Sunday's News: On the flipside for a change

[SwingMan]

Suns run over Raptors (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1222suns.html)

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/pics/1222nashcov.jpg
Steve Nash dishes as Raptors forward Chris Bosh (left) and Andrea Bargnani defend on Saturday.

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 22, 2007 09:47 PM

Mix one part Eastern Conference team, a dose of home-court advantage and a road-weary team that wants to play an open, high-scoring game and you have a bona fide Suns rout, the sort that had not been seen in US Airways Center in a month.

Phoenix continued its two-week pattern of following losses with wins by cooking up a 122-103 blowout of Toronto despite Raptors power forward Chris Bosh scoring a career-high 42 points with an NBA season-best 22 free throws made.

Bosh wound up being outshone by a Canadian guy with seven points. Suns point guard Steve Nash was just 3 of 7 from the field but had 16 assists without a turnover in a game that had Phoenix committing a season low-tying seven turnovers.
http://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gifhttp://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gif

Leandro Barbosa, starting in place of Raja Bell (back spasms), led the Suns with 31 points in his season's sixth start, all of which have been victories. Barbosa has averaged 25.7 points and shot 58 percent in those starts. He was 7 of 10 from three-point range Saturday after not taking a three Wednesday at Dallas.

"I was feeling great," Barbosa said. "My rhythm was there and everything followed through the way that I want."

Suns center Amaré Stoudemire scored almost exclusively in the paint or on free throws for 28 points and 11 rebounds. Grant Hill scored 25 to give Phoenix 19 wins, tied for most in the West.

The Suns shot 52 percent to sweep Toronto for the fourth straight season.

The Suns' 37-22 third quarter proved decisive, with Phoenix's first 17 points coming at the rim and 16 points coming on second chances in the quarter.

"We talked about not giving up layups, and we still gave up some layups," Bosh said. "We know they have some great shooters, but that's how they get on a lot of runs. You hug your man on the weak side and Amaré and Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw started to get layups."

The teams tore away early with few offensive mistakes or few defensive stops, depending on your perspective.

It wasn't like the league's highest-scoring game of the season, the 136-123 Phoenix win in Toronto on Dec. 5, but it was not far off when Phoenix went to the half with a 66-61 lead. The teams had combined for three turnovers at the half.

Barbosa did not take a shot for the game's first 10 minutes but had 18 points by halftime on 7-of-11 shooting, including four threes.

Phoenix did not take long to warm up, going on a remarkable stretch of offense in which it scored on 14 of 15 possessions to take a 34-22 lead, a 19-point turnaround from when the run had started 6½ minutes earlier.

Bosh began the game by missing five of his first six shots but was never stopped again by the Suns, except to go to the line to shoot free throws. Bosh scored 17 in the second quarter.

Report

Cheers

Leandro Barbosa stayed undefeated in six starts, hitting 7 of 10 three-pointers and scoring 31.

Jeers

The closest Phoenix could come to defending slowing Chris Bosh was fouling him. Bosh made 22 of 24 free throws for a career-high 42 points.

Player of the game

Phoenix's Steve Nash had 16 assists without a turnover, his second no-turnover game this season.

View from press row

When Steve Nash's rebounds surpass his points toward the end of the third quarter and fans go crazy, he must be doing something special. A missed jumper bounded off straight and high. Nash elevated alone like Shawn Marion, or at least Shawn Respert, grabbed the rebound, then Nash dribbled the ball out casually and flipped it behind his back to Leandro Barbosa for a three-pointer. Moments later, before he exited late in the third, Nash threaded a low bounce pass bouncer to Barbosa, who was on a back-door cut, for a layup and Nash's 15th assist without a turnover.

- Paul Coro

[SwingMan]

Bell sidelined again (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1222sunsnb.html)

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/pics/1222sunsins.jpg
Raja Bell should be ready by Tuesday, according to coach Mike D'Antoni.

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 22, 2007 10:21 PM

Suns guard Raja Bell stayed on the sidelines of Friday's practice because of an ankle injury and wound up on the sideline for Saturday's game because of a back injury.

Bell missed five games in November when an ankle sprain eventually led to back spasms. It happened again Friday when he was exercising and went to the floor as the back spasms began. An MRI on Bell's back Saturday was negative.

Guard Leandro Barbosa started for Bell and Marcus Banks, who played three minutes in the past month,got rotation time. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said before the game that he anticipated Bell would be able to return for Tuesday's game against the Lakers.

The Diaw challenge

Nearly every practice, Suns forward Boris Diaw is the last player to leave the court as he works on his shot with assistant coach Phil Weber.

Diaw has been the target of fan criticism this season as his field-goal shooting has dropped from 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent entering Saturday. His averages of 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists can't be compared to his role as a main cog of 2005-06 with Amaré Stoudemire out and are slightly off last season's numbers (9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists), when he played about five minutes more per game.

Weber said disgruntled fans need to watch Diaw closer.

"You're not watching the whole game because he's one of the smartest players in the NBA," Weber said. "All you need to do is see all the little things he does and the way he has a feel for the game. When he's engaged, he's as good as anybody in the league and making plays for other people and getting people involved."

