Rank the Top 10 team in the NBA

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">They tried to become more half court, but they never really fixed the problem. They're still not a good defensive team. They still have no post player. They still have Marion, and Amare, but NO 3pt threats outside of Jimmy Jackson. Joe Johnson and Q gave them wings to fly up and down court, don't expect them to fly anymore. If "if it ain't broke, dont fix it" was true, they would have kept Q and Joe Johnson. Phoenix just isn't big enough to compete in the West anymore.



lol. Amare will have a GREAT season. But you remember this, 8TH SEED! Something that the Sun will be fighting for this season.</div>

The Suns are better suited for the half court game which will greatly assist them in the playoffs. Versatility on offense makes the Suns a better team. Coach Mike D'Antoni also has said on numerous occasions that the Suns will not lose their identity, they are STILL a running team. The Suns are a much better team on D and we will no longer have a mismatch in the post with Thomas defensively. Raja Bell is also one of the better defenders in the league. Diaw is also a pretty good player on D. Amare is not yet a great defender and KT will help him greatly. Do you remember Matrix guarding Duncan on some occasions last season? The Suns are a much deeper team (Grant, JJ #1, JJ #2, Diaw, Barbosa, etc.) and will again be better suited in the playoffs. The Suns have no post player?! Amare plays in the post and while he scores often on pick and roles he has a nice post up game. He is a dominant post player! Amare Stoudemire is not a post up threat?! Also the Suns are equipped with many three point shooters Nash, Matrix, Bell (who had a higher 3% then Q), JJ, and Barbosa. Phoenix is not big enough to compete in the West? They were a smaller team last season and they had no problem competing. *NEWSFLASH* they are bigger this season! We will laugh about that 8th seed prediction eight months from now. I predict the Suns to win between 48-55 games but be a stronger playoff team.

 

1. San Antonio Spurs (Best team in the league no one is near their level)
2.Detroit Pistons ( Can not believe they are being ranked so low after being at the finals last year. They kept all their major pieces added some nice players, and are still a better ?team? than the Heat in my mind. The Heat have overwhelming talent, but the Pistons are a better ?team?)
3. Miami Heat ( Good team Shaq is my favorite big man in the league, but they have yet to play a game together with these new players chemistry will be a problem for at least the first month of the season, imo)
4. The Suns ( The team had one of the best records in the league last year, and improved the one thing they lacked which was defense. If anything they got better not worse JJ was a big lose, but they won?t skip a beat on offense and Raja is just as good if not better at defense than JJ)
5. Houston Rockets ( My favorite team right now in the western conference still don?t think they are a match for the Spurs, but they are improving each year.)
6. Dallas Mavericks ( Still have depth despite losing Finley)
7. Denver Nuggets (Addressed their needs this offseason as well as being rumored in trade talks for Eddy Curry)
8. Chicago Bulls (Simply ahead of the Pacers, because people are sleeping on them, and they are set for a break out year. Also due to the fact I?m bias as hell)
9. Indiana Pacers (I?m not a big Pacer believer yet. The talent is there, but still I would put them higher if they perform the first month or so of the season)
10. Philadelphia 76ers ( Again I am bias hell, but feel they are a very good contending team should Webber and Allen stay healthy and their young guys like Iguodala and SD step up)

 

2005-06 NBA Pre-Season Top 10

<font color="Black">01</font><font color="Black"> San Antonio Spurs
02 </font><font color="Black">Miami Heat
03 </font><font color="Black">Pheonix Suns
04 </font><font color="Black">Houston Rockets
05 Indiana Pacers
06 Denver Nuggets
07 Detroit Pistons
08 Dallas Mavericks
09 </font><font color="Black">New Jersey Nets</font><font color="Black">
10 </font><font color="Black">Golden State Warriors</font>

 

1. Miami Heat
2. Doesn't matter

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">The Suns are better suited for the half court game which will greatly assist them in the playoffs. Versatility on offense makes the Suns a better team. Coach Mike D'Antoni also has said on numerous occasions that the Suns will not lose their identity, they are STILL a running team. The Suns are a much better team on D and we will no longer have a mismatch in the post with Thomas defensively. Raja Bell is also one of the better defenders in the league. Diaw is also a pretty good player on D. Amare is not yet a great defender and KT will help him greatly.</div>
The Suns got a tiny bit better on defense, but still lost too much firepower. First off, KURT THOMAS ISN'T A CENTER. The only reason they said he's a center, is because the Knicks foolishly never picked up a "real" bigman. So your going to have two PF's playing out of position, similar to what the Knicks have been doing the last 6 or 7 years. The loss of Steven Hunter was huge.

In case you haven't noticed, Kurt isn't a finisher either. Niether is Bell. So the Suns can say they'll run, but the fact is Nash doesn't have as many weapons to rely on. Instead of kickin out to Joe Johnson for the three (.48%), he'll be throwin it to Boris Diaw (.18%). To run a half court offense, you have to have a post game. The Suns have zero. Steve Nash never has played well in a half court setting anyway, so don't expect him too now. Teams like Houston, San Antonio, Memphis, Sacramento will overpower little Phoenix. Size wins in this league, and Phoenix has none.

(Brian Grant?..........C'mon, like he's really a factor. lol)

 

Nash will also have Jim Jackson 40% from three, Raja Bell 40% from three and James Jones off the bench who also shoots around 40% from three. Eddie House is also a good open shooter. Losing JJ hurts but they added the right pieces to do ok without him. The only team who could overpower Phoenix in the west last year was San Antonio. The Suns are now a bigger team. I don't see any other west team apart from the Spurs who can beat them in a 7 game series. Amare is going to be great again this year, As long as Nash stays heathly they are in good shape.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Nash will also have Jim Jackson 40% from three, Raja Bell 40% from three and James Jones off the bench who also shoots around 40% from three. Eddie House is also a good open shooter. Losing JJ hurts but they added the right pieces to do ok without him. The only team who could overpower Phoenix in the west last year was San Antonio. The Suns are now a bigger team. I don't see any other west team apart from the Spurs who can beat them in a 7 game series. Amare is going to be great again this year, As long as Nash stays heathly they are in good shape.</div>
The Suns aren't any better, and I would seriously argue that they got bigger.

<div align="center">PHOENIX LOST:</div>
Joe Johnson- the glue that held them together. Could shoot, pass, rebound, defend, and make plays for others. When he went out, the Suns fell apart. No player they've got this offseason can replace him.

Quentin Richardson- 3pt bomber. That's all he pretty much did. Athletic, could run the court, giving Nash another option on fast break. His speed was very valuable.

Steven Hunter- Very valuable. Stoudamire hated playing Center, Hunter, a legit 7footer, would come in and put Amare back at the 4, his natural position. He was long, athletic, and very active around the glass. Also helped defend other centers which gave Amare some time to rest. [/CENTER]

<div align="center">PHOENIX LOST:</div>
Raja Bell- pesty defender, decent shooter, but simply not Joe Johnson. He's a good role player, but can't do the magical things Joe did that made Phoenix special. I don't expect him to be in Phoenix over a year. Bell will give them a little defense, and average shooting, but won't be much of a difference maker

Kurt Thomas- good post defender in the Eastern Conference. Very good rebounder. Good midrange shot. The Suns needed a post player. Thomas isn't anything near that. They also needed a center that could defend other Centers. But at only 6'9, Thomas won't fair so well against the bigger and stronger West Conference. The Suns want to play half court, but don't have any post players to throw the ball too. Amare likes to face up, not play with his back to the basket.

Boris Diaw- who? This is what you get for Joe Johnson? From what I heard he can defend. When it comes to shooting, he couldn't throw a rock in the ocean.

Brian Grant- Good rebounder. But the Suns look like last year's Knicks. They have too many undersized bigman. That doesn't fit well in the West. You can't win in this league two 6'9 aging centers.

 

Steven Hunter is NOT that good. Thomas is a major upgrade. Bell is a better player than Richardson bottom line. Both him and Thomas bring defense to the team as well. Losing JJ hurts, but the other two were upgraded. Plus, they are going to be very deep next year, one of the deepest teams in the league. They don't need a post scorer, as Amare is the one of the best in the league at that (behind Shaq, KG and TD). Thomas brings post defense, and don't say he can't guard West centers. The East centers were stronger ( Shaq, JO, Sheed, Z, Curry). Whos does the West have other than TD and MAYBE the big waste of talent aka Yao. Boris Diaw actually played better than Pietrus and Parker for France too, so don't downplay him. I don't care how much you hate Phoenix, they are good, and are probably better than the Rockets.

 

To add onto Virve's comments, I feel James Jones was a very good signing for how they got him. Guy showed real potenial last year in Indy with all their injures and suspensions he really made an impact. He is going to fit prefectly in Phoenix's system. Another good shooter to add in there.

The only guy the Suns will likely miss is JJ but they have made the moves depth wise to replace his points. Suns didn't need a post player, they already have a pretty good one in Amare. The Suns needed a big man who could open things up for Amare inside. Which is something KT will be able to do. Kurt is killer from 15-18 feet. He rarely misses from that range. Suns proved last year that size isn't a big factor and the Suns added some big bodies and now have a PF/C starting who can be a factor on defense which also allows Marion to move back to his natural position.

Suns still have more than enough outside threats for Nash to attack and kick.

 

This is ridiculous. How in the world is everyone sleeping on the MAVS for Pete's sake? The only thing that changed is that Finley left, and they replaced him with Christie. Jerry Stackhouse will fill in any "void" that may be left by Finley's departure, while Christie will add a new dimension to the game.

1) Spurs (60+)- They have two line-ups full of starters. In fact, Oberto and Udrih (3rd string) may be good enough to be starters somewhere.
2) Heat (60+)- Shaq and Wade are one of the few teams who still have a 1-2 punch. With Wade's mentality, that may mean more effectiveness than Shaq & Kobe were. The real question isn't are they good enough, it's: are the good players smart enough to know how to work what they've got?
3) Pistons (55+)- They are what they are: loaded. Changes in coaching are the only real difference from last season. There's still no room for all the talent they have. They are in actuality deeper than the Heat, just with no real Superstars.
4) Mavericks (55+)- Along with the Pistons, they are the only team deep enough to handle the Spurs. Their versatility should be unrivaled in the league this season.
5) Pacers (55+)- Should have been the second-best team in the East last year. Only increased motivation in Pacerland and a Heat-ed free agency in Miami cause them to lose that stature this season.
6) Rockets (50+)- T-Mac and Yao were enough last year. Now they add an interesting Variable with Swift. Looks good, but be honest: until last year (a contract year) has anyone heard anything good about Swift since he left LSU? If his work ethic is seriously improved, the Rockets could be something to behold.
7) Suns (50+)- Amare Stoudemire may end up being the MVP, now that Nash will be focusing on making plays for the two of them. Role players will decide how far Nash and Stoudemire take them.
8) Cavaliers (50+)- LeBron will have another fantastic year but will be more in command. The team is pretty nice, but will have to mix over time.
9) Kings (50+)- Don't expect Shareef to do much that Webber didn't do. The difference btwn this team and Kings teams before is this one has no depth.
10) Nuggets (45-50)- Here's your daggum overrated Nuggets. This may even be too high. Look, there's just not that much variety in Denver. You have shooters, big guys, and 'Mello. That isn't enough.

Shockers:
Grizzlies, Warriors and Clippers will have an opportunity to steal the 8th spot in the West.
The Jazz will be fine, will make the playoffs.
Wizards won't make the playoffs.
Bulls won't make the playoffs.
Bucks will, Magic will.
Sonics won't.

Full prediction:
East: West:
1. Heat 1. Spurs
2. Pistons 2. Rockets
3. Pacers 3. Mavs
4. Cavaliers 4. Suns
5. 76ers 5. Kings
6. Nets 6. Nuggets
7. Magic 7. Jazz
8. Bucks 8. Lakers
9. Wizards 9. Clippers
10. Celtics 10. Warriors
11. Bulls 11. Grizzlies
12. Knicks 12. T'Wolves
13. Hawks 13. Sonics
14. Bobcats 14. Hornets
15. Raptors 15. TrailBlazers

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">The Suns aren't any better, and I would seriously argue that they got bigger.

<div align="center">PHOENIX LOST:</div>
Joe Johnson- the glue that held them together. Could shoot, pass, rebound, defend, and make plays for others. When he went out, the Suns fell apart. No player they've got this offseason can replace him.

