Phoenix Suns First Half Review: They Are Who We Thought They Were
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 7:32 AM MST
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
Email
PrintAt the all-star break, the Phoenix Suns sit right about where we expected when the season started - a little under .500 with a handful of 'shoulda coulda' games in the loss column. We all know the Suns' biggest problem is a lack of overall talent. The fans know it. Opposing teams know it. The Suns' front office knows it. Even the untalented players themselves know it.
But that's not the worst part. To know it is one thing. To accept it, to talk about it with the media is quite another. Rather than saying "we're talented enough, we just didn't execute", the players discuss their own limitations in a way that's generally reserved for beat writers and bloggers.
"We are not a very talented team," Nash says, which was echoed by at least Channing Frye recently.
At least head coach Alvin Gentry has so far refused to play that card. He talks of hustle and effort as the difference between wins and losses, and he's right to an extent. I can count on more than one hand how many times this team has lost because they didn't work as hard as their opponent.
But this roster is not built to win games on hustle. Their two best players almost 40 years old. Their middling players are, in their late 20s, already past their "hustling" prime. The only midseason addition to the team is a guy in his 30s who was never a hustle guy to begin with. No, this team is not built to win on hustle.
So why in the world is the front office sitting on its hands?
They have a plan, they say. Sarver and Babby have said it before, and said it again recently. They don't want to blow it up because their research shows it takes 8-10 years to get back to the top once you've blown it up.
Instead, they want to remain competitive and retool on the fly. And that this summer will mark the start of that retooling, when they find $30 million burning a hole in their pockets (possibly more if they decide to eat Childress and Warrick's contracts via amnesty and release, respectively).
This is more money than the Suns have been free to spend since Sarver's first summer as Suns owner in 2004, and that one turned out quite well. But the difference between 2004 and 2012 is striking.
In 2004, the Suns were spending money to supplement a young core of Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and Leandro Barbosa - none older than 24 and all with individual NBA awards in their future.
This time, the draft and free agency period is supplementing a middling core of Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris. Only Morris is young by NBA standards and he doesn't project to win any individual NBA awards in his future. But those three guys are good pieces to a larger puzzle. Either the Suns' puzzle or someone else's.
Of course, the Suns front office knows this. To get back to the top, they have to infuse a lot of talent. They know it. You know it. The players know it.
There is no present with this current group of players. And there is no future with this current group of players. There is only purgatory. No wonder they're not winning games on hustle. Guys only hustle when they believe in something bigger than themselves.
So I ask again, why is the front office sitting on its hands?
I understand, and wholeheartedly agree with, the plan to keep everyone on 1-year contracts for maximum offseason flexibility.
And I understand, and somewhat agree with, the plan to win as many games this season as possible without compromising the main plan.
But when you know your bench is not cutting it, to the point where every single non-starter has been 'DNP - coach's decision' at some point, why not scour the waiver wire, D-league rosters and the end of other NBA rosters for a diamond in the rough? What can it possibly hurt?
Jeremy Lin was available to every NBA team a month ago. Gustavo Ayon was available in December. Wesley Mathews was discovered this way a couple years ago. Sundiata Gaines, Reggie Williams, Anthony Tolliver as well. These guys aren't going to make you a long-term winner, but why not try them out just in case? This season could be about feel-good stories for a handful of guys who just need that chance. Could they do any worse than Brown, Telfair or Price?
With two weeks until the trading deadline and eight weeks until the end of the season, the Suns front office needs to make a decision and run with it. Hard.
There is no long-term value to keeping this roster exactly as it is through the end of the season. There's nothing more to learn about any of the players who will be let go this summer.
They are who we thought they were: not a very talented bunch.
For more exclusive content, follow us on Twitter @Brightsidesun and "Like" us on Facebook.
58 comments
|
5 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Why don't we try something?
Here’s the answer to your question as to why we don’t take a flier on a d-leaguer or free agent. Money: Sarver doesn’t want to part with it. The contracts we have are guaranteed bills to him and he doesn’t want to add anymore.
Just to set the record straight, most here believed this was a playoff team preseason.
