Already posted.... In the right forum to boot. http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80240
xiki- You referring to Jake Tsakalidis? He's been in Memphis for the past year. You could be referring to Jake Voskuhl, the best center on their roster...he puts up a mammoth 6-5 a game. Deuce- If they have Marion and Stoudemire at the 4/5, Yao and Howard would absolutely eat them alive on the inside. The more the Suns change, the more they stay the same. Remember when they had Nash, Johnson, Kidd, and Chapman and even McDyess and Cliff Robinson inside to boot? They were fun to watch, but didn't win anything. You think it's any surprise that the 1st and 2nd team All-NBA centers were playing against each other in the finals? You can't win big in the NBA when your tallest player is 6-11, and no one on your team tips the scale past 250.
That front court is going to be killed on daily basis. A 6-10 C and a 6-7 PF in the west. Are you kidding me?
I would imagine he was referring to Voskhul. Anyway, I agree, let the Suns multi year, post-charles, sort-of jelly donut rebuilding project continue to wallow in mediocrity!
Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1835962 Suns find second guard for about $50M BY ESPN.com news services The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent guard Quentin Richardson have agreed on an offer sheet that will pay the 24-year-old, fourth-year guard between $48 and $50 million, league sources told ESPN's David Aldridge. Quentin Richardson GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 65 17.2 6.4 2.1 .398 .740 When Richardson signs the sheet the Clippers will have 15 days to match the offer. The sources said the contract also includes additional incentives. Richardson visited the Denver Nuggets earlier in the free agent period and was one of the players in whom Denver had the most interest. However, the Nuggets have turned their attention to Lakers free agent Kobe Bryant and Spurs restricted free agent Manu Ginobili. The Clippers have indicated that they'd like to keep Richardson, but it would be impossible for them to do and continue their pursuit of Bryant. Los Angeles matched offer sheets last summer for forwards Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, but allowed forward Lamar Odom to leave for the Miami Heat. Phoenix had initially targeted Spurs restricted free agent Hedo Turkoglu, but negotiations stalled on Tuesday when Turkoglu rejected a six-year, $24 million offer. Turkoglu reached agreement with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday on a six-year deal for the full mid-level exception. The Suns have already signed free agent Steve Nash guard to a six-year, $66 million deal; if the Clippers don't match Phoenix's offer for Richardson, the Suns would have one of the league's most dynamic guard rotations, along with third-year man Joe Johnson.
Typical Phoenix. No big man and no defense. Maybe they can bring Joe Klein out of retirement. I bet he can still sink a 15-footer.
No defense and no center.... Gee, that sounds familar? How about the Mavs circa the last few years.....next.
If the Suns are stockpiling talent do you think they might be looking to enter the Shaq sweepstakes? Given that this depends on what happens in LA after Rudy is hired, but could anyone see Shaq in Phoenix. It is highly doubtful since the Lakers would undoubtedly ask for Amare in return, but with Marion's BYC done and the Lakers potentially getting desperate you never know.
Suns don't have enough big contracts. Marion+Nash+QRich+JJ makes about same as Shaq. I don't see Suns do that.
In reality the Suns going after Q isnt really a bad decision. I am sure their thinking is that they wanted to get a Big but a Big of value wasnt available so then go after the next best asset out there regardless of position. That way they can stockpile talent and then make moves for Bigs via trades instead of via the FA route. It makes sense. Heck that is what West is doing in Memphis. What perplexes me is why Q would want to sign there knowing that JJ is their 2 guard and Marion is their 3. Q would be coming off the bench in that scenario. Granted he probably would get starters minutes, but he still would be coming off the bench. He probably could get a solid contract somewhere else where he could be a starter. Nevertheless, I still see the Suns in the future trading away Marion. The Suns can't afford his Max contract if they are going to carry Stoudamire's and Nash's. Marion will probably be traded for a Big which will allow JJ to move to the 3 and Q to the 2.
Q(17ppg), Maggette(20ppg), and Brand(20ppg) were able to do it. Clippers were horrible on D (which is odd, because Brand, Maggette, Q, and Jaric are all decent-to-good defenders), but they could score.
Who would trade a good Big for a good, and maxed out, 3? Marion for the two superflous Seattle 5s? The what to do with Lewis and Rad? Marion to Bulls for AD? Ouch. I'd love to have Marion -- just not for a Big, not for his money.
Anyone who's ever heard Q in an interview knows that he is one dumb mofo....I mean that dude makes Francis look like MENSA material. Anyways, wasn't it supposed to be a package deal where any team that signed Q had to sign his buddy Darius Miles as well?
So I guess that the Suns threw every penny that is left in their cap space at Q. Good move. They would not get anyone better. If the Clippers don't match the Suns will have a very exciting team next year.
