Phoenix wins waiver auction for Luis Scola

[talkingconch]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine

The NBA's 30 teams have just been notified that Phoenix has won waiver auction for Luis Scola

[cassiusq]

wow. pretty quick rebuild.

[Yung D-Will]

:applause:

[Faptastrophe]

Holy shit. PHX looks so good on paper.

[Godzuki]

and i would've sworn phx was in the worst turnaround position out of any team in the NBA towards the end of last season. amazing rebuild :applause:

[ProfessorMurder]

Scola/Frye
Gortat/ROLO

Not too shabby.

[General]

Suns front office:bowdown:

[TMT]

Nice addition for Phoenix. It was a major pipe dream to think this guy would get through waivers. :cry:

[R.I.P.]

Hmm what does that mean for Beasley (and Mayo)?

Heard the Cavs were bidding as well. Probably around 4-5m.

[Umad101]

Lol they might just make the playoff afterall

[UtahJazzFan88]

Holy shit. PHX looks so good on paper.

You mean 9-10th in the West? :oldlol: :confusedshrug:

It's a nice pick-up, but Phoenix aren't contenders, not knocking them since they aren't far off from other teams like my team, but this new Suns team is basically like what the Rockets were.

[d.bball.guy]

:applause: Suns

[d.bball.guy]

You mean 9-10th in the West? :oldlol: :confusedshrug:

It's a nice pick-up, but Phoenix aren't contenders, not knocking them since they aren't far off from other teams like my team, but this new Suns team is basically like what the Rockets were.
Who said they were contenders? Instead of sucking bad after Nash left, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs.

[anthonyRandolph]

pretty decent .

[Story Up]

Dragic, Mayo, Beasly, Scola & Scola would be tight.

[Al Thornton]

Who said they were contenders? Instead of sucking bad after Nash left, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs.

that's not good though, they're in the same position as before. they need to get high draft picks not 13 or 14 every year.

[UtahJazzFan88]

Who said they were contenders? Instead of sucking bad after Nash left, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs.

I was talking to the LeBron fan who thought the Suns "looked so good on paper".

It's a nice pick-up but it's almost bad in a way because the Suns are probably stuck in that mediocre range.

[IGotACoolStory]

Middle of the road team unless Dragic develops into a star.

Still need that star.

[TMT]

They won't get Gordon, but are likely to get Mayo imo.

Dragic/Marshall
Mayo/Brown
Beasley/Dudley
Scola/Frye
Gortat/Lopez

EDIT: Shoot, Morris too.

That's certainly a hell of a roster for a team that is supposed to be starting it's rebuilding process. :lol Kudos to the Suns for what they've done so far.

[anthonyRandolph]

Still fighting for Gordon and might as well get Mayo. At least one of these guys would be more than good.
:biggums:

[Nash]

Dragic
Mayo
Beasley
Scola
Gortat

Alright, nice job.

[Faptastrophe]

:biggums:
typo
"And, obviously, Phoenix went hard after Eric Gordon. Pushing for O.J. Mayo, too."

:rolleyes:

[d.bball.guy]

I was talking to the LeBron fan who thought the Suns "looked so good on paper".

It's a nice pick-up but it's almost bad in a way because the Suns are probably stuck in that mediocre range.
Well, they don't look that good, still mediocre but nice pickup. I would rather see them tank, though.

[boozehound]

Still fighting for Gordon and might as well get Mayo. At least one of these guys would be more than good.
didnt nola match on gordon?

[b1imtf]

that's not good though, they're in the same position as before. they need to get high draft picks not 13 or 14 every year.
This man knows it

[Faptastrophe]

didnt nola match on gordon?
Yeah. Totally forgot about it.

[DTreats]

Not sure why Suns do this, poor Scola. Why not just leave him for a non-shitty team? A contender could use him:facepalm

[NOHCP3]

Good signing. Glad the Mavs didn't get him that wouldve been redundant to have 3 quality PF's. 2 former rockets now in the starting lineup

[dunksby]

Dragic is gonna be the one who makes this team click, break out year for him next year.

[Droid101]

For a team that sells their draft picks every year, that's one quick rebuild.

Bobcats/Raptors, take notice.

[ukballer]

that's not good though, they're in the same position as before. they need to get high draft picks not 13 or 14 every year.

They're giving Beasley and possibly Mayo the chance to shine in what is by far the biggest opportunity of their careers so far. It's a positive move, regardless of the outcome of the next couple of seasons. Beasley for 6 mill a year isn't a bad deal at all. Especially when you consider players like Batum and Ilyasova will be getting more than that, a lot more in Batum's case.

At least they haven't sat around drowning their sorrows at losing Steve Nash. They may as well take a punt on Beasley becoming the player they'd like him to be. What's the worst that can happen? They probably finish middle of the pack like everyone expected them to anyway and can still pick up some decent talent in the draft.

Regardless of what the current status of your team is, Scola is a great addition too. PHX medical staff will probably add another couple of years to his career if he stays around. :lol

[Qwyjibo]

For a team that sells their draft picks every year, that's one quick rebuild.

Bobcats/Raptors, take notice.
A rebuild into what? What is a 32 year old Scola going to add to that team? The only thing this will accompllish is keep them from getting a high enough pick to pick an actual impact player. Phoenix has the ceiling of a 6-8 seed and a quick 1st round exit. That's exactly the type of treadmill team I'm hoping the Raptors don't become.

[Hopper15]

Holy shit. PHX looks so good on paper.


I'm not seeing it other than bringing back Dragic and adding Scola. Don't even bring up Beasley, he's a total black hole.

[Maniak]

Raptors are already pretty good at being a mid-tier team.

