Re: Starbury?

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah, now that the details are coming in, I'm slightly less enthused for the Knicks. But just slightly.

The big change is they're giving up Maciej Lampe in the deal. It's hard to know just how good this guy will be, but I thought he was impressive in summer league. He's not the superstar the draft hype had made him out to be, but he looks like a really promising high-post center. So, if he and Vujanic both pan out, Phoenix gets a couple of nice players.

PLUS... it looks like the Suns are making room for Kobe. Now, this is a real gamble, but it's a high-upside gamble. They're looking around the league at teams with cap room to make a run at Kobe. Denver? Not gonna happen. Clippers? Is he that desperate to get out of Shaq's shadow? San Antonio? Hmm. Maybe, but if he goes there, isn't he just going from Shaq's wingman to Duncan's? But the Suns... Now that might be enticing enough to leave L.A. They still have Marion and Stoudemire. Anyway, it's interesting, and something I really hadn't considered. Still, it's a big gamble.

For the Knicks, they add Marbury, but we've already seen that he and Van Horn can't play together. Isiah has to work that out.

So I'm revising my knee-jerk reaction a little. This one could turn out really well for Phoenix. Time will tell. But the Suns are taking the bigger risk.

Mark