From: cs161feu@sdcc10.ucsd.edu (Anthony Minkoff)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: Suns anti-woof
Date: 4 Oct 92 04:34:20 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

dwarner@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (David J.) writes:
>In article <38352@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> aminkoff@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Tony Minkoff) writes:
>
>>BTW, for those of you keeping score at home, the Suns are now
>>looking at 16 players:
>>
>>PG-- Kevin Johnson, Negele Knight, Frank Johnson
>>SG-- Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge, Brian Davis
>>SF-- Charles Barkley, Cedric Ceballos, Richard Dumas
>>PF-- Tom Chambers, Jerrod Mustaf, Kurt Rambis, Ed Nealy
>>C--  Mark West, Oliver Miller, Tim Kempton
>
>My predictions on who will stick:
>
>Frontcourt: Barkley, Ceballos, Chambers, Mustaf, West, Miller, Dumas
>Backcourt: KJ, Knight, Majerle, Ainge, Davis
>                                       ^^^^^
>                           (I predict Davis will stick and become
>                            the NBA's next T.R. Dunn.  Woof Woof.)

Those would be the twelve I would pick, certainly.  However there is
a problem:  Rambis, Nealy, and Kempton have guaranteed contracts,
totalling a combined $2.3 million for the year, and almost no trade
value.

Colangelo has stated for the record that the Suns will not "eat" any
contracts this season.  With 12 men already under guaranteed
contract, that leaves Dumas, Davis, and Miller (not to mention Frank
Johnson) out in the cold, unless a decent player can be traded for
draft picks.  (I doubt we can trade Rambis, Nealy, or Kempton.)

On the other hand, Colangelo also stated for the record back in June
that Hornacek would not be traded, so maybe he'll eat his words
again.

Miller's agent has said that he will not play for less than $400K.
Cutting Rambis (a $1M salary) or Nealy (an $800K salary) would
create an exception large enough ($500K or $400K) to accomodate kim.
Cutting Kempton (a $500K salary) would create only a $250K
exception, barely above the NBA minimum for a first-round pick
($190K), and not enough to satisfy Miller.

Furthermore, the word from Westphal is that Chambers will be played
at center.  (I.e., they gave Kempton a guaranteed contract, just to
nail him to the end of the bench.)

If Colangelo is correct about not eating any contracts, and Westphal
is correct about playing Chambers at center, then, barring any
unlikely trades, the Phoenix lineup looks like this:

PG-- Kevin Johnson, Negele Knight
SG-- Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge
SF-- Charles Barkley, Cedric Ceballos
PF-- Jerrod Mustaf, Kurt Rambis, Ed Nealy
C--  Tom Chambers, Mark West, Tim Kempton.

Brian Davis would go to Wall Street.  Oliver Miller would go to
Europe.  Frank Johnson would go to the CBA.  Richard Dumas would
fall off the wagon.  :-(

(Oh, the Suns also own the draft rights to Ron Ellis, who's not in
camp.  I guess he'll head for Europe.)

Disgusting, IMHO.  I'd much rather see Davis, Dumas, and Miller on
the team than Rambis, Nealy or Kempton.

The backcourt is thin-- one injury (almost certain to happen, given
the presence of Knight) spells disaster.  The PF trio of Mustaf,
Rambis, and Nealy is pathetic.

Colangelo's vow not to eat any contracts is equivalent to stating,
"Dumas, Miller, Davis, and Johnson might as well forget about camp
and go home.  They have no future with us."

Personally, I hope Colangelo reconsiders and eats at least one
contract, or even two.  But I don't see him eating three.  At least
one of Dumas, Miller, or Davis will not make the team.

Hmm.  Maybe Colangelo ought to call up Elgin Baylor.  Last I heard,
the Clippers only had 11 men in camp, and were likely to cut William
Bedford, bringing them down to 10.  Think they could use a local crowd
favorite (Rambis)?  How about it, Elgin?  He's yours for cash!  :-)

Tony