Suns to sign Skinner

[Xylus]

Suns get their big man: Skinner
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 24, 2007 08:14 PM

The Suns have their new big man.

Eight-year veteran Brian Skinner and the Suns agreed to terms Monday on a one-year veteran's minimum deal, half of which is guaranteed. If Skinner remains on the team when opening day rosters are set Oct. 29, his $1.1 million salary will be fully guaranteed.

Skinner, 31, was the best of the big man prospects the Suns considered because he can offer Phoenix rebounding and defense with enough speed to play at the Suns' pace. Initial plans would be to have a platoon backup center system with Skinner and returnee Sean Marks, who played three games for Phoenix last season. Skinner is accepting of the part-time role and had Phoenix atop his wish list because he wanted to play for a title contender after missing the playoffs last season, when he had 44 starts for Milwaukee.

"This is an opportunity to be on the inside looking out," Skinner said after his Thursday workout for Phoenix.

Skinner, 6 feet 9 and 265 pounds, has played for six teams in eight NBA seasons with career averages of 5.1 points and 5.0 rebounds.

He is limited with his offensive skills and shoots free throws poorly (56.4 career percentage) but does not try to score outside his skill range.

The Suns are not expected to give any more contracts with any guarantee because Skinner gives them 13 players, the minimum a team must carry on its roster. Skinner's salary will count as $770,610 against the salary cap with a league fund that protects veterans covering the $332,615 for the Suns.

[timvp]

Good signing by the Suns. He's always played pretty well against the Spurs. The Spurs actually tried to sign him a couple years ago.

Not quite PJ Brown but a rather solid consolation prize.

[Xylus]

If D'Antoni takes his head out of his ass, Skinner could be a solid backup center. Not much of an offensive threat, but he's a good rebounder and defender, two traits that the Suns need.

[BillsCarnage]

Hey, another bench warmer.

[Xylus]

Hey, another bench warmer.
Probably.

:depressed

[MrChug]

Yah, probably but I see him as a more athletic Kurt Thomas...just not as good as a defender. Nowhere the same BBIQ.

[mavsfan1000]

Skinner is a scrub. Probably another bench warmer.

[ChumpDumper]

Good signing for the Spurs; he'll play as much as Thomas did.

[Bruno]

Skinner for the min is a very good signing. He is a good defender and is enough athletic/quick to be Suns center. He was the best solution for Suns given their financial constraint.
Skinner is a serious downgrade from Kurt Thomas but it's difficult to get for $1M the same player that for $8M.

A great block of Skinner against Marion :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnlGQ_xT1Y

[Findog]

Duncan Stopper! Cancel the season, the Suns are your new champs.

[MajorMike]

SKIN-NER!!!

http://www.thesimpsonsquotes.com/images/skinnerpointing.gif

[RonMexico]

I remember that he was active and played decently against the Suns last year in Milwaukee - prompted me to go, "WTF? Brian Skinner?" Probably was a small audition for him last winter that paid off this summer.

[Supergirl]

Hahahahhaha. LMAO at the Suns letting Kurt Thomas go and then winding up with Brian f-ing Skinner.

That's hysterical. They have taken about ten steps away from the title, and they weren't all THAt close to begin with.

[Nashfan]

Hahahahhaha. LMAO at the Suns letting Kurt Thomas go and then winding up with Brian f-ing Skinner.

That's hysterical. They have taken about ten steps away from the title, and they weren't all THAt close to begin with.

You keep dreaming that we weren't close to winning the series against the Spurs. We had to let Kurt Thomas go because he would have put us way over the luxury tax and coach (stupidly) wasn't playing him much anyway. At least Skinner can bang and rebound and keep Amare out of foul trouble against Duncan. Hopefully we can sign PJ Brown also at some point in time this year. Don't count the Suns out yet. :nope

[Obstructed_View]

You keep dreaming that we weren't close to winning the series against the Spurs.
Actually, you keep dreaming that they were. A Nash flop sealed one win, and a Spurs complete collapse sealed the other. Not exactly an example of the Suns' imposing their will.

