Rockets vs. Suns

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 the Phoenix Suns hosted the Houston Rockets. The Rockets won 94-82. It wasn't really that close. The Suns started out hot, but then just froze up.

In the third quarter of that game a scuffle broke loose.

The NBA suspended Rafer Alston and Matt Barnes for 2 games and Steve Nash for 1 game. Shaquille O' Neal was fined $35,000. Tracy McGrady was fined $25,000. Ridonculous.

I can understand the Alston and Barnes thing. I think they should've only been given one game a piece though. But, if you're gonna suspend Steven John Nash, then you have to suspend Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr.

I wish I knew how the NBA worked so that I knew exactly who to blame this on. But, Steve Nash did no more than Tracy McGrady or Shaquille O' Neal to escalate the fracas. He was just protecting his teammate. Matt Barnes was surrounded by 3 Rockets when Nash ran to his side. I don't see anything wrong with protecting a teammate. I'm also glad that the cameras don't see the bench because I wouldn't be surprised if Amare Stoudemire took a step or two onto the court before jumping back to his chair in fear of suspension.

But, the real thing to take from this is: When will the Suns stop getting screwed? It just doesn't make sense why this team is singled out. It obviously wasn't because of Mike D'Antoni. Is it Steve Nash? Or Amare? It just doesn't make sense why these really good, classy players (most of them) can't get any respect.

Blockbuster Trade Today

The Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons traded with each other today. The Denver Nuggets got Chauncey Billips and Antonio McDyess. The Detroit Pistons got Allen Iverson. I know. One-sided right?

However, my mom was reading some trash saying that it was in hope's of the Pistons getting LeBron James in 2010. I guess that makes sense, but why didn't Pistons wait until next year to get rid of Chauncey. My only guess would be that both Chauncey's and Antonio's contracts end at the end of the season and they wanted to at least get something for having them leave.

As for LeBron, I'm not sure that he wants to go to Detroit. No doubt about it, LeBron James will take the biggest contract that he gets offered. And that contract will probably be the biggest that the NBA has ever seen. Whether that comes from a contender, I think yes. But, I don't think that Detroit will be considered the same caliber of contender by then. Personally, I see LeBron landing in New York, Miami, or Dallas. New York teams seem to never have a lack of money. Miami needs him the most and has ways of getting the money to pay for him. Mark Cuban might see that Dirk isn't going to win by himself by then.

As for the actual trade, this definitely helps Denver. They are planning on buying out McDyess. I think that's stupid. He a good player and could really help them since they gave away Marcus Camby over the summer. But, I'd like the Suns to pick up McDyess. They won't. Retard Sarver won't the money it takes to win. But, he could help bring along Amare and Robin and could help spread the floor for Amare or Shaq or Robin.

Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

They should be 7-1. The Jets just beat the crap out of them. But other than that, there is no reason for the Cardinals to lose. The Redskins got lucky that Kurt Warner finally had one less than superb game. The Panthers just got lucky.

So, I will spot them one more loss at best. Two more losses at worst. I just can't see them beating the Giants and Eagles in consecutive weeks. However, even if they do, for whatever stupid reason, finish 10-6, the Giants were 10-6 last year and they won the Superbowl. Just sayin.

Sliver

At the concert, Rivers, Scott, and Pat came on for a second encore. Pat was still in a red jumpsuit. Scott was in an awesome black robe with golden lining and a huge golden "W" on the back (like a boxer's robe). And Rivers still had on his red pants and green headband but now had on a muscle shirt and was showing some tattoos that have really got me wondering. He isn't the kind of guy to get tattoos and in pictures of their earlier shows, they weren't there.

So, they come on, "Heart Songs" is playing on a record player, and Rivers just dropkicks the record player. Scott starts one of the awesomest bass riffs ever and they play "Sliver" by Nirvana. I had no idea what it was, but I liked the sound of it. So, for the past two weeks, I have listened to that song a lot. I never gave Nirvana a chance, but I think that I'll like them. I've also decided that when I get a band, that is going to be one of the songs that we play at our first gig.




I would also like to take this opportunity to show how good of a band Weezer is. Nirvana was plagued with drugs and alcohol as many rock bands are. This, I'm sure was a factor in Kurt Cobain's death, which caused Nirvana to stop recording awesome rock albums. Weezer doesn't touch drugs. I know that they at least experimented with them in the 3 and a half years that Mikey Welsh was the bassist, but they got rid of him pronto. And I'm sure they all like their spirits every once in while.

I realize that all members of Weezer are very near or are over 40 years old; however, I don't see that as a counterargument to the previous paragraph. Boys will be boys. I've seen Scott's wife and don't think that she cares if he drinks. But, collectively, they don't base their lives around sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Three of them are in healthy marriages. Two of them have healthy children. And I can only hope that Brian will find a woman soon.

After Game One

So, Terry Porter is 1-0 against the San Antonio Spurs as Phoenix Suns head coach. He also has one technical foul as Phoenix Suns head coach (from Violet Palmer of all people). Goran Dragic looked terrible in his first NBA game. Robin Lopez did as good as any rookie can against Tim Duncan. I was impressed. Now we just need to see how they will come out against the Hornets tomorrow. I predict that the Suns will be 1-1 going into Saturday's game against Portland.

Blur

NBA referees average about $200K a year. Which is nowhere near the "millions" that Anonymous stated.

Luis Gonzalez wants to be an Arizona Diamondback again. He wants to finish his career in Arizona. He's willing to accept that he can't play everyday. I think that they should get him.

Big props to the Rays. I'll put my money on them to beat the Phillies.

And Weezer was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! And they'll be back next year.

Big Ron Johnson

When I first heard that Stu Jackson had lost his job this summer I was ecstatic. Stu Jackson was the Vice President of Operations for the NBA, thus putting him in charge of the referees. He was the one that suspended Boris Diaw unfairly from a playoff game two years ago. He's the one that has, more or less, allowed all of the recent referee conspiracy talk to go on.

However, those days should be in the past. You see, Ron Johnson is a retired Army general. My first reaction was that he would be a zero tolerance, whip-cracking change in NBA officiating. He has come off as much different. He has fun with the referees and the referees have fun with him. My only worry about Ron Johnson is that I know more about basketball than he does. But, he should be good.

The referees seem to respect Ron more than they did Stu. The overall general feeling of this guy is just good. Could this be the turnaround the NBA needs? Could this be the good decision that saves David Stern's deteriorating reputation? I say yes to both. But only time will tell.

Go to the game to enjoy the game, why doncha?

This topic has been welling up in me for quite some time now. It was Friday's Mesa High School Varsity Football game against the Yuma Criminals that pushed me over the edge. I trekked over to Jackrabbit Stadium, took a seat by the band, and waited for the pummeling of Criminals to start. I deliberately sat as far from the popular student section as I could. Actually, now that I think about it, I could've sat on the Yuma side. Shucks!

So, I was there mainly to see Deven play, but also to support my Jackrabbits. As the game progressed, I found myself constantly spying the student section and, for the most part, constantly being glad that I am unpopular and not expected to sit with my classmates. I will say that I saw Parker Schnepf the most because he was wearing this weird thing on his head and he seemed to be into the game. However, the majority of the rest of them were paying no attention to the hard-working athletes whatsoever. I don't like that. Don't go to the game if you don't care.

This extends to all level of sports. Especially professional. It costs somebody somewhere good money for you to go to those games. It is quite all right to politely refuse tickets if you don't care about the game. Or you could accept them and deliver them to me, because I am confident that I will enjoy the game to full capacity. And then, of course, do not purchase tickets or plan to attend a game that you don't care about. That is a ridiculous way to waste your money.

I feel that this also applies to music. I have the opportunity to see the best rock band of the past two decades in concert on October 18. My brother was the one who purchased my ticket. I have since paid him in full and learned we will be going with more people. Two of those people are somewhat fans and have actually purchased Weezer's latest album and are, at least, a little familiar with it. The other two are very opposite in this regard. One of them is under the belief that Weezer will never be as good as their debut album. The truth is that as much as you can't replicate the first time, Weezer has grown as a band. Matured. They are more knowledgable now and do have a higher quality of music. The other person is unaware of anything that happens outside of his scope of vision when he is in his computer chair. I dislike that they will be near me at the concert, but strive to enjoy it nonetheless.

Just stop being fake. Don't go to things that you don't give a care in the world for. If you go to a WNBA game and haven't the slightest idea what the home team's name is, be ashamed and learn from that mistake.

However, if you are to go to something such as a sporting event to enhance your knowledge of that sport, then that is very commendable. I'm all for that. In fact, at the Mesa High game on Friday, a family sat near me. The father of the family would patiently and calmly explain every play and answer every question that his son asked. I thought it was a beautiful sight.

If you go just to drink beer and be an idiot, do the rest of us a favor and just stay home.

Foot Locker

I wanted to rant about this awhile ago but couldn't find the commercial until today.

I just want to know what right Foot Locker has to do this. In this commercial, Shawn Marion is dribbling a basketball when Amare Stoudemire comes from nowhere and steals the ball. What the crap? Everyone knows that these two hate each other and that the chemistry issues on the Suns were between these two. Amare was always jealous that Shawn would fill up the stat sheet and Shawn was jealous that Amare got all the attention and accolades for playing at a lower level than himself.

And then Shawn, the much better basketball player, gets shipped away for nothing. Now, they are put in a commercial where Amare is portrayed as better than Shawn since he stole the ball from Shawn.

