For a while there, it seemed like Phoenix Suns General Manager Steve Kerr and owner Robert Sarver had no idea what the future held for the team and were wandering around like lost, frightened children. Were they going to rebuild? Were they going to stand pat and make a feeble attempt to contend, even though the same team missed the playoffs last season? The Shaq-to-Cleveland trade and all the Amare Stoudemire trade rumors around the draft hinted not-so-subtly that a complete blowup was in the works, and fan preparation for a few years of suckitude was going to be necessary.Then ... the draft came, and the trade rumors for Stoudemire fizzled and eventually stopped. The hot-and-heavy Golden State Warriors draft-day trade came to a stand-still, supposedly killed by disagreement about the inclusion of heavily-touted draftee Stephen Curry. The Suns front office then flipped a bitch and began talking about extending Amare, depending on how his recovery from eye surgery progressed. Associated Press and Arizona Republic stories from a few days ago paint a picture of Kerr as a GM now resigned-to/set-on giving STAT the max contract extension he so desires, provided he shows up to training camp in October and his eyeball doesn't pop out of his skull when he dunks for the first time. What ... ?
The change in direction was perplexing. It seemed so sure that a complete disassembling of the team was inevitable. Trade away Shaq, trade away Stoudemire, trade away Nash, trade away Jason Richardson, let Grant Hill wander to greener pastures in free agency. Keep the young pieces and role players (Leandro Barbosa, Jared Dudley, and Louis Amundson) and then work on developing the rookies, or near-rookies (Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic, and lottery-pick Earl Clark). Hope that you get a franchise-player-in-waiting back from a Stoudemire trade. If not, use the massive 2010 cap space on a marquee free agent. All was quiet on the Suns free agency front for nearly a month, and no one knew what the 2009-2010 Phoenix Suns would look like come training camp. Then, the trajectory changed.
Hill re-signed with the Suns for two years, at a raise. The front office began actively courting Nash for a two- or three-year extension, at only a slight decrease in salary. Kerr spoke about wanting to extend Stoudemire. They signed former Knick and Trailblazer, Channing Frye. Was the team now basically going to stay in a holding pattern and make another run towards a first-round playoff exit?
For a couple of years, I had been a proponent of the rebuild-now approach. Particularly following the departures of Eddie House, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell, it appeared the Seven Seconds or Less Suns were dead or dying, and it was time to put that dog to sleep and move on. While loved by many fans and still one of the best point guards in the league, Steve Nash was getting older and his contract was coming to a close, so best to make a clean break there. Stoudemire, who considers himself a max-dollar player and is one of the most unstoppable offensive players in the NBA, has obvious deficiencies as a defender and as a teammate. His lackadasical man-to-man coverage and exhorbitant ego were grinding away at any goodwill he had stored up in Phoenix. Like Nash, his contract was potentially up in 2010, so best to let him opt out and walk, or trade him for fresh talent. Blow it up. Start over. Hit re-set.
GM Steve Kerr's moves in the 2009 offseason were not the direction I had hoped for. It appeared that the Suns were again fooling themselves into thinking they had a chance for a championship. But then things started making sense for me:
- First and foremost, the Suns don't have their 2010 1st round draft pick, having given it to the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the worst trades in Suns' recent history. With no pick, the Suns are not motivated to suck in the 2009-2010 season and give the Thunder a potential lottery pick in a strong draft. So, screw 'em ... at least get into the playoffs and guarantee some extra income for the team (each home playoff game generates a $1 million or so in revenue), and let the Thunder pick 20th or so, instead of 13th or 14th.
- Over the course of a year, the Suns had gone from being one of the oldest teams in the league -- with Nash, Shaq, Hill, and Kurt Thomas all well over 30, and Bell and Marion hovering right around there -- to being a pretty young team, with everyone but Nash (35), Hill (36), and Richardson (28) being 26 or younger.
- The bench is the deepest it's ever been. Former coach Mike D'Antoni was notorious for having a short 7-man rotation, consisting of mostly veterans that were heavily taxed by playing close to 40 minutes a game. Now, with a few trades and a rookie-friendly coach (former Suns assistant Alvin Gentry), the rotation is 10- or 11-men deep, with Nash, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, Frye, Barbosa, Dragic, Dudley, Amundson, and potentially Lopez and Clark getting regular playing time in the coming season. The SSOL Suns were notorious for having 4 or 5 benchwarmers who only played garbage minutes in blowout games. That number should now be limited to two or three unfortunate players. The team is finally in a position to properly nurture their rookies and second-year players with real playing time.
- The Suns have quality role players in Dudley, Amundson, and Frye -- guys who can fill the holes, either with perimeter shooting, defense, rebounding or what-have-you. Guys who know what their place is and are perfectly content to help where they're needed. Recent rosters have been feast or famine: you're either one of the stars or you're riding the pine.
- They have the right coach. Alvin Gentry should have been D'Antoni's replacement from the start, rather than wasting time with Terry Porter. Porter was probably a decent guy, but he was a terrible fit for the team's personnel. While Porter instilled a fear of mistakes in the rookies and young players, Gentry encourages their professional and personal growth with playing time and the freedom to make a mistake and learn from it. Gentry has a knack for handling the egos of professional athletes and seems able to get the best from them.
- They are developing a defensive presence. Marion and Bell were the Suns' sole defensive "stalwarts" and both of them were traded away for offensive-minded players in the past two seasons. Luckily, it appears the team has reloaded a bit on the defensive end, with Dudley, Amundson, Lopez, and Clark all having the potential to be average-to-above-average defenders, with the versatility to guard multiple positions. Lopez and Amundson are active enough big men to defend the pick-and-roll, as well.
- They drafted a promising rookie. Fourteenth pick Earl Clark has the potential to be the versatile defensive-minded swingman the team gave up in Shawn Marion. Clark is 6'10" but is able to handle the ball and pass. He can drive to the hoop or score from the perimeter. He can defend almost every position. There are questions about his drive and will to win, but he has all the tools to be an exceptional player, particularly in the Suns' system. I trust that Gentry will properly develop Clark, rather than let him languish on the bench or trade him away to flourish on a rival's team, as would have been done in the past.
Now, my optimism ends at "intrigued," rather than "ecstatic," because there are still a few major issues that need to be addressed before too long:
- The Suns need a starting point guard going forward, as Nash will likely retire after his (proposed) extension is up. Kerr pursued Slovenian guard Goran Dragic in last year's draft with the intention of his eventually taking the point from Nash. However, his development last season was disappointing and he only showed flashes of the talent the front office had apparently seen while scouting. The hope is that Dragic's trepidation and mediocrity was due to Porter's system and that Gentry will help develop some self-confidence, which seems to be Dragic's major flaw, outside of some spotty jump-shooting. Dragic is definitely a serviceable backup point guard, which the Suns have not had in recent years, but it remains to be seen if he can be a starter. If not, the Suns will have to look elsewhere before long. For years, the Suns have had the benefit of stellar point guard play (Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash, etc.). It will be a challenge to continue that tradition.
- The Suns need that franchise player, that superstar on whom the burden of success must fall. Nash has been that man, and the spotlight was shared in past years with Marion, Stoudemire, and Shaq. With Marion gone and Nash soon to retire, the Suns must look to Stoudemire, or elsewhere. Landing that franchise player is the most fortuitous and elusive of things for an NBA team. Generally, these players come via the draft and a lot of luck (e.g. Tim Duncan and the Spurs, LeBron James and the Cavs, Dwyane Wade and the HEAT, Chris Bosh and the Raptors, etc.), but the Suns have not had that kind of draft luck since Stoudemire, the 9th pick in the 2002 draft. For years, the Suns had been hoping that Amare would develop the leadership and maturity to take that role, but so far he has yet to demonstrate it. He has a tendency to shirk responsibility and blame others for his mistakes, and does not assert himself defensively. The front office must decide if Amare is the man they will depend on going forward. Stoudemire wants a maximum extension from the team, but can he be a leader? Will his surgically repaired knees and eye hold up? Those are huge questions that Kerr and Sarver are wrestling with. If they decide no, Amare is not worth extending, then they brave rough waters trying to find a superstar talent to replace him. The future of the Suns as a franchise basically depends on what happens with Stoudemire.
