Welcome Home Channing Frye!

I'm Back in the 'Zona

Arizona’s own Channing Frye will be signing a contract with the Phoenix Suns.

I am thrilled by this development because I have followed Channing Frye all his career. I went to high school with Frye (St. Mary’s Knights!) and watched as he led our school to their first StateChampionship in basketball. When he went to U of A I stopped rooting for him but I didn’t root against him (like I do with most U of A players). I was excited to see him get drafted high by New York and I was surprised when they basically gave up on him after a solid rookie season.

What will Frye bring to Phoenix? He is the type of mobile big man that fits well in the Suns’ run and gun system. He has a solid mid-range shot which will allow him to play offAmare Stoudemire and run the pick and pop with Steve Nash. Frye may not be the greatest defender in the world but his mobility will make him light years better thanShaq and should help shore up the pick and roll defense a little bit. Frye isn’t a dominate rebounder like Shaq was, so the Suns may be getting beat on the boards most games.

The Suns are getting Frye cheap, making this a good signing for Phoenix. I want to welcome the former St. Mary’s Knight back home and hope he has the same affect on the Suns that he did on the Knights.

The Right Idea

I like what the Suns are doing with their signing of Frye, re-signing of Grant Hill and deciding to keep Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. The Suns are not a championship team next year, but they will be a competitive team that will be fun to watch. It would have been pointless for them to completely rebuild when they didn’t have their first round draft pick in 2010. The combo of Frye and Lopez at center may not wow anyone, but their mobility will improve the Suns’ offense and help to mask some of Steve Nash’s defensive woes.

I’m loving the Suns’ bench this year. The only real star on the bench is Barbosa, but the rest of the group consists of some high energy guys that are willing to bust their asses and play defense. This is the perfect kind of bench for this team. Jared Dudley and LouAmundson aren’t stars but they are popular role players that will help the Suns win games. Earl Clark could be a solid bench player or a complete bust, his impact on this team isunpredictable right now. With improved confidence by playing under Alvin Gentry I think that Robin Lopez and Goran Dragic are going to be much improved over last year.

The Suns won’t be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy next year, but they will probably win 45+ games and be fun to watch. That is a season I can get behind.

Suns Interested in Shawn Marion?

Rumor coming from Gambo on Sports 620 today is that the Suns are interested in signing Shawn Marion once his rights get renounced by the Toronto Raptors.

You all remember Marion, the fun loving, high flying forward that was a staple for the run and gun Suns. He was a perfect fit for the Suns’ system until he complained about his contact and got traded for Shaq.

I, personally, would love to see the Matrix back. He is one of my favorite players of all time. How funny would it be if the Suns traded away Shaq and signed Marion this off-season, putting the franchise right back where they were two years ago? Two years ago the Suns fans were pretty frustrated with this team, but if the Suns reconstructed that team today we would all love it. Time changes everything, I guess.

Bringing back Marion and keeping Amare would make the Suns legit playoff contenders again for one last year. It would energize a down in the dumps fan base and probably ensure the Suns would keep their sellout streak alive. If he really would sign for the MLE the Suns have to do it.

Here is one Suns fan really hoping this happens.

Plus, it would mean the return of the Shawn Marion halftime interview!

Figuring Out the Suns

So much has gone on with the Phoenix Suns the past week you could write a Greek Tragedy about it. Actually, I think David McCullough is going to base his next historic work on it. I’m pretty sure we could somehow relate Shakespeare to what has been going on with this team. Alright enough with the literature, let’s try and figure out what the hell is going on with this team.

Seven Foot Three Sixty, Shaq Diesel in the Hizzy

Shaq Be Gone

The Shaquille O’Neal era is officially over in Phoenix. What did he bring us? A lot of hype, a lot of comedy, surprisingly good play and a lot of disappointment. What is incredible is that Shaq, personally, exceeded all expectations the Suns had when they traded for him but the trade was still a disaster. It’s easy to say that the Suns should have kept Shawn Marion, but remember that during the season Shawn Marion was basically giving up on games. I won’t kill the Suns for the Shaq trade, even though it effectively ended their Seven Seconds or Less era. What really killed the Suns was losing Marion’s defensive versatility, Shaq couldn’t defend the pick and roll to save his life and made Steve Nash look even worse on defense than he already did.