Quentin Richardson- 3pt bomber. That's all he pretty much did. Athletic, could run the court, giving Nash another option on fast break. His speed was very valuable.

Steven Hunter- Very valuable. Stoudamire hated playing Center, Hunter, a legit 7footer, would come in and put Amare back at the 4, his natural position. He was long, athletic, and very active around the glass. Also helped defend other centers which gave Amare some time to rest. [/CENTER]

<div align="center">PHOENIX LOST:</div>
Raja Bell- pesty defender, decent shooter, but simply not Joe Johnson. He's a good role player, but can't do the magical things Joe did that made Phoenix special. I don't expect him to be in Phoenix over a year. Bell will give them a little defense, and average shooting, but won't be much of a difference maker

Kurt Thomas- good post defender in the Eastern Conference. Very good rebounder. Good midrange shot. The Suns needed a post player. Thomas isn't anything near that. They also needed a center that could defend other Centers. But at only 6'9, Thomas won't fair so well against the bigger and stronger West Conference. The Suns want to play half court, but don't have any post players to throw the ball too. Amare likes to face up, not play with his back to the basket.

Boris Diaw- who? This is what you get for Joe Johnson? From what I heard he can defend. When it comes to shooting, he couldn't throw a rock in the ocean.

Brian Grant- Good rebounder. But the Suns look like last year's Knicks. They have too many undersized bigman. That doesn't fit well in the West. You can't win in this league two 6'9 aging centers.</div>

Here is how I see it...............

Phoenix Lost

Joe Johnson- The glue that held the team together? I would say Steve Nash was that player. The Suns beat the Mavs WITHOUT JJ, they could not do that without Nash or Amare. The Suns did not fall apart, they defeated the Mavericks. Johnson was a major loss, but this team can still be better without him because of the players they aquired.

Quentin Richardson- He was an asset in the regular season, a liability in the postseason. Q was one of the most inconsistent players in the league. His SPEED (speed?) was valuable? Richardson was by no means a speedy player. I was semi-impressed with Q during the regular season. He would occasionally have great games in the regular season, but in the playoffs he fell apart. As Greg Anthony stated in the playoffs, specialists are not very effective in the playoffs. Q was a spot up 3 point shooter, a specialist. He would also take charges and was a great teammate, but the Suns need playoff performers and Rich does not fit the description.

Steven Hunter- Amare rarely played with Hunter in the regular season. The only occasion he consistently played with STAT was against San Antonio. He was a great backup center and fit great in our system. With that said he was a backup player and not a major loss. Steven was not worth the $15 million he recieved from the 76ers. Brian Grant is a good player and will probably equal Hunter's production.

Phoenix Gained

Raja Bell- I want to start by saying you are downgrading every Suns addition. Bell is probably one of the better defenders in the league. He will also be a great help when the Suns play the Spurs. Manu hates to be defended by Bell. Raja also shot over 40% from three point land. He is a great teammate and was a captain for the Jazz last season. He will be a productive player this season.

Kurt Thomas- gives the Suns exactly what they need. Thomas is a good post defender and rebounder. He does have a great 10-17 foot jumper. The western conference is bigger and stronger? Last time I checked the east now has better centers (Shaq, JO, Big Ben, Curry, etc). The west is not bigger and stronger. As I have said the Suns will NOT play half court basketball. They will play situational basketball. The Suns can play half court, but on many occasions Coach D'Antoni has said the Suns will not lose their identity. The Phoenix Suns are still a running, fast break team. Do you honestly think the Sun will not play to their strengths?!

Boris Diaw- He is an excellent defender and will serve as a great energy player and backup. He does not have a great shot but will improve. The Suns have some of the best teachers in basketball. Phil Weber will help Diaw master his shot, as he did with Joe Johnson. JJ was an inconsistent shooter when he first came to the Valley. One of Weber's secret techniques is for his players to train with a heavier basketball which strengthens their ability to shoot the 3. Diaw is a project but a great energy player and defender. He will also improve playing with in this system and with Nash. The Suns coaches will also improve his game.

Brain Grant- Grant was a great pickup. He can backup at both the PF and C positions. He is a rugged tough player, which the Suns were lacking. He is comparable to Hunter and brings playoff experience. He has played in tough playoff situations. He is a good rebounder and can guard bigger Centers.

Conveniently Forgot

James Jones- He is a great three point shooter and energy player. James Jones is another project player. He has great size and has great versatility. He can backup numerous positions. The Suns teachers, system, and players (Nash) will be a great help to him this season. He started on many occasions for the Pacers last season. He shoots a nice percentage from three (over 40%).

Eddie House- another great energy guy. He has a great deep shot, though he does play poor D. Capable backup for Steve Nash and will battle with Diaw and Barbosa for playing time.

 

1) Spurs- They have two line-ups full of starters. In fact, Oberto and Udrih (3rd string) may be good enough to be starters somewhere.
2) Heat - Shaq and Wade are one of the few teams who still have a 1-2 punch. With Wade's mentality, that may mean more effectiveness than Shaq & Kobe had. The real question isn't are they good enough, it's: are the good players smart enough to know how to work what they've got?
3) Pistons - They are what they are: loaded. Changes in coaching are the only real difference from last season. There's still no room for all the talent they have. They are in actuality deeper than the Heat, just with no real Superstars.
4) Mavericks - Along with the Pistons, they are the only team deep enough to handle the Spurs. Their versatility should be unrivaled in the league this season.
5) Pacers - Should have been the second-best team in the East last year. Only increased motivation in Pacerland and a Heat-ed free agency in Miami cause them to lose that stature this season.
6) Rockets - T-Mac and Yao were enough last year. Now they add an interesting Variable with Swift. Looks good, but be honest: until last year (a contract year) has anyone heard anything good about Swift since he left LSU? If his work ethic is seriously improved, the Rockets could be something to behold.
7) Suns - Amare Stoudemire may end up being the MVP, now that Nash will be focusing on making plays for the two of them. Role players will decide how far Nash and Stoudemire take them.
8) Cavaliers - LeBron will have another fantastic year but will be more in command. The team is pretty nice, but will have to mix over time.
9) Kings - Don't expect Shareef to do much that Webber didn't do. The difference btwn this team and Kings teams before is this one has no depth.
10) Nuggets - Here's your daggum overrated Nuggets. This may even be too high. Look, there's just not that much variety in Denver. You have shooters, big guys, and 'Mello. That isn't enough.

 

1) Spurs (60+)- They have two line-ups full of starters. In fact, Oberto and Udrih (3rd string) may be good enough to be starters somewhere.
2) Heat (60+)- Shaq and Wade are one of the few teams who still have a 1-2 punch. With Wade's mentality, that may mean more effectiveness than Shaq & Kobe were. The real question isn't are they good enough, it's: are the good players smart enough to know how to work what they've got?
3) Pistons (55+)- They are what they are: loaded. Changes in coaching are the only real difference from last season. There's still no room for all the talent they have. They are in actuality deeper than the Heat, just with no real Superstars.
4) Mavericks (55+)- Along with the Pistons, they are the only team deep enough to handle the Spurs. Their versatility should be unrivaled in the league this season.
5) Pacers (55+)- Should have been the second-best team in the East last year. Only increased motivation in Pacerland and a Heat-ed free agency in Miami cause them to lose that stature this season.
6) Rockets (50+)- T-Mac and Yao were enough last year. Now they add an interesting Variable with Swift. Looks good, but be honest: until last year (a contract year) has anyone heard anything good about Swift since he left LSU? If his work ethic is seriously improved, the Rockets could be something to behold.
7) Suns (50+)- Amare Stoudemire may end up being the MVP, now that Nash will be focusing on making plays for the two of them. Role players will decide how far Nash and Stoudemire take them.
8) Cavaliers (50+)- LeBron will have another fantastic year but will be more in command. The team is pretty nice, but will have to mix over time.
9) Kings (50+)- Don't expect Shareef to do much that Webber didn't do. The difference btwn this team and Kings teams before is this one has no depth.
10) Nuggets (45-50)- Here's your daggum overrated Nuggets. This may even be too high. Look, there's just not that much variety in Denver. You have shooters, big guys, and 'Mello. That isn't enough.

