Dec.27 at 3:04 pm

Myles Brown says:
I love to say I told you so.

Dec.27 at 3:08 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Marion and Marcus Banks to the Knicks for Jerome James, Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries and Malik Rose. The Suns get interior defense, the Knicks get another potential locker room disaster. I like it!

Dec.27 at 3:08 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Also, trading Kurt Thomas is never a good idea.

Dec.27 at 3:11 pm

Tenorca says:
Maybe Amare shouldn’t've been working on his three pointers this summer. Just saying.

Dec.27 at 3:11 pm

white hot eboy says:
Amare is not that guy.

Dec.27 at 3:23 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
What about Marion and Banks (poison pill, baby) to the Pacers for Jermaine O’Neal?

Dec.27 at 3:24 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, anything in the works on the state of the new Bulls?

Dec.27 at 3:24 pm

underdog says:
Yeah, I was abuot to mention Kurt Thomas…

Dec.27 at 3:26 pm

underdog says:
How about Gasol?

Dec.27 at 3:28 pm

Holly MacKenzie says:
Kurt Thomas….Stuck in seattle when he could be helping Phoenix win a championship. I am disappointed with Amare’s D, but, damn. Why’d they have to trade Kurt? Not only for his talent, the guy is invaluable to have around in the locker room.

Dec.27 at 3:29 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
What state of the Bulls? And what “new Bulls”? Did Ben Gordon grow three inches for Christmas? Did Ben Wallace get three years younger? Did Kirk Hinrich start hitting jumpers? Until there’s a major trade or some HUGE lineup changes, there’s nothing new to say.

Dec.27 at 3:31 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Skiles probably did have to go, but the fact that they’re apparently not even LOOKING for a new full-time coach until the summer means there probably won’t be a “new Bulls” until next season. In the meantime they’d better play the hell out of the young guys and sort out if there’s anyone out there who’d take a chance on Ben Wallace. (Phoenix? Cmaaaaaaaaaan. You know you wanna.)

Dec.27 at 3:38 pm

white hot eboy says:
Interim for the rest of the season? That’s bullsh*t.

Dec.27 at 3:39 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Wallace for Marion straight up?

Dec.27 at 3:41 pm

ak47 says:
So you mean Steve Nash can’t do it all by himself? What?! With the way the media has hyped Nash and with the way everybody bought into it, you would think Nash was the only guy on the team! I’m not buying it. Nash can lead this team all the way to the championship!

Dec.27 at 3:42 pm

Tenorca says:
Russ: If the Suns did that, Steve Kerr would be found in a ditch somewhere near Flagstaff.

Dec.27 at 3:42 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And indeed it is. Then again, who do they hire in the middle of the season? Besides, like I said, I don’t think the coaching is the real problem. It was part of it, sure–Skiles had worn out his welcome–but most of the Bulls problems can be laid at the door of John Paxson.

Dec.27 at 3:44 pm

John E. Sanford says:
I still say that was colder than a motherf*cker to fire Skiles on Christmas eve.

Dec.27 at 3:48 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Why? He has a guaranteed contract that will still pay him millions. As he himself said, he’s not destitute. Basically he just got a REALLY long Christmas vacation, and now he doesn’t have to deal with that Roster of Misfit Players anymore. He’s not Isiah–he’ll get another NBA job soon enough. The Bulls didn’t play up to expectations this season, and Skiles paid the price for it. That’s just the way things work.

Dec.27 at 4:10 pm

white hot eboy says:
Rudolph rules!

Dec.27 at 4:26 pm

Ben Osborne says:
Khaild was writing this Suns story verbally since July.

Dec.27 at 4:33 pm

albie1kenobi says:
i thought this was already a problem that the suns (and anyone who follows basketball) were aware of last year?

Dec.27 at 4:39 pm

Captain America says:
Marcus Banks is worth his weight in toilet paper.

Dec.27 at 4:40 pm

Art Vandelay says:
Reminds me of that “Groundhog Day”-movie…every year, at the same time, somebody in Phoenix says to himself “DAMN, we need some defense, otherwise we won’t be in the finals”…and what’s the result every year?
Nothing? Yea, pretty close… At least, Bill Murray got Andie MacDowell…

Dec.27 at 4:43 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
If the Suns knew this last year, why did they trade Kurt Thomas (and a pair of first-round picks) for a bag of Fritos in July? When the fall comes, the Suns are gonna fall HARD.

Dec.27 at 4:44 pm

Myles Brown says:
Art Vadelay is the best commenter name Ive seen in ages.

Dec.27 at 4:45 pm

Myles Brown says:
And now back to your previously scheduled programming…

Dec.27 at 4:45 pm

Bryan says:
Most of the people on this site don’t like the same things I do , so when I see a reference to something as great as seinfeld or family guy it warms my heart.

Dec.27 at 4:55 pm

Jukai says:
A few notes from a diehard phoenix fan…
-Phoenix has been a huge disappointment this year. Standing around, whining at every call… I remember when the Suns would rarely complain and take a bad call and move onto the next one. Now it’s “OMG HE LOVE TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER WHY AM I NOT ON THE FREE THROW LINE.” Mike D’Antoni has so many exaggerated facial expressions, I’m not sure the team will ever get the benefit of the doubt anymore. Oh yeah, and Amare is starting to flop. How likable.
-Mike D’Antoni has to be fired. Which wont happen, but he has to be fired. He never yells at his team.. they stand on the court, never moving around for ten minute stretches both offensively and defensively. He lets them do whatever the hell they want in practice. He will scream at the refs, takes Nash out at the worst periods of time, never trusts his bench… he’s HORRENDOUS. Yet, the team and the town like him so much that he’s like a hero there. Solution? Bring in an ASSISTANT coach that will preach defense and no one to call a good time out, when to foul and when not to foul, and when to lose a game with grace(Phoenix having trouble doing that).
-I know Marion is locker room cancer, but you have to leave the guy. I know he misses open layups more this season than his entire career but you gotta keep him. Cause when he switches from “SUPER STAR MARION” to “garbage player Marion” he is unstoppable and invaluble. Get rid of Barbosa and Diaw. Or just Barbosa can get you three role playing defensive players… Bulls might actually be a good deal. As long as we don’t get Wallace.
-Someone needs to talk to a bunch of Suns players about their ‘role’ on the team. Maybe Kerr should do it… Someone needs to tell Amare that he has to be less Vince Carter and more Kevin Garnett (you know, the guy the Phoenix Suns refused to trade for). Enough jump shots that aren’t going to bank in! TAKE IT TO THE RIM! Who cares if you foul out, it’ll free up the three point players. Marion has to stop pretending he can dribble, stay in the post and get the garbage points. He’s SO GOOD AT IT. It’s his only value. Hill has to stop charging at the basket in the first quarter, risking serious injury, and start charging at the basket in the fourth quarter. Hill is a superstar afraid to take the limelight away from the other players. Screw ‘em, win ballgames…. and Diaw… don’t even get me started on Diaw… Oh, and D’Antoni has to use his intellect and be able to figure out who is playing better, Bell or Barbosa, and play them in the fourth quarter. Instead of whatever random player he wants.
-NASH NEEDS TO DRIVE MORE

Dec.27 at 4:56 pm

Jukai says:
Also, I remember Kurt Thomas floundering around, out of breath, hurting the offensive and sometimes the defense and no one really having a purpose for him on the team until they learned he could guard Duncan. I’m not sure really Thomas was a big problem for the Suns.

Dec.27 at 5:01 pm

Dallas J. says:
You should print that out and fax it to the Suns staff. Brutally honest and pretty much on point.

Dec.27 at 5:02 pm

Waltonia says:
Yeah, ’cause the Sonics’ interior defense is straight-up awesome this year with addition of Kurt Thomas.

Dec.27 at 5:30 pm

TADOne says:
And here I thought the Suns were in pretty good shape.

Dec.27 at 5:39 pm

Art Vandelay says:
first of all it’s good to know to have Seinfeld-fans here also… Now read this and think about the basketball-knowledge of the Phoenix-management: (from an nba.com-article at the beginning of the season) “The Phoenix Suns today traded center Kurt Thomas and two future first-round draft picks to the Seattle SuperSonics for a future conditional second-round pick.”
…
Let me count that again…a hard-working center, one of the few players in Phoenix who know how to spell d-e-f-e-n-s-e (correct me if I am wrong!!) AND two future draft picks for ONE CONDITIONAL second-round pick?
Sounds not very smart to me…
Sure, they have some room under the cap now, but some room in the paint too… In addition to that, here comes General Manager Steve Kerr: “We really like the group of players we’ve assembled and feel we can make a legitimate run for an NBA championship.”
Unfortunately, he seems to have mixed it up with the old Bulls-times…it takes ONE Jordan (okay, didn’t forget Pip) and lots of role-players (including our GM) to get a ring, but THREE players named Nash, Marion and Stoudemire don’t make up ONE Jordan… K, I wasn’t good in mathematics at school, but at least, I think that calculation is right… I don’t know exactly why, but I got that one name in mind when thinking of a possible Suns-Knicks-trade: what about David Lee? He gets some rebounds at least (and seems to be a possible hard worker)… by the way: the Suns didn’t start whining this year, they already did LAST season! Remember them playing in the playoffs against the Spurs without Stoudemire? I guarantee that in five years, they’ll still say “With Amare, we would have been champion in 07″…

Dec.27 at 5:47 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Sub Lee for Balkman in my above proposed deal and have the Suns throw in a 2027 first-rounder (I think they’ve already traded every one up to then).

