Suns Basketball » chris paul

Adande: Grant Hill down to Suns and Spurs

Michael Schwartz — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:38:28 +0000

Thursday will go down as a day that shook the NBA world. The lockout officially ended with the players and owners ratifying the new 10-year labor deal and a decent point guard with two first names...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

New Orleans Hornets 106, Phoenix Suns 100 — Checkmate

Michael Schwartz — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:07:25 +0000

PHOENIX — It happened so suddenly that few among the US Airways Center faithful even knew why the Suns’ stud center was writhing in the pain with blood spilling onto the hardwood. The play...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

2011 NBA All-Star Starters Revealed, What About the Reserves?

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 01:57:51 +0000

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Jazz, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Eastern, Western, NBA All-Star Game, Thunder

Denver coach George Karl likes to say each All-Star squad should have 15 players, rather than 12.

It's a great idea for the West this season, with there about to be some serious snubs. As for the East, 10 seems a better number this season in a conference that after the top teams has as much depth as the local park's kiddie pool.

Perhaps the East should concede two spots to the West. Throw in that Houston's Yao Ming, named the West starting center, will miss the Feb. 20 Game in Los Angeles, and that would give the West 15 players with All-Star recognition.

The starters were announced Thursday night, and there wasn't anything to complain about other than how ridiculous it was that fans (hello, China) continued to vote for Yao in bunches even after it was announced Dec. 17 he was out for the season with a foot injury. Even before then, he was averaging 10.2 points in a meager five games.

The East starters will be Orlando's Dwight Howard at center, Miami's LeBron James and New York's Amar'e Stoudemire at forward and Miami's Dwyane Wade and Chicago's Derrick Rose at guard. Other than Yao, West starters named were Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Denver's Carmelo Anthony at forward and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and New Orleans' Chris Paul at guard.

Now, on to the reserves. After the coaches cast their ballots, here's who should be announced next Thursday as well as which players might be ticked off:

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Steve Nash Still With the Suns … for Now

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:30:42 +0000

by Sam Amick

Filed under: Knicks, Suns, NBA Rumors

The game itself, once again, did nothing to reveal the number of circles on Steve Nash's tree trunk.

The ageless Phoenix Suns point guard was nearly perfect in a loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, carving up one of the league's youngest teams with his trademark offensive brilliance. He hit all eight of his shots from the field and both of his free throws en route to a 20-point outing. Nash was his unselfish self with his teammates as well, and perhaps even too selfless this time around.

He passed up an open layup in the final minute that would have cut the deficit to one, firing a pass to new teammate Mickael Pietrus in the right corner for an errant, game-tying 3-point attempt. Still, Nash's scoring combined with 12 assists and just two turnovers was, once again, the kind of point guard play that NBA executives dream of.

But his Suns lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games nonetheless, and the unavoidable truth that Nash is 36 years old was finally evident afterward as he talked to reporters at his locker inside Arco Arena. The once-boyish face was nowhere to be found, replaced by the mug of a man with a 5 o'clock shadow that features as much gray hair as it does brown.

With the way the new-look Suns are looking, the grays aren't going to stop growing anytime soon.

This is why opposing teams aren't convinced the Suns won't trade Nash before the Feb. 24 trade deadline, because the notion that one of the league's brightest diamonds will stay stuck in this desert rough during his twilight years is simply too hard to comprehend. And that skepticism, according to a source who was recently briefed on the Suns' thinking, might still turn out to be warranted.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phoenix Suns 104, New Orleans Hornets 102 — Gortat keeps dominating

Michael Schwartz — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:29:23 +0000

PHOENIX — After scoring a career-high 19 points Friday against Boston, Marcin Gortat said not to expect him to continue setting career highs, that he had just about reached his limit. Turns out...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Works: When Owners Care Too Much; Respect for Blake Griffin

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 03:02:06 +0000

by Bethlehem Shoals and Tom Ziller

Filed under: Clippers, Hornets, Mavericks, Suns, Trail Blazers, Warriors, The Works

In today's Works: how one master dunkers commends another; why everyone feels bad for Greg Oden; and the eternal challenge for retooling the Hornets.

But first, the difference between hands-on owners and the handsy ones.

On Meddlesome Owners

If you haven't spent some time with Sam Amick's wonderful, elucidating Q&A with new Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, please stop, click the link and read it. That single piece will give you everything you need to know about Golden State's new era.

One of the items Lacob touches on is how he relates to the idea of a "meddling owner," and fan backlash in respect to such. "Meddling" is one of those descriptive words that has a very specific connotation in NBA discourse, and it's not positive. When dissing Mark Cuban, you use the word "meddling." If you wanted to commend Cuban or any other owner for his activity level, you'd call the owner "engaged." But no one ever calls an owner "engaged," because engagement is not the preference.

