Roster Improvement: Free Agents Now and Later?

I want to see our starting lineup play ten games together before I trade anyone. So, for the present, the answer is no. If Nash comes back around Christmas, then about a month before the trade deadline we should have a very good idea of whether this team will work.

I am talking about defense and the bench. Not the offensive cohesiveness of the starters. I don't need to see Nash and Gasol. To beat the Clipps, Grizz, Thunder and Heat we need depth, energy, and youth. Do we really need to see Nash and Gasol to realize that??

trodgers wrote:I want to see our starting lineup play ten games together before I trade anyone. So, for the present, the answer is no. If Nash comes back around Christmas, then about a month before the trade deadline we should have a very good idea of whether this team will work.

^^ I agree.

tigerjeterkobe wrote:I am talking about defense and the bench. Not the offensive cohesiveness of the starters. I don't need to see Nash and Gasol. To beat the Clipps, Grizz, Thunder and Heat we need depth, energy, and youth. Do we really need to see Nash and Gasol to realize that??

You cannot just isolate one aspect from others around them. O affects D and vice versa. Fewer TO means less transition D. Better passing means better % looks and fewer D Reb surrendered.

Moreover take the third and fourth best players off a team. Give them a new coach. Change their offensive sets twice. All in one season. How good will they look?

Bargs can shoot but his effort especially on D is terrible. Nothing about him says winner.

trodgers wrote:

tigerjeterkobe wrote:I am talking about defense and the bench. Not the offensive cohesiveness of the starters. I don't need to see Nash and Gasol. To beat the Clipps, Grizz, Thunder and Heat we need depth, energy, and youth. Do we really need to see Nash and Gasol to realize that??

You cannot just isolate one aspect from others around them. O affects D and vice versa. Fewer TO means less transition D. Better passing means better % looks and fewer D Reb surrendered.

Moreover take the third and fourth best players off a team. Give them a new coach. Change their offensive sets twice. All in one season. How good will they look?

I get that (better O means better D). And I loved your stat breakdown of Barg's shooting. But I am just talking about Gasol. We have seen him get punked by Landry, Faried, Harrington, etc. He wants the ball in the post but couldn't (wouldn't) outwork any of them or Dirk in the playoffs. We have seen his fumbling hands, tentativeness (like that pass to Ron in the OKC playoff game). The flip shot fall-aways from 2 feet away from the basket. And his defense?? His failure to guard his man one on one is one thing, but his help defense from the weakside is atrocious.

I guess I am just saying I don't need to see him play with Nash. He is softer now (and in the last two post seasons, when he should have had huge matchup advantages) than ever. His choosing to sit out recently after Kobe's comments are further evidence, in my mind at least, of his quitter mentality. Bargs may have some of the same issues, but at less money, and he is younger, plus Calderon and a pick to send to the Wiz to get Ariza, I am down with that. God I hope you prove me wrong....

^ I don't know that I'll prove you wrong, but maybe Gasol will

He's soft, and he never really was a tough guy. So falling off from his "toughest" is always going to be a problem. All that said, he wasn't anywhere near this bad at hitting jumpers prior to this season. So maybe it is the knees.

Gasol's 2010/11 season he shot .433 and .487, respectively, from 10-15 and 16-23 feet.
In 2009/2010 he hit .442 and .480.

In 2011/12, they were both over .400. It's only this year that the numbers were anything short of solid.

Shaun Powell ‏@Powell2daPeople
Suns source: Michael Beasley is "toxic," team in tailspin, could lead to major shakeup.
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This is interesting. Gortat is frustrated there, Beasley seems like he started off on the wrong foot, Dudley likes Nash.....

What better way to start over for the Suns, by taking on Pau Gasol.

I hate Dudley, but he'd be a great fit for us.

Doc Brown wrote:

Shaun Powell ‏@Powell2daPeople
Suns source: Michael Beasley is "toxic," team in tailspin, could lead to major shakeup.
Retweeted by Alex Kennedy
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This is interesting. Gortat is frustrated there, Beasley seems like he started off on the wrong foot, Dudley likes Nash.....

What better way to start over for the Suns, by taking on Pau Gasol.

what exactly would taking on Pau do for Pho? and if Beasley is toxic in Pho, they obviously are gona try and unload him, do we really need another cancer/distraction to this team?

Suns ready to make a deal?
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Phoenix Suns
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ArizonaSports.com points out this afternoon that the Phoenix Suns, losers of seven straight, could be less than a week away from swinging a deal.

There's no question that this is a rebuilding year for the Suns. The challenge for the team, though, is determining which players to keep and which to deal.

Based on where this organization is right now, it has to be willing to listen to any deal if it means improving the outlook going forward.

While it'd be nice to unload Michael Beasley and the two years plus remaining on his three-year, $18 million deal, that isn't likely. But look for guys like Marcin Gortat, Luis Scola, Shannon Brown and Sebastian Telfair to all be asked about by contending teams.

