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 I've been going back and forth on this Shaq to Phoenix trade and it's driving me crazy. One minute it looks OK, the next minute it looks horrendous....it's kind of beginning to bother me since I really don't follow the Suns and probably shouldn't care as to what's going on with their team. Because of that, I kind of had to put a Bulls spin on it to make it OK for me to be thinking about it and finally I think I've realized why it's been on my mind so much.....
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 I'm jealous. Yep. I'm jealous that the Phoenix Suns have a general manager who is willing to step out of the comfort zone, put his job on the line and make a change to his team. This is something Bulls GM John Paxson, and a lot of other GM's in the NBA, just won't do. You can argue until the cows come home that Phoenix GM Steve Kerr is crazy, but the fact remains that Phoenix has tried to go small and run up and down the court the past few seasons and have been left watching the NBA Finals on TV. The same thing would have happened this season. The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result.
Don't you wish the GM of your favorite team would cross the line sometimes and take a big chance? I know I do. In the past season and a half, Paxson has missed out on Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce just to name a few. Outside of Gasol, I'd trade the entire Bulls roster for any of those guys at this point. Sure, the Bulls have a nice little roster of youngsters but you know what....chances are that there isn't going to be a championship celebration in Grant Park anytime soon with the roster they have. The same thing can be said about almost every team in the league.....just look at the rosters.
NBA teams get into the habit of rebuilding so often that they seem to never make it to the 'built' phase. Everyone wants to stay young and under the luxury tax threshold. Everyone wants to see players flying all around the court dunking the ball. That's not what wins championships. Seriously. Go back and look at all the past champs. Spurs, Heat, Pistons, Lakers, Bulls, Rockets.....what kind of players were on those teams? Veterans. Guys who knew how to play the game and hungered for a championship instead of their 'second contract'.
As fans of the NBA, don't we want to see teams taking a chance to win the title? Isn't that what it's all about. Isn't it time to scrap the whole, "Well, two years from now we'll have tons of cap space to sign free agents" and time to start thinking, "What can we do to win the title NOW?"
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2008 Cubs Preview
doesn't that depend on the ultimate goal of the GM? yeah, it SHOULD be the goal to win the championship, but really, the ultimate goal for a lot organizations is putting butts in the seats and money in the pockets.
steve kerr is either a genius, or an idiot. we won't know until [insert team here] is hoisting the trophy at the end of season. personally, i wouldn't have made that trade (if i'm the suns... if i'm the heat, i'm all over that trade like patrick ewing on a stripper). but, it's easy to say things like that when you're sitting at computer at work.
the suns still have the best record in the west, and i actually think they were better poised to make a run at the title this year. i don't think their style of play was the issue. if robert horry doesn't plant steve nash in the playoffs last season, the suns are probably the defending champs, now.
i still think they got scared by the lakers trade (and probably should have gotten scared) and panicked.
i'll say this much: i bet pat riley isn't thinking about giving up coaching any more.
Excellent point, Cobra. Seriously, even if I think Steve Kerr is taking a big risk here, at least he has the balls to take the risk. GMs are so scared to pull the trigger on a deal in the NBA that Pau Gasol was traded for the only offer Memphis could really get on the table, which amounted to pretty much nothing.
The flip side of this is my GM, who has tried to trade for Rasheed Wallace (lost him to Detroit)and Vince Carter (lost him to NJ), but instead ended up with Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. Ugh.
God, as a fan I hope my GM is trying to win the Championship, but who knows nowadays.
Steve Kerr is one of the most intelligent people to run through the NBA, just ask him his thoughts on foreign policy.....whether he knows how to GM or not, time will tell.
Larry Bird wouldn't do it. Why? Because it makes too much sense to try and win. He'd rather f*** things up for the next four years by putting together his "vision"...
I agree with Grifter. This is a kneejerk reaction to the Lakers trade.
No way changing the system that you've run for years mid-season. And as to having a GM that thinks outside the box? Careful, you might end up with Isiah.
I don't think Isiah was ever legitimately trading for 'the final piece of the puzzle'