Bleacher Report - Articles by king Kane

Steve Kerr Makes Sun Set In Phoenix

king Kane — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:53:36 -0500

In the middle of last season, I asked myself, "Why Steve Kerr? Why?"

Why did you trade your only all around player (Marion), for an old and lazy Shaquille O’Neal?

I somehow got over the horrible management decision and moved on. However I now find myself in the middle of another season asking Kerr again; why?

Why would you trade two good players, and one up-and-coming player in the middle of the season?

What is Kerr's idea of management? He plans to fix the problems that aren't working by constantly trading good players in the middle of the season. Wasn't that what Shaq was for?

Kerr stated that, “We’re really thankful for everything Raja and Boris have done for us over the years, as well as, Sean this year, but we just felt like our team needed some change.”

The only change that is needed in phoenix is the general manager, Steve Kerr.

I do not agree with Coach Terry Porter in the lead but he only seems to be half the problem. Kerr wants a championship now; but you don't get it by constantly rotating major players in and out. How is a team going to get its rhythm with a revolving door policy?

The part that appears strange is that Marion and Bell both were crowd favorites in Phoenix. If you want to sell tickets and keep fans you usually create poster players, not trade them.

Unless Kerr has some amazing trick up his sleeve, then the Suns are in for an early, disappointing season. Kerr failed miserably last season, and is already on his way down with Porter by his side. Maybe the next trade will be a smart one and that will be Kerr for a monkey.

If this keeps up I see Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, a.k.a “STAT,” heading far away from the valley of the sun. I hope they wind up in New York where run and gun basketball can once again rule the NBA.

Boris Diaw stated that he would always remember Suns’ basketball when it was a good team under Mike D'antoni. I wish Diaw, Bell, and Sean the best of luck and a prosperous career.

As for Kerr, I think he will find himself as one of the biggest mistakes in Suns’ franchise history.

Nash Suspended? Why?

king Kane — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:23:39 -0500

Yes there was a small scuffle that involved Phoenix Suns players Matt Barnes, Steve Nash and Shaq with Houston Rockets players Rafer Alston, McGrady and Yao.

Why the punishments?

I am all for punishing players for misconduct on and off the Court, but what did the friendly neighborhood Nash do to deserve a one game suspension?

Alston and Barnes deserved their suspensions, but why was Nash held to a different standard than Yao, McGrady and even Shaq?

Nash ran into the argument to break it up and McGrady pushed him on the ground before Nash could even say anything. Then Alston went after Nash who didn't return a swing.

How is the fine greater for Shaq who was reacting to McGrady elevating the whole situation?

Did I watch a different "fight"? Was there not any real problems until McGrady decided to act like his team mate Artest and push Nash?

I haven't even heard Yao get anything in all this when he had the same involvement as Nash.

Was Nash the victim, no, but McGrady was the instigator and should be sitting or at least be penalized with the same fine amount, if not more, than Shaq.

Maybe the NBA felt bad for the Rockets because they look liked a bunch of chumps getting pushed around by Shaq. I hope the Rockets learned a valuable lesson that day.

Artest, for the first time was the only smart one and didn't get involved and I commend him for that...McGrady, you should be sitting and I hope your knees are ok from that nasty fall, and your back from having Yao thrown on top of you...

Forget the Flops—Play Some Ball

king Kane — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:49:43 -0500

With Manu Ginobili out for the beginning of the season we, the fans, have been spared his production of flopping and "poor me" fouls. However everyone else is taking a page out of his book.

It seems like it all started a few season ago, but last seasons playoff round was more than I could handle. The stepping in front of someone to take a charge and the whining to the referees when they miss a lay up has consumed the game.

And has gotten out of control!

How about you suck up the missed shot and play some D. These days "All-Stars" can't stand to get touched while shooting or miss a shot without receving a foul. They make a big ordeal over nothing.

Maybe they should go back to the basics. Back to training camp. Have the coach write really big on the board, "When the ball hits the rim and doesn't go in that is not considered a foul."

The one that is becoming a regular play book addition is to step in front of a lay up and take a charge.

When did playing defense become a back up strategy?

Another poor excuse for coaching is the "hack-a-Shaq." Is Popovich that timid to play defense that he has to resort to Bush-league coaching. I do feel that the Spurs have made a name for themselves as one of the dirtiest teams in the NBA. All the while they complain about every call.

The worse part is that the referees are going along with it. Not doing anything to deter it. If you fall because you intentionally stepped in front of a moving offensive player, it serves you right and a foul should be called on you.

I would like to see some basketball being played and less drama queens running around the court worrying about their shoes getting scuffed.

Maybe this season we will see less productions on the court and more basketball.

Does Shaquille O'Neal Have Some of That Kazaam Magic Left?

king Kane — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:50:00 -0500

This will be the first full year Shaquille O'Neil will be with the Phoenix Suns after a disappointing playoff run last season.

Does Shaq have another championship in him before he retires, or did he go to Phoenix simply because of the nice weather and amazing golf courses?

When Shaq was introduced to Phoenix, I remember sitting in the stands listening to the cheers and comments of what a great addition he will be to the Suns. The problem was after a short playoff run, the cheering stopped and negative comments soon filled the stands.

With the Suns holding the number-one seat in the West, General Manager Steve Kerr decided that Phoenix needed some help on defense, because opposing teams would constantly score 90-plus points per game.

The Suns and D'Antoni had a good system going where they would focus on offense and outscore the other team. This seems like a simple enough concept, and was actually working very well for the starting lineup of the Suns.

Despite the the Suns' record, Kerr decided to go against that good old saying our grandpas told us, "if it aint broke, dont fix it." Kerr's solution was to bring the Diesel into town and add that needed big man to the run-and-gun Suns team.

Don't get me wrong—Shaq is a very reputable player and has a lot of playoff experience. I also think Shaq deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and is a great player to have on a team when it comes to morale.

However, Shaq was not the addition the Suns needed, nor was he the answer to their playoff worries. If anything, he might have been the reason the Suns did not advance as far as they might have with former Sun Shawn Marion in the rotation. For example, the start of the oh-so-famous Hack-a-Shaq, and his inability to make a needed free throw.

As for this season, I do not see the Suns and what was supposed to be Shaq's added defense going very far. With new coach Terry Porter playing rookies for half of the game, you can't expect veterans like Shaq, Nash, and Hill to really click with these guys and have a successful season. The word last season was give the team a chance to vibe and they will get it—but with constant changes in the Suns' lineup and coaching staff, Shaq would be better off on the putting greens.

I think it was a good effort for the big guy, but I was against the trade for Shaq from the start. Between last season and this season, I may just get proved right.

Shaq has had a very notable career and will remain one of the best big men in basketball. He will forever be remembered for his backboard-shattering dunk. Let's just hope he can go out with style and on top.