Suns Notebook: O’Neal Targeting Wednesday or Thursday for Phoenix Debut
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eastvalleytribune.com,
Feb. 9, 2008
The Suns have two weeks to add a 13th player to reach the NBA roster minimum and are in the market for a wing player who can defend and make up for some of what was lost when Shawn Marion was shipped to Miami, as well as provide insurance if Grant Hill were to go down.
Phoenix has a trade exception they acquired from Seattle in the Kurt Thomas trade, but the luxury tax would double the salary of whoever they bring aboard in a deal. That means free agents or other minimum-salary players would be likely targets.
Some of the names the team is batting around:
One long shot is Richie Frahm, who spent training camp with the Suns and played 10 games with the Los Angeles Clippers before being released in early January.
Although the trade deadline is Feb. 21, free agents who sign by March 1 are still eligible for the playoffs.
A QUESTION OF WHEN
Shaquille O’Neal is expected back in Phoenix and available to practice on Sunday. That gives the Suns the Sunday shootaround and two full practices before Wednesday’s trip to Golden State, the first possible game in which he could play.
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Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said the Warriors game is the first “maybe,” with Thursday’s home game against Dallas a little more probable. Then the Suns have five days off (including the All-Star break) before a Feb. 20 showdown with the Lakers — and Shaq will definitely be ready.
MAKING UP
Boris Diaw said he was embarrassed when his lazy pass was swallowed up by Seattle rookie Kevin Durant with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. But instead of Durant going in for an easy dunk, Diaw raced back, blocked the shot from behind and started a fast break of his own that led to a Steve Nash jumper. Instead of the lead being cut to three, it was extended to seven.
“I had to make up for the play,” said Diaw, who also grabbed an offensive rebound off his own missed shot to feed Grant Hill for what proved to be the game-winning shot. “I knew I had no chance to get it from the front, so I tried to wait for the time he put the ball behind his head — that was the lowest point. You have to hustle.”
Durant, who averaged 27.5 points in his first two meetings against the Suns, missed 10 of his 12 shots (a season-low 16.7 percent from the field) and finished with only nine points, the second fewest of his rookie season. Durant had just six against Dallas on Jan. 19.
BONUS SHOTS
Pat Riley, telling the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about the adjustment period awaiting Marion in Miami: “He has been playing a style out there, a shot every seven seconds. Man, it’s going to be hard here. He’s going to think we’re playing in concrete boots or something…”
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