Nash and Shaq sit; Barbosa, Hill and Lopez start
December 3rd, 2008, 5:31 pm · Post a Comment · posted by jerrybrown
By Jerry Brown
Tribune
NEW ORLEANS — The Suns will have three new starters for tonight’s game with the Hornets — one by design and two by necessity.
Steve Nash will sit out tonight because of a bout with a 24-hour virus that kept him in bed all day. Coach Terry Porter said he hopes Nash will be able to go Thursday night in Dallas. Leandro Barbosa will make his first start of the season and see extended minutes at the point
Shaquille O’Neal will also sit out for the third time this season for a perscribed rest day in the first of a back-to-back situation. The Suns are 1-1 when O’Neal sits — losing big in Chicago on Nov. 7 and rallying to beat Oklahoma City on Nov. 25. Robin Lopez will start at center.
Porter has also opted to go with Grant Hill — who has been much more effective in his five starts this season — as the starter over Matt Barnes at the small forward. Hill has had trouble getting going after sitting down after warmups, and Barnes has come off the bench his entire careers.
Hill has averaged 12 points and seven rebounds in his five starts this season, and 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the last two.
