I was checking out the phxsuns.net boards and man they are pissed! Only a few there are cool with the "cap space" they are going to get. I think cap space can be overrated at times. It clearly is a bitter pill for them to swallow! If I were the Suns I would have traded Marion over Marbury. Amare is a lock on that team but if I am going to pay a max contract to someone else I would rather pay it to Marbury over Marion. As far as the Knicks are concerned, they are clearly a playoff team now. Not how how far they go, and they still have SERIOUS cap problems but they finally have an all star on the team in Marbury. For YEARS Layden couldn't make this type of trade and in a matter of weeks Thomas makes the bold move!
isaiah thomas making waves again. On a side note, I remember watchin an interview with him, and the reporter asked him "What would you be if you weren't a basketball player." He responded "a US Senator". -- what a pompous b****. Both him and Magic are from Detroit. Magic responded "on the assembly line manuf. cars"
To compete is one thing, to win a championship is another. The only way the Knicks were getting back to the Finals was if they rebuilt from scratch. Taking on this contract, losing picks and cap room and Lampe?
Clearly the Suns would look to Kobe this Summer and if cap room is available to T-Mac the summer after. But I wouldn't hold my breath. The already have a max player in Marion. Amare will likely get the max when he is resigned. Do they have money for ANOTHER max player (3 total)? I surmized that was one reason why they let Marbury go. Did they really give this team a chance to grow with Marbury, Amare and Marion? I really dont think so. I think they reacted too soon. They will get picks and cap money this summer, but it remains to be seen if it will equal what Marbury brings to the table each night for the Suns.
So, do you expect Phoenix will now cut Ward before his contract is guaranteed? I assume, yes. Will the Rockets look into picking him up as a FA? Will Ward be interested in coming to Houston?
The Suns have a sharp eye for talent. I'll bet the real bonus in this deal was Maciej Lampe. This is the kid I was hoping we would have acquired in the Moochie deal. Now the Suns have him. He will not make that much noise this year (he's just 17) but he is another Amare story waiting to happen.
I have to believe Deuce that the Suns would spend if Kove or T-Mac were interested. They have an owner who will open his wallet if he feels it will get him a championship (see Arizona Diamondbacks).
I hope not. Oh, he's 18, 7-0 and 245 lbs or 6-11 and 240 lbs, depending on which report you read. I saw a couple of games in which this kid played before he was "hurt" and I was impressed with his play. I'm no talent evaluator but I did call it right on Murphy, Randolph and some others (I have witnesses).
Wow - my jaw hit the floor on this one. Phoenix HAS to be unhappy with Starbury for some reason to do this. I can't believe this is simply about freeing cap space. I'd guess he starting pouting once the losing returned. MAJOR fleecing by the Knicks. Way to clear the dead one in one blast. Evan
I wasn't far off in my guesstimation, as far as what Isiah Thomas was seeking. He did say at his hiring that he now had "to lie" about trades, i.e., don't let'em know what you're thinking. My idea was to trade Steve for Dyess and other thangs, and then get SAR with Dyess, etc. I figured Thomas would want a point guard that reminded him of himself, much as he sought that in Stoudemire and Tinsley. Interesting trade and you can bet they're smiling in New York. I don't know how much better they'll be but in the East they can definitely move up. I thought Starbury was progressing, even if he is a canker sore of a human being and determined to win or lose a game by himself (way to beat the Suns when they had Starbury: pit another top PG against him, get under his skin, make him try to take over the game). You know that Starbury himself is happy. Good luck, kid...except when you play against us.
Marbury, Amare and Marion won't win them a championship, they play a fast tempo game without much defense. The SF position is not that important. They overpaid for Marion. The most important position is the Center and the PG position. If Suns trade away Marbury, they lose an all-star PG, but apparently they must think they can replace Marbury's playmaker skill by someone else. Suns are really good at talent evaluation. They never lack good PG: Kidd, Marbury, KJ. So for them, I am sure they will find a good PG easily. This trade does create cap space for them. The suns must get a decent center to win. Without a decent center, they will be destroyed in playoffs.
Man..... I get down on the Rockets Organization... But its nice to know we're not as bitter as the Suns.net: "Plus, the Colangelo's continue with their ability to put together playoff teams. Nash and Findley in Dallas, Kidd in Jersey, and now Marbury and Penny in NY!"
i kinda liked the Marbury-Francis, and Yao-Amare matchups when the rockets played the suns, looks like its over
i kinda liked the Marbury-Francis, and Yao-Amare matchups when the rockets played the suns, looks like its over Its all good!
OMG - Just realized. We're going to see Starbury reunited with his ex-Nets love-buddy KVH! Oh this'll be fun.... Evan
