[The Arizona Republic] Suns is expected to sign Raja Bell a five-year contract

Looks like the Suns used just about all of their MLE on Raja Bell. He will be a nice addition to that team. They needed more defense. I think the Suns did overpay for Bell, but at this stage of the game since they are so close to a championship they probably have to roll the dice and go for it.

 

It's a little risky using up their leverage like this, but they have a solid, solid team.

Kurt Thomas/Hunter
Amare
Marion/Jimmy J
Joe J/Bell
Nash/Barbosa

Not bad at all.

 

Too much for a player that has only played well in Utah.

Raja Bell = Shandon Anderson

 

heh, i forgot that Bell played with the Mavs...

 

Bell is a good citizen player who has steadily improved, and was one of the guys I was really hoping the Rockets would consider.

Still, that seems like a big contract (5 year 20-30mil) for a soon to be 29 year old who also is probably capped out in growth. I would have thought they needed Hunter more, and I doubt the 1.7 exemption or about the equivalent left in the MLE (if Bell's is about 5 year 20 mil) will get it done for him.

I can't see them considering Finley now either, unless they really don't plan to keep Johnson.

 

This is significant imo. They become even more of a small ball team.

 

they are dead set on becoming a good defensive team. kurt is an excellent post defender. amare is betting better, marion is a good defender at the 3, bell is an excellent wing defender.

 

True. But what made them unique and tough to match up against was their speed and good 3 point shooters. They have learned this year that, although their style was fun and got them lots of wins, it was not a style they could win the championship with. They are now sacrificing their offense for some defense. In doing so, however, they are becoming a traditional team.

 

Actually I think they have give up just a little but of offense and speed, for a lot of defense and a deeper team (assuming they keep Johnson). Bell and Thomas are known for their defense, but they are solid offensively too.They still are going to have one of the top 2-3 offenses, if they get their defense in the top quarter they could make a run at the title.

My concern if I were them is I guess Amare and Thomas are going to be their starting and back-up centers (I assume Hunter is gone). They better pray SA can knock us off (KT and Amare are not as outsized versus TD or Nazr), and someone else to knock out Miami, or they are dead meat.

 

Whoa! Is it just me or are they way overpaying for him?

6M is the full MLE and he is not with the full MLE.

 

"The deal is believed to be for about $25 million over five years, according to league sources. The Suns offered slightly less than the $5 million mid-level salary cap exception." East Valley Tribune

Its official - The Suns just overpaid.

 

thats the same thing they said about Nash

 

it's a good acquisition. i don't know about giving him 5/25 but it sounds reasonable depending on who else gets that kind of deal this offseason.

I think the Suns aren't getting it: You need a player that can play BOTH ends of the floor. Aside from probably Amare and Marion, they don't have these kinds of guys. Nash gets walked on on defense; Joe Johnson is average at best on defense; Kurt Thomas (with what little offense he has left) is just a small upgrade over Hunter on offense; Bell isn't consistent enough on offense the way the Suns run their offense. It just seems like after they lost in the WCF, they listened to all the analysts and grabbed whatever player that is labeled "defensive player" they could just to say "Look, look! We're great on defense now!"

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!



(let 'em keep screwing up, they're thinking about trading Marion too)

 

Bad decision by the Suns. He may fit their team but the price is crazy. Then again, I thought the same thing last year when they "overpaid" for Nash.

 

That does sound high for Bell. I was hoping we could make a run for him with the LLE but new it was remote. 5/20 should have been his max.

Wow, you are really off. Joe Johnson is their best wing defender. Kurt Thomas is a much better offensive player than Hunter, and Bell has developed himself into a more consistent spot up shooter than Q. What they have done is seek to provide role players around their offensive stars who are not exploitable on either sides of the ball, and that is a good approach.

If I were them I wouldn't have paid Bell so much and tried to get an extra 1st rounder from NY, but their moves have been solid. I think they are better equipped to beat 28 of 30 teams than they were last year, and they will be better equipped to beat 30 out of 30 teams if they get Hunter to come back or another defensine 5 to throw at Yao and Shaq. But right now they are hurting in size in the C spot. Outside of that (assuming Johnson returns) they are much deeper, better defensively and at least equal offensively.

 

I think the Suns are gambling. After a great season, they think they are close to the championship, so they try to get the last piece to push them to the top. Bell is a nice addition. I wish we could have got him.

But the Suns have very little post defense. Amare doesn't defend much, Kurt is too small (and getting too old) in the West. I think they probably are afraid of us the most, because nobody on their team can come close to defend Yao in the post.

 

Wait a couple years when Nash is making 15 million a year with about 50 million remaining on his contract, broken down and slow. Things change real fast after you hit 30. Just look at Cassell last season compared to the season before.

 

Nash didn't sign a mega deal. He signed for 6 years, $66 million. That's less than what Dallas paid for Dampier (who's only five months younger, BTW). Considering that he was the league MVP (after hitting 30), that's an incredible bargain.

You have to like what Phoenix is doing. They won 62 games last year and, as currently constituted, they're better and deeper than they were last year. They addressed both of their needs, depth and defense.

Look at the flexibility the Suns have given themselves: If the slower lineup with Kurt Thomas starting at PF/C doesn't work out, they can go right back to run and gun with Bell stepping in at SG and Marion moving back to the 4.