Sunscast Podcast Episode 7: Don't Free Steve Nash

The latest on...well, you know

4 months ago Seth Pollack 20 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Sweet!

It is time for another episode.

"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!

by Airwave on Jan 19, 2012 2:17 PM MST reply actions

Love Gibberman bitterly recapping the Sun's losing streak

by hcblankscreen on Jan 19, 2012 3:31 PM MST reply actions

Gibberman has to admit the Knicks suck.

"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley

by Suns R Us on Jan 19, 2012 3:35 PM MST reply actions

Great podcast

I loved the analysis of Brown – from both of you.

Great listen – sensible and even when you disagree, you have solid arguments.

by MMotherwell on Jan 19, 2012 4:57 PM MST reply actions

Here is what Hollinger said about Bledsoe's return

The frontcourt depth is scary bad, and letting consistently productive Craig Smith slink off to Portland for the minimum was a tremendous oversight. At some point, the Clippers need to parlay their backcourt depth into a decent third big man. No, one-trick pony Evans doesn’t qualify.

They might even be tricked into giving up more (a pick or two).

by MMotherwell on Jan 19, 2012 4:59 PM MST reply actions

Wrong thread

Can I say, Miami is the best fit – Nash is a shooter, and he’s the ideal late game guy to have, and they could hide Nash on D soooooo well.

There is no one we can trade Nash to that preserves our cap space. There just isn’t, and cap space is worth assets (ask OKC).

by MMotherwell on Jan 19, 2012 5:03 PM MST up reply actions

There is none to spend our salary next year

And besides i think we should go full rebuilding i like Bledsoe and D.J Augustin

roses are red violets are blue, Michael Redd is coming for you!

by Lino Canaan on Jan 19, 2012 5:06 PM MST up reply actions

How do you know?

There is this prescience that so many basketball fans have that I don’t understand. What makes anyone think they know the future?

Who could have predicted that Jerry Sloan would quit mid season, and the Jazz trade Deron? What about Cleveland having the Clippers 1st rounder luck into the top pick in the lottery? What about all the big trades for the last 10 years – Shaq (several times), Garnett, McGrady, Gasol.

The NBA is a league like no other. Because of the short supply of tall people, there will always be a lack of quality NBA talent in the world, and the very best will be hard to get.

But the thing is a team CAN get lucky and turn it all around in a hurry. Just ask Boston, who went from 2nd worst IN THE LEAGUE to a title in a single year.

What a team needs to do is maximise its chances of getting lucky. That means maximise ALL THE ASSETS – maximise the number of draft picks, maximise capspace, maximise your chance of winning the lottery and maximise the number of good, trade-able assets a team has.

Look at OKC. That team was built off capspace. They traded $8 million in capspace for 3 1st round picks – 2 from us, one from SAS, signed Nick Collison to a silly but uniquely cheap contract and are competitive with a low payroll.

If we are going to rebuild, the key is to hoard assets, and hope you can turn them into a star. That was Ainge’s theory – either draft a star (Durant) or, if the lottery balls don’t fall, trade your assets (Jefferson, a few picks and scrubs) for a star (Garnett). OKC got the ping pong balls, but they still don’t have the title Boston does.

“Full rebuild” is not a trade made now for a player to build around – that isn’t going to be possible – and not a trade for a middling player, but maximizing in all directions. That is best done next year, when we can start the process of allocating assets all over again.

by MMotherwell on Jan 19, 2012 5:25 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs

this

by iceythril on Jan 19, 2012 8:52 PM MST up reply actions

Just also remember that it took OKC four years of suck plus incredible luck to have the right pick at the right time plus all the smart moves they made…

It’s obviously possible, but for every OKC, theres a Sacramento, Washington, Toronoto, Bobcats, Bucks

Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo

by Seth Pollack on Jan 20, 2012 8:09 AM MST up reply actions

So you're saying we have a chance...

