2005 Suns vs 2007 Suns

[The Diesel]

Hey guys,

I was just thinking about the 2005 Suns vs 2007 Suns and wondering who you guys think was the better team.

Nash
Joe Johnson
Richardson
Marion
Amare

vs

Nash
Bell
James Jones
Marion
Amare

Which team was better?

Thanks.

[NashtyNas]

Gotta look at the benches too. I mean, yeah, looking at the starting lineup, you have to go with the 05 team because of pure talent, and Q.Rich was pretty darn good when he played for us. The benches would make a difference in decision based on what players feel about them, because Barbosa wasn't nearly as good in 04-05 as he was in 06/07. Jimmy Jackson, Steven Hunter, Bo Outlaw and Paul Shirley. Compare those 4 + young Barbs to old Barbs, Diaw, Kurt Thomas, Jalen Rose and I think the 07 team would take my vote.

The offense of Joe and Richardson was some what replaceable by the improvement in Barbosa, Diaw, and Jones, but the defensive improvements Bell, Diaw and Thomas brought meant a lot. I think in 07 we had a great chance of going to the Finals and winning vs CLE if the whole SA crap didn't happen.

Z <<< Amar'e
Marshall/Gooden << Marion
Lebron >>>> Diaw/Jones
Pavlovic/Gibson/Brown < Bell/Barbosa
Snow/Jones <<< Nash

We would've ran them out of the ground. STUPID **** SPURS. SDJFSKJDFHSD

[The Diesel]

I agree the suspensions cost the Suns the 2007 title, but I agree with the decision to suspend everyone involved in the Horry/Nash incident.

The bottom line is Amare and Diaw broke a very clear rule and it would have been extremely unfair to every person suspended because of this rule in the past to make an exception for Amare and Diaw.

The rules are the rules and they are there to be followed, not broken.

By not suspending them for breaking the "don't leave the bench" rule, it would make that rule useless because then players would feel they can break the rules in the future and hope to get away with it.

It must be made clear to the players that you absolutely can not break the rules and hope to get away with it.

It's a good rule that has been in place for over 10 years now and I think it's a good rule.

Not suspending Amare/Diaw would have been very unfair to guys like Ewing and Jalen Rose who were suspended in the past for doing the exact same thing.

Amare and Boris should have known better than to leave the bench.

As a matter of fact, when the Horry/Bell altercation was going on, Amare CONTINUED walking towards it until he was just a few feet away!

They have nobody but themselves to blame. They should have known better.

The NBA made the right decision.

[BurningHeart]

The suspensions were not the problem. They were the icing on the cake.

Game 3 of that series was the problem. The worst officiated and most obviously shady game since Game 5 of the 2002 WCF Finals. That night, I knew something was wrong. My feelings were confirmed later on when the Donaghy scandal broke out.

No one gives that game any discussion, but it was THAT one that was the problem. If we won that one like we should have (and would have, I'm SURE of it), that series would have been ours.

The problem with the suspensions weren't the suspensions, but rather the black and white interpretation. You simply cannot have that type of black and white interpretation, ESPECIALLY when the league is so inconsistent on so many other things (and look at this year's playoffs as an example of that). Taking out two star players for what they "did" was absurd, while giving the perpetrator Robert Horry two games, but he's worthless anyway until one minute left in the fourth quarter so who cares? I have no problems with the suspensions other than the fact that those things NEED to be circumstantial.

We were up all Game 5 without Amare and Boris anyway, and should have won that game, if it werent for Kung Fu Bruce hitting a corner three with 30 seconds left in the game. Typical Spurs luck right there.

[NashtyNas]

And yeah, the suspensions were mandatory and what not, but I don't exactly recall how long each player was suspended, but Horry didn't receive the suspension he deserved while our team did for just breaking a minor rule compared to what he did. That's what ticked me off, but whatever, it's done and over..

[The Diesel]

Horry only got two games, while Stoudemire and Diaw each got the automatic one game suspension for breaking the "don't leave the bench" rule.

However, two games was not enough for Horry, in my opinion. The guy should have been suspended the rest of the playoffs for that because it was one of the dirtiest plays I have ever seen. Totally uncalled for.

Some have said that Horry was "rewarded" for what he did, which is ridiculous. To believe he was rewarded, you have to believe that he committed that foul while hoping at the same time he committed the foul that Amare/Boris would leave the bench and get suspended. That is ridiculous.

Horry was not rewarded for anything. He committed a foul because he was frustrated, that's it. It was a dirty play, but I don't think he was rewarded for anything.

Amare and Boris should have known better. End of story. I think the NBA made the correct decision in following the letter of the law in that situation.

[BurningHeart]

Some have said that Horry was "rewarded" for what he did, which is ridiculous. To believe he was rewarded, you have to believe that he committed that foul while hoping at the same time he committed the foul that Amare/Boris would leave the bench and get suspended. That is ridiculous.

.

Knowing how the Spurs are and how Horry is....it would not surprise me IN THE LEAST hearing about how that play was pre-meditated.

[The Diesel]

However, it must be said that the Spurs were VERY lucky they weren't swept in 2007.

- They only won Game 1 because Nash left the game because of the bloody nose.

- They got blown out in Game 2

- Game 3 was a horribly officiated game

- They lost Game 4 at home

That series should have been over in 4 games.

[BurningHeart]

However, it must be said that the Spurs were VERY lucky they weren't swept in 2007.

- They only won Game 1 because Nash left the game because of the bloody nose.

- They got blown out in Game 2

- Game 3 was a horribly officiated game

- They lost Game 4 at home

That series should have been over in 4 games.

Yup. That series should have been five games AT MOST.

[nashill]

this was the best suns in nash era

nash
bell
marion
diaw
kt

though the 2005 team was more exciting.

[DirtyDez]

2005 was the 1st year all those guys were together, even if JJ was healthy the Spurs would've beaten us. 2007 it seemed like everything came together, Nash and Amare were 1st team all-NBA and LB was 6th man of the Year also KT and Diaw were solid bench players and MArion was in his prime. Still can't seem to understand why we never had a decent backup PG for Nash all those years cuz it seemed he ran outta gas come playoff time. I guess they tried w/ Marcus Banks

[Purple Palace]

Game 4 we were so lucky to win, though.


04-05 was way more entertaining because there wasn't any expectations. We came out of the middle of nowhere and won 62 games and killed Memphis, took down Dallas which was a good series, and going into the SA series I think we had more of a "If we win, awesome, if we don't, we made a huge step in the right direction this season" mentality...06-07 was more win or this team could be looking to move some pieces and everyone is going to flip out.

The 06-07 team was better..Barbosa was a lot better compared to 04-05 where he was still an average player, and we had a little more production off the bench rather than Jimmy Jackson, young Barbosa and Hunter.

2005 was the 1st year all those guys were together, even if JJ was healthy the Spurs would've beaten us.

I agree, but if you look at that series in 2005, we lost most of those games in the 4th quarter (I think 3 of them)..we just got out executed in the end, it's not like we got what the Cavs did from the Spurs in the 07 finals, they flat out worked Cleveland.

[BurningHeart]

The 2005 Western Conference Finals was THE closest five-game series of all time. We were up in basically every game until the final five minutes. Chalk that one up to inexperience and the Spurs being a machine.

[Qwigglez]

I didn't even watch the Finals that year, I was too upset. Plus, I knew Cleveland was gonna get dismantled like that, they had nobody but Lebron.

[novus316]

this was the best suns in nash era

nash
bell
marion
diaw
kt

though the 2005 team was more exciting.

That team only beat a Lakers team starting Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, and Luke Walton simultaneously in 7 games because of a miracle play by Shawn Marion/Tim Thomas. Then they got taken to the brink by the freaking Clippers in the next round. That wasn't our best squad, although it might have been our most well rounded. If only we'd had Amare that year, we'd have freaking destroyed Dallas. Ugh.

[nevetsov]

I love how everyone who agrees with the Amare and Boris suspension immediately turns to the 'letter of the law' defense, but they NEVER comment on Duncan and Bowen leaving the SPURS bench when James Jones undercut Fransisco Elson and they got into a staredown altercation.

I guess the rules only absolutely apply when the Suns are involved?

[Risensun]

I love how everyone who agrees with the Amare and Boris suspension immediately turns to the 'letter of the law' defense, but they NEVER comment on Duncan and Bowen leaving the SPURS bench when James Jones undercut Fransisco Elson and they got into a staredown altercation.

I guess the rules only absolutely apply when the Suns are involved?

Bingo

[RaisingArizona]

2005 was more exciting, 2007 was our year though. Between donaguhee, stern and the flopping/cheating spurs, it was too much to overcome.

[BurningHeart]

In 2006, we didn't even need Amare.

If Bell hadn't gotten hurt in Game 1, I'm convinced they would have won the series.

[tac45]

ah, how i love spending quality minutes on memory lane and watching youtube joints of the suns from then..

life's a bitch