Being Marcus Banks
So Amare suggests the motto for the 2007-08 season should be 'Revenge.' To regroup, run through the league and topple the Spurs- the Suns have to get better. The effort may or may not include Kevin Garnett but as the summer moves on I'm going to write about Suns who are likely returning next season.
We start with Marcus Banks. Last year's offseason was a bust. The team traded away their draft picks. No free agent signing played a significant role for the team. The worst signing of the bunch seems to have been Marcus Banks. When he was signed to a five-year $21 million contract last year, here's what the Republic had to say:
'Banks' arrival provides backcourt relief and defensive pressure. Banks said he has the speed to defend 94 feet, pestering ballhandlers enough to disrupt an opponent's offense. Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said a Minnesota assistant coach told the Suns: "We know you think Leandro (Barbosa) is the quickest player in the NBA, but I'm going to tell you, we think Marcus is faster."'
This season Banks played in 45 games and a lot of those minutes were mop up time in blowouts. There were stretches during the season where he was inactive and wasn't even behind the bench with other highly paid spectators. Banks averaged 4.9 points, 1.3 assists, and shot 43% from the field and 17% from distance- in 11 minutes.
The numbers aren't great but watching him play was another thing. Banks at no point seemed to have a place with this team. In the dramatic win at Chicago, he was used to pester Ben Gordon (who had 41 pts that night) in a second half stint. It was assumed he'd be used like that all season but the team didn't reveal a commitment to defense until the San Antonio series.
So how can Marcus Banks improve this summer. It was proposed that he participate in the Suns summer league. Banks is considering it but he's also a fourth year pro. What can be accomplished by running with rookies and free agents? Gaining some confidence from the coaching staff might be one thing.
Another idea is working on his jumpshot. The Suns roster is currently loaded with shooters and if Banks wants to emulate Nash- he's gotta be money when left open. Banks is not a shooter and he showed very questionable shot selection in games when he got significant minutes. He showed some ability to get to the rim and he's built like a brick. Banks doesn't necessarily need three point range, a reliable midrange jumper would be good too. His quickness combined with a jumper would make him a better player and a weapon when combined with Leandro Barbosa.
The key element is desire. Marcus Banks has gotten big minutes on bad teams and was the forgotten man on a good team. How will he bounce back when he was panned as the worst free agent signing of 2006-07 and nearly everyone would like to see him leave town. The guy made an effort to be part of the Phoenix community and playing with Nash is very important to him. Will Banks put in the work to improve? Will he have that extra fire to give himself and the team a competitive edge?
Banks' contract is pretty much untradable so I think that he's at a professional crossroads. He has to produce to earn his contract, earn his spot on this team or showcase his talent for a trade. It's all on Marcus. Revenge for him would be shutting up the critics and showing this organization he belongs.
Labels: Marcus Banks, Phoenix Suns
posted by Hersey @ 5:54 AM
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"We know you think Leandro (Barbosa) is the quickest player in the NBA, but I'm going to tell you, we think Marcus is faster."'Bullshit! And even if this was true, the main difference is that the Blur actually showcases his speed and its deadliness. The minutes he played were wothless. No confidence in his ability to score and lack of a satisfactory defensive prescence.
But on behalf of his defense, those lukewarm minutes came very rarely. D'Antoni did not utilize him often nor incorporated him in the system like others (Kurt and James Jones). I'm not satisfied with Banks, but i don't think we should throw the towel in on him yet. MESA for Suns!!!
If the Suns want to dump Banks, I think there is one answer: Eat his contract. I don't want him dumped, though, unless he has a bad attitude. He has potential. And how was he supposed to fit in when he knew he was a garbage-time player?
D'Antoni really didn't give him a fighting chance in the rotation. He kept a tight 7-8 man rotation and, come playoff time when we needed to stop Tony Parker, our best PG defender was no where to be seen.
Marcus Banks can and has played some great defense for the Suns. Against the Warriors when Baron Davis was killing us, Banks came in and shut him down for the entire time he was in, and that is what sparked our comeback in that game. Marcus has all the tools needed to be in D'Antoni's rotation except shooting... but if that was truly necessary, Junior would have been seeing absolutely 0 playing time all year with the way he was shooting. It was positively horrendous.
Overall, Marcus is someone who we needed to find playing time for during the season so, come playoff time, we could put him in against the big guns.
I heard that Banks has been included in a lot of trade scenarios like Diaw, Shawn, and Banks/Barbosa, Shawn, and Banks, both for KG. Is this true?
I am 75% of the way to regarding Mike D'Antoni as a pigheaded idiot who probably *would* trade Banks away as just a piece of garbage, a bad contract who never played well; but Steve Kerr is smarter than he is, so if Banks is worth keeping, Kerr will probably make sure he stays.
Can I get in a word about the the proposed Garnett trade? I'm looking at realistically, noticing that besides the money issue--Garnett is the highest-paid player in the entire league!--the Suns roster is already top-heavy in favor of stars. It really would be a better idea to have several capable supporting players rather than one more star (Garnett) who would soak up Marion's contract and then some. Would we really be better if we got Garnett but lost Shawn Marion and Kurt Thomas? We'd be solving the depth problem by decreasing the depth!
Banks needs minutes. This isn't a team where you are going to earn minutes in practice. Some of the blame has to fall on D'Antoni for only having one approach and thus wasting Banks ability and losing him. That's where (to me) D'Antoni did his worst job this year. By having four free agents (the fitness club) and James Jones (who couldn't hit a shot) fight over one rotation slot, he lost the ability to really motivate those players. Yet he coddled Boris Diaw, who joined Erick Dampier as the most overpaid 7th man late in the season.
Banks, STAT, Diaw, and Barbosa are all the same age. Young players are erratic but coaches rarely give up on them because they can go somewhere else and become a star. Look at Jermaine O'Neal. I wouldn't count on any of these guys being moved. Marion and Thomas are at the top of the list because of their contracts and established reps.
It's hard to gauge the truth of any trade scenarios. Around the draft, teams talk early to determine value and then make moves that night. David Griffin said they are looking for deals to move up in the draft. Any trades would be a package of picks and maybe one bad contract but not Marion or anything like that.
I'm of the opinion that KG would make this team way better. He's a star but not a diva. He's rare in that he does the dirty work and can still take over a game. Amare is scared of him too. He may be expensive this year but he can opt out and sign for less next summer. Apparently he and Nash are tight too. Getting him wouldn't gut the team. Finding guys to fill a roster in the NBA is easy, it comes down to coaching to put those guys in the right situations for success.
Hersey, you can't be serious. A power player like Amare Stoudemire, who evidently wasn't scared of Tim Duncan in 2005, is scared of a finesse player and notorious nice guy like Garnett?
I think the lesson here is "don't pay big bucks for filler". The elite in the NBA are so much better than average that they determine a teams success. The Suns are lucky enough to have three elite players; that's why they're contenders.
Average players are more common. That makes them more replaceable and less valuble. It's kind of like a pyramid with a gifted, skinny top and an ordinary, fat base. So maybe D'antoni should have used the bench more, but that would mean winning fewer games.
Now it looks like financial mismanagement means that the Suns will trade Marion to get under the tax. And without him i don't like their chances. (unless they get KG)
I'm going to have to disagree with you bdg. The first step to success is failure. Yes the Suns would win fewer games if they used the bench, but its losses I think all of us would rather take in the regular season than in the playoffs where our bench could come up big given the opportunity to feel comfortable and gel with the gameplan. Lets face it, the Suns have enough talented players to take us to the playoffs. We're past the point of worrying about making it and now at the point to worry about making an impact in it. And to make an impact we need a solid bench and to utilize it. We have to sacrifice our bloated win column to ensure success in the playoffs.
But I do agree with the Marion comment. We kinda forget how much of an impact he has on this team. His athleticism enables Coach D'Antoni to run his blizkrieg tactics, and a majority of our wins come when the Matrix is having a good game. I'll concede to a Marion trade, but only for a very strong upside.
KG *would* help the Suns, but not tremendously, because if Stoudemire is traded for him, how much of Garnett's contribution would be spent just replacing Amare's lost skills? He would only put the Suns over the top if he could play with Stoudemire. So I think as far as a Stoudemire-for-Garnett trade, the closest comparison is the Jason Kidd-for-Stephon Marbury trade. I'm not in any way comparing Garnett to Marbury--one of the biggest losers in recent memory, and not a great person--but comparing the trades in value.
Did you watch the game when KG dropped 44 on the Suns and ended our 17-game win streak. Amare flinched when KG scowled at him on a meaningless play. Amare did absolutely nothing that night. KG has fire and he parties with Nash. That's the guy when need on this team. Not guys who cry about shot attempts and recognition. Trade Marion and Stoudemire for KG and Kobe. Those two are ridiculous with their petty squabble.
That's if you even believe that storyline. At this point I want the team to make a move even if it is one of their all stars. Team that want to win gamble with roster moves. It's a matter of leadership and where it comes from. Mike D'Antoni is dependent on stars because he was one. It takes a role player to run a team and now we have one of the best in NBA history. The Suns must make a move in the draft, make a trade or sign a significant free agent if they want to reign supreme in the West. The East is down and the dominant (and soon to be dominant players) are in the Western Conference. The Suns might as well stock pile.
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Hersey, this is nothing personal (how could it be--I don't know you), but if you want Kobe Bryant to come here, shame on you and anyone else who wants him here. He's arrogant, egotistical, ruthless, and disruptive to chemistry. And even though he was only *accused* of rape, players have been kicked out of Phoenix with prejudice for a lot less than rape. Bryant doesn't really belong anywhere except L.A.; he and the Lakers are made for each other. And who can be sure his rotten personality wouldn't cause a feud with Kevin Garnett here?
Besides that, it would be a slap in fans' face to trade two of the Suns' three stars at once and, but for Nash still being there, make rebuild the entire team in one summer. On a benchless, star-dominated team like ours, Nash-Marion-Stoudemire aren't the core of the team, they just about are the team except for Bell and Barbosa (Diaw doesn't count because he's a slacker). At least some of us want to identify with the players we've watched for years, and wouldn't take well to the way Miami built a championship team.
I'm joking. I suppose it's easy to joke about unleashing Kobe on the fine women of suburban PHX because I don't live there anymore.
But I'm serious about making a move. I know the other elite teams will make moves. I agree with bdg in that a few solid players will make you competitive in the NBA, because it doesn't necessarily mean you have a team. Big time players want to play in PHX and the guys on the roster are bitching about shots, recognition and then HALF of the roster doesn't get to play. This team is flawed and won't beat the Spurs as presently constructed.
I'm FURIOUS! The Spurs are after Grant Hill? Why can't they get a life??
Grant's damaged goods. He's not gonna do much for any team. He should retire and do TV.
Word is that during an interview with Dan Patrick, Grant Hill hinted at a stronger inclination to go to Phoenix, after Dan Patrick slipped him up a little in questioning.
Not to be biased but I think Phoenix is a better fit for Grant who, yes is not who he use to be, but who's body can handle D'Antoni's light practices. Plus Phoenix will only look for him to come off the bench and score, leaving the defensive burden on healthier defensive players.
In San Antonio he'll have to compete with other go-to-men on the bench and endure the rigid Spurs type of play.
Yeah...and he's smart enough to figure that out before he signs with San Antonio. Those Spurs...they used to be a class act.
Every good team has a tainted win. Look at the Patriots and the tuck rule. F*ck the Sp*rs. Sp*rs is the proper reference from now on.
Grant might be ok if he took it easy during the season and just waited for the playoffs to really go hard.
Banks will work in the off season when it is a contract year. Isn't that what so many athletes do already? That is especially true of those who have guaranteed contracts.
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