Shaq had to go so the Suns could get back to their running ways. The two players the Suns traded for, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, won’t play on this team. Unless the Suns move Ben Wallace to the Hornets for Tyson Chandler this is a complete salary dump. If the Suns are able to acquire Chandler, then this trade actually looks pretty darn good for the Suns. Even if the Suns don’t make the trade the departure of Shaq allows the Suns to return to their super up-tempo ways that should benefit Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire greatly.

The Amare Situation

The Suns apparently had a deal in place to send Amare to Golden State for the 7th pick, Andris Biedrins, Brandon Wright and Marco Belinelli. Once Golden State got Stephen Curry they decided to nix the trade. I like the point Dan Bickley raises, would this have happened if Jerry Colangelo was still in charge? I didn’t mind that trade but it screams of the Suns giving up. They have a chance to be a playoff team with Amare this year, they have no chance without him. I think Curry, Biedrins and Wright are good building blocks but I am reluctant to give up on a season when the Suns don’t have their draft pick in 2010 (another awesome trade by Kerr/Sarver!).

If the Suns can pull off that trade for Tyson Chandler, having Amare and Chandler gives them a frount court perfectly suited for the run and gun game. I don’t think that they should try to trade with Golden State anymore, they should tell them to fuck off for what they pulled on Phoenix. Amare is going to go all out in 2009-10 because it is the last year of his contract and he will be much easier to trade later this season. Even if he leaves he creates a ton of cap space for Phoenix. It is better to hold onto him right now.

Earl Clark

I liked the Suns pick of Earl Clark. He is a long, athletic player with the ability to play both forward positions. He gives the Suns something they have lacked since they traded Shawn Marion. I find it kind of humours that the Suns traded Marion for Shaq and ran D’Antoni out of town, only to hire a D’Antoni clone (Alvin Gentry), trade Shaq for nothing and draft a replacement for Shawn Marion. Oh, and by humorous I mean sickening. Getting back on track, Earl Clark has the skills to be a player. He was a top five talent in this draft but people question his motor. He has been compared to Tim Thomas and Lamar Odom, which can’t be a good thing. I have high hopes for Clark and I hope to see him play a little power forward this year.

What Does 2009-10 Hold?

2009-10 has potential to be the most depressing year in Suns history. They could royally suck and not have their first round draft pick because of a salary dump trade from a few years ago. If the Suns trade away Amare their season is over and they might as well try and trade Nash too. I highly doubt a mid 30s Steve Nash would welcome the idea of playing with a bunch of young players. If the Suns keep Amare and return to their running ways then the 2009-10 season has a chance to at least be fun. Maybe the Suns wont make the playoffs, but a fun season is something all us Suns fans need.

My dream scenario would be the Suns trading Ben Wallace for Tyson Chandler, keeping Amare and returning to their run and gun ways. Maybe, just maybe they could make some noise in the Western Conference with that team. With the Kerr/Sarver combo running the show I highly doubt this will happen. I have lost complete trust in these guys. Every move they make scares me to death.

At least 2009-10 will be unpredictable.

Suns Draft Preview

It’s NBA Draft season Suns fans, and since the Suns are actually drafting players now and not selling their draft picks it means I can write a Suns related NBA Draft preview. Sure, the Suns didn’t have the best luck picking their players last year but at least they are drafting. Robin Lopez and Goran Dragic will improve eventually, although neither is going to be an impact player. Can the Suns get an impact player at #14? Anything is possible. The question is, do the Suns draft a prospect for the future or someone who can help them win now. Let’s review the candidates:

Brandon Jennings PG-

Jennings is famous for going from high school to playing overseas for one year before entering the NBA draft. He passed up playing for the Arizona Wildcats for a year, so that was a wise decision on his part. He is a point guard, but he played off the ball overseas for reasons we aren’t entirely sure why. He wants to play for New York and their up tempo game, so he would probably enjoy playing in the Suns up tempo game. I think Jennings will be a solid pro because he is a fast and can beat his defender off the dribble. Remember how good Aaron Brooks was against LA because he was super fast and he got into the paint at will? Jennings has that type of ability. He is a flashy player, kind of like Jason Williams was when he first came into the league for Sacramento. If he improves his jump shot he will be a legit NBA player. He would give the Suns their first true backup for Steve Nash and they could both play on the court together. Drafting Jennings would also be a giant middle finger to Dragic, which I think everyone is okay with. I probably wasted all our time previewing Jennings because he isn’t going to fall to Phoenix.

Ty Lawson PG-

Lawson had a huge impact in the tournament but I don’t think he is going to be a great pro. He would be a solid backup to Nash, but Lawson is never going to be a starting point guard on a good NBA team. He doesn’t have the athletic ability of a Raymon Felton or other UNC PGs of the past. He did play a lot of up tempo basketball at UNC, which would help him in Phoenix. Lawson has also been injury prone in his career, he probably isn’t the best option for Phoenix.

Tyler Hansbrough PF-

If the Suns trade Shaq for expiring contracts, they are going to need some size. Hansbrough isn’t the answer. He is the classic great college player but sub par NBA player. I think his career is going to go the way of Sheldon Williams. NBAdraft.net compares him to Mark Madsen. Do the Suns really want to spend the 14th pick of the draft on Mark Madsen? Do the Suns really want an nonathletic PF that struggles at defense?

Jeff Teague PG-

Teague is a little bit like Brandon Jennings in his explosiveness and ability to take players off the dribble. To me, Teague seems like a future third guard in the NBA. A combo guard that wouldn’t be good running the point for long periods of time. Think of an American version of Leandro Barbosa. Teague also isn’t the best defender, not that the Suns are totally concerned with that. He would be able to spell Nash, but I don’t think he is the answer for this team.

James Johnson SF-

Teague’s college teammate, Johnson, is an intriguing prospect. He has great size for a small forward (6-8, 257) and is really strong and athletic. I also like his ability to create his own shot. He has been knocked for his inconsistency and isn’t the best rebounder, but he is a tough kid and would be an asset to this team. He kind of reminds me of a bigger Joe Johnson. The Suns have always had luck with players named Johnson, maybe James can continue that trend.

BJ Mullens C-

It seems Mullens is moving up on the Suns’ chart. I don’t think I’m too thrilled about this because centers from Ohio State really haven’t done anything lately. Mullens does have some athletic ability and he apparently is a good pick and roll player. Steve Nash could probably work with him and make him a decent offensive player. I don’t think the Suns need another center who is offensive minded. I would hope the Suns don’t draft himsolely because they might trade Shaq and they need some size.

Earl Clark SF-

Clark is another intriguing prospect for the Suns. He is tall and long for a small forward, he has a body like Lamar Odom. He has the ability to play the 3 and the 4, much like Shawn Marion did. Clark would create defensive mismatches, which is what made the Suns great in past years. I think I like Earl Clark a lot because he reminds me of Shawn Marion. If the Suns trade Shaq I could easily see Clark playing a lot of PF this year with Amare playing C. Sure, this completely undermines what Steve Kerr was brought in to do but who cares anymore.

The Final Verdict:

If the Suns get Clark or Johnson I think they did well this draft. They need an athletic wing player and someone to replace Matt Barnes. I think Clark would be a fantastic get and Johnson intrigues me with his size and offensive ability. I am leaning towards Clark, but I will just be relieved if the Suns don’t draft Mullens.

Shaq: Addition by Subtraction?

I was never very good at math, so that makes me woefully unprepared to tackle concepts like “Addition by Subtraction” or subjects as complicated as the NBA Salary Cap and Luxury tax. Still, I am going to attempt to give my two cents on this whole Shaq to Cleveland situation. I am going to examine arguments on both sides and finally find out what the Suns should really do.

