Breaking the fun machine in Phoenix
Phoenix Suns fans these days are just starting to understand how Michael Jordan felt.
Jordan, you may recall, punched Steve Kerr in the face in a 1995 Chicago Bulls practice.
Kerr, as I remember, had the audacity to stand up to Jordan during one of those scrimmages where His Airness was heaping abuse on teammates.
Kerr is the GM of the Suns these days, and it seems he’s up to his old tricks.
And this is where things get dicey. If you loved the old Suns regime led by the mad scientist of basketball, Mike D’Antoni, then you probably want a shot at Kerr yourself.
On the other hand, if you’re less of a dreamer and you subscribe to what, 75 years of basketball precedent and history? If you do that, then you’re probably inclined to agree with Kerr that if the goal in the NBA is to win a championship, then the Suns probably needed to change to a philosophy that actually has a chance of producing that outcome.
The circumstances make for a fascinating debate and one very ugly transition.
That transition, of course, began in the middle of last season when Kerr traded the Matrix, Shawn Marion, an open-court machine of a forward, to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O’Neal.
At the time, I equated the move to owning a garage filled with sleek Ferraris and suddenly adding to it a lumbering Mack Diesel belching black smoke.
That’s exactly what the situation has proved to be.
After last season, D’Antoni departed Phoenix for a job with the New York Knicks, where he has resumed his mad, fun experiment. And I must admit that I love watching his Knicks play these days (I always love the rebirth of a dead franchise), just as I loved watching those Suns of the past few seasons running up and down the floor, jacking up shots, sharing the ball, scoring lots of points and even giving an occasional nod to defense.
By the way, I also loved Pete Maravich’s performances with the old Atlanta Hawks. I remember my shock at interviewing Richie Guerin, the tough old pro who coached those Hawks, and hearing him say that he was nauseated by the Pistol’s approach to the game.
So this is hardly a new argument. The concept of basketball as entertainment began to take root back in the 1930s and ’40s with the Harlem Globetrotters and other barnstormers. They started out playing the game straight but soon found they could make much more money and gain much more attention if they focused on entertainment and the gags.
Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics took an early stand on this issue. Yes, he finally agreed to take the fancy dan passer Bob Cousy as his point guard, but Red didn’t stop till he got the no-nonsense Bill Russell as his post player.
Those old Celtics teams won lots of championships, and even though the game changed, Red didn’t allow dancers or silly marketing games in his Garden.
For Red and the long line of great competitors of the sport, it’s all about the winning of championships. Nothing else matters. Let me repeat that. Nothing else matters.
I love being entertained by the Knicks and those Suns of D’Antoni’s. Do I care if they win championships? Not a lick. I’m not a serious fan of either team.
D’Antoni’s point, of course, is that he can win a championship playing with an up-tempo, quick-shooting style. He’s swimming upstream against years of evidence to the contrary, but I’m entertained at watching him try.
Kerr, on the other hand, has a different experience with the game. He’s played for two great coaches — Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich— who built multiple championships around great post players. Jordan is the game’s greatest weapon, and Tim Duncan and O’Neal aren’t far behind.
Kerr saw a chance to get O’Neal and figured that with the right approach there was still a championship or two with the Diesel. Last year he struggled, but this year O’Neal is showing signs of rounding into form (at least that’s what longtime Shaq critic Tex Winter thinks. Even so, it’s not so much about building around Shaq per se as it is building an organization that relies on a sound system of basketball).
Kerr, meanwhile, has been busy disassembling the old team and building something that has a chance to win. I know this. I’ve spent some time over the years discussing basketball philosophy with Kerr and he knows what he’s doing.
I also understand that Steve Nash is decidedly unhappy with the circumstances. He’s had a lot of fun and earned a lot of recognition playing a key role in the D’Antoni experiment. But understand this: Until somebody actually wins a championship playing that madcap way, that’s all it is: a fun experiment.
The guy I feel sorry for is new Suns coach Terry Porter. He’s a solid basketball guy who’s stuck in the driver’s seat during a head-spinning transition. And most real transitions are like this. Very, very ugly until all at once they turn pretty. The longer they take, the uglier they are.