- The Suns also need that third banana, a guy who can be counted on to produce 15 to 20 points a night. Right now, it's Jason Richardson, but I don't think the Suns view him as a piece going forward. He's been on the trading block all offseason and is paid more than he's probably worth. Barbosa could be that guy, but I think he's better used coming off the bench to provide a spark in the second unit. If Barbosa moves to the starting line-up, then the Suns need to find a replacement for the second unit.
So, while the rebuild of the Phoenix Suns is not complete, it is further along than I thought, and the future is looking pretty bright. It could easily be darkened if things with Stoudemire don't work out, but it sounds like the Suns have come to the conclusion that he's worth re-signing if he returns to the court this coming season and plays like he's been known to play.
For a couple of years, I had been a proponent of the rebuild-now approach. Particularly following the departures of Eddie House, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell, it appeared the Seven Seconds or Less Suns were dead or dying, and it was time to put that dog to sleep and move on. While loved by many fans and still one of the best point guards in the league, Steve Nash was getting older and his contract was coming to a close, so best to make a clean break there. Stoudemire, who considers himself a max-dollar player and is one of the most unstoppable offensive players in the NBA, has obvious deficiencies as a defender and as a teammate. His lackadasical man-to-man coverage and exhorbitant ego were grinding away at any goodwill he had stored up in Phoenix. Like Nash, his contract was potentially up in 2010, so best to let him opt out and walk, or trade him for fresh talent. Blow it up. Start over. Hit re-set.
GM Steve Kerr's moves in the 2009 offseason were not the direction I had hoped for. It appeared that the Suns were again fooling themselves into thinking they had a chance for a championship. But then things started making sense for me:
- First and foremost, the Suns don't have their 2010 1st round draft pick, having given it to the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the worst trades in Suns' recent history. With no pick, the Suns are not motivated to suck in the 2009-2010 season and give the Thunder a potential lottery pick in a strong draft. So, screw 'em ... at least get into the playoffs and guarantee some extra income for the team (each home playoff game generates a $1 million or so in revenue), and let the Thunder pick 20th or so, instead of 13th or 14th.
- Over the course of a year, the Suns had gone from being one of the oldest teams in the league -- with Nash, Shaq, Hill, and Kurt Thomas all well over 30, and Bell and Marion hovering right around there -- to being a pretty young team, with everyone but Nash (35), Hill (36), and Richardson (28) being 26 or younger.
- The bench is the deepest it's ever been. Former coach Mike D'Antoni was notorious for having a short 7-man rotation, consisting of mostly veterans that were heavily taxed by playing close to 40 minutes a game. Now, with a few trades and a rookie-friendly coach (former Suns assistant Alvin Gentry), the rotation is 10- or 11-men deep, with Nash, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, Frye, Barbosa, Dragic, Dudley, Amundson, and potentially Lopez and Clark getting regular playing time in the coming season. The SSOL Suns were notorious for having 4 or 5 benchwarmers who only played garbage minutes in blowout games. That number should now be limited to two or three unfortunate players. The team is finally in a position to properly nurture their rookies and second-year players with real playing time.
- The Suns have quality role players in Dudley, Amundson, and Frye -- guys who can fill the holes, either with perimeter shooting, defense, rebounding or what-have-you. Guys who know what their place is and are perfectly content to help where they're needed. Recent rosters have been feast or famine: you're either one of the stars or you're riding the pine.
- They have the right coach. Alvin Gentry should have been D'Antoni's replacement from the start, rather than wasting time with Terry Porter. Porter was probably a decent guy, but he was a terrible fit for the team's personnel. While Porter instilled a fear of mistakes in the rookies and young players, Gentry encourages their professional and personal growth with playing time and the freedom to make a mistake and learn from it. Gentry has a knack for handling the egos of professional athletes and seems able to get the best from them.
