Apollo's Phoenix Thread

[Carmelo Anthony]

Luol Deng propably wouldve gone top 3 next season, plus theres a chance the Bulls might even make the playoffs. I think the Suns will pick between 9-14 next season with the Bulls pick...I think we did well out of it. Deng was considered to go 3rd in the 04 draft but refused to come for second workouts for a few teams and his stocks dropped.

 

[Portmanteau]

Deng would've fallen behind Aleksanderov, Andriuskevicius, Marvin Williams, Rudy Gay, Chris Paul et al for the same reason he fell to #7 in this draft.

 

[apollo_creed]

Roster Will Leave Suns Winging It


Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
July 31, 2004
After meeting the player his team intended to invest $44 million in over the next six years, Suns Managing Owner Robert Sarver figured the deal would never happen.

No way, he told Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo, that the Clippers would be willing to lose him.

"I don't think we're going to get him," Colangelo said Sarver told him after the meeting in Newport Beach, Calif., "because that's an unbelievable young man . . . "

(Pause here for Richardson's fiancée, Brandy, to boom "Woooo!" as she hears this in Friday's news conference.)

Colangelo continued with Sarver's sentiments, " . . . I don't see how they let him go."

It's for those reasons that the Suns have no worries over how Richardson will fit in on a team that is abundant with guys who can play the wings. Barring a trade for a center, Richardson gets thrown into the mix with Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, Casey Jacobsen and Leandro Barbosa, when he is not at point.

Richardson never inquired about a promise to start, only one to compete for a first-five job.

"I'm not worried about that," said Richardson, 24. "I'm confident in my skills. I'll compete with anybody in the NBA. As long as everyone chooses winning first, we can achieve."


For more Phoenix Suns coverage, check out www.azcentral.com, Arizona's homepage.
Thursday's news that the Clippers would not match Richardson's offer with the Suns, coupled with the earlier free-agent signing of point guard Steve Nash, resulted in Colangelo taking down his projected win total off a tote board and putting up a higher, undisclosed number for the upcoming season.

"We're going to race up and down the court," Colangelo said. "We're going to run people out of the gym. It's going to be a highlight reel in terms of the talent that we're going to put on the floor."

After four years with the Clippers, Richardson is ready to win and experience his first taste of the playoffs.

"They came after me aggressively," Richardson said. "They took a great deal of belief in me, knowing I was a restricted free agent and knowing we were dealing with the Clippers."

The nature of this summer's free-agent market resulted in several unproven big men getting contracts that were close in size to Richardson's deal. While the Suns need a big man, they opted to go after the best available players who could address other glaring needs like leadership (Nash) and toughness (Richardson).

"These guys have the drive, they have the work ethic, they have the talent," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "So there's no reason that we can't be a force immediately starting next year."

That strong declaration was followed by a lighter thought, but one that accurately reflects the current state of the NBA.

"If they don't just get it together, then obviously there's going to be some problems," D'Antoni said, "and that's when I get fired."


Colangelo also said Friday that the team is considering negotiating a contract extension this summer for Johnson, entering the last year of his contract.

 

[apollo_creed]

HoopsHype.com Interviews

Maciej Lampe: "I can be an All-Star one day"
by Jordi Vila / August 2, 2004

How has the summer been for you so far?

Maciej Lampe: I didn’t start very well in the Las Vegas summer league with the Suns, I lacked confidence a little bit. But I played better in Salt Lake City and I’m learning little by little, like my team.

You played in the Rocky Mountain Revue last year with the Knicks and this year you came back with Phoenix. How important is for you to play in summer leagues?

ML: It is a competition with the best players who want to play in the league. It is a great experience for me to learn and play a lot of minutes.

You are going to play your second NBA season. What do you need to work on the most now?

ML: My shooting percentages are not good enough yet. I have to choose better when to shoot and not force shots. I also need to gain strength and quickness to be able to play center, which is where they want me to play.

What do you expect for the upcoming season? Do you expect to have a big contribution?

ML: I think it’s gonna be a good season for me and I expect to play more. Now we have two centers. But I don’t know who is going to play because you never know.

Do you think Phoenix is a better situation for you than New York?

ML: Sure. In New York I had a lot of problems and an injury and I was in a veteran team. Now in Phoenix, I’m in a young team and we all like to play the same type of basketball. We like to have fun, run the court. We still make a lot of mistakes, but we are learning from them.

Have you talked with coach Mike D’Antoni about next season and what he expects from you?

ML: Yes, he knows that I have the ability to shoot from the outside and he wants me to do that. But first I have to play defense and grab rebounds to be on the court.

What is your long-term goal in the NBA?

ML: I think it is possible for me to be an All-Star one day.

You are still 19, but what have you learned already from your basketball career?

ML: You are going to have a lot of ups and downs. This is something I have learned. I’ve had some problems. But now I’m 19, I’m in the NBA and I’m happy. I made some mistakes in the past like signing with Real Madrid for so many years being so young. It didn’t help the process of getting to the NBA. I didn’t know what I was doing. But now I’m happy.

What was the main difference for you coming to the NBA?

ML: Players are much stronger and it is a tough experience. It is a great difference between the NBA and Europe and also the way they play and practice.

Have you adjusted to the grueling calendar and competition of the NBA yet?

ML: It is not that difficult. We have a lot of comforts and we have our own private jet and everything (laughs). It’s OK.

What are your plans for the rest of the summer?

ML: I’m going back to Europe. First I’ll go visit my mother in Sweden and then I’ll be with the Polish National Team from August 21 to August 27. Then on October 4, it’s training camp with the Suns. We’ll go to Mexico to play and then Phoenix to start the season.

Is he any good?


From what i've seen and heard, I think the kids dreamin!

All-Star