Carousel of the Sun

The Suns have had a long history of being a team that will "make the deal". This theoretical deal, of course, is the deal where they will make a big trade in order to get better, or to fix the team. From the deal sending Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang to Philly for the off beat yet supremely talented Charles Barkley, to not so heralded deals like Danny Manning, Pat Garrity and two first round draft picks being thrown at Orlando for the not-quite-the-same-any-more version of Penny Hardaway. Anybody else remember Steve Nash to the Dallas Mavericks for Martin Muursepp and Bubba Wells, the draft rights to forward Pat Garrity and a 1999 first-round draft pick. (The pick eventually becoming the player who seems to be giving people in Phoenix headaches of late.)

But for much different reasons, the Suns were also more than willing to trade off Jason Kidd as soon as Jason "The" Kidd started having some legal issues, Brian Colangelo didn't hesitate to trade him off for Stephon Marbury. And as soon as the Suns felt that they had gone as far as they could with Stephon Marbury, Brian sent him right out to clear up cap space for another series of aggressive moves to get back in contention.

And after the 04-05 season, with the Suns recording a monstrous 62-20 season, taking the league by storm. After redefining the fast break game once again and injecting some energy into the league, Brian went right about dismantling it once more. Joe Johnson, gone. Quentin Richardson's tenure ended up being a one year tenure, new starters Boris Diaw and Raja Bell are brought in... and not only that, but even through the Suns losing Amare Stoudemire, they managed an impressive 54-28 record.

But now? Where have all the Colangelo's gone? (Not into new "Oreo's Colangelo's 'N Cream", to my most immediate knowledge.) They are no where to be found. Interim GM Mike D'Antoni made some minor moves, picking up bench players who he didn't seem to want to play. And now, we've got our apparent heir to Brian Colangelo, Steve Kerr...


As much of a fan of Steve Kerr's game as I am, and as much as I love his commentating style, is this really the move a team who is contending for a title *RIGHT NOW* wants to do? It's very clear that Steve knows what he's talking about and has a ton of NBA experience, but he's never served in this capacity before and, thus far, has been used for primarily for cap clearing maneuvers. (Which I didn't like... which is a bit of an understatement, but no use crying over spilled milk.) At this point, I would have been begging Jerry Colangelo to step in as interim GM for however long they could manage to keep him here, not bring in a brand new GM into a very delicate situation where he will take heat for basically anything he does, with an owner who doesn't have the money to actually splurge on the team he's investing in.

Which begs the point... will this off season be yet another carousel? With Brian Colangelo gone, will the Suns still be willing to make the big move to make the team better ... or the big move that has to be done simply because the team won't function properly without a move being made? Or will a brand new GM find himself under the gun and hoping that all of his players are on their best behavior, for fear of actually making a move to fix the problem.

The Suns have always been willing to make the big move, sign the big player, or move a key piece if it would help them to maintain their quest for a title. But with a new look in the Suns front office... will the Suns make the big move, the right move for the right now... or will they hope that the gash in the team's chemistry will heal up without a scar.

What if the cut gets infected? Remember the 04-05 Timberwolves? Sometimes, you have to make the decision on whether to amputate the foot or risk losing the entire leg.

Marion wants out

Shawn Marion has asked to be traded and has gone public with his feelings. He's sick of the trade rumors and wants to end it with an actual...trade.

EDIT: Marion wants to go to the Lakers.

According to Suns beat writer Paul Coro, well publicized talks with Utah for AK47 as well as the Lakers dangling Lamar Odom are the only known offers at this point.

Here's a few thoughts:

Shawn complains that they tried to force his hand to Boston. So rather than play with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, he squashes the KG deal and now WANTS to be traded?

There is no way you trade him to the f-ing Lakers unless we get Kobe in return (yeah right). You don't ever make your rival better.

I only like the deal for AK47, if we get Paul MIllsap too.