From the poll in December 24 prior to the season, only 36% here believed this team would not make the playoffs. Nearly one quarter believed the team to be good enough to win one (or laughingly two) playoff series. So, to say the Suns are who we thought they were is revisionist history, plain and simple.
I got some serious backlash for calling these Suns one of the worst in a long time
There is still time to turn it around and had the Suns merely won the games vs. Cavs, Warriors, and Nets we would be talking about a playoff run.
My home team bias for optimism is tempered by what I have seen the coach, players, and management achieve in the past. I also get the feeling that Sarver is not the type of owner that is going to throw out several million dollars for a go to scorer to push the Suns into the playoffs.
If you look at the April schedule it is brutal. I hate to say it, but I could see a full on tank job happening in the last month.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 28, 2012 11:05 AM MST up reply actions
I think that every history is revisionist history.
It just depends on whether or not you agree with the person who’s revising it.
I like walking down memory lane, too. Not in a mawkish or maudlin way, but more of a take that, I was right way. :)
What were the parameters again for those outlandish predictions?
Assumption #1: Nash and Hill will stay relatively healthy this season!
I think this stipulation has been satisfied to date.
Assumption #2: Some measurable level of growth from the under-30s!
Definitely measurable growth. Regression counts as growth right? Negative growth.
Assumption #3: Consistent Effort from everyone on the team!
Consistently inconsistent. There’s two consistents in there so that must mean we can put two check marks next to this one.
And then maybe there was some other miniscule caveat….
This is the Bright Side of the Sun, for darn sakes!
That’s right, we were trying to be positive about a situation that most of were wary of (to put it mildly).
How did Alex think we would do trying to be optimistic and setting preconditions?
I’d say somewhere between 30 to 36 wins out of 66.
Why so low?
Talent. Or, lack thereof.
That doesn’t sound completely like a ringing endorsement from a homer….
Maybe I should check back on myself….
I agree that Phoenix will be fighting for the eighth seed, but I think that Portland will be the main competition.
I think that your idea of ranging the win total from 32-38 for a BEST CASE scenario sounds right.
I agreed with Omaha (he of copious acumen) that a playoff spot might be possible…. Note the application of the caps lock to the words “best case” in the comment.
I might have been way off with that, but at least I had the Blazers pretty close since they are currently sitting in 9th.
Any more pearls of wisdom from me….
Even if I wasn’t going for the ceiling, I still think the Suns can sneak in to the 8th spot. I don’t think that teams like Portland, Minny, and Houston are superior to the Suns, but all these teams seem pretty close. It could come down to some good or bad breaks for teams.
There’s also nothing saying that the Suns (or other teams in the chase) can’t make a move before the deadline to improve their chances.
Houston’s doing pretty well so far and Minny looks like they might have finally deracinated themselves from the cellar (Has it been 8-10 years yet?)
Alex didn’t think the Timberkittens were ready for prime time yet…
I guess I’m stuck in the 2000s, but I just can’t imagine the Wolves winning a bunch more games than usual this season. They need a real veteran presence to win the close ones.
So I guess you’re right. You busted me picking the Suns to make the playoffs as an 8 seed in a preseason positivity prediction thread. I’m such a homer.
Along with the 76% of die hard, obsessive fans who felt that the ceiling for their favorite team was a punching bag for the Thunder in a first round playoff series that would be lucky to go 5 games. Overwhelmingly unrealistic and delusional.
You nailed it. We’re changing history. Thanks for setting that straight.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Feb 28, 2012 12:04 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
ah thanks Jim.
I actually was going to do what you just did, referencing my preseason prediction post. But then everything sounded the same as today, so I just went on a rant about it instead.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 12:26 PM MST up reply actions
You're right. All history is revisionist. Some more so than others.
