I believe in Sports Karma...

I do. I believe that certain franchises are cursed because they have players do something bad. Or by the general egomania of certain owners. Sometimes, like when you're the Oakland Raiders? It's a little from column A and a little from Column B.

For whatever reason? The Suns have turned their karma back toward the positive. It could have something to do with Robert Sarver and his Los Suns protest. It could be because they have some of the best healers in professional sports. Or my gods.

Steve Nash had an iconic performance tonight. He went for 20 and 9. And half of that was with one eye. Literally one eye. You're going to try and explain it tomorrow, and peoples minds will be blown.

And as for the likely series versus the Lakers. The Lakers will rightfully be the favorites. But there are reasons for the Suns fans to think they'll find their way into the finals.

One, Kobe has a broken finger and between Jared Dudley and Grant Hill? He has himself a real tough draw. Two? The point guard match-up swings far, far into the favor of the Suns. And with the Suns ability to hit 40% or better from beyond the arc? The draw and kick would be masterful. Three? Lamar Odom waxes and wanes in terms of his entry point.

As such? I say the Suns are your Western Conference Champions.

Has Steve Nash decided to mail it in?

Yes!

Okay, that's mean. But here's the thing. The Suns window has shut. This isn't going to be a team that's going to make a run at the Lakers or the Spurs in the next two seasons. And if you really cared about winning a championship? You would try to find a different team to ply your trade.

Not to say that he's not going to stay on a 40 win team. A line-up of Nash-JRich-Clark-Frye-Amare is going to be a solid team. However? It's going to fall short. They don't have a back-up point guard who can solve the puzzle and stopgap when Nash wears down. And he will.

But you know what? That's okay. They don't have the expectations. They're just going to be fun. Fun and flirty.

That's right. The 2009 Phoenix Suns are 13 Going on 30!

The Can't Sleep Clowns Will Eat Me NBA Ramble...

As I sit and wonder if we can't get Matt Harpring's unguaranteed contract for Ridnour and a future consideration. (Answer? Yes.) I look and see all sorts of possibilites for the draft.

Shaquille O' Neal is a Cavalier. And if the Cavaliers follow the Phoenix playbook in terms of keeping him healthy? It's a good gamble to make. But there is a real chance that this is Hakeem in Toronto or Ewing in Seattle.

But good for Stephen A. to break this story! Redemption is only two scoops away!

If 1-3 turns out to be Griffin, Thabeet, Rubio? Jonny Flynn will be playing the part of Russell Westbrook in this morality play.

Adrian Wojanarski is saying that Scott Skiles is lobbying the Bucks to draft Brandon Jennings at 10. Remarkably smart by Skiles, but could Jennings play at Stevie Franchise and Starbury and clown the team that for which that drafts them.

And if Flynn, Jennings, or Hill doesn't make the pick at 10? A potential deal down into Maynor land and a future pick would be nice. Okay, enough about the Bucks. Because clearly, nobody on a blog can talk up the Bucks. Nice work Shoals, 20 minutes of gutpunch was nice to promote.

Fast risers: Jonny Flynn, Omri Casspi.

Like I said before, Jrue Holiday is going to be a mistake draft choice.

Over under on trades made? 7.5

Brandon Jennings is 17th in Draft Express' latest mock draft. Wow.

I will say this now, if Jack McClinton gets selected by the Suns? He will have a great career.

But Jerel McNeal is being looked at too low.

Meh. I shouldn't listen to the DOC if I want my momentum stopped. Sorry.

You know they say that the pop culture when you're 13 is the Pop Culture you follow to your death?

In a way, it can explain why I liked the Suns.

For you see, Wisconsin in the early 90's was essentially Bulls country. It's too long and indepth of a story for me to get to in blog form. But that being said? Suffice it to say that I delevoped an annoyance of dynastys, Michael Jordan, as well as competitiveness during those formative years.

Suffice it to say? I attached myself to the first rival that would be able to make it a series. And during the spectacular flooding of 1993? My family had a sidewinder of a journey from Golden Valley to Portage. We got re-routed at Osseo and suffice it to say the day ended with the triple overtime classic where the Suns outlasted the Bulls.

