<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Halfway through the exhibition season, the Suns don?t resemble the team that made a dramatic run for the NBA title last season. On Thursday, they seemed to acknowledge that life without Amar? Stoudemire will be challenging. Progress, admitted Steve Nash, has been "slow." "If we don?t get our work done . . . we will struggle. "We have such little continuity from last year?s team. It?s like a whole new team. "And two-and-a-half weeks isn?t a lot of time for a new team." In fact, he said, "It could take forever to really be at our best." Coach Mike D?Antoni, as usual, was somewhat upbeat, saying, "It?s a normal situation. We?re progressing. We have a couple weeks to tighten things up a little." And yet, he acknowledged, "The biggest problem is we don?t have Amar?. He creates such a force inside that it frees everything up outside." </div> Source Is anyone out there a little more optimistic? I have to say, I know that Nash is clearly the preeminent basketball mind on that team, and for him to say things are going slowly, that might be a little more concerning than I thought previously. This doesn't mean I don't think they can compete for the Pacific championship, but I do think that it will be an uphill climb, obviously. Having seen the way they progressed in the last half of the exhibition season, I have high hopes for this team, but nowhere near as high as last year. But to say they're starting over? That seems a little much. Season starts tomorrow, and the Suns will facing off against the Mavs. Does anybody in the press think they can win this game? No. Do I? Yes. It's going to take some good offense though. I've essentially ruled the defense a nice bonus, as I don't think they have good enough D on the perimeter (I know that sounds backwards, but it works in my head), but the offense has to click to succeed. Preview coming up tonight, look for it.
I watched a few of the Suns pre-season games and I was impressed. They looked like a real team and have even more shooters than last year. They remind me alot of last years Sonics.
Yeah, I still think the hardest part, most worth worrying about, will be integrating Amare into the team halfway through. The existing team will be just starting to gel as a team and then a new major component is dropped in. And as for Amare, it's a pretty different team from last year, to say nothing of the struggle of coming back after something like knee surgery.
What worries me is the difference in watching the back-to-back games (first sac then gsw). In the second game everybody looked tired, especially KT, and didn't seem to be in Suns shape. That is a serious adjustment to make coming from slower teams. I am in the minority in that I really don't like Amare's game that much. I realize how important it is to the team, but I am not looking forward to his reintegration. That is unless he learns to pass out of a double team (or in his case triple). We really need a big if Grant and KT are to keep their minutes down for health concerns. On other boards peoiple are wild with the idea of getting Chris Wilcox from the Clippers. Don't know if it's possible but we should probably do it. I think next year is our year for the championship. We need to keep NAsh Grant and KT healthy for that time and to do that it'll mean major minutes to the bench and getting another big or possibly playing Tischer (though not likely). We're in a fix right now. I like Burke but I don't want him on the floor more than 10 minutes a game.
It is pretty much a new team... I think Diaw is the most integrated of the new players amazingly. The rest of them need to work on anticipating passes and getting in Suns shape.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting panfolk:</div><div class="quote_post">On other boards peoiple are wild with the idea of getting Chris Wilcox from the Clippers. Don't know if it's possible but we should probably do it.</div> I hear ya, but I don't think Wilcox is your answer. He's lazy, doesn't like to run, and underachieves beneath the basket. If there's anyone I could hand pick for this team, it would've been Kurt, but you're right, he needs to be in running shape. God knows the Knicks weren't the right environment for him to be coming from, especially with that godawful stagnation offense they ran last year.
The point in getting someone like Wilcox is to get someone who scores in the paint and draws fouls, unlike KT. KT has the complimentary game to Amare but he's not an inside scorer.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting panfolk:</div><div class="quote_post">The point in getting someone like Wilcox is to get someone who scores in the paint and draws fouls, unlike KT. KT has the complimentary game to Amare but he's not an inside scorer.</div> Gotcha, I guess I was stuck on the running aspect. Fair point, but again, I don't think Wilcox is your answer, he's a bit lackluster in the underneath department. Although marginally better than Kurt.
Not to harp on it but Wilcox fits salary wise in that he'll be a free agent this coming summer so if he didn't perform well you just let him go. I hear you though. We need someone who makes around or less than 6 million for our Trade Exception to work.
