Rumor: Shaq for Marion & Banks

So here goes trying to get into the mind of Steve Kerr:

If the Suns do it, it means they are probably in panic mode about losing Marion for nothing at the end of the season (Matrix has a $17M player option next year).. And they probably feel that offers will only get worse towards the trading deadline since other teams will realize how desperate they are to deal.

Shaq's contract is basically $20M per year all the way until 2009-10. Marion has the aforementioned player option at the end of the year for $17.1M, and Banks is being paid around $4M per year to sit on the bench... all the way through 2010-11.

So if they somehow appeased Shawn "I want to be traded" Marion, they'd be looking at another long term deal to keep him on (which they've said they don't want to do); a questionable move since he would be getting older and obviously chafes at having less star power than Amare.

Since they are trying to ride Nash's creaky back (team option in 2009-10) while they can, this gamble isn't necessarily mortgaging their future either.

So I guess Kerr is hoping Shaq/Amare/Nash can keep them competitive and/or get them a ring in the next couple years.. and if not, they unload Nash and Shaq's combined $35M in 2010 and can rebuild around Amare, Barbosa, and possibly Diaw--a pretty solid core by anyone's estimation.

And if we assume that Shaq never gets healthy or never fits in..

Two years ago Amare was out and Nash took a team of Marion, Diaw, Bell, Tim Thomas, Kurt Thomas, and Barbosa to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to Dallas in six games.

Comparing lineups:
05-06 Suns
Nash
Bell
T. Thomas
Marion
Diaw
Barbosa

07-08 Suns (assuming the trade happens and Shaq never plays)
Nash
Bell
Hill
Diaw
Stoudamire
Barbosa

Granted, the Diaw of today isn't as good as he used to be.. But Hill is an upgrade over Thomas and Barbosa has only gotten better. For all the concerns over Nash, he is statistically on par with recent years.

While the competition this year is tougher than back then, one can argue that losing Marion won't exactly put the Suns in lottery status, and certainly leaves
enough left to make some serious noise in the playoffs.

If (a big fat IF) Shaq happens to get some semblance of his old form back, even if it's only for the postseason.. Then this move is going to look like a stroke of genius.

Old Man Shaq averaged 19 pts and 9 rebs the last 2 years in the playoffs, which of course includes the year they beat the Mavs for the championship. If the Suns can manage a 4-man running game while going to O'neal when the game gets bogged down, then who knows?

I would definitely love to see a defensive scheme to stop a Shaq-Amare-Hill-Bell-Nash lineup.

It's cute to say the least.

One question for Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace though..
You traded Pau Gasol for this:
- Kwame Brown's expiring contract ($9 Million)
- Javaris Crittenton (A good PG but not better than Conley or Lowry, so he'll never play)
- Marc Gasol (Pau's brother, who was a 2nd round pick and may never be an impact player)
- 2 (most likely late) first round picks in '08 and '10

Or you could have made a deal centered around Gasol for Marion and gotten $16 Million in cap relief?

Damnit, I think I need a new blog name

I just came up with this one, too :'(

On a team where the priority is evaluating players this season, Damien Wilkins said he's not happy with his diminished role.

With the Feb. 21 trade deadline a month a way, a change of venue might be a way for Wilkins to gain more playing time. Wilkins, 28, makes $2.9 million this season, and a total of $6.4 million the next two seasons.

"I still want to be here if they want me to be here," Wilkins said. "I just want to play, to be honest with you. I just want to get on the court and help my teammates win games, be it here or somewhere else. That's all I want to do." -- Tacoma News Tribune

I'm pretty sure I love the Hornets

Congratulations to my pet team for the best record in the West at 32-12!

This comes on a night where Chris Paul goes for 23 pts, 17 ast, 9 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk, 3 TO in a complete annihilation of the Melo-less Nuggets.

For the record, when we lose the Sonics, I am more than happy with getting the Hornets in return.

So the Sonics lost to the Lakers in OT

Because:

• When the game was tied with 20 seconds left and the Lakers with the ball, they elected not to contest the inbounds pass.
  

• They had Jeff Green trying to cover Kobe, who ran one screen and caught the ball without any problem.

• Kobe takes and makes a jump shot with about 4 seconds to go.