[LJJ]

Fcking Bobcats.

They get Scola through the amnesty waivers and Charlotte gets Haywood.

[R.I.P.]

A rebuild into what? What is a 32 year old Scola going to add to that team? The only thing this will accompllish is keep them from getting a high enough pick to pick an actual impact player. Phoenix has the ceiling of a 6-8 seed and a quick 1st round exit. That's exactly the type of treadmill team I'm hoping the Raptors don't become.

The last time the Raptors were that relevant McGrady

[EnoughSaid]

Wow Phoenix is shaping up nicely. :bowdown:

[Cermet]

the roster (if they sign Mayo) looks pretty good. I am really impressed by the suns.They are the opposite to Blazers in effort during the off-season.

Dragic/Marshal
Mayo/Brown
Beasly/(asuming G.Hill is gone, if he is not even better)Dudley
Scola/Markief
Gortat/Lopez/Frye

That is a playoff caliber team.

[Qwyjibo]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]The last time the Raptors were that relevant McGrady

[Prodigy]

Who said they were contenders? Instead of sucking bad after Nash left, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs.

Instead of rebuilding they're ensuring that they will continue to lose now and 5 years from now.

[DaSeba5]

That's a good team on paper. Props to Phoenix for such a great offseason.

[noob cake]

Instead of rebuilding they're ensuring that they will continue to lose now and 5 years from now.

Agree. PHX will be stuck as 7-9th seed for the next two seasons minimum.

[Kujo]

You won't get an argument from me on the Raptor sucking. They do. They are miserable right now because the GM is content to aim for a mediocre team and nothing more. I don't see any difference in terms of "best case scenario" right now between the Raptors and Suns. Both teams are being built to keep people in the seats and merely make the playoffs rather than win anything of significance. The Suns are simply further along in the process than the Raptors.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Bobcats are in a better position than both teams in 3 years. That's assuming that Rich Cho is given time to build up a core from the draft and the ownership doesn't get impatient.

I totally agree.


I like Scola's game a lot, and would have much rather seen him go to a contender.

I think the Suns will basically have Houston's record next year.

[wagexslave]

Not sure why Suns do this, poor Scola. Why not just leave him for a non-shitty team? A contender could use him
So you think the Suns, or any of the other rebuilding teams, give 2 sh*ts about the contenders and WANT them to get even BETTER? :facepalm

[wagexslave]

Instead of rebuilding they're ensuring that they will continue to lose now and 5 years from now.
So what are they supposed to do? Sign the worst free agents possible, have a roster with 8 players on it, try to get the worst record possible just for the chance of winning the draft lottery, and piss the fans off EVEN MORE after they already pissed a lot of the fans off by trading Nash to the Lakers? :facepalm

God some people around here are retarded as f*ck.

[wagexslave]

Instead of rebuilding they're ensuring that they will continue to lose now and 5 years from now.
Care to elaborate as to how in the hell are they NOT rebuilding? :wtf:

[no pun intended]

Dragic and Scola must be fvcking happy.

[Derrick]

So what are they supposed to do? Sign the worst free agents possible, have a roster with 8 players on it, try to get the worst record possible just for the chance of winning the draft lottery, and piss the fans off EVEN MORE after they already pissed a lot of the fans off by trading Nash to the Lakers? :facepalm

God some people around here are retarded as f*ck.
Yes, even if we do tank which is ****ing stupid, it doesnt even guarantee us a superstar. I'm not watching a tanking team. For some people its championship or bust, Im content just watching us in the playoffs.

[wagexslave]

Yes, even if we do tank which is ****ing stupid, it doesnt even guarantee us a superstar. I'm not watching a tanking team. For some people its championship or bust, Im content just watching us in the playoffs.
Exactly. For me I just want to watch an exciting team. A team I can enjoy watching. They don't have to win 50+ games and make the WCF for me to be a happy fan. As long as they're a fun team to watch throughout the season, that's what I care about the most. And they're assembling a fun team to watch. What would their starting 5 be if they hadn't signed these players? Marshall, Brown, Dudley, Morris, and Gortat? LOL F*ck that. I'm glad they're at least trying their best to put an acceptable squad out on the court.

[ncrizzle]

Scola and Dragic are nice. But Beasley is Beasley. Hopefully he just needs a change of scenery, just like Mayo needs. But Mayo apparently also needs to be paid at least 7.5mill a year. He has the talent, but really needs to learn to pick his shots better. He averaged more than 11 shots a game coming off the bench last year. If he learns how to play team ball and get his fg% up he will be worth the money. If not, you can find another scorer for less money

[AAckley1]

What most of you fail to realize is that this is the best move for the future of the Suns. When Dragic was putting up that 18/8 as a starter, who was his complimentary player? Who is the perfect player to pick up when two of your offseason targets are guys with high talent level but questionable effort level?

Scola is the perfect player for the players that the Suns just picked up. On top of that, they got him at an incredible bargain. Bravo Suns FO.

[Maniak]

What most of you fail to realize is that this is the best move for the future of the Suns. When Dragic was putting up that 18/8 as a starter, who was his complimentary player? Who is the perfect player to pick up when two of your offseason targets are guys with high talent level but questionable effort level?

Scola is the perfect player for the players that the Suns just picked up. On top of that, they got him at an incredible bargain. Bravo Suns FO.
The best move for the future of a rebuilding team is a 32 year old?

[boozehound]

The best move for the future of a rebuilding team is a 32 year old?
I love how people act like a rebuilding team is supposed to be all 23 yr olds. Having a solid vet presence is also important. Scola will be very solid for the suns through the end of this contract.

