Sports Illustrated's NBA Scouting Reports have arrived

[flipcritic]

They see the Suns winning it all.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/specials/preview/2006/scouting.reports/

I'll have to get the issue to see the details for myself.

[Drachen]

well I wouldnt put too much stock in an article that puts the nets in the eastern conference finals.

[Mr. Body]

If Marcus Williams is a break-out rookie, the Nets could be there in the ECF.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

I hope you guys hate this as much as i do :smokin

No way can the Mavs top a healthy Spurs for the division and no way in heck can the KKK (led by the russian mail order bride) beat out a healthier Nuggets team for the NW.

[Louis2]

I hope you guys hate this as much as i do :smokin

No way can the Mavs top a healthy Spurs for the division and no way in heck can the KKK (led by the russian mail order bride) beat out a healthier Nuggets team for the NW.

Yes they can.........

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

Yes they can.........


:drunk yeh coz they couldnt even win the division with a hobbled Duncan last year :ihit

[timvp]

This coming from the mag that thought the Dolphins would make the Super Bowl.

[flipcritic]

This coming from the mag that thought the Dolphins would make the Super Bowl.

And the same mag that named DRob and TD co-sportsmen of the year (2003).

Give them a break. They're called predictions. No one knows for sure who'll win it all. But when it comes to sports analysis, I trust them first.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

:lol A team that plays less defense than a hooker on dollar night is going to win it all? :lmao

[Amuseddaysleeper]

:lol A team that plays less defense than a hooker on dollar night is going to win it all? :lmao

:lmao
:lmao
:lmao

[samikeyp]

No way can the Mavs top a healthy Spurs for the division and no way in heck can the KKK (led by the russian mail order bride) beat out a healthier Nuggets team for the NW.

:lmao :lmao

[da_suns_fan__]

Gotta admire the respect the Suns get.

It makes sense though...how much gas will Bowen, Horry, Finley, Barry, Duncan, and Ginobili have? They have to go through an 82 game season and a playoff series before they even reach the Suns or Mavs.

[bdictjames]

Minnesota and Seattle and 13 and 14? Cmon

[George Gervin's Afro]

Why should we even play the season? I mean the Suns have already proven they can get to the finals and win it all.. :rolleyes

[sa_butta]

Gotta admire the respect the Suns get.

It makes sense though...how much gas will Bowen, Horry, Finley, Barry, Duncan, and Ginobili have? They have to go through an 82 game season and a playoff series before they even reach the Suns or Mavs.I dont understand why they give them so much credit. Just because Amare is back?? They didnt get it done before the injury. They lost in the Conference finals 4-1 to the Spurs. Now he is coming off the same injury Hardaway and Webber had. They were never the same afterwards, and all of us sudden they are picked to go to the finals. Makes no sense to me.

[Xylus]

I dont understand why they give them so much credit. Just because Amare is back?? They didnt get it done before the injury. They lost in the Conference finals 4-1 to the Spurs. Now he is coming off the same injury Hardaway and Webber had. They were never the same afterwards, and all of us sudden they are picked to go to the finals. Makes no sense to me.
You Spurs fans can be a sensitive crowd sometimes. :lol

In response to your claim that they didn't get it done before the injury...the "they" you are referring to doesn't exist anymore. The Suns have a completely new supporting cast, one that is indisputably better than the one they had in '04-'05. The Suns squad of a few years ago was 6 players deep, at best. Now, they can put two separate lineups on the floor and still compete.

The Suns' defense has improved, which they proved all last season when Kurt Thomas was in the lineup. They've added Marcus Banks, a bulldog of a defender, to replace Eddie House...who didn't really play much defense. They've still got Raja Bell and Shawn Marion starting, two notable defenders.

Even the Suns' offense has improved, with Amare Stoudemire returning. Regardless of whether he's his old self, he'll still add a component that was missing from last year's team. Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa are blossoming into really good players. Shawn Marion and Steve Nash are in their primes.