With the NBA’s complicated personnel rules and salary-cap system, transitions are oh so slow and tedious, not to mention dangerous. Taking a stand in the NBA can cost you your job in a blink. That’s why most GMs don’t want to take a real big stance. They want to go with the flow and cash those big checks until the vibe runs out.
Kerr’s far from perfect, but he’s got way too much integrity to sell out like that. He’s gonna try to do the right thing, no matter what.
The thing that may seem curious to most fans is that they remember the old Steve Kerr, the son of the career diplomat, the darling of University of Arizona basketball, the fan favorite in both Chicago and San Antonio, the guy who hit that winning shot for Bulls title no. 5, the guy who made those big shots for the Spurs.
What I recall most about Kerr is what a great voice of reason he was for the Bulls back in 1998 when the team was being ripped apart by a battle between Jackson and Jordan on one side and team management on the other. In those days, Kerr was the guy with the thoughtful, clear approach, the smooth communication.
Why doesn’t he play that card more today and talk more to the fans in Phoenix?
The answer there is pretty clear too. Kerr has never been one to engage in shouting matches or heated conflict, although he’s not afraid of taking a stand either (Jordan can attest to that).
No, when it comes to difficult transitions in basketball, it’s most about biting your lip and getting ‘er done. It’s about walking the walk, not talking the talk right now.
I have no doubt that if ownership stays behind him (and of course that depends a sophisticated fan base that loves and cares about winning NBA basketball) then Kerr will see this transition through. And Phoenix will have a shot at winning a title.
Kerr knows that championship moments mean so much more than a little nightly fun. And he’s always been willing to take a punch in the face to prove it.
David Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 11:51 am
That team was killed by Duncan’s 3 pointer in Game 1 of the playoffs. It was pretty clear that Phoenix would never get past San Antonio with that team. Kerr is a smart guy — be scared of Phoenix in a couple of years.
Jim Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
The problem is this team was built to win the last two years. The Suns cannot wait a couple years. By then Shaq will probably be retired, Nash will probably be retired, and in theory Amar`e could be long gone to free agency.
Chris Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
Change is sometimes good, but too much of it can get you know where either. It’s pretty apparent by now that Nash and Amare will not be in Phoenix in two years…Shaq will have moved on, or retired and Barbosa will definitely get traded…leaving J Rich, Lopez and a bunch of rookies struggling to make the playoffs in the West…Will Kerr even see his blueprint come to life after 2010? Make a team your own, but at least work with a few of the key parts given to you.
Suns’ makeover a work in progress Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
[...] with his skills as a GM. Sure, there’s a chance that Shaq finds the Fountain of Youth and, as Roland Lazenby of HoopsHype writes, this team will be suddenly able to put it all together in time for a serious playoff run, but [...]
Tristan Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
Kerr will be around to see what happens. That’s because Porter is going to be the fall guy. If Kerr was really that smart he would have hired Tom Thibideau (sorry for the mispelling) Boston’s Defensive Guru to be head coach and implement his system then you have one of the smartest point guard in the NBA in Steve Nash and you let him run the offense like he normally would. Porter is a joke. None of those guys respect him and if the true goal was to win a championship then you’re suppose to hire a championship coach.
jmals Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
Peopel talk about Shaq being gone soon, and I agree he’s past his prime, but look at Mutumbo that guys ancient and where would the rockets been last year without him? I say wait and see what J Rich, Amare and Nash can do in transition and let Shaq hang back. They aren’t the Suns of old, and as laker fan that’s fine with me.
