Suns to lighten Nash's load

Posted: Monday June 30, 2008 05:28AM ET

Phoenix will target a backup point guard, a shooter and a big man in free agency. The Suns are determined to lighten 34-year-old point guard Steve Nash's load. The point-guard target list includes 31-year-old Tyronn Lue. The speedy 6-footer is a 39 percent career 3-point shooter and friend of Suns center Shaquille O'Neal. In March, he considered the Suns before signing with Dallas. Anthony Johnson, a 33-year-old who has switched teams nine times, and Chris Duhon, a pricier prospect, also interest the Suns. For a wing player, the Suns like Jarvis Hayes. He played for the Detroit Pistons last season when new Suns coach Terry Porter was an assistant there.

Arizona Republic

Steve Nash, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Steve Nash, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

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we will trade Boris for J Will

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they need to do something soon he is getting old and the team seems to be getting stale. they have the mental block of the Spurs. a good bench rotation of solid players would be a huge boost. phx better hope kerr gets it done before nash retires in a few years.

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What about Sergio Rodriguez? Oh, yeah, Sarvis didn't want to pay the luxury tax, so he sold him to Portland.

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Lighten his load! think his load became alot heavier when he was given the job of carrying Shaq back in February!
Suns are done!

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I still do not like the Shaq trade. Nash is the least of the Suns' problems.

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How about putting some load on Shaq to make some plays for others (since he can't score by himself anyway). IMHO - if you can't execute a free throw, you are not a basketball player, period. The whole point of the game is to put the ball in the basket.
Nash is done, so are the suns. Congrats to Nash on a spectacular last 3 years; The man over acheived, kudos to him. Steve Kerr the P*& u(*S9Y spoilt the team.

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Lighten his load get rid of 350 lbs of useless center on the team. that should lighten the load quite a bit.

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Nash is old, Shaq is old, Hill is old

The Suns we watched for the last 3 years are gone and done
What ever Kerr and Sarver put on the floor now will just be a good team
that wins 40+ games and bounced int he first round.

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i think getting shaq to run is the suns biggest and first challenge!
no point being able to shoot if you cant move your **** up the floor to get into the offense!

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'lighten his load'
translates into YOU CAN'T PLAY A FULL GAME or FULL SEASON anymore

which means .......... you are screwed since he is running the show

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Trade Nash while he still has value....he's almost done

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Sam Cassell wants a job......

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The same team that wants to "lighten the load" is the same team that signed shaq and slowed a "Run n Gun" offense to a "One n Done" playoff contender.The sun has set in PHX and the Cactus has burned down. Hey Shaq tell me how the ash tastes.

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How about putting some load on Shaq to make some plays for others (since he can't score by himself anyway). IMHO - if you can't execute a free throw, you are not a basketball player, period
ESPN | 06/30/08, 09:04 AM

I think you should be reminded that the 2 most dominate centers to ever play the game couldn't shoot free throws. Shaq wasn't the problem in Phoenix. 1st and foremost was the defense (or lack thereof) On the offensive end of the floor, Shaq still commands a double-team, but the offense was not designed to go through him to take advantage of his ability to pass out of the low block. Phoenix needs a wing shooter, and a coach that will make an effort to impliment some team defense. They could have done better than Robin Lopez in the draft, but he will rebound and block shots. This team doesn't necessarily need to be blown up, but it needs to make some adjustments. Hopefully Porter will be a new look.

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They could have done better than Robin Lopez in the draft, but he will rebound and block shots. This team doesn't necessarily need to be blown up, but it needs to make some adjustments. Hopefully Porter will be a new look.

Hllywd: Old Schoolin'
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They should have taken Arthur instead of letting him slip through the first round. For years I liked Shaq's game (although I always wanted him to learn to shoot the free throw) but, today, I think retirement is calling in two seasons or less.

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For now and the next few years, the sun has set on the Suns.

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I still cant believe D'antoni is gone, dont really know what to expect from this squad that has been the Suns for the past 6 years.

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Expect less. That way if they do ok you are impressed.Peronally I hope the situation gets worse,the Suns get no love from me.

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I always liked Chris Duhon but I do not see him as a backup to Nash. If I was the Suns, I would try to pry Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley out of Memphis. One of those two would be a solid backup to Nash.

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I think you should be reminded that the 2 most dominate centers to ever play the game couldn't shoot free throws. Shaq wasn't the problem in Phoenix. 1st and foremost was the defense (or lack thereof) On the offensive end of the floor, Shaq still commands a double-team, but the offense was not designed to go through him to take advantage of his ability to pass out of the low block. Phoenix needs a wing shooter, and a coach that will make an effort to impliment some team defense. They could have done better than Robin Lopez in the draft, but he will rebound and block shots. This team doesn't necessarily need to be blown up, but it needs to make some adjustments. Hopefully Porter will be a new look.
Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 06/30/08, 10:56 AM

yeah I know, Guess we can make an "exception" for only those 2 guys. Sorry can't do it for Shaq. And No, He does not command a double team anymore, that is for whatever minutes he's on the floor w/o being in foul trouble. Shaq is done and dusted; Steve Kerr is a duetchebag

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