[PejaNowitzki]

The best move for the future of a rebuilding team is a 32 year old?


The best move to not abandon your young PG who is prone to lapses in confidence is to give him a guy he connected well with previously. Scola will make life easier for Dragic, the more confidently he plays, the better he does and this will only help the team out as a whole.


You don't sign a guy like Dragic and then surround him with ****-all players that he's not comfortable with.

[FireDavidKahn]

Holy shit. PHX looks so good on paper.
"so good"

?

[DuMa]

i still dont see this team making the playoffs.

[PejaNowitzki]

i still dont see this team making the playoffs.



I do, they've got a good mixture of size, athleticism, rebounding, passing, outside shooting...etc. Gorat is extremely underrated, having Scola in the frontcourt will only help him as well as Dragic. Beasley can score and if he feels like it, rebound as well, if they get Mayo, that's a guy who can create his own shot, handle the ball and defend.


Meanwhile on the bench you have Frye, Lopez, Jared Dudley, Kendall Marshall, Markieff Morris and possibly Shannon Brown.


That's good for a 6-8 seed in the Western Conference.

[hawksdogsbraves]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]The last time the Raptors were that relevant McGrady

[AAckley1]

The best move for the future of a rebuilding team is a 32 year old?

Yes. As Scola regresses over the next few seasons, it will allow the pieces the Suns have got this offseason to grow and gel together. By that time, Morris (or another player they acquire) could have developed enough to supplant or share minutes with Scola.

It is of my opinion that nothing causes a young player to improve more than playoff experience. Who cares if the Suns are a 8 seed this year? When 4/5 of your probable starters are under 26...wouldn't that be positive sign? Are all of you suggesting that neither Dragic or Beasley will improve their game from this time forward?

[wagexslave]

Yeah except for, you know, what the very best Western Conference team did...
Get the f*ck out of here with that crap, how many teams get as lucky in the draft as the Thunder did? None, except them. They could've EASILY ended up with Oden, Beasley, and Thabeet instead of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. That team would still be bottom 5 in the league. They just got extremely lucky.

Not willing to take my chances trying to get that kind of luck. Look at how many teams in the league try to tank and get lucky in the draft, and end up sucking for nearly a decade at a time. F*ck that. If I'm running a team and I have a chance to sign solid players and make my team at least somewhat respectable, I'm doing it.

[Prodigy]

Get the f*ck out of here with that crap, how many teams get as lucky in the draft as the Thunder did? None, except them. They could've EASILY ended up with Oden, Beasley, and Thabeet instead of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. That team would still be bottom 5 in the league. They just got extremely lucky.

Not willing to take my chances trying to get that kind of luck. Look at how many teams in the league try to tank and get lucky in the draft, and end up sucking for nearly a decade at a time. F*ck that. If I'm running a team and I have a chance to sign solid players and make my team at least somewhat respectable, I'm doing it.

If what you want is a 40-50 win team that can make the playoffs as a low seed but go no further then fine. But if you actually want to have a chance to win a contend for a championship within the next ten years it's not going to happen.

[wagexslave]

If what you want is a 40-50 win team that can make the playoffs as a low seed but go no further then fine. But if you actually want to have a chance to win a contend for a championship within the next ten years it's not going to happen.
Ok then genius, tell me how you would do things different? Sign the crappiest free agents possible, construct a roster of nothing but 8 garbage-minutes level players, have nothing to attract the fans to coming to the games, lose as many games as possible and look like a laughing stock, etc?

You do realize that NBA teams are businesses right? They're out to make money. And nobody's going to pay money to see a starting 5 of Marshall, Brown, Dudley, Frye, and Gortat... :facepalm

[Derrick]

If what you want is a 40-50 win team that can make the playoffs as a low seed but go no further then fine. But if you actually want to have a chance to win a contend for a championship within the next ten years it's not going to happen.
I doubt tanking will get us the type of talent to beat the likes of KD/Westbrook/Harden who are going to dominate the west for rest of the decade.

[OmniStrife]

Sarver \ Banks \ Babby .... I'm lost for words!! :wtf:


:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[PejaNowitzki]

Supposedly Mayo is looking at 8 mil a year as a MINIMUM starting point for contract talks and the Suns have basically GTFO with that bullshit and are now leaning towards re-signing Shannon Brown and possibly signing Courtney Lee.

[Derrick]

Sarver \ Banks \ Babby .... I'm lost for words!! :wtf:


:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9pD5LIjElbY/TSaYMPOzlvI/AAAAAAAAAHc/NcCoIRD_TWE/s400/Baby-worship-lawd.gif

[wagexslave]

I doubt tanking will get us the type of talent to beat the likes of KD/Westbrook/Harden who are going to dominate the west for rest of the decade.
Seriously... I don't know where all of these delusional people are coming from thinking that the only way to rebuild a team is to flat out suck and get lucky in the draft. How many NBA championship teams of the past 20 years won their championships simply by sucking and building through the draft? Any? :oldlol: What a joke.

This is a league where big name Free Agents and Blockbuster Trades are your best bet to getting to contention. And no franchise player Free Agents are ever going to want to come here in the near future if the Suns don't have a respectable lineup constructed for them to come join forces with, and they're never going to trade for anybody if they have nobody on the roster that anyone would want. :facepalm

[Prodigy]

Ok then genius, tell me how you would do things different? Sign the crappiest free agents possible, construct a roster of nothing but 8 garbage-minutes level players, have nothing to attract the fans to coming to the games, lose as many games as possible and look like a laughing stock, etc?

