There are some of us here who remember the 05-06 team with fond memories.  Not because they won a championship, which they didn't, and not because they played flawless ball, which they didn't either. 

But because a team consisting of maybe two legitimate NBA starters, and a collection of anonymous and otherwise underachieving players won 54 games and got to the WCF.  And not smoothly either: They lost their all-star center for the whole year, before the season started, and his backup/replacement for a third of a season, just after the all-star break. And sometimes that team was beaten like a red-headed stepchild caught with cigarettes.

But that group had heart, grit, tenacity, fearlessness, self-belief and unity.  Some players, like Boris and Raja, stepped up from nowhere to show how good they really were.  Others like Trix, wallowed in their new found respect and status.  All of them, though, played the season of their careers, because of their trust in each other and their leader.  That team, ultimately failed, but not for reasons of it's own doing or control.  They went down fighting and with defiance.

Continue reading this post »

There's been a lot of talk about trading various players, and there's a meme surrounding the Shaq to Cleveland trade rumors that Shaq didn't really do anything playing with Steve Nash.

But people have short memories, and if anything is true it's that the Gentry era started with a bang. As Hollinger's article in March points out, this teams' offense during the time before Barbosa got injured was *historically good*, even without Amare.  Shaq shot 68.4% during that time, and it was the kind of offense some of us expected to see all year.

Going forward to the upcoming season, we have to put away what happened this year, with the trades and changes in the head coach, and just forget it as an aberration.  Those early games under Alvin showed what this team is capable of doing, and I'd love to see what level they can reach with a pre-season under their belts.

That's not to suggest that the team doesn't have some serious issues, particularly surrounding it's defense, but it's not clear to me that those defensive woes weren't caused mostly by bad coaching by Terry Porter.  Certainly the inability of the defense to communicate on the court has less to do with individuals, and more to do with making sure everyone on the floor is on the same page.  Team defense is vastly more important than man defense.

IMHO, if Kerr and Sarver decide to trade Shaq, then they should just go ahead and start the rebuilding.

So LeBron is awarded, imho,  a well deserved MVP.   And though his team does have a few other players of all-star or near all-star caliber (Ilgauskas, Mo Williams, D. West, Ben Wallace...) it's clear that he's done the most with less since Nash's 2nd MVP.

In some senses I like the fact that the award is a Most Valuable Player, rather than a best player, because it's so hard to define the best player in any meaningful sense. 

In fact, we have a point guard who has just has one of the best all round shooting seasons ever, and a few turnovers not withstanding, might be one of the 5 best passers ever, the best off-hand (i.e left hand, if you're a righty) passer of all time, and one of the best dribblers to ever play. His floor vision is pretty spectacular too.

So clearly, it's not enough to be the most skillful player, there's more.

We have Shaq, who on a good day is still the most imposing physical force in the NBA.   Absolutely dominant.

In terms of the psychology of running a team, Chauncey Billups has performed miracles in getting the Nuggets to where they are.  It's amazing how much difference a single player can make.  I'd point out, though, how much worse the Pistons have gotten without him, and with the addition of Iverson.

Then you look at defense, and the play of Battier & Artest, and see just how much of a difference they make.   It's telling, though, that while some great defensive players have won the trophy, no *predominantly defensive* player has won the MVP since Russell.

What I love about LeBron winning, is that for the first time in a long time, the MVP is someone who figures in the conversation in all these aspects of the NBA game.  He's not the best at any single thing, but he's legitimately, and without too much hype, top-10 in each of those categories.  You can't say the same about any MVP winner, probably since Jordan.

The thing is.. he could be better, and that's simultaneously an exciting and scary thought.

The NBA store announced it's list of this year's top selling jerseys, with Kobe back at #1.

Steve Nash is at #13, and Shaq is at #14.   Amazingly enough, Allen Iverson's Pistons jersey is at #5, and Nate Robinson's is #8.

It's a reminder, btw, that the NBA is at its core, a business, and one that relies primarily on it's superstars, who fill seats, help sell TV time, and in this case shift merchandise.  Despite the shared revenue from the NBA's TV partnership, gate receipts are still the lifeblood of most franchises, representing 33% of the leagues revenue.  On top of that, there are concession sales at US Airways.

Forbes has a breakdown of the 2007 financial picture, and the 2008 numbers. Two things are clear from those:

1. The Suns are still decently profitable, with revenue in 2008 of $148M, and income (i.e gross profit) of $28.9M (down from $145M/$37.3M in 2007).
2. The Suns spend their player money effectively, getting a 122 wins-to-player ratio (essentially normalized wins/dollar. 100 is league average).

What does this all mean for the franchise?

Firstly, it's clear that Steve Nash and Shaq are the team's franchise players, as measured by jersey sales.  Keeping them will likely result in continued attendance, season-ticket and regular ticket sales, despite the economy.

Secondly, despite the luxury tax, the team is actually in a good financial position, and that they can afford to pay players at the current level, and still make money.  In fact, all the noise regarding the luxury tax (which we were told was *vital* to reduce), actually seems to be primarily a desire on the part of Robert Sarver, rather than a true financial imperative.

From my perspective this changes my point of view slightly.  While it would be unfair to suggest that the franchise should run at a loss, so long as it *is profitable*, the Suns should do as much as they can financially to win a title, or come close to winning.   And they should do this because they'll make money from merchandising and other sales, when the economy starts to recover.

From the Onion..

Shaq looked great as one of the JabberwokkeeZ, but now it's time for him to bring the law, as one of Stu Jackson's finest. 

Black and White is an elegant look, with the white symbolizing the good and justice the refs are supposed to mete, and the black reminding us that deep down the refs are soulless evil trolls, bent on denying Steve Nash his rightful title.

Actually, having Shaq as a guest ref isn't such a bad idea.  Since David Stern seems intent on transforming the NBA from a noble sporting challenge, into the WWE, with heels and babyfaces, he might as well go the whole way, with guest refs, folding chairs and steel cages. 

I got one more thing to say..   

Nash 3:16, bitches.

Whoooooooo.......

There are few people in the NBA I dislike enough to hate, but the Van Gundy brothers are amongst that select group.   Why?  Just because..   Actually, mostly because of Jeff, but Stan has had his moments too.

Still, every once in a while, the Universe aligns itself to act upon the lives of men, to guide us to distinguish wrong from right, the light from the dark, and evil from good.

So, I'd like to show reverence to those arcane mystical forces of light that deigned to give Iggy a clutch jumpshot, in his moment of need, and to say to SVG: "Suck it, Stan!"

To me, the Suns have to make changes at 3 roles, in order to be a contender next season:

1. Fix the interior/post man defense
2. Fix the exterior/guard position man defense
3. Fix the pick & roll defense.

I'm not sure it's possible to adjust this team, that much, and still retain it's offensive firepower.   Or stay within reach of the luxury tax threshold.  Moreover, I'm not sure whether the right players are out there, and available, that can come in and help, and fit in at the same time on both ends of the court.

I understand how difficult it is to build a team, and find talent in the draft, but this team has had it's day, and has pieces of some value that it can use in trades.

It's time to rebuild, or in the words...:

One of the most annoying aspects of the NBA playoff system is the fact that a team in one conference can fail to make the playoffs, despite having a record allowing it to have home court advantage in the other.

Continue reading this post »

TwinnerA had an interesting complaint in the Suns vs Grizz thread, about how players on our team are getting paid full wack, despite not making it to the playoffs, and sucking in general.

Continue reading this post »