- They are developing a defensive presence. Marion and Bell were the Suns' sole defensive "stalwarts" and both of them were traded away for offensive-minded players in the past two seasons. Luckily, it appears the team has reloaded a bit on the defensive end, with Dudley, Amundson, Lopez, and Clark all having the potential to be average-to-above-average defenders, with the versatility to guard multiple positions. Lopez and Amundson are active enough big men to defend the pick-and-roll, as well.
- They drafted a promising rookie. Fourteenth pick Earl Clark has the potential to be the versatile defensive-minded swingman the team gave up in Shawn Marion. Clark is 6'10" but is able to handle the ball and pass. He can drive to the hoop or score from the perimeter. He can defend almost every position. There are questions about his drive and will to win, but he has all the tools to be an exceptional player, particularly in the Suns' system. I trust that Gentry will properly develop Clark, rather than let him languish on the bench or trade him away to flourish on a rival's team, as would have been done in the past.
Now, my optimism ends at "intrigued," rather than "ecstatic," because there are still a few major issues that need to be addressed before too long:
- The Suns need a starting point guard going forward, as Nash will likely retire after his (proposed) extension is up. Kerr pursued Slovenian guard Goran Dragic in last year's draft with the intention of his eventually taking the point from Nash. However, his development last season was disappointing and he only showed flashes of the talent the front office had apparently seen while scouting. The hope is that Dragic's trepidation and mediocrity was due to Porter's system and that Gentry will help develop some self-confidence, which seems to be Dragic's major flaw, outside of some spotty jump-shooting. Dragic is definitely a serviceable backup point guard, which the Suns have not had in recent years, but it remains to be seen if he can be a starter. If not, the Suns will have to look elsewhere before long. For years, the Suns have had the benefit of stellar point guard play (Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash, etc.). It will be a challenge to continue that tradition.
- The Suns need that franchise player, that superstar on whom the burden of success must fall. Nash has been that man, and the spotlight was shared in past years with Marion, Stoudemire, and Shaq. With Marion gone and Nash soon to retire, the Suns must look to Stoudemire, or elsewhere. Landing that franchise player is the most fortuitous and elusive of things for an NBA team. Generally, these players come via the draft and a lot of luck (e.g. Tim Duncan and the Spurs, LeBron James and the Cavs, Dwyane Wade and the HEAT, Chris Bosh and the Raptors, etc.), but the Suns have not had that kind of draft luck since Stoudemire, the 9th pick in the 2002 draft. For years, the Suns had been hoping that Amare would develop the leadership and maturity to take that role, but so far he has yet to demonstrate it. He has a tendency to shirk responsibility and blame others for his mistakes, and does not assert himself defensively. The front office must decide if Amare is the man they will depend on going forward. Stoudemire wants a maximum extension from the team, but can he be a leader? Will his surgically repaired knees and eye hold up? Those are huge questions that Kerr and Sarver are wrestling with. If they decide no, Amare is not worth extending, then they brave rough waters trying to find a superstar talent to replace him. The future of the Suns as a franchise basically depends on what happens with Stoudemire.
- The Suns also need that third banana, a guy who can be counted on to produce 15 to 20 points a night. Right now, it's Jason Richardson, but I don't think the Suns view him as a piece going forward. He's been on the trading block all offseason and is paid more than he's probably worth. Barbosa could be that guy, but I think he's better used coming off the bench to provide a spark in the second unit. If Barbosa moves to the starting line-up, then the Suns need to find a replacement for the second unit.
So, while the rebuild of the Phoenix Suns is not complete, it is further along than I thought, and the future is looking pretty bright. It could easily be darkened if things with Stoudemire don't work out, but it sounds like the Suns have come to the conclusion that he's worth re-signing if he returns to the court this coming season and plays like he's been known to play.
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