Weber said Diaw's role changed and it is still being figured out by the staff. He is in two of Phoenix's four top lineups with Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Grant Hill, according to nba.com's Lenovo stats, but is also in the least productive lineups.

"He does so many things that people don't understand, whether it's a flare for somebody, setting up for a play," Weber said. "He's always almost like one play ahead. A lot of people don't understand all the things he does. He's going to be a really good shooter, if not a great shooter. He's getting more confidence in it all the time. Amaré was there too. Shooting comes later.

"Defensively, he's touching. He's moving. He's doing whatever we ask. He's one of these players that knows what he's doing out there. The game is fast but yet he sees everything."

He said a fan's perspective is different than Diaw's view because Diaw sees the entire court and reads each situation better than nearly every player.

"A lot of times, you shouldn't judge because you don't see the game as he does," Weber said. "Even if you did, your basketball IQ compared to his, I don't know. The game is so fast. There are so many different variables to factor in and factor out that you don't see the whole picture. He sees the whole picture most times. Sometimes, he sees the future when you're just trying to catch up to the present."

How about that?

Phoenix played its league-low 11th home game Saturday against Toronto, which was also its opponent for its 11th road game three weeks ago.

[AmareIsGod]

The Diaw challenge

Nearly every practice, Suns forward Boris Diaw is the last player to leave the court as he works on his shot with assistant coach Phil Weber.

Diaw has been the target of fan criticism this season as his field-goal shooting has dropped from 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent entering Saturday. His averages of 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists can't be compared to his role as a main cog of 2005-06 with Amaré Stoudemire out and are slightly off last season's numbers (9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists), when he played about five minutes more per game.

Weber said disgruntled fans need to watch Diaw closer.

"You're not watching the whole game because he's one of the smartest players in the NBA," Weber said. "All you need to do is see all the little things he does and the way he has a feel for the game. When he's engaged, he's as good as anybody in the league and making plays for other people and getting people involved."

Weber said Diaw's role changed and it is still being figured out by the staff. He is in two of Phoenix's four top lineups with Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Grant Hill, according to nba.com's Lenovo stats, but is also in the least productive lineups.

"He does so many things that people don't understand, whether it's a flare for somebody, setting up for a play," Weber said. "He's always almost like one play ahead. A lot of people don't understand all the things he does. He's going to be a really good shooter, if not a great shooter. He's getting more confidence in it all the time. Amaré was there too. Shooting comes later.

"Defensively, he's touching. He's moving. He's doing whatever we ask. He's one of these players that knows what he's doing out there. The game is fast but yet he sees everything."

He said a fan's perspective is different than Diaw's view because Diaw sees the entire court and reads each situation better than nearly every player.

"A lot of times, you shouldn't judge because you don't see the game as he does," Weber said. "Even if you did, your basketball IQ compared to his, I don't know. The game is so fast. There are so many different variables to factor in and factor out that you don't see the whole picture. He sees the whole picture most times. Sometimes, he sees the future when you're just trying to catch up to the present."

Give me a fucking break. Was this an article written by SpecialSauce? Where's the "trade Barbosa" article that he wrote with it?

Seriously, why don't you look at fucking production Weber. Look at effort. Stop defending the dickless, non-producing shit head and try being a little subjective from time to time.

[SwingMan]

(The latest from Paul Coro's blog - If he ain't at least peeking in at this board, then I'm getting served bottomless rum & cokes with the intermittent knobjob from Scarlet Johansson)

How's Raja? (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/13247)

Suns guard Raja Bell had just joked that perhaps having a bum ankle on both legs would keep him from favoring one way or another and prompting back problems again. Sure enough, later in the same practice, his back spasms returned.

The back spasms -- and they are only that, according to a MRI that ruled out anything else structurally -- put Bell out for Saturday's win against Toronto but he aims to play Tuesday at Los Angeles against the Lakers.

"I just want to do what I have to do resolve it so it's not something that continues to flare up and have me miss a game every now and then," Bell said.

"It was freaky. The last time I was actually playing on a sprained ankle and I tweaked my back. Yesterday, I was not playing. I was doing some different exercises and whatnot and it just went into spasm on me so I don't think it was because of the ankle this time."

Bell said he knew when he woke up Saturday that he would not be able to play against Toronto. It was the sixth game he missed this season after a previous five-game stint that started with ankle sprain and wound up with back spasms.

"It's hard to describe," Bell said of the pain that sent him to the floor Friday. "I might not have had a whole lot of sympathy for someone with back spams, having never had them. But after having them, that initial feeling takes your breath away. After that, it becomes a challenge to do little things -- tie your shoes, get out of a chair, get into a car. When you can't do those things, you're not going to play basketball."

In his place, Leandro Barbosa went off again. Barbosa is averaging 25.7 points and shooting 58 percent in the six games he started in place of Bell. The Suns have averaged 34.8 points in the first quarters that Barbosa has started.
This naturally will lead to the conversation of whether Barbosa should start. That's a touchy one.

