back or bring in huge expectations.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Aug 4, 2010 3:35 PM MDT up reply actions
Quality post – allows us to vent with 100% anger and hatred.
However, as I am filled with neither, I cannot comment.
The NBA: Where Scott Howard happens.
Doris gets my vote.
I was never more frustrated watching a player.
I pulled out more hair watching Boris Diaw than any other player we’ve ever had .
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
That’s true, but he doesn’t qualify for the #1 bust in my book because his first year with us war really good. 13ppg, 7rpg, 6apg.-not bad.
Don't trade Dudley!
but he's french!
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
the roman general Marcus clankacous
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
don't blame Banks
Blame his awful coach for wanting him to be a scorer and playmaker rather than the lockdown defender he potentially was.
he wasnt any of those
he sucked.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 5:34 PM MDT up reply actions
Blame D'Antoni?
That only accounts for two years of Marcus’ suckness.
"I make my case against a stack full of comics. Here comes the line.... I'm loaded with rocket fuel!!"
- Mike Watt, The Minutemen
Then you can also blame
Jim O’Brien, John Carroll, Doc Rivers, Dwayne Casey, Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Jay Triano and Sam Mitchell
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Jul 27, 2010 6:13 PM MDT up reply actions
done.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 6:31 PM MDT up reply actions
No comments on Penny huh? I'm surprised.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 6:35 PM MDT up reply actions
it was a packaged deal, big and little
but lil went away once big became an injury riddled afterthought. he probably would have outperformed big penny
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 27, 2010 6:48 PM MDT up reply actions
I think he did.
Dude was FUNNY! (the little one).
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
How about Wesley Person?
This guy was supposed to be as good as brother Chuck and Dan Majerle’s replacement and became neither,just a journeyman who was a streaky shooter and couldn’t defend for his life.
Yup
This is exactly who I was thinking of. I was ready to be a Wesley Person fan.
Everybody was. He was sort of hyped. I mean, Al McCoy kept trying to compare him to Walter Davis.
by 8472species on Jul 28, 2010 11:32 AM MDT up reply actions
Wanted: A Big Man
You could make a separate post on the Suns obsession with finding a “big man” in the 90s: (in no particular order) Mark West (latter years), Hot Rod (also latter years), Oliver Miller, Schayes, Dudley, Tsakilidis.
Even Shaq was promoted as the one critically missing piece to put ’em over the top.
In hindsight, the preoccupation with finding a good “conventional” center was a decade of wasted energy.
stefano rusconi?
ok, you probably didnt’ have big expectations of him but still… he played in 1995 I think so that would qualify him to enter the list…
I just read on wiki tha the still play in italian 4th division at age of 42…
Might be on the fringe of 15yrs but...
Oliver Miller. Had size and talent, just no heart. Can’t believe no one else remembers or mentioned him.
Armon Gilliam
He was the #2 pick of the draft, didn’t do much and was traded 2 1/2 seasons later for Kurt Rambis.
Really, really thin draft
Just a bad year not to be #1. Yeah the Suns missed out on Pippen, but look at the draft and you will see that most of those 1st rounders never made it past their rookie contract. The Hammer could board and score inside, but never turned into the star they needed. Pretty solid career.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Aug 4, 2010 3:43 PM MDT up reply actions
Sorry about the long memory...
But all of these busts put together can’t hold a candle to what it meant to lose Dennis Johnson and get…….Rick Robey?
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
Agreed on Robey...
but that is outside of the 15 year window.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Aug 4, 2010 2:58 PM MDT up reply actions
Can I use the crystal ball...
and nominate Hedon’t Turkoglu in advance? 4 years and $40 million to a 31 year old with a career 42.7 fg% and 4.3 rpg looks like the perfect combination to meteorically rise right to the top of this list. I would really love to be proven wrong, but this has way more potential for disaster than most of the guys on that list.
Tie: Penny Hardaway and Googs
No draft pick can compare. Marcus Banks at 4 mil a season? That’s just an overpaid reserve and bad scouting by the Suns.
Penny was an all world player. Googs was a great athlete, all around player. Suns never saw any of that and their bloated contracts set the Suns back for awhile.
Really close second with Hot Rod Williams.
Honorable mention for Cassell. Played well for every team except the Suns.
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