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yeah it's a stupid trade. Why would you break up a good team to ad aging bones to your roster
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...ShaqSuns080206
The Phoenix Suns have the best record in the Western Conference, a game and a half ahead of their closest rival. They have the best scoring margin in the conference, and the best offensive efficiency in the NBA. They're 8-2 in their past 10 games (while outscoring opponents by nine points per game). And the Suns have a slew of home games coming up because their early schedule was so road-heavy.
In other words, after 48 games they're in as good a position as they've ever been in to win their first conference le since Sir Charles and KJ did it 15 years ago.
And their solution? Blow it up!
The Suns are reportedly in negotiations to trade Shawn Marion -- a man everyone agrees is a vital cog in their attack because of his ability to run opponents into submission from the power forward spot -- for Shaquille O'Neal. (The Suns would include Marcus Banks.)
Good call. Clearly this Nash-Marion-Stoudamire nucleus isn't working out; they've won only 62 and 61 games the two years they were together. This year they were on pace for a meager 58, so I guess they thought it had run its course.
My first reaction to hearing reports about this deal was that I was being Punk'd. After that, I checked the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1, and verified that the voice on the other end of the phone didn't belong to Orson Welles.
But there was no Ashton Kutcher, no Orson Welles, and the calendar says it's February.
Believe it or not, this is a real, live trade discussion that might actually happen. I'm not sure I've adequately conveyed my shock at this development, but suffice it to say nobody I've talked to finds it even remotely sensible.
Shaq may be the one player who is least capable of thriving in the Suns' system. Run the break? No, thank you. Set a high screen and dive to the cup? Maybe 10 years ago. Space the floor for 3s? Please.
He's 35 and out of shape; at the moment he's also hurt. Even when healthy, he's had difficulty staying out of foul trouble long enough to make an impact. While I'll grant that Shaq can still be an offensive force -- even with his struggles this year his PER is a very solid 18.17 -- he's toasted regularly on defense. And if you thought Marion complained about not getting shots, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Even if you subscribe to the idea that Marion had to go -- there have been mutterings about his at ude for quite a while -- you can't seriously tell me this was the best deal on the table.
While matching his $17 million contract is difficult, the fact that there's only a year and a half left on it means there are partners out there. Just thinking out loud, for instance, you'd think New Jersey would have taken Marion in a heartbeat for Vince Carter or Richard Jefferson, and the Andrei Kirilenko deal that was so heavily discussed before the season also would seem preferable.
Marion, by the way, hadn't let his dissatisfaction and his own offseason trade demand affect his play. His 20.25 PER nearly matches last year's 20.87, and he's made up for a reduction in shots by cutting his turnovers and increasing his assists.
But despite his performance they're trading him for an older, less effective player, and one who could not be more of a square peg in a round hole in their system.
And get this -- the deal will worsen their cap situation, too. Shaq is on the books for two years after this one at $20 million a pop, whereas Marion only has one year left at less money, and may opt out after this season. So in addition to messing up their own team, the Suns will be basically handing Pat Riley a big fat Get Out of Jail Free card.
In short, this deal feels like one of these movie scenes where the lead character has a plan and says, "It's crazy ... but it just might work!"
I'm not sure about the working part, but it's definitely crazy. I'm praying this trade doesn't really happen, because the Suns have been too entertaining for too long to screw up their le chances like this.
John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.
yeah it's a stupid trade. Why would you break up a good team to ad aging bones to your roster
This is madness!
This trade is bordering on ridiculousness. Why have I supported this team so long?
I can't believe the Suns got stuck with Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion who are much more concerned with personal accolades than winning.
I know Shaq likes winning, but does he like it enough to will his broken body to another playoff run? Does he want to show the Lakers he can still beat Kobe one last time? If so, that's cool, but the Suns would still need to get a swingman who can defend players like Parker.
I would have liked Haslem.
Who knows when Shaq will return....2-3-4 weeks from that hip...im sure suns wont rush him back. So basically the suns will have the same team minus Marion for the next few weeks. Here is there schedule for the february... i see only 3 so called lock wins (sea, was, @memphis) the other games are against east/west powers and the suns have struggled with those teams. So coach D will probably be playing a 6-7 man rotation in the stretch and suns could go .500 this month but most of those games are at home. This trade only helps the Suns IF SHAQ IS HEALTHY AND THATS A BIG IF...if not, suns are screwed
Feb 6 New Orleans
Feb 8 Seattle
Feb 10 Washington
Feb 13 @ Golden State
Feb 14 Dallas
Feb 20 LA Lakers
Feb 22 Boston
Feb 24 Detroit
Feb 26 @ Memphis
Feb 27 @ New Orleans
It's funny b/c the Suns have had the same squad, same style of run n' gun (becoming somewhat better at def though), same big 60 W record for years now and they haven't won.