- Joe Kaiser

Um... give me those four for Pau.

therealdeal wrote:Um... give me those four for Pau.

really?

Scola/Beasley package would be ridiculous.

khmrP wrote:

therealdeal wrote:Um... give me those four for Pau.

really?

Sure why not?

Scola would be a GREAT fit for us next to Howard in a half court set. Nothing but rebounding, mid range shots, and good old fashioned flopping. Nice fit on a nice contract.

But like trodgers said, give me Beasley. Yeah, sure, he's a jerk and probably bad for the locker room over there. But I'd like to run that experiment here if it meant getting Scola.

Artest/Beasley
Scola/Jamison
Howard/Hill

That's bananas.

Scola/Gortat/Dragic for Pau/Hill/Ebanks/Morris.

RAPEEEEE

therealdeal wrote:

khmrP wrote:

therealdeal wrote:Um... give me those four for Pau.

really?

Sure why not?

Scola would be a GREAT fit for us next to Howard in a half court set. Nothing but rebounding, mid range shots, and good old fashioned flopping. Nice fit on a nice contract.

But like trodgers said, give me Beasley. Yeah, sure, he's a jerk and probably bad for the locker room over there. But I'd like to run that experiment here if it meant getting Scola.

Artest/Beasley
Scola/Jamison
Howard/Hill

That's bananas.

I thought we were trying to get faster/younger? Scola doesn't fit that one bit, he's probably even slower, less athletic and worse defender then Pau.....as for Beasly, come on now 3 teams now in 5 yrs, its pretty clear doesn't matter where he is, he's gona be a cancer and he's already starting in Pho and is a cancer just imagine what he'll be like coming off the bench again...he wasn't exactly Mr. Team player in Minn doing that.

1. Why would they want Pau?
2. Why would they trade Dragic?
3. What makes the world go round?

No way this happens

I think the best bet though would be Beasley/Scola for Ebanks/Gasol and ask for one of our picks back.

khmrP wrote:I thought we were trying to get faster/younger? Scola doesn't fit that one bit, he's probably even slower, less athletic and worse defender then Pau.....as for Beasly, come on now 3 teams now in 5 yrs, its pretty clear doesn't matter where he is, he's gona be a cancer and he's already starting in Pho and is a cancer just imagine what he'll be like coming off the bench again...he wasn't exactly Mr. Team player in Minn doing that.

You realize that I'm kidding right?

Scola / Beasley / Dudley

Gortat / Beasley / Dudley



It's not even a question in my mind. Phoenix is rebuilding that much is clear, what better way to rebuild than getting a 19 million dollar expiring, sucking this year and getting a top pick and shedding salary in the process? Maybe work Minny in there and send them DWill/Pek and Minny gets Pau.....either way we are upgrading with that trade.

therealdeal wrote:

khmrP wrote:I thought we were trying to get faster/younger? Scola doesn't fit that one bit, he's probably even slower, less athletic and worse defender then Pau.....as for Beasly, come on now 3 teams now in 5 yrs, its pretty clear doesn't matter where he is, he's gona be a cancer and he's already starting in Pho and is a cancer just imagine what he'll be like coming off the bench again...he wasn't exactly Mr. Team player in Minn doing that.

You realize that I'm kidding right?

no, i couldn't tell

I think Phoenix would probably never want to trade with us again first of all and secondly I don't know if they'd be willing to do all of that for a contract that isn't quite expiring yet.

I could definitely see a Minny 3-Way trade if you wanted to pull it off, but I think I'd rather just take Minny's assets than take on Beasley who has seemingly murdered every locker room he's been in.

I don't want to sidetrack the thread but this made me LOL

Alcindor wrote:

khmrP wrote:whats false? 44% is SUB 40's, 36% is SUB 30's..........

Anyhow Beasley is cuckoo and I want no part of him on this team. No thanks!

purp n gold wrote:I don't want to sidetrack the thread but this made me LOL

Alcindor wrote:

khmrP wrote:whats false? 44% is SUB 40's, 36% is SUB 30's..........

Anyhow Beasley is cuckoo and I want no part of him on this team. No thanks!

thx for bringing up old stuff, we always need that but techincally Barganini is sub 40's this year

khmrP wrote:thx for bringing up old stuff, we always need that but techincally Barganini is sub 40's this year

nothing personal khmrP, just wanted to share a chuckle...

If we're giving up Pau for Bargnani, I'd suspect we'll get another starter-level player from a 3rd team. Things to consider in this trade: MDA + Bargnani, Pau + Calderon. So I don't think a Barg/Calderon package would make any sense for either team.

And please NO to any Beasley or Derrick Williams deals. These guys ARE NOT center pieces for a Pau trade. Think about it... they are essentially T-Wolves rejects who have been beaten out by Alexy Schved & Andrei Kirilenko.