Many of you may think that I am going over the top on this but it really just ticked me off.
Here's a link to the commercial if you haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMQy_ZS-kVA

A grandmother's poetry

Said Marilyn, "I'm showering in my birthday suit."
"Oh great," said Darrell. "I bet you look cute."
And when you come out, if you're feeling fine.
Lend me your suit, because I forgot mine."

A little treat.

After you go back and read those first two blogs, enjoy this little article. J.A. Adande is one of the most intelligent men on the planet. And he agrees with me. Or at least did. So, just follow this link and enjoy. (Also, notice how Grant Hill is playing against the Suns in the picture. It may only be humorous to sports gurus like me.)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=Suns-080206

Can't replicate the first time.

I've noticed a slight trend. It's starting to go away, but it's still there. In my first two blogs I cover a lot of information about the Suns past and future. So, I think that some of my readers may not have taken the opportunity to read those. They are excellent, and although they are old news, I do consider them my two best written blogs. Thus, I encourage all of my readers to go back and take a look-see at the first two blogs that I posted.

A little bit on NBA rookies.

When someone gets selected in the first round of the NBA draft, they are guaranteed a contract. Not a big one, in fact, rookies always get the minimum to start, but they are for sure going to get some money. Thus, the Phoenix Suns have signed Robin Lopez. Little trivia info: Robin Lopez signed on with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, July 10, 2008.

Second round picks have to prove that they're worth it before the team signs them. D.J. Strawberry is a perfect example of that.

The Summer League is mostly rookies, undrafted guys hoping to impress, guys that have played for a few years and are looking for a job, and some second year players. Right now the Suns are giving D.J., Alando, and Robin a lot of minutes so that they can get in NBA game shape, and to see where they're biggest weaknesses are. Just getting some, maybe, extra scouting done and whatnot.

Suns Summer League

The Suns Summer League is underway with a 100-97 loss to the Rockets last night. Robin Lopez looked somewhat impressive with 19 points on 5 of 13 shooting. D.J. Strawberry did nicely as a point guard. And Alando Tucker played well, also. They can be seen on NBA TV on Friday and Saturday against the Knicks and Trailblazers respectively.

Coach Thunder Dan Majerle was on with Doug & Wolf this morning and said that he was overall impressed with everyone especially Robin, being the first the game. He did say that the coaching staff is really only looking at Robin, Alando, and D.J. for the roster even though others did play very well. Also, everywhere that I've seen, Dan Majerle has been listed as head coach of this Summer League team, yet this morning he told Doug & Wolf that Igor Kokoskov was actually the head coach. Just a little tidbit. Here are some pictures of the three main guys on this team. (D.J. Strawberry is #8, Alando Tucker is #29, and Robin Lopez is #15.)

Many celebs, yes?

I would just like to reiterate that I would very much appreciate reader identification of some sort when you leave a comment. As of right now I don't take any of the more subjective comments seriously because as far as I know it could be Joe Shmuck that doesn't know anything about sports saying it. However, if it were to be Tim Legler or J.A. Adande reading my blog, I would take some extreme interest in what they have to say.

But don't get me wrong, I appreciate everyone's input and read all of the comments more than once. I just would like to know, or at least have an idea of, how many readers I really have. Technically, the same person could be posting all of the unclaimed comments and that is the position that my stubborn self is going to take. I don't write if I don't know that I have multiple readers.

With the fifteenth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select Robin Lopez from Stanford University.

So, the Suns used their draft pick and got a center. Seems like they may have finally realized that Shawn Marion was useful. And irreplaceable. Also, maybe they got a center because Big Burnt Fat out there can't handle the load that Marion took on. However, I must say that it was an alright draft shoice for the Phoenix Suns. They do need help down low. Amare Stoudemire plays good defense about once a month and Shaquille O' Neal just isn't making a big enough impact. Robin was known for his defense at Stanford while letting his twin brother, Brook, do most of the scoring. And, what do the Suns need more than low post defense.

Yet, in his introductory press conference, Robin swore that he had a good offensive game. He also, in a round about way, admitted to liking chick flicks. Not that there's anything wrong with such films, just not what I expected. (Another fun fact: Steve Kerr and Terry Porter wore very similar looking shirts to that press conference.) On the other hand, for the entire time that Steve Nash has been a Phoenix Sun, they have always said that they are wanting a back up point guard for him. NBA experts were always attacking Mike D'Antoni for having his 34-year-old MVP guard play 34 or 35 minutes a game. And I'm sure that there were some qualified guards left at 15. But, the Suns decided that Shaq really wasn't the answer and now have to get him replaced.

I like Robin Lopez as of right now. I've never seen him play a lick of basketball. I am just inclined to like him. He seems like a good, tough, hardnosed player. So, I guess a tiny bit of congratulations must go to Steve Kerr. Not too much, though.

Coach Daniel Lewis Majerle

The Phoenix Suns puzzle of coaching staff and roster movement is one piece closer to completion. Terry Porter will lead the way. Alvin Gentry will return as an assistant that is familiar with the players. Bill Cartwright and Igor Kokoskov are new faces to the valley and will hopefully turn into pleasant surprises. And then there's Dan Majerle.

Thunder Dan Majerle is a much beloved figure in the Valley of the Suns (soon to be Diamondbacks. Or maybe even Cardinals?). In the past, when folks like Doug & Wolf, on from 5-9 A.M. every weekday on Sports 620 KTAR, mentioned that Eddie Johnson would be a better coach than Majerle, Dan got very offended. I am very willing to say that that little incident probably helped Dan to jump right on the offer when it came.

I like Dan Majerle as a coach. Past experiences have proven that being an analyst, like he has been, and being able to see all of the other teams and coaches and strategies, and having it be your job to criticize a team, especially the one that you will be coaching in the future, really produces good results. He knows what the competition has to offer and hopefully will be able to convey good wisdom and sapience to those on the Phoenix Suns roster.

Being a former NBA player never hurts either. And it's not like he was any sort of a benchwarmer in his hey-day. He was a starter for a couple of years and a role player the rest. He knows what it's like to be in difficult situations and hopefully knows how to help others that find themselves in those situations. I don't remember seeing Dan Majerle ever play. When he was in his prime, I was too young. I wasn't interested in sports when he was earning the veteran salary. However, all I hear is that he was an intense player that fought till the final buzzer. I knew that he was big on the three point shot, but I didn't know that he was a pretty decent defender. That can only help.

Also, Coach Majerle has played in possibly every situation. He's started, been sixth man, been at the end of the rotation. He has played in blowouts, in nail biters, in a "pointless" game in December, and in the NBA Finals. He knows the game inside and out.

Dan Majerle will no doubt help this near desparate team. I realize that I may be eating my words in a few months. But, as of right now this Phoenix Suns team is desparate and Coach Daniel Lewis Majerle is a perfect piece to add to the puzzle.

"Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, and those indomitable Celtics--what a statement they made."

Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers and those indomitable Celtics did exactly what they were supposed to do. Preseason, they were the heavy favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals. That never really changed throughout the season. Losing only 16 of 82 regular season games, the Celtics were expected to sweep right through the inferior 8th seed and possibly even the 2nd round. When they didn't, people started to have doubts. But, the Celtics did ultimately prevail.

The Celtics finally tasted success again. They had been terrible for so long. Danny Ainge had been so afraid to make a big move. Paul Pierce started having thoughts of wanting out. However, after an absolutely dreadful 24-58 '06-'07 season in which the Celtics were called out for tanking games, Danny Ainge had to do something. Even an 18-game losing streak doesn't guarantee the #1 pick as the Celtics got the 5th pick in the draft. Ainge had never had the guts to make a huge move, but now that he was forced to he decided to just go all out. He was able to swing a deal with the Seattle Supersonics that gave the Celtics the 35th pick and Ray Allen, while sending the #5 pick to Seattle.

Unfortunately, though, Paul Pierce still didn't want to be there. He didn't think that Ray Allen would have the ability to turn the team around. So, after about a month of fretting, Kevin McHale agreed to a megadeal. He loses Kevin Garnett and gains Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and two future first-round picks. Now, with the Big Ticket as a teammate, Paul Pierce wanted to stay. He now saw hope.

Eddie House, Scot Pollard, and James Posey were soon signed and PJ Brown was added midseason. Doc Rivers got the best out of his players. When the Lakers took a 2-1 lead over the Spurs, I said that we would again have an Eastern Conference champion. However, as I thought about this more and more, and I saw the Lakers dismantle the Spurs, I thought that the Lakers would be able to beat either the Celtics or the Pistons. And that's the pick that I stuck with.

Oh, how wrong I was. I underestimated the the hunger of 3 starved veterans. This was as lobsided a 6-game Finals can get. Paul Pierce played the best basketball of his life. He got the Finals MVP. The Celtics proved that they were obviously the best team in basketball this year.

"Cheating" NBA referees

"I'm waiting for you to write about the "cheating" NBA referees have been accused of. After all, that's partly why the Suns couldn't get past those Stinkin' Spurs last year, right?! Let's hear what you have to say!"

I don't know who said that, but the reason the Suns couldn't get past "those Stinkin' Spurs" last year was because of David Stern/Stu Jackson being the jackasses that they are and Mike D'Antoni. From what I remember (and I work a lot of basketball nights (then and now)), the officiating in that series was pretty consistent. And that's all you can ask for: Consistency. Sure, maybe they were consistently bad (Bruce Bowen molesting Steve Nash every time down the floor), but that's what you have to deal with.

