Suns land Hill

[Findog]

I don't even consider 10th-12th men as even role players, they're scrubs who only play in mop up time.

Hill would've gotten a bigger role than that for the spurs.

[da_suns_fan__]

Wow. Are the Suns really planning to start Hill and put Raja on the bench to start games? That makes no sense whatsoever. Maybe they just have to tell Hill he's going to start to get him to sign then once the season starts and it obviuosly isn't working put Bell back in as the starter. I mean is not exactly as if the Suns have Howard and Darko covering Hill's ass on defense.

I think the orlando writer just did very little research.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I don't even consider 10th-12th men as even role players, they're scrubs who only play in mop up time.

Spurs wouldn't sign Hill just to ride pine with Beno all season, he'd be a contributor

[da_suns_fan__]

WTF?!?!? Purple and GOLD???

Sacrilege!! I must be spending too much time on the Laker boards. I aplogize to all Suns fans!!!

[mowgli]

Hill is not the piece Phoenix needed to beat the Spurs. Maybe the Mavs.

[sa_butta]

Just another statue for Parker to blow by. Will he actually play the whole season??

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

So you are abandoning your argument that Hill will have to guard Oberto.

Thank you very much. OWNED!

Btw - I VERY much like the Suns chances in a Hill vs. Finley matchup.

Not abandoning my argument. Knowing your sorry coach, when he's getting burned by those matchups he will get 'creative' and try and switch things up.

Or, the painfully obvious fact that Phoenix switches on the pick and roll (in those instances where it actually doesn't let the guard come clean with no one guarding him ), and it would be easy to force a Hill on Oberto matchup with a simple Finley - Oberto pick and roll.

You don't own anything, except a team with one more horrible defender and a coach who will never get Phoenix out of the west.

[beirmeistr]

Nice signing by Steve kerr. But the Suns are going to have to pay a high price if one of the stipulations of the signing is that Hill be a starter. He is probably too old for the Suns' tempo. If Hill were smart, he would agree to be a bench player.

[da_suns_fan__]

Not abandoning my argument. Knowing your sorry coach, when he's getting burned by those matchups he will get 'creative' and try and switch things up.

Or, the painfully obvious fact that Phoenix switches on the pick and roll (in those instances where it actually doesn't let the guard come clean with no one guarding him ), and it would be easy to force a Hill on Oberto matchup with a simple Finley - Oberto pick and roll.

You don't own anything, except a team with one more horrible defender and a coach who will never get Phoenix out of the west.

So your NEW argument is that the Spurs will force an Oberto-Hill isolation off of pick and rolls?

I would LOVE to see a FINLEY-OBERTO pick and roll!!!



POPOVIC! Sign this guy to your staff! HURRY!

Btw - youre just making yourself look stupid. Youre trying to back-pedal out of your original argument that either Nash or Hill would have to guard Oberto. Now you are saying that Hill will have to guard Oberto off pick n rolls with Finley...but everyone will have to, at some point, guard everyone using that philosophy!

What else you got?

[CaptainLate]

I don't see what Hill will do to help Phoenix get past the Spurs. Am I missing something?

You ain't missing anything.

Replace Raja Bell (their "D" specialist)? The Suns need more starters who can play "D". Besides, how many minutes can Hill's ankles give the Suns?

If you read what Suns fans are saying if this is their BIG FA signing. They better trade Marion now (and get something great in return) or they just a took a step backwards and another ouster in the 2nd Round.

[LavaLamp]

Sacrilege!! I must be spending too much time on the Laker boards. I aplogize to all Suns fans!!!

[L.I.T]

As far as I can tell, the Suns half-court offense involves drive and kicks for three, how exactly does this help them? Grant Hill has never...ever...ever been even a mediocre three-point shooter.

He's absolutely horrible on defense and, unlike lets say if he signed with the Spurs, there isn't a defensive system in place that he can just learn or an intimidating shotblocker behind him to cover for his mistakes.

As a spot-player Hill can be quality. If they are expecting him to be their missing piece that gets them over the hump they are in trouble.

As opposed to getting stronger offensively, this is more of a case of the defensively weak getting weaker.

[CaptainLate]

Suns get Hill
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 5, 2007 09:22 AM

Grant Hill will be a Sun.

Hill's agent, Lon Babby said that Hill told Phoenix today that he would join the Suns in his quest or a championship. There is a moratorium on free agent signings until Wednesday.

"He established a number of criteria," Babby said. "His opportunity to contribute to a championship would be on the top of the list. He really thought it through and was diligent and concluded this is the best opportunity for his career. He's very, very excited about it."

