Suns doing Amare a "disservice" playing him at C

[exodus]

according to Steve Kerr,

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While praising recent improvement in Stoudemire's defense, Suns general manager Steve Kerr said last week the team still was doing Stoudemire a "disservice" by playing him at center instead of his more natural power forward position.

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The trade would represent a dramatic change for the Suns, whose run-and-gun, small-ball style had revolutionized the league in recent seasons. That same style, however, has failed to bring the Suns a championship, and team officials have become increasingly skeptical about their chances of contending without giving Amare Stoudemire some help on the frontline

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Last summer i heard a lot of Amare and Wallace mentions to justify Horford as a long term answer at C. Looks like the Suns have given up on Amare as a starting C and Chicago is in the toilet.

Just more evidence, as if more was needed, that the Hawks need more size inside.

[exodus]

ironic that this story comes out on the same day.

Bulls Ben Wallace likes big help

Pairing with Bulls 7-footer Aaron Gray gives Big Ben freedom to roam at both ends of floor

By K.C. Johnson | Tribune reporter

February 6, 2008

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Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post comment Text size: PORTLAND, Ore. - As Ben Wallace extolled the virtues of playing alongside legitimate 7-footers, dropping names from his past like Elden Campbell and Eric Montross, somebody interrupted him to suggest that Montross stunk.

"Doesn't matter," Wallace said. "Whether you're a great player or not, if you're 7 feet and around that basket, they have to pay some attention to you."

And therein lies Wallace's, well, larger point.

In Monday's victory over Seattle, Wallace and 7-footer Aaron Gray logged seven minutes of second-quarter playing time together, during which the Bulls turned a one-point deficit into a five-point lead.

In this stretch, Gray scored five points and Wallace had two points and six rebounds, five of them offensive. Historically, Wallace is a good enough offensive rebounder not to need Gray's help.

Yet Wallace also is most effective offensively and defensively when he's freed to roam. Gray's presence afforded Wallace that opportunity in their longest stretch together since the preseason.

"It opens up a lot of things for me," Wallace said. "When you've got a big body out there, they can't leave him and let him roam around. You have to pay attention to him when he's on the floor. That allows me to get lanes where I get to the basket and get rebounds."

[coachx]

So who has a good 7 footer they want to give away ?

[Guest]

Yea, thats always been a debate this summer and people are realizing now the true impact not necessarily with the Hawks but around the league.

Could you repost that link? When I click it sends me to a "new post" page...on the new website scheme. I can't wait to see the new look of the website but as of right now I am still on the old look for some reason.

[AHF]

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So who has a good 7 footer they want to give away ?

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Other than Memphis?

[coachx]

Are we supposed to all be on the "new look now?"

I'm on the old look too but that link is sweet to the new squawk.

[AmishBoy]

I don't think Billy is going to change his mind on what type of team he needs to build. He doesn't seem like the type. It's hard to see the Hawks making it work if Phoenix has given up on the system.

[coachx]

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So who has a good 7 footer they want to give away ?

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Other than Memphis?

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Hey we tried.

If they would rather have 2 crappy picks then Josh Smith then fine....it takes 2 willing sides to do a trade. We were willing and even game them a standing offer.........which ia fairly unusual.

Jerry West just wanted to help out his Lakers like McHale did by sending Garnett to Boston rather then Chicago or LA.

[Guest]

When I clicked the link Exodus posted it showed up completely in the "new look". Maybe its a glitch or they are updating it as we speak?

Right now I am still on the "old" look. I am pretty excited to see the new site, and I am sure Chillz or Dolfan will make a post when we are officially in the new look.

[AtLaS]

I am also still on the old look, is our new website addy dev.hawksquawk.net ?? That's what it goes too for the new look. How many ppl are using the new look?

[exodus]

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Yea, thats always been a debate this summer and people are realizing now the true impact not necessarily with the Hawks but around the league.

Could you repost that link? When I click it sends me to a "new post" page...on the new website scheme. I can't wait to see the new look of the website but as of right now I am still on the old look for some reason.

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Let's try this again.

click

[exodus]

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So who has a good 7 footer they want to give away ?

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Other than Memphis?

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Hey we tried.

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The Hawks could have traded Al Harrington for Nene but didn't.

it took Colangelo about 10 minutes to trade for Rasho when he took the job.

BK passed on Prz twice in free agency.

This summer they have a chance to get Diop or Kwame, both UFA's. Granted neither are that great but i think they would both help us a lot.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Someone posted some stats once where Horford had one of the best points against for a 5 in the league.

The guy is a rookie and he's in the top 15 in rebounding and he shows more effort defensively than most 7 footers.

He is the least of our problems.

We need more production out of our bench than anything.

[mrhonline]

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I am also still on the old look, is our new website addy dev.hawksquawk.net ?? That's what it goes too for the new look. How many ppl are using the new look?

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[exodus]

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Someone posted some stats once where Horford had one of the best points against for a 5 in the league.

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Too bad he hasn't always been guarding the centers.

Do you really want me to quote the numbers that guys like Garnett, Boozer, Amare and Bosh had against him? How quick did he get in foul trouble against Shaq and Howard (and several others)?

horfords main value defensively is that when he gets switched onto smaller players, even pgs, they can't really take advantage of him.

Offensively he averages 9 ppg in 30 minutes. The only way he is going to score against bigger players is if he takes them off the dribble like Smith does. So far he hasn't done that at all.

He is a good rebounder but he can rebound just as well playing the 4 as the 5.

[Guest Walter]

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So who has a good 7 footer they want to give away ?

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Other than Memphis?

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Ouch!

W

[AnakinJoe]

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Do you really want me to quote the numbers that guys like Garnett, Boozer, Amare and Bosh had against him?

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No doubt that we need a true defensive big. But let's not use the stats of the best big men as a weapon against Horford. Boozer has gone for about 26 against the Spurs, does Duncan suck as a defender? Bosh averaged 28 in 2 contests against the imposing Pryzbilla. Come on, the guys you mentioned are All-Stars who routinely eat up experienced defenders (and other All-Star big men).

I'm not disagreeing that we don't need a big defensive center. Just suggesting that using the stats of the league's best big men is ridiculous. If you're telling me that Mark Blount, Rasho, Haywood or or Ben Wallace are having a career games against Horford, that would be more convincing.

[exodus]

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Just suggesting that using the stats of the league's best big men is ridiculous.

Those same guys didn't do too much against the hawks last year when Smith was on them.

Last season only 2 power forwards in the league (who played at least two games against the Hawks) exceeded their scoring average by more than 2 ppg against the Hawks. Those two were Duncan and Dirk.

The Hawks overall team defense was much worse last year so that should be instructive.

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Bosh averaged 28 in 2 contests against the imposing Pryzbilla.

Prz doesn't start at the 4, Aldridge does.

We need someone who can slow down the top post players and Horford clearly isn't the answer.

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Mark Blount, Rasho, Haywood or or Ben Wallace

haywood got his season average in the first quarter against us in the first game. Dampier had his way. Nick Collison put up big numbers in the first quarter as well.

And lets not forget all the times Horford has been basically a non-factor due to foul trouble.

[AnakinJoe]

If Bosh played against Aldridge, then why wasn't Bosh being guarded by Smith? Especially if he defended him so well last year?

And you must have hard standards if you're measuring success in quarterly intervals. Does Horford get any credit for adjusting in the game or did Smith come and bail him out for the last 3 quarters?

Again, asking a rookie to "contain" All-Star big men is ridiculous to me.

And as we continue to show against guys like Dwight Howard (and Al Jefferson during brief intervals), a team approach to defending a low post scorer is the most effective way to defend a beast in the paint.

[hussamga]

Let the fallout between kerr and D'antoni play out in the playoffs....if the Shaq trade bombs...maybe we can get the coach that can make our roster decisions as well...

Imagine mike coming here to build his running team with the young talent we got and ridding ourselves of woodson..then again we got the cockblock provided by ownership to get around