One last comment on the Matrix issue, first. I've done my defending, and if people refuse to listen or attempt to understand, then I'm not going to tie them to a tree and brand them with a human conscience. This isn't about Shawn Marion. It's about the fans. And for all of you, I have one simple question (read: complicated human psychological inquiry).
Three months ago, practically everyone was drooling at the prospect of dropping the Trix for the Tick. When we found out his camp squashed the prospect of the deal, Marion was blamed for putting himself above the team and the fans. Suddenly, Marion asks for a trade, and EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD blasted him for his disloyalty to us, called him the biggest cry baby ever to have walked the earth, and reminded him that he makes too much money not to be happy.
The question: What the hell is up with THAT?! He's a goat for not wanting to be traded, then he's a goat for wanting to be traded. And we blame HIM?!
Think about it for a while, then get back to me. I anxiously await all the hypocritically dissonant replies.
Now to join the blogger bandwagon and take a look at the upcoming season. It's too early in the morning (meaning I've been up all night) to do the whole *link thing, so forgive me if I don't take anyone's hand and guide them to my sources. I get them from the same places you get your NBA information, anyway. All they really do is make me look somewhat credible, and what's the value in that...really?
Let's start with the negative things people have had to say so far, then we'll work our way up to the positive.
"Robert Sarver is a cheap, money-grubbing owner whose only interest is in making money."
Duh.
He's a businessman. He paid $400 million for the franchise. People don't spend nearly half a billion dollars to lose money. They spend it to make more money. Fan or not, that's how it is. If you don't like it, YOU pay the tab.
Yeah...I didn't think so.
"Steve Kerr is mortgaging the future of the team to save money now."
No, he is not. Admittedly, I was skeptical about the course of action taken early in the offseason. It wasn't so much the moves he made as it was the timing. Giving away Kurt Thomas before the trading deadline when there were no viable big men replacements on the market seemed a rather odd maneuver to me. Apparently, he may have been one of the sources of chemistry issues on the team (unsubstantiated, but still a reasonable assumption given his disappearance from the rotation the second half of the season).
So let's look quickly at what Steve Kerr sacrificed in the name of "puppetry".
Kurt Thomas: $8 million + $8 million off the books for the price of two unprotected first round draft picks, and that oh-so-useful trade exception. In return, a second round pick.
Now, the myth regarding trade exceptions is that they allow a team to trade for a player more expensive than those a team jettisons without regard to the luxury tax. The truth is that it only allows the team to exceed the salary cap (hence "exception", as in "cap exception", not "tax exception"). The team still has to pay any luxury tax of salaries which exceed the cap. For the Suns, this is completely useless, as they have no intention of exceeding the cap by more than a couple million dollars.
People need to look at this move realistically. Yes, Kerr gave away KT. Yes, KT was our only low post defender. But he also missed a significant number games due to injury during his tenure here, he couldn't handle more than two laps up and down the court, his rebounding was negligible, and his shot blocking non-existent. Kerr gave up two first rounders the team would never use (seriously, to expect them to be of value to the Suns, i.e. lottery picks, is to believe the Suns will miss the playoffs next year and in 2010. Have you seen the core of young players on the team? Yeah...get over it.)
This move saved a boatload of money, allowing the team to keep Shawn Marion (Garnett's in Boston, it's not Shawn's fault, get over that one, too.) They were also able to sign a younger, stronger, more athletic big man in Brian Skinner, whose stats are almost exactly the same as Kurt's were last year. Figuring in the luxury tax, that's equal production with greater potential at one-sixteenth the price. What more could you want? A 28 year old Shaquille O'Neal?
James Jones: $3 million + $3 million off the books for the price of a first round pick.
Um...Grant Hill, anyone? Half the price, ten times the skill and experience, and a consistent jump shot. A 15 minute-a-night bench player for an All Star starter? BARGAIN!
"The Suns didn't even try to trade Banks. He's useless!"
