ducks
10-21-2005, 01:08 PM
Richardson realizes Suns face big drop-off
By Marcus Thompson II
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
OAKLAND - Warriors guard Jason Richardson knows just how much of an impact losing the best player can have on a team. Richardson missed nine straight games last season with a sprained left ankle. The Warriors went 0-9.
So he knows, despite the talent that remains, the Phoenix Suns are going to suffer a drop-off with their most talented player, center Amare Stoudemire, out for at least the first half of the season. Add to that their offseason moves, and this is far from the same Suns team that reached the 2005 Western Conference finals.
"It's kind of hard," Richardson said. "They've got a lot of good players. They've still got Shawn Marion, still got Steve Nash. But then again you lose Amare Stoudemire, he got hurt. You lose Joe Johnson in a trade. You lose Quentin Richardson in a trade. It's going to be tough."
Phoenix's misfortune may benefit the Warriors, who beat the Suns 108-96 before a crowd of 17,323 at the Arena on Wednesday night.
The Warriors finished tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th-best record in the Western Conference. If they are to make the playoffs, not only are they going to have to leapfrog three non-playoff teams (including the Lakers), they're also going to have to knock out a team that made the playoffs a year ago.
With Stoudemire expected to miss at least the first four months of the season after having surgery on his left knee, Phoenix -- once considered a lock for one of the top four seeds -- figures to compete for one of the final playoff spots. There is also a good chance they'll dig themselves too deep a hole without Stoudemire and miss the playoffs.
The post-Baron Davis trade Warriors beat Phoenix twice down the stretch last season with Stoudemire averaging 37.5 points in those two losses. So the Suns sans Stoudemire should have a tougher time handling the Warriors, who will face Phoenix for the third time of the season Jan. 12.
"They play just like us," Marion said of the Warriors. 'The way they closed the year out last year, I'm not taking them for granted at all. They've got a nice little team."
The Warriors' best looked superior to the Suns' on Wednesday night. The Warriors outscored Phoenix 79-37 in the first and third quarters combined, minutes that were dominated by starters. They shot 54.9 percent (28-for-51) from the field, with forward Mike Dunleavy scoring 28 of his 30 points in the two periods.
If that's a sign of things to come, that could prove to be a big break for the Warriors.
"Any time (a team) loses a star player like that, you take advantage of that," Richardson said. "You try to go out there and win the games you play against them. You try to position yourself ahead of them for the playoffs."
Notes: Guard Derek Fisher dislocated his right middle finger on a fall early in the second quarter. He did not return and his status is uncertain. ...
Richardson voiced his displeasure over the NBA's newly instituted dress code, calling it a cultural bias.
"They want to sway away from the hip-hop generation," he told the Associated Press before the game. "One thing to me that was kind of racist was you can't wear chains outside your clothing. I don't understand what that has to do with being business approachable. ... You wear a suit, you still could be a crook. You see all what happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way. Hey, a guy could come in with baggy jeans, a do-rag and have a Ph.D. and a person who comes in with a suit could be a three-time felon."
The NBA announced Monday in a memo to teams that the dress code would go into effect immediately. Players must dress in "business casual" attire and items such as sleeveless shirts (jerseys), shorts, sunglasses while indoors and headphones during team or league business are banned. Players on the bench not in uniform must wear sport jackets, shoes and socks.
The dress code does, however, allow for players to wear "dress jeans."
"What exactly are dress jeans?" Richardson said. "That's what I want to know."
By Marcus Thompson II
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
OAKLAND - Warriors guard Jason Richardson knows just how much of an impact losing the best player can have on a team. Richardson missed nine straight games last season with a sprained left ankle. The Warriors went 0-9.
So he knows, despite the talent that remains, the Phoenix Suns are going to suffer a drop-off with their most talented player, center Amare Stoudemire, out for at least the first half of the season. Add to that their offseason moves, and this is far from the same Suns team that reached the 2005 Western Conference finals.
"It's kind of hard," Richardson said. "They've got a lot of good players. They've still got Shawn Marion, still got Steve Nash. But then again you lose Amare Stoudemire, he got hurt. You lose Joe Johnson in a trade. You lose Quentin Richardson in a trade. It's going to be tough."
Phoenix's misfortune may benefit the Warriors, who beat the Suns 108-96 before a crowd of 17,323 at the Arena on Wednesday night.
The Warriors finished tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th-best record in the Western Conference. If they are to make the playoffs, not only are they going to have to leapfrog three non-playoff teams (including the Lakers), they're also going to have to knock out a team that made the playoffs a year ago.
With Stoudemire expected to miss at least the first four months of the season after having surgery on his left knee, Phoenix -- once considered a lock for one of the top four seeds -- figures to compete for one of the final playoff spots. There is also a good chance they'll dig themselves too deep a hole without Stoudemire and miss the playoffs.
The post-Baron Davis trade Warriors beat Phoenix twice down the stretch last season with Stoudemire averaging 37.5 points in those two losses. So the Suns sans Stoudemire should have a tougher time handling the Warriors, who will face Phoenix for the third time of the season Jan. 12.
"They play just like us," Marion said of the Warriors. 'The way they closed the year out last year, I'm not taking them for granted at all. They've got a nice little team."
The Warriors' best looked superior to the Suns' on Wednesday night. The Warriors outscored Phoenix 79-37 in the first and third quarters combined, minutes that were dominated by starters. They shot 54.9 percent (28-for-51) from the field, with forward Mike Dunleavy scoring 28 of his 30 points in the two periods.
If that's a sign of things to come, that could prove to be a big break for the Warriors.
"Any time (a team) loses a star player like that, you take advantage of that," Richardson said. "You try to go out there and win the games you play against them. You try to position yourself ahead of them for the playoffs."
Notes: Guard Derek Fisher dislocated his right middle finger on a fall early in the second quarter. He did not return and his status is uncertain. ...
Richardson voiced his displeasure over the NBA's newly instituted dress code, calling it a cultural bias.
"They want to sway away from the hip-hop generation," he told the Associated Press before the game. "One thing to me that was kind of racist was you can't wear chains outside your clothing. I don't understand what that has to do with being business approachable. ... You wear a suit, you still could be a crook. You see all what happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way. Hey, a guy could come in with baggy jeans, a do-rag and have a Ph.D. and a person who comes in with a suit could be a three-time felon."
The NBA announced Monday in a memo to teams that the dress code would go into effect immediately. Players must dress in "business casual" attire and items such as sleeveless shirts (jerseys), shorts, sunglasses while indoors and headphones during team or league business are banned. Players on the bench not in uniform must wear sport jackets, shoes and socks.
The dress code does, however, allow for players to wear "dress jeans."
"What exactly are dress jeans?" Richardson said. "That's what I want to know."