As for the David Stern/Stu Jackson factor, well, Boris Diaw in NO WAY should have been suspended for the fifth game of that series. Amare was well on the court and away from the bench during the "altercation", so his suspension is understandable. But Boris Diaw was lightyears away from the fracas. Boris Diaw was as close to that "huge fight" as at least 3 guys on the Spurs bench. The Suns got screwed on this one. The most popular camera angle was right behind the Suns bench, thus giving the whole Spurs team a free pass. It's ridiculous and I hate that they made such a poor decision. The Suns lost Game 5 by 3 (pretty sure). Boris Diaw could have definitely been a game changing addition. The world will never know. What the world does realize is that the winner of that series was going to be champions. People call that series "The Real NBA Finals". The Suns would've dispatched of the Jazz and the Cavaliers just as easily as the Spurs did. Ridiculous.

Concerning Mike D'Antoni, he didn't have his team ready. Steve Nash got hurt in Game 1 (which is a more pivotal game than most people realize) and D'Antoni didn't have anybody ready to step up. It would've taken 3 timeouts just to get the dust off of one of the bench players.

However, there definitely is something wrong with the officiating in the NBA. Game 2 of this year's NBA Finals was heavily in favor of the Celtics free-throw wise. Then, in Game 3, out of the first 24 free-throw attempts, 20 were by a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. David Stern would blow it off as a coincidence. But, Mr. Stern, there are FAR too many repeated occurences for them to all coincidences. After Tim Donaghy came out this new report that Game 6 of the Lakers-Kings was rigged (Which by the video that they show now looks like it. But I wasn't interested enough then to care.), I was watching PTI (Pardon The Interruption) and Tony Kornheiser suggested that the refs should have to answer to the media postgame, just like the coaches and players. I very much agree with that. I also think that the NBA should publicize the alleged punishing refs that make bad calls.

It's all a conspiracy. David Stern may not be involved. The television stations may not be involved. But, there is definitely a circle of refs that are fixing games. Maybe not all together. But, it has to be happening. Coincidences only happen every once in a while.

This is great!

I'm pretty sure that my blogs are being read at an alarming rate. For all of my readers, don't be shy to pass my URL (bballexpert.blogspot.com) onto others that you think would be interested. And, also, don't be afraid to leave a name for me to know you by when you comment as "Anonymous".

Thanks.

Other thoughts on the Terry Porter hire.

I've touched on this before, but Robert Sarver really doesn't know and understand the game of basketball. The Colangelos do. Yet, Sarver found it more prudent to trust his friends (Steve Kerr) rather than a proven mastermind executive (Colangelos). Steve Kerr is now right on track and hiring his friends to the Phoenix Suns staff. He and Terry Porter played together and like each other.

Here is an analogy. Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr are to Phoenix Suns staff as Warren G. Harding was to his Presidental Cabinet. Warren G. Harding (pictured) was elected in 1920. He succeeded Woodrow Wilson, a very strict, very educated, and to the point man. Harding was a lot more easy going and, in fact, he appointed many of his friends from Ohio to his cabinet. When I ran this idea past my mom, she said, "That's what every president does." I am unsure of the validity of this statement. However, whether it be true or not, the friends that Harding appointed were not very educated. They were the guys that he played poker with every Thursday. Warren Harding's presidency went down as a failure.

That's the outcome that I expect with the Phoenix Suns. (I still feel that Mike D'Antoni's time was over when Shawn Marion was put on the street corner with a "Free of Charge" sign taped to his muscular chest. But, I must remind everybody that the downfall of the team started when Sarver bought the team.)

This link takes you to an article written by Marc Stein of ESPN. I thought of this before I read it, but Mr. Stein has more sources working for him.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=Portersuns080607


Special thanks to Janette Kasl.

Terrible Officiating

I had the privilege of being able to view the majority of Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals. As much as I love the game and as highly revered as David Stern is, I am really not liking the officiating in the NBA. Now, I didn't see Game 1, so I may be completely wrong and this may all be perfectly consistent. But, when Kobe Bryant's team is only attempting 10 free throws compared to 38 for the opposition, something is wrong. Kobe Bryant is the type of player that attacks and will pick up fouls. Phil Jackson is the type of coach that disciplines his players so that they won't commit 100 fouls a game.

One incident in particular comes to mind. 1st quarter. Close game. Lakers ball. Kobe Bryant comes off a screen to the right wing with Ray Allen hot on his tail. Kobe stops abrubtly. Ray bumps into him and starts trying to close the passing lane. Kobe tries to give himself a little room by giving Ray a forearm to the chest. (This is perfectly legal and happens ALL the time. Watch any NBA game and you'll see that it isn't a nasty or dirty thing to do.) Ray overreacts and the referee calls an offensive foul on Kobe Bryant. It was his 2nd foul, forcing Phil Jackson to take him out of the game. (The referee pictured is not the one that made the bad call just mentioned. I actually kind of like the one pictured.)

