When a trade goes down like Wednesday's five-player deal between the Suns and the Bobcats, it has ramifications beyond those of the players involved simply changing zip codes. The teams have to make the adjustment of bringing the new players into their family unit, and the players that remain need to come to grips with the fact that people they trusted on the court and befriended off of it are no longer a part of the family. It seems that no one realizes this more than Steve Nash.
Nash will tell you himself that he was pretty stunned by the news of the trade, as Raja Bell was his best friend on the team, and left town without a proper goodbye. (Bell texted Nash from the airport, as he didn't want to wake him from his pregame nap.) Nash admitted after Wednesday night's game against the Lakers that he was "emotionally drained," and his 2-of-12 shooting backed up that assertion.
The surprise of the loss of a close friend being shipped out of town without warning likely makes one think about what else might be in the pipeline as far as changes are concerned.
Even in his surprised and emotional state, Nash wondered if there were more deals on the horizon for this team that might send them into a rebuilding direction, which is one that he would obviously not be happy with.
"I hope it's not a situation where they are just trying to blow it up," Nash said. "I think we still have got a chance to be a really good team. There's time to incorporate the new guys."This sounds almost like an open plea to Steve Kerr, and for Nash's sake, let's hope that Kerr is listening. If you look closely at the last two deals Kerr's made though, it would appear that he's looking towards winning this season and not sometime in the distant future.
Nobody would trade for Shaquille O'Neal in the (likely) final two years of his career if they were in a rebuilding mode. So there's that. And when you look at the Richardson trade, the Suns improved at the two offensively, while probably breaking even on defense and losing a little depth by sending Diaw out of town.
While it's unclear if Kerr is done dealing (because honestly, the team still needs a backup point guard and a quality big to defend, rebound, and spell Shaq if they truly want to contend), the moves he's made so far aren't those of someone who's looking to blow things up and start rebuilding.
If Amare Stoudemire is dealt before the end of the season, however, (it's not as crazy as it sounds; it's been tossed around and Amare will be a free agent like everyone else in 2010) and the team doesn't get a boat load of talent in return that helps them get to the Finals, then Nash's greatest fears will have been realized.
(Oh, and at that point, he'll almost certainly bail in 2010 as well.)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-12-2008 @ 3:18AM
giff said...
well let's see...the Kerr moves haven't been successful yet...so there's a jury out on his vision...clearly Shaq hasn't been the defensive presence or force that was missing from the D'antoni speed game...if it was, there was no need to release Raja Bell, one of the team's better defenders and a decent 3pt. shooter...and while Diaw might have been unhappy for lack of minutes, I remember him shredding Lakers in playoffs one year so it seemed more a question of the Shaq direction that was his problem than his ability. Now Richardson, clearly a quality shooter, will be one more chemistry adjustment for a team already trying to adjust to the Big Ego or the Big Decline....we'll see...we can all take solace in the early perception of Mitch Kupchak as an idiot only to have kept Bynum and traded up for Gasol to be on the team...good moves both, despite the heat he took for bynum
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12-12-2008 @ 10:19AM
Dave D. said...
Obviously, Nash is emotional here. That's one of his benefits, actually -- that he increases team harmony by truly considering the guys he goes to war with as his brethren. This was the situation when he left Dallas, and it's still the situation now.
Still, this brings several things to light. Raja Bell had been the most vocal opponent to Terry Porter's changes, which always struck me as out of line consider his status as (generously) the Sun's fifth best player. But to know that he and Nash were this close, that Nash's play would suffer just from the emotional impact of his absence (of course three rotation players were missing too) makes me question how much of Raja's complaining was, in a roundabout way, truly Nash's. That's not to say that Nash sicced Raja on Porter through the media, but maybe Raja felt more comfortable talking openly about his problems because he had had the same discussions privately with Nash.
And the truth is, when Nash worries about "blowing up" the team, what he's really worried about is the possibility of Amare being traded. You never saw this type of support for Shawn Marion, another known malcontent. This is Nash's plea that there is nothing Kerr can acquire that's worth the cost of Amare Stoudemire. And I agree completely, but not for his reasons. The J-Rich trade improves the Suns' according to Porter's gameplan, and, while Amare's current game is better situated in a transition offense, this team is better off with J-Rich and Amare in the halfcourt than with J-Rich and bits and pieces in either the halfcourt or transition. This team has improved -- the J-Rich trade is not "blowing up" the Suns -- and they should let Richardson get comfortable alongside his new teammates Nash, Shaq, and Amare.
About Leandro Barbosa though....
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12-19-2008 @ 1:52AM
RayB said...
Steve Nash needs to get out of his GAY moments with BELL and get over it!!!!...Time to play ball....This is business.....and if you are getting paid to play what you are worth, quit whinning and play.....Aquiring Richardson is the next best thing that happened to SUNS this season....The best thing of course if getting rid of DORIS DIAW....Nash has not been playing in the same caliber of the top point guards out there, so if I was NASH, he's not worth what he is used to be, so just shut up and do what you need to do....QUIT WHINNING, QUIT with your FANCY PASSING that does not work anymore, which causes most of SUNS turnovers, and GET WITH THE PROGRAM....as for AMARE, get out of the EGO trip and be a part of the TEAM!.....You are far more worried about getting a high score than your team winning.......YOU WILL NEVER BE LEBRON JAMES, OR KEVIN GARNETT, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CARRY YOUR TEAM TO WIN....SO TAKE IT LIKE IT IS AND MOVE ON...........
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