 

Emannen-
I have some notes on some of your notes:
Raja Bell - I don't know if I agree he's one of the better defenders in the league, but he is a hustler who can shut down average to good players, and yes, he even has the number on a couple of superstars. The underrated thing about Bell is he's a workhorse. Likewise...
Kurt Thomas - A steal (needs-wise) for the Suns. Thomas is a mature, solid, low-glory/ high-caliber forward who can teach Amare some lessons in loyalty. Thomas stuck with the Knicks for a minute and deserves props. He's hardcore, too, and still has some game in the post.
Boris Diaw - Other than Dirk, it's arguable that Diaw was one of the hottest stars in Eurobasket 2005. If there's one thing that holds true in Eurobasket challenge and the NBA is players usually compete at about the same skill level in one as in the other; meaning: Dirk can rack it up in Eurobasket, but his numbers are similar to his NBA, if you notice the minutes players get during the European Championship and compare them to their stats, you'll find they hold nearly the same relationship as they do in the NBA. This to me illustrates that Diaw, if given some real time on a motivated squad, can do some damage. HUGELY UNDERRATED.
Brian Grant- You nailed it. He's not much, but he's better than most reserve big men.
Eddie House - E, you waaaaay underhyped this guy. Playing with Nash is going to help this guy come out of his shell. Yeah, he's somewhere between 6' and 6'3" (depending on which lie you believe) and he's a banging scorer. When he was in college, he let off like 40-something points in one half. The guy's lethal and he's one of those cats who will hang around for seasons, backing winners.

The Suns are gonna be cool to watch this season. I don't think they'll fare as well 2004-2005, honestly. But, I do think the team they have now will be more geared towards immenent Conference Champs (eventually) than a clone of last season's roster would have. I see them making it to the conference semis without much hassle.

 

It's simple, the Suns don't have the firepower they had last year. Anybody who watched the playoffs knows this. Amare's only flaws were his defense, and his post moves. But unfortunatley, he's they're only low post threat. Between Q and JJ, the Suns hit 403 3's. That's the most of any duo in the NBA. Q alone hit 226. Bell won't hit half that this year. My point is, if the Suns wanted a half court game, they should have got more half court options. There pick n roll won't be nearly as deadly, because they won't have JJ and Q to space the floor.

If I'm the Suns, there going to match Thomas up with the other teams best bigman. This will allow Amare to go off offensivley. The problem is, Thomas will be matched up with Yao, KG, Duncan, Gasol, Shareef etc...........He'll either get overpowered, or outquicked almost every night. Also, if you think Brian Grant is a difference maker, your sadly mistaken. He's basically Kurt Thomas, but a little shorter. Bell may have shut Manu down, but he'll get abused by Kobe, Tmac, Richardson, Mobley, and all the other better guards in the West. The Suns will be no more than average until they get a real center.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">It's simple, the Suns don't have the firepower they had last year. Anybody who watched the playoffs knows this. Amare's only flaws were his defense, and his post moves. But unfortunatley, he's they're only low post threat. Between Q and JJ, the Suns hit 403 3's. That's the most of any duo in the NBA. Q alone hit 226. Bell won't hit half that this year. My point is, if the Suns wanted a half court game, they should have got more half court options. There pick n roll won't be nearly as deadly, because they won't have JJ and Q to space the floor.

If I'm the Suns, there going to match Thomas up with the other teams best bigman. This will allow Amare to go off offensivley. The problem is, Thomas will be matched up with Yao, KG, Duncan, Gasol, Shareef etc...........He'll either get overpowered, or outquicked almost every night. Also, if you think Brian Grant is a difference maker, your sadly mistaken. He's basically Kurt Thomas, but a little shorter. Bell may have shut Manu down, but he'll get abused by Kobe, Tmac, Richardson, Mobley, and all the other better guards in the West. The Suns will be no more than average until they get a real center.</div>

Amare is the teams only low post threat? I though KT averaged over 10 ppg last year? Also can you name contending teams that have more then one All-Star in the post? Let's see.............
S.A.-Tim Duncan
Miami- Shaq
Indiana-O'Neil
Some championship caliber teams do not have post up players at all........
Dallas-? (Dirk is a superstar but I would not classify him as a post up player)
Detroit-?
What championship caliber teams have more then ONE superstar in the post? The World Champions only had one legit big man!

