Who had the better opportunity to lead us to a 'chip, Barkley or Nash?

[Charlie Smithy!]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 191111002/

Came across this pretty cool article from Duane Rankin that speculated on this, as well as how we might have done against the teams we would have ended up playing in the Finals.

[Ring_Wanted]

Nash. He never had to face Jordan in a final series. Nash was a couple of bad breaks away from at least one chip. Amare in 2006 was a tragedy, but just having a healthy KT and Raja, and we make it all the way to the finals and run those Heat out of the building. Then the H0rry trash in 2007. Who knows, maybe even just not trading for Shaq in 2008 could have granted him one or two more shots before 2010.

[ShelC]

Yea Nash definitely had better opportunities but injuries and the suspension took the Suns out of it. We should've come away with at least 2 titles during that stretch.

[Mori Chu]

I think Nash was closer.

Obviously Barkley took us to the Finals, but I feel like that series was always going to be won by Jordan and the Bulls. They were at the peak of their powers. We were a great team in '93 but we didn't have their determination and grit. I look at '94 and '95 as evidence that we just didn't have "it" on that squad and were bound to be beaten by whatever real champ came along each year. If Barkley had his squad in '99, Duncan would have beaten him; if he had peaked in 2000, Kobe and Shaq would have. I think he was an amazing player but didn't really have what it took to push a team all the way to a title.

Nash, on the other hand, I absolutely think that a Nash team could have won several titles, almost any year from 2005-2010. If not for injuries or suspensions, and in some cases Mike D'Antoni's coaching, I think we would have won one.

[Cap]

Nash. He never had to face Jordan in a final series. Nash was a couple of bad breaks away from at least one chip. Amare in 2006 was a tragedy, but just having a healthy KT and Raja, and we make it all the way to the finals and run those Heat out of the building. Then the H0rry trash in 2007. Who knows, maybe even just not trading for Shaq in 2008 could have granted him one or two more shots before 2010.

Barkley also had some bad injury breaks, losing Ceballos in ‘93 and Manning in ‘95.

[The Bobster]

Nash. He never had to face Jordan in a final series. Nash was a couple of bad breaks away from at least one chip. Amare in 2006 was a tragedy, but just having a healthy KT and Raja, and we make it all the way to the finals and run those Heat out of the building. Then the H0rry trash in 2007. Who knows, maybe even just not trading for Shaq in 2008 could have granted him one or two more shots before 2010.

Barkley also had some bad injury breaks, losing Ceballos in ‘93 and Manning in ‘95.

Not to mention KJ and his sports hernia issues and Miller and Dumas and their personal issues.

My feeling is you have a lot better chance of winning the Finals if you actually get there....

[Indy]

Nash. He never had to face Jordan in a final series. Nash was a couple of bad breaks away from at least one chip. Amare in 2006 was a tragedy, but just having a healthy KT and Raja, and we make it all the way to the finals and run those Heat out of the building. Then the H0rry trash in 2007. Who knows, maybe even just not trading for Shaq in 2008 could have granted him one or two more shots before 2010.

Barkley also had some bad injury breaks, losing Ceballos in ‘93 and Manning in ‘95.

Not to mention KJ and his sports hernia issues and Miller and Dumas and their personal issues.

My feeling is you have a lot better chance of winning the Finals if you actually get there....

I think the Nash teams were better, but I agree with this. It is hard to say Nash had a better chance when the closest he came was a WCF. Barkley (and team) got us to within 2 wins.

[Ring_Wanted]

My feeling is you have a lot better chance of winning the Finals if you actually get there....

Technically true, but I'd die on the hill that between 2005 and 2007, the finals was SAS-DAL-PHX.

[The Bobster]

Arguably the 1979 team were the team that had the best chance to win a title. They should have eliminated Seattle in the WCF, but pissed it away and then Seattle easily handled a depleted Washington Bullets.

Nearly everyone thought the Phoenix-Seattle winner would win the Finals. And it ended up being the Sonics.

[Mori Chu]

Arguably the 1979 team were the team that had the best chance to win a title. They should have eliminated Seattle in the WCF, but pissed it away and then Seattle easily handled a depleted Washington Bullets.

Nearly everyone thought the Phoenix-Seattle winner would win the Finals. And it ended up being the Sonics.

You can use that argument for other teams. Our 2006 squad would have easily beaten the '06 Heat in the Finals.

[SunsRIt]

The Suns should have won the title in 94 and 95. They had the Rockets down 3-1 in 95 and 2-0 in 94 with no Jordan to deal with in later rounds. Houston won the title both years. 93 may have been a little different if Ceballos hadn't broken his foot in 93(I guess the same could be said for Joe Johnson breaking his face in the Nash years). Barkley had the better shot.