What Has Steve Kerr Done to the NBA’s Coolest Team?
PHX was cooler with MatrixWhat did you expect from Steve Kerr when he was first brought on in Phoenix? I, for one, thought that he’d open up this free-wheeling offense even more, turning it into John Beilein’s wet dream - something along the lines of a three-point shooting range in which Amare and Steve Nash would be the only two players allowed inside the three-point line.
But Kerr hasn’t brought on players that reflect the way he played. (I know that if someone was stupid enough to let me make personnel moves for a franchise, I’d bring in a bunch of slovenly hustlers with little offensive game. Welcome David Lee, Paul Millsap, Jason Maxiell, and Reggie Evans.)
In fact, Kerr’s acquisitions are pretty much polar opposites to his style of play. He set the tone early on with the Shaq-for-Marion swap. While that trade didn’t transform the Suns’ character, it also didn’t really sink in last year. As that move was made at the trade deadline, it felt like Shaq was being borrowed on loan for the impending battle with Tim Duncan. But now that the Diesel has been in the Suns’ plans all summer, he’ll be put to use in a way that best suits his skill set.
Add in Butthead (er, Robin Lopez), who might some day be a poor man’s Fab Oberto, and you’ve got a team that is in danger of being devoid of the run-and-gun philosphy that has made them a fixture of national telecasts. During each of the two seasons that they lost in the Western Conference Finals, the Suns had three more shooters (not counting Shawn Marion) than they do this year (Tim Thomas, Eddie House, and James Jones in ‘05-06, and Joe Johnson, Q-Rich, and Jimmy Jackson in ‘04-05.) Now, instead of stockpiling shooters, Kerr has a platoon of Louis Amundson, Eric Piatkowski, and Linton Johnson on his roster.
Steve Kerr didn’t win five NBA championships cleaning the glass. But he didn’t win them by being the coolest guy in the League either. So maybe Kerr is building a team in his likeness after all.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
RENO says:
1ST!!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
RENO says:
It’s gonna be interesting to see how Shaq deals with another season of disappointment…. Is this gonna be Kerr’s last year???
September 4th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
fallinup says:
Name one successful ex-player from the Chitown Championship years that has gone on to be a success as an exec…..
……still waiting….
….still waiting….
September 4th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
kevin k says:
window is closing for the suns. This is probably the last year for the Suns to make a serious impact before the teams like Portland and even the Clippers!! overtake the wester conference. (Bdiddy, EJ, Al, Camby, and Caveman is a sick 5) especially if EJ and AL develops.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Sam I Am says:
GO STEVE KERR!
You’ve slowly single-handedly allowed the sun to set on the SUNS.
Now say that 3 times fast !
September 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Sam I Am says:
fallinup is sooo dead on…
cause CLEARLY his “airness” JACKED UP THE HOMETOWN WIZARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
fallinup says:
Don’t forget the genius that is John Paxson!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Junio says:
Dude, run and gun in Phoenix now only with wheelchairs….
September 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
QueSt??? says:
he is trying to do radical plastic surgery and transform the suns into the spurs.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Junio says:
Agree with kevin k. I think the Nash’ Suns had their championship window closed. Now, they’ll have to rebuild focusing on Amare.
Liked the Yahoo Sports analyst, didn’t like the GM moves.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
fallinup says:
In Kerr’s defense. He wasn’t there when they let Joe Johnson walk (which is my #1 reason why the Suns championship window closed). And he reportedly was the last one to sign on to the Shaq trade. But all in all though, the Suns were a good backup point guard and a defensive minded 3-4 away from the ring for the past few years. Trading your cornerstone in Marion, letting your revolutionary coach walk, and making a giant change in the nature of the team has been the PHX downfall. Drastic change was not needed. The door has closed.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
soylentbaz says:
The Suns have traded away their draft picks for years before Kerr got there:
Luol Deng traded for future pick
Rudy Fernandez for cash
Rajon Rondo for cash, future pick
Sergio Rodriguez cash
No doubt the Suns are going to hit a wall sometime in the next two years, but I really don’t think its all Kerr’s fault.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
craig990 says:
Nice read!
YO DIME… im calling you out again!!!!!
What ever happened to that NBA Losers List?
Bring it back!!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
RENO says:
So who’s the first to go when they start to rebuild next season???
September 4th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
pze says:
the dumbest thing that the suns ever did was letting bryan colangelo go as their gm
September 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
RENO says:
You right PZE.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
fallinup says:
Credit where credit is due…blame the cheap ass owner.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
TWolves Convert says:
“Add in Butthead (er, Robin Lopez), who might some day be a poor man’s Fab Oberto”
Now that is a glowing report if I ever heard one. What is the poor man’s version of an average defensive center? A below average defensive center?
September 4th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
dukesman2000 says:
Steve is slowly becoming the Caucasian version of Isaiah Thomas.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Prof. TX says:
The window has already closed. Nash is aging, Marion is gone, Shaq is way past his prime, and Amare is not enough to carry a team in the West. They’d need a good trade (or two, or three) to climb back into the race but they’re short on good trade bait that they’d actually part with. Maybe the Shaq contract could offer cap space to a team when it’s about to expire, but what could the Suns really expect to get in return?
September 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Big V says:
Kerr killed the Suns. Horrible management for a team that was just on the cusp of greatness.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
LakeShow84 says:
LMAO post# 19
September 4th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
kermit the washington says:
The Shaq move was a last resort. They sold their soul to the Devil for someone who went from wannabe rapper, to wannabe cop, to wannabe rapper STALKER.