Jimmy Jackson, Raja Bell, James Jones, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Eddie House, and others are all excellent three point shooters. The Suns will not shoot as many threes this season but these players will shoot PLENTY! The Suns will still be a fast break team as I have said on millions of occasions. Let me repeat this........THE SUNS WILL STILL BE A FASTBREAK TEAM! Why do you continue to state that the Suns are now a half court team? If the Suns HEAD COACH says they will play a fast break style, why do you not believe him?!?!

Also I thought you said previously that KT would be undersized in the West? I guess that idea went up in smoke. You give a list of players and the only player over 7'0 is Yao Ming. Amare has guarded Ming in the past when we the Suns have played the Rockets. Your whole argument about Kurt is awful. Honestly with KT do you not think we will be better off on D then we were last season?! KT is a gigantic upgrade even at 6'9 250! In the West that is barely undersized for a Center. You are also neglecting the fact that Thomas has played against bigger players his ENTIRE career and still seems to produce. He played in a bigger eastern conference last season and averaged a double-double. Thomas does not dramatically improve Phoenix in the post? The Suns now have someone who can rebound (over 10 rpg last season), defend, and hit the 10-17 foot jumper (especially deadly when Amare is doubled). It will be difficult for teams to double Amare with a legit shooter in the post.

Whoever said Brain Grant was a difference maker????? Here is what I stated ?Grant was a great pickup. He can backup at both the PF and C positions. He is a rugged tough player, which the Suns were lacking. He is comparable to Hunter and brings playoff experience. He has played in tough playoff situations. He is a good rebounder and can guard bigger Centers".

DIFFERENCE MAKER????

Here is what Culperfect stated ?You nailed it. He's not much, but he's better than most reserve big men".

DIFFERENCE MAKER????

Do you realize that Steven Hunter was signed to a $15 million contract? Do you also realize he was nothing more then a productive role player? When Grant is healthy he has been a better and more consistent player throughout his career. I feel he will equal the production of Hunter. The Suns also have a bigger Pat Burke coming off of the bench.

So Raja Bell can stop Manu, but get "ABUSED" by Kobe, Tmac, Richardson, Mobley, and all the other better guards in the West"? Who does not get burned by Kobe and T-Mac? Also I find it hard to believe he can stop Ginobili but get "ABUSED" by lesser player like Richardson and Mobley. Raja Bell, Bruce Bowen, Tayshaun Prince and others cannot STOP Kobe and McGrady. Just as no players can stop Shaq, KG, Amare, TD, etc. Raja Bell can frustrate these players and change the complexion of the game. Raja Bell is a better perimeter defender then any player we had last season. He is also one of the better defenders in the NBA. He has done an excellent job guarding players like Kobe (2001 NBA Finals), McGrady, Manu, and others.

Also your last statement plays right into the Suns philosophy........ "The Suns will be no more than average until they get a real center." The Phoenix Suns FO finds great basketball player regardless of position. This is why the fast break style of play worked so well last season, and will work again this season. The team is not concerned with the prototypical height or weight of a player but is concerned with how he will contribute to the team. Your argument also stands no ground because the Suns were much more then AVERAGE last season with no real center. According to the argument you presented the Suns should be improved because size-wise they are a bigger team.

I will not respond to this topic again but I will state this again with the intention of locating this post in June. The Suns will be an improved team in the postseason but not the regular season. They will win between 48-55 games but will present more of a challenge to the Spurs in the playoffs.

 

Shapecity: Good call, I'm just hesitant to see what happens with team chemistry next year, I trust the Nets will make the Playoffs and safely so.