I’m not sure how “I busted you” but when when the basic premise of the article is essentially 1) We ALL knew this team was bad and 2) why is the FO not doing something given 1, I have a basic problem when the first half of the argument is essentially wrong. Am I supposed to assume the second half is more accurate or wise?
the first half of that argument is correct. The Suns are a few games below .500 but still have a fighting chance for an 8-seed and have a handful of games they shoulda won. That’s exactly what most people thought in that same thread. Of course they hoped for an 8-seed, but only a small percentage of fans actually predicted anything better than that.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 12:33 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
here’s the link to that article (which I wrote, by the way), and the poll results
http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2011/12/24/2654206/phoenix-suns-season-forecast-2011-2012
23% predicted having a team that could win a round or two in the playoffs. I count that as 77% predicting the Suns to be in the same exact boat we are currently in.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 12:37 PM MST up reply actions
If you think his powers of delusion are strong,
you should see my Schwartz.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Feb 28, 2012 2:12 PM MST up reply actions
I'm sorry but your interpretation of the poll is different than mine.
The Suns are currently in 13th place. They are essentially out of the playoffs. This doesn’t exactly jive with the poll results.
fair enough. It’s perfectly okay and expected to have varying opinions. I respect yours, just don’t have to agree with them.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 12:40 PM MST up reply actions
Exactly, Alex.
I always respect your right to be wrong.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Feb 28, 2012 2:13 PM MST up reply actions 5 recs
So we disagree about the the "we all knew " part. The follow on part is why hasn't
the FO done something. In regards to doing something, what would you think about this move? Fire Gentry and Babby. To me, the real problem lies there. The specifics you mention are merely the symptoms of poor management. Addressing symptoms doesn’t cure the disease.
Excellent article Alex
Great read! I guess I really didn’t realize we only had 2 months until the end of the season but to be honest I am actually kinda excited. I am very excited to see what kind of moves our FO can pull off this summer. Like you said we have a lot of cash to spend. There will definitely be players we can draw in even if we have to overpay them (as long as they are worth it, not Childress and Warrick’s again). We also have the draft to look forward to which will be a crucial part of the “retool” process. It is dire that we come away with the right player.
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see us pull off some type of move before the deadline in 2 weeks. Our management has always been trigger happy on pre deadline trades. I would love to see our FO surprise us all and pull off a great move for our future before the deadline. A lot of people are very negative about our future and to a point that have every right to be, but I am excited about the opportunities we will have to improve via trade, draft, and most importantly free agency. I expect our roster to be completely different at the start of camp next season. I personally just hope we keep Nash unless we are offered at least some promising young talent and or high 1st round picks which isn’t likely. Sign him on a relatively cheap deal and put some good pieces around him to work with next season.
Or we could consider this article
Sure WP48 isn’t everything, but it does make some good points which call into question the coaching staff.
http://wagesofwins.com/2012/02/27/why-the-suns-are-setting-despite-having-stars/
Can't really say that writer watches the Suns very often
But even his limited view concludes that Gentry doesn’t know how to play Childress.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 28, 2012 11:10 AM MST up reply actions
In 2004, the Suns were spending money to supplement a young core of Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and Leandro Barbosa – none older than 24 and all with individual NBA awards in their future.
You just had to bring this up. It’s tough to realize that we’ve gone from Nash, Amar’e, Marion, JJ/Diaw, Q/Bell and Barbosa to Nash, Gortat, Hill, Dudley, Frye and Morris…
Don't trade Dudley!
...sigh... it's like having Green Lantern, Superman, Aquaman, and the Flash all leave the Justice League...
GL: I got a ring in DAL
Supes: I’m heading to NY to join the Avengers and be the MAN! except for thorMelo and I-Lin Man, so I’ll end up being #3 and then they’ll talk about trading me away…
Aquafresh: oh the desert is too dry! i gotta get more $ in ATL
Flash: meep, meep
now we got one of the Justice League janitors and two of them stretchy guys with no muscle playing for us…
…sigh…
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Feb 28, 2012 2:09 PM MST up reply actions 2 recs
I'd go so far as to say it's a rec-worthy one.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
I love how Superman has to enter an entirely different comic book universe
just to be “The Man”.
Because let’s face it… Batman is the face of DC.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Maybe it's Nash's fault?
After all, Batman never really did like having a partner.
Don't trade Dudley!
