2023 Phoenix Suns Offseason

[GatorAZ]

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How are those not our permanent jerseys? Ok now I’m done complaining.

 

[Hoop Head]

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Despite that, none of Ayton's 5 seasons rank within the franchises top 10 rebounding seasons. Any longtime Suns fans know most bigs were kept 3-4 seasons, at the most, since the franchise was always searching for a centerpiece big to build around.

 

[Muggz]

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Players were guarding him on most of those plays. He will be wide open to do whatever he wants on this team.

 

[Hoop Head]

Valley of the Suns did a piece about potential signings that will backfire. A decent read, which seems to bring up similar concerns some have mentioned here. Worth a quick read.

Just to be clear, they aren't saying these will backfire or be costly, just simply stating facts as far as each one of the vet minimum signings isn't going to be a home run although they carry little risk.

They list Eric Gordon as 3, Drew Eubanks at 2, and Bol Bol at 1. Reasoning for each makes sense. Gordon is old, depending on yet another aging player to back up injury prone stars could lead to his health being an issue before the postseason, which is where we need him most. Eubanks is there because he hasn't done a lot and isn't a backup who can be a starter for a stretch or challenge Ayton. Bol Bol is Bol Bol, young with lots of upside but a bit of a question mark. There's a reason Denver and Orlando didn't hang onto him.

3 signings the Phoenix Suns will regret come January

The Phoenix Suns made a whole host of offseason additions this summer, but these three players are the ones they are likely to regret signing.

valleyofthesuns.com

 

[Mainstreet]

Valley of the Suns did a piece about potential signings that will backfire. A decent read, which seems to bring up similar concerns some have mentioned here. Worth a quick read.

Just to be clear, they aren't saying these will backfire or be costly, just simply stating facts as far as each one of the vet minimum signings isn't going to be a home run although they carry little risk.

They list Eric Gordon as 3, Drew Eubanks at 2, and Bol Bol at 1. Reasoning for each makes sense. Gordon is old, depending on yet another aging player to back up injury prone stars could lead to his health being an issue before the postseason, which is where we need him most. Eubanks is there because he hasn't done a lot and isn't a backup who can be a starter for a stretch or challenge Ayton. Bol Bol is Bol Bol, young with lots of upside but a bit of a question mark. There's a reason Denver and Orlando didn't hang onto him.

3 signings the Phoenix Suns will regret come January

The Phoenix Suns made a whole host of offseason additions this summer, but these three players are the ones they are likely to regret signing.

valleyofthesuns.com

I like it when the media is questioning bench players. That’s a sign of progress. No risk it no biscuit.

 

[Yuma]

I am not worried about Gordon. They are equating him to CP3. He played 58 games and was a good player for the Clippers down the stretch. Eubanks, I feel people have not payed attention to him. He's one of those guys that is quiet and flies under the radar. Bol Bol I totally get. Plus the new center we just got is a stretch. Ish wainwright I am not sure is taking the next step. I feel there are other guys I am more worried about than their picks. Just my opinion.

 

[Hoop Head]

I like it when the media is questioning bench players. That’s a sign of progress. No risk it no biscuit.

This isn't really media though, it's a Suns fan site. It's like what we do here except more detailed. I get their concerns. I do agree on all 3 points they made but I would have chosen Damien Lee over Gordon as a potential backfire signing because I think he offers the least of any bench player we brought in. I know he can shoot but that's all he can do. I would have preferred to go in another direction.

 

[Mainstreet]

This isn't really media though, it's a Suns fan site. It's like what we do here except more detailed. I get their concerns. I do agree on all 3 points they made but I would have chosen Damien Lee over Gordon as a potential backfire signing because I think he offers the least of any bench player we brought in. I know he can shoot but that's all he can do. I would have preferred to go in another direction.

I think it qualifies as media, although that is not overly important to me. The article is expressing their opinion. How do they know any more than we do?

It's a 15-man roster, and the Suns can pick who to play. I like redundancy at certain positions because it's true, some signing can backfire, we do not yet know which ones.

I like it the Suns took a chance on a young Bol Bol even if it doesn't work out.

I think Eubanks was a steal for the money.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

How are those not our permanent jerseys? Ok now I’m done complaining.

Because the NBA doesn't want teams using throwback jerseys full time.

 

[Germz249]

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But we have no depth.. I swear these guys we picked up could have gone else where and the media would screw how they provide depth. They come here and all of a sudden they don’t matter and we have no depth.

 

[Cheesebeef]

But we have no depth.. I swear these guys we picked up could have gone else where and the media would screw how they provide depth. They come here and all of a sudden they don’t matter and we have no depth.

Eh… I think outside of Gordon, any of these guys going elsewhere wouldn’t get more than 1 post here. They’re solid pieces for what we paid for, but there is always the chance we get what we paid for, also.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Players were guarding him on most of those plays. He will be wide open to do whatever he wants on this team.

He has remarkably good hands, both in response/reaction and in ball catching and control.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Valley of the Suns did a piece about potential signings that will backfire. A decent read, which seems to bring up similar concerns some have mentioned here. Worth a quick read.

Just to be clear, they aren't saying these will backfire or be costly, just simply stating facts as far as each one of the vet minimum signings isn't going to be a home run although they carry little risk.

They list Eric Gordon as 3, Drew Eubanks at 2, and Bol Bol at 1. Reasoning for each makes sense. Gordon is old, depending on yet another aging player to back up injury prone stars could lead to his health being an issue before the postseason, which is where we need him most. Eubanks is there because he hasn't done a lot and isn't a backup who can be a starter for a stretch or challenge Ayton. Bol Bol is Bol Bol, young with lots of upside but a bit of a question mark. There's a reason Denver and Orlando didn't hang onto him.

3 signings the Phoenix Suns will regret come January

The Phoenix Suns made a whole host of offseason additions this summer, but these three players are the ones they are likely to regret signing.

valleyofthesuns.com

Good grief. I will never get that 6 minutes back. Silly article. We could have had Christian Wood instead of Eubanks? If we had gotten Wood, he would have been in that article too. Bol Bol had a long recovery from Covid last year. And Gordon is a low risk vet depth. Silly article.

 

[Germz249]

Eh… I think outside of Gordon, any of these guys going elsewhere wouldn’t get more than 1 post here. They’re solid pieces for what we paid for, but there is always the chance we get what we paid for, also.

If the same guys signed with the Lakers we all know the media would talk it up like they signed all pro players. I am just tired of the way sports media treat us.

 

[Yuma]

Our Valley media has been snake bit for so long, they tend to write about what can go wrong. Other cities they do write about how great a player is, even when everyone knows it's a risky or low reward signing. I think all the losing ion the Valley over the decades has made media and fans alike snake bitten. Radio sportscasters were talking college football fans in the PAC 12 and how low key the fandom is compared with teams and conferences east of the Mississippi. Those teams sell out stadiums even when the programs are in a low point, and the fans are all in defending their schools.

Even in this group, we are looking at what we should have done signing players. Rather than celebrating what we have done. Most fans would be happy to make the playoffs, and we just moan we didn't do better. I talk with Laker fans and they act like they won the title last season. They think they will win this year already. It's a whole different outlook they have.

 

[Mainstreet]

Our Valley media has been snake bit for so long, they tend to write about what can go wrong. Other cities they do write about how great a player is, even when everyone knows it's a risky or low reward signing. I think all the losing ion the Valley over the decades has made media and fans alike snake bitten. Radio sportscasters were talking college football fans in the PAC 12 and how low key the fandom is compared with teams and conferences east of the Mississippi. Those teams sell out stadiums even when the programs are in a low point, and the fans are all in defending their schools.

Even in this group, we are looking at what we should have done signing players. Rather than celebrating what we have done. Most fans would ne happy to make the playoffs, and we just main we didn't do better. I talk with Laker fans and they act like they won the title last season. They think they will win this year already. It's a whole different outlook they have.

I think the Suns did a phenomenal job filling out the roster, especially since many were veteran minimum players.

Getting Beal for Paul and Shamet was huge.

 

[Hoop Head]

I got a scoop. My sources tell me to expect no news this week, perhaps not even next week. However we can expect some chatter to start about camp signings by the end of the month.

That's a Hoop Bomb!

 

[elindholm]

If the same guys signed with the Lakers we all know the media would talk it up like they signed all pro players. I am just tired of the way sports media treat us.