Why Shaq Should Stay

I'll Take My Tweets to Cleveland

Let me list to you the true centers the Suns have had in recent years: Shaq, Mark West, Joe Kleine, Jake Tsakalidis . . . do I need to continue? Even at age 37 Shaq was all NBA third team last year and is the best center in Phoenix Suns’ history. Sure, Amare Stoudemire made a few All NBA first teams as a center but he was never a true center. Shaq can still be dominate in the post, he is still a good rebounder and has the bulk to bang and defend the bigger players in the NBA. If the Suns trade Shaq they are likely only going to get players they are going to cut in return, so they will be suffering from a severe lack of size.

Another reason to keep Shaq, he is entertaining. The guy is a icon and even during one of the most frustrating seasons in Suns’ history last year he managed to keep us entertained week after week. You never know what he is going to do on the court, say to the media or tweet. If the Suns are going to be bad next year at least Shaq will help make them entertaining. He will also put butts in the seats because he is still a big ticket player and one of the 50 greatest players ever. It is still an honor to watch him play.

Why Shaq Should Go

Buy Me Out, Please

To quote Abba: Money, Money, Money. If the Suns trade Shaq they will save a ton of money. The current trade in the works is Shaq to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Non Guaranteed Contract (that is his last name, right?). The Suns would then release Sasha and buy out Ben Wallace. This would allow the Suns to come in under the luxury cap, saving them countless dollars. The Suns could then use this money they saved to sign a free agent to the mid level exception. Marcin Gortat, the backup center for the Orlando Magic, has been brought up as a possible target this week. Number of people in the valley that are excited about this is approximately three.

Another reason to trade Shaq: pick and roll defense. Opposing teams often murder Shaq and Steve Nash with pick and roll plays. Nash is a bad perimeter defender and Shaq is to slow to switch when Nash gets picked. A more mobile big man, like Robin Lopez, is a better defensive option for the Suns. Ever since Shaq came to Phoenix he has changed the way the Suns play. Steve Nash doesn’t have the freedom he did pre-Shaq and he has made subtle hints that he wants it back. Nash and the Suns are at their best when they are slashing and running the pick and roll, something that is harder to do with a big, space-eating Shaq in the middle. Take Shaq out of the equation and the Suns space the court better and probably improve defensively.

The Verdict

The Suns may be forced to trade Shaq because it seems as though they would operate better without him. Still, a sheer salary dump wouldn’t do a whole lot to help the team. This team needs to compete in 2009-10, because they don’t have their draft pick to justify tanking the season. Unless they can get something of value back in the Cleveland deal (JJ Hickson or a first round draft pick) I don’t think they should do the trade.

Shaq is an expiring contract in the fabled Summer of 2010 and still a box office draw. It would probably be smart for the Suns to hold on tohim and try to compete this year. They could always trade him at the February trading deadline and even if they don’t he is still a very large expiring contract. I just cringe at the idea of the Suns going into 2009-10 with Robin Lopez as their starting center.

The Master Plan…

I have spent the last month and a half doing everything in my power to completely block the Suns from my mind all together.  In all honesty, I proclaimed them dead Tuesday, March 10 when they lost at home to Dallas.  Now that I have had a solid two and a half months to cope with the fact that my beloved Suns would ruin what has become one of my favorite times of year (the NBA playoffs), I am able to sit and think up my master plan to fix the mess we are currently in (*side note: I used to hate it when people referred to themselves and their sports teams together as we.  However, I feel at this point in my life, I have contributed enough money to the Suns, Dbacks and Cardinals that I am part stake holder, regardless of how small that part is.  As long as I continue to buy tickets, too many $9 beers, jerseys, posters, t-shirts, hats and anything else with an Arizona logo on it, I feel I’ve earned the right to say we.)  Without further ado, here is how I propose to fix the Suns.

Step 1 to my master plan is a little bit of a stretch, but conceivable none the less.  I would stand pat for the upcoming year, keeping Amare, Nash and Shaq and eat the luxury tax (around $4 million) associated with doing so.  Although I don’t feel that this team has a chance to win a title next year, I would sell it to the fans that that’s what we’re shooting for based on the foundation that we need to give Alvin Gentry a full season with this talent and his version of the fast paced style this city craves.  If you are thinking to yourself that the Phoenix fans will not buy it and no one will believe we can win with this team, I would like to remind you that this is the city that pretty much got on their knees and begged the Dbacks to resign Eric Byrnes (I will not go any further into my hatred for that decision or the general stupidity of the masses for fear that I will be writing for the next 8 hours and everyone will stop reading in 3 sentences…no offense masses).  Convincing Sarver to keep the team together another year and pay around $4 million to the league is going to be no easy task but the good that would come from this move would outweigh the 4 million and possibly make that money back in the next couple years.