Do you remember the World's Finest team-up comics of Batman and Superman?
Nash and STAT
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Feb 28, 2012 10:19 PM MST up reply actions
Exactly.
They complement each other perfectly. Batman provides the brains while Superman provides the brawn. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire much?
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
While Batman is arguably the face of DC
his presence is diminished when standing next to Superman because Superman draws more attention to himself. Batman likes to operate methodically and on a less public stage. He quietly gets the job done without drawing attention to himself. Plus, he’s a genius and was the best at what he did. While it seemed like he may not like to work with others, it’s just a front. He knows he can’t do it alone and his constant need to alienate himself from his sidekicks and partners is because he wants to carry the burden himself so that others won’t have to.
It’s pretty clear Steve Nash is Bruce Wayne.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
You Know
I think Steve Nash could play a pretty good Batman and Bruce Wayne (especially Bruce Wayne).
Don't trade Dudley!
As long as he doesn't pull a Bale and provide a horrible raspy voice for Batman, by all means star him in the next Batman movie.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
I don't remember his voice being that bad in the first one
Although I haven’t seen it in a while.
Don't trade Dudley!
Bale's Batman basically sounds like he has laryngitis.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
The only bad thing about the movie.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
So I ask again, why is the front office sitting on its hands?
Is it possible they’re tanking? I mean the way things are looking, we could get a pretty good pick without having to trade Nash. To them that may be a win win. If they really wanted to attempt to improve this team, they could have gotten 3/4 of a season of Boris Diaw for practically nothing.
Don't trade Dudley!
3/4 of a season of Doris Meow is nothing
I think you could put up a strong case that Suns FO management tanked this season from beginning. Not for a lottery pick, but because Sarver knew it would be too expensive to compete.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 28, 2012 11:16 AM MST up reply actions
Is it possible they’re tanking?
I’m fine with tanking actually. But if you’re going to tank, you can do a whole lot better than this. You know what I mean? Trade everyone now for young guys that REALLY can’t win. And get the highest pick possible.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 28, 2012 12:28 PM MST up reply actions
Et Tu, Alex?
Et…gasp…freaking…Tu?.?.?
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
Don't trade Beavis
lol. I’m just saying “sh*t or get off the pot”, you know?
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
what moves would you suggest for the FO to make?
i think you guys are being too dramatic. no one’s tanking. the players just aren’t very good.
I'm all for turning over every rock to try to find a backup PG or scoring wing player
And like you, Alex, I don’t understand why the Suns aren’t doing that. You could say Gentry and the FO are being patient by continuing to give Telfair, Brown and Price opportunities but these aren’t young players. They have track records in the NBA and have proven to be nothing more than fringe players. To expect them to suddenly become more than that is unrealistic. Why not take very small risks on players who might have futures?
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
Why not take very small risks on players who might have futures?
Exactly, it’s not like they can do worse than the consistent poor play we have now.
by smeagolheart on Feb 28, 2012 1:12 PM MST up reply actions
"Why not take very small risks on players who might have futures?"
oh geez. now everyone wants to scour the D-League for their own J-Lin…sorry, it ain’t happenin! there’s a reason why he is such a big story, his situation is not typical. It’s extremely rare.
there’s a reason why Telfair, Brown, and Price have been in the league for years. They can play. There’s a reason why guys in the D-League stay there for years: they aren’t very good. If the Suns thought a free agent would help them out at this point in the season, they would sign him, right? They obviously haven’t seen anyone they think can help.
You're over-simplifying it.
Yes, it’s not likely we’ll find a star in the D-League. But solid rotation players come out of the D-League all the time. Reggie Williams, Anthony Tolliver, Ivan Johnson, J.J. Barea…
You can’t build a team through the D-League. But saying D-Leaguers “aren’t very good” is over-simplifying the situation. There is definitely talent there.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
Spoken like a true Ridiculous Upside-r
Scott S. would be proud.
And, agreed.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 29, 2012 2:17 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
I thought the Suns would be better than last year and make the playoffs.
But i would have never thought that this team would lack energy and effort. I can deal with not having enough talent and getting beat up every once in a while, but to come out with no passion and hustle just gets me so pissed off.
