| 04 October 2009
Well now we know where the real basketball babes are - and, no, we don't mean those in the short skirts and lipstick from ear-to-ear who are nice enough to give you their number. We're talking about the Belgrade Partizans, a team that Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said in a postgame interview might be stocked with more than its share of high school-age ballers. That could explain their 102 - 7- defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggest on Saturday night. And it also answers the question - how were the Nuggets able to bounce back so easily after going up in smoke to the Utah Jazz and able do it with one hand tied behind their collective backs?
Why does that matter to us, dedicated Suns fans that we are? Well Belgrade is the first stop in the Suns pre-season schedule and we would hate to start off on a sour note - especially after the marathon plane ride that will take our guys from their San Diego training camp to the home of old postcard pretty European buildings. Architecture be - ahem - darned, we'd like a win.
--Continue Reading--
Topping the list of those Coach Alvin Gentry needs to trot-out on the court is Earl Clark - the Suns top draft pick and a player with real potential. An important part of the Louisville Cardinals before joining the NBA, Clark showed some flashes of quality work during the Summer League in July scoring 11.3 ppg and bringing down an impressive 7 rebounds per game. His quickness and basketball sense were evident on the court throughout and scouts from other franchises were given at least some reason to wonder why they didn't grab him before the Suns did.
And the kid is modest at that for a first-round pick. "There's a lot more running here and more defense, but it's not a hard system to pick-up," Clark said in talking to the press during training camp. "You shoot open shots and run. I'm just trying to find spots and run. I'm just trying to find spots to do that and find my role with the team.
"We have enough scorers," Earl continued. "We have one of the best playmakers in the game and one of the best finishers. It's fun for me to play defense, so if that's what I need to do to get out there, I'll definitely do it."
Yes, it does feel good to have a rookie who looks to be a solid pick and a new addition who knows that defense isn't just another 7-letter word.
Maybe those votes in the www.sunsstufft.com poll are right and we'll hit 55 wins before the season is out. Stay tuned as we warm up for Tuesday's great unveiling in Belgrade. Wonder what the weather is like over there? Should we bundle-up?
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