Bell is often described as the heart and soul of the team and there is no telling how he would react to becoming a reserve, although he was one for most of his career before coming to Phoenix. Even then, he was signed to supplement the backcourt before the Suns knew they were going to trade Joe Johnson.

Phoenix obviously plays fast with Barbosa but Toronto really can't be taken as the gospel on that. Barbosa did not shoot for the first 10 minutes. The Raptors have not played well, don't have T.J. Ford and went with Andrea Bargnani to start despite the benched Rasho Nesterovic playing well against Phoenix in the previous meeting.

The argument against starting Barbosa in the past has always been a defensive one. Barbosa could not be entrusted to guard the best scoring wings in the league but the Suns not have Grant Hill, who has shown he can handle that sort of duty (and how underrated was Hill's 25 points in 25 minutes Saturday?).
Another argument was that taking Barbosa away from the bench would make it even harder for Phoenix to maintain offense when the reserves come into the game. That one still has some merit.

The other option would be to start Brian Skinner at center to address the need for more of a defensive presence in the post than Amare Stoudemire has been able to provide. That wasn't a concern Saturday the moment Toronto started Bargnani (how about a Raptors starting lineup that totals four assists?).

"That puts me back in my natural position," Stoudemire said Saturday of playing alongside Skinner. "Whatever works, we definitely want the team to go with it. He comes in the game and gives us a lift. That is something we need."

Maybe Skinner has been too good off the bench to touch that. He is shooting a career-best 56 percent from the field and getting more rebounds and blocks per 48 minutes than at any point in his 10 seasons. Maybe knowing that his windows of opportunity are going to be brief are bringing that effort. Then again, maybe his minutes wouldn't change and he could start in the same Kurt Thomas once did without playing extensive minutes.

In the end, Phoenix probably does nothing. It will probably end up deeming that is not worth the risk of unsettling the mix that has been good enough to be 19-8. But it's worth talking about. So now you weigh in.

By the way, I was told the Philadelphia trade rumors were lunacy. We'll see. An exec used to tell me, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

Happy holidays.

[ShelC]

Give me a fucking break. Was this an article written by SpecialSauce? Where's the "trade Barbosa" article that he wrote with it?

Seriously, why don't you look at fucking production Weber. Look at effort. Stop defending the dickless, non-producing shit head and try being a little subjective from time to time.

:roll:

[OE]

Nash, Barbs, Marion, Amare, Skinner with Hill, Boris, and Bell off the bench? It would be an improvement had we a back-up PG to throw into the mix. It may be an improvement anyway.

[Maldonado316]

Great win, Bell needs to sit untill he's 100%. I know he will want to play on Xmas cause of Kobe, but he needs to rest.

[JustWinBaby]

Nash, Barbs, Marion, Amare, Skinner with Hill, Boris, and Bell off the bench? It would be an improvement had we a back-up PG to throw into the mix. It may be an improvement anyway.

Let Boris play the point

Put Banks in at the 4 or 5 in his place.

Banks got as many rebounds as Boris did last night.

[Dustbuster]

The sample size grew a little again last night with Barbosa as the starter, and I have to say, thus far the results are pretty convincing. It's not just that Barbosa's rhythm has been batter, it's that the whole starting lineups rhythm is better.

Grant Hill is playing shockingly well right now. Unlike most of the guys we have gotten on the tail end of their careers, he still has a LOT in the tank. The way he elevated and threw down with just a step to gather momentum was pretty sweet.

I thought that Banks played pretty well last night...and played within himself. Why he stays in the doghouse so much this year (when he has actually played pretty decent) is beyond me.

Amare got killed by Bosh last night, but he also stayed active, didn't foul out, and was a presence for most of the game. Bosh is a very versatile scorer, but Amare's defense is still pitiable.

Diaw's midrange shot was money earlier in the year, and now he's missing most of them. Confidence shaken? That article about Weber working with him was interesting. There is a happy medium somewhere in there: we know that Boris is a basketball genius, but it is also plain to the fans that he doesn't always give 100%. His apparent lack of concern about whether or not he personally plays well or gets numbers is such an oddity in the NBA that it is hard to accept. I'm not sure about it myself. For the money, however, Diaw is going to HAVE to produce more statistically to keep fans off his back. He makes too much to have so little a role.

Great win last night!

[JustWinBaby]

{His apparent lack of concern about whether or not he personally plays well or gets numbers is such an oddity in the NBA that it is hard to accept. I'm not sure about it myself. For the money, however, Diaw is going to HAVE to produce more statistically to keep fans off his back. He makes too much to have so little a role.}

That sum it up

The only thing I am sure of, we need more rebounds, especially against the teams we will playing come late April.

[desertcoast]

Well, Weber is in full spin mode on Diaw.

But even that verbal blowjob from Weber is qualified by the "..when he's engaged" line.

Yep. When he's engaged. That's the problem Phil.
We all know Diaw is a good, smart player.
If you have ideas on how to "engage" him, please do so.


BTW, Nash was just on fire last night.
When he's playing like that, we're reminded that we're fortunate enough to be able to watch one of the very best that has ever played the game...in his prime.

