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Daily Email10Dec/085:22 PM
We now know at least one thing, Steve Kerr isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on a major trade.
After a week of uninspired play, the Suns decided to pull off this season’s version of the Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol. In picking up Jason Richardson from the Charlotte Bobcats for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Sean Singletary, Steve Kerr revived the Suns’ championship dreams. Dreams that had been on life support since last April.
Some will claim the Suns gave up too much talent by trading Diaw and Bell. Those people would be wrong. From all accounts, Bell had amounted to a malcontent whose main role was complaining about Terry Porter’s system. Diaw had to be one of the most frustrating and wildly inconsistent players to ever put on a Phoenix Suns’ uniform.
In Richardson, the Suns gain an athletic two guard who can create his own shot (19 points a game). Can make 3’s (45% on the season). Can rebound from the two guard spot (over 4 a game this year and 5 for his career) and brings energy to a backcourt that had been showing signs of age.
This deal doesn’t come without it’s questions. Richardson thrives in a running system. Does this mean the Suns may return to a running style? The starting lineup now features four players who average over 15 points a game (Nash, Shaq, Amare and Richardson). Can the Suns get all four players enough touches to keep them happy?
The pluses outweigh those questions though, as Richardson brings a new energy to a team that seemed to lack it over the last few months.
Oh, and rumor has it that to meet the 13 man roster requirement the Suns will now sign a veteran point guard. Yet another plus that comes out of this trade.
Congrats on an A+ trade Mr. Kerr. You are proving to be quite a master of the blockbuster deal.
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Tags: Boris Diaw, Jason Richardson, Raja Bell, Sean Singletary
December 10th, 2008 5:22 PM PST
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NO.. way.. JRich is a great player. but aint no gasol.. and he for sure aint gonna play with a Kobe Bryant type player..
plus the suns lost two good Defensive players..
The Suns lost zero good defensive players in this deal… have you seen these guys play in the last 2 years? Bell can’t stop anybody anymore, and Diaw plays really well every 4th game… I’m still not really sure I like this trade, but neither of the players Phoenix gave up were “good defensive Players”… there is only one Kobe & the only guys close to playing on his level are CP3 and LBJ, so “Kobe Bryant type player” doesn’t mean a whole lot. That being said, this doesn’t make my Beloved Suns contenders.
Hahahahaha. J-Rich can create his own shot? That’s a good one. As for CP3 and LBJ being the only Kobe-like players, uh, they’re both playing way better than Kobe this season. And, let’s not forget Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and, dare I say it, Tony Parker, who are all playing out of their minds this year. Kobe’s playing tired. Final thought, on the Suns, Diaw and Bell constituted “good defensive players” and now they are both gone…replaced by a dude who isn’t very good at D. NOT saying this was a bad deal for Phoenix, especially since they got Dudley, but, it wasn’t the “Save the Season” deal they needed either.