I can’t see the FO making any moves to be honest, the only value we have is Gortat, Dudley and Nash. Both the former are don’t cost Sarver anywhere near what they are worth and the later is PHX at the moment. We are all in this together and are going to have to ride out this season, forget about it and then move on. .
He is feisty.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
I don't get it...
They say they want the team “to remain competitive”, but to me, having a losing record and having the third-worst record in the West is not very “competitive.” Nash should demand more from the team and the front office. Yeah, it’s nice that he isn’t “fair weather” and it’s refreshing to see a player committed to the team and not want to chase a ring, but I think he needs to light a fire under Sarver’s ass and force him to try to go after some top-talent if Nash is to remain a Sun. I think attitude is a reflection of leadership, and while Nash gives 110% every night and is one of the hardest workers in the league, I think he needs to hold the FO accountable.
Things I didn't know
1. Frye and Dudley and Hill would shoot so poorly.
Frye: .390 → .338 3FG%
Dudley: .415 → .365 3FG%
Hill: .484 FG% → .416 and .395 3FG% → .283
If I knew how poorly they’d shoot, I’d have downgraded exceptions. If thiose three shot like last year, we’d have won 3 more games at least.
2. I didn’t know the bench would be THIS bad
Telfair, Brown, Price, Lopez and Redd have all been bad and terribly below acceptable. Redd gets a half-pass with a pinch of some hope, but when you are only a scorer and shoot .374 FG% and .281 3 FG%, you’ve been a train wreck.
Losing Vince Carter has killed us. Yes, you read that right – VC was a huge loss.
Our team now has 5 players (the starters), Kieff as a prospect who has had good and bad games, and NO ONE else. At least last year we had VC, who for all his faults wasn’t horrific and scored pretty well. And that is both sad and depressing.
And it is weird, because a team with two players as good as Nash and Gortat should be playoff worthy. Both are having amazing seasons, and playing very efficiently, and Dudley is also playing pretty well despite not shooting lights out. We just have too many OK players (Hill and Frye and Kieff) and no depth, with the backups being downright negatives who have cost us, collectively, 3-5 games.
The positive is that if we can get some depth in FA, the team can easily get back to the playoffs. REALLY easily.
by MMotherwell on Feb 28, 2012 3:53 PM MST reply actions 2 recs
In my opinion
The key is in the pick. Big player UFA’s go to teams with great young talent. Grif was a big incentive for the moves towards the clippers. Granted it doesn’t happen right away but the year after is very plausible. If the goal for PHX is to keep Nash for 2 more years, which in my opinion he will still be able to play at the same level, then pairing him with a nice top 5 pick would give us the attention we need. Nash hasn’t really slowed down and has managed these numbers with less then par players; very impressive. There is even a slight chance to get lucky in getting a big UFA this season if we got super lucky in the draft. We are 1 and half players short of a playoff spot. Our starting 5 could be good with one talent. If we tank and draft, I think Nash + Gortat + Draftee would be just what we need
not to say I told u so
but I predicted 24-42 at the beginning of the season and after preseason I said they might be lucky to win 18.
24 seems like a likely outcome if they keep Nash, 18 is very realtistic if they deal Nash.
Since you joined this site a month after the season started
You didn’t tell us so.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 28, 2012 5:18 PM MST up reply actions 11 recs
They are who we thought they were!
AND WE LET’EM OFF THE HOOK!!
lol someone finally got the Denny Green reference!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Bright Side Of The Sun
Related FanShots on Bright Side Of The Sun
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Friend Us On Facebook
SBNation.com Recent Stories
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- C-a-C: This is probably as close to LeBron James working with John Waters as we’ll ever get
- Dwyane Wade’s hot pink pants: The kind of thing you can get away with when you drop 41
- Lamar Odom to New York? Dwight Howard on the move? For now, it’s all talk
- David West hilariously denies each and every one of his young fans a high-five (VIDEO)
- Behind the Box Score, where the Miami Heat are moving on to the conference finals
Follow us on Twitter