I hate to think that there is a conspiracy in the NBA. But, just because David Stern assigned Joey Crawford to officiate an elimination game for the San Antonio Spurs and Derek Fisher didn't get called for a foul on Brent Barry's last second shot, and because the Grizzlies agreed to just give away Pau Gasol, doesn't mean that the Lakers should be disliked. I shouldn't be judged by other people's poor decisions.

It's also very hard for me to not see a conspiracy in the NBA since I have been an avid Suns fan from the beginning of the '04-'05 season through February 5, 2008. (I now consider myself a very casual Suns fan. They are the easiest to follow being the hometown team and they are providing very good headlines right now.) The Phoenix Suns have had some undebatably terrible things come upon them because of the NBA officials and management.

Anyways, the moral of the story is that if the officiating is going to be horrendous in the NBA Finals, then the NBA is headed in the wrong direction. I propose making me Commissioner. However, I will settle with getting rid of David Stern and Stu Jackson. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, but sometimes that's a chance that you have to take.

Terry Porter

I don't know much about Terry Porter. I don't think he is a good hire or a bad one. I will say that he is probably the best of all the interviewed candidates, being the only one with previous head coaching experience. Being an assistant coach and a head coach in the NBA are two very different monsters. A head coach has to face the media everyday and be savvy and nice to everybody. Assistant coaches never make headlines or get talked about (unless they portray some outrageous behavior). So, that previous experience is important. However, Porter wasn't very impressive in his previous head coaching stint. The Milwaukee Bucks had a very workable roster and are in the Eastern Conference. Yet, he could only yank a .500 record out of it. Then, they lost their promising young point guard, T.J. Ford, and fell into the tank. Porter was fired.

He then went on to be an assistant under Flip Saunders with the Detroit Pistons. That should've proven to be a good experience since the Pistons have been a powerhouse for six years now. But, it will take a lot of work for Porter, or anybody for that matter, to turn around this Phoenix Suns team. Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr have dug this team into an unescapable hole. Mike D'Antoni had a system working and had one more shot at a championship. Steve gets rid of their best defender and teams run all over the Suns. D'Antoni is released as a result.

Now, Terry Porter has a big job in front of him. Getting someone with as big an ego as Shaquille O'Neal has to play 100% every night is not easy. Getting Steve Nash to play solid defense has proven to be impossible. Getting Amare Stoudemire to stop talking trash until he can back it up may never happen. However, he will get a very experienced roster. If he keeps the same starting lineup that D'Antoni had, 4 of his starters will be well over 31 years of age.

Porter is a smart man and was a good role player in his 17 year career. He's as good a man for the job as anybody else that got interviewed. But, he won't be winning championships anytime soon.

How absolutely weak can a person get?

How weak can a person get? I mean, seriously, what gives anybody the right to be idiotic and ignorant just to get free food. A man called in an order yesterday and came in and got it. I was the one to mark the sandwich bags. He came back and had his receipt and two sandwiches with him. He pointed to two specific sandwiches on the receipt and told me that I gave him the wrong sandwiches. Yet, the sandwich bags clearly showed that this man was wrong. So, instead of just giving him free food, I explained to him how he, in fact, did have the correct sandwiches. I stayed calm throughout and would've even explained it once more before showing any kind of suppressed rage. Yet, he insisted on getting free food. So, I asked if he had even opened it up and looked, because doing that would have clearly shown him how wrong he was. His response was, "You know, I'm good friends with Ned. I'll just give him a call." How weak is that? Why can't this guy be educated enough to stop, think it through, and talk it out? It's ridiculous that he tattled on me like my gay nieces and nephews. I just thought that adults didn't do that. I mean, seriously, how weak do you have to be to not be competent enough to use a simple process of elimination to figure out that you're about to make yourself look like an idiot and put someone else's self-esteem down for another good 2 weeks.

Ned called the shop later and told me that I was wrong and I shouldn't have questioned the man. But, I hate that he called Ned. Ned is irrational and refuses to listen to the other side of the story. Brian, on the other hand, would've at least heard me out and then told me that I was wrong.

I hate how everything we learn about always being on time and thinking things through and following the rules never is true. It's ridiculous. There are people that didn't graduate high school and are making more money than I could ever dream of making. I hate this world.

I just want to get this out there.