While I love Marion because he's an awesome player on my favorite team, he's not a victim. He wants superstar recognition and he's been enjoying superstar spoils. Like Zei illustrated in his last post, Marion has everything most NBA players want and he plays for a team players want to play for. He's the highest paid player on a team with two 1st team All NBA players. Even the Suns role players are international stars. Being overshadowed would seemingly be secondary to getting a ring. Athletes have fragile egos I suppose and Marion's has been chronicled in books, magazines, and local PHX newsprint long enough for us to see this coming.

It's amazing how we've been calling this all summer. This is almost better than the Joe Johnson situation because at least Marion made his feelings known before his contract year. I guess it's time to fire up the trade machine.

The Marion Paradox

Everyone who follows the NBA knows about the Suns by now. They know about the Suns style, they know about the Suns players. They know about the run and the gun, they know about the Steve Nash alley oops and the Amare dunks, the three point barrages, the ups and downs the Suns go through over the course of the game. They know all about how Nash can hit the three and use both hands, which has undoubtedly led to quite a few sportscasters having to look up the definition of "Ambidextrous". Everybody knows about Amare's fearsome dunks, the pick and roll, the microfracture surgery, about the resurgence to being a premier player in the league... if only so they could retain hope for the future of players like Greg Oden and Kenyon Martin.

And yet... what about the third cog in the Suns machine? How many people know that Shawn catches more alley-oops than anybody else in the league? How many people know that there are a grand total of two plays the Suns actually ever run for Shawn? Who remembers the Marion offensive rebound that led to the game tying three by Nash, and if you do remember it, do you ever put more emphasis on that than the shot?

A man who is generally toted as one of the uniquely talented players in the league, a superstar in his own right and yet not a true superstar. A man who is a legit 20 PPG scorer, yet has no on ball moves. A man who can go off for 35 points and 20 rebounds one night, and get 10 points and 3 rebounds the next. A walking double double who is far too small to be counted on consistently for that kind of production. A pure hustle role player who puts up superstar types of numbers. A man who can be counted on to guard the opposing point guard and the opposing center in the same game, and do so well enough that he's actually helping the team by taking on such tough assignments.

Marion runs through every game, never stopping, and yet, never seems to fatigue. He bounces up and down through the entire game and yet never seems to get injured the way most people who pogo-stick through games somehow manage. A slasher who can't get to the free throw line... Even Shawn's shot form seems to aimlessly defy common sense, as if for no better reason than because nothing can ever make sense in Shawn's game.


All this seems to pose one question: For someone who is so uniquely talented, why isn't his name plastered everywhere? Why is Shawn brought up in every trade talk that vaguely involves Phoenix in any way? Why is he so sought after but generally devalued?

It's an interesting set of questions and raises even more interesting contradictions concerning Shawn. Shawn is extremely personable and well liked in general, always a smiling face and an interesting quip... and yet, he seems to lack the charisma to pull off his own image. Much like he plays the game, he rushes straight on through his conversations with whoever is interviewing him, who is invariably baffled by how fast he talks and his sense of urgency to not be talking anymore. Would Shawn be considered a true superstar if he were more charismatic? Who knows. He still gets his TV ads, both local and national... and is put right next to bona fide superstars in the process. There he stands, walking side by side with the best players in the league... Kobe, LeBron and Nash all among the people in the oft-watch "Second Coming" commercials... and he was given the same type of spotlight as them.

And yet, you ask people "Paul Pierce or Shawn Marion?" (both are in that video), a good majority of those people will probably say Pierce. (Unless you are talking with just Suns fans. Then it might be a different story.) Even myself, I can't think of any reason that you would rather have Shawn Marion than, say... Chris Paul. Why? I really don't know. It's yet another example of the intractable nature of his game.

Nobody in Phoenix really wants to get rid of him... yet, if he did go... would there really be an outcry? There would if Amare were to get traded. If the Suns had indeed sent one of the packages for Garnett up to Wolvesland, most Suns fans would gladly trade Marion instead of Amare. Would you have rather seen Amare and Kurt Thomas head to the Wolves for KG, or Marion and Kurt Thomas? And imagine the fervent cries of "KILL SARVER!" were the Suns to trade Nash this offseason.

Why, then, would the third man in our big three... the man who was #4 in scoring, #1 in rebounding, #1 in steals, #1 in blocks, #1 in minutes played, #4 in FG%, and missed a grand total of two games this season... why would the outcry be so much smaller?


Is it the frustration Shawn causes amidst his brilliance? The thrill of him losing his man and throwing down a poorly thrown alley-oop which he still somehow managed to catch followed by him inexplicably missing a wide open lay up the next play down? The thrill of him hitting a big three pointer when we need it most, followed by him somehow rocketing the ball up into the stands on a botched dunk attempt? The feeling overwhelming admiration when he comes from behind to reject someone five inches taller than himself, grab the rebound, and then the feeling of despair when he throws the ball away directly after?

Or is it something far simpler... the fact that he can't score without someone giving him the ball in a position to do it. Whether that means on a pass or an offensive rebound, or even him just scooping the ball up after a loose ball. Perhaps it's the fact that any time he starts dribbling, the only time he will ever get to the hoop is if the guy guarding him is so much slower than him that he has no business guarding him in the first place.

Or maybe it's that, through all of this... through being the highest paid player on the team, being named to the all star team, getting lucrative advertising deals, being one of the top vote getters for defensive player of the year... he still finds time to claim that he's unappreciated. Perhaps it's the potential for him to destroy the team's chemistry with a me-first attitude in a system that calls for selflessness. And all this while embodying the idea of a team player. Someone who will do what he does irregardless of his teammate's accomplishments... Someone who can win games through hard work and desire.

So why is his game so appealing while managing to be appalling?

Just another contradiction in the world of Shawn Marion.

Edit: Big thanks to TrueHoop, FreeDarko, Golden State of Mind, and everyone else who I'm forgetting for all the link-love.

Amare Stoudemire - Chris Bosh

Boshosaurus Rex and STAT, respectively.

I wrote this elsewhere (in a forum) in a discussion as to whether or not you would rather have Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh on your team. I found that this practically wrote itself, as there's so much to talk about on both subjects, so I imagine I will be writing a few of these on some hot topics. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves the merits of both in the comments, make inflammatory remarks about my writing, etc. Copy+Paste time!
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I'll try to lend an objective opinion on the various aspects of their game, and let you guys decide. Clearly a lot of people here do not watch an awful lot of Bosh, and clearly some of the people here do not watch an awful lot of Amare. Here's a comparative analysis on both of their games, on the main discussion points that are being thrown out there, many of which are misguided.

First, lets start with offense.

Back to the basket, Bosh has a bit of an edge depending on who the defender is. Bosh is listed at 230 but... I think he might be 230 when he's completely soaking wet and carrying some dumbbells (Which he doesn't seem to use). When Bosh plays against physically imposing players with a good idea of actual post defense (as opposed to people who are just shot blockers), he has an awful time. People like PJ Brown, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, and even someone like Reggie Evans who is no where near as tall as he ought to be to guard someone like Bosh, they all play him extremely well because he simply doesn't have the upper body strength to get any kind of position, and Bosh is much less effective if he's shooting 15-20 foot jumpers than if he's shooting 3-8 foot post shots. That said, against undisciplined defenders, people who are solely shot blockers, and people who aren't particularly physical, Bosh is hard to stop. He's very savvy in the post, is very good about giving ball fakes, and possesses very good footwork, to go along with a soft touch under the basket. Against undisciplined players like Steven Hunter, Darko Milicic, and pretty much anyone else who will jump at any opportunity for a block, Bosh dominates.

On the flip side, Amare actually seems to play better against the very players that Bosh struggles with, down in the post, as a lot of his post game is face up. (Much to the ire of the general populace here on the board. Nothing wrong with a face up game, fellas. High efficiency shots are high efficiency shots.) Amare's underutilized back-to-the-basket game is more refined than one would be led to believe by watching highlights... in fact, for people who don't watch a lot of Suns games, you probably wouldn't even know he *has* a back to the basket game. Truth be told, he has a sick fall away jumper and is very good about showing the ball but keeping it in check on ball fakes. The Phoenix offense doesn't really run with him playing back to the basket (the only player who gets posted up on the whole team is Boris Diaw, because he has trouble scoring any other way), but his face up game is nothing short of phenomenal and he may very well be the best face up big man in the league. (Zach Randolph and Kevin Garnett would be the other options, off the top of my head.) He gets high percentage looks, draws a lot of fouls, and can hit the 15-18 foot jumper with no trouble at all... and he's been working on a three point shot in the off season, which I can't say I'm thrilled about, but it's another dimension to his game. Moderation is all I have to say about that. I'd rather he not turn into Sheed. Amare is one of the best finishers, if not the best finisher, around the basket, in the league. The man can make any shot within four feet of the basket, and gets more and one plays off of shots that he has no business making than any other big man in the league, and you combine that with the fact that he has hands like a wide receiver (he was being scouted as a wide out in high school, but went with basketball), and catches basically anything that is thrown in his direction, you've got a rather strong chance of getting him a bucket or a foul any time you throw a pass in his general direction.

Where Bosh really separates himself from Amare is passing. To be blunt, Amare pretty much doesn't pass. He'll make the occasional flashy pass that could fool a few people into thinking that he is/ought to be a great passer... but he's not. Every time they run him as a passer in the high post, it ends up being a hand-off play to someone behind him. Bosh, however, has proven that he can pass out of the post very well,and has a good head for finding the open team mate. As his career progresses, I think that we ought to be seeing him put up 3.5-4.5 APG for a couple years, which is a hell of a number for a big man.

Aaaaand on defense. This is where a lot of the arguments have come in. The difference, however, isn't as large as one would be led to imagine. Chris Bosh is a more disciplined defender, you'll him leave his man on a bad rotation on occasion (not as much as Amare), and you'll see him give up less lay-ups from over aggression than Amare... but if you see him intimidate a slasher under the basket, you've caught a somewhat rare occasion, and should celebrate. Bosh is a weak side shot blocker, and simply does not have the strength under the hoop to even give the hard foul properly, when he needs to. It's a good thing he's playing PF in Toronto, because they desperately need another big man down there to stop the penetration from succeeding every time. On the flip side, you'll never mistake Amare for Alonzo, but when you do see Amare step up, it's a disheartening event. A good for-instance would be in the Laker series last year when Amare ripped the ball out of Lamar Odom's hands on an easy lay up attempt. Not only did he kill the shot, he killed Laker momentum and he proved that it you outright challenge him, you will have to pay the price.

As far as man to man low post defense go, both are borderline atrocious. Amare has gotten better than before, but it's still very bad... and Bosh simply isn't strong enough. The strength issue continually plagues Bosh and, I think, if he had another 15-20 pounds on him, he would probably be the undisputed better player out of himself, Amare and Dwight. He'd be strong enough to finish with contact under the hoop. He could actually establish position on the block. He could step up and intimidate on defense. He would not get hunched on any rebound attempt against a guy who boxes out properly.

One last tidbit: In every playoff series Amare has ever been in, excepting his rookie year, he was the most efficient, productive player in that entire round. And he was also the most productive player in the entire playoffs on both occasions. He's proven that he rises to the occasion when his team needs it.

In short, I'd pick Amare to build a team around. It would be easier to build a team around a player like Amare than a player like Bosh. That said, it would be much easier to plug Bosh into most teams than it would to plug Amare into most teams. Amare's ego could cause issues with a lot of players around the league. Hard to fault him though, as it's one of the things that makes him a special player as well.