Hill was drawn by the chance to be on a le contender and an important playing role on a team that fits the 6-foot-8 swingman's versatile style. Hill, who will turn 35 in October, could start for Phoenix with Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Shawn Marion and Amaré Stoudemire. He also will give Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni another facilitator to help run the offense when Steve Nash is resting.

"The opportunity described to him is consistent with what he's looking for," Babby said. "He's not someone looking for anything granted to him but more that he'd have the opportunity to start."

"His health is fine," Babby said. "There is every expectation that he will be healthy."

Babby said it helped the Suns' chances to have assistant Alvin Gentry on staff. Gentry coached in Detroit for five of Hill's seasons there, including 2 1/2 years that Gentry served as Hill's head coach.

Isn't Babby the agent for Duncan? Obviously, this is Hill's decision and Babby is blabbering just trying to make the best of it. He wasn't going to start in SA (Finley will be even better in year 3), and he probably couldn't take Pop's "D" philosophy (play "D" or you don't play). So he chose a team that doesn't play "D".

[porscha]

Congratulations to Suns... for having a old guy whom enjoy the sick leave/ benching/no practice time

[LavaLamp]

I have read other articles which say Hill is a reliever for Nash, not necessarily a starter. If that is the case, it does not affect Phoenix's defense. We'll have to see just when and what position Hill will actually be playing.

[Xylus]

There is no ing way that Hill replaces Bell in the lineup. Bell plays 37 minutes a game and D'Antoni loves the guy. Seriously, he starts tearing up everytime Raja comes into conversation.

It's more likely that D'Antoni will play a small lineup of:

Nash
Hill
Bell
Marion
Stoudemire

Except against the Spurs, when you'll likely see a lineup of:

Nash
Bell (Hill off the bench)
Marion
Stoudemire
Thomas

With that said, we're paying this guy less than $2 million. Even if he manages only 41 games this season, that'll be a plus over James Jones (who was costing us more money).

[picnroll]

Looks like rebounding will remain a problem for the Suns.

[MrChug]

By John Denton
FLORIDA TODAY
ORLANDO _ Grant Hill, whose seven years in Orlando were marred by crippling injuries to his ankle and abdomen...Hill played in just 200 of a possible 574 games in his seven years in Orlando. He missed 65.1 percent of the games with the Magic.

Hmmm...and all those things at 36 by the time that the playoffs come is a great equation

[Jeremy]

So Hill wants to be a starter. At least he can take comfort in the fact that D'Antoni doesn't overplay his starters. They averaged say, only 38 mpg or something? No problem. Hill should be fine. After all, the practices are light right?

An average of 38 mpg for the Suns starters? Are you serious?

Shawn Marion, 80 starts: 37.6 mpg
Raja Bell, 78 starts: 37.4 mpg
Steve Nash, 76 starts: 35.3 mpg
Amare Stoudemire, 78 starts: 32.8 mpg
Leandro Barbosa, 18 starts: 32.7 mpg
Boris Diaw, 59 starts: 31.1 mpg

And to clear up another couple of Spurs fans' misconceptions:

1. The Florida article is wrong. Hill will not replace Bell in the starting lineup. Look at the azcentral article. IF Hill were to start, he would be starting at Small Forward, and would be replacing Boris Diaw in the lineup (Marion would start at PF). FYI, Diaw does not shoot 3's either.

2. The Suns did not have a 7-man rotation. They had an 8-man rotation. And D'antoni says he would play more guys if he has more guys who can contribute enough.

[phxspurfan]

what the suns needed to do was sign chauncey billups. think of how crazy that would have been:

Marion traded to Pistons for Billups

Nash on Bowen - push
Billups on Parker - advantage Suns
Bell on Ginobili - push
Thomas on Duncan - advantage Spurs (because TD will always have more offensive impact than Thomas on the other end)
Stoudemire on Oberto

that would have been great for phoenix. TP has always had troubles with bigger, stronger PGs.

[ArgSpursFan]

Great,everybody is getting better while the spurs might give away scola and sing an acoholic.Good job R.C.
The spurs Organization is so lucky to have a coach like Pop.He could coach the Hawks and put them on the playoffs in his first year with the same players they have right now.

[judaspriestess]

good for them.

on edit: I guess everyone across the nation will have to endure the feelings from the suns of es of heir apparent to the le this coming season stemming from being "robbed" by the NBA. GREAT

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

and the Spurs do nothing ot get better.............

[gaKNOW!blee]

Am I the only Spurs fan who thinks this is a good signing by the Suns?

[ArgSpursFan]

......as usuall