"The Knicks with the swiss cheese defense.
...Vince Carter likes cheese." -Walt Frazier

by ajcarleton on Jan 20, 2012 8:11 AM MST up reply actions

This is why it is imperative

that this current management team needs to try to acquire another first round pick in this years draft. No more Childress, Warrick, trading 1st round pick to get Brooks ( along with Dragic) Free agents next year will be strong, however most of players will resign with there current club. So to me the draft is the way to go.

by Grockcubs on Jan 20, 2012 8:39 AM MST up reply actions

The difference is

OKC had LOTS of picks, and LOTS of capspace. You need luck, but you need to maximise your luck. Going down the “suck” path with only one pick a year, and it is 5 years before you have a new starting lineup that you draft.

A team needs luck in all directions, both where it picks (1 vs 5) and WHO it picks (Roy vs Foye), and a team needs lots of picks (Ibaka, Mullen, Cole Aldrich) in order to get that extra starter. Compare that to Sacramento, which has had a single pick in each draft lottery, and luck plays a part, so maximising your luck is the smartest strategy.

by MMotherwell on Jan 20, 2012 4:45 PM MST up reply actions

The rebounding comments are just wrong

The scheme is the problem – we are playing a half zone, and zones hurt boxing out. Rewatch the game, and watch the switching, and see where the players are positioned when the ball goes up. It is almost always nowhere near their opponent.

The defensive scheme is the cause of our rebounding issues – it really is.

by MMotherwell on Jan 19, 2012 5:09 PM MST reply actions

I agree with you on a number of points

Brown needs to start over Price. It’s the only way to maximize his talent, and it also ensures that Telfair never plays.

Lopez needs a LOT more playing time. He deserves more minutes than Warrick, IMO. Warrick gets us points, but gives up twice as many at the other end.

Your discussion on Nash was interesting. If there is no viable trade to be had, do we just let him walk at the end of the season? At this point I don’t see him staying unless there is a really strong chance that we can land two good FAs, and the market is drying up quickly. The “best-case” scenario(outside of Dwight/Deron of course) is that Gordon/Love are still avilable this summer. We court them hard and hope for the best. I can see them signing if we throw enough money at them…but the downside is that they’re RFAs, so even if they want to come, they might not get the chance.

If we make offers a bit too rich for Minny/NO’s blood(max contracts for both I guess :/), then I think we can build from there. Nash re-signs and we have our top 5 PG. I imagine Hill retires after this season. Maybe we can re-sign Brooks once he comes back from China. I like Price, but Brooks would be an upgrade IMO. Hopefully we get a decent draft pick this season. I also really, really hope we keep Lopez and don’t just let him walk away. I’m still a big fan of his. Maybe Redd gets healthy by next year and can start for us.

If somehow all of that goes to plan, we can start

Nash
Gordon
Redd
Love
Gortat

That’s a great starting unit. Gordon can be our go-to scorer. Love spreads the floor, dominates the glass. Redd is an added bonus as a shooter to spread the floor. Our bench would be some combination of Brooks, Dudley, Frye, Markieff, and Lopez. I don’t know how we’ll play all 3 big guys together but maybe we can find a way.

I think that team can win some playoff rounds.

Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."

by rsavaj on Jan 20, 2012 10:18 AM MST reply actions

That lineup gives us top 10 players in every position except for SF… and 2 of them would be 23 and 24 yo. Pretty sure Love and Gordon will be getting max deals from their teams though.

BAMF goes HAM.

by brian13 on Jan 20, 2012 1:06 PM MST up reply actions

that would be nice….but Minnie isn’t letting Love go and will probably have him signed to a max extension this week.

As for Gordon, it would take a max offer (which is probably too much) and the Hornets would likely match. Best case with him is he turns down the max and takes the one-year QO so he can be a UFA in 2013. If that happens, the Hornets would almost certainly have to trade him to somewhere he wants to go.

Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo

by Seth Pollack on Jan 22, 2012 10:00 AM MST up reply actions