2024-2025 Around the NBA Thread

[Hoop Head]

These players that are “Leaders” don’t grow on trees either. There is a ton of talent in the NBA but not everyone is a leader. There is a reason there is only handful of those guys even in the league. That’s why I will never fault the team for taking a swing to get it done with talent. Bridges, Cam or Ayton were not those players either. Never were going to be. You make a risky move sometimes you pay the price. You do nothing the ultimate outcome is the same. No titles.

I really don't understand why you give them credit for striking out to bad pitches, which is what the KD deal was, rather than waiting to swing on a decent throw. A decent throw was inevitable, BTW. We had a ton of assets we could have used in a way that made more sense for the team we had.

 

[Covert Rain]

I really don't understand why you give them credit for striking out to bad pitches, which is what the KD deal was, rather than waiting to swing on a decent throw. A decent throw was inevitable, BTW. We had a ton of assets we could have used in a way that made more sense for the team we had.

I don't get why you don't understand that if you don't swing there is no shot at a home run. Just like in real life you won't always get the perfect lob over the plate.

 

[Ronin]

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[Covert Rain]

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Looks like he was showing signs 2 seasons ago and then fell off the map last season.

 

[Mainstreet]

AJ Griffin is only a youngster. He should have a solid NBA career ahead of him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here are the best remaining free agents. The Suns do have an open roster spot should they choose to use it.

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[Hoop Head]

I don't get why you don't understand that if you don't swing there is no shot at a home run. Just like in real life you won't always get the perfect lob over the plate.

I acknowledged that. You seem to be neglecting the fact there is more ways to drive in a run than smashing a homer. You can't muscle bad pitches that are high and outside out of the park