[Xcon]

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE keep Barbosa in the starting lineup. I know D'Antoni has a hard-on for having Raja in the starting line-up but even he can't deny the facts. Watch Barbosa's effectiveness drop the very first game he goes back to the bench. I thought you were supposed to start your best five? Our problem in most of our losses has been starting slow, and with Barbosa out there, that doesn't seem to be an issue. Plus, at this point, Barbosa is simply better than Bell and should have the starting job. Bell will just have to learn to live with coming off the bench. Besides, that's been his role for most his career anyway.

[JediSkywalker]

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE keep Barbosa in the starting lineup. I know D'Antoni has a hard-on for having Raja in the starting line-up but even he can't deny the facts. Watch Barbosa's effectiveness drop the very first game he goes back to the bench. I thought you were supposed to start your best five? Our problem in most of our losses has been starting slow, and with Barbosa out there, that doesn't seem to be an issue. Plus, at this point, Barbosa is simply better than Bell and should have the starting job. Bell will just have to learn to live with coming off the bench. Besides, that's been his role for most his career anyway.


That's an interesting point. The Suns have struggled lately in the 1st Q. If LB is scoring, it could solve that problem. However, part of the problem was lack of energy and lack of D from the Suns starters. LB cannot play D. Bell is hurting and should not play or play less (coming off the bench). If that becomes permanent, I don't think he will mind it as long as the team benefits from it. Raja has always been a team first kind of player. However, if he is healthy, he provides good defense against players like Kobe. So it's a balancing act.

[JediSkywalker]

Well, Weber is in full spin mode on Diaw.

But even that verbal blowjob from Weber is qualified by the "..when he's engaged" line.

Yep. When he's engaged. That's the problem Phil.
We all know Diaw is a good, smart player.
If you have ideas on how to "engage" him, please do so.


BTW, Nash was just on fire last night.
When he's playing like that, we're reminded that we're fortunate enough to be able to watch one of the very best that has ever played the game...in his prime.


Yes, Weber was spinning. However, that kind of thing is done to make a player look good to others. May be it's a tactic for opening up trade possibilities?

WORD about Nash. Every time (nearly) I watch him play, I thank my lucky stars that I get to watch one of the greatest players so many times. I never got to watch Michael Jordon, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson play (live), except for a few times on TV.

[JustWinBaby]

Yep

Nash played one of the best games I have ever seen played by anyone while scoring very little. A monster game .............

LB was back to being LB - a very good thing.

Hill is becoming my favorite but still love Amare and Shawn.

The only reason I think Coach D may want to keep Raja in the starting lineup is to attempt to get him going early via passes from Nash, seems like everyone on this team needs Nash.

My answer is Boris does not want to shoot anyway so make him pass to Bell when on the 2nd unit together. Bell should get his points and Boris may orgasm on the court in that he will be under orders not to shoot.

[zara_drummer]

If LB played on-ball D, I think we'd see him starting over Bell...And the problem with bringing Raja off the bench, is that he's another guy who needs someone to create for him...LB can get his own shot pretty much when he wants. Bell relies on screens and someone finding him in the corners etc...

Its a double edge sword, LB probably deserves to start because he's scoring lights out...but OTH Raja solidfies the defensive rotation AND he can score in bunches...Bring LB off the bench to spell Raja means that whoever is defending Bell gets no rest when he's replaced.

[jkalldaway]

Can anyone tell me where the andre miller rumors are coming from? I am only hearing them on this board but it is interesting that Paul Coro is putting some stock into them.

[JackArse]

Kobe's Christmas list: Knicks, Bulls, Suns, Mavs
Lakers star reportedly reveals which four teams he would OK trade to
MSNBC News Services
updated 10:08 p.m. MT, Sat., Dec. 22, 2007

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant for the first time on Saturday revealed which teams he would approve a trade to — the Knicks, Bulls, Mavericks, and Suns — according to reports in Newsday and the New York Post.

Bryant was in New York on Saturday to prepare for Sunday's game against the Knicks, the first time in two years that the controversial star has been in the Big Apple. He needs 20 points to become the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000.

At a health club in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Bryant told a group of reporters that the four teams on his trade-approval list are still intact.

"I just kind of pushed everything to the back burner and stopped thinking about trades," Bryant said about his feelings about a possible trade to the Knicks in October, during the turmoil surrounding president and coach Isiah Thomas and his sexual harassment lawsuit. "It wasn't something where I was scratching teams off or anything like that. I just stopped thinking about it because once the season got under way, my focus had to be here. It couldn't be split, because I'd be doing a disservice to my teammates."

But Bryant told reporters that he would not use his trade-veto clause on a possible Lakers- Knicks deal, Newsday said.

"I would look at it as just another challenge to prove that you can win," Bryant said. "That's how I would approach it. I wouldn't be down about it. I'd just work that much harder to try to prove that if we do work hard, we can win ballgames.

"Every storm passes," Bryant regarding the Thomas situation. "I don't scare too easily."

Bryant said whatever happens is ultimately up to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and owner Jerry Buss.

"It's all what Mitch wants to do, really," Bryant told the Orange County Register. "Mitch and Dr. Buss. It's all on them. They can either trade me or not trade me. It's completely their decision. Since the season started, I don't get into it, I don't talk about it, I don't discuss it, I don't think about it."

Bryant said he is enjoying the season, the Register said.

"I'm very happy," he said. "I'm happy because we have a very close-knit group here. We're like brothers. … I'm having a great time."

© 2007 MSNBC Interactive

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22252375/

just for fun.

[DrSublime]

Marion, Barbosa(or Bell) and ATL pick for Kobe+Turiaf(or Kwame)
that would work for me.

[SwingMan]

Marion, Barbosa(or Bell) and ATL pick for Kobe+Turiaf(or Kwame)
that would work for me.

STOP!

[desertcoast]

here we go again.....

[AlanS]

Barbosa, Suns scorch Raptors again (http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/105099)

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/2007/12/23/t6fo4q5r.jpg
KICKED: Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, left, draws a foul from the Raptors’ Carlos Delfino Saturday.

JERRY BROWN,
East Valley Tribune
Dec. 23, 2007

It’s the holiday season, but the Toronto Raptors are a welcome sight for the Suns no matter what time of year.

Even without the injured Raja Bell, there was only a brief sign of trouble Saturday at the US Airways Center before the Suns turned up the offense and rolled to a 122-103 win, as they always seem to do against former general manager Bryan Colangelo’s new team.

It’s a perfect marriage — the Suns don’t like to face tough defense, and Toronto doesn’t like to play it. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Phoenix has now beaten Toronto eight straight times and is undefeated since Canadian son Steve Nash returned to the Valley in 2004. And although he had 16 assists without a single turnover, Nash isn’t the public enemy No. 1 for the Raptors today.

That title belongs to Leandro Barbosa, who backed up a 35-point explosion in Toronto on Dec. 5 with 31 more — hitting seven of 10 3-pointers just three days after not even attempting one for the first time in almost a year in a loss at Dallas.

It’s been a season of extremes for Barbosa, who has topped 30 points three times but went into the game shooting only 34 percent from 3-point range.

“Tonight I was feeling good. My rhythm was there and everything followed,” Barbosa said. “The shots weren’t there in Dallas. I want to make them. I want to take them. But you have to be patient.”

Moving up a seat might help. Barbosa said he doesn’t care if he starts, but the Suns are now a perfect 6-0 when he does this season and the first-quarter blues seem to wash away — Phoenix have averaged 35.7 points in the first 12 minutes of those games.

“He’s going to have his ups and downs, and he can’t make every shot,” said Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni. “He’s a terrific scorer and a terrific basketball player.”

Amaré Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds in an aggressive effort while Grant Hill had 25 as the Suns shot 52 percent and hit 11 3-pointers. Toronto, far and away the NBA leader in 3-point percentage (.438), had only five in 14 tries.

“In the third quarter we had a five-point lead turn into a 20-point lead and that was a good effort,” Nash said.

Since beating the Raptors 136-125 in Toronto on Dec. 5 — the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season — Phoenix had gone 3-4 and averaged just 104.9 points a game. But after closing the third quarter with a 30-10 run, the Suns had 122 points and their 19th win heading into a Christmas Day showdown in Los Angeles against the surging Lakers.

Chris Bosh, the only Raptor who was around the last time Toronto beat Phoenix (Feb. 10, 2004), put up a career high with 42 points despite a 1-for-6 start from the field. But no one else had more than 15 (Jose Calderon) as the Raptors lost their third straight.

“Bosh is obviously a handful, but we kind of wanted to just let him go one-one-one and not let the other guys go crazy from the 3. That’s when they’re really dangerous,” D’Antoni said.

[AlanS]

These are entries from the blog of the East Valley Tribune's Jerry Brown. If some have been posted already, I beg your forgiveness.

http://rimshots.freedomblogging.com/


3-point CONNECTION TROUBLE
December 19th, 2007 by jerrybrown

Phoenix’s top two 3-point shooters – by volume – continue to struggle.

Leandro Barbosa, who made 43 percent of his bombs last season, is down to 34 percent (54-for-157), and both he and Raja Bell were 10-for-33 over the five games heading into Wednesday.*

A career 41 percent shooter from 3-point range, Bell’s percentage isn’t awful (.378) but even after making a season-high six behind the arc against Washington on Dec. 7, he’s on pace to make 158 3-pointers this season – well behind last season, when his 205 makes tied Gilbert Arenas for the NBA lead.

He’s also on pace to take about 80 less 3-pointers, some of which is attributed to poor health early in the season. “Physically I feel good now,” said Bell, who was bothered by ankle and back trouble for the first month of the season. “I’m looking for consistency. This year, it seems like they’ll be game when I can get into a good rhythm, and then one where I have to grid through and just give what I can give.

“I’ve had looks and I don’t feel like I’ve been shooting the ball poorly. Our team is different and I’m still trying to find where I fit in and get the chemistry pointed in the right directions. I do feel like that’s coming.”