Yeah...remember when Barbosa was "useless"? How'd that turn out? Now, I'm not saying that Banks is going to get Leandro's jumper any time soon, but there is a case to be made that young scoring point guards take time to learn and adapt to D'Antoni's system. Given another chance, Banks could prove to be a valuable asset when it comes time to shut down guys like...oh, I dunno...Tony Parker?
And if anyone thinks that teams were knocking down the door at AWA (USAC, my ass) to pry Banks away from the Suns, then they paid too much for whatever they're smoking. (Hint: Lots of powdery residue means you got junk.) Look, Marcus Banks is a talented guy. He's shown a lot of poise and class by keeping whatever frustrations he may have behind closed doors. And whenever he found court time in the middle of a game, he played his heart out. D'Antoni's system is very complicated. Banks is young and relatively inexperienced in the league. Give it a chance.
If he takes off this year, one of two things will happen, and neither of them are bad for us.
1. He will prove to be a valuable commodity, thus giving the Suns some flexibility at the trade deadline if need be.
2. He will prove to be an invaluable commodity, and he'll see significant minutes in the playoffs.
"Amare just had his THIRD knee operation, and he's only 24 years old. And we don't even have a back up for him, yet!"
The Suns DO have a back up for him. He played two years ago, and did a very fine job of helping the team reach the conference finals for the second straight year. How quickly we forget that amazing team of destiny and chemistry, defying all odds in the face of adversity. Kinda reminds you a little of the Diamondbacks, doesn't it? (I just HAD to throw a D-Back reference in there. 2007 NLCS, baby! Ahem...anyway...)
Also, the procedure Amare underwent is quite common in professional sports. Anyone who's run up and down a hard court or been tackled into the turf understands the unusual wear and tear the body goes through, and sometimes little messes have to be cleaned up. It happens ALL THE TIME, and players come back in a few weeks ready to go again. Do yourselves a favor and watch the injury reports this season. You'll see just how common arthroscopy is in all four leagues, and you'll see a lot of familiar names on the lists.
Did I miss anything?
Good. This brings us to all the wonderful things we have to look forward to this season.
Since I brought it up, do you remember that magical season two years ago? Amare went down due to microfracture surgery on his left knee, and the experts spelled out the doom the Suns faced that year -- an 8th seed in the playoffs with a quick first round exit.
Six months later - Western Conference Finals. And it took two more injuries to stop THAT run (the aforementioned Thomas followed by Raja's freak calf tear).
Now imagine that small-ball, run it down their throats, pass it till they're puking dizzy, shoot the arena lights out attack a bit bigger, a little stronger, and a helluva lot more athletic with the addition of Amare, Hill, and rookie hopefuls Alando Tucker and DJ Strawberry (who has been drawing raves from coaches, players, and fans for his tough defense and surprising ability to handle the passing duties, and whose improving jump shot has drawn Coach D'Antoni's attention). Replace Kurt Thomas with the younger, stronger, and faster Brian Skinner, and Tim Duncan can sell beer in the stands for all the Suns care. As Kobe Bryant has shown us time and time again, one player cannot beat the Suns.
Speaking of Grant Hill, my mind hasn't changed on what he brings to the team. From the reports coming out of camp, he's looking as quick and spry as he did before injuries derailed his career. Add to the mix the Suns training staff and legs that haven't been overworked for the last five years, and there's reason to believe that the Suns could very well produce five legitimate All Star candidates this season (Leandro will be a tough guy for coaches to leave off, even if he does go to Brazil that weekend).
And apparently, Shawn really likes what Hill brings to the team. Apparently, Marion has been feasting off Grant Hill feeds all week, and we all know that Shawn likes when someone hands him a free meal. That includes the "I'm not here to steal your thunder" dinner Hill had with Marion. These guys are going to get along juuuuuust fine, I think.
Speaking of chemistry, all seems right with the world in Sunsland, according to Paul Coro's reports from camp (I'm going to make a concerted effort to be nice to the home town guys this season, as the national pricks will consume all my venom), which leads me to believe that Shawn was not the cause of those issues last season, as is the common belief. I can't say for sure, as I'm not a locker room attendant. But if the Suns say that they're happy, if Shawn is smiling and enjoying the company (and assists) of his new team mates, then there's no reason to suspect otherwise.
