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Amar'e Stoudemire was the perfect PnR partner. He could catch on the move, maneuver athletically, dunk with power, finish through contact, make free throws, and nail quick, high-release jumpers on the pick-and-pop. But his horrendous defense was perhaps the barrier that prevented the Nash-Stat Suns from breaking through in the playoffs. The Suns always lost to a team with an elite big who worked Stoudemire over.

There may not be a better PnR partner offensively. But it may be impossible to win a championship with Stat as a core part of your defensive frontline. Who is the best defensive upgrade who can get it done in the PnR with Nash?

Three parts to this. Who is the ideal replacement...
...on the current roster?
...in the NBA?
...that might actually be available via trade?

Amar'e on offense + Howard on defense doesn't exist in one person. Who's closest?

The Suns have had at least seven different guys trying to work this: Gortat, Lopez, Warrick, Frye, Childress, Carter, Barron. If we found one and built some consistency...

Earl Clark

In all honesty though...I'm a fan of Luis Scola.

Ideal replacement on the current roster is Frye. Can pop threes, his mid-range is getting more reliable, and is slowly developing a bit of an in-the-paint game.

In the NBA, not named Amare Stoudemire? Probably Blake Griffin, Josh Smith, or Carlos Boozer.

That might be available through trade? Luis Scola or Jason Thompson.


....I'm sure a few other names could be up here, but it's 4:30am. Screw it.

Warrick. He has been a little better on boxing out and actually trying to get the boards with his athletisicm and hopefully will start block some shots as well. I want

Nash/Dragic
VC/Dudley
Hill/Pietrus
Warrick/Gortat
Frye/Lopez

That way you have Warrick and Gortat doing the pnr in each lineup. You also have 3 3pt shooters in each lineup. However, this requires Frye to play like he played against the Cavs in the first half.

BurningHeart wrote:Ideal replacement on the current roster is Frye. Can pop threes, his mid-range is getting more reliable, and is slowly developing a bit of an in-the-paint game.

I think Frye is clearly our best big right now, but I think he's a secondary option on the PnR. He's so valuable at the three-point line, opening up space for someone to cut for a dunk. He scores when his defender starts to cheat down to help out and Nash finds him. I think it's gotta be someone else.

In my mind, the names in the running on the current roster are:
Warrick
Gortat
Lopez
Childress

Los Soles wrote:Three parts to this. Who is the ideal replacement...
...on the current roster?

without a trade, I think this is the biggest question the Suns have to answer

Warrick is probably the best offensively, but worst defensively
Gortat is the proven winner, but lacks the athleticism and shooting touch
Lopez is sometimes really good, sometimes really awful
Childress?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Los Soles wrote:...in the NBA?

A few names that come to mind:
Kevin Garnett
Josh Smith
Dwight Howard
Nene
Birdman
Tyson Chandler
LaMarcus Aldridge

Los Soles wrote:...that might actually be available via trade?

Is Denver blowing it up completely?

Al Harrington might be useful to us.....

Chris_Broussard Chris Broussard
NJ could try to recruit s 4th team to take Harrington, but their hope is that Den eliminates Harrington request.

Al Horford
Josh Smith
Amare
Tyson Chandler
Nene
Blake Griffin


Horford would be the best in the PnR.
Amare second best in the PnR.
Griffin third best in the PnR.
Chandler fourth and Josh Smith 5th.
Nene 6th

No one of these guys are available via trade. Atlanta not trading anyone in it's core and has no reason to. Griffin isn't getting traded. Chandler either. David West is a possiblity but he's not going nowhere as long as CP3 is there. To be honest, there are only a few great PnR PF/C as there are only a few great PnR PG's in the NBA. Nene isn't going nowhere. Denver really want to keep him in their rebuilding core. He's the only one they want to keep and Phx doesn't have the pieces to land him either but he's going nowhere.

#1 pick wrote:Denver really want to keep him in their rebuilding core. He's the only one they want to keep

Birdman??

Los Soles wrote:

#1 pick wrote:Denver really want to keep him in their rebuilding core. He's the only one they want to keep

Birdman??

lol, Birdman is meh. You might as well keep him like Gortat. He means more to you and you can get more out of him than others. He doesn't really effect the W/L and you can develop him into what you like or in Birdman case, he good off the bench, fans like him, doesn't hurt the rebuilding process and draws fans. The perfect player in a rebuilding situation.

Ideal that's a possibility at this stage?

I like Brand in that role.

Sun Scorched wrote:Ideal that's a possibility at this stage?

I like Brand in that role.

So do I, but people here will say he can't run, he'll slow us down.........he is a post presence that demands a double, that's what we need.........

I decided that this thread is a waste of time when someone said Al Horford would be a better pick and roll player than Amare.

Or that guys like Tyson Chandler who can't shoot or move very well would be good pick and roll players.

Delete

realsunsfan wrote:

Sun Scorched wrote:Ideal that's a possibility at this stage?

I like Brand in that role.

So do I, but people here will say he can't run, he'll slow us down.........he is a post presence that demands a double, that's what we need.........

For a big guy, I think he handles the open court quite well. Better handles than Stoudemire, better passer out of the double team, and a back-to-the-basket game.

Not all bad.

Funny, Philly has suddenly become mildly enamoured with him.

Sun Scorched wrote:

realsunsfan wrote:

Sun Scorched wrote:Ideal that's a possibility at this stage?

I like Brand in that role.

So do I, but people here will say he can't run, he'll slow us down.........he is a post presence that demands a double, that's what we need.........

For a big guy, I think he handles the open court quite well. Better handles than Stoudemire, better passer out of the double team, and a back-to-the-basket game.

Not all bad.

Funny, Philly has suddenly become mildly enamoured with him.

Because he is finally completely healthy and he is now producing for them. I still think they would move him though.

Guys honestly there is only one name that comes to mind....Blake Griffin. His agility and power are a step above where Amare was. His work ethic is there. He needs some help defensively, but Nash and that guy would be better than Nash and Amare...and I am an Amare fan.

Now coming back down to Earth and the realm of somewhat obtainables. I think I would be on the Brand bandwagon for best obtainable PNR guys.

Nash's best pnr partner on this current team is without a doubt Hakim Warrick. He needs to start.

Nash/Drag
Vince/Dud
Hill/Pete
Hakm/Frye
Gort/Lop

http://valleyofthesuns.com/2011/01/10/hakim-warrick-is-the-answer-to-phoenixs-offensive-woes/

Interesting article on Hak-attack.

The only offensive problem with Warrick is if he doesn't dunk it, he just throws it at the basket as hard as he dunks it. There isn't a touch there. We need to develop three or four different plays with Nash and a few others. I do agree with starting Warrick, but with Hill's injury, we should also start Dudley, Chilldress and Gortat. Vince just seems so lazy out there, maybe a benching will be the kick in the butt he needs. And Goran needs to drive every time.