Dj Quest Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
I think Kerr pushed the panic button a little too early. Yes Marion would have been costly to resign but the trade for Shaq took the Suns out of contention. In Kerr’s haste to rid themselves of Marion’s possible future salary they went after Shaq. When the smoke cleared the suns lost so much more. Besides Marion, they lost their coach, and their identity as a franchise. Nash can not be effective in a half court game because he relies on open-court speed and cutters to create lanes for his passes and/or dives. In a half court system (especially one with Shaq) there are no lanes for drives (or even fast breaks). As this season as gone on, you see Nash being exploited more and more on defense because the Suns are now playing half court ball on both ends. Nash sees this change and is not going to come back once his contract expires. STAT is also noticing the change in tempo and thus the number of shots he gets. The pick and roll with Nash was good for about 12-15 points a game. Wish Shaq clogging things, STAT is forced to shoot more jumpers rather than roll to the rim. The result, lower numbers and a disgruntled STAT who will probably test the free agency waters.
When it’s all said and done, Kerr’s move for Shaq will end up costing the Suns; Nash, Marion, STAT or 3/5 of the starting line-up that won over 50+ games 3 years in a row + the head coach who made helped create the winning atmosphere for the aforementioned players to thrive in. To me, that is just no smart management.
I truly miss the Suns of old and I am a DIE-HARD Laker Fan…
Long live Tom Chambers!!!! (Owner of the Greatest Dunk of All TIME)
Joe Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 7:33 pm
The jury is out so far on this “new” Suns team, they may not be done making moves for that matter, but I like the indiviuals they’ve got on this team. Can they gel as a team and be successful? we’ll see. They’re probably a 6-8 seed as it stands, but this roster has some serious potential to win. they have great experience and leadership along with great young, talent, energy, and athleticism. How many of these guys can go off for 30+ any given night? It may seem far-fetched that this team is close to putting it together, but i think they are, and I think the general tone in the media will have changed come April. Change is just such a scary thing for everyone, and right now everyone is still waxing nastalgic with the run’n'gun on crack we’ve been used to the last couple of years. Is the window of opportunity closed far enough that a diesil cant charge through it?
Michael Robbins Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Yes, the reason Phenox with Nash always lost to the Pistons was that the Pistons always forced Nash to play half court basketball. Nash is too short to play against tall guards that play good half court defence
greg Said,
December 19, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
I think Steve Kerr made a mistake in changing the Suns style of play.It would take time for the existing players to adjust to Coach Porter’s system & unless Coach Porter is a miracle worker, he’ll probably fail as Nash & O’Neal are running out of mileage.
Mihajlo Said,
December 20, 2008 @ 12:16 am
DJQuest, do not post things you know nothing about. Marion was very integral to the success of seven seconds or less. He was a very mobile PF who could run, space the floor, rebound, & most important of all, cover two men on defense, Nash’s and his own. Or he would take Amare’s man.
When Kerr told Marion he was not going to receive a max. extension, Marion no longer played above & beyond, meaning he no longer would cover Nash’s man and his own. He also became a locker room disruption, not happy that the Suns wouldn’t pay him the max.
That team was effectively done, D’Antoni knew it, Nash knew it. What you are suggesting is that the Suns pay Marion the max. anyway which is totally absurd. Marion, like Amare & Nash, is a product of D’Antoni’s system. His lack of production in Miami is proof of that. Hew will be extremely lucky to get between $8-$10 million for a few years by some team.
A far cry from a max. extension. The Suns wouldn’t have gone deep into the playoffs last year with Marion. It was a huge risk to trade him at mid-season, but before this season began, Marion turned down three years for $30 million. The Suns would have had to pay him more than what they are paying Shaq, and they would still be small when facing the Spurs & Lakers.
Jairic Said,
December 20, 2008 @ 4:25 am
This is all going to be good for the Suns, and that would be apparent to more people if they weren’t so misoneistic. The fact that the Suns were a good regular season team and failures in the play-offs year after year is more than enough proof that D’Antoni’s system just isn’t a championship system, it’s just flash. That sells tickets, and fools people will to be fooled.
The think in this that disappoints me the most is that Nash doesn’t have to good sense to back his coach. They are an eight seed in the west right now; if Nash and Stoudamire would get with the program and be the leaders that they should be then they might be in the top four of the west.
Having guys in the locker room the create a negative culture are costing this team right now. Shaq is still one of the best centers in the league, by virtue of a lack of competition. I know this looks bleak, but look toward the future. It’s almost 2009, after next season some amazing free agents will be available; it’s very possible that Phoenix grabs one of them and just that quickly they are favorites. Amare probably won’t go anywhere because no one will pay him more than the Suns will.