Memorable games when you're young attach you to weird teams.

And this is why the state of the Phoenix Suns makes me morose. There are much better treatises on the whys and hows. Suffice it to say that Jack McCallum's book has become an obituary for the competent Phoenix Suns. The greatest show on Parquet has turned into the dessicated husk that's about to turn into a slightly warmer version of the L.A. Clippers.

Watch them trade Amare for J.J. Hickson, an expiring contract and the potential rights to Jerel McNeal. C'est la vie.

So on twitter...I cracked wise at the thought of the Cavs trading for Amare...

But on further review? It's a trade I think the Cavs have to at least consider. The Suns are willing to let Amare go for 75 cents on the dollar. And in that respect? His dollar is devalued.

Because we have seen interested Amare. Interested Amare is someone who nearly beat the Spurs all by himself before David Stern--no, we're not going to talk conspiracy theories. Just suffice it to say that there are few players who are better than interested Amare.

And if you look at how Mo Williams was able to go from marginally above average Shoint Guard to All-Star on team LeBron? Imagine Amare on a title contender? Yeah. That just seems perfect.

Now perhaps you're not going to going to take Wally Sczerbiak, J.J. Hickson, and oh, let's say...the inevitable rights to Tyler Smith? But there are ways to get this done. And maybe, just maybe, Robert Sarver's going to blow the team up.

And you're gonna get lucky, Danny Ferry. You're due.

It's time for the Bucks to trade for Leandro Barbosa...

I mean, Ridnour's hurt. And Barbosa actually has some defensive stopper in him as well. And the Bucks do have a glut in the Frontcourt.

So here's the idea.

To the Suns: Charlie Villanueva and Damon Jones
To the Bucks: Leandro Barbosa and Alando Tucker

Why this works? Villanueva is a versatile tweener who can contribute as a giant 3 or a pretty good four. Also, the light has turned on somewhat for him.

And for the Bucks, it works on multiple levels. One, a Sessions-Barbosa-Jefferson-Alexander front four could brink back some form of the seven seconds or less. Also, Alando Tucker is live, local, and latebreaking.

And I hate Skiles. This would gaslight the shit out of him.

Here's My Deal With The Suns Trade...

Sure, they've got good value coming back. My problem is with the fact that this team tried to find a way to go back towards an analog phase. They were moving toward something conventional, and all of the sudden? They go back and get themselves something digital for a stud at defense and three pointers.

Jared Dudley's defensive gifts are negated by his tweener status. But that's a digression. Why this trade is bad for Phoenix is that in search of an identity? The moves made are going to force mediocrity upon them. You cannot have your cake and eat it too in these situations. You can't keep switching plans every six months.

That is why Kansas City cannot win in baseball. And that is why Phoenix will be dead by next year.

If I were Tupac McDinosaur, I would not stand for this...

The Suns, they keep trading their team worse. And not in the funny, let's get a washed up superstar sort of way this time. They traded down in overall talent.

Now, I'm not naive as to say that Boris Diaw has been at the peak of his power in a while. He has that sort of versatility that I'm a homer for, but he is not assertive. Also, his shot is better than mine, but I'm 30% from everywhere.

But better a guy who can play five positions than a tweener? I mean, Jared Dudley is smart and a great passer. But Diaw has that as well. He also has tapped into more of his skill set now than Dudley has, and Dudley has taken his skills very far.

And I'm not going to say that J-Rich is a man who is trailing far behind Raja Bell. He is an offensive force who may have been superheroic in Seven Seconds or Less. That being said? He brings little to the table defenisvely. Brett Edwards is incorrect on this matter.

Raja Bell is a lockdown defender. And his offensive game? It may be more subtle than J-Rich. But it's solid. He can run the floor and hit the three. It's an underrated and rather tasty skill set.

But again. This is my initial reaction. The post that got me fired from Epic Carnival...again...was me disliking the Billups-Iverson deal from the Pistons POV. Turns out I was wrong.