I won't say they're a lock to win the championship, but their chances are greater than the previous two years. And if Amare comes back healthy, they have as good a chance as anyone, pretty much.

You didn't expect the Mavs to off your team last postseason, and no one expected the Heat to take it all. So I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a team that's made it to the Western Conference Finals two years in a row...and only appears to be improving.

[Mr. Body]

Even if Marcus Williams turns into Chris Paul, it aint happening. Kidd, Williams, and Carter will not play at the same time.

He'd make their second unit significantly better and takes wear off Kidd. With Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter, they have enough to at least get to the 2nd round. Can they get by Miami or Chicago? I personally don't think so, but this guy does.

[jman3000]

i thought the suns already won it the year they had the best record in the league? remember? they were scoring like 200 points a game and amare/nash/ everybody were playing unbelievable. wtf?

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

I think that will have a hegative effect with that stuff in media about Amare and D'Antoni. Amare has had major surgery and he wont be himself for a long time and the Suns organisations needs to not rush it.

When Kmart had surgery the Nuggets medical messed up big time by telling him he could play and so Karl assumed he was good to go, it turned out to be a big mistake. All us fans thought K was being a little girl but he obviously was in serious pain. K only had 5 or so months to recover ( i think it was about that long)

Amare is obviously feeling pain as well and the Suns could make it worse by trying to get him lost of minutes. The regular season is a differten ball game (of course) to the preseason and i wouldnt be suprised to see Amare miss games here and there.

I wonder how Amare will react about the media knowing what happened. Amare hasn't exactly been the best attitude guy.

He was big part of why JJ left he has had a run in with Marion

and this comment

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/42768/20061018/suns_message_to_amar%C3%A9_shape_up_or_ship_out/


“People can say what they want but nobody knows what kind of pain I have in my body but me,” Stoudemire said. “Nobody knows what I can and can’t do but me.”

^^^ that is very reminiscent of what Kmart said last year

Of course Amare is more talented than K but i doesnt change the fact that he will be in pain from the surgery.

[Obstructed_View]

Oh, shit. Time for Amarelooms to switch back to the Suns...

[Brutalis]

Spurs suck. Everyone is catching on! Ohnos!

[SenorSpur]

You Spurs fans can be a sensitive crowd sometimes. :lol

In response to your claim that they didn't get it done before the injury...the "they" you are referring to doesn't exist anymore. The Suns have a completely new supporting cast, one that is indisputably better than the one they had in '04-'05. The Suns squad of a few years ago was 6 players deep, at best. Now, they can put two separate lineups on the floor and still compete.

The Suns' defense has improved, which they proved all last season when Kurt Thomas was in the lineup. They've added Marcus Banks, a bulldog of a defender, to replace Eddie House...who didn't really play much defense. They've still got Raja Bell and Shawn Marion starting, two notable defenders.

Even the Suns' offense has improved, with Amare Stoudemire returning. Regardless of whether he's his old self, he'll still add a component that was missing from last year's team. Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa are blossoming into really good players. Shawn Marion and Steve Nash are in their primes.

I won't say they're a lock to win the championship, but their chances are greater than the previous two years. And if Amare comes back healthy, they have as good a chance as anyone, pretty much.

You didn't expect the Mavs to off your team last postseason, and no one expected the Heat to take it all. So I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a team that's made it to the Western Conference Finals two years in a row...and only appears to be improving.

Frankly if I were a Suns fan, I'd be far more concerned with Amare's newly-rehabbed knees. The Suns success this season will depend upon whether he can return to form.

[Xylus]

Frankly if I were a Suns fan, I'd be far more concerned with Amare's newly-rehabbed knees. The Suns success this season will depend upon whether he can return to form.
I don't think there's a Suns fan alive who isn't concerned about Amare's knees. I hold my breath everytime he lands. :p

[Obstructed_View]

At least the media can't say that Nash deserves MVP for improving the Suns beyond expectations, which was the rationale the last two years.