Nash's Heir? Suns Setting?

by Migs

Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns isn't getting any younger, and neither is his teammate and fellow MVP winner, Steve Nash.

And oh, there's Grant Hill and his brittle bones too, but I digress.

For years, Nash has been the motor of what (used) to be the NBA's quickiest team ("used to" because they've shifted gears with the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal, and with the departure of Coach Mike D'Antoni and forward Shawn Marion). His impeccable court vision and deadly touch have made him the unquestionable leader of a franchise which, upon his arrival, was still reeling from a Stephon Marbury-run show.

As we draw closer to the 2008-2009 NBA season, however, and as the reality of aching knees and disappointing playoff exits come to light, Steve Kerr and the Suns have been hit with one burning question,

"Who's going to be Phoenix's ring leader when Nash's time comes?"

Leandro Barbosa is more of a score-first little man. The Marcus Banks experiment turned out to be a bust. Free agency in this off season has been a bit stale point-guard wise.

This Suns front office has decided to go back to its roots. Mike D'Antoni was a son of Italy, and his presence on the bench did them a world of good. They've gone back to Europe again this offseason, and in this case, they believe that they've hit the jackpot in the point guard sweepstakes.

Enter Slovenian guard Goran Dragic.

The Suns took Dragic as the 13th pick overall in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft, in the hope that he can moulded into the next big playmaker. In the 2007-2008 Euroleague season, Dragic averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals a contest on 50 % shooting from the field. Yes, his numbers don't exactly jump out at you, but pundits insist that at 22 years of age, GD has shown enough for him to be invested in. Scouts have marveled about this kid's quickness and balance, along with his defensive intensity and high basketball IQ. His knack for drawing fouls and finishing has also upped his stock, but at 6,4" and a mere 200lbs, he's got a bit of conditioning to do before he can be formidable enough to tussle with the Deron Williamses and Baron Davises of the world. At this point, Dragic's jump shot remains suspect, something which basically works as the antithesis of Steve Nash's fundamentally picture-perfect jumper. Watchers say that this should improve with time, however, his fast first step and ability to create his own shot make him quite the intriguing prospect.


(Photo From DraftExpress.Com)


So Dragic doesn't seem to absolutely fit the Stevie Nash mould. On the upside, he seems to be more a cross between a Stockton, Nash, and smaller version of Josh Howard (this isn't a bad "gene pool"), but then, is it really worth investing $6.75 million dollars over 4 years on a project from overseas?

Well, some players turn out becoming Dirk Nowitzkis, and others become Sasha Danilovices and Rafael Araujos. While it is always a risk to throw cash at an unproven commodity from a basketball planet that rivals but does not completely mirror or get one over the NBA, the returns can tend to be rather decent. It also helps to have financial flexibility when making bold steps like the Suns are about to do.

The Arizonians have no cap flexibility at this point, but, I suppose I'd rather take a risk on a player who might turn out to be the next NBA-version of Raul Lopez or Juan Carlos Navarro rather than forcing myself to take a risk on a another frequent hospital tennant in, say, Shaun Livingston, or, someone stuck in the backup point guard cradle, such as, say, an Earl Watson or Earl Boykins.

Now if only the Suns decided on keeping Shawn Marion, ditching Marcus Banks, and not trading for the Big Diesel, then I'd really be excited. Reality is, Shaquille is a Phoenix Sun, has rapped and restraining order-ed himself to death in the headlines, has slowed down a team that once upon a time was author Jack McCallum's dream squad (check out the book, "7 Seconds or Less"), and effectively represents, ironically, a new era in the Valley of the Sun, which, sadly, doesn't look half as auspicious as when Nash came to town for the second time.

Reality is, while Shaq is around, and while he, Grant Hill, and Nash age further, and while Steve Kerr is this former Western Power's head honcho, I ought to curb my enthusiasm about their chances at the NBA title, despite having Amare Stoudamire.

My enthusiasm is likewise being held in check about Dragic, and while he's set to be a nice player and all, he just isn't quite primo creamo material...

Yet.

And even that last point, I'm not sure about.

So many questions, so little time.

Here's to hoping that this entire story ends up being a "sunset to behold".

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