Lots of cool links today but lets start by hearing from The Man himself. Steve Kerr on Sports 620 KTAR this morning talking trades and what not. He did say that he's close to finalizing a deal that would send Nash to the Lakers for Adam Morrison and Derek Fisher...just kidding
We don't have an Ass Clown of the Week award but I am going to institute that honor just to take care of our old friend Paul Shirley who wrote some seriously horrendous stuff.
Now, some people are saying that there's some good points in what he wrote. That's like saying, 'except for the killing all those Jews things, that Hitler guy had some good points on how to modernize the German industrial complex'. And yes, I compared Shirley to Hitler and yes, that's absurd but it was the best and easiest analogy I could come up with to make my point how silly that argument is...
Paul Shirley: Don't Help Haiti - SB Nation
SB Nation is a collection of over 200 individual communities, each offering high quality year-round coverage and conversation led by fans who are passionate about their favorite teams, leagues or sports. By empowering fans, SB Nation has become the largest and fastest growing grassroots sports network.
Here's some hopeful news...the bottom line at the bottom of this stories lines is that a strike is very likely.
CBA Negotiations Could Get Ugly - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
I spoke with one executive about Amare Stoudemire and was told that, the way owners are talking now, Stoudemire wouldn’t even get a five-year contract worth $60 million under the next CBA. That sounded crazy to me, but when I spoke with a team owner an hour later, he made the executive sound tame. "The owners are really going to chop the money down,’’ the owner said. "I think Stoudemire would get $5 or $6 million [annually] in the next deal. The bottom line is that things are going to change dramatically.’’ Five to six million dollars for a five-time All-Star in his prime? That sounds cruel compared with the players’ current salaries, so cruel that I just don’t believe it. A general manager I spoke with later agreed that that was an extreme.
Amare to the Spurs? Hardly. I woudn't get too wrapped up about this. All Woj is saying is that the Spurs are thinking about it. I am sure lots of teams are thinking about lots of things. Chill on this one.
Spurs consider bidding for Stoudemire - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
The struggling Spurs have debated whether to make an offer for Suns All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire. - National Basketball Association newsAmare Stoudemire On The Spurs? Really? - SB Nation
At the same time, Amare Stoudemire doesn’t fit San Antonio’s culture. To be effective, he needs a real playmaking point guard that can set him up for scores. Someone like Steve Nash. However, the Spurs have consistently asked their point guard, Tony Parker to make plays for himself first because of his ability to score be a scorer. They don’t need their point guard to be the only guy making plays, because Duncan and Ginobili are equally adept at creating offense for themselves and others. In addition, Stoudemire is not a good rebounder or defender, so he’s not going to help out much in other areas of the game.Should the Spurs Trade For Amare? If So, What? - Pounding The Rock
Should the Spurs Trade For Amare? If So, What?Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " NBA Trade Deadline: Attention! Attention! This Is A Spurs-Amare Panic-Mode Red Alert!
Before we get started, I’d like to make something clear. Talking about how ridiculous trade rumors are to talk about is the NBA equivalent of talking about rushing the court in college basketball. It’s gotten to a point where talking about how annoying it is is actually more annoying than the rumors themselves.
More Amare fodder. Knicks not interested (no surprise there given Amare's history with Mike D'Antoni. Nets interested but nothing's close. Miami considers Bosh a better defender than Amare. That's a surprise.
New York Knicks won't try to trade for Phoenix Suns' star Amare Stoudemire
They could sure use his scoring and athleticism up front, too. But there's always been a question as to whether a team should make Stoudemire its highest-paid player when he's not a complete player, a true No. 1 star, or a leader. In that sense, he's risky, as D'Antoni could tell Walsh from personal experience.University of Miami Hurricanes' Graig Cooper might be back from injury sooner than thought - Sports Buzz - MiamiHerald.com
Though the Heat will consider making a trade offer for Amare Stoudemire, we hear that Miami considers another impending free agent, Chris Bosh, to be the better defensive option, which is important to the Heat. A friend of Stoudemire said he has a residence here and would consider Miami this summer if Phoenix doesn't keep him.NorthJersey.com: CDR tries to turn negative into positive
BRIEF: Vandeweghe wouldn't address trade discussions the Nets have had with Phoenix about Amar'e Stoudemire. One source said they're "not serious."
Game related links. Remember the game? The Suns actually still play basketball and are not just in the business of making trades. Really, I swear. I was there.
Bobcats 114, Suns 109 OT -- More of the same| Valley of the Suns
The Phoenix Suns lost to the Charlotte Bobcats by once again failing to execute when it counts.Bobcats sink Suns in overtime
There were snickers when the Suns drafted Goran Dragic 45th in 2008 and said they had him rated as the second-best point guard in the draft behind Derrick Rose. In their eyes, that put Dragic ahead of D.J. Augustin, who Charlotte had taken with the ninth pick and had been more universally hailed. Less than two seasons into their careers, Dragic is just warming up with two recent career highs and is averaging more points and assists than Augustin, who went scoreless Tuesday night. Dragic scored 12 points.
Other fun stuff from around the league...
JamesOn Curry's 4 Seconds Of Fame, And The Joys Of NBA Socks - SB Nation
SB Nation is a collection of over 200 individual communities, each offering high quality year-round coverage and conversation led by fans who are passionate about their favorite teams, leagues or sports. By empowering fans, SB Nation has become the largest and fastest growing grassroots sports network.
NBA's 10 Most Difficult to Trade Players -- NBA FanHouse
There's only one month left in this season's NBA trade derby. With the biggest summer of free agency since 2000 coming up, there could either...(no Suns on this list)
NBA Power Rankings: Where We Hit The Road To Differentiate The Middle Class - SB Nation
14. Phoenix Suns: 26-20 overall, 2-2 last week Last week: 14. Speaking of teams who are who we thought they were ... how about the Phoenix Suns' defense against the Utah Jazz down the stretch last night? Phoenix led 96-79 with just over two minutes to go in the third quarter and somehow lost 124-115. If you're counting, that's 44 points in 14 minutes for the Jazz. Maybe the Suns should watch this video on loop for the next few days.
NBA.com: Rose, Evans lead Rookie Challenge roster
No Dragic? That's some anti-Slovenian bias right there
KTAR.com - Gambo: Time for the Suns to shake things up
Kerr and Griffin have proven to have a keen eye for talent as witnessed by the recent draft picks, trades and free agent signings. It's time to allow them to shape the team for the future because the present isn't going anywhere. I like some of the pieces the Suns have, the young kids can play. It's time to turn the team over to them, surround them with other young talent and allow the team to grow. It may take three or four years to get back to being a contender, but sometimes you have to take a few step backwards before you can go forward. That time is now for the Phoenix Suns.