July is always great for more than a few things than just fireworks, cold beer and hot dogs.
I know it may be hard for anyone to realistically believe there’s anything better, but in the world of sports, especially the NBA, July is a hot month.
Free Agency officially begins and teams with eager GMs, and the cap space to fill, hustle and bustle around the phones as soon the clock strikes midnight on July 1. It’s a time for teams to try and push themselves over the top and become contenders (see: Lakers, Magic) and some will spend wildly(stupidly) in hopes of finding any glimmer of success they may have once had (See: Mavs).
Lets be clear, though – I am a fan of action and activity. I’d much rather see my team make a move or two, even if those moves weren’t blockbusters or game changers. (Speaking of Blockbuster, how the hell are they able to survive when NetFlix is so much better, cheaper and easier?)
Take the Suns for example. Last year was a monumental disappointment. Hopes were high, as folks around the valley felt the pairing of Amare Stoudemire and Shaq O’Neal down low would finally give the Suns the rebounding and defensive presence they’ve lacked since Luc Longley was the teams starting center. (That was a joke, btw, because we all know Luc Longley was terrible.)
But when Amare went down after having his eye ball nearly poked out, the Suns never really rebounded (ha) from his absence and failed to make the playoffs. That team had some nice pieces, and was still fun to watch, but even had they made the playoffs, they wouldn’t have made it past the Lakers in the first round.
And so the Suns made moves this off-season. They unloaded Shaq’s monstrous contract onto the Cavs, and even though they should have received more in return (see: 1st round draft pick) it was still a good idea to get him out of here. I liked Shaq more than I thought I would. He has personality, and to me, that goes a long way. I’ve never read his Twitter (and for that matter, I’ve never read anyone’s Twitter) but I hear it’s funny. But he was still a bad fit for this team, and needed to go.
The Suns also added depth along the front line by signing local product Channing Frye to a two-year deal. He’ll be a fine role player/spot starter when Amare needs his eye ball drained again. Sigh…
They actually drafted a player in the first round this year and KEPT him. I know, right? I was as surprised as anyone. Earl Clark out of Louisville seems like he’ll be a good player. Maybe not superstar type, but a good player. And there’s nothing wrong with having good players on the roster, is there? I just hope he actually plays and doesn’t just keep his seat warm (see: Alando Tucker).
They also re-signed Grant Hill and Steve Nash. And here’s where it can be a bit tricky for a Suns fan.
Hill was a good idea. Really. He was the only Suns player to have played in every game last year and he’s become a dependable defender and team leader. He needed to be back.
As much as I do like action over in-action, I just find it hard to believe Nash has three years left in him. At least not at the level we’ve become accustomed to. And Nash is certainly one of the best people in the league today, and no doubt still one of the top 5-6 point guards still playing. But the championship window for the Suns is closing – rapidly.
Some might say it’s already closed, and has been for the past 2 seasons. I’m too much of an optimist (see:idiot) to ever say their window is fully shut, but it does seem they have quite an uphill battle ahead of them.
The Lakers only became stronger, the Mavs reloaded and the Spurs poached Richard Jefferson from the Bucks for nearly nothing. I’d say the Bucks were raped, but I don’t want to be the boy who cried wolf.
But giving Nash two more years is just delaying the inevitable – the day we realize the Suns aren’t going to be good anymore. At least not for a few years. They are scraping by, at this point, trying to regain and retain what they had just 5 years ago. They are Evander Holyfield at his… 12th comeback attempt. They are your drunk Aunt at the family reunion who wants to dance but doesn’t realize her dress is tucked into her underwear – you sit back and find some sort of amusement in it, but you eventually feel bad for her because you realize people are starting to laugh at her, and not with her.
Any chance the Suns have at a playoff run fully depends on Amare. If he’s healthy and good to go, then he should be motivated – and a motivated Amare is unstoppable.
He should be motivated by people who doubt him. People who say he is not worth a max contract extension. People who say he doesn’t play enough (see: any) defense.
He should also be motivated by his current contract situation (he can opt out after this upcoming season). If he really does want a max deal, then this season should be his time to showcase what he can do – at both ends of the floor.
The Suns situation is simple – there is no way they can be worse than they were last year. And since the Jazz and Rockets are both going to be worse (see: Boozer wants out, Yao broke his gigantic foot and T-Mac is healthy again), things on Planet Orange may not be all that bad.