You do realize that NBA teams are businesses right? They're out to make money. And nobody's going to pay money to see a starting 5 of Marshall, Brown, Dudley, Frye, and Gortat... :facepalm

Obviously if you're a franchise that is financially struggling to stay afloat then perennially tanking is not an option.

But who remembers how bad the Thunder sucked when they were first acquired? Who remembers how bad the Nets were when they went on a 22 game skid? Who will remember how bad the Cavs or Bobcats were this season a couple seasons from now? If the whole point of not tanking while you are supposedly rebuilding is only to "save face" then whoever is handling the team is much too short sighted.

[Prodigy]

Seriously... I don't know where all of these delusional people are coming from thinking that the only way to rebuild a team is to flat out suck and get lucky in the draft. How many NBA championship teams of the past 20 years won their championships simply by sucking and building through the draft? Any? :oldlol: What a joke.

This is a league where big name Free Agents and Blockbuster Trades are your best bet to getting to contention. And no franchise player Free Agents are ever going to want to come here in the near future if the Suns don't have a respectable lineup constructed for them to come join forces with, and they're never going to trade for anybody if they have nobody on the roster that anyone would want. :facepalm

Spurs.

As for your second point. This is a league where free agents and blockbuster trades are your best bet to getting to contention if you are a select couple franchises. Only the Lakers get allstars given to them for free and if there happens to be a super team in Brooklyn it's won't be because they were an 8th seed. Look at the 76ers. That is your future outlook for the next 5-7 years. You may make the playoffs. If something big happens you may even make the second round. Don't dream of going further.

The way this league works. You either want to be the very best or the very worst. Being in the middle and not getting significantly better or worse is the absolute worst direction a franchise can go in terms of actually building a contender.

Like I said, if the owner and fans are happy with a 40-50 win team every year then this is fine.

[Derrick]

Spurs.
Oh yea, what pick was Tony Parker again? And Ginobili?

[Borat]

Oh yea, what pick was Tony Parker again? And Ginobili?

The biggest piece was Duncan, and he fell in their lap. But they are very well managed. Interestingly, they gave up Scola as well.


This is good for the Suns. They need a competitive team. With some development and another good signing, they could be really good in a couple of seasons.

[Qwyjibo]

Boston too. They tanked in the Oden/Durant draft. Got 5th, traded it for Ray Allen. Would've never won anything without tanking hard that year. Hell, Cleveland tanking for Lebron turned them into a contender for a nice stretch too. They didn't win but came close and had a good run.

Tanking works as long as your management is smart. There is no better way to get high end talent and keep it for multiple years.

[Prodigy]

Oh yea, what pick was Tony Parker again? And Ginobili?

Duncan was their starting piece. Who is the Sun's current starting piece in this 'rebuild'?

[wagexslave]

Spurs.

As for your second point. This is a league where free agents and blockbuster trades are your best bet to getting to contention if you are a select couple franchises. Only the Lakers get allstars given to them for free and if there happens to be a super team in Brooklyn it's won't be because they were an 8th seed. Look at the 76ers. That is your future outlook for the next 5-7 years. You may make the playoffs. If something big happens you may even make the second round. Don't dream of going further.
Ok... that's cool and all if you want to be a loser team just for the CHANCE at getting a player with a lot of potential, but I'd rather take the best I can get now and try to make the playoffs and "not get past the 2nd round" than have a laughing stock team year after year and pray that all of the planets align and somehow we get as lucky as the Spurs/Thunder did.

Like I said, what would YOU have done differently? I'm still waiting for your masterful insight on what the Suns' "best" choices would've been so far this offseason. Since apparently you have constructed so many championship caliber teams in your day. :rolleyes:

[Derrick]

Duncan was their starting piece. Who is the Sun's current starting piece in this 'rebuild'?
The season hasn't started we'll see. All I know is we are better than last year and thats good enough for me.

[wagexslave]

Duncan was their starting piece. Who is the Sun's current starting piece in this 'rebuild'?
They don't have it yet. Seriously man, the Suns just started rebuilding 3 weeks ago. :facepalm The Suns have like 5 first round picks in the next 3 years which they -could- get lucky with, or they could use them to try to move up in the draft or make a trade. They still have a lot of options going forward. Nobody expects this to team to be 100% complete in 1 offseason...

[Prodigy]

They don't have it yet. Seriously man, the Suns just started rebuilding 3 weeks ago. :facepalm The Suns have like 5 first round picks in the next 3 years which they -could- get lucky with, or they could use them to try to move up in the draft or make a trade. They still have a lot of options going forward. Nobody expects this to team to be 100% complete in 1 offseason...

And maybe they get absolute steals in the draft like the Spurs did. But with the way they have been handing out contracts to mid level players it sure doesn't seem like they will find a franchise player within the next 5 years.

[Qwyjibo]

They don't have it yet. Seriously man, the Suns just started rebuilding 3 weeks ago. :facepalm The Suns have like 5 first round picks in the next 3 years which they -could- get lucky with, or they could use them to try to move up in the draft or make a trade. They still have a lot of options going forward. Nobody expects this to team to be 100% complete in 1 offseason...
That's our point questioning the Scola signing. He's 32 right now. If/when the Suns are going to be a legit team again and ready to contend, he is likely not going to matter one bit. The timing doesn't match. Signing a guy like him is just going to make it harder to rebuild for the Suns.

Is there any benefit from winning 40 games instead of 35? There is a in a business sense so I'm sure the owner/GM cares. But from a fan perspective? Not to me. I'd like to hope that the team I root for has a shot at being a legit conference contender at some point. I can find a bad team entertaining as long as I know it is developing its young pieces and has a long-term goal in mind. This is what Hornets fan will look forward to.

[wagexslave]

Boston too. They tanked in the Oden/Durant draft. Got 5th, traded it for Ray Allen. Would've never won anything without tanking hard that year. Hell, Cleveland tanking for Lebron turned them into a contender for a nice stretch too. They didn't win but came close and had a good run.

Tanking works as long as your management is smart. There is no better way to get high end talent and keep it for multiple years.

Who's to say the Suns wont still get a high lottery pick this year though? Nobody know's how this season will go. The point is, they're making the correct moves so far. Who knows, maybe they WILL tank and try to get a #1 draft pick this year ON TOP of the young talent they've already been signing. If that happens, people will be kissing their asses about all of these moves they've been making. Apparently according to Prodigy that's not possible though. The Suns future is already written in stone, he already lived through it and came back from the future to tell us all about how this will curse the Suns for the next 5-7 years... :facepalm

[Rab]

And maybe they get absolute steals in the draft like the Spurs did. But with the way they have been handing out contracts to mid level players it sure doesn't seem like they will find a franchise player within the next 5 years.
That all depends. Sure I would rather have a chance at a top young player coming out in the draft, but that's no more guaranteed these days than signing mid-level players. I've said in other threads, if anything, signing players like Dragic, Beasley, possibly Mayo, etc, could be used to flip into someone in the future (see Melo trade).

[Qwyjibo]

Who's to say the Suns wont still get a high lottery pick this year though? Nobody know's how this season will go.
They'd have a better shot of that by not signing past-their-prime veterans like Scola and simply letting guys who might be a part of the long-term future play.

[martycrane]

not really feelin mayo n beasley together on the wing wit tht squad. particularly beasley. they need someone who will fit in a lil better iq and maturity wise. plus that lineup could use a defense/corner 3 specialist.

[Rab]

They'd have a better shot of that by not signing past-their-prime veterans like Scola and simply letting guys who might be a part of the long-term future play.
I will agree about signing Scola. That didn't makes sense to me, but in a year, he could be a good trade chip. Only time will tell.

[franchise#3]

What was the winning bid?

[Maniak]

Five dollars

[Prodigy]

Who's to say the Suns wont still get a high lottery pick this year though? Nobody know's how this season will go. The point is, they're making the correct moves so far. Who knows, maybe they WILL tank and try to get a #1 draft pick this year ON TOP of the young talent they've already been signing. If that happens, people will be kissing their asses about all of these moves they've been making. Apparently according to Prodigy that's not possible though. The Suns future is already written in stone, he already lived through it and came back from the future to tell us all about how this will curse the Suns for the next 5-7 years... :facepalm

How are they going to be high in the lottery when they're signing all these players? Do you see this team being sub 25 wins?

Regardless. This is the Suns we are talking about; you guys are so cheap that you gifted away parts of your 8 man rotation for cash considerations when you were actually contenders back in 2006.

[Bandito]

What about the Pistons trying to be competitive in the early 2000 and getting a championship with a bunch of scrubs at the time.

[Qwyjibo]

What about the Pistons trying to be competitive in the early 2000 and getting a championship with a bunch of scrubs at the time.
There's an exception to every rule. The Pistons are pretty much the only team in recent memory that had a stretch of success without any true high-end talent. They had a couple very good players, no great ones IMO.

[wagexslave]

And maybe they get absolute steals in the draft like the Spurs did. But with the way they have been handing out contracts to mid level players it sure doesn't seem like they will find a franchise player within the next 5 years.
I asked you twice what you would have done differently. The Suns had the most capspace this offseason, they had roster spots they needed to fill, so they're filling them with decent players. Why? Because they had to. Period.

Nash is gone. The championship contending team that Jerry Colangelo constructed has been torn to pieces bit by bit ever since Sarver took over as owner. Nash was the very last piece of that team, he was the face of the franchise over the majority of the past decade, and adored by the fans here. Many fans wanted him to retire a Sun because he's already engraved himself as a Suns legend. But they traded him to the Lakers, and although I don't mind it that much, a lot of the more casual fans here are pissed as f*ck because the Lakers is one of the most hated teams here(closest NBA team tied to the Suns tied with the Clippers, many L.A. natives transported to Phoenix)

This has been considered the "make or break" offseason for Robert Sarver and the Suns new front office. If they didn't do as much as they could this offseason to put a respectable squad on the court, a lot of fans were going to boycott. They hate Sarver that much. So Sarver and his front office are giving in and signing the best players they can to help soften the fall. You may not agree with it, but it's something they -had- to do.

[Qwyjibo]

This has been considered the "make or break" offseason for Robert Sarver and the Suns new front office. If they didn't do as much as they could this offseason to put a respectable squad on the court, a lot of fans were going to boycott. They hate Sarver that much. So Sarver and his front office are giving in and signing the best players they can to help soften the fall. You may not agree with it, but it's something they -had- to do.
No one is arguing that management shouldn't be scrambling to save their jobs. Of course they are going to do that. I just don't see how any fan could be happy with it. If your management is willing to screw over the long-term future of the team just to save their own ass, they should be (or should've already been) fired.

The exact same thing is happening in Toronto. Desperate GM with eyes only on the short-term trying to save his own job at the cost of the long-term outlook of the team. I get it in a business sense. As a fan, I'm not happy about it.

Scola is a total short-term quick fix move that likely will have very little benefit (if any) on the long-term outlook of the Suns.

[wagexslave]

They'd have a better shot of that by not signing past-their-prime veterans like Scola and simply letting guys who might be a part of the long-term future play.
lol Like who? Morris isn't starter-caliber yet. Warrick sucks. Frye sucks.

And, as already stated, Dragic played with and had success as a starter last year with Scola in Houston so, at the very least, this signing will be helpful to bring Goran Dragic along as a full time starter. And it gives the team some much needed veteran presence to help keep some of these young, immature players in check.

[wagexslave]

No one is arguing that management shouldn't be scrambling to save their jobs. Of course they are going to do that. I just don't see how any fan could be happy with it. If your management is willing to screw over the long-term future of the team just to save their own ass, they should be (or should've already been) fired.

The exact same thing is happening in Toronto. Desperate GM with eyes only on the short-term trying to save his own job at the cost of the long-term outlook of the team. I get it in a business sense. As a fan, I'm not happy about it.

Scola is a total short-term quick fix move that likely will have very little benefit (if any) on the long-term outlook of the Suns.
I don't think any Suns fan expects Scola to be a "long term fix". But for what we need him for, he'll be great. A short term veteran to help this young team along.

[Rab]

No one is arguing that management shouldn't be scrambling to save their jobs. Of course they are going to do that. I just don't see how any fan could be happy with it. If your management is willing to screw over the long-term future of the team just to save their own ass, they should be (or should've already been) fired.
I think it's a little extreme to say they are screwing over the long term future of the team. They are operating differently than I have seen in the last 8 years, and to me, it's a little refreshing. Doesn't mean I agree with every move they've made, but I certainly don't constitute what they have done so far as detrimental to the future. They've signed mid-level players to reasonable deals, and picked up a solid veteran on the cheap. They have aquired and kept draft picks. I think we all want to read too much to the immediate impact of signings without seeing the big picture. Every player they have picked up thus far, could probably be traded without much difficulty, and they're not really in cap hell. Whether or not it works is something we'll have to wait on, but as a fan of the Suns, I am willing to give a different mindset a chance.

[Prodigy]

I asked you twice what you would have done differently. The Suns had the most capspace this offseason, they had roster spots they needed to fill, so they're filling them with decent players. Why? Because they had to. Period.

Nash is gone. The championship contending team that Jerry Colangelo constructed has been torn to pieces bit by bit ever since Sarver took over as owner. Nash was the very last piece of that team, he was the face of the franchise over the majority of the past decade, and adored by the fans here. Many fans wanted him to retire a Sun because he's already engraved himself as a Suns legend. But they traded him to the Lakers, and although I don't mind it that much, a lot of the more casual fans here are pissed as f*ck because the Lakers is one of the most hated teams here(closest NBA team tied to the Suns tied with the Clippers, many L.A. natives transported to Phoenix)

This has been considered the "make or break" offseason for Robert Sarver and the Suns new front office. If they didn't do as much as they could this offseason to put a respectable squad on the court, a lot of fans were going to boycott. They hate Sarver that much. So Sarver and his front office are giving in and signing the best players they can to help soften the fall. You may not agree with it, but it's something they -had- to do.

Pretty sure I've been saying for the past 10 posts that they need to tank. They had their shot at contending and once they started rebuilding, which should have been when Kerr gave up Shaq for nothing, they should have traded away all assets and pieces they had for picks while signing vets to cheap contracts.

But Sarver is a bitch. He milked the remainder of Nash's prime to keep people interested in an expired product and now that his cash cow is gone he is doing a quickie rebuild to keep fans interested in this semi competitive team and it's working. Look at the 20 posts already in this thread with people saying "Go Suns mangement! What a great offseason! This roster looks great on paper!". No this roster doesn't look great. It looks like a 7th place team if everything clicks and a 10th place team if things don't. Where does that leave you then? A 13th pick or so again in the draft leading to probably another solid but unspectacular player instead of what SHOULD have been a top 5 talent to ACTUALLY start the rebuilding process. Sure the casual fans in Phoenix might have some excitement over this new revamped roster and a promise of being competitive but that view is so very short-sighted and will get you nowhere in the long run but nothing will change because people will buy tickets to support this 'new exciting team'.

Again, if your goal is to be a 40-50 win team forever with no aspirations of contending then you are doing it right. If you actually want to contend, take it from a Raptors fan that these kind of signings do not pan out in the end.

[jbot]

good catch for pho.

[wagexslave]

Pretty sure I've been saying for the past 10 posts that they need to tank. They had their shot at contending and once they started rebuilding, which should have been when Kerr gave up Shaq for nothing, they should have traded away all assets and pieces they had for picks while signing vets to cheap contracts.

But Sarver is a bitch. He milked the remainder of Nash's prime to keep people interested in an expired product and now that his cash cow is gone he is doing a quickie rebuild to keep fans interested in this semi competitive team and it's working. Look at the 20 posts already in this thread with people saying "Go Suns mangement! What a great offseason! This roster looks great on paper!". No this roster doesn't look great. It looks like a 7th place team if everything clicks and a 10th place team if things don't. Where does that leave you then? A 13th pick or so again in the draft leading to probably another solid but unspectacular player instead of what SHOULD have been a top 5 talent to ACTUALLY start the rebuilding process. Sure the casual fans in Phoenix might have some excitement over this new revamped roster and a promise of being competitive but that view is so very short-sighted and will get you nowhere in the long run but nothing will change because people will buy tickets to support this 'new exciting team'.

Again, if your goal is to be a 40-50 win team forever with no aspirations of contending then you are doing it right. If you actually want to contend, take it from a Raptors fan that these kind of signings do not pan out in the end.

I do agree with the majority of what you're saying, but what you're realizing is that they're not signing any contracts that are really going to mess them up in the long run. Most of these contracts are 3 years long. If this team doesn't pan out or they can't acquire any franchise players to go along with them within that time, they could always start over. It's not like they signed Gilbert Arenas to a 120 million dollar contract or anything like that. lol They're getting these players on really solid deals that they'd be stupid to pass up(compared to what some of the other free agents are getting overpaid this year)

I understand what you're trying to say, but I think you're just exaggerating a bit too much as to these signings can srew them over for "the next 7 years"... lol Just chill and wait and see what else they do after this. Let's not take these signings overly serious just yet.

[Hank]

they are an under .500 team

[824]

they are an under .500 team

You heard it here first!

Great insight!

[Haymaker]

Dudley should start over Beasley IMO.

[OmniStrife]

I don't see how are people complaining...

I mean they've picked everyone with a VERY cheap price-tag (by NBA standards) so far...

They had a go at an All-Star caliber player (only one still available) and nearly got him.

They have gotten a few good young prospects and could still trade some others in order to sign a MAX player in 2013.

What more do you want? Tank?? Call me up when a bottom 5 team gets to the finals just by tanking and sucking consistently...

Honestly some people here believe that a Durant / LeBron type of player just pops up in the draft every 2 years AT-LEAST. :facepalm

Guess what, they don't.

I feel that if we'll prove to be competitive and our young players show potential, then star players will want to sign here in the next 2 years.

Good luck to all the tankers of this league... I hope you get your next Jordan in the draft, otherwise I don't get it how you can root for a team while puking from their play.

[MrMAgic023]

I don't see how are people complaining...

I mean they've picked everyone with a VERY cheap price-tag (by NBA standards) so far...

They had a go at an All-Star caliber player (only one still available) and nearly got him.

They have gotten a few good young prospects and could still trade some others in order to sign a MAX player in 2013.

What more do you want? Tank?? Call me up when a bottom 5 team gets to the finals just by tanking and sucking consistently...

Honestly some people here believe that a Durant / LeBron type of player just pops up in the draft every 2 years AT-LEAST. :facepalm

Guess what, they don't.

I feel that if we'll prove to be competitive and our young players show potential, then star players will want to sign here in the next 2 years.

its because many people dont understand how a franchise works and expects every player they pick to b the next lebron and that in free agency every player goes there

i think phoenix is having a amazing off season and will b a danger team in the west with a couple more moves

[OmniStrife]

its because many people dont understand how a franchise works and expects every player they pick to b the next lebron and that in free agency every player goes there

i think phoenix is having a amazing off season and will b a danger team in the west with a couple more moves
:cheers:

True, people here have the audacity to blame teams like Houston / Minny / PHX for trying to over achieve and get to the playoffs these couple of years?? :biggums:

Well then, I guess 25 or so teams should just lay back and chill until the Durants and the LeBrons of this league retire...


Also - repped.

[MrMAgic023]

:cheers:

True, people here have the audacity to blame teams like Houston / Minny / PHX for trying to over achieve and get to the playoffs these couple of years?? :biggums:

Well then, I guess 25 or so teams should just lay back and chill until the Durants and the LeBrons of this league retire...


Also - repped.

thanks man

Thing is aswell doesnt just take a lebron or durant to win the league they need players around them

and if PHX and building a solid core and then a lebron type players comes its a bonus

there once in evey 3-4 draft guys

[AAckley1]

The problem with tanking and trying to get top TALENT is when that talent doesn't become anything. Then you have to continue "tanking" and trying to roll the dice again. Hell, the Suns just signed a perfect example of that in Beasley. Tanking & attempting to convince top tier free agents to come to your city as a means of putting together a championship team are merely a pipe dream for most fans that have no basis in reality. Duncan & Hakeem are the only #1 picks to lead their original drafting team to a championship in the past 20 years as the #1 option.

In reality, championship teams are built around shrewd trades & getting top value out of nearly all of your free agent signings. Last time I checked not too many guys putting up 16/7 are getting paid under 6mil/yr. Suppose Beasley finally puts everything together in PHX and becomes the type of player we all saw back at K State. Then suddenly, the Suns have a #2 option-type player making around 6mil. Signings like these are the type of signings that allow a team to improve itself significantly, either via trade or a player simply outplaying the price tag associated with him.

[Freedom Kid7]

The Suns front office seems to actually be making the right move. Well done :applause: . Wish Chicago got him, but if Marshall develops as a PG, serious points can be scored.

[Derrick]

they are an under .500 team
It could happen, but I doubt it. I'll try to type this without my homer goggles on but the Suns have a potential to be anywhere from 8-5 seed next year.

Last year we were

Nash
Dudley
Hill
Frye
Gortat

I believe we are already improving with Dragic because of better defense and he can give us way more minutes than Nash ever could. The dude was taking naps on the side of the bench and without consistent point guard play from Ronnie Price/Telfair it really hurt us because Nash needed lots of rest.

Lets say we get O.j Mayo, we can move Dudley to the bench or even put him back at the 3. IMO he fills bench role better, he was vital in our 2010 playoff run, solid defense, great shooting, and a spark off the bench.

Beasley was a 19 ppg guy in Minnesota, if he gets his shit together, maybe we can see this same production. Is he the defender that Grant Hill was? No, but he's a great scorer and will provide more minutes for us.

People keep underrating the Scola pickup. So what if he's 32? Rather this guy than Frye chucking threes from the baseline. Frye couldn't post up point guard, and I'm being serious, we get almost 0 points in the paint from this guy.

Gortat is a great big man. Some think his numbers were from the Nash effect but this guy ball. Good rebounder, polished offensive game, he isnt just a p'n'r player.


If everything pans out okay, it doesnt even have to be perfect, they can be anywhere 8-5 in the coming years. If we are doomed to another 13 pick? Ah well, who knows what will happen. Suns were 29-53 before Nash. Nash signed in Phoenix and we won 60 games. Not saying we are winning 60 games, but teams can become contenders through trades/good front office. No need for tanking. Did everyone forget how many picks Sarver sold and we still were contenders up until 2010. (Besides one of our terry porter years)

[Walker]

I was hoping Phoenix would get Scola, it's exactly what this now very young rebuilding team needs, a legit veteran presence who is well known to be a very hard worker.
Great pickup.

[OmniStrife]

I was hoping Phoenix would get Scola, it's exactly what this now very young rebuilding team needs, a legit veteran presence who is well known to be a very hard worker.
Great pickup.
+ it was for 10M/3yr :bowdown:

[willds09]

+ it was for 10M/3yr :bowdown:
scola shud come to ny

[OmniStrife]

scola shud come to ny
no he shud come to phx.
Dolan dis u?

[willds09]

no he shud come to phx.
Dolan dis u?
naw lol but knicks do need help

[OmniStrife]

naw lol but knicks do need help
Dolan pls, I no dis u.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1FrmcHSGcVQ/T9Dk9XPm_nI/AAAAAAAAAqk/g_26p38C44E/s1600/gooby+org.PNG

[willds09]

Dolan pls, I no dis u.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1FrmcHSGcVQ/T9Dk9XPm_nI/AAAAAAAAAqk/g_26p38C44E/s1600/gooby+org.PNG
ni66a got a retarded goofy on deck:yaohappy:

[2LeTTeRS]

Pretty sure I've been saying for the past 10 posts that they need to tank. They had their shot at contending and once they started rebuilding, which should have been when Kerr gave up Shaq for nothing, they should have traded away all assets and pieces they had for picks while signing vets to cheap contracts.

But Sarver is a bitch. He milked the remainder of Nash's prime to keep people interested in an expired product and now that his cash cow is gone he is doing a quickie rebuild to keep fans interested in this semi competitive team and it's working. Look at the 20 posts already in this thread with people saying "Go Suns mangement! What a great offseason! This roster looks great on paper!". No this roster doesn't look great. It looks like a 7th place team if everything clicks and a 10th place team if things don't. Where does that leave you then? A 13th pick or so again in the draft leading to probably another solid but unspectacular player instead of what SHOULD have been a top 5 talent to ACTUALLY start the rebuilding process. Sure the casual fans in Phoenix might have some excitement over this new revamped roster and a promise of being competitive but that view is so very short-sighted and will get you nowhere in the long run but nothing will change because people will buy tickets to support this 'new exciting team'.

Again, if your goal is to be a 40-50 win team forever with no aspirations of contending then you are doing it right. If you actually want to contend, take it from a Raptors fan that these kind of signings do not pan out in the end.

Why do people ignore the effect on the talent on the team when they claim "tanking is the answer." For the most part it is not. The league gets maybe 5 special talents a decade that no matter where they land can turn a program around and the rest of the prospects will prevail or fail based on how they are developed. It is not worth gambling that you will get one of those guys considering how rare they are; especially when you consider that the top 3 picks are decided by a lottery.

You also have to consider the effect losing has on a young team. When a young talent loses consistently he often develops bad habits. Since they know they won't get enough wins to actually make the playoffs may of the players begin to play for numbers. Sometimes it even gets to the point that the player learns to "accept losing."

On top of this because these teams tend to cycle through coaches the player has so many voices in his ear telling him how to improve that he gets in his own head. Combine that with a fan-base that gets down on the star prospect who doesn't develop and expected and you have the perfect storm for killing talent.

You may say this doesn't happen but trust me, I'm a Bobcat fan. I've seen players who were once praised as energy guys and freak athletes start settling for jump shots and fight with coaches who try to actually help them (i.e. Tyrus Thomas). Even when a team is rebuilding they need to surround their young guys with veterans who play the right way and competent and consistent coaching.

[2LeTTeRS]

Not sure if anybody is interested, but finally seeing a report of how much the Suns will be paying Scola. Seems like the winning bid was $13 mil over 3 years.


Mary Schmitt Boyer/Tom Reed: NBA source says Suns winning bid for Scola was $13 million for three years. Minimum was $10 million for three yrs. Yes, #Cavs did make a bid Twitter

[BlueandGold]

Don't be fooled, Suns are still shit.

[wagexslave]

Not sure if anybody is interested, but finally seeing a report of how much the Suns will be paying Scola. Seems like the winning bid was $13 mil over 3 years.
Really good deal. Scola is a damn solid PF and that's a small price to pay. Way better than anyone else we have at PF currently. Maybe Morris can learn a thing or 2 from him, because he learned WAY too much from Frye last year and started to look like a clone of Frye towards the end of the year, just with better rebounding. :facepalm Morris needs to take after someone who plays more of a natural PF game, like Scola, so I really like this. :applause:

[All Net]

Mayo next?

[PejaNowitzki]

Mayo next?


Unlikely considering reports that state he wants discussions to being at 8 mil per and go up from there.

[All Net]

Unlikely considering reports that state he wants discussions to being at 8 mil per and go up from there.

Nobody will offer him that so he is fighting a losing battle

[Ancient Legend]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/070/120/24sport-Luis-Scola-007_display_image.jpg

Scola out for revenge after getting facestomped last year!

[MiseryCityTexas]

naw lol but knicks do need help


The Knicks got two All Stars, Tyson Chandler, and JR Smith. How much help do you need *****?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5L1WtHwJF0

[willds09]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/070/120/24sport-Luis-Scola-007_display_image.jpg

Scola out for revenge after getting facestomped last year!
um yao ming iz in tha pic, so how tha fuhk was dat last year!!:banghead: