Suns, Bobcats Trade

by UtesFan89 on Dec 10, 2008 5:16 PM MST Comment 8 comments

Suns get: J-Rich, Jared Dudley
Bobcats get: Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Sean Singletary

Seems like a wash for ex-Jazzmen today (Shorty gets cut, Bell leaves a team he wasn't happy with).

Interesting deal though... the Suns add another wing that would really fit the system if D'Antoni was coach. (Note to Steve Kerr... D'Antoni isn't the coach!)

Bell was unhappy in the new system. Fine. You have to deal him. From the rumblings over at Bright Side of the Sun, it seems like they think Diaw was being overpaid (which he probably was, at $9 million). Still, just dealing him because of that is stupid. I look for the Suns to be trying to add a better PG soon, be it via trade or FA. Or maybe just play Barbosa a whole lot more, as he could end up being the key back-up behind both Nash & J-Rich. They do have Alando Tucker too, but I don't think he's just going to jump up to playing major minutes. And trading Diaw... all of a sudden, their back-up bigs are Robin Lopez & Louis Amundson (another ex-Jazzster). Not exactly solid... at least not yet.

J-Rich gives them a scoring wing. Will he get as many touches as he wants though? Especially with Terry Porter putting a stronger emphasis on defense and not being the mastermind (or anything) behind the SSOL approach. Dudley... coming out of college, he was compared to No Knees. Of course, as far as I know, he still has his knees. And if the comparison is even half-right, he's the best defender on the Suns now.

The Bobcats... who knows what they're thinking. After all the talk about maybe trading Gerald Wallace, they instead trade J-Rich... and don't even get the big they're looking for. Unless they really think Okafor/Diaw is a solid front-court. Bell might add something there, but he's not going to replace J-Rich's scoring. And if his issue in Phoenix was not getting enough shots, do you really want him on your team? He could be looking to shoot more. Singletary... I guess maybe the Bobcats wanted a 3rd PG, though they have 2 youngsters already in Felton & Augustin.

Overall, this trade really confuses me. I guess I'll have to sit and see what comes of it, but it seems like the Suns just rushed to get a trade (as is mentioned over at BSotS), while the Bobcats just look like MJ is pulling the strings there. It might not be as bad as Kwame #1 or Adam Morrison #3, but...

All comments are the opinion of the commenter and not necessarily that of SLC Dunk or SB Nation.

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I live in Carolina right now and keep tabs on the Bobcats and they are a lost cause right now.

I think they are trying to put together a team of guys that Larry Brown wants, but the Suns get the way better end of this deal. Dudley isn’t awesome, but he is a glue guy who will do the little things, including defend people. I think Jason Richardson will put up big numbers and it won’t improve the Sun’s outcome this season, but I think it improves their team greatly. Charlotte is lost. They just got the shooting guard they have desparately needed and then traded him away a season or two later. My only explanation is that Richardson isn’t a Larry-Brown guy. Anyway, you can count on the Suns giving the Jazz a harder time this season. We struggle with volume shooter shooting guards.

The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.

by clarkpojo on Dec 10, 2008 5:38 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Yep.

And now they have their own No Knees to take on our No Kees. Except their No Knees has knees.

But yeah… no idea what Charlotte is thinking. I don’t know if it’s Brown or MJ or someone else or a combination, but it’s not working.

I just don’t see why PHX would do it… it doesn’t seem to be helping them all that much (unless they have something else going on as well).

The Utah Jazz

by UtesFan89 on Dec 10, 2008 6:04 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

brown's not going to be long around the deal with this mess long term...

by moni on Dec 10, 2008 6:15 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Michael Jordan.

The best ever at playing basketball. The worst ever at running a team.

Uh, do you think you could draw me like a ninja?

by Shums on Dec 10, 2008 7:12 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

It is amazing what a disconnect there is between those two aspects.

But he is still better than Isiah and Kevin McHale.

The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.

by clarkpojo on Dec 10, 2008 7:30 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

actually

I’m not sure about that with Isiah. Isiah was a horrible GM, no question. But it was mostly because he didn’t understand the salary cap or the vagaries of free agency and contracts. As a judge of talent, especially drafting talent (when the Knicks actually had draft picks to use), he often wasn’t that bad. Players like David Lee, Renaldo Balkman and Wilson Chandler were excellent draft finds, despite being unexpected and unpopular choices.

MJ, on the other hand, has spectacular draft flops like Kwame and Adam Morrison on his side, combined with some equally inept salary and contract management.

Uh, do you think you could draw me like a ninja?

by Shums on Dec 10, 2008 7:51 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Of course

Isiah also took Mardy Collins, which had people scratching their heads.

And it’s not that he took the players like Balkman & Chandler… it’s more that he could’ve gotten them a round later.

Well scouted, but his ability to know where to take them sucked. He could’ve taken a better talent in the 1st round, then his guy in the 2nd round… and who knows, maybe he’s still coach or GM or something.

The Utah Jazz

by UtesFan89 on Dec 10, 2008 8:33 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs