Having Amare healthy for a full year will help. How come teams need to make major moves to get better? If you are at the top where the Suns are, like Detroit of old (Isiah's Pistons), it takes a bench player or cohesion to get you to the next level. A younger Robert Horry type.
Didn't really watch the whole series but it seems like D'Antoni doesn't have trust outside of 7 players, that circle has GOT to get better cause he seemed to use it during the regular season too much too.
Has Phoenix Seen the Last of Shawn Marion?Posted May 19th 2007 11:11AM
Perhaps the most interesting team to monitor in the NBA this offseason will be the Phoenix Suns. The Dallas Mavericks are a candidate, too, but their playoff ouster seems more rooted in the fact that Golden State simply wasn't a great matchup. Mark Cuban seems unlikely to nuke that squad.
Phoenix? Possibly a different story. After two visits to the Western Conference finals, this year's semifinal departure, combined with the luxury cap and the NBA draft, could signal big changes in Phoenix - mostly involving All-Star forward Shawn Marion.
The Suns are facing a luxury-tax hit estimated at $12 million if they return all of their core players and draft and sign three first-round picks. To avoid the luxury tax or at least lessen the burden, the Suns don't have to act this summer.
The luxury tax is levied based on teams' payrolls at the close of the February trade deadline so Phoenix could keep things largely intact and make a call based on a half-season's performance.
Shawn Marion's name regularly surfaces in off-season trade talks - not just in rumors. Marion has two years worth $33.6 million on his contract.
To me, it makes absolutely zero sense to see alter nothing this summer, and then see what the deal is by the All-Star break in 2008. What if the Suns are the best team in the NBA? Then what? Will the owners just deal with the luxury tax? I don't know many owners who are keen on shelling out $12 million, especially when there's no guarantee of a title.
I'll just say this: I don't think Marion helped his cause much against San Antonio. He really struggled in Game Six, scoring just 11 points and collecting 11 rebounds, and though he defended many players, I don't think he did a particularly good job slowing Tony Parker (30 points). Ditto for Game 1, when Marion attempted to guard the crafty point guard (32 points). If the Suns land the fourth pick in the draft lottery Tuesday, I think Marion's definitely getting traded.
