Nothing gets the blood of Suns fans boiling quicker than mentioning the name Robert Sarver. From his first major deal, the botched Joe Johnson contract, he has done nothing in his tenure of Suns ownership to prove that he has any long term plan on how to run the Suns franchise.
The current Amar’e Stoudemire situation proves as much. While it seems that a trade involving the starting center of the West All-Star team is imminent, what Sarver and his henchman, Steve Kerr, plan on doing next is less clear. The problem is that they don’t even appear to know.
Even during the Suns glory years of deep playoff runs and exciting teams under Mike D’Antoni, the team wasn’t allowed to compete year after year. Key personnel changes were made, often with no regard to building on the previous year’s success. Joe Johnson was allowed to leave just as he was emerging as a star, Kurt Thomas was sold for cash, and multiple draft picks were given away for nothing in return.
These cash motivated moves stripped the team of any depth, and the bench was filled with marginal talent like Pat Burke and end of career players like Jim Jackson and Jalen Rose. D’Antoni was hung out to dry by Sarver and Kerr when, in reaction to the Lakers acquisition of Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, the best defender on the team and the one player counted on for double digit rebounds every night, was traded for Shaquille O’Neal, despite the fact that the Suns were leading the West at the time of the trade…and we all know how that worked out.
After the Suns flamed out in the first round, D’Antoni was “allowed” to leave, and Terry Porter was brought in to bring a defensive style to the Suns. The Suns personnel was not suited to Porter’s coaching style and Raja Bell, the remaining best defensive player on the team, was sent in a deal that brought in Jason Richardson, a player who would have been a prototype D’Antoni style player, but didn’t seem to fit into Porter’s defensive style.
Finally Porter was fired, and former D’Antoni assistant Alvin Gentry was promoted to bring the run back to the Suns. All was well until Amar’e Stoudemire was injured and lost for the season. The Suns failed to make the playoffs, and an offseason of turmoil followed.
As the 2009-10 season began, the Suns were an unknown commodity. Steve Nash was re-signed, Amar’e Stoudemire was still here, and Channing Frye was brought in to open up the offense and help the team return to the running style that was so successful in previous seasons.
Now, in what seems like a complete reversal, Sarver is all but committed to trading Stoudemire for nothing but salary cap space, and essentially taking any shot the Suns had at making a playoff run away. Was that the plan all along? Why was Steve Nash signed to a two year contract?
The problem with Sarver is that there is no long term plan. And the end result is this: Suns fans must live with the fact that the Suns might in essence trade Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire and have nothing but JJ Hickson in return (and some cash in Sarver’s pocket).
This was supposed to be a post critical of Jason Richardson and the fact that he lets opposing shooting guards kill the Suns with his lazy defense and failure to get out and cover shooters. This was supposed to be a post about how over the Suns last seven games opposing shooting guards were averaging 24.4 points and 5 rebounds, while Jason Richardson was averaging just 14 points and 4 rebounds and shooting just 42% from the field. This was supposed to be about how Jason Richardson is making $13.3 million dollars but doesnt play hard, doesnt shoot well, and doesnt play much defense. (See Roger MasonChristmas Day 2008). Thats what this post was SUPPOSED to be about.
Thats what this post was supposed to be about, until I started researching similarly paid players throughout the NBA and I see that the Suns are not in such bad shape considering how much some other players that are not even as productive as Jason Richardson are being paid.
Consider these salaries:
Shaquille ONeal $21 million
Jermaine ONeal $23 million
Michael Redd $12 million
Larry Hughes $13 million
Vince Carter $16 million
Rashard Lewis $18 million (Suspended for first 1/4 of the season for steroid use)
Kenyon Martin $15 million
Tracy McGrady $23 million
Yao Ming $16 million
Predrag Stojakovic $13 million
Andrei Kirilenko $16 million
So when you look at it this way, every time an opposing shooting guard goes for 33 points and 9 rebounds against Jason Richardson’s lazy defense, it could be worse. The Suns could be paying Tracy McGrady.
At last night’s Suns game I noticed that a lot of Suns fans are still wearing their Shaquille O’Neal jerseys that they bought over the last two seasons. Of course, wearing old jerseys is not anything new. At the US Airways Center one is likeley to see a variety of jerseys from some noted retired Suns stars, such as Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle. The occasional Shawn Marion jersey is still spotted even though The Matrix is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks. One may also see Suns fans wearing jerseys from such noted former Suns as Jason Kidd or Stephon Marbury. I even once saw a Jake Tsakalidis jersey at one of the Mercury WNBA Finals games.
As a Suns fan that happens to have a large jersey collection, I feel that it’s my responsibility to help out my fellow Suns fans and offer some suggestions as to what to do with that jersey of your favorite former Sun (even if you do feel like a sucker for buying that Shaq jersey).
First, you must know what type of jersey you have. There are three types - replica, swingman, and authentic.
Replicas are screen printed, and look the least like the jerseys the players actually wear. If you bought a replica, and your player is traded, you’re pretty much out of luck. You could wear the jersey and end up on this website. Or you can hold onto it and hope the player’s Suns career will turn out to be memorable and the jersey will become a fashionable throwback in oh, 10 years. (Note to the dude wearing the Tsakalidis jersey - I don’t think you have a chance of that happening).
A Swingman jersey is a hybrid of an authentic and a replica. It’s similar to what the players wear, but made of different, less expensive materials. The numbers and letters are stitched on, but painted to resemble the multiple layers of stitched on lettering that the authentics use. If you have a Swingman jersey and your player is traded, you have hope. All you’d need to do is unstitch the name on the back and take it to your local lettering shop to get re-lettered as the guy that currently wears that jersey number. I took this approach with my old Penny Hardaway swingman jersey. Of course, after Penny left the Suns there were guys like Yuta Tabuse and Dijon Thompson who wore #1, so the jersey sat in my closet collecting dust. However, when Amare Stoudemire switched from #32 to #1 my jersey was ready to go. (now if Taylor Griffin becomes a star - or ever plays - you’ll have something to do with your Shaq jersey)
Now, if you shell out the big bucks for an authentic jersey, you could follow the same advice as the Swingman jersey and unstitch the jersey. Because of the thicker material, and the multiple layers of stitching this process would be more difficult on the authentic. And if you spent close to $200 on a jersey, would you really want to risk tearing it by unstitching the jersey? You could try to sell it on EBay and make something off it. My advice is keep it and wear it as a throwback later. After all, I don’t think many people would spend the money on an authentic jersey of someone like Pat Burke so most likely the player will be someone whose career you’d want to remember.
When it comes to computing one is always advised to backup important files. When it comes to basketball, it’s equally important to backup your important players. After all, if a player goes down to injury (say, Steve Nash), a team (like the Suns for example) needs to know that the guy coming off the bench is at least somewhat capable of playing at an NBA level.
Since Steve Nash returned to Phoenix prior to the 2004-05 season, the Suns backup point guard position has been filled with players out of position (Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa), a gunner with no conscience (Eddie House), an erratic, mistake prone player with an inflated contract (Marcus Banks) and most recently, a young Slovenian by the name of Goran Dragic.
Dragic did little to impress during his rookie year - he shot just 39% from the field, and turned the ball over too much. (one turnover for ever 1.52 assists). For a mid second round draft pick these numbers would not be too disturbing, but the fact that the Suns have invested entirely too much money in a player with marginal talent.
The Suns owe Dragic $1.8 million and $1.9 million next year. That doesn’t even factor in the $500K that they paid toward the buyout of Dragic’s European contract. Just to put those numbers in perspective, Dragic actually makes MORE than Robin Lopez, the Suns first round pick (and #15 overall)…IN THE SAME DRAFT!
Dragic’s defenders like to point out that Steve Nash wasn’t really good his rookie year either…but when you compare the numbers, Nash was much better. Nash shot 42% from the field, 42% from beyond the arc, and 82% from the free throw line his first year, compared with Dragic’s 39%/37%/78% totals. Nash also had 2.19 assists for each turnover he committed. Nash was also a first round pick who was the third string guard behind Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd.
Can Dragic develop into a legitimate backup NBA point guard? I don’t know. Judging by his preseason performance this year (38% from the field, 2.5 assits/ turnover) it appears that there may be a little growth but I’m not counting on much.
What I do know is that for $1.8 million the Suns should have a much better player.
No - not that virginity you sicko, my WNBA virginity. On September 29, 2009 I attended my first WNBA game - game one of the 2009 WNBA Finals between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury.
If one were to hand pick my first game to attend this would have been the ideal game for the uninitiated WNBA observer. After all, it was only the opener of the championship series, and just happened to be the highest scoring game in the history of the WNBA.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been a WNBA basher - call me indifferent. I had no problem with the WNBA, but I have never had any desire to watch WNBA ball. But when the Suns sent an email out to season ticket holders offering free tickets to the Finals game, I thought I’d go check it out. After all, my son loves basketball of any kind, and I didn’t have any plans on a Tuesday night.