The trouble with Boris
December 11th, 2007 by jerrybrown

It’s funny how last week, when the Suns were averaging 120 points a game and rolling through opponents like water, no one seemed to notice that Boris Diaw was contributing little, if anything to the cause.

But once Phoenix drops back to back games and gets pounded on the boards, Diaw’s lack of production is suddenly the reason? Is Diaw earning anywhere near the $45 million the team lavished upon him before last season? Of course not.

But he is also the only Sun who doesn’t have the benefit of playing with Steve Nash — or any real point guard when he’s on the floor. His gave thrives on blending in, moving the ball and distributing. But with Grant Hill now around to handle a bulk of those chores when Nash is on the bench, Diaw’s role with the team has again become blurred. Now he is asked to finish, rebound and defend, not his strong suits.

For all the talk about defense and rebounding, the Suns’ biggest need might be another shooter. Nash doesn’t want to put up 20 shots a night. Leandro Barbosa will do that in a heartbeat, but his accuracy has been *wild*– he’s had 35- and 39-point games, but 4-for-17 nights have popped up more frequently as well. And with Raja Bell fighting through injuries for the first 20-plus game, the Suns desperately need another shooter, and instant-offense guy off the bench to keep the points coming when others struggle.

Those players won’t be found at the league minimum. A dead-eye assassin like Mike Miller could be had from Memphis, but would the Grizzlies take Diaw’s salary — about the same annually but longer in term — to acquire a playmaker to go with their other up-and-coming pieces? The Suns are never going to be a great defending or rebounding team, but another 3-point threat could go a long way toward covering the deficiencies.

Suns rank high in All-Star voting
December 13th, 2007 by jerrybrown

Steve Nash ranks third among Western Conference guards, Amare Stoudemire second among centers and Shawn Marion and Grant Hill fifth and 10th respectively among forwards in the first returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star balloting.

Nash (with 317,091 votes) sits behind Kobe Bryant of the Lakers (who leads all Western Conference players with 569,302 votes) and Tracy McGrady of the Rockets (388,959) among Western Conference guards. Stoudemire (286,401) is second to Houston’s Yao Ming (439,125). Marion is a distant fifth with 154,641 votes, well behind forwards Carmelo Anthony (482,127) and Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas (443,117). Hill has 83,544 votes at the forward spot.

Voting continues until Jan. 13 (for paper ballots) and Jan. 20 (for on-line voting at NBA.com).

Nash dental update
December 13th, 2007 by jerrybrown

Steve Nash had a pretty game Wednesday night with 29 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in Phoenix’s 103-98 win over Utah. But his smile took a real pounding.

Just before halftime, Nash won a rebound battle with Carlos Boozer but took an elbow to the mouth in the process, chipping one of his front teeth just before he was to do an intermission interview with ESPN Michelle Tafoya. Nash handed what was left of the tooth to trainer Aaron Nelson and answered a few questions, clowning about the tooth.

”I took and elbow or something and it chipped off,”Nash said,*showing*off his*new crooked smile. “So I get to spend my day at the dentist, as luck would have it.”

This isn’t the first time a Utah Jazz star has taken aim at the same tooth. “This one got bent backward into my mouth by Karl Malone five or six years ago, and last season I finally got a veneer put it. “

Well, at least Nash knows the drill — right?

[DrSublime]

Marion, Barbosa(or Bell) and ATL pick for Kobe+Turiaf(or Kwame)
that would work for me.

STOP!

hehe

[Mori_Chu]

For all the talk about defense and rebounding, the Suns’ biggest need might be another shooter. Nash doesn’t want to put up 20 shots a night. Leandro Barbosa will do that in a heartbeat, but his accuracy has been *wild*– he’s had 35- and 39-point games, but 4-for-17 nights have popped up more frequently as well. And with Raja Bell fighting through injuries for the first 20-plus game, the Suns desperately need another shooter, and instant-offense guy off the bench to keep the points coming when others struggle.

Word, that's what I have been saying as well. We need another long-distance shooter in the worst way. Of course, if Banks kept shooting like he did last night, he could perhaps be that guy...

[misteradiant]

Nash, Barbs, Marion, Amare, Skinner with Hill, Boris, and Bell off the bench? It would be an improvement had we a back-up PG to throw into the mix. It may be an improvement anyway.

it's an interesting concept. i'd like to see it just to find out what happens.

[k_kwan]

Man if Mike Miller can be had from Memphis for someone like Boris gawd that would make our team even more explosive.

eh, only a pipe dream at this point in time.........

I would love to see the Nash, Barbs, Marion, Amare, and Skinner line up start and see what it could do. Its probably the most all around line up the team can produce.

[cap]

In the end, Phoenix probably does nothing. It will probably end up deeming that is not worth the risk of unsettling the mix that has been good enough to be 19-8. But it's worth talking about. So now you weigh in.

Excuse me, the status quote has not “been good enough to be 19-8.” It has been good enough to be a very disappointing 13-8. The other six wins came with Barbosa starting in place of Bell.

[cap]

Amare got killed by Bosh last night, but he also stayed active, didn't foul out, and was a presence for most of the game. Bosh is a very versatile scorer, but Amare's defense is still pitiable.

It wasn’t just Amare. Bosh killed everybody we put on him last night.


His apparent lack of concern about whether or not he personally plays well or gets numbers is such an oddity in the NBA that it is hard to accept. I'm not sure about it myself. For the money, however, Diaw is going to HAVE to produce more statistically to keep fans off his back.
I could live without the points, rebounds, assists, and FG% if he just had a decent +/-. He doesn’t.

That’s what puts the lie to everything Weber says about him. It’s not just that his points, rebounds, assists, and FG% suck. It’s that we get beat when he’s on the floor.

[misteradiant]

Is Diaw earning anywhere near the $45 million the team lavished upon him before last season? Of course not.

But he is also the only Sun who doesn’t have the benefit of playing with Steve Nash — or any real point guard when he’s on the floor.

yeah, not having steve nash makes him piouette under the basket like a ballet dancer to make a pass for a jumpshot that may or may not be made instead of.... what do you call it? oh yeah, instead of JUMPING and putting the ball in the hoop that is so close it would suck his rooster if it was a prostitute. whatever. i'm sick of the boris apologetics that the press and coaching is sputtering. i think it's bullshit. i think boris is a fucking waste and they know if they hammer into him it will only get worse, so they pump his ass full of shit in fear that all he is is just a fart.

well, when the fart comes, it's gonna be sticky. i'll be far away when it happens.

[cap]

It’s been a season of extremes for Barbosa, who has topped 30 points three times but went into the game shooting only 34 percent from 3-point range.

34 percent overall; 54 percent as a starter.

[misteradiant]

i can't believe nobody is high on amare this morning. i thought he did a great job. 38 minutes. 11 rebounds (6 offensive). a steal, a block and two assists and 11 of 18 for 28 points. he was energetic on both ends of the floor. he ran and fought for position. i was very happy with his effort at the beginning of the game and i felt he kept us in it while barbosa did nothing.

it was when barbs started hitting that we took our big lead. before then it was amare and grant hill keeping us close.

i rooted for banks to do well and i thought he did.

i love raja. i have his jersey. it was the first suns jersey i ever bought. but it think it is time to start lb.

[desertcoast]

Amare did have some spectacular plays last night, and def deserves some props.
One particular O reb and putback was worthy of about 4 rewinds on my DVR.

Amare was in good form. He's off the trading block for today :-o

[Shabazz]

The sample size grew a little again last night with Barbosa as the starter, and I have to say, thus far the results are pretty convincing. It's not just that Barbosa's rhythm has been batter, it's that the whole starting lineups rhythm is better.

Grant Hill is playing shockingly well right now. Unlike most of the guys we have gotten on the tail end of their careers, he still has a LOT in the tank. The way he elevated and threw down with just a step to gather momentum was pretty sweet.

I thought that Banks played pretty well last night...and played within himself. Why he stays in the doghouse so much this year (when he has actually played pretty decent) is beyond me.

Amare got killed by Bosh last night, but he also stayed active, didn't foul out, and was a presence for most of the game. Bosh is a very versatile scorer, but Amare's defense is still pitiable.

Diaw's midrange shot was money earlier in the year, and now he's missing most of them. Confidence shaken? That article about Weber working with him was interesting. There is a happy medium somewhere in there: we know that Boris is a basketball genius, but it is also plain to the fans that he doesn't always give 100%. His apparent lack of concern about whether or not he personally plays well or gets numbers is such an oddity in the NBA that it is hard to accept. I'm not sure about it myself. For the money, however, Diaw is going to HAVE to produce more statistically to keep fans off his back. He makes too much to have so little a role.

Great win last night!


Agree with everything you said except the highlighted part. Amare didn't cover Bosh at all last night with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 plays. That responsibility fell on Marion and Skinner when he was in. Not saying Amare would've done a better job, but he shouldnt be criticized for Bosh's numbers last night.

[ShelC]

Yea, i dont remember Amare guarding Bosh too much, but i remember several plays when Bosh was posting up shawn and just hitting fadeaways on him. Cant really blame Shawn, as Bosh is about 5 inches taller and much longer than him.

[Shabazz]

Man if Mike Miller can be had from Memphis for someone like Boris gawd that would make our team even more explosive.

eh, only a pipe dream at this point in time.........

I would love to see the Nash, Barbs, Marion, Amare, and Skinner line up start and see what it could do. Its probably the most all around line up the team can produce.

Definitely our most conventional, but I don't know about most talented. I'd rather have Hill in with that mix than Skinny.

MR:
i can't believe nobody is high on amare this morning. i thought he did a great job. 38 minutes. 11 rebounds (6 offensive). a steal, a block and two assists and 11 of 18 for 28 points. he was energetic on both ends of the floor. he ran and fought for position. i was very happy with his effort at the beginning of the game and i felt he kept us in it while barbosa did nothing.