Basically, D’Antoni and that run and gun team were given plenty of time and chances to make it happen; time after time they couldn’t do it. Their failure necessitated this change. None of it matters anyway because there is no one in the west that can touch the Lakers.
bballer Said,
December 20, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
phoenix would not move forward until they move nash. he is resistant to the change and is whining too much. the phx team is deep and with jrich will still be able to score. once porter gets a defensive guru on his bench(alvin gentry is not one) the team will advance. a pg like calderon would be able to manage this system.
shaq’s decline will allow lopez to shine. he is a 12/10 centre and amundson will remain the backup, with dudley, barbosa and dragic off the bench. barnes, stats, lopez, jrich and a pg not named nash will make this team of championship calibre. let me rephrase that. they can see the gaps and make adjustments to make it a championship team.
Matt Said,
December 20, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
Mijahlo,
DJ Quest has a much better idea of what’s going on, I live in Phoenix, you read your articles on-line.
bballer-
What system? Porter has neither a offense or a defense. He scrapped the slow down offense because the players whined.
Steve Kerr tried to hire Thibedeaux but D’Antoni vetoed it because he wanted to keep his brother on staff. That was the beginning of the end for the Suns because Mike took that as an insult. Steve Kerr knows what it takes, Mike’s ego was as much a factor in the downfall of this team as Marion.
Marion thought he was a max player. He asked Kerr if he thought he was a max player and kerr said, “I only think Kobe, Garnett, and Duncan are max players in this league.” Shawn, who has the IQ of a 7th grader, was offended.
Shawn continued to play hard Mijahlo, not sure how many Suns games you get on Canal Plus, but I can guess you didn’t see the Suns play every night.
The bottom line is, Kerr is a rookie gm and the mistake he made was not massaging the fragile ego’s of Mike D’Antoni and Shawn Marion. You can’t tell a 7th grader that he’s not as good as somebody else, especially when his agent is Dan Fegan. Mike didn’t want a Kerr guy brought in to undermine what he had built.
Mind you, Mike’s offensive system wasn’t didly poo before Steve got here.
Dan Said,
December 20, 2008 @ 5:34 pm
The JRich trade is a lot bigger than people think. Once this “new” Phoenix Suns team starts to gel they will have the best team they’ve had on the court in some time.
Dan Said,
December 21, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
Kerr won’t last long in Phoenix!!! He is screwing up our team and the fans here won’t stand for it. Yes we want to win but we are not the spurs and never will be. Kerr has to understand that the trades he made didn’t go over well with the fans or the players. Amare will be gone in 2010, Nash will be gone after this year when the suns don’t pick-up his option, Kerr will have to start from scratch and the fans won’t take it. Hiring steve Kerr and letting go of Calangelo was the worst thing Sarver could of done!!!
bron42 Said,
December 21, 2008 @ 8:30 pm
IQ of a 7th grader? marion has a college degree lol
Mihajlo Said,
December 21, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Matt your ignorance comes shining through with your racist assumptions because of my screen-name. I live in Tempe and have been a very active Suns fan since 1968. You & DJ quest don’t have a clue.
Canal Plus? God, what an ignorant racist piece of shit. I suppose you have a problem with President-elect Obama & all Muslims also?
Mihajlo Said,
December 21, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
Mental midget Matt says:
“Mind you, Mike’s offensive system wasn’t didly poo before Steve got here.”
Steve Kerr took over as G.M. in June 2007.
In ‘04-’05 the Suns won 62 games while leading the league in scoring.
In ‘05-’06 & ‘06-’07 the Suns also led the league in scoring. Three straight years BEFORE Kerr became G.M. the D’Antoni’s offensive system had the Suns lead the league in scoring.
But it wasn’t “didly-poo” before Steve Kerr arrived? My God you are ignorant!
bob Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Your so hot to brand someone a racist you can’t see the obvious and realize he is talking about Steve Nash
Steven Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 10:29 am
To me the end of the suns started when they traded Joe Johnson. He was a vital part of that team then kerr compounded that with the trade for shaq when it is well known that he isnt the shaq of old, and running dantoni out of town. Kerr should have done everything in his power to get the boston defensive guru Tom Thibedeaux. He will be around though to see this “rebuilding” plan go through because porter will be the fall guy. And it will be a rebuilding because shaq nash and amare will be gone in 2010
Go lakers!!!!!!
andy Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 11:10 am
Mihajlo,
You are correct, Suns were winning in the regular season and they led the league in scoring but in the end NONE OF THAT MATTERS if they get bounced out of the playoffs in the first or second round.
Its like the Cubs last year, they won 95+ games, and guess what, they got swept. It doesnt matter how you do in the regular season, but if you can’t win in the playoffs, especially after three years with the same system you need to change it.
Yes, Kerr is changing the team drastically, but frankly I am pretty sure he knows what he is doing. Kerr is a winner, has more championships then any player on the Suns currently. Just give the guy a chance.
andy Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Another good example of this is the Detroit Pistons…
They made the eastern conference finals I believe 4 years in a row?
Guess what, Joe Dumars (who I believe is the best gm in the league) had enough. He knew they couldn’t win a championship with this team anymore, and traded for AI and fired their coach in the offseason.
David Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 11:27 am
Canal Plus is in France….how did that ever come into this conversation?
Mihajlo Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Hey Bob you dumbass, read David’s post about the Canal Plus. Here is a DIRECT COPY & PASTE FROM MATT’S POST:
Shawn continued to play hard Mijahlo, not sure how many Suns games you get on Canal Plus, but I can guess you didn’t see the Suns play every night.
Hey Bob you dumbass, if he was talking about Nash, why is my screen-name in the quote about watching the Suns games on Canal Plus?
My God , some of you people are TOO STUPID to be posting here.
David, Matt ASSUMED from my screen-name that I’m a foreigner posting here. His stupidity is even far greater then he realizes, Mihajlo is not French.
Roland Lazenby Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
Gosh, I was hoping for some interesting conversation and debate about the Suns, and much of what I’m getting is people insulting one another. Thank goodness some posters were making solid points.
Y’all chill out now. If we’re gonna start measuring each other’s IQs, well, let’s just say Shawn and I think you guys are making us seventh graders look like towers of maturity.
Peace on Earth and Good Will to Hoopheads.
Roland Lazenby
David Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Roland,
Too often these blogs always seem to degenerate into name calling when people don’t agree (see Michael Bennett on any Eddie Johnson blog, for example)…
Basketball is an art, not a science, and putting together teams to gel is a lot harder than it seems on fantasy trades….so much more than stats.
I met Steve Kerr several times when he lived here in San Antonio. A great guy with a good head on his shoulders and not afraid to laugh at himself (he was in the dunking booth at an elementary school carnival, for example). My point is that he is not stupid and the decisions he makes, right or wrong, are to improve his team, not his own ego.
D’Antoni was going nowhere with the franchise and could never get passed the Spurs during the play offs. SOmething had to be changed in order for Phoenix to make a serious run for a championship and so Kerr made some changes. I don’t think he had anything to lose.
Still can’t figure out the “Canal Plus” — I used to watch movies on it when I lived in Paris over 20 years ago!!
Nick Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
As a suns fan, Kerr doesn’t bother me as much as Sarver. I believe the demise of the Suns came when their owner nickle-and-dimed their draft picks for cash, trading away picks that turned out to be Luol Deng, Rajon Rondo, Nate Robinson, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. Instead, ownership became content and greedy with the present and basically just lucked out–who knew boris diaw would have the impact that he had in 2006 playoff run. That eased the pain of losing Joe Johnson (of whom Sarver refused to pay). Tim Thomas is another example. Even as much as I love D’Antoni, the GM D’Antoni wasn’t really that good–look at the signing of Marcus Banks or the Boris Diaw contract extenstion. Anyway, as much as I despise Kerr and his bravado, I feel he is just a puppet of Sarver, looking to make do with what restrictions he has, and that have been posed upon him through years of trading away picks for nothing. The greed of mortgaging the future has finally come to a head.
Eric Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
“With the NBA’s complicated personnel rules and salary-cap system, transitions are oh so slow and tedious, not to mention dangerous.”
That is an excuse if I have ever heard one. Ask Danny Ainge and the Celtics if transition are oh so slow and tedious, not to mention dangerous. Steve Kerr had the opportunity to get Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Eddie House, and Posey. He had draft picks to work with and players that could have been dealt. Instead the Suns gave the Sonics a ton of picks to take Kurt Thomas off of their hands. Steve Kerr and his buddy Sarver are not interested in winning the Championship, they are only interested in making the almighty dollar. Danny Ainge had the backing of an ownership group that allowed him to make the moves and go over the luxury tax threshold. The Suns since Sarver has been the owner have sold numerous picks in order to stay under the cap. Kerr and his cronies will keep up the 40 year drought in the desert.
Melvin Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
Seriously I think Kerr is sent by the Spurs management to destroy the Phoenix community. I mean he traded Shawn for an aging O’Neal and then what? have them destroyed by that f***king spurs again… Then they let d’antoni go and acquired richardson… oh boy, i think its sick…
http://www.basketballnonsense.com
JD Said,
December 22, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
Kerr had the opportunity to get Kevin Garnett only if Marion were to agree to being traded. Marion didn’t and the trade was off. There were rumors of a trade involving Amare for Garnett, but it certainly was never close to a done deal.
Many of the draft picks that were traded were a result of Brian Colangelo and/or D’Antoni playing the salary cap shuffle or in Coach D’s case, making a quick decision that a particular rookie was not going to contribute. For example, read the history of the Rondo pick. Coach D clearly concluded that Rondo was not a good enough shooter, so he told management they could trade him.
Another example is Nate Robinson. Amare said time and again that he didn’t want to play full time at center and needed another big to take a share of the pounding. Quentin Richardson had a terrible playoff, so the Suns management packaged Q and the Robinson pick for Kurt Thomas. That was a good trade. (Now, the trade to get rid of Thomas–that is a completely different story.)
Reading is Great! Today’s NBA News, Rumors, and Moments of Extreme Clarity - EmptyTheBench.com Said,
December 23, 2008 @ 12:27 am
[...] - Interbasket - Bonzi Wells: 48 points, 11 boards, and 7 steals… for Shanxi Zhongyu. - HoopsHype - Steve Kerr is waging all-out war on the Phoenix Suns’ fun machine. - Dime Magazine - [...]
john Said,
December 23, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
hi roland, do you really think the suns have a shot at the title this season if they get their act together?
Roland Lazenby Said,
December 26, 2008 @ 10:48 am
John,
That’s a big IF. This is not just a run-of-the-mill transition they’re making. They’re changing from a run-and-fun team to a conventional contender. The coaches are just starting to get a sense of personnel. People are being asked to do things they haven’t done before. They will get worse before they get better. In fact, their defense has worsened statistically over the last 10 games, even though they seem to be finding a little chemistry.
Some of this depends on Shaq. Can he be great and adjust his game? People have been asking him to do certain things his entire career (develop a face-up shot, defend the screen and roll better, etc.) and he’s always held out on those things. Maybe some of them he can’t do, but gosh he has been so gifted. I tend to think he’s capable of so much.
Doing so many interviews about Shaq over the years, it has always reminded me of doing the interviews about Wilt. I remember talking to his college coach, Dick Harp, who pointed out that there was so much that Wilt did, but there was so much more he could have done.
That’s the great assessment of most players: What more could they have done? Not what they did, but what more could they have done? Shaq has done a lot. He’s got a few years left to leave better answers to that question.
There’s no question he’s given some in this equation. But he’s at the age now where getting better is so much more hard work. It’s a shame he didn’t try in some areas when he was a younger player. I remember interviewing him about setting screens in 1998. Clearly, he thought it was beneath him to set screens. He told me he wasn’t that type of center.
As an older player, he has to make it a mission to humble himself, in my opinion. He has to do more of the little things. When he was young and dominant, he obviously thought he could afford to disdain screens and other chores of the game. Now, if he takes such an approach, he just becomes fat and old and uselessly arrogant.
Can Steve Nash accept that the 7 seconds or less era is over and embrace the transition?
Like Jerry West told me years ago, you can see a player’s physical abilities on the floor, but you can’t read their hearts and minds.
So, my short answer is, I’d say it’s in the realm of possibility that this thing could jell in the next two years, but not very likely, unless highly paid men are somehow suddenly blinded by the light.
Otherwise, I’d say you’re going to see more personnel changes, which take time. I was accused of making excuses for Kerr when I said changes take time in the NBA. But building the right way takes time. I happen to think Kerr is going to make a great GM (and there aren’t many who are even good at it). Just getting the Shaq and Kobe deals done about pushed Jerry West to a breakdown in 1996. This fantasy, fast-order world we live in leads a lot of fans to assume all of this is easy. To quote Jerry West, “It isn’t easy.”
That’s why a sophisticated fan base is a must. I think there are a lot of Suns fans who are understandably frustrated.. At the same time, they’ve seen a lot of basketball over the years. They know the game. They’re much like Red Sox fans in the 1990s who kept wondering, why? Why does this have to happen to us? We don’t deserve this. And they’re right. They don’t deserve it. So it’s a hard transition. I will say this, though, Suns fans haven’t gotten their championship in almost a half century, but they haven’t had to contend with a lot of crap either. There’s always been something pretty interesting going on with that franchise.
Is Kerr a guy they can trust?
I think the guy’s as honest as you get. Is he smart enough? I think he’s very smart. He’ll learn from mistakes (he’s made some obviously, but who doesn’t?)
Is he lucky? Well, he worked very hard as a player to get into position to be amazingly fortunate.
He humbled himself as a player. He’s not some arrogant jerk. I like to think I don’t write about sports as much as I write about people. Kerr’s one of those people who has always added tremendously to whatever organization he’s joined.
We’ll see. But I don’t see that changing. His influence on the Suns will be special, if he’s allowed to learn and grow in the position.
Great question, by the way. Thank you for it.
MartyMar Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
Why cant the Suns players accept what NBA history has taught us? —You cant win in the playoffs by runnin and gunnin. Sure that style works during the regular season when the opponent isnt making a detailed game plan against you. Once the game turns into a half court game (playoffs) you have to be able to run half court sets and defend. Defense isnt something you can just turn on once the playoffs come. And everyone knows that Nash is a defensive liability so when the playoff come he cant stick his man. Kerr, dont listen to what these “expert” Phoenix fan try to tell you. D’Antoni’s system will never win a championship. It never has and it never will.
JD Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 7:08 pm
The Suns are also transitioning from being Nash’s team to either a shared leadership or entirely Shaq’s team. Shaq is becoming more outspoken in the press–not in a negative way, but in a way that shows he really wants another shot at the championship and he needs his teammates to step up and play better and smarter.
It will be interesting to see if Shaq plays tonight against the Grizzlies and if so, how the teams responds. Nash played only 9 minutes yesterday and is out tonight. The team has been so dependent on Nash the last four seasons, and this is a weakness. There has also been a lot of hand wringing regarding who is the Suns backup PG. But if Shaq is playing his best, there is no need for a top backup PG since the offense can run through him.
Unfortunately, the time to gel is only about 40 games. With the contracts of Nash and Shaq running out after next season and Stoudemire able to turn to free agency in that same time period, the Suns must have success this season. They need to show that a championship is at least within reach this season or next, or it will get ugly. There are still a lot of Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion fans in Phoenix that are not happy and can’t understand the reason behind the trades and other changes.
It seems owner Robert Sarver is firmly supporting Kerr, and Kerr is firmly supporting coach Porter. But the dominoes can begin to fall quickly if the fans start tuning out. With 2 MVPs, another All-NBA player, a former college player of the year, and a $12M shooting guard on the roster, there won’t be much room for excuses, fair or not.