What I saw was one of the most exciting basketball games I had observed in recent memory. Let by newly crowned WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi’s all around effort of 22 pts, 9 rbds, and 6 asts, the Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 120, 116 in overtime. What I saw was clutch shooting from both teams, multiple lead changes, and clutch defensive plays when the game was on the line. I saw an MVP prove why she was indeed the leagues Most Valuable Player by overcoming a poor shooting night by grabbing important rebounds, locking down defenders, and getting to the free throw line. I saw two teams shoot over 50% from the field and execute their gameplans. And what I didn’t see, the above the rim of the NBA game, wasn’t even missed.
I don’t think that most WNBA games are this intense. After all, it was the Finals, but I’m sure that my first WNBA game won’t be my last.
As Mark Reynolds continues to break his own Major League Baseball single season strikeout record each night, many people write opinions defending him or making excuses for his failure to make contact. It seems that the power numbers Reynolds has put up this year (43 HR, 100 RBI as of September 24) have caused people to defend him.
While Reynolds power numbers have indeed been impressive, most Phoenix media members and Diamondbacks fans are lying to themselves if they think that those numbers mean that Reynolds is a star level Major League Baseball player.
Reynolds record setting 208 strikeouts this season in 625 plate appearances means that he fails to make contact in one out of every three times he comes to the plate. With numbers like that, pitchers salivate at the prospect of facing him. Pitchers across baseball know that they can go after Reynolds because chances are very good that he will strike out. The fact that he has hit 48 home runs, or a home run in 6% of his plate appearances, is more of a product of the fact that Reynolds is getting more pitches to hit than most legitimate power hitters. Further proof of this fact is the number of walks that Reynolds has drawn, 74, a low number when compared to other home run threats. Of the top 10 home run hitters in baseball this year, only Ryan Howard (70 walks) and Derrick Lee (71 walks) have drawn fewer bases on balls.
Not to be discounted is the fact that the 2009 Diamondbacks are a last place team which currently sits 26 games out of first place, 21 games below .500. Reynolds was not in a position to help the team win many games because he often came to the plate with the bases empty while his team was behind. Therefore, once again, pitchers did not have to pitch around him often.
Errors are another issue for Reynolds. He had 18 errors at third base, and another 5 in just 28 games at first base. His total of 23 errors puts him in the National League lead for the second consecutive year. While Reynolds defense has improved, and he has shown a flair for the dramatic with some diving highlight type catches and journeys into the front row, his defense has to be considered mediocre at best.
So what is Mark Reynolds? A great hitter? A great power hitter? Or just a mediocre baseball player? I don’t think anyone really knows yet, but if he continues to strikeout at record levels, he will be nothing more than a novelty act.
After Kanye West’s outburst at the MTV Video Music Awards, many observers were left to wonder what kind of egomaniac someone has to be to try to become the center of attention in any situation.
As a Suns fan I was all too familiar with the type of behavior West desplayed, because I had seen it first hand from former Sun Shaquille O’Neal.
From the time he came to Phoenix he wanted to be nothing but the center of attention. He was introduced to fanfare by pointing to his ring finger. Throughout his short (although not short enough ) Suns tenure, he did nothing to contribute to winning basketball games, however he was always the center of attention. Here’s just some examples of Shaq’s antics as a Sun
Choreographing pregame intros and being carried out by teammates, The All-Star game where Shaq danced in a white mask in front of a worldwide TV audience and somehow being named co-MVP despite not having the stats to back up the award. Starting a verbal brawl with Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, and the Orlando Magic. His use of Twitter to always remain at the forefront of social conciousness. And lastly, his Shaq Vs. TV show.
Kanye West and Shaquille O’Neal are one in the same - egomaniacal entertainers concerned with nobody but themselves.
Tonight marks the debut of the reality show Shaq Vs. where Shaquille O’Neal is featured trying to beat other athletes in their own sports.Here are some of my ideas for future episodes:
Shaq vs. Favre – Which washed up star athlete will hang on longer and be a distraction to his team?
Shaq vs. Vick – Who would kill the chemistry of his new team first? Shaq with the Cavs or Vick with the Eagles?
Shaq vs. any politician – Who can promise more and deliver less?
Shaq vs. AIG executives – Who can collect bigger paychecks when their employer falls apart around them due to bad management?
I must begin by explaining that I consider myself to be a baseball traditionalist. I don’t like the designated hitter, the American League, interleague play, the Wild Card, or the fact that the All Star game decides home field advantage in the World Series. I would rather watch a 1-0 pitchers’ duel than a 14-12 slugfest. I believe a baseball uniform should be worn like this rather than this.
Sex Sells
I have a great appreciation for the home run. The home run is majestic. The home run is sexy. There is no sacrifice fly derby at the all-star game. Nobody arrives at the ballpark early to watch pitchers take bunting practice. Kids don’t dream of hitting a bloop single over a drawn in infield to win the World Series (sorry Gonzo). There’s just something about hitting the ball over a wall and taking your sweet damn time to circle the bases. Nothing in sports can match that feeling.