Agree with the first part. One thing I liked about Amare's game last night was his passing. He actually had a few nice high-post passes that we didn't score on. He should've finished with 4-5 assists.

[ShelC]

He hit Hill on a great little dump-off pass along the baseline late in the game. Hes such a threat when he has the ball in the lane he could probably get 3-4 assists a game if we incorporated that kind of cutter along the baseline. No one will pay attention to the cutter while Amare has the ball driving to the basket.

[darrkin]

He hit Hill on a great little dump-off pass along the baseline late in the game. Hes such a threat when he has the ball in the lane he could probably get 3-4 assists a game if we incorporated that kind of cutter along the baseline. No one will pay attention to the cutter while Amare has the ball driving to the basket.


Yup, also think it is time to start Barbs!!

[ethan_cohen]

It's interesting to have a Barbs in the first unit with Hill, Matrix, Stat and Nash. It's ultra offense. If you use Banks, Bell, Skinner, and Diaw in our second unit and not worry about scoring, you essentially have an solid defensive line up.

If we embraced not having to replace Nash's playmaking with our subs and just focused on not giving up uncontested shots and actually playing defense, it'd work fine. Especially if Marion plays with that second group. Bell, Marion and Skinner should be able to hold the fort. If Banks isn't the guy, bring in Strawberry.

[Superbone]

Great win, Bell needs to sit untill he's 100%. I know he will want to play on Xmas cause of Kobe, but he needs to rest.

Just put him in for one clothesline on Kobe and then he can rest. ;)

[AlanS]

FYI, DJ Strawberry scored 26 pts in his first game with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. His line: 10/20 FGs, 0/2 3PTFGs, 6/10 FTs, 4 reb, 3 asst, 4 steals, 4 TOs, in 42 minutes.

T-birds lost 109-94.

[INFORMER]

The Diaw challenge

Nearly every practice, Suns forward Boris Diaw is the last player to leave the court as he works on his shot with assistant coach Phil Weber.

Diaw has been the target of fan criticism this season as his field-goal shooting has dropped from 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent entering Saturday. His averages of 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists can't be compared to his role as a main cog of 2005-06 with Amaré Stoudemire out and are slightly off last season's numbers (9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists), when he played about five minutes more per game.

Weber said disgruntled fans need to watch Diaw closer.

"You're not watching the whole game because he's one of the smartest players in the NBA," Weber said. "All you need to do is see all the little things he does and the way he has a feel for the game. When he's engaged, he's as good as anybody in the league and making plays for other people and getting people involved."

Weber said Diaw's role changed and it is still being figured out by the staff. He is in two of Phoenix's four top lineups with Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Grant Hill, according to nba.com's Lenovo stats, but is also in the least productive lineups.

"He does so many things that people don't understand, whether it's a flare for somebody, setting up for a play," Weber said. "He's always almost like one play ahead. A lot of people don't understand all the things he does. He's going to be a really good shooter, if not a great shooter. He's getting more confidence in it all the time. Amaré was there too. Shooting comes later.

"Defensively, he's touching. He's moving. He's doing whatever we ask. He's one of these players that knows what he's doing out there. The game is fast but yet he sees everything."

He said a fan's perspective is different than Diaw's view because Diaw sees the entire court and reads each situation better than nearly every player.

"A lot of times, you shouldn't judge because you don't see the game as he does," Weber said. "Even if you did, your basketball IQ compared to his, I don't know. The game is so fast. There are so many different variables to factor in and factor out that you don't see the whole picture. He sees the whole picture most times. Sometimes, he sees the future when you're just trying to catch up to the present."


:roll:

[tbrkingofthesouth]

He hit Hill on a great little dump-off pass along the baseline late in the game. Hes such a threat when he has the ball in the lane he could probably get 3-4 assists a game if we incorporated that kind of cutter along the baseline. No one will pay attention to the cutter while Amare has the ball driving to the basket.


Yup, also think it is time to start Barbs!!


I agree

[tbrkingofthesouth]

Or start Skinner

[JediSkywalker]

Skinner has not proven himself as a starter yet but if he is given a chance we will find out. Against some teams it may be better to start Skinner.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

Right on Nash fan

[scosuns]

Barbosa always flourishes when Bell is out. For some reason his shot is always on. When Bell was out in Orlando, Barbosa had 39. I don't know what it is, but it seems to work.

[ShelC]

Barbs plays better with Nash, which should come as no surprise. Most guys play better with Nash.

[scosuns]

Yeah that's true, but he shoots better also. Whether thats Nash getting him the ball perfectly everytime or something, Barbs just shoots better. I guess he gets better looks from Nash.

[sunsdotcom]

Can anyone tell me where the andre miller rumors are coming from? I am only hearing them on this board but it is interesting that Paul Coro is putting some stock into them.

http://www.freeproxy.in/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wcm90cmFkZS5jb20vY29udG VudC9EaXNwbGF5QXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sP3NwPVNiYTM4ZTMxYS1h ZjhhLTExZGMtYmEwMC01NzQ4Mjg0NjBmNWE%3D

[ShelC]

I dont think theres any truth to the Philly rumors.