The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

Another Suns season ends at the hands of the Spurs.  As I heard one caller say on the Gambo and Ash show “It’s like that damn Ground Hog Day movie, its the same nightmare over and over.”  It certainly feels that way to me too.  Only this time was worse.

Why?

Because nothing blatantly horrible happened to the Suns this year.  No broken eye sockets, no gashed nose, no suspensions, no obviously dirty play, and no crooked refs.  This year, the Suns lost because they were the lesser team on the court.  They had more turnovers, they missed more free throws, missed more shots, and as usual played worse defense.  I can’t even describe how much my heart broke when I came to this realization.  It must be how Michael felt in The Godfather when he found out it was Fredo that almost had him killed.

Anyway, the following is a combination of what I think the Suns might and/or should do:

#1 Fire Coach D’Antoni

Not because D’Antoni is a bad coach.  He averaged 58 wins per season with the Suns.  He made the game fun again, bringing the European run and gun style into the NBA and making it work.  But Steve Kerr is a different GM with a different philosophy.  D’Antoni doesn’t have Kerr’s support and doesn’t really deserve that.  I also think he’s too stubborn to bend Kerr’s way.  So they should part ways just on the basis of basketball philosophy.  D’Antoni will be extremely successful somewhere else (how about Denver, for instance?)

#2 So who do they hire?

Avery Johnson.  I’m not sure I completely support this, but who else is there? Eddie Jordan?  It makes sense that this could and probably will happen.  Kerr and Johnson both played together for the Spurs.  They were both tenacious, fearless, and hard-nosed guards with high basketball IQ’s.  Although I’ll hate hearing his squeaky voice at press conferences, the Little General will at least instill some defense and tenacity in the team.

#3 Trade Steve Nash

No, I can’t believe I just said that either.  But it is extremely possible, and actually could be a good idea… if done right.  Nash will forever represent that offense run ‘n’ gun style that D’Antoni brought to the Valley.  He will flourish with another team, but not under Kerr’s or Johnson’s style.  Johnson is far too controlling to allow Nash to create and do pretty much whatever the hell he wants on the court.  So trade him to Indiana.  Nash will be going to a contender with the big guy Jermaine O’Neal and the scorers Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy.  They also have a couple of talented young guys in Ike Diogu and Kareem Rush.  And they’re point guard, Jamaal Tinsley, is awful.  Indiana has a terrible image, and Nash will clean that right up.  He can make O’Neal into a monster again.  Indiana can be a titan in the weak Eastern Conference.  They were on the brink of the playoffs this year.  In exchange, the Suns receive this year’s lottery pick and cash considerations.  If the Suns do trade Nash, that means its time to do some rebuilding. 

#4 So who do they draft in the lottery?

Well, the Suns pretty much need a new point guard with Nash gone, so unless the Pacers somehow role extremely lucky and get the number 1 or 2 pick so they can grab Derrick Rose (that just made me shake a little) get DJ Augustin.  He’s a speedy guard that’s got fantastic court vision, passing ability and a shooter’s touch.  The guy is clutch.  He’s also young, so new coach Johnson can instill some defense in him. 

#5 How about with their own pick?

Remember, the Suns pick at #15… that’s not bad at all.  Didn’t Shawn Marion go somewhere around there?  Anyway, its time go with a small forward as the Suns are very much depleted in this area, and I vote for Chris Douglas-Roberts.  I know ESPN has him going in the late first round, but I really think that’s a mistake.  He’s the next Allan Houston or Ray Allen.  How can you pass this guy up?  He’s a 6-7 guard/forward, meaning he can play in a small fast line up or in a big fast line up (I’ll get to that).  Last season he averaged over 18 points and 4 boards per game and shot over 40% from behind the arc.  With a quality point guard like Augustin to get him open looks just like Rose did for him at Memphis, he will be fantastic. 

#6 Time to get another first round pick

I say do whatever is necessary to get another late first round pick.  How about Barbosa or Hill and the Suns second rounder?  That’s pretty fair on both sides.  A possible candidate team is Seattle.  They already have a stockpile of picks for the future, a TON of young talent, and they already have a lottery pick in this year’s draft.  Their late first rounder is from another team.  So who to take?  A center.  PLEASE a center.  A true center.  And a young one so that after Shaq retires Amare can stay dominant at his power forward position.  Go with Robin Lopez! He already has a good defensive skill set, which is all the Suns really need on what would be a high-powered offense. 

So after that ridiculous draft day orchestration, the Suns line up looks like this: DJ Augustin, Raja Bell, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Amare Stoudemire, Robin Lopez/Shaq.  And that’s SMALL ball for the new-look Suns.  They could go big with Augustin (the only small guy on the court), Douglas-Roberts, Diaw, Stoudemire, Shaq/Lopez.  That allows at least 3-4 scorers on the court at the same time. 

Are you kidding me?!  How could you NOT want that?  That’s a team with veteran leadership in Bell and Shaq, a guy who still has room to grow in Diaw, a superstar in Stoudemire, and a really bright future in Augustin, Douglas-Roberts, and R Lopez.  They may not be a championship team the first year they’re together, but if they can keep the team together then they can be lethal in the future.  Its a perfect balance, in my very humble opinion. 

Whatever the Suns decide to do, I just really hope they build toward the future instead of looking back at the lights in the long hallway of the past.