And is it a coincidence that suddenly the organization is talking about those issues we never heard about last year? Or does it have to do with the departures of a few veterans who came in expecting to log a full slate of minutes, only to sit helplessly on the bench as Amare and Diaw lost their freaking minds?
Jalen Rose? Gone.
Pat Burke? Buh-bye.
Jumaine Jones? We hardly knew you. (Hell, most Suns fans never even figured out that his name isn't Jermaine.)
Pike and Marks stayed, and they seem to be quality guys who understand their place in the league now. Hell, they're just happy to be getting a paycheck still.
Like I said, I can't say for sure about that, but it seems awfully strange that, even after Shawn's public request for a free ticket to LAX, the Suns are getting along famously again. The team has openly admitted to the problems of last season, so it's not exactly something they'd turn around and lie about all of a sudden. I'm prone to give our guys the benefit of the doubt. We've followed them and loved them too long not to.
To me, there is a lot to be optimistic about this season. Whatever happens, this should turn out to be a great season. Expect a slow start with Amare's return from surgery and the assimilation of the new guys. Don't be surprised to see a .500 team the first couple weeks of the season. Conversely, don't be surprised to see a 40-10 team at the All Star break.
I won't be. Despite each of the last three seasons being wholly unpredictable and clearly distinguishable from one another, I've learned that the one thing this team does better than any other is defy expectations. Speaking of which . . .
Prediction: 54-28, 1st in Pacific, 4th in Western Conference (3rd playoff seed)
- John Hollinger, espn NBA statistical "expert"
I'll be conservative and say 59-23, but only because 60 wins is getting boring. All that matters is that the Suns will win the Pacific Division by default (Golden State just got hit with a key injury to Monta Ellis, so that's 4 for 4), they'll be the number two seed in the West, and they'll have their best shot ever at winning a title.
To the experts who doubt the Suns yet again I say, you have laid the gauntlet, sirs, and I accept your challenge.
**UPDATE: Good ol' Bright Side! A blogger was fortunate enough to attend the Suns scrimmage at McKale, and nice enough to write about the experience. Seems we do have a lot of good times to look forward to.
*So I managed to give you some links. That's how cool I am. Always the martyr.
23 comments:
Jey, I loved this post. Nothing smarmy to say except I missed your insight and attitude all summer, almost as much as I missed seeing Nash and the guys strut their stuff. I think this is going to be an insanely entertaining and positive season. No one can know in advance what illnesses or injuries could occur, but this team has speed, depth, character. I think even with a major injury to Nash or Amare, god forbid, this team still has a ton of talent and plenty of depth. They are going to trounce many teams and win many games. And then, in April, it will get interesting, really interesting.
And, this has nothing to do with this blog, but way to go with putting "nodoubt" in his place last night on the AZ Republic's web site.
ALLAN!!! Long time, no see!
Yeah...I know...my fault.
Thank you for the kind words, sir. Ya know, I got your e-mail a few months back, but way after you sent it. Hotmail decided to send it to the junk mail folder, and I just happened upon it one day. You are on the safe list now, though, so it's fixed. (I was going to reply, but I'm easily distracted.)
The Suns should definitely have an exciting year. The infusion of youth should go a long way to bolster the veterans' attitudes and remind them why they're playing. It also gives our young vets some guys to help mentor, which is always good for the psyche. (I wouldn't be surprised to see LB and DJ become good friends. Just a feeling I get from no particular place.)
As for nodoubt...I'm just working my way back into shape. I've got a lot of really ignorant people disguised as experts to debunk this year, so it's time to start hitting the weights. Hopefully it was as entertaining for you as it was for me. : p
I guess nobody associated with the Suns can do anything wrong? HAHAHAHAHA!
Well, anonymous, so courageous of you to leave a name, by the way. They CAN do wrong and they DO (or have) but then they get shipped out to places like NJ, etc., and J Kidd was an absolute hero of mine on the court and still is, by the way, but off the court...??? We'll leave it at that.
Here's what I think from 2,000+ miles away, in good old squeaky clean Vermont. I'll start and leave it at the MVP for now. I don't love Steve Nash because he's an amazing ballplayer - he is, but that's not WHY I love him. I don't love him because he's a Canadian, as am I. That's nice, but no big deal. I don't even love him because he wears my favorite number, 13. He's a role model. Pure and simple. I love what he represents as a human being, and as a basketball player. Everything he does, from his genuine caring for all his teammates, his incredible devotion to charitable endeavors, his enormous brain and heart. See the Charlie Rose interview with him - it's a classic.
Similarly, I love the Phoenix Suns not because I happen to live in PHX (which I don't). I love them because they're the cream of the crop in many ways. Their fast-paced, selfless style of play has me more excited about basketball than when I was in my mid-teens quite a few decades ago. I sit or stand there and laugh out loud at their brilliance. Alley-oops. No-look passes. You name it.
The saga of the Suns would make for a great Rocky movie or some such multi-sequel sports soap opera. It has all the makings of a Hollywood epic. Good vs. Evil. I'm sure I don't need to spell out who is who. Will Smith could play Robert Horry, I suppose. I'm not sure who I'd cast as Bowen. Heroic efforts in Act 2 as a key protagonist is hurt tragically. The resurrection of said Black Jesus in Act 3, but again the Achilles heel (metaphoric reference, not the cheap shot from Bowen) flares up in the bench wayfarers incident last May. Actually, it's the song from the Wizard of Oz: If I Only Had a Brain. Now, we're about to see the curtain rise on Act 4. Yes, we are pumped up. For every good reason in the world.
Anonymous, your name is familiar. Didn't I read a poem or two of yours in school? Good stuff.
Sorry for that long tirade. I just realized the short answer: Fan is short for fanatic.
Weird. I just read the whole entry again, and I can see where I implied that the Suns can do no wrong. Gee, I wish I had noticed that before submitting.
And I'M the delusional one. Yoiks.
Here's why my tirade against Marion is not hypocritical:
The timing of it all. C'mon ...
Thanks for the reconsideration, Shawn, Odom's a lot like Garnett. No use crying over it now.
Marion's not going anywhere and is not going to opt-out. Good. I'm glad about that. I hope the Suns give him three years after that in the mid-teens so he can retire a Sun.
There are a lot of positives about the bench, but the tough part is going to making sure we get good minutes out of them. The first seven are rightfully going to get a lot of playing time. I saw this in an article somewhere, but at 30 minutes each, the first 7 get 210 of the 240 minutes. Will players 8+ get enough PT to come through? I wonder if Coach D will give them enough leash to do so.
The timing of it only highlights the hypocritical thinking, though.
Three months ago it was, "You don't want to leave, you're selfish, not thinking about the team."
Now it's, "You want to leave, you're selfish, not thinking about your place on a championship caliber team."
We were NEVER getting Garnett, regardless of what we all heard in the media. It wasn't going to happen. Shawn was just a convenient scapegoat. (Hmmm...does that count as disrespect from management?)
Everyone (mostly) wanted Shawn out of here for Keving Garnett. Problem is (and I wrote about this in "KG, or Not KG?") a move to get him would have crippled this team financially for the next five years. Keeping him has always been the best option (trading Amare would have made more sense, but only if we got more youth in return).
Shawn wanted to stay, and we felt betrayed. Now he wants to leave, and we feel betrayed. That is not Shawn's doing. That is our own. Honestly...if he ever read all the stuff said about him in the press, as well as comments by fans, he would have every reason and right to want to leave town. His own fan-base said, "Get out of town! We want a title!"
Yet we blame him. Hypocrisy, I tell you, timing or not.