On the subject of this whole Phoenix thing:
I'm a Mavs fan, so I did watch Phx in the playoffs last year, intently.
As I've said, I don't think they'll be as good as last year, but come on, (on paper) no one was as good as them last year.
The real difference with the Suns this season is simply that it's going to have to be a more conservative offense. One of the few criticisms you would hear last season regarding the Suns was the number of arrant shots from Q (though he was making a boat-load).
Last season, they played too many players as stars. Q and JJ are both quality players with All-Star vote getting potential. Truth be told, though: Both of those guys were players who were just waiting to get a shot in a new system. I hadn't heard much about JJ since college until last season and Q was still remembered as the surprise fro the Clips'.
Point is: the players who left were only proven talents ON THIS SQUAD, except for spurts of brilliance that got them to Phoenix.
I have no doubt that Nash can command any line-up. So, it only stands to reason that potential-players who've been hanging around backup squads for a while (Diaw, Bell) will take advantage of having a floor-general who'd take the assist over the FGA any day.
Lastly, Kurt Thomas is one of the most veteran big men remaining in the league. He's of that Juwan Howard, PJ Brown mode, only he's been more consistent.

Rock4Life: I'm not a Suns fan (in fact they beat my MAVS!), but I have to say I thinkyou should take another look at them. Thomas is better than most big men and can play two spots. There aren't many talented bigs left, it's just a fact. That may not get him far, but it will give him an edge over 50% of the time. That's enough to destract defenders from the wrecking crew of Nash/ Stoudemire.
As for the Suns "Not having any three point shooters." WHAT? Bell hits 'em, Marion can, Nash certainly can, House can, I hear Diaw can shoot. I just see them taking much fewer.
Lastly: Let's put the pipes down long enough to remember THEY STILL HAVE SHAWN MARION!!!
Marion is consistently THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER IN THE WORLD. If he wanted, he could avg 25p 10r 1 or 2 bks. The fact that this team cleared out some room for him let's me think he's going to have an All-Star year.
The whole point is this, I don't think Phoenix will have all the team chemistry needed to win in the playoffs, but they're still way better than most teams.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">Amare is the teams only low post threat? I though KT averaged over 10 ppg last year? Also can you name contending teams that have more then one All-Star in the post? Let's see.............
S.A.-Tim Duncan
Miami- Shaq
Indiana-O'Neil..</div>
Not allstar, I meant more than one post option. Kurt Thomas is a midrange shooter, not a post player. He's a poor man's Chris Webber. Shawn Marion can't post, niether can Bell or Nash. Maybe I worded it wrong, sorry. But I simply meant players that can post up. The Suns have too many average shooters, but no players that can post up and shoot. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Sacramento all have more than one player than can post. Example: The Rockets have Yao, and Tmac. Yao, the second best center, is a good post player. Tmac gets half of his points posting players, and shooting over them. See where I'm going................



<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">
Jimmy Jackson, Raja Bell, James Jones, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Eddie House, and others are all excellent three point shooters.</div>
Jim Jackson, Steve Nash, are the most consistent shooters out that bunch. But outside of Marion, all the other players are mediocore players. Eddie House is one of the most hot and cold players I've seen (unlike Joe). James Jones too. Bell, good shooter, but average player. There ain't none of those guys good enough to make the Suns better than they were last year. Last year they won because they would beat other teams down court. But they can't run without finishers. JJ, Q, Hunter, were all finishers.

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">Let me repeat this........THE SUNS WILL STILL BE A FASTBREAK TEAM! Why do you continue to state that the Suns are now a half court team? If the Suns HEAD COACH says they will play a fast break style, why do you not believe him?!?!..</div>
They'll run the fast break, but won't be half as successful as last year. I've already explained, they're not as fast, and don't have enough finishers. Trust me, it's going to be frustrating for Suns fans.

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">
Also I thought you said previously that KT would be undersized in the West? I guess that idea went up in smoke. You give a list of players and the only player over 7'0 is Yao Ming. Amare has guarded Ming in the past when we the Suns have played the Rockets. Your whole argument about Kurt is awful. </div>
Why? You have a 6'9 Center, who is regulated to just jump shooting. Duncan (7'1), Garnett (7'0), Yao (7'6), Gasol (7'0), Miller (7'0), will punish Thomas. He's a good post defender. But he'll get overpowered. The Suns can't win in this league consistently playing small ball. Amare's defense is terrible. So when Thomas gets in foul trouble, who's going to guard other bigman? Brian Grant? Pat Burke? Your right, the Suns are deep, deep of non difference makers. The Clippers and Golden St. will be as good, if not better.