Hear it here first. The Phoenix Suns will never achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship as long as Robert Sarver owns the team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

When the Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001, I had something wrong with me. I'm pretty sure that it was just me being young and extremely annoying as young ones are. But, I just could not bring myself to agree with my mom and like the Suns or the Diamondbacks. And for that lame reason alone, I was unhappy about the vibe and the excitement that surrounded me. And the consequences have followed, all I can remember is B. Kim giving up a bunch of late game homeruns and Luis Gonzalez driving in the last run of the MLB season. That was the Arizona Diamondbacks 4th year of existence.

Since then, I have matured and begun to take notice that the sports in the Valley of the Sun is of the same, if not better, quality as anywhere else in the country and southern Canada. I started to watch the Diamondbacks play almost everyday during the summer. I even watched during 2004 when Randy Johnson was going out and kicking trash every five days and even throwing a perfect game against the Braves (pictured) were the only highlights. The Diamondbacks spent a lot of money and got a ring out of it. However, they also had to pay up 3 or 4 terrible years in trying to regroup and rebuild.

However, starting with last season, the Diamondbacks found a new light. They got a new play-by-play commentator for TV. They got a couple of new pitchers. And they brought up a boatload of rookies. This rookie team took off. They were streaky, as expected. But they wound up with the best record in the National League. They were new and exciting and everybody loved them. Even though the Diamondbacks ended up getting swept in the NLCS, everything was still looking optomistic.

As this season rolled around, the Diamondbacks soon became one of baseball's elite teams. However, one must remember that they are still a very young team. They still are learning everyday. As they are currently mired in an offensive slump, they need our support more than ever. They need people going out to the ballgame and cheering them on. So, I guess the moral of the story is: Get out to the ballgame, folks. Go and enjoy an afternoon or evening of good ol' baseball.

What now?

I am unsure of the amount of people that read this blog. I realize that there isn't much to read; therefore, I need to know what my readers want to hear about. I have made it so that you don't have to set up any kind of account to post a comment, so let me know.

The Demise of the Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash Era

Mike D'Antoni became head coach of the Phoenix Suns on December 10, 2003. The Colangelo's were still running everything. They brought Steve Nash in during the offseason. All was well with the Phoenix Suns.

At least, all was well until Jerry Colangelo sold the team to a few million- and billionaires. Robert Sarver being the main one.

Sarver watched the Colangelos with hungry eyes during the '04-'05 season. I think that Queen expressed Sarver the best when they said, "I want it all." Robert Sarver bought this team and immediately set out to cut all ties with the Colangelo family.

Bryan Colangelo was fresh off a season where he won Executive of the Year. It was apparent that he had an excellent basketball I.Q. He could see where the Suns needed help and was able to manipulate a deal to get the best fit. Robert Sarver, on the other hand, came along and it quickly became clear that he knew nothing about basketball. But, money means power and Robert Sarver had a lot of it. His first order of business was to get rid of Bryan Colangelo.

To do this Sarver publicly announced that he didn't like what Bryan was doing. He may have not said it that directly but that's what paraphrasing is for. The two of them had many long talks and it essentially became official over the All Star break in the '05-'06 season that Bryan Colangelo would not be the General Manager and President of Basketball Operations for the Phoenix Suns much longer.

So, the Toronto Raptors scooped him right up and have loved him ever since. Then, with a gaping void in his personnel, Sarver appointed Mike D'Antoni. He now had three titles. General Manager, President of Basketball Operations, and Head Coach. As anyone can see, Mike D'Antoni had a lot on his mind. He had to look for ways to maneuver good deals out of other teams, and focus on winning every basketball game, and keep the locker room chemistry at least semi-good, etc. This is what caused Marcus Banks to be signed to a long term contract. Mike obviously didn't have enough time to truly evaluate Marcus. As stated in the blog "Phoenix Suns Playoff woes.", Marcus Banks is a quality basketball player. He just isn't a black Steve Nash, which is what D'Antoni thought he was. So, many opportunities slipped through the Suns grasp with Mike having such a large load.

In June 2006, to the great relief of Sarver, Jerry Colangelo's contract ran out. By this time he had been completely removed from U.S. Airways Center and was appointed an office in a building down the street. His opinion in matters was never asked for. He was pretty much disowned by the corporate leaders of the franchise that he had caused to rise from the ashes of Phoenix.

Finally, after another early playoff exit, Sarver got himself a new GM. He hired his good friend Steve Kerr. Steve started off excellently by signing Grant Hill. But his legacy slowly crept downhill after that. He's had a handful of private conversations with Mike D'Antoni. It's obvious that they don't see eye to eye with their basketball philosophies. But Steve Kerr will forever be known as the idiot that traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O' Neal. As good as Shaq has played, the team hasn't won.

Bottom Line

The Phoenix Suns began falling from their pedestal of NBA supremacy when the family that built the franchise was disenfranchised from it.

Phoenix Suns Playoff woes.

I composed this on Monday, April 28, 2008.