And it'll take more than a scrub-level backup center (and this is coming from a Baylor fan who has followed Skinner since he came out of Temple high school) to keep Amare out of foul trouble.

[da_suns_fan__]

Actually, you keep dreaming that they were. A Nash flop sealed one win, and a Spurs complete collapse sealed the other. Not exactly an example of the Suns' imposing their will.

And it'll take more than a scrub-level backup center (and this is coming from a Baylor fan who has followed Skinner since he came out of Temple high school) to keep Amare out of foul trouble.

Which one of these was game 2 where the Suns spanked the Spurs?

[shelshor]

Duncan Stopper! Cancel the season, the Suns are your new champs.
AND we all benefit from his great beard grooming tips

[Findog]

Which one of these was game 2 where the Suns spanked the Spurs?

Spurs 4, Suns 2. You couldn't beat San Antonio with Kurt Thomas, you sure as hell won't do it now with Skinner.

Phoenix can beat Dallas. Their only hope for a title is for us to take care of San Antonio for them, because they're not doing it.

[SenorSpur]

Skinner for the min is a very good signing. He is a good defender and is enough athletic/quick to be Suns center. He was the best solution for Suns given their financial constraint.
Skinner is a serious downgrade from Kurt Thomas but it's difficult to get for $1M the same player that for $8M.

A great block of Skinner against Marion :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnlGQ_xT1Y

This would be a good signing for most other teams that valued a defender of Skinner's ilk.

He'll never see a minute of crunch time in D'Antoni's herky-jerky, helter-skelter, shoot-within-the-first-10-secs-of-the-shot-clock type of system.

[Obstructed_View]

Which one of these was game 2 where the Suns spanked the Spurs?
That would be the collapse game, where the Spurs suddenly decided they didn't have to play defense to win. They were wrong.


He'll never see a minute of crunch time in D'Antoni's herky-jerky, helter-skelter, shoot-within-the-first-10-secs-of-the-shot-clock type of system.
I believe D'Antoni's preferred term is "swashbuckling".

[BillsCarnage]

I believe D'Antoni's preferred term is "swashbuckling".

It is. He thinks they're pirates for some reason.

[SenorSpur]

Hahahahhaha. LMAO at the Suns letting Kurt Thomas go and then winding up with Brian f-ing Skinner.

That's hysterical. They have taken about ten steps away from the title, and they weren't all THAt close to begin with.

Couldn't agree more. I've always liked Kurt Thomas and have wished for years to see him in a Spurs uniform. In fact, I seem to remember some years ago when the Spurs had a rumored deal involving Malik Rose for KT.

Anyway, the Suns were much better off with KT than BS. In addition to being a solid post defender and rebounder, he was damn near automatic with his baseline J from 10-15 feet out.

[Xylus]

I don't think anyone expects him to replace Kurt Thomas. The Suns had to get rid of KT for financial reasons.

[JMarkJohns]

(Because Sarver is a cheap ass) ... The Suns had to get rid of KT for financial reasons.

Fixed it for ya :)


Good signing. Best they could have made for the money. He'll play as much as Thomas, but I'd rather it be him than Marks or Burke...

He's not the box-out rebounder, but he's more athletic than Thomas, so he won't be as big a liability in the transition game. He's also a pretty capable post-defender. I'm still pissed that they traded the present hope (Thomas) away with two future firsts for Skinner (essentually) and 14 million in savings, but Skinner is definately a better player than I was expecting as a replacement.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Not bad.

[MagnusKrauss]

i think phoenix made a good move with this one if they really plan on playing skinner. he could really help amare with the defense. even if it's just a little.

letting kurt go really hurt them, i think. they could have unloaded somebody else that they weren't using. you guys could probably name a few other players they could have unloaded.

but it's too bad that they seem to like their non-winning style of buckleswashing basketball.

or maybe it's because we spurs fans prefer championship caliber play-smothering defense.

--------------------------------

magnusdrakenkrauss

[exstatic]

It'll be the same story as Thomas. D'Antoni will play him 10 minutes in the regular season because he breaks the offense, then expect him to bang 40 minutes with Duncan in the playoffs.

[ShoogarBear]

Good signing, but he's not going to give them what KT did.