It's a double-standard, that fans who so often (think they) have all the answers despite thin (more like non-existent) basketball resumés criticize owners with thin basketball resumés who pretend to have all the answers.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rajon Rondo, Robin Lopez Added to Team USA Roster

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:44:24 +0000

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Celtics, Suns, FIBA, USA Basketball, FIBA World Championship

Team USA officially lost two star point guards this weekend but they also gained one.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in an interview Sunday with FanHouse that Boston star Rajon Rondo has committed to Team USA, hoping to be part of the team that will play later this summer in the World Championships.

Colangelo said he spoke to Rondo on Saturday, and he confirmed his desire to participate. Rondo previously had begged off this summer due a family commitment.

During the weekend, Colangelo learned officially that Utah point guard Deron Williams and New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, both holdovers from the 2008 Olympic team, won't be playing. In telling FanHouse last Monday that all the other 2008 Olympians were off the team, Colangelo said also Paul (knee injury) and Williams (wrist injury) might not be able to play due to injury. So he knew then there was a good chance there would be no holdovers.

Colangelo also said Sunday that Phoenix center Robin Lopez has been added to the roster, making it 22 players who will be in Las Vegas for the July 20-24 training camp. His twin brother, New Jersey center Brook Lopez, already is on the roster.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

A stupid Chris Paul offer

Michael Schwartz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:21:19 +0000

Ryan Schwan over at Hornets 247 asked members of the TrueHoop Network to come up with our best offer for New Orleans star point guard Chris Paul. Robert Sarver did say at the Lon Babby press...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Nine Trade Demands the NBA Survived

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:45:34 +0000

by Bethlehem Shoals

Filed under: 76ers, Bucks, Celtics, Grizzlies, Hornets, Knicks, Lakers, Rockets, Suns, NBA Rumors, NBA Transactions

Indignity! Slaughter! Fall of Rome! Faces of Death! If you thought LeBron James destroyed the NBA by over-dramatizing his free agency, get ready for the real glimpse into Hades: Chris Paul, franchise point guard, possibly wanting a trade two years before his deal is up.

Yes, we know. Paul met with the Hornets brass and came out saying that he was staying put. Maybe that's because he didn't feel like paying the hefty fine that comes with publicly announcing your intention to force the trade. Or maybe dude just had a mighty change of heart. Regardless, the fact remains that Chris Paul gets to decide what happens in this situation.

Wait, how is this possible? Isn't he under contract? Doesn't he make millions, and thus would be an unforgivable ingrate if he walks out now? He wouldn't dare sit out, would he? No, because there's all types of precedent for this.

Chris Paul is not the first player to consider forcing a trade. It's like he's being punished for being one of the best to do it -- and one from a small market who has bonded so much with his adopted city. Again, though, what little memory we have. Paul's situation will not destroy the NBA. It's the way business has always been done. And last I checked, the NBA was only mildly demolished by each of these brazen, and illegal, transactions.

If this is a question of sabotaging the public trust by using phantom leverage and turning heel, well, they should outlaw the mini-max deal that Paul (like James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Deron Williams) signed. Otherwise, there's always the possibility that a player can leave after three seasons of the deal like James, and the implication that -- gasp -- he might decide sooner that things just aren't working out.

There's a contract there, sure, but trading disgruntled stars is part of the rhythm of the league. Major upheavals, no doubt, but all were eventually absorbed and assimilated by the larger organic organism. Like dumping tons of oil into the ocean. It's not supposed to happen but eventually, we'll all get over it.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Mini-Max Contract: Where 2010 All Began

Fanhouse NBA Blog - suns — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:29:18 +0000

by Bethlehem Shoals

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat, Hornets, Jazz, Magic, Nets, Nuggets, Suns, NBA Rumors

No one likes the Free Agent Super-Summit, even those rumored to be involved. It may or may not be collusion, and on a good day, makes LeBron James and friends look like ardent disciples of Mikhail Prokhorov -- without the funny accent that charms out all into submission.

Certainly, the forced drama and posturing around the event, which may or may not have ever been meant literally, grate on even the most pro-player observers. And admittedly, there's a hill of difference between this summer and Jim Brown -- an avowed supporter of LeBron's hunt for fulfillment -- trying to get some basic dignity for himself and other NFL players. But silliness and bad public relations aside, there's an important middle ground missing here. It's the place where NBA players, all too long held hostage by incompetent organizations and the truism that heaven was six years at max money, risk stability for a chance at some leverage.

It's the mini-max effort of 2006, where James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh coordinated shorter deals exactly so their teams would have to do right by them (and so they could sneak in under the upcoming CBA). Was the goal solidarity down the road? Or just smart business they all suggested to each other? Either way, it was such a good idea that Chris Paul and Deron Williams followed suit two seasons later.

No longer could a superstar be paid off and taken for granted -- or, if you want to be glum about it, invested in heavily and find themselves an albatross down the road. This was a power-grab, but in a much-deserved way.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments