Just one win...please?

OK we beat the Grizz. Ho Hum.

Shaq had a double-double. I guess the Darko + Kwame combo is as bad as advertised.

Amare, Nash, and Hill all had good games. And Boris Diaw actually made the trip to Memphis. Amazing.

In case anyone missed it - the game was close until the fourth quarter (a one point game after three)...and then guess what - Shaquille O'Neal got benched. Just like magic - the Suns outscored Memphis 37-24 in the third and get a 14 point win.

I'd much rather see Shaq like this:

Than like this:

Next up is the Hornets. Yes, the Same Charlotte er... Oklahoma er...New Orleans Hornets that have beaten us three times this year.

Tyson Chandler has killed us.

Chris Paul has killed us.

Even Predrag Stojackitup has killed us. I'm sorry, but nobody that looks like this picture should even be in the NBA - much less hit a game winning shot:

Should be a good game tonight...as long as Shaq is on the bench.

Deeeeetroit Baaasketball

Man is there a more annoying chant than the Pistons' moron PA Announcer screaming DEEEEEEEEETROIT BAAAAAAAAAASKETBALL?


Yes, it's more annoying when annoying Pistons fans somehow get tickets in an opposing arena and start doing that as the home team is getting beat by 30 points.





The amount of opposing fans I've seen in the building the last three games is sickening. How can you be a ticket holder and sell your seats to opposing fans? An fan of an opposing team shouldn't be able to get a ticket to a big game.





Detroit is definately much better than Boston's collection of overrated, overhyped "superstars" They play as a TEAM. Garnett and Paul Pierce are guys that are just there for the stats (and the paychecks). Neither of them has ever been a winner. Just a couple of guys that always put up big numbers on horrible teams. But, Garnett screams a lot, so apparently people think he has heart. The dude's a joke. He's been in the NBA for 14 years, and he is the highest paid player in the NBA - and he's won as many playoff games as Amare has in his four years...what a joke. Celtics fans will see what this dude's all about when he goes ghost in the playoffs.



Now about our team and the debacle that it has become... This game proved every bad thought I had about the Marion trade.





Our shooting got worse - Shaq takes away the open looks that the Suns perimeter guys get in the fast breaking, motion offense. He prevents the pick & roll between Steve and Amare from being successful because he takes up too much space inside. He also makes it impossible for Steve to penetrate and dish. We have shot under 43% in each of the last two games.


Not having Marion for easy dunks & putbacks also hurts the FG%



Our team defense got worse - There's no way in hell you can improve your team defense by trading your best defender. It just can't happen. Despite everything that the Suns management wants you to believe, Shaq makes it more difficult for the Suns to recover on defense. He can't cover quick guys when other teams do a pick & roll. He can't really even cover quick guys when they go in the lane. He's too slow at this point in his career to provide much help defense from the weak side. He also makes Amare a worse defender (if that's possible)...Amare was very good at getting blocks from the weak side, but since Shaq is clogging up the lane he isn't able to get over there to provide the help defense. Losing Marion also forces Nash to have to cover every PG. Matrix could cover guys like Tony Parker and we were able to hide Nash on worse offensive players like Bruce Bowen.



The fast break is gone - With Shaq in the lineup it's impossible to fast break. He can't even get down the court quickly enough to be a finisher. He is horrible at throwing an outlet pass. With Shaq out of the lineup we're missing the most important piece to our fast break offense. Matrix was amazing at getting a key rebound or block, and either sprinting down the court to get an ally oop or easy pass for a bucket. We don't have the finisher now so the fast break goes like this...Steve dribbles down the court, looks for someone to pass to...then dribbles back out to the three point line to get set in a halfcourt offense that we don't have. I wonder what all these people that think that this was a great trade are thinking tonight. We're going to be one-and-done in the playoffs with this team. It's so awful as a fan to see what the brainless tag team of $arver and Kerr has done to a team that was one of the best in the NBA. In case anyone forgot, we had the best record in the West at the time of this trade.

Next up we have the Grizz.

They have apparently given up on the season by trading for the most worthless player in the NBA - Kwame Brown...but they'll probably beat us. After all, even Darko and Kwame are better than Shaquille O'Neal at this point in his career.

Check out Three Shades of Blue to see what the Grizz fans think of the game tomorrow night.

2008: A New Look

If anyone has been checking in on this blog since the end of the playoffs last year you've noticed that I haven't updated it.

My anger, dismay, and hatred of David $tern haven't subsided, but I have decided to pick it up again.

It's amazing what can happen in just a few months. The Suns have a totally different team.

James Jones and Kurt Thomas were sold off by Robert $arver's greedy ass for some beer money.

We signed Grant Hill, who has turned out to be a great pickup.

And...

Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks were traded for Shaquille O'Neal.

I'm still having a tough time writing this last one. Shaq is now a member of the Phoenix Suns

I have always been a huge Shawn Marion fan. He is a great defender. He guards quick point guards, big centers, and everyone in between. He is one of the NBA's best rebounders, he is one of the best finishers in the league. He has one of the best all-around games in NBA history. Over the past 3+ years he's been just as important to the Suns' success as Steve Nash.

At the time of the trade the Suns had the best record in the West. They had won 70% of their games. They were on pace for a 57 win season. So is that the time to trade one of their best players for a old center with limited mobility and an injured hip? Only time will tell.

The First game after the trade really proved everything I was worried about. The Suns lost to the Fakers and their classless douchebag #24 130-124. A higher scoring game than I expected with Shaq on the floor slowing down the fast paced Suns. The defense was horrible. Pau Gasol, who many people confused with a roll of charmin during his tenure in Memphis, scored 28 points. Shawn Marion would have come in very handy in shutting down the soft Spaniard.

Our best defender of the Grim Raper, Raja Bell, went down after the Grim Raper committed an uncalled offensive foul that threw Raja's head into Shaq's elbow, knocking Bell out cold. Again, this would have been a situation where Shawn Marion would have come in handy - guarding against the Grim Raper's antics with Raja in the locker room saying "mama".

Game Two of the "Shaq Era" featured the Boston Celtics and the overrated, overhyped Kevin Garnett.
The man that earns more money than any player in the NBA, yet has only been out of the first round once in his entire career. Garnett has an annoying habit of screaming during games and crying during TV interviews so people think he has heart. However the stacks of playoff losses are more of an indication of a lack of heart in my book. In Garnett's 14 year NBA career he's won exactly 17 playoff games - or the same number won by Amare Stoudemire in his 4 year career. Heart? I think not. He's nothing but an overpaid career loser.

Anyway, back to the game...

The Suns and Boston played a boring, slow, defensive battle. The Suns came out on top 85-77. In a normal Suns game this is a 3rd quarter score, but not on this night. The Suns committed 24 turnovers, Steve Nash only had five assists.

Normally this would be a game that the Suns would lose - however the Suns outrebounded the Celtics 50-32 and forced Boston into shooting 38%. Shaq did a great defensive job, and Amare played better defense than he has played all season.

Now - what Suns team will we see for the rest of the season? Will Shaq get more comfortbale in the offense and will it flow better?

I'm anxious to see what happens. In the West we will need to win against quality teams night in and night out. There aren't many grind it out defensive teams in the Western Conference. We can't win consistantly with Steve Nash getting just 8 assists.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't forsee this trade being a positive for the Suns.

This looks strange