Gortat:

[gaspar]

Key proving year for Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat

The coming season is vital to Suns center Marcin Gortat but not for the reason that gets talked about most.

Gortat’s name is frequently on the Suns trade block because he is a quality center on a team with low expectations and three new young centers — Alex Len, Miles Plumlee and Slava Kravtsov.

What matters most for his career is that he is a 29-year-old in his final contract year, making this season a key audition for what likely will be his last large NBA contract in July.

Gortat could play into his mid- to late 30s but this season will go a long way toward deciding what he is offered, regardless of whether he is moved by the February trade deadline.

“It’s not only about the contract,” said Gortat, who had six points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes of Sunday’s 106-99 preseason win at San Antonio. “It’s about what kind of player I am in this league. I had a great season with Steve (Nash). I had a pretty good season during the lockout. Then, last year was a little bit weaker. A bad performance. I had an injury at the end. Obviously, my stock has started bouncing right and left. This is the year and time where I can really prove what I can do. I believe I’m a solid big man in this league.”

Gortat averaged 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season with 52.1 percent shooting. That is a solid statistical line but all the numbers are down from each of his previous two seasons with the Suns. A right foot sprain sidelined him for last season’s final 21 games, when the team went 4-17 without him.

Gortat should be at a career peak at 29 and in his seventh season, particularly after light use in his first three seasons in Orlando when he barely played as a rookie and backed Dwight Howard for minimal minutes in the next two. Even though the Suns are rebuilding, the team’s second oldest player has praised the changes, coach Jeff Hornacek’s intelligence and assistant coach Mike Longabardi’s defensive aptitude.

The Suns’ defensive changes are more in line with how Gortat was taught in Orlando. With young centers around him, Gortat is helping to lead them during practice play like Jermaine O’Neal did for him last year.

“Marcin is very good and sliding his foot and covering that ground,” Hornacek said. “Last year, we felt that he sat back too much. Typically, the guys who sit back there are the slow guys because you don’t want them to get up. We want to use his speed and athleticism as a big man to get a little bit closer to the ball-handler and then retreat with them and use your size that way.”

Hornacek noted that Gortat’s free agency value will be higher if the Suns win. Gortat is finishing a five-year contract that was worth $34 million because Dallas signed him to an offer sheet that Orlando matched in 2009.

Gortat trade talk will not go away for Phoenix as February approaches, especially if the team lives down to predictions to be the worst team in the Western Conference. Even if Gortat is not part of the Suns’ future, they could hang onto him and use his $7.7 million expiring salary slot for cap space in July free agency rather than taking back salary in a trade.

Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough has expressed a hope that Gortat, Channing Frye and Goran Dragic could be part of the next great Suns team.

“This is wonderful,” Gortat said. “I would love to be a part of this team. I would do everything necessary to be a part of this team. I’m definitely open and committed to this team. I love this city and this organization. They gave me so much and took my game to another level. I’ll do anything I can to help the organization. We’re moving in the right direction with a talented group.”

[RandomVillain]

I would love for him to not be part of this team.

[wordsenuff]

i wouldn't mind keeping gortat. he's a solid 5 who has a few years left in him and can help len develop. plus his honesty is refreshing and i enjoy hearing or reading his interviews.

some might feel keeping marcin will effect our chances at wiggins, but i don't think we have a shot at acquiring him anyhow. this squad will not be as bad as advertised.

[lilfishi22]

It's all dependent on contract extensions in my view. I'd love to do a S&T if we could get some real good pieces. At the same time, if we could keep him on for cheap, I'd be up for that too.

[LukasBMW]

We should see how things shake out. If we get a decent trade offer, we need to take it. If we just get lowball offers, then we shouldn't rule out resigning him.

[Qwigglez]

^Agreed. It's gonna take Len a few years to develop, my only concern is if we keep Gortat would that slow Len's progress? Quite possibly, and I'm not sure I like the idea of slowly bringing Len along.

[Revived]

I think he's only saying this to not hurt his rep. Every other time he's said that he's ready to move on from PHX and that he's ok with it, no hard feelings because he knows its a business. He actually said those exact words in an article recently.

And then last year he said basically said that he won't demand a trade but that he definitely would love getting the hell out of here.

He constantly says how playing with Nash is the only good thing in PHX and now that Nash is gone, he wants to be gone from PHX too.

I don't blame him. I hate how he chokes against Utah every single time he plays them especially in that "win and make playoffs" game we had 2 years back but he's still one of the best big centers we have had in a long time.

BTW the article said that the Suns could just let Gortat expire and not get anything back but I swear if that happens then I'm starting up the "fire mcdonough" bandwagon. I doubt he would let Gortat just expire though.

[Jdiddy701]

Yes never forget Utah memories.


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[Blackification]

I don't see us resigning gortat. The amount of money he would demand from us would not match the value he would bring to a rebuilding team. What is he really going to do for us if we resign him? Do we really need him to develop Len? Thats what the coaches are for.

He knows he has more value to a team on the verge of contending and he knows they will pay more for him and so do we. McDonough is no fool he is either traded now or sign and traded later, but we aren't resigning him to keep him.

Gortat is just being politically correct with this statement.

[Frank Lee]

GrownAssMan has spoken.



There is no dual meaning with GrownAssMan. No hidden words. No Agenda.

GrownAssMan speaks the truth.


http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1100201

[Fo-Real]

I like the twin tower thing we have been doing with he and Len and Pumlee. He has asked to play Pf. and we have let him basically do it. He is better at Pf than Morris and can guard other teams 4 and 5 spots. If we can resign him to a market value contract, that isnt too high, it would actually make him more of a valuable trade cog cause the team trading for him wouldnt be worried about him only being a rental for half a season. If (I said If) we sign him to a reasonable deal for his value it would be a win win, wether we keep him or ship him out in a package to get younger, I am not against keeping him if he isnt too expensive and developing him at Pf and C, I think the hammer still has room to grow if fed as a Pf with another mobile 7 footer manning the C spot ala Len and Pumlee, or even Frye, or vice versa.

[Fo-Real]

I mean... Gortat wouldnt be that special post up crunch time throw the ball into in the paint and clear out, but who else is on this team. Players roles in the league have morphed somewhat, the traditional C is mostly dead. Just like we have a special situation at Pg and Sg (both are scorers /playmakers neither seems like a true Pg), Gortat can easily fit the bill of a Pf, the man is athletic, can stick the mid-range jumper, and can guard multiple posistions, no reason our two headed monster at pg sg cant make him look better this year. Last year his supporting big man cast sucked and left him out to dry on a regular basis. Many games he was the only big man on our team who even tried to board and defend, the others (Morris/Scola/etc..) were either too stupid or too slow to help they sucked on a regular basis. Now that we have other athletic bigs in Len, Pumlee and Frye back, he will have more help on the floor at the same time, more bangers in the paing and more back side defense either form him or the others when he is the primary. As Frank would say Grown Ass Man... was alone and had no help from our team when he was on the court, our defense has looked much better as a result this pre-season. If he is cheap enough i think he can fit in at both Pf and C with the length and athletic ability on this team.

[jcsunsfan]

As I look at the roster I think that if Gortat really wants to stay for a reasonable amount I would be glad to make other moves in this order:

1. Trade or cut Marshall. It just is not going to happen with him.

2. Trade the twins. I would rather see Plumlee, Gortat or Frye at the 4. Marcus is not a starter and we are in search of starting caliber players. Plumlee has the athleticism that the Morrii do not. He might not develop but it will be interesting to see.

[Fo-Real]

Yup.... The Mori are the weak link at the 4, and with Len and a bunch of interchangable bigs in Gortat, Frye, Pumlee and so many picks in next years draft not to mention movable contracts, yes the bros and Marshall and the expiring Brown contract should be moved. Get Bledson signed and inquire to Gortat and his agents what it would take to reasonably retain his services.... money mixed with playing time at what posistion... mixed with whatever??? If at the right price he can be an asset wether he stays or gets traded with the right contract.

[Frank Lee]

Same page Fo, same page......

It makes as much sense to keep him as it does to trade him. He makes/keeps us respectable on the front line.

The West has some beasts at center ... DHoward, Peko, MGasol, Cousins, Duncan, Bogut.... plus others.
Isn't such a bad thing to have a collection of bigs like we do.
Frye , theG, Len, Plum, Slav. Thats 30 fouls to combat the sizable competition. I think McDo has exactly those intentions/concerns as he has collected 21 ft of posters with his efforts this off season. He specifically targeted Plum and Slav as toss ins to go with Len. May be there is method to his madness.

Keep G.A.M. if he wants to be here, then he will be much easier to negotiate with. 4 yrs at 32 mill ought to do it, and he is worth it.

[jcsunsfan]

The twins are Blanks mo: skills over talent. McD is different. Skills can be developed, especially with the right coach, talent cannot.

I am pressed with Horny as a coach so far.

[YFZblu]

I would love for him to not be part of this team.

Why?

[YFZblu]

GrownAssMan has spoken.



There is no dual meaning with GrownAssMan. No hidden words. No Agenda.

GrownAssMan speaks the truth.


http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1100201

Agreed, he's pretty awesome.

[Durins Baynes]

I would love for him to not be part of this team.

Based on some of his comments in the past year, it's safe to say Gortat feels the same way. Hopefully he gets his wish before he has no value left.

[JDLAW]

Go away you annoying little troll.