The reason for standing pat next year is simple.  Nash, Shaq and Amare will make $49,503,325 next season and will all be unrestricted free agents in the offseason following.  That would mean we have close to $50 million to spend in the much heralded summer of 2010!  I have compiled 3 options of free agent signings and ranked them in the order that I would pursue them if I were in charge.

Option 1:

I would like to begin option 1 by saying that I feel there is a better chance of me making the Suns next year than there is of this actually happening.  The only reason I have added this option is because as far as the money is concerned, it could work and since I feel it would be the best move for the Suns, I am obligated to throw it in.  Here goes, let Nash and Shaq go to free agency, sign Lebron James and resign Amare Stoudemire.

Staring Lineup: Leandro Barbosa, Jason Richardson, Lebron James, Amare Stoudemire and player x to fill in at center (possible draft pick/ possible free agent signing like Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto or Brendan Haywood that we could get for cheap to split time with Robin Lopez /Does it really matter, we have Lebron freakin James).

I don’t like Barbosa at point, but in crunch time Lebron handles the ball anyway.  Amare is a MUCH better offensive player than anyone the Cavs have put around King James and apparently he’s just one scoring threat short of a championship.  Not to mention the fact that while so much attention will be given to Lebron and Amare on defense, guys like Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, and Matt Barnes would get more open looks than me when I’m shooting at the park by myself.  Lebron would force Amare to step up the D, if for no other reason than he would be showing him up every night by coming over from the weak side and blocking shots off whomever Amare is covering.  If twice a night my man spun past me and got his shot sent to the third row by Lebron who turns to me, winks and says thanks; I would be sure to try a little harder on defense.  If you sign both Amare and Lebron to five year deals, how many championships come in those years…2…3?  I reiterate that this is probably impossible because a) I don’t think Lebron is leaving Cleveland and b) if he did, it would be to New York where I would not be the slightest bit surprised to see him average 45 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists (all thanks to D’Antoni’s system).  However, if you had the money to afford him and Amare, you would at least call, right?  Maybe show Lebron around ASU’s campus or some Scottsdale clubs to see some benefits Arizona has to offer besides pool parties in February.

Option 2:

Let Nash, Amare and Shaq all leave to free agency, then sign Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.  The toughest part of this option would be convincing Wade to come here instead of New York or Chicago where he would be in huge markets.  However, I am biased but I think Phoenix has more to offer than we are given credit for.  There is a reason athletes across all sports make their offseason homes in Arizona.  The weather in Phoenix has to be top 3 in the US and our market isn’t exactly tiny.  We have been one of the fastest growing cities for as long as I can remember and this town has always held the Suns closest to their hearts (however, if the Cards have another good year, they’re definitely going to be battling for that spot).  I’m just saying that no one should write this off as impossible.  At the same time, Chris Bosh living in Phoenix as opposed to Toronto has to be a no brainer.  Why is it that he is not a hotter commodity?  Bosh has averaged at least 22 and 9 in each of his last 4 seasons.  He’s 6’10”, 230lbs and 25!  What is his ceiling?  What would his ceiling be if he played with an all-star teammate?

Starting Lineup: Leandro Barbosa, Jason Richardson, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and player x at center (same possibilities as listed in option 1)