Our infatuation with the home run is what led to baseball’s steroid problem (or the steroid era as ESPN likes to call it) in the first place. We love power and we love power hitters - which is exactly why steroids don’t matter.
Fans are hypocrites
Fans only care if an opponent is using steroids. The same fans who loved to watch Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa slug out the home run record in 1998 are the ones that are criticizing those records today. The Dodger fans who made t-shirts with 756* and threw syringes at Barry Bonds are the same ones who gave Manny Ramirez a standing ovation when he returned from his recent steroid related suspension. If we really cared, we’d shun our team’s heroes.
Everyone’s doing it
Face it - the pitchers are on the juice too. Andy Pettitte, Jason Grimsley, Guillermo Mota, and JC Romero are just some of the pitchers who have either been suspended for steroid use or have admitted it in the past. Don’t think that there aren’t many more over the past decade whose names haven’t come up. If the pitchers are using, and the hitters are using, doesn’t that even the playing field?
A pill can’t hit the ball
It doesn’t matter what pill you take, what you inject yourself with, or what cream you rub on yourself. If you can’t hit a baseball, you can’t hit a baseball. Hitting a round object coming at you with a velocity of 90 miles per hour with a round wooden bat is the most difficult act to do in sports. Period. There is a reason why a good hitter fails seven out of ten times at the plate. Steroids can’t help you with the skill of hitting the ball in the first place.
It’s old news
Manny Ramirez tested positive in 2003. Ho hum. David Ortiz tested positive. Whatever. I just don’t care anymore. Nobody’s name is going to surprise me anymore. Just publish the entire damn list and get on with it. Let’s move on. Let’s watch baseball and not have to analyze who was using and who isn’t.
Why do other sports get a pass?
Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers gets suspended for steroid use in the NFL but still can win the defensive player of the year and go to the Pro Bowl. Nobody cares. Is it because football players are so big that we expect them to artificially enhance themselves? Why does baseball get all the bad media attention? Why is baseball singled out? Track and field? Cycling? Football? It’s everywhere - not just baseball.
The Phoenix Suns are at a crossroads. Is it time to blow up the entire team and rebuild, or continue to try to tinker with the roster and attempt to compete in a deep, competitive Western Conference?The one thing that the Suns should not do is try to do both at the same time – which is exactly what it appears they are doing.
Last week the Suns traded Shaquille O’Neal and his bloated contract to Cleveland for table scraps.While it was clearly a move that was made for financial reasons,there was a chance that dealing Shaquille O’Neal could improve the Suns by letting them play at the fast pace that players like Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Leandro Barbosa thrive at.
On draft night, the Suns selected Earl Clark, a 6-10 forward with the variety of skills and athleticism that many people believe could give the Suns the versatile defender they have lacked since dealing Shawn Marion.
Then…the bomb dropped. The Suns apparently had agreed to trade Amare Stoudemire to Golden State for seventh pick Stephen Curry, Forward Andris Biedrins, and some spare parts.This proposed deal would turn the Suns from a team that just missed the playoffs to one that most likely would not come anywhere close to competing for a playoff spot due to the lack of a go-to player. The Suns would be assured of a lottery pick for the second consecutive year and would begin their rebuilding process.
The Suns, however have decided that instead of making a full commitment to rebuilding, they want to sit squarely on the fence between full rebuilding and trying to hang on to the past. They want to do this by keeping Steve Nash around in the last year of his contract, and surrounding him with young players and fillers, giving him absolutely no incentive to stay with Phoenix when his contract ends. The Suns would then lose Nash for nothing instead of any value they could get for him this summer.
The bottom line is this – the Suns have to think of Amare and Steve as one. Trade Amare, and you MUST trade Steve. Keep Steve, and you MUST keep Amare. To just keep one or the other would be the worst option for the long term health of the Suns.
Josh Miller is a Phoenix native and a graduate of the University of Arizona. Josh currently is the Public Address Announcer at Scottsdale Stadium and Scottsdale Community College.
Your Views...Blog 'em
Got a Photo...Share it
Record it? Upload Video
Daily Email
Subscribe
Nothing gets the blood of Suns fans boiling quicker than mentioning the name Robert Sarver. From his first major deal, the botched Joe Johnson contract, he has done nothing in his tenure of Suns ownership to prove that he has any long term plan on how to run the Suns franchise.
After Kanye West’s outburst at the MTV Video Music Awards, many observers were left to wonder what kind of egomaniac someone has to be to try to become the center of attention in any situation.
The 
RSS Feeds
.jpg){kind=link}