The Phoenix Suns have dug themselves into a hole. Sure, they came ever so close to winning the first two games of this series, but the bottom line is that they didn't play good enough basketball to defeat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. I have narrowed it down to 2 key reasons for the let down.

1. The Shawn Marion/Marcus Banks - Shaquille O' Neal Trade

I will be found going back to February 6, 2008 as a day of notorious infamy in Suns history very often. But the Suns were looking to get better defense and rebounding. I just have a hard time believing that by getting rid of your best defender and leading rebounder. I will say that Shaquille O' Neal has, for the most part, done his job. However, he cannot replace the 100% energy, hustle, and intensity that Shawn Marion brought every night.

Now, many people will say that Shawn Marion created chemistry problems within the locker room. I will not say whether this is true or not because I do not know. Shawn wasn't happy doing all that he did for the team and being stuck with the title of "Third Best Player on Team" and "(At Best) Third Most Valuable Player on Team". And, personally, I don't blame him. Also, if there were major chemistry problems, I would venture to guess that they were between Shawn and Amare Stoudemire. I don't know that for sure, but I say it because I could see Amare not being happy that Shawn was always filling the stat sheet. Always getting the big rebounds, steals, and blocks and never getting his due credit. And it became obvious that that's where it was after the trade. Amare finally decided to start playing to his potential. He is the most unprofessional athlete in Phoenix in the last 12 years. I think that Shawn Marion had every right to call his contract with the Phoenix Suns a "bad marriage".

Furthermore, something that is often overlooked is that Marcus Banks was shipped to Miami as well. Sure, he wasn't what D'Antoni thought he was. But, what Mike D'Antoni wants is a replica of Steve Nash. And if you don't play up to Steve's level on your first try, you're through. Marcus Banks is an extremely athletic guard that can get to the basket, pass the ball pretty well, and plays lock-down defense. The defense is something that Steve Nash has never been able to do. Marcus Banks had some good potential. And I'm sure that if he was given a chance, he would've been able to stop Tony Parker.

If the trade hadn't happened, the Suns would've won more regular season games and had a better seed with, most possibly, home court advantage. Thus, they may have been propelled into an easier playoff schedule. I don't know about you, but I'd rather win more games than have a chemically balanced locker room.

2. Mike D'Antoni

Mike D'Antoni is a great guy. He has a sense of humor, and everybody loves a guy with a sense of humor. However, he just cannot succeed as a head coach in the National Basketball Association. This will be the 4th consecutive year that his team will burn up and die in the postseason. His stubborness has cost him at least 2 NBA championships. In the '04-'05 season, the Suns were new and nobody knew what to do with them. They rocked the league for a 62-20 record, completed a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, and knocked the Mavericks out In Game 6 in Dallas before getting humbled by none other than the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio 4. Phoenix 1. (I will say that if Jerry Stackhouse hadn't given Joe Johnson a cheap shot and broke his face, things may have been different. And the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies still haven't won a playoff game as a franchise.) Then comes the '05-'06 season and Amare Stoudemire decides not to play. No worries. The Suns stayed more than steady and ended 54-28. In the first round, the Lakers got a 3-1 advantage before Phoenix fought back to win the series including gritting out an epic Game 6 overtime victory. The second round saw the Clippers taking the Suns to the brink and Raja Bell making the shot that will define his career. Phoenix 4. Los Angeles 3. After fighting their way to the Western Conference Finals, they once more suffered injury. This time Raja Bell got hurt. I have no idea how much effect this may have had, but the Suns were sent packing. Dallas 4. Phoenix 2.

'06-'07 rolls around and Amare Stoudemire decides that he misses the game and starts playing again. They finished 61-21. Then, they met with the Spurs in the second round. The Suns didn't deserve to win this series. Their coach wouldn't let them. In Game 1, Steve Nash was saving the Suns behinds again and then got a bloody nose. Now, if Mike D'Antoni had maybe played his bench a little during the season, they may have been slightly prepared to step up and hit the big shots. But, that of course didn't happen. Then, Game 5 when Amare and Boris were suspended. Boris shouldn't have been suspended. I can understand Amare, but not Boris. The 6 guys that played for the Suns that night gave it absolutely everything they had. But by the time the 4th quarter rolled around, they were extremely raplapla
(Excuse my French). So, the Spurs got the better of them and went on to win the series.

This season has been the same thing. D'Antoni refuses to play his bench and refuses to give himself a chance to develop confidence in his bench guys. They are quality basketball players. You don't get to the NBA without being pretty dang good at basketball. But, D'Antoni still goes with the same old story every night which makes game planning against the Suns ever so easy. Some people just will not learn from past mistakes.

Bottom Line

The Phoenix Suns will never experience ultimate success the way things are being run in their organization right now. Something has to and, I think, will happen in the offseason to address these issues and more.