• Sonics run Durant off of two screens and get him the ball at the top of the key, where he is immediately fouled by Kobe since the Lakers had a foul to give.

• Wally Sczerbiak "tries" to inbound the ball. I realize this isn't really Wally's fault.. After all, Coach Carlesimo should know that if you're going to choose a person to inbound the ball, it should be someone who has actually passed it on more than a couple occasions.. Timeout sonics.

• Wally again "tries" to inbound the ball. Durant is moving around calling for it. Wally instead fires a pass to Kurt Thomas near the 3 point line, who swings it to Nick Collison for a hastily launched 20 ft jump shot. Game Over.

At least they didn't run the play for Damien?:[

Sonics vs Cavs 1/8/08

Some bulleted notes about the game as I see it..

• Kurt Thomas makes a couple of mid-range jumpers in a row to put the Sonics up 8-4. As much as I love his ability to make that shot, the fact that they run a play for him to shoot it boggles my mind. Durant was standing at an average distance of about 25 ft from the rim, (with the ball nowhere near him) on both of those possessions.
• Larry Hughes gets a steal takes a wide open jump shot on a 2 v 1 fast break, and predictably bricks it. Cavs fans boo.
• Earl Watson brings the ball up and runs a screen and roll.. Minus the roll. He passes the ball to a Cavalier. On the ensuing possession, he dribbles around the free throw line area for half the shot clock before missing a contested 20 ft shot. On the one after that, he penetrates and jumps in the air only to find no passing lanes, and lands on his feet for a double-dribble call. I firmly believe that 90% of coaches in the league would have sat him down after that, but nope he's still in there. Let me mention that he never got the ball to Durant at any point.
• This team is really depressing to watch. The Cavs are playing horribly and yet the Sonics make them look like the god damn 72-10 Bulls.

Nawleans, baby

With my beloved Durant having to fight through the rigors of one of the 5 worst coaches in the league, I've replaced the Sonics with the Hornets (currently 11-6) as my team to watch anytime it's on League Pass.

They've just beaten Dallas (now 11-5) in OT.. Had a bit of a flashback in that Peja Stojakovic put up a great offensive game, reminding us that just 4 years ago that the best Euro in the league wasn't German. He's been a bit of a forgotten man due to his injuries and the general collapse that the Kings had in recent years, but his game isn't one that will diminish much with aging. Remember that in the Kings' prime, EVERYONE was raving about his Bird-like shooting percentages (48%fg, 43%3pt, 93%ft) as he tied for 2nd in the league in points per game (24.2). He's not done.

At the ever-important point, we've got Chris Paul: arguably the best young player at his position in the league, no offense to Deron Williams. The man is unselfish when necessary, can take over offensively at his whim, is not afraid of contact and is dangerous anytime he has the ball in his hands.

At the five, it's Tyson "The Bulls got rid of me to get Ben Wallace" Chandler, who is the second coming of Marcus Camby. He's got the same iffy offensive game coupled with monstrous defensive presence and rebounding numbers.

David West is a guy that I can't help but love. The man was basically a nonfactor his first couple years in the league.. then Chris Paul comes along and he decides that he can drop 25 and 17 every now and then, with the swagger of a Kobe or T-mac.

They're just very athletic and very fun. Along with Morris Peterson, their whole starting five is very competent, with four of them with the ability to take over any given game. Their team is built extremely well and has no real flaws other than a knack for injuries.. If I were a betting man I wouldn't have any trouble putting money on them against any team in the league. They're freakin scary :]

This sums up the 07-08 Sonics so far

tradebark: ALRITE GUYZ WE'RE DOWN AND THERZ LIKE 2 MINS LEFT
tradebark: DURANT I KNOW UR THE BEST COLLEGE PLAYER EVER AND OUR FRANCHISE PLAYER AND YOU HIT A FADEAWAY 3 PTER WITH AL HORFORD IN UR FACE
tradebark: BUT
tradebark: PASS IT TO DAMIEN
tradebark: AND LET HIM CREATE
arthurjsb21: hahahaha
tradebark: K ALL IN
arthurjsb21: hahahaha
tradebark: $#^@$%^EWEAWEAW