Unfortunately, the Suns' Game 7 collapse against Dallas is going to be their defining "performance" for a very long time, unless they happen to win a title. They've forfeited the right to be respected as a serious franchise.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Unfortunately, the Suns' Game 7 collapse against Dallas is going to be their defining "performance" for a very long time, unless they happen to win a title. They've forfeited the right to be respected as a serious franchise.

Pretty much. We’re the Dirk Mavs post 2-0 Finals blown lead followed by an all time collapse the next year as the only team to ever win 67 or more games and not get out of the first round.

 

[elindholm]

Pretty much. We’re the Dirk Mavs post 2-0 Finals blown lead followed by an all time collapse the next year as the only team to ever win 67 or more games and not get out of the first round.

Yeah, it's novel for the Suns to have a billionaire owner who is willing to overpay for aging stars, but for the league as a whole, it's been there, done that. The Suns are a poor man's Prokhorov Nets, and they aren't scaring anybody.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, it's novel for the Suns to have a billionaire owner who is willing to overpay for aging stars, but for the league as a whole, it's been there, done that. The Suns are a poor man's Prokhorov Nets, and they aren't scaring anybody.

Okay… I don’t buy that at all. We may not be favorites/scare the best teams, but that Prolhorov Nets team had no shot at a title whatsoever. Ever.

This team is still a contender. But they have to put up or shut up.

Edit: wait… we’re a poor man’s Prokhorov Nets team? Lol. Okay. That’s a total joke. Guess we’re back to the sky is falling days for some members of the board.

 

[elindholm]

Edit: wait… we’re a poor man’s Prokhorov Nets team? Lol. Okay. That’s a total joke. Guess we’re back to the sky is falling days for some members of the board.

Hmm, really?

The 2013-14 Nets roster featured Garnett (who was 37 years old to start the season), Pierce (36), and Joe Johnson (32), which probably doesn't quite line up with the Suns current big three -- but the Nets also had Deron Williams (29), Brook Lopez (25), and Kirilenko (32), for actual depth. The Heat were considered the team to beat, but the Nets were solidly in the conversation. Here are two examples I found quickly:

Predictions: Can the Heat three-peat?

SB Nation's featured writers answer several questions and offer many predictions about the 2013-14 season. How many pick the Miami Heat to win their third straight title?

www.sbnation.com

1. Who do you think is the best challenger to Miami?

...

PRADA: The Bulls and Pacers certainly match up the best, but I have questions about Chicago's depth and I'm not convinced Indiana's bench is as upgraded as many say. So I'll go with the Nets, a team many are forgetting about in this race. Kevin Garnett still has the ability to transform a team's culture, Paul Pierce still has a lot left and they have a deep bench that will help those two withstand the rigors of the NBA regular season. Also: if the Heat struggled so much to stop Roy Hibbert, just wait until they see Brook Lopez.

Eight Fearless Predictions for 2013-14

In the normal course of NBA punditry, predictions attached to the start of a season are publicly disseminated before that season actually starts.But here's the thing:Stein Line Live, as a tiny new entity in this mammoth NBA stratosphere, did not yet exist last Tuesday when the 2013-14 season...

www.espn.com

7. Your NBA champion in June is coming from the Eastern Conference.​

OK, OK. It's not the most definitive proclamation of all time, but here's the point: LeBron's Heat are either going to three-peat ... or the East team that keeps them out of the NBA Finals is going to go on and win it all. Pacers versus Clippers was my real-life Finals pick in ESPN.com's and ESPN The Magazine's respective preseason prediction collections, but what I feel even stronger about is the fact that Indy, Brooklyn and Chicago are all more title-worthy than the best of the West.

 

[CardNots]

Unfortunately, the Suns' Game 7 collapse against Dallas is going to be their defining "performance" for a very long time, unless they happen to win a title. They've forfeited the right to be respected as a serious franchise.

But the lakers butt whipping by Denver is simply okay? Media bias is front and center every year. We don’t need anything hanging over our head for the bias I have seen for decades. We would need several championships consecutively to end it and that isn’t happening in my lifetime.

 

[Hoop Head]

But the lakers butt whipping by Denver is simply okay? Media bias is front and center every year. We don’t need anything hanging over our head for the bias I have seen for decades. We would need several championships consecutively to end it and that isn’t happening in my lifetime.

That's 2 entirely different situations. The Lakers were a 7 seed who were largely written off around the All-Star break. They ended up making some savvy moves that enabled them to have the best record in the league post All-Star break and upset the defending champs and what was largely considered a legit contender in Memphis an route to finally returning to earth and getting beat by Denver.

The Suns lost to an inferior Mavericks team after finals trip the year before and setting a franchise record for wins in a season that year while cruising to the best record in the league by a half dozen games, easily. They were also up 3-1 against Dallas and Dallas came back and embarrassed the Suns in Phoenix by holding a 40+ point lead for about 3 quarters.

Those things aren't comparable. One is impressive turnaround and the other is an epic meltdown. Media bias doesn't play a role.

 

[Phrazbit]

Hmm, really?

The 2013-14 Nets roster featured Garnett (who was 37 years old to start the season), Pierce (36), and Joe Johnson (32), which probably doesn't quite line up with the Suns current big three -- but the Nets also had Deron Williams (29), Brook Lopez (25), and Kirilenko (32), for actual depth. The Heat were considered the team to beat, but the Nets were solidly in the conversation. Here are two examples I found quickly:

Predictions: Can the Heat three-peat?

SB Nation's featured writers answer several questions and offer many predictions about the 2013-14 season. How many pick the Miami Heat to win their third straight title?

www.sbnation.com

1. Who do you think is the best challenger to Miami?

...

PRADA: The Bulls and Pacers certainly match up the best, but I have questions about Chicago's depth and I'm not convinced Indiana's bench is as upgraded as many say. So I'll go with the Nets, a team many are forgetting about in this race. Kevin Garnett still has the ability to transform a team's culture, Paul Pierce still has a lot left and they have a deep bench that will help those two withstand the rigors of the NBA regular season. Also: if the Heat struggled so much to stop Roy Hibbert, just wait until they see Brook Lopez.

Eight Fearless Predictions for 2013-14

In the normal course of NBA punditry, predictions attached to the start of a season are publicly disseminated before that season actually starts.But here's the thing:Stein Line Live, as a tiny new entity in this mammoth NBA stratosphere, did not yet exist last Tuesday when the 2013-14 season...

www.espn.com

7. Your NBA champion in June is coming from the Eastern Conference.​

OK, OK. It's not the most definitive proclamation of all time, but here's the point: LeBron's Heat are either going to three-peat ... or the East team that keeps them out of the NBA Finals is going to go on and win it all. Pacers versus Clippers was my real-life Finals pick in ESPN.com's and ESPN The Magazine's respective preseason prediction collections, but what I feel even stronger about is the fact that Indy, Brooklyn and Chicago are all more title-worthy than the best of the West.

I agree. They are the dark path version of the current Suns.

A new, fabulously wealthy, owner with an eye on fan experience (they built a brand new palace in Brooklyn) and an all out hunger for a title.

They went and swung an "all-in" trade that basically everyone in the media seemed to think made them a short term contender... it didn't work and was a real crushing move that built the current Celtics and killed the Nets chances for years. Short changing the view of that Nets team is revisionism. They added Garnett, Pierce and Jason Terry to a roster that included Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and an "is he better than CP3?" Deron Williams, it was viewed as a monster in it's time.

The Durant trade is strikingly similar. Yeah, he is marginally younger than the Celtics stars, but he's also been less durable and he's only 1 guy, while the Nets (at the time) appeared to have built a monster of a roster.

We are, IMO, going to pay a brutal price for this bid for contention, but a title would mollify that cost considerably, (the Dbacks mortgaged the hell out of that franchise and I still wax poetically about that win).

I think we have a real shot at the title, I really do, but those Nets were also viewed as having a real shot. A year, maybe 2, from now we will either be looking back at these last 6 months of roster moves with astound regret or the feel of a joyful man on his deathbed.


Quick aside, Deron Williams is a wild piece of NBA history. Dude was considered one of the best at his position and battling CP3 for the PG of his generation, and over the span of the next few years he went from being viewed as overrated, overpaid and now, basically forgotten.