Suns update

Diaw drops 7 lbs
D’Antoni said Diaw had his best practice of the season on Monday and was pleased that he dropped about seven pounds in the last two weeks and was looking quicker on the floor.

Jalen Rose's number woes
When Rose became a Sun on Friday, he expected to be able to wear No. 5, which he has worn since his high school days. But Ring of Honor member Dick Van Arsdale, the original Sun, wore that number, and it has been retired for nearly 30 years.
Rose understood, and asked for No. 42. Sorry Jalen, that number belongs to NBA Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins. Finally, a team manager suggested No. 8 — the only single-digit number that isn’t either retired or currently being used — and Rose agreed.

When will Jalen actually play?
But with only one day of practice, Rose may not play in the next two games — the Suns have five days off after playing Memphis Saturday to immerse him in the system.

FWIW, some encouraging words from Coach Antoni
“We don’t have the right combinations or the right substitution patterns right now, and we have to find them,” D’Antoni said.
“When we do, this team is going to take off.”

Amare update
Amare Stoudemire will start Wednesday night against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

Is it all mental?
"(But) it has nothing to do with mental; it's all physical," said Stoudemire, who turns 24 on Nov. 16. "When you feel pain, that's not mental. I don't see where people can get that. I can agree with playing through pain. But there's got to be some point in time when it gets better. Pain is pretty much telling your body that you need to stop doing what you're doing."

Experts' Opinion
- Leif Smith, a licensed clinical sports psychologist based in Ohio, put it this way: "Basically, what an injured athlete learns is that he's not invincible anymore. When you lose that invincibility, then hesitancy comes into the equation, and you can't have hesitancy as a professional athlete, especially in a fast-paced game like basketball."

- "It's not enough to believe your way through this," said Smith, the sports psychologist. "You get your confidence back by playing. There's a window, kind of like a mental probation that you have to break through. He has to go out and get so into the game that he's not aware of the pain. It takes patience."

M

Boris Diaw's Press Conference (Transcript)

Boris Diaw's contract extension was finalized today in a press conference featuring Diaw, Coach D'Antoni and Suns owner Robert Sarver.
The video is available in the Suns media section.

The following is a transcript of the interview, I typed out when I watched the video. Pardon the sloppy formatting in places...its tiring to iron out all the kinks :)


Sarver (Opening statement) : If i were to make a list of the characteristics as an individual I need in a player to be part of this org, it would mimic Boris Diaw

D'Antoni : That is off the court. We know how he is on the court. We saw that last year. We really needed to tie him up. I'm very happy we could

Diaw : I've been here for 1 yr. I was welcomed on my first day by the team, coaching staff everyone. Thanks for all opportunities I was given in the season, so i could extend contract and be with the Suns. I'm very happy to be with the Suns for many more years. I think we'll have fun the next few seasons.

(inaudible question from media)

Sarver : Thanks to fans mainly. Our payroll has increased by $20 mil over the past 2 yrs. Thanks to the fans for their support. We're well set for the future.

Diaw on how confident he was of the negotiations working out with the Suns:
Pretty confident..I knew the suns wanted me to stay , and I wanted to stay as well. There was no way we couldn't have worked things out. I could've waited for a yr to see what's in the market but I like it so much here. this is a great place to be. fans are very nice.

(inaudible question from media)

Diaw : I never play for a contract. I never play for personal goals. I don't play to score lots of points so I can be an All Star. My only goal now : to win a championship,

Diaw on whether he'd spoken to his friend Tony Parker since the deal was decided on:
I called him early in the morning but I think he was sleeping. I couldn't talk to him.

Sarver on whether the talks went smoothly:
They went easier. part of it is I'm getting more adjusted to the business. A lot if it is Mike and Griffin, who have a good knowledge of what we want. I knew Boris was a "slam dunk" in terms of his fit with us. So there was no question of thinking if we wanted him long term with us.
When it came to negotiations, Boris was flexible, we were flexible, it worked out to be a good partnership.

D'Antoni : we're perfect for him. he's perfect for us.
Few guys really mean it when they say " i go out and play to win." that statement is a cliche, esp. in this business.. few mean it. i don't think he (Diaw) knows how many points he avgs. he and LB are 2 guys we signed this summer who really mean it , they just play to win

Diaw on whether he considered the option of going elsewhere: I thought "Where could i be in a position as good as the phoenix suns?" The answer was "nowhere". i don't think there's any other team i can fit in as well i am here

D'Antoni on what he thought of Diaw when he first came in :
He's from France.. we killed France! (laughs)

Diaw interjects : When did you kill France?? You didn't kill France! (laughs)

D'Antoni continues: I didn't know he could play. Griffin and Bryan saw something in him.
I had no idea he was this good. He wasn't a great shooter a great shot. I had no idea he could guard big guys. he surprised me a lot.
I wish I can take credit, but I cant. (laughs)

reporter x : do you think you got a deal?

D'Antoni : yes we got a deal. more importantly fans got a deal. They get to see him for the next 4-5 yrs.

Sarver, on the luxury tax and spending : We're in a solid state financially. Our emphasis is on spending money in the right place. I don't care about how much total money we spend. its where we spend it..we want flexibility, guys who can help us win a championship. we need players who fit in Mike's system. we're in solid shape..
We look at it year by yr and see how the team does. as long as we win and fans keep supporting us, we'll do the right things. I have no hard and fast rules. no preconceived notions on that.

M

Boris Diaw signs contract extension with Suns

This has not yet been confirmed by official sources but I heard of this news from guys at ASFN.
Apparently, the news was on the radio (KTAR). To quote ASFN member PetryJr, this is what the radio guy said :

"The Suns seem to be close to signing Diaw to an extension. How close? A press conference is scheduled to tomorrow's afternoon, and Diaw should sign the extension by Friday."

Here's to hoping that the news is true!

EDIT: Suns, Diaw reach deal. This has been reported by Paul Coro at azcentral

Suns forward Boris Diaw has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth approximately $45 million, a source close to the team confirmed.

The deal will be announced Friday and kick in for the 2007-08 season.

This is great news for the Suns. They now have their future stars - Barbosa and Diaw locked in.
Looking at the kind of money young stars have been commanding this summer - Kaman (5/50), Nene (6/60), Howard (4/40); Diaw at an average of $9 mil/yr seems like a steal.
Suns owner Robert Sarver would have been flogged to death by Suns fans if they had let Diaw walk.


M

Sign Diaw already!

OK y'all! Thanks for stopping by.

I've decided to start this blog off by addressing Boris Diaw's contract negotiations. At the moment that remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the Suns, that the management has direct control over. The elephant in the room is clearly Amare, with his sine wave like fitness curve over the past few weeks...but with the amount of uncertainty over his knee, the easiest thing for a Suns fan to do is to look at what IS in our (management's) control.

There was semi-good news this morning on the Boris Diaw situation. Mike Tulumello of the East Valley Tribune reported that the Suns like their chances of re-signing Diaw .

In a nutshell, Diaw has till Oct 31, 2006 to sign a deal with the Suns, otherwise he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. Diaw has been a complete gentleman about this whole negotiation process and considering his demeanor on court, it doesn't come as a surprise. He's a real humble, laid-back dude both on and off the court. Its funny that one can say that 2006's Most Improved Player is laid-back on court, but that's the truth. He never looks flustered on court, never seems to be rushing things but he gets the job done!

The Suns management have been saying the stock phrases they've always used to feed the media during contract negotiations:

David Griffin, the Suns’ vice president of basketball operations

"I would think there’s a good chance to get something done"

"Re-signing Boris is a priority"

Boris, on the other hand didn't sound as optimistic. Asked about his chances of signing in the next two weeks, he said

"It’s 50-50"

Alright now Griffin, will you sign him already? Apparently, the two sides are $10 mil apart on a 5 year contract. The Suns want him for 5/40, and the bargaining goes on..

This off-season has been one of weird/outrageous signings.....I'm sorry, it was just this one signing -- that of Nene by the Denver Nuggets for $60 mil over 6 years that has sent the whole salary scale out of whack. Thanks a lot Denver!

But as Suns fans, we're just holding out hope that someone in the management grows a brain and signs Boris before its too late.

M