What can the Suns do to salvage next season?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Are you saying that its a fluke that Nash has just happened to play for the best offensive team in the last seven seasons.

No, not at all. I'm saying this isn't 2006 Nash anymore. It wasn't a 36 year old Steve Nash who led the best offensive team in the NBA the last 7 years. There are ways to defend Nash's pick and rolls now that he used to shred back in 2006 (switching the big onto him moreso than anything else).

[koriwhat]

Thanks for telling me what I already know

lol getting swept by a team dumb enough to give Frye $30,000,000

how's that wnba trophy lookin' these days? all shined up or what? if not, DoK, time to get back to work! open mouth, suck and shine !

[vicphoenix13]

No, not at all. I'm saying this isn't 2006 Nash anymore. It wasn't a 36 year old Steve Nash who led the best offensive team in the NBA the last 7 years. There are ways to defend Nash's pick and rolls now that he used to shred back in 2006 (switching the big onto him moreso than anything else).

Call me foolish, but I don't think the Suns offense is going to drop off all that much. As long as Robin Lopez continues to improve and shooters like Nash, Dudley, Dragic and Frye shoot a decent percentage, the Suns should average more than 100 ppg.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Call me foolish, but I don't think the Suns offense is going to drop off all that much. As long as Robin Lopez continues to improve and shooters like Nash, Dudley, Dragic and Frye shoot a decent percentage, the Suns should average more than 100 ppg.

On paper it won't regress that much but without Amare it will have more and more key stretches where it won't be able to score and it will be even worse in the half court against good teams. Outside of Amare the Suns had no consistent half court scoring option last year, it'll be a more one dimensional offense that relies more on jump shooting, more on pushing the tempo, and moreso on Nash than ever (and at Nash's age the team should be trying to rely less on Nash).

Even in 2006, Nash had the 3 headed monster of Diaw Marion and Tim Thomas to run P/R's with (with Diaw and Thomas both actually motivated to get new contracts). I'd argue his supporting cast is worse now than it was in 2006, both offensively and defensively. Kurt Thomas wasn't a good pick and roll option but he had a midrange J and Nash will say he set great screens that opened things up. The 2006 comparisons were sure to come once Amare left but the team doesn't have the players to pick up the slack for Amare the way they did in 2006.

[vicphoenix13]

On paper it won't regress that much but without Amare it will have more and more key stretches where it won't be able to score and it will be even worse in the half court against good teams. Outside of Amare the Suns had no consistent half court scoring option last year, it'll be a more one dimensional offense that relies more on jump shooting, more on pushing the tempo, and moreso on Nash than ever (and at Nash's age the team should be trying to rely less on Nash).

Even in 2006, Nash had the 3 headed monster of Diaw Marion and Tim Thomas to run P/R's with (with Diaw and Thomas both actually motivated to get new contracts). I'd argue his supporting cast is worse now than it was in 2006, both offensively and defensively. Kurt Thomas wasn't a good pick and roll option but he had a midrange J and Nash will say he set great screens that opened things up. The 2006 comparisons were sure to come once Amare left but the team doesn't have the players to pick up the slack for Amare the way they did in 2006.

That's all true but I think the Suns are deeper than they were four years ago. There's 10 players who can contribute to the current team versus the seven who contributed in 2006. The wildcard next season is Hakim Warrick. Is it possible for him to average 15 ppg and 8 rpg? If he can put up numbers like that, Amare's departure won't hurt so bad.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

What a ing lame flame war...

Suns fans - you see any chance that D'Antoni swings a trade for Nash?

[Gorilla Game]

What a ing lame flame war...

Suns fans - you see any chance that D'Antoni swings a trade for Nash?

Not in the offseason, But I could definitely see that if the losses start piling up before the trade deadline. Not sure what we would get back for nash though.

Dragic starting is an intriguing thought.