J Rich Joins the Suns

I haven't written about sports for a long time on this blog. With the Tecmo Blog now being defunct, I guess this is my new outlet for sports writing. The Suns pulled off a big trade today, trading Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for Jason Richardson. Since I have been meaning to write about the NBA for a while, I figured now was the best time to get all my thoughts out.

Love this trade, I really love this trade. First off, the Suns dumped Boris Diaw's contract. Boris basically had one fantastic year, got paid and went to hell. He was on the Dirty more times than he was scoring hoops. He seemed to spend his off season enjoying French croissants instead of trying to improve his game. You will hardly find a Suns fan who will miss Boris.


Raja Bell is the loss that is going to sting a lot of Suns fans. Bell was kind of a cult figure in Phoenix, but his loss will hurt women of the Valley more than it will the team. I'm pretty sure every girl in Phoenix has a crush on Raja Bell. When Bell came to Phoenix he was a tough noised, defensive minded guard that could also shoot the three. He was perfect for the Suns and he gave them something they desperately needed back in 2006. That Raja is dead. He has lost his edge. He no longer plays with that chip on his shoulder that made him that hard nosed defender. He was even quoted before a recent game as saying he didn't want to be that guy anymore and set a bad example for his kids. His defense has also waned with age. The problem was, that was what made Raja Bell valuable. Without that he was just a spot up shooter, a bench player that was getting starter's minutes. I will always appreciate Raja Bell for what he did, especially during the 2006 playoffs, but it was probably time for him to go.

Jason Richardson is going to be big time for the Suns. He makes them younger and more explosive. He is a great open court player, has fantastic athleticism and can rein in three pointers. Richardson has been out of place in Charlotte playing for Larry Brown. His free wheeling style was best suited for Don Nelson (who he did play for) and this Suns team. He is going to help bring excitement back to Phoenix.

The Suns entered this season stressing defense and a slower offensive pace. They have basically ditched that entire philosophy and have gone back to a more run and gun, D'Antoni style ball. This is mainly because they are not equipped to play the way Terry Porter wants them to play, so give Porter credit for making adjustments. Just don't expect better defense now, Nash, J Rich, Amare and Shaq are all below average defenders at their positions. They are, however, a scary offensive team with the addition of J Rich. I guess some things never change.

The Big Three

Who is the best team in the league? We have three candidates: Boston (20-2), Cleveland (18-3), and the LA Lakers (17-3). So who is the best team? Lucky for you, I am here to tell you.

Boston -

Win a championship and start the season 20-2? They remind me of those Jordan Bulls teams with their desire to win every single night. KG won't let them take a game off. Their defense and role players are so good they can go through the entire season on cruise control and still probably finish with 65 wins. Last year was not a fluke, Boston is on their way to being great. Let's not forget Buyout Player to be Named Later that they are going to acquire sometime after Janurary. Boston is the least sexy and most efficient team on this list.

LA Lakers -

Bizzaro Boston. They are deep enough to allow their starters to play manageable minutes and still win almost every game they play, but they win with offense. They have talented offensive players at every position, but I really only see one talented defensive player: Kobe. Still, their offense is good enough to run rough shot through the Western Conference and get their #1 seed. No one is going to catch them and I don't see anyone slowing them down in the West playoffs.

Cleveland -

Kind of a hybrid between Boston and LA. They too are blowing teams out and limiting their stars (aka LeBron's) minutes. What is making them good is the fact that LeBron is even more dominate, and now they have a trio of good shooting guards to give him backcourt help. Mo Williams is everything the Cavs thought he would be, and Daniel Gibson and Delonte West have been playing fantastically. The Cavs may not have the depth that these other two teams have, but they have LeBron, and that is the extent of my expert anyalsis.

Verdict: Boston is the best team right now, but when the playoffs roll around I don't think it is going to be possible to bet against LeBron. The Lakers don't overly impress me yet, even with their good record. I mean, they lost to Sac Town last night!