Jey, I guess you weren't the only one who took a Suns sabbatical last summer. I must have taken a month off from checking out your blogs, despite my admission (see top comment) that I missed your stuff. In the absence of any real news or thrashing, no doubt, I just checked your archives and came across this gem. I'm posting it to say thank-you and to share with oithers who may not troll blog archives when in need of a certain kind of fix (I was actually looking for, but haven't found, that interesting dinner with Shawn thing you did). I think this is from July 16:
"Equine Necroflogging
I'm feeling selfish at the moment. I have a mad compulsion to be truthful in the same manner as to break up an otherwise happy marriage. I want to lay it on the line, and tell my wife that last month at her birthday party, I fucked her 20 year old sister in the bathroom at the strip club. I'm sorry, dear, but I can't continue with this burden of guilt hanging over me. I feel that it would be unfair to proceed under false pretenses, and I want to afford you the opportunity to decide our fate.
Not to beat a dead horse, I want the Suns to go full bore at Kevin Garnett. I want to see a front line of KG, Amare Stoudemire, and Grant Hill leading the Suns to the championship this season. Any regular to this blog knows of my man crush on Shawn Marion for his versatility and defense, but I think that the shooting and passing that KG brings is worth the sacrifice of all Marion's talents, luxury tax be damned.
Robert Sarver is an outsider of sorts to Phoenicians, despite his ties to the University of Arizona and Lute Olsen. He needs to understand exactly what this team means to those of us who have suffered years of disappointment and missed opportunities, which means that he needs to acknowledge that the organization as a whole owes it to us to bring an NBA title to the valley.
He is a fan just like the rest of us, so I hope he understands just how much he owes it to himself, on behalf of all of us long-suffering Suns faithful, to consider sacrificing a cherished piece of the current Suns line up for a greater good. I know that Matrix deserves a championship more than any of us, which is the sad irony of it all, but i warned that I am feeling selfish.
I'm sorry, Sweetheart, I'm in love with your sister.
I love you too much as a fan, Shawn, to be so disloyal as to consider cheating on you, let alone replacing you. It's just something I think about in the shower when you're away for three months, and I need a basketball fix. I just work through the scenario in my mind over and over again as the steaming water washes over my back until the tension can be released.
Although, I do wonder if you have ever fantasized about Jack Nicholson or Spike Lee sitting next to the visitor's bench.
We all have our fantasies."
On another note, Jey, people may dislike what you write or they may even hate or resent you personally, but they can't say with any truthfulness or accuracy that you can't write. Nice work!
OMG I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT ONE BEFORE MY LAST REPLY!!!
I kept looking at that title, but I was thinking it was about the whole referee thing.
"My Dinner with Shawn" is on the 5/20 - 5/27 archive, dated May 26.
Again, I thank you for the compliments. It helps to know that I'm not doing this all just for myself, as my original intention was to give voice to all of us fans. In a world dominated by corporate media, it's difficult to find honesty (whether right or wrong). I only hope I can live up to the standards I've set for myself.
I'd hate to turn into Paul Coro or Kelly Dwyer. ; )
Thanks again, and get ready for a wild season.
I'm a proud (and sometimes hopeless) optimist, and this post echoes my feelings exactly.
This Suns team has potential coming out its ears. Nobody can really know what will happen this season.
But you better believe I will be watching closely and enjoying the ride.
Nicely done, Jey. Looking forward to following this season with you.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree and submit that timing is, in fact, everything.
Matrix wanting a trade after blocking one is kind of like getting shot down by your Number One choice at a party, finding "Ms. Right Now" and then having "Ms. Right" have a change of heart, and while on her way to get you she sees "Ms. Right Now's" tongue down your throat. Very frustrating.
Like I said, though, there's some comfort in sticking with "Ms. Right Now" because you know what you're going to get.
This analogy went way too far.
Too far? Nah. lol
Unfortunately, it's not quite apt. I get what you're saying, though.
We were seduced by Miss Right Now (Garnett), and told our wife (Marion) that we wanted a divorce. Rightfully, our wife said no. After months of bitching at her for ruining our lives by not leaving us, so we could be with Miss Right Now, she finally had enough and told us, "Fine. I want a divorce."
Now we're pissed at our wife for something we did, but only because she didn't leave when we wanted her to.
She doesn't want us anymore because of all the shit we put her through, and we have the nerve to blame her for our problems, telling her, "You had your chance to divorce me, bitch! Now you're stuck with me!"
They show movies on Lifetime with that exact plot, only the husband actually tries to kill the wife first.
It's just not right, but that's only my opinion, so I guess it's OK to disagree.
Thanks, D-Train. I hope we can all have a fun ride together this season. All for one, and one for the Suns. : )
I just re-read the Dinner with Shawn post. You really do get him. I was just thinking you might be able to land a job on the Suns' coaching staff as a special assistant associate coach in charge of massaging Shawn's fragile ego and placating him, but then I think they already have this newcomer who's officially a player, but could be a player-coach, this former and future allstar, who I think is going to keep Shawn happy. And maybe all of us. Go Grant. Go Steve. And Shawn and the rookies. Go Suns. 22 days to go.
Just because I can't let go of a good argument ... err ... discussion, I'm going a little farther. While I see your point, the problem with the analogy is that the Suns/Suns fans are/were not married to the Matrix. Playing ball for a team is not the same as what's supposed to be a long-term (is it politically correct to say "lifetime"?) commitment. So, your description is off.
Let's try this:
You've been dating this really hot chick who's great in bed (freakish athleticism, right?), but you've not committed because she's still "Ms. Right Now." A lot of your ugly and less-manly friends don't know why you haven't gotten married, but they're homely wussies.
Then, out of the blue, you've got a legit shot at pre-pregnancy Britney Spears, pre-chicken leg and Tommy Lee Pamela Anderson, pre-reality show Tyra (I lost so much respect for her), or whoever really, really gets you going.
Ms. Right Now cock-blocks you in front of Ms. Right by jumping all over you in front of Ms. Right. You go home with her, well, becuase she's Ms. Right Now and has that freakish athleticism in bed.
Later, you realize your loser friends may have a point and you start to wonder who the loser really is. Yeah, you say, we have a good time together, she's enjoyable, we have a good track record, she's hot, she's got the freakish athleticism in the sack, and, looking back, we really have had some good times.
Then she says she wants to leave you. Bitch.
Actually, we DO have a committment with her. We gave Shawn a max deal, remember?
Another problem is that you're assuming that KG is in fact Ms. Right. The one you call Ms. Right is actually a gold digging slut who just got out of her own bad marriage, and she would be a lot more expensive in the long run without the committment.
All I'm saying is that, in my opinion, fans have no right to be mad at Shawn because he was the one being jerked around, not us. Regardless of who we "could have had" (assuming the deal was even close), I don't see how anyone could blame him for wanting out after all the crap he took for not leaving out OUR convenience.
Be mad at yourselves.
Hmmm...Jey as Suns assistant associate placater...has a nice ring to it, I think. Dan D'Antoni, Jay Humphries, and I could give this team a mental edge never before seen in pro sports. :D
"Jey as Suns assistant associate placater...has a nice ring to it"
Sorry, man, didn't mean to call you a SAAP. :)
JK-1 - I think you and Jey have driven this hot chick/wife/other woman thing into and through the ground. I for one am not even trying to follow the logic any more. I'm just happy that Shawn is still a Sun because the bottom line is about keeping all the pieces there for a serious run at the trophy.
"Jey as Suns assistant associate placater...has a nice ring to it"
Sorry, man, didn't mean to call you a SAAP. :)
JK-1 - I think you and Jey have driven this hot chick/wife/other woman thing into and through the ground. I for one am not even trying to follow the logic any more. I'm just happy that Shawn is still a Sun because the bottom line is about keeping all the pieces there for a serious run at the trophy.
LOL DON'T SPOIL OUR FUN!!!
I keep cracking up saying "her" referring to Marion and KG. Wait until I bring up her hot 20 year old sister again. ; )
Well, she certainly isn't a cheap date.
It's probably run into the ground, but I can't get the phrase "freakish athleticism in the bedroom" out of my mind.
"freakish athleticism in the bedroom" - hmmm...
It's a great image. And we're probably not talking about an Eastern European weightlifter with a mustache and a beard named Helga, I bet.
Enjoy the image. Meanwhile, less than three hours to tip-off. Can't believe how badly I've missed those Suns. Well, we've all survived a painful off-season. Let the games begin!
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