Steve Fan and I are back with a vengeance this week, taking a look at what we think the Suns should do this offseason.
Steve Fan
Let’s make it clear. Eventually, it won’t matter if the Suns make the playoffs or not. They’re not going to reach the Finals, not without the services of Amare Stoudemire.
I wish they would make it. We could then hope for an upset of the Lakers in the first round, a victory over the Jazz in the second, and the exorcising of Spurs demons in the Western Conference Finals. Dreaming is always allowed.
But, back to reality, this is the end of the Suns 3.0 (2004-2009).
My 10 point plan:
1. Fire Steve Kerr. He’s a very intelligent and decent man, no doubt, but in simple terms, he hasn’t delivered. Kerr missed on Shaq, missed on back to back drafts, missed on D’Antoni, and missed on Porter. Sorry, Steve must go. Hiring a new GM is the no. 1 priority.
2. Appoint Steve Nash as player-coach (it’s not gonna happen, but it would be cool), or find a new coach. Alvin Gentry is not the long term answer. Find a young NBA assistant and give him a chance to be the Suns’ next head coach, someone like Mike Budenholzer (San Antonio and he’s from Arizona), Tom Thibodeau (Boston), Elston Turner (Houston)
3. Resign Stoudemire to a long term deal once they’re sure the eye is 100%. He wants to stay and despite his poor defensive play he’s one of the best power forwards in the League.
4. Trade Shaq and Barbosa and allow Hill to retire. All three solid players and nice guys, but sorry, we have a new mid-term plan here. Get an expiring contract, one or two solid “middle of the pack” veteran players and a couple of draft picks.
5. Resign Matt Barnes to a 2-year deal.
6. Free some cap room, as much as possible in time for the summer of 2010. Why exactly can’t Dwyane Wade sign with the Suns?
7. Play the young guys, let them show their talent and see who stands out.
8. Draft a PG and let him mature for a year next to Steve Nash, or fully commit to Dragic by giving him 20 minutes a night
9. Assume the “brace” position and prepare yourself for at least a couple of years with a losing record and hope for the best.
10. Hope the ping pong ball does its job. Close your eyes and imagine Mr. Stern saying something like this: “With the first pick of the 2009 NBA draft the Phoenix Suns select F Blake Griffin, from Oklahoma University.
As you can see, I have a plan! All it needs is: money, basketball knowledge and plenty of good luck. Easy, no?
Mark McLane
In our weekly podcast with Michael Schwartz of Valley of the Suns, I’ve developed a bit of a reputation as a cynic, a foil for our very own Ben York, an eternal optimist. I’ve stuck to my guns and will continue to do so until the bitter end when saying I don’t believe the Suns will make the playoffs.
The Suns have played very, very well of late, putting together their longest win streak of the season these last couple of weeks. It’s been a joy to watch but in the end, it isn’t going to be enough. The road is difficult, the task too daunting, the ups and downs of this season too much to overcome.
However, a six game win streak is nothing to sneeze at for any team, and along with the medication the dentist gave me this afternoon, enough to help me come out of my shell a bit. I won’t go so far as to duplicate Ben’s unflinching optimism, but all is not lost in the desert.
This season has been rather interesting. Coaching and personnel changes, with injuries mixed in for good measure, have prevented the Suns from gaining any cohesion or familiarity. The first half of the season was spent wondering exactly who they were and where they were going. No longer is this the case.
The reason behind the Suns’ resurgence is twofold. First, Steve Kerr was gutsy enough to admit making a mistake with the hiring of Terry Porter. Next, the man he replaced Terry Porter with has been a breath of fresh air, a coach who has proved cynics like myself wrong by showing he may very well be head-coaching material and the best man for this job.
Alvin Gentry understood the personnel on his team, save for Shaq, was built to run and score. He’s used a hands off approach with the veterans and a show me what you have approach with the young bench, bringing the team closer together than they’ve been at any point this year.
All this brings us to today. The Suns have strung together six consecutive wins and find themselves three games out of the playoffs. Amare Stoudemire is out for the season, Leandro Barbosa won’t return for at least another week, yet here I sit with an optimistic view of what is to come.
With their first taste of continuity, the Suns have shown they can win and play as a unit, and even mix in an effective Shaq. They’ve done so with Gentry’s calming influence at the helm, taking care of the teams they’re supposed to, and executing down the stretch against teams likely to make noise in the playoffs.
The team has responded to Alvin Gentry and as such, the Suns’ first order of business should be to offer him the head-coaching job. For one year.
Steve Kerr has fiddled enough with the Suns roster, and now is the time for him to keep the status quo. For one year.
Drug Robert Sarver. Keep Steve Nash. Hold on to Shaq. Don’t trade Amare or LB. Convince Grant Hill to make another run. Hell, invite Matt Barnes back for a second go round.
Allow Alvin Gentry the remainder of this season to continue to hone the skills and increase the confidence of the young players, and give him the next to see how far the Suns can go. Give Gentry and the Suns a year together. A full year.
Wait until next year is a familiar refrain in the desert and for that matter, all around the sports landscape, but this team deserves another shot and their next year. The veterans have earned it, and by continuing to provide inspired play, the youngsters will have as well.
Steve Kerr should heed the advice I give my kids when walking through an expensive store: “don’t touch it, you’ll break it.”
His team has begun to assemble the broken pieces left from his constant tinkering and should be given the chance to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. While the alternatives outlined above by my colleague are certainly enticing, damn the salary cap and getting maximum value for expiring contracts and aging players. The end result is still a wholly reconstructed team.
The Suns have nothing to lose the rest of this year and seem to enjoy their backs against the wall. Allow them the chance to do the same next season with a healthy Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa. With all this team has been through in this lost season, they’ve certainly earned that opportunity.
