Leandro Barbosa

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SHOOTING GUARDS

-Leandro Barbosa:

Next to Amare, Barbosa is the Sun that needs to take the biggest steps in improving his all around game. He’s never been even adequate at defense, mostly due to his size, but he’ll have to use his quickness and get real smart on defense, real quick. He’s also going to have to find a killer instinct. At some point, he might take over the starter’s role, but, that would mean perhaps the weakest perimeter defensive combo in, dare I say it, the entire Western Conference. LB can shoot and he can take it to the hole, but he’s gotta find a mid range game too. Hopefully he’s been hard at work this offseason. Barbosa needs to stay in the game, focused, at all times. He can't let little things or lack of touches bump him out of contests. I think he'll be asked to take a lot of end-of-the-game shots due to Nash's inability to get to the hole in crucial situations. 

Continue reading "Pacific Division Preview Part 1: Phoenix Suns"

It's been three days now, and I still can’t get them out of my head. I was so angry when Marion got traded. And now, I feel so hopeless that all the fun and joy the Run-and-Gun Suns brought back to the league, has been destroyed with the happy-go-lucky crybaby D’Antoni probably going elsewhere and the burden that is Shaq sits clogging up all that freeflowing Nashty-ness.

Continue reading "Suns Part 3: Trying to Trade Diaw"

Trade Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson and Linas Kleiza.

I remember hearing Kobe haters question what Iverson could have done if he had been the one to play with Shaq instead of Bryant. Well, this would give him his shot. Sure, Shaq’s past his prime, but Amare’s the next big thing. This doesn’t fix the Suns’ defensive shortcomings, but as long as they have Shaq and Amare, those shortcomings will never be fixed. AI gives the Suns a go-to clutch performer who can get his own shot in any and every situation. Something Nash couldn’t do. Plus, Iverson is great at lobs, and would have plenty of opportunities in this offense. Plus, they’d get Kleiza, who could work to spell Grant Hill and could also spread the floor with his outside shooting.

Continue reading "Suns Part 2: Trade Nash"