Everyone knows the Kareem story.  Yes ... we understand, the Suns have been searching for a legit center since they lost the coin flip.  The story/joke/reaction/analysis has almost reached mythical proportions.  For a Suns fan, it's the equivalent of learning about George Washington and the Cherry Tree or Honest Abe walking 5 miles to return one penny in change.

That's the lore ... my last post was to see what the fans here knew about the history and the lore.  Everyone knows the stories, but not everyone knows the history.

I'm not passing judgment and, frankly, I don't care if you can't recite every player personnel moves the Suns have made since 1968.  I was wondering what types of readers we have, and I was thinking about the persons that read the blogs.

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It's getting kind of slow in NBA news and I was wondering what type of basement-dwelling-blog-readers/writers we have here.  I had this idea in my Guinness-induced-Joycean-stream-of-consciousness kind of way (oddly enough, my thoughts came without any of life's anesthetic, so it's either due to age or the lack of the aforementioned anesthetic).

Who remembers Rick Robey?  Take the poll and let me know.  Keep in mind that "remember" and "know about" are two different things.  Please be specific.  Take the poll without doing any internets sluething, please. 

For those of you who do remember, please feel free to reiminisce in the comments section.  I'll probably do some sort of follow-up based on the responses (although, I may have to visit Seamus' to figure out what's next).

While we're all daydreaming and floating off-season moves ... I've got a thought for next year.  Just a random observation that one would throw out at happy hour while watching other teams put on their shows.

Don't D-Wade and Shaq still get along well?  That's what I hear from the reports.

I don't know, but I can't believe that Wade is too happy with his situation in Miami right now.

When 2010 comes around, won't Wade be availble?

Would a move from Miami to Phoenix be unthinkable?  If so, could we get Shaq to put in a good word for the Suns?

If it were even possible, could Amare co-exist with him?  If Nash were around, would Wade let Nash handle the ball and set him up?  It might be nice.

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Alvin Gentry watches another parade of shooters scoring on the Suns

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For some reason, as I started typing this, that Whitesnake song started running through my mind.  Here I go again on my own/ Going down the only road I've ever known/ Like a drifter I was born to walk alone ...  Does anyone else find it ironic that Jimmy Page bashed Whitesnake and then made an album with David Coverdale?  Who's got the back-story on that?

Last night, I went to the Suns' "Town Hall" meeting with Sarver, Kerr and Welts.  By the way, my raffle ticket was three integers away from winning Sarver's tickets to a game.  Sarver said he could not stomach sitting through a 25-win season in which the team rebuilds.  For what it's worth, his goal is a 50+ win season next year. 

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I read somewhere that with 45 wins, they have the third-highest total to never make the playoffs in the 16-team format.  Maybe 46 before this is all over.  48, by GSW last year, was the highest total ever.

A list of bad losses (meaning, to bad teams they should have beat) includes:

Pre-Gentry:

Chicago (11/7), Miami (11/28), New Jersey (11/30), Indiana (1/7), Minnesota (1/16), New York (1/21), Charlotte (1/23), Chicago (1/31), Golden State (2/4), Philadelphia (2/9),

Post-Porter:

Miami (3/4), Sacramento (3/29), Memphis (3/10)

Don't read into this; Gentry hasn't had the opportunity to lose too many of those games and he did navigate the 0-6 stretch that killed the Suns in early March.  Anyway, that's 13 games.  Against those teams, the Suns should have easily won 7 games.  The teams of yesteryear would have done at least that much.  That's 52 or 53 wins -- maybe more.  Right now, Denver is in second with 54 wins (and one game to go).  The Suns are also under .500 on the road since for the first time (I think) since the last time they missed the playoffs.

I have no idea what all this means.  It could mean that with a little tweaking they are a contender and top-four WCF playoff team.  It could mean that the aging vets didn't care enough to give it their best effort against inferior teams.  It could mean that the team doesn't care enough to come out and play on a consistent basis.  It could mean Porter was doing something wrong.  It could mean that next year, the development of a bench could give the aging vets some rest during the season when the inferior teams are on the schedule.

It does mean the Suns have under-achieved this year.

No point, just some observations to keep in mind when considering the necessary off-season moves.

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

8 months ago: Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal, front, attempts to spin around Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, rear, of China, for a field goal in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 1, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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PhxStan begged for some help with the game recap.  Everyone else stepped back, so I guess I was standing there.  I warned that it might be a weak Suns-in-Sacramento type of effort. 

Bluntman went to the game tonight.  He's been dating two girls.  One that likes basketball and one that takes him to strip clubs.  I wonder who he took to the game.  Don't answer too quickly -- he does go to work tomorrow.

I wonder what he thinks about the game.  I wonder what SHE thinks about the game.

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