Friday links

I’m very much looking forward to the end of the season.  The Suns aren’t making the playoffs, you know it, I know it, John Hollinger knows it.  Let’s get it over with already.

I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of the Suns up and down 2008-09 season.  As a writer (I use that term very, very loosely) it’s been wonderful, there hasn’t been any shortage of compelling story lines.  As a fan, however, it’s been a miserable year.

The Suns will finish with a winning record but without a playoff berth and the chance to be the team no one wants to play, this limited success is nothing more than a lightly healed scab on an otherwise painful season.

I can’t wait to start discussing answers to all the questions facing the Suns this offseason.  Here’s to hoping Steve Kerr doesn’t forget the Neosporin when he rips the scab off.

-remember Shaq’s movie, Steel?  Yeah, me neither.  Basketbawful apparently does, and discusses the soundtrack for the film along with the rest of Shaq’s musical career.

I decided to take a look at the imdb page for Steel because again, I don’t remember a thing about it.  Turns out Judd Nelson and Richard Roundtree both badly needed a paycheck in 1997.  Not only did they star alongside Shaq, Ray J was involved.

The Breakfast Club and Shaft are a long, long way from playing second fiddle to a basketball player and another guy more famous for being someone’s brother and for making some homemade porn than any acting chops or experience.

Today’s sage advice comes from Judd Nelson’s character: “eat the hot dog, don’t be one!”  Words to live by, my friends.

-there are a number of things Zach Harper of Talk Hoops doesn’t want to see in the playoffs:  “Personally, I don’t want to see Jason Kidd missing jumpers and relying on Jose Barea to be a factor when we have Steve Nash in the lottery.”

-according to The Puns are Starting to Bore Me (via BDL,) the Suns would take JaVale McGee if the draft were redone.  While it’s pretty obvious Robin Lopez was a stretch at 15 and will need quite a bit more seasoning before he can make an impact in the league, it’s still hard to fault Kerr for his pick.  Going into the season, the Suns needed a big to spell Shaq, a player who would bring a defensive presence on a team with plenty of scoring.  Coming out of college Robin Lopez was exactly that guy.

Teams can do all the scouting in the world and believe they’re making the best possible pick, but in the end, a player’s performance coming into the NBA is still quite the crapshoot.

-be sure and visit Michael Schwartz on the Daily Dime outlining the ridiculous scenarios needed for the Suns to squeak into the playoffs, and if you haven’t already, check out our podcast from earlier this week.

I think the best case scenario for the Suns is the deportation of Dirk.

-John Schuhmann of nba.com (via ballerblogger) puts together a nice look at the Suns and what has gone wrong.  “The Suns still have a lot of talent on their roster and don’t have to lose their run-and-fun identity to improve on the defensive end. But a better balance is needed to bring this team back to life.”  This is all well and good but it sure sounds like something I’ve heard before.

-to answer the question posed by Empty the Bench this morning, Double Dribble is not the best basketball video game ever.  It’s hardly the worst, but it’s no NBA Jam or even Arch Rivals.

Now quick, name the players from the original NBA Jam while wrapping your head around Shaq buying not one, but two machines and having one shipped city to city on road trips.

-Eric Neel is a helluva writer but I dare you to make it through his entire snooze-inducing interview with Mike D’Antoni.  The article is great but the interview needs a double shot of espresso.

-Sherlock Holmes Phoenix Stan is using his time after practice with the Suns to get to the bottom of what went wrong with Terry Porter, good stuff here.  No stone will be left unturned!

-Amare Stoudemire is looking to be a max player at a time when “the NBA is going to have to re-define what a maximum player looks like.”  Hoopsworld (via ballerblogger) visits with an NBA executive who believes things needs to change for the league to stay out of future financial crises, and it all starts with salaries.

-this doesn’t have anything to do with the Suns save for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw being involved, but how about that Celtics win over the Bobcats on Wednesday, huh?  The Bobcats attempted 102 field goals but took only 7 free throws.  The Celtics, who were at home and who just happen to be the defending champions, put up 77 field goals and attempted 26 free throws.

Now, the Celtics were actually whistled for more total fouls than the Bobcats (23-21) but how in the world do the C’s get free throws 62% of the time they’re fouled and the Bobcats just 13%?

It isn’t because they chucked threes all game, just 18 of their 102 field goal attempts were from beyond the arc.  In fact, if you look at the game’s shot chart, the Bobcats were in the paint all night.

Kelly Dwyer is correct in saying you don’t leave Ray Allen, and to fault Diop for missing a couple of free throws, but when your team attempts just 7 the entire game, the odds are against them even if he makes them both.

This is the kind of game where if I’m Larry Brown (I sounded just like Mark Jackson right there, damnit) I call Bob Johnson and Michael Jordan to ask for a blank check before speaking with the media, and let my head assistant know he may very well be coaching the next couple of games.

-Henry Abbott really does a number on the NBA’s green week.  Hammer, don’t hurt ‘em!

Welp, that about does her, wraps her all up.  Everyone have a great, great weekend.  If you’re drinking, don’t drive, and if you’re driving, don’t drink.

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