Window closed….nnnnnNOW!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
chrisGO says:
dime, any way you can block out those useless “FIRST!” posts?
September 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
kermit the washington says:
@ChrisGo:
I found a way where you can block those “FIRST!” posts yourself:
Scroll down.
HA!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
the haters POV says:
good call chrisGo.
Steve F’d up the Suns. That’s what he did. They used to be one of my favorite teams to watch. Now, not so much.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
kermit the washington says:
Trading Marion was the tipping point of the whole situation. He did so many things that were previously unnoticeable; the only way for everyone to notice them is to TAKE THEM AWAY. Now look at cha!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
loc says:
Nash, Shaq and Amare is enough to win a chip.
This year.
Maybe….
…ok, no, not really, but Id lOVE to see a last shaq hurrah and nash get a chip!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
chrisGO says:
@kermit
yah, good call…i should start ‘blocking them’ myself since everyone else finds those “First!” posts so entertaining, informative, and useful.
but back to the topic…i agree, the Suns used to be one of my fave teams to watch but people can’t put all the blame on Kerr. His main goal as a GM when he was brought in was to bring a chip to Phoenix. After several years of losing in the post season due to defensive deficiencies (among other things), you can’t blame the guy for wanting to switch the style up. I don’t like it either, but the Suns basketball that we’ve all been enjoying has come to an end.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
rodnets says:
Hey dime, how is Andres Nocioni a TAG of an article where he is not even mentioned????
Maybe you could add me in the tags, with this page:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp
Peace
September 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Kobeef says:
I always get stuck on the “what if” Nash stayed with Dirk in Dallas way back when. In the end it probably would have been the best move for both of them. PHX put some very good teams on the floor but never quite good enough to get past the Lakers, Spurs etc.
I thought the Suns should have traded Nash and Matrix to Dallis for JHo and Devin Harris at the trade deadline and I stand by that. Dirk would have made it further with Matrix and Nash than he did with Kidd and vice-versa the suns would be better-off in the future with Harris and Howard alongside Amare instead of Fat-Shaq and old-Nash.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
wanabballer says:
I for one actually living in Phoenix and following the SUNS since the THUNDER DAN DAYS I am feeling a lil sick! So sick I am following Bayless to Portland… I should of figured as much for bringing a Wildcat into SunDevil territory
September 4th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
GEE...Gotta love the nicknames of different types of weed! says:
Hindsight boyyyy! Shaq should have stayed in Miami. Wade already has show he is going to be “filthy”. Plus they got Beasley, Mario, and you still going to have your work horses (Udonis, Zo and all).
Don’t get me wrong it’s prolly going to be a lil toss up as to who is going to do better and it will probably be the Suns.
I still think had Shaq stayed and they still get the picks and pick up a few good FA then they probably could do well in the East.
I think the Suns are going to be nice this year. Sure some of them are aging and they lost some cats, but I still see them in playoffs making noise.
Shaq should have stayed in Mia though.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Aaron says:
Kerr hasn’t been there long enough yet to pass judgment. Marion was a head case that was causing chemistry issues. Also, look at his playoff stats and you can also understand why a contending team might want to let him go. Let’s see how the kids come along and you also can’t sleep on Matt Barnes either. Honestly, we couldn’t get past San Antonio with our lack of size, thin bench and lack of defense. We’re starting to round all that out and it took getting rid of a stubborn coach to begin to do so. It’s OK to write about the Suns but please do so when you have some knowledge of the team IE Pike will not be back.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Austin Burton says:
In Kerr’s defense, everyone had been saying for years that the Suns would never win a championship playing the D’Antoni way — and it was proven when they’d flame out every year in the postseason while Nash and Marion were exhausted and they couldn’t get key defensive stops. Everyone said they needed to be more like the Spurs/Pistons in some ways. All Kerr is doing is making the moves he thinks will get them there. Where he messed up, though, was trading Marion, who was too vital to what they did.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Brandon Hoffman says:
He torpedoed it.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Clutch says:
The suns where on the cusp of greatness the same way that the bowling ball almost rolled itself up a hill.
They weren’t going to win as they where, the spurs where better all those years. And this year the hornets lakers spurs, and celtics where better before the shaq trade. The run and gun no defense style is nice to watch but doesn’t really get your very far.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:29 am
paningit says:
building the suns in his own likeness. then we can expect him to sign more pasty-white, spot-up shooters with bad hair.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:48 am
chiaki says:
Steve was the last one in the Suns management to pull the trigger in the Shaq trade.. So its not really his call..
September 5th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Ian says:
twolves
when u have similar players the one less talent is the poor mans version of the other one they dont have to be superstars
September 5th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Jason says:
Hey guys-
Check out the book “Seven Seconds or Less” if you really want some insight to what was going on with the suns. A sportswriter followed them around for an entire season. It’ll give you a different perspective to the lives of NBA players that we don’t see.
For instance, Shawn Marion came across as self-centered and there were countless parts of the book where the coaches had to baby him to get his mind focused. He created a lot of off the court chemistry issues for the Phoenix Suns organization because he had to be coddled and re-assured that he was the best player on the team when players like Nash and Stoudamire were getting all of the attention. Marion’s high contract and attitude were probably a couple of the reasons that lead to his trade.
“Seven Seconds or Less” is a good read and you can find it for less than $10 (with shipping) on Amazon.
September 7th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Stepper says:
@ Austin Burton
“and it was proven when they’d flame out every year in the postseason while Nash and Marion were exhausted and they couldn’t get key defensive stops”
Since when did nash have any defense, never mind exhausting them