2022-23 Around the NBA Thread

[Mainstreet]

Goran Dragic will sign with the Bucks.

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[Muggz]

Goran Dragic will sign with the Bucks.

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GOod place for him. Let his oldness go up against ours.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Bucks are not hesitant to sign players who have question marks surrounding their career for whatever reason.

They have Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis, Jae Crowder, Meyers Leonard and Goran Dragic.

The Suns tend to not take these types of chances, for better or worse.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Bucks are not hesitant to sign players who have question marks surrounding their career for whatever reason.

They have Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis, Jae Crowder, Meyers Leonard and Goran Dragic.

The Suns tend to not take these types of chances, for better or worse.

Probably because, prior to a few years ago, we had along run of ignoring character concerns and ended up with rosters full of selfish idiots.

The Morrii, Josh Jackson, Gerald Green, Shannon the Cannon, Archie Goodwin and of course, Beasley. Telfair was here too, but I don't recall any problems during his stay.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Man… the Bucks are really good. And deep. They just seem to have everything. Unicorn Superstar in his prime? Check. Two All-Star level players flanking him? Check. Ability to go big or small? Check. A plethora of 3 point shooters? Check. Jerks that every title team seems to need? Check and Check between Allen and Jae. Championship Clutch Confidence? Check… sadly because we gave it to them.

Beating them in a 7 game series is going to be incredibly tough unless CP3 and Ayton play to their ceilings throughout the series.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Supreme timing, Mr. Beef.

 

[Hoop Head]

It seems like a real longshot at this point the Suns will be able to keep him if he keeps this play up. Best case scenario is he really likes it here and gets a 2 year tax mle with a player option to try to get to his bird rights.

We can resign him next year to a deal for the bi-annual exception with an opt out he can exercise after the season. Then we'd have early bird rights to resign him, similar to Cam Payne when he re-upped here. He's not going to get a huge deal this summer unless he proves it in the postseason. Teams will be hesitant to pay him long term money because he's been so streaky and was virtually on his way out of the league last summer before signing here.

There's option. I'm sure James Jones is aware of the ways we can retain him.

 

[Lorenzo]

Dude has never had any premium talent around him and the one time they did have a good player next to him with Brunson, he got to the Conference Finals.

Russ never achieved anything close to that. Now they imported the biggest cancer in the league. Their inability to surround him with anything resembling serious talent is that team’s undoing. Not Luka’s, IMO.

Exactly, Russ is a good passer and could get to the rim at will especially in the OKC days, but he’s never been as dominant of a force as he could have been because of his outside shot. As players age they must knock down jumpers or they can’t remain in this league. I look at j-Kidd for example. He never was a good shooter and he lost a step late. But late in his career he mastered his 3 point shot. It seemed like he rarely missed a wide open 3 in the 2011 playoffs.

As for Luka I think he’s improved every year in both the regular season and the playoffs. He’s already better at this point in his career than I thought he would be. I think Irving and luka have potential if they stay together for a prolonged period. I think the Mavericks still need more defensive rebounding and scoring in the paint.

 

[Lorenzo]

This guy is headed in a downward spiral

I was going to say poor timing with the recent news, but there’s probably never a good time for a professional athlete to do that.

 

[SunsTzu]

We can resign him next year to a deal for the bi-annual exception with an opt out he can exercise after the season. Then we'd have early bird rights to resign him, similar to Cam Payne when he re-upped here. He's not going to get a huge deal this summer unless he proves it in the postseason. Teams will be hesitant to pay him long term money because he's been so streaky and was virtually on his way out of the league last summer before signing here.

There's option. I'm sure James Jones is aware of the ways we can retain him.

Unless he craps all over himself the rest of the year I can't see him signing for any less than the tax payer MLE, and even then I'd think that was a pretty significant hometown discount. It seems more likely to me that other teams would view him as an ascending player who was held back by a defunct franchise.

For perspective I think Okogie this year is better than any year Lu Dort has had and he signed a deal worth ~2.5 times the max the Suns could pay Okogie annually.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Man… the Bucks are really good. And deep. They just seem to have everything. Unicorn Superstar in his prime? Check. Two All-Star level players flanking him? Check. Ability to go big or small? Check. A plethora of 3 point shooters? Check. Jerks that every title team seems to need? Check and Check between Allen and Jae. Championship Clutch Confidence? Check… sadly because we gave it to them.

Beating them in a 7 game series is going to be incredibly tough unless CP3 and Ayton play to their ceilings throughout the series.

They have to get by the Celtics. I don't think we should have any reasonable expectation of CP3 playing to his ceiling, unless it's because his ceiling is quickly dropping.

I kinda expect him to retire after this year.

 

[Hoop Head]

They have to get by the Celtics. I don't think we should have any reasonable expectation of CP3 playing to his ceiling, unless it's because his ceiling is quickly dropping.

I kinda expect him to retire after this year.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is his last year. I think there's a real possibility this year is it for him, win or lose. I think it's more likely he retires if we win.

If he returns next year then he should come off the bench. Payne has played really well as a starter. Who knows if that would continue with Paul as his backup because I could see him looking over the bench a lot worried he'd get pulled early if he's not producing. That's the only reason I believe the team hasn't experimented with that at this juncture.

 

[Phrazbit]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is his last year. I think there's a real possibility this year is it for him, win or lose. I think it's more likely he retires if we win.

If he returns next year then he should come off the bench. Payne has played really well as a starter. Who knows if that would continue with Paul as his backup because I could see him looking over the bench a lot worried he'd get pulled early if he's not producing. That's the only reason I believe the team hasn't experimented with that at this juncture.

Maaaaaaaaaaybe if we won the title, but even then, he has a very "team wants to dump salary" friendly contract. IF, he wants to retire, as a trade piece prior to free agency, he is worth 30 something million in a trade but would only be owed 15 million if the team declines his option.

Paul lives and breaths basketball. I don't see him retiring until he's either won a ring or his legs fall off... and after that I think he will try to get into coaching. He seems like the type to be another Scott Skiles. An overbearing work horse who whips players into shape but that veterans won't be able to tolerate.

 

[95pro]

I highly doubt cp3 hangs it up. He just seems so stubborn to hang it up after this season. Maybe if we win it all then yes. But for a guy who’s used to running the show and calling shots, I find it hard he’ll see in it himself that he needs to retire.

 

[sdscard4]

Payne as the starter? Cmon man.
Yeah he has had a few good starts but overall he craps the bed more than he makes it. I don't think I could handle bumbling...stumbling out of control Payne as the starter

 

[Finito]

Payne as the starter? Cmon man.
Yeah he has had a few good starts but overall he craps the bed more than he makes it. I don't think I could handle bumbling...stumbling out of control Payne as the starter

He’s been really good for the past few years when he starts.

 

[Hoop Head]

Payne as the starter? Cmon man.
Yeah he has had a few good starts but overall he craps the bed more than he makes it. I don't think I could handle bumbling...stumbling out of control Payne as the starter

Payne is a good starter.

Payne as a starter this season - 15.1 ppg, 7.3 apg, and 39.5% from 3

Chris Paul this season - 13.5 ppg, 9.0 apg, and 37% from 3

Payne started 14 games and 12 last year where his numbers were similar in 14 ppg, 9.0 apg, and 35.5 from 3.

Not sure what Payne you saw start but he's as good as Paul in that role at this point, perhaps better because the offense moves faster.

 

[Mainstreet]

Probably because, prior to a few years ago, we had along run of ignoring character concerns and ended up with rosters full of selfish idiots.

The Morrii, Josh Jackson, Gerald Green, Shannon the Cannon, Archie Goodwin and of course, Beasley. Telfair was here too, but I don't recall any problems during his stay.

The Suns have mostly drafted their own problems in the Morris twins, Josh Jackson and Archie Goodwin, although I don't recall Archie being much of a problem. He had all the talent in the world but there was a reason he was drafted late. However, he was a project worth taking.

I think a championship caliber team should be able to absorb at least one or two players with an edge. Maybe they even need one like a Raja Bell.

 

[Hoop Head]

The Suns have mostly drafted their own problems in the Morris twins, Josh Jackson and Archie Goodwin, although I don't recall Archie being much of a problem. He had all the talent in the world but there was a reason he was drafted late. However, he was a project worth taking.

I think a championship caliber team should be able to absorb at least one or two players with an edge. Maybe they even need one like a Raja Bell.

Or a Jae Crowder? Sucks that didn't work out. Wish we could have received some value for him rather than salary matching. We could have used Shamet to match salaries. I do like Bazley though and hope he can become something.

I'd like to see Shamet dealt this summer as an expiring of sorts. We can find guard depth more easily then. I feel like combo guards are cheaper in free agency and Shamet is overpaid.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns have mostly drafted their own problems in the Morris twins, Josh Jackson and Archie Goodwin, although I don't recall Archie being much of a problem. He had all the talent in the world but there was a reason he was drafted late. However, he was a project worth taking.

I think a championship caliber team should be able to absorb at least one or two players with an edge. Maybe they even need one like a Raja Bell.

Archie didn’t get in trouble off the court but he has a reputation of being uncoachable, which turned out to be true.

 

[Mainstreet]

Archie didn’t get in trouble off the court but he has a reputation of being uncoachable, which turned out to be true.

Maybe Archie was never going to be an NBA player. It's more than about talent.

I thought he would eventually blossom but I was wrong.

 

[Mainstreet]

Or a Jae Crowder? Sucks that didn't work out. Wish we could have received some value for him rather than salary matching. We could have used Shamet to match salaries. I do like Bazley though and hope he can become something.

I'd like to see Shamet dealt this summer as an expiring of sorts. We can find guard depth more easily then. I feel like combo guards are cheaper in free agency and Shamet is overpaid.

The Suns signing Landry Shamet to a multi-year guaranteed contract was a mistake. I seriously doubt if he plays again this season. At least next season he can be used like an expiring contract

Too bad James Jones didn't trade Crowder before the trade deadline so the Suns could have received something of value even if it was only five second round picks.

 

[AzStevenCal]

He’s been really good for the past few years when he starts.

He has but he has been horrible every time he's come back from an injury and it seems to take him far longer to get back to full speed than it should. I suspect if he'd been forced into starting during one of his "horrible" stretches we wouldn't be touting him as a starter. Maybe he is better suited as a starter but I think the stats are misleading.

 

[leclerc]

Man… the Bucks are really good. And deep. They just seem to have everything. Unicorn Superstar in his prime? Check. Two All-Star level players flanking him? Check. Ability to go big or small? Check. A plethora of 3 point shooters? Check. Jerks that every title team seems to need? Check and Check between Allen and Jae. Championship Clutch Confidence? Check… sadly because we gave it to them.

Beating them in a 7 game series is going to be incredibly tough unless CP3 and Ayton play to their ceilings throughout the series.

I agree. Bucks will be tough to be for any team. They even have a couple of likable dudes and coincidentally ex-Suns players. Bulldog Carter and I'll even say Jae.

 

[GatorAZ]

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