[espnews]- Joe Johnson set to sign offer sheet from Hawks

No they're not.

One of the picks is lottery-protected, and comes directly from Atlanta.

The other comes from either Boston or LA - which ever picks lower - and is only forwarded to PHO if it isn't in the lottery.

 

Word is one of those picks is from the Lakers, so that will probably be a mid-round pick next year in a weak draft. And that Atlanta pick is lottery protected so it might take years for that one to clear.

I think this is a bad move. The Suns needed to contend right now while Nash is still effective. He's only got a couple years left before the wheels fall off. Now they take a step back and will probably still make the playoffs but not much else.

Longterm is nice and all, but if your goal is to win a championship I don't see how this is the right move.

 

Q is gone.
Joe Johnson is gone.
Steve Nash will turn 32 this upcoming season and has a history of both wearing down and breaking down with another 5 years left on that monster contract.

I hope last year was worth it for that franchise because it sure looks like outside Amare that franchise will not have much unless they draft extreamly wise.

 

So now the Suns lose major fire power in Q and Joe Johnson, lose talent on an already ridiculously thin bench (Voskuhl(sp?), and Hunter and Eisley are expected to walk/be cut), and have their chemistry severely effected. I hope Suns fans enjoyed talking crap last year because they are screwed in an unreal way this upcoming season.

 

I thought the Q trade was enough to drop them out of the upper echelon, but this is pretty much the final blow. The max for Joe Johnson is just way too much, but you absolutely have to match on that if you're the Suns. How did they not atleast get Al Harrington back? Here's to Kurt Thomas providing them interior defense.

And to think they could have had McGrady.

 

So what's the Suns lineup looking like next year?

They've got:

K. Thomas
A. Stoudemire
S. Marion
R. Bell
S. Nash
W. McCarty
L. Barbosa
J. Jackson
B. Outlaw
B. Diaw

Have I missed anyone? Close to zero chance of them winning 50, let alone 60 games next season. Where's their outside threat? McCarty, Jackson? Where's their depth (not that they were that deep last season)?

This bodes well for the rest of the West. Teams almost a certainty to make the playoffs this season:

San Antonio
Houston
Dallas
Denver

Then the last four spots to be fought out between:

Phoenix
Seattle
Sacramento
Memphis
Golden State
Clippers
Lakers

Lottery bound:

Blazers
New Orleans
Jazz
Minnesotta (depending on what happens with Cassell and Sprewell)

Phoenix will struggle to make the playoffs I reckon, if Nash goes down (which is more likely to happen as he gets older) they have noone to fill in for him now. No Eisley, no Johnson be all up to Barbosa and Bell to play the point for them

 

Am I the only one who thinks JJ is more important to the Suns than Marion? If the Knicks would bite, I think they should trade Marion away and keep JJ. JJ and Amare would have been a dynamic duo for many years to come. They also shouldn't have traded away Q. The guy can play. Watch him next year in NY more than live up to his contract.

Like I said before many weeks ago, the Suns rode the magic carpet this year, but were limited by the deficiencies of their coach (who doesn't know how to coach NBA defense). Nash had an MVP year; JJ & Amare broke out; Marion had a great year. Now they will have less talent, the bloom will be off and let's see if the praise for D'Antoni continues unabated.

 

i just hope this doesnt somehow encourage michael finley to go with the suns instead of the rockets (when the mavs waive him).

 

In the story, when it says also he doesn't want to play the fourth wheel. Meaning its supplement to the reason that for the season, the Suns have being short balling him and screwing with him, and now they are going to pay big time for that. I'm happy for JJ, you don't do stuff like that and not expect it to bite you in the a$$.

 

I agree. Seems like a bad deal. Two mid round 1sts and Boris Diaw? Phx now has two trades this summer they got the short end, big time. If they got Childress or Josh Smith plus those picks it would seem a lot more reasonable.

I think JJ is much more important than Marion. JJ was there best shooter and most versitle player. They should have built that team around Amare and Johnson.

Phx is going to lose Johnson, Richardson and Hunter, while bringing in Bell, Thomas, and Padget. Even if they bring in Finley is his now less than stellar athletic form, that team will be far less imposing athletically than they were last year.

I don't see the Suns as serious competition if this deal goes down. Kinda weird, they won't be good enough for a title now, and when their draft picks/prospects come along to help Marion/Nash/Bell/Thomas will be dead weight. They were in great position with two youn outstanding players and have managed to bungle it through lack of vision.

Let us just hope they don't implode so bad Amare bides his time for an LA max contract.

 

I think the sign and trade is horrible for Atlanta. Giving Joe "one decent but not spectacular season" Johnson that much dough is bad enough. To throw in two first rond picks on top of that just shows why the Hawks are the worst team in the NBA. Has any player prior to JJ gotten 70 million on the strength of a 17/5/3 season? Not to mention the fact that he got those numbers playing for the high-octane, no defense Suns. This and the Redd contract have to be the worst deals of the offseason, with honorable mention to the Larry Hughes signing.

 

Well now that it's pretty much a done deal: JJ going to Hawks for Diaw, 2 picks

I don't want to say, "I told you so" but- wait I do want to say it.

You have much to learn young grasshopper.

 

Good call, I have be wrong before, I am sure it will happen again some time on the BBS. What is most surprising to me is Phx took this deal. By all account Joe Johnson would have shown up with his hard hat for them. Phx has had an atrocious offseason long term and short term that even Finley on the cheap will not salvage, good for the Rockets.