Hollinger makes it sound like record means everything and has no idea why the Suns would do this. Pretty sad drive-by media no thinking involved "analysis". That last bolded paragraph is particularly amusing.
Like I said before, Kerr is still a Spur at heart.
Its almost like hes working black ops over there for us.
If this ends up being a bust. we gotta send him a ring fo sho!
I think this trade has a lot more to do with Marion...I think he's been causing the Suns a lot more problems than what has been aired in the lockeroom. I wonder if Nash was on the bandwagon for this trade....
LOL yeah this trade is horrible and where is that loser da_suns_fan??
He went back here: http://arizonasportsfans.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=7
LOL OMG are you serious
http://arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=106311
"Sun have the same team minus Marion" - this is an oxymoron. The Suns aren't the same team without Marion. He is possibly the most vital cog in their system, which is the most efficient offense in the league. Second only to Nash, in importance, and Marion's defense and ability to match up against anyone arguably makes him the MOST important cog.
This is allsome. So much talk about a guy who's supposed to be a non-factor. Oh, wait, I forgot--these threads are really about Shawn Marion.
funniest thing is the SUn fans are in the bandwagon LMAO
"in the last few years Shaq hasn't defended anything but a buffet table"
This is PHOENIX
.
I just found out about this, and I'm just reeling. It's not just a seemingly terrible fit on the court, but how am I as a Suns fan supposed to soak this in emotionally? I've spent years looking forward to games against Shaq (and Yao) so that we can "run them off the court." Indeed, the Suns running style works best against a guy like Shaq. Now I'm supposed to root for him?
And it's even a bad fit aesthetically. We get a lot criticism (maybe deservedly so) from other teams because Suns fans are always talking about how fun the Suns are to watch because they play the "right way," etc. Finesse passing, great shooting, athleticism. Again, Shaq is the exact opposite of that - give him the ball, and let him turn around and dunk it in. That's not basketball.
Now I'm supposed to cheer for this?
Now a 35 yr old fat Shaq on that team is must see basketball. Not for good basketball, but for the circus that might blow up at any moment.
If it brings the Suns a le yer damn skippy you'll root for it. And you'll like it too.
If this move fails it might be the first and last move Kerr makes. The NBA has been playing the Suns like a fiddle since the JoJo fiasco.
i think u miss understood me, or i typed it wrong, let me clarify. what i meant is that while shaq is out, the suns will be basically the team that have been running out prior to this trade but will be missing Marion...therefore they will struggle during this stretch if shaq doesnt play bc they will be only have the following players...
Pg: nash/barbosa/strawberry
sg: bell/piatkowski/tucker
sf: hill/
pf: diaw/marks
c: amare/skinner
out of that group D'Antoni will probably give significant minutes to 6-7 of those guys. so missing Marion on this squad is devisating until Shaq makes his debut
Agreed. That was not at all what I got from your first post. Thanks for clarifying.
I really just can't believe the Suns would do something like this. Shaq is the LAST person the Suns should go after. He is the an hesis of the Suns' style of game, even at his best. He plays best in a half-court game, he's NEVER been a good defender, even when he was young and healthy. He's you classic dump it into the middle kind of player, and the Suns thrive when they can wear down teams with a fast paced, high energy offense. Shaq (IF he is healthy enough to play, which is a big if) will be unhappy about being left out of the offense and Amare will be unhappy trying to share the paint with him. And I am not sure Nash is the best PG to try and run offense for Shaq, although frankly Nash is probably the least affected by this, because he can play with anyone.
This is what I'm talking about. The an hesis of their style of play? I thought their style of play dooms them to never win a championship....So Shaq is a bad move?
Exactly, Spur fans have been talking about the Suns style of play for years, how it never got them anywhere. Now they make a move to help them also be able to play a traditional style, and its laughable, right. Throw in the fact that they even saved money for this move, and it was a very worthwhile risk to take. Shaq can still dominate when he wants too, and Im sure having Jason Williams and Quinn as his points didnt help.
But the reality is, the Suns have banked all the way on their style. I don't think their style WILL win them a championship, but they're in too deep to change now. Nash can't play as effectively in a half-court game, and Amare and Shaq are not good enough to play a defense-first oriented team. Nor is D'Antoni capable of coaching such a team. So why not continue to try and win in what has been virtually trademarked as the Suns-style? It's their best chance of winning, and this move simply makes them a mediocre half-court team with no one who can actually play defense.
The Shaq of 2 years ago would have been a great move. The Shaq of this season is far more risky.
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