Would this group succeed in a fast paced game under Alvin Gentry? Yes, they’re perfect for it.  Richardson and Wade are good rebounding guards which make for more fast break opportunities and with Bosh at power forward, we would have 4 guys that get up the floor pretty quickly.  We would be better in the half court seeing as how we would have two guys who could create shots for themselves (Something that killed the Suns when Amare was out.  Nash can, but prefers to create.) and we would be much improved on defense (not hard to do but still worth mentioning).  Could this group compete for a championship?  I think yes.  Bosh has never really competed for one and Wade has to be itching to get back to that stage where he could share his wisdom along the way.  I still don’t love Barbosa at point here like I mentioned earlier, but Wade could still take over when needed and I haven’t said anything about Goran Dragic.  I’m not going to try to sell you on this guy being an all-star, but if he has one more year to play behind Nash could he turn into a serviceable or maybe even good back up point?  He made huge improvements through the 08-09 season and Gentry has committed to giving him time and resting Nash.    Also, in this scenario, I’m fairly sure we could save about $8 million which would most likely put us under the luxury tax level which would in turn make Sarver happy.  Since we’re talking about money, how many Bosh and Wade Suns jersey get sold in this season and how many more tickets are sold?  Enough to make up for the $4 million that would have to be paid in Luxury tax in the 09-10 season?  What if this team makes a strong playoff run in its first season together, bringing that much needed Suns excitement back to Phoenix?  Do season ticket sales go up the year after?

Option 3:

Let Nash and Shaq go in free agency, resign Amare and sign Dwyane Wade.  The only difference between this and option 2 is choosing between Bosh and Amare.  I struggled over this decision more than anything else by far.  In the end, Bosh slightly edged out Amare as my first choice.  It literally came down to 2 things: 1) Amare is injury prone 2) Amare is very not smart (I know that sounded ridiculously stupid on my part but my love for Amare (no homo) just wouldn’t let me say dumb or stupid).  I have not heard anyone say it (maybe because they don’t want to sound like a jerk) but I think all of Amare’s issues stem from the fact that he’s not the sharpest tool in the tool shed.  First, Amare’s defense sucks.  Anyone with any knowledge of the game can see that he is late to come over and help from the weak side EVERY time which usually results in an easy bucket for the opposing team or Amare fouling the guy (that combined with Donaghy calling phantom fouls on the guy made for him being in foul trouble every playoff game).  This problem was multiplied by the fact that Nash can’t keep anyone in front of him anymore and Shaq sucks at covering pick and rolls.  If all Amare changed about his game was coming over a little quicker from the weak side, his defense would improve dramatically which would make the team better, create a better image for himself and maybe even get his name up there with the Howards, Wades and Lebrons of the world (which Amare apparently obsesses over).  So what’s stopping this change?  I guarantee its not that nobody is telling him this.  He’s either very lazy or not smart enough to recognize the situation, and the improvements he made on his jump shot over his first couple years make me think he’s not lazy.  Also, everyone, including myself, blasts Stern for suspending Amare after the game 4 incident in the 2007 playoffs against the Spurs where Amare went onto the floor, but he did know the rule!  Don’t blame the assistant for not keeping the guys on the bench; blame the idiots who didn’t think of that rule with 18 seconds left in the game.  Would Nash, Kobe, Lebron, Bird, Magic or Jordan have gotten off that bench if they knew the rule? No, no, no, no, no and no.  That single moment of not thinking, in my opinion, cost the Suns a championship and is inexcusable.  Doesn’t Amare just kind of seem like the typical dumb jock with freakish ability?  Can’t you picture the other guys giving him crap in the locker room or at practice and Amare just staring back with a dumb look on his face and saying “I don’t get it”?  Is it completely absurd to question whether Amare is smart enough to know how important a championship is and therefore be incapable of wanting it as much as Lebron, Kobe and other present day greats?

The Suns fell ass backward into a situation where they could have a ridiculous amount of money to spend in the greatest free agent class of all time.  There are teams that have spent the last couple years trying to free up this much money in preparation for the summer of 2010.  Signing two max contracts is the only way to make the suns relevant again anytime soon.  I love the Suns and will continue to love them as they blow this golden opportunity but surely someone in the front office is picturing the same starting lineups as me, right?  You would hope they are at least toying with the possibilities.

Last crazy idea: The Suns talk to Nike and offer to have a giant swoosh on their jerseys in place of “Phoenix” or “Suns”.  All we ask in return is that they offer any money they would give us to Lebron James if he would come to Phoenix…

Amare Says “I Might Stay, I Might Go, Who Knows”

Peace Out Phoenix . . . But I Might Stay Too

Has Amare Stoudemire been listening to the Clash lately? He sure seems to wondering “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. In case you missed it Amare went on a media frenzy this past week pretty much saying he is more than willing to leave Phoenix. We’ve heard it all from Amare lately. He wants to stay and he wants to go. He didn’t like Mike D’Antoni and now he misses him badly. He says he wants to be a great defensive player, yet he doesn’t exert the effort on that end of the court. Whats that? He says he likes Alvin Gentry? Who knows what the hell Amare will think about Gentry in a few months.

Amare said his chances of staying in Phoenix are “50%”. This may not be the smartest thing to say during a radio interview, but it sure is true. No one really has any idea what is going to become of Amare. If you were to poll all Suns fans you would probably get a 50/50 split on keeping him or trading him. There are dozens of trade offers that have been floated around, almost none of them make much sense. Personally, I’d rather keep Amare than trade him for 60 cents on the dollar. There is only one Amare trade that makes sense to me:

Trade Amare to Golden State for Anthony Randolph, Andres Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf.

I would do this trade because Anthonly Randolph is a unique NBA player. He is 6-11 guy who can put the ball on the court and take his defender off the dribble. He was fascinating to watch this season, ya know when Don Nelson decided to play him. Biedrins would give the Suns defense, rebounding and size that would be very beneficial if the Suns traded Shaq. Turiaf would be a throw in to match salary, but he is a very solid big man off the bench.

Other than that deal, I don’t think there are that many good trade scenarios for Amare. I would prefer they keep him and trade Shaq, if they could. I can spend all summer dreaming of a Shaq for Tyson Chandler trade that will probably never happen. Getting rid of Amare would solve a few headaches, but it would make the team less interesting. If they are going to be a fringe playoff team next year, they might as well keep their most exciting players. Maybe Amare leaves, but he leaves the same time Shaq and Nash do and the Suns have as much cap space as anyone in the magical Summer of 2010.

Until then Amare’s future is blurry and I’m not talking about his bad eye.

A Rough Day in AZ Sports

Today, I consider ourselves, the unluckiest fans on the face of the Earth.

Well, maybe us fans of Arizona sports aren’t that unlucky. We did get to see everything fall in place for the Cardinals to make the Super Bowl. Ever since Larry Fitzgerald caught that go ahead TD pass in the Super Bowl nothing has gone right for Arizona sports. It hit a crescendo today when Arizona sports had, what we can classify as, an awful day.

The Phoenix Coyotes of Glendale had their bankruptcy hearing today. Nothing is going right with this franchise. They play hockey in a market that couldn’t care less about the sport, they have lost fistfuls of money almost every year for a decade and they are just starting a long legal battle that will probably end with them relocating. Personally, I’m not rooting for the Coyotes to leave town but I don’t care if they do. I, like 95% of the state, could care less about hockey. Since the Coyotes are never good, clueless when it comes to upper management and play their home games where no one likes to go (Glendale . . . shudder) I don’t see the point in them staying. If they relocated to Canada it would be better for everyone, except the die hard Coyote fans. If I were Jerry Moyer I would be trying to do everything I could to sell the team to the highest bidder, no matter where that bidder wants to move the team. When one losses that much money owning a team, it is a lot harder to be picky about selling the team to someone who doesn’t want to move it.

The 2^nd big event of the day was Arizona’s bid to host the 2013 Super Bowl. The bid went to New Orleans, and apparently it was never in question. The 2013 Super Bowl is being billed as something the city of New Orleans needs to help recover from Katrina. By the time 2013 hits Katrina would have happened seven years ago, will New Orleans still desperately need an economic boom of the Super Bowl by then? It makes sense, Katrina was basically a city killer. Arizona has been denied the Super Bowl two years in a row, this is starting to get annoying. Arizona boasts one of the nicest stadiums and climates in the league. They should get the Super Bowl as often as Miami gets it. There is something at work here, there is something the NFL doesn’t like about Arizona that they aren’t saying publicly. At least we know it has nothing to do with Martin Luther King Jr day.

The 3^rd big event of the day was the NBA draft lottery, where the Suns a 1.8% chance to land one of the top three picks. It is kind if like when a guy walks into a bar and sees a girl way out of his league, he knows he has no shot with her but maybe, just maybe something will happen. That’s what it was like watching the draft lottery. At least there was no agonizing wait, we knew right away that the Suns didn’t move up in the lottery. The Suns are getting zero luck lately, it is getting frustrating. Now we have all off season to debate topics like “Should we draft Johnny Flynn or Earl Clark”. Count me out of that debate.

Something good has to happen to Arizona sports soon, right? The D-Backs are not going to be the one to deliver it. Are we going to have to wait until the Cardinals start their season again? Or we really relying on the Cardinals to quench our thirst for a winner?

I have good news, we won’t have to wait that long. In about three weeks the College World Series starts and ASU has a real chance to win it all.

Wow

This is interesting to say the least:

How It Could Have Been

One of the least productive yet tantalizing actives one can do is think about what could have been. It serves no real purpose, but it is a lot of fun to play “what if”. Please refrain from bashing your head against a wall after read this.

FINALLY!

Suns Outlast Spurs in Game 7, Head to First Finals Appearance since ’93

Phoenix- Never had one sign captured the sentiment of an entire city, but a joyful fan behind the Suns benched held up a sign that read “Finally” long into the night of celebration. The Suns had finally beat the San Antonio Spurs. Small ball had finally been vindicated in a 111-99 victory.

Steve Nash played one of his typical efficient games, 12 points and 12 assists, but he ran over to hug Rajon Rondo, the real hero of the game, as time expired. Rondo, the second year understudy to Nash, spent the entire second half defending Tony Parker, holding the Spurs All-Star to 10 points on 5-18 shooting.

“He was amazing,” Nash gushed, “his quickness and defensive IQ really helped keep Tony in check.” Then Nash flashed his famous smile, “I might be backing him up next year.”

No one in Phoenix is thinking about next year, they are thinking about next week when the NBA finals start. The Phoenix Suns will be overwhelming favorites to take home their first ever NBA title.

The game was tight for three quarters, but the Suns hit fire in the fourth quarter with a 20-3 run that was capped by two Joe Johnson three pointers. Johnson finished the night with 30 points, hitting on 7 of his 8 three point attempts. Amare Stoudemire scored only 16 points, his lowest output of the series. He didn’t need to score, not with the way Johnson and Rondo, who sliced and diced his way to 18 points of his own, played.

The Suns much maligned defense managed to hold both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan in check. Duncan finished shooting 7 for 17 from the field, harassed all game long by Shawn Marion and Kurt Thomas. Marion finished the game with 20 rebounds.

“He was everywhere,” Duncan said of Marion after the game in his typical somber fashion.

“Not too bad for a team that can’t play a lick of D, eh?” Mike D’Antoni joked in his post game press conference. “We play it when it counts, we’ve always played it when it counts.”

The game started off slow for the Suns, who were down 15-4 shortly after the opening tip and 33-20 at the end of the first quarter. Tony Parker was shredding the defense, blowing by Grant Hill, who started the game defending him. The Suns decided to bring in Rondo and play him alongside Nash, giving Rondo the job of guarding Parker the entire game. Rondo held his own on the defensive end and played a superb offensive game. Rondo constantly blew by whoever was defending him, driving straight to the basket as the Spurs defense was afraid to help and leave a shooter wide open.

The Spurs were in the game for three and a half quarters, as Manu Ginobili scored 37 points. Ginobili seemingly hit every big shot to keep the Spurs hanging around until they stopped falling late in the fourth quarter. Ginobili played on tired legs, averaging almost 44 minutes a game this series.

When the buzzer finally sounded delirium broke out amongst Suns fans who were accustomed to playoff disappointment at the hands of the Spurs the past few seasons.

“For now, this is the biggest win in Suns history,” veteran broadcaster Al McCoy said after the buzzer sounded.

The fans were loud and proud but they reserved maybe their biggest cheer right before the buzzer sounded when the game was no longer in question. Up 10 with 15 seconds left, fan favorite and rookie guard Rudy Fernandez stole an inbounds pass and raced down the court for an uncontested 360 dunk. A giant exclamation point on a giant game.