| Sun Setting In Phoenix, Poor Management Responsible Authored by Patrick J. Austin - March 1, 2009 - 2:50 pm
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The rampant trade rumors surrounding everyone not named Steve Nash created a toxic environment in the locker room and the likely hood of a major trade involving core players this summer increased exponentially as a result. It’s quite depressing since Phoenix had one of the most enviable cores of players in the league just a couple years ago. They had a rare combination of productive talent that could win now, but also be dominant for years to come. No longer.
The roster, as presently constructed, is not a true challenger to the top teams in the West. They rely on aging players too heavily and their best young player is itching to bolt. Sure, they have brought back the run-and-gun style that made them so successful in the past, but they don’t have the necessary parts to truly execute the system to its full capacity (as they did under D’Antoni).
Looking down the road, it’s even more distressing. They mortgaged their future in order to save money by dealing away valuable first round picks in salary dumps. The Suns owe an unprotected first round pick in 2010 to the Oklahoma City Thunder to complete the Kurt Thomas trade. Given the downward spiral the team is in, that’s going to be a very valuable pick. It could even turn into a high lottery pick.
The Suns could be in the same situation as the Memphis Grizzlies circa 2003 when they had to give up the No.2 pick in the draft to the Detroit Pistons in order to complete the infamous Otis Thorpe trade (what a great return on value). Granted, the Pistons wasted that pick on Darko Milicic, but it could have yielded Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade.
The Suns already missed the chance to secure their long-term foundation by trading away young talent for the sake of finances. In 2006, they traded the draft rights to Rajon Rondo and the contract of Brian Grant to Boston simply because the Suns wanted to get rid of Grant’s $4 million dollar contract. Just imagine having Rondo on the roster right now to learn under Nash. The point guard position would be secure for the next decade.
History repeated itself in 2007 when the Suns dealt Rudy Fernandez’s draft rights to Portland in exchange for cash, not even a draft pick, just coin. Currently, Fernandez is playing a vital role in Portland and looks like an all-star talent.
I could go on for days talking about the Shaq trade, but that’s been over-analyzed. Clearly, it was a bad move, as indicated by Steve Kerr’s reported phone call to Pat Riley this most recent trade deadline to see if the Heat wanted to re-acquire the Diesel.
Just imagine how that phone call went.
Steve Kerr: “Hey Pat, so you know that whole Shaq trade last season. Well, um, yeah, you want him back?”
Pat Riley: “Um, no thanks Steve. I appreciate the offer (chuckling).”
Steve Kerr: “You sure? I call mulligan.”
Riley hangs up.
The underpinning of the Suns recent woes is mismanagement, both in the front office and at the top-level: ownership. The combination of Steve “Spurs basketball rules” Kerr and Robert “value menu” Sarver has proven to be detrimental to the franchise and the reason this team is destined for doom.
You cannot win a championship on a tight budget. You cannot turn every team into the San Antonio Spurs, especially if your team’s roster is built for the exact opposite style of play. Considering Kerr and Sarver are under the impression these two facts are irrelevant, the team is going to suffer. Until either, or both, of these inept gentlemen vacate the franchise, the sun will never rise in Phoenix. |
