uhh .. yeah .. and ... ummm yeah .. JJ and Kurt .. love em .. but come on .. really ? . do they compare to Hill and Skinner ? .. come on now

Thomas is better than Skinner by far

And Hill is light years better than Jones

This was just T & R fodder, no way Suns would break up their core in a blockbuster trade

The Suns do need to make a move. They either need to use their bench more, or sign someone. Nash and Hill can't keep playing all these minutes. Hill has been solid, but his history of injuries makes me wonder.

I wish they could get either Damon Stoudamire or Sam Cassell. That would be a hugh help. Marcus Bank has not done a crap to help Nash.

the suns would of got al freakin jefferson if that selfish egomaniac shawn marion would have agreed to be traded to boston and sign an extension but he didnt want to go there. he publically requests a trade, whines he dosent get enough praise and quashes destinations where he wont go, real class.

marion will be traded at some stage because the matrix is all about the cash and lets face it the suns owner is a tightass at wont continue to pay the 3rd best player on the team the most at about 17 million per year

max deal for the matrix? HELL NO!
i think marion is bloody good and professional ON THE COURT but what is he really worth 13-15 million per year?

These Suns will always underachieve under steve nash unless they could get a center and move amare to PF.

ejaculator spot on your all over that one

was talk a while back of getting dalembert and fillers to match salaries if another team wanted marion and could then satisfy the 76ers in a 3 way deal

marion is a much better player than dalembert but the suns need to understand team chemistry

Bottom line that we all wish the Suns could get some post help and a backup point guard...The problem is the suns just don't have the flexibility to get a difference maker unless they break up their core...I personally thin that Cassell would be a better fit than Stoudamire but in any case neither of these guard have really want to come to Phoenix and play behind Nash..to much expectrations and not enough glory

As for the low post help, there is none than the Suns can realistically get aside from maybe a player like Stromile Swift which I am not even sure Memphis would be willing to part with. I have scoured the rosters of all NBA teams and I cannot find a big man that could actually help this team that they could fit in without trading a major piece for..It would help if Boris Diaw and/or Marcus Banks were more marketable, but unfortunately, no one wants them

they need a defensive big man kurt thomas.... because if they meet lakers in the playoffs bynum will dominate like he did the first 2 times

The question is not if they are a better team, but can they beat San Antonio with their so call "better team"? In my opinion NO. Hill and Skinner was your answer as to why you can't stop Duncan in the pain?

The refs and David Stern are the answer to why the Suns couldn't stop Duncan last year. But that's another story. The Suns have a small window to win a championship. This year and MAYBE next year is it. They do need a big man to fill the paint and play defense.

Phoenix hasn't played their best basketball yet and they still have the best record in the west. Despite playing more road games than 90% of the league.

Thomas is not better than Skinner "by far". Thomas averaged 4.6 PPG & 5.7RPG in 18 minutes last year. Skinner is at 3.7 PPG & 4.3 RPG in 14 minutes. Skinner is a MUCH better shot blocker and his minutes are on the rise. Thomas also tended to bog down the offense while "containing" Duncan (more on that later).

Had Marion been willing to sign an extension in Boston, it would be Garnett with the Suns, not Jefferson.

Amare has been playing more 4 lately as Skinner's minutes increase and they stay on the court together.

During the Spurs series last year, Thomas was able to hold Duncan to "only" 27 PPG & 14 RPG. I'm sure you know the outcome of the series so why not try something else. Maybe let Duncan get his and bring in guys that fit in the best offense in the league. No one in the league can stop Duncan so you have to try something else. What they had wasn't working.

The Suns are not going to risk upsetting what little balance they have in the locker room and in their regular rotation. They don't feel it necessary nor do I. Sure, they need a solid backup PG. Is Stoudamire the answer? In my mind, no. Is Cassell? No.

If we need anything, we need a backup pivot to complement Skinner when he's in foul trouble or if we're playing a big lineup with both Stoudemire and Skinner at the same time. Sean Marks is not the man we need.

jay620 asides from the marion thing if they could of got garnett it would of cost the suns marion and barbosa in the deal still worth it though, jefferson and keeping barbosa would of been the better deal - thanks shawn 'all about me' marion

the suns always blow it in trade deals and end up with crappy contracts

asides from the spurs having 3 quality players their cap management is second to none

barry (5.5 million) and horry (3.6 million) are basically the only bad contracts exept bonner. barry and horry have expiring contracts so lets face it the spurs are going to get better talent wise it will all depend on their motivation

The Suns have not reached peak performance and are still the team to beat in the West. It would be ludicrous to trade any of their core. I look for them to make a deal for a back-up center before the deadline and get stronger as the season goes on.

I agree with the notion of keeping it intact this year, given the way the team is playing, the offers that were on the table last summer, etc. Sometimes you need to know when a change would be detrimental, and during the middle of the season it's often bad news, especially when the team is contending and playing well.

That said, Marion should go after this year or next. He's becoming selfish and a distraction. His contract demands are ludicrous compared to his skills. The problem is that to trade him, you need to replace his D, which would be missed sorely. Amare is an offensive stud and good shot blocker, but prone to lots of lapses on D. Skinner is a low-minute guy and a backup. No one on the existing roster could fill that role.

As for a backup point, they do need someone, but Stoudamire is a terrible fit, he's not in condition nor does he have the skills to play as up-tempo as Phx demands,and Cassell is too old and oft-injured. Plus, as discussed, how likely is it either of these guys will actually be able to handle the ego blow of being the backup to Nash? Cassell has his title, so what would be his motivation? And Stoudamire is a nitwit who cares more about playing time. Perhaps the Suns should see if Jared Jordan is available?

Everybody;
Stoudamire isn't coming and we can't give the Clips want they want to get Cassell...I know this sounds a little premature, but I think Strawberry is the back-up point we are looking for...The players seem very comfortable with him on the court and he plays hard, within himself and within the Suns uptempo system...Continued to be given time and I think he will blossom.

The same cannot be said about Marcus Banks...while I generally like him and he has some nice skills, I think his style would probably fit better with a team that thrives on one-on-one play. With that he is a poor fit for Phoenix system and he should probably do the club and himself a favor by asking for a buyout and going to a team where he can get some playing time...It is obvious to me that D'Antoni doesn't trust him at all. How can we get him out of Phoenix and maybe get something in return?

As far as the backup big-man, as I stated before I have scoured the rosters of all NBA teams and I cannot find a big man that could actually help this team and that they could fit in without trading a major piece for..Maybe I am overlooking someone or a free-agent somewhere (Forget about P.J. Brown..). Realistically, we don't have any pieces (that we don't want) that anybody else is willng to trade us with to get what we need...

The Suns will not, under any circumstances, tender a buyout to Banks. He's locked in, and he's going to have to play. Stoudamire wouldn't be a good fit due to his size and questionable conditioning as well as his propensity to be a shoot first PG. We have one of those already, and we surely don't need another.

Skybill40;

Why won't the Suns offer Banks a buyout..Is there an issue with his contract/