Dec.27 at 6:17 pm

Gerard Himself says:
Why didn’t they keep Kurt Thomas anyway? What was the reason?

Dec.27 at 6:23 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Luxury tax.

Dec.27 at 6:25 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Amare to the Nuggets for Marcus Camby and J.R. Smith?

Dec.27 at 6:28 pm

Jukai says:
Phoenix is run by greedy jerks.

Dec.27 at 6:28 pm

Jukai says:
Russ, that is a horrible horrible horrible trade… are you TRYING to hurt the team I love?

Dec.27 at 6:29 pm

Jukai says:
I mean, you want to send another walking injury and another locker room disaster to the Grant Hill & Shawn Marion club?? FOR AMARE? I know Amare is standing at the top of the key waiting to shoot a jump shot NOW, but he CAN be a good player. Kerr just needs to taser him a couple of times (D’Antoni isn’t going to do it)

Dec.27 at 6:33 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I was just throwing it out there, sheesh.

Dec.27 at 6:34 pm

Jukai says:
Barbosa has to be traded. He’s really should be a key to any trade Phoenix makes. Enough with trying to trade Amare and Marion… they put up points like hot cakes, and when they DO want to play, really kill it. With the addition of Grant Hill, I think Barbosa’s value isn’t there. Sure, he can drop 30 a night at any time, but he also can miss a bajillion three pointers and open layups. Not worth it. But everyone else thinks his worth is SKYROCKETTING. Trade him to the Knicks along w/ Tucker and a draft pick for Lee and… I don’t know, Crawford. Then again, David Lee’s value on the Knicks triples his value on any other team cause he’s actually likable. So I don’t know.

Dec.27 at 6:35 pm

Jukai says:
Russ, I’ve been sitting in my room in a fetal position thinking of any possible trade scenerio that I could. And the only trades I could think could actually work come from the Bulls. And that just makes me cry.

Dec.27 at 6:38 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Marion to the Sixers for Dalembert, Korver and the remains of Shavlik Randolph?

Dec.27 at 6:43 pm

Jukai says:
Russ =/

Dec.27 at 6:45 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Hahahaha. I’ll propose trades until the cows come home–then I’ll propose trading the cows.

Dec.27 at 6:48 pm

Jukai says:
Well it’s a good thing my second favorite team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, aren’t having any problems.

Dec.27 at 6:52 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Did you see my Marbury for Snow and Hughes proposal?

Dec.27 at 7:03 pm

Jukai says:
Not until now. Lemme go grab a glass of water to get the vomit taste out of my mouth.

Dec.27 at 8:28 pm

hursty says:
the suns need interior defense, any chance of battier/hayes/scola for the rockets/suns trade? U get defense, hustle etc. does it fit under the cap?

Dec.27 at 9:45 pm

Jukai says:
Who would you give up, Hursty?

Dec.28 at 1:39 am

Jj says:
DO NOT trade marion, and marion is not just good for garbage points he’s also a good rebounder

Dec.28 at 2:19 am

ak47 says:
The Suns will be fine this year. Just watch!

Dec.28 at 6:29 am

Camb0dia says:
sigh amare for KG = title right know anyone doubting it now the actually have no hope to get a BIG who can play D AND RUN theres one DWIGHT and i dont think orlandos gonna trade him, anyone else slows the team Ps SJax could help

Dec.28 at 7:30 am

LAN says:
marcus banks for kurt thomas? marcus banks has alot of potential hes just under used becaus of nash n seattle need a good pg

Dec.28 at 7:34 am

LAN says:
celtics r never gunna trade kg! not for ne player in the league. maybe 4 like 3 allstars but nothin less. he’s way 2 valuable. i recon kendrick is gunna b a solid player in the next few seasons caus kg will help him develop

Dec.28 at 7:36 am

LAN says:
AND i recon phoenix r fine as it is n they hav a good chance of winnin title this season unless david stern has somthing 2 say about it like he did last season

Dec.28 at 8:41 am

Tarzan Cooper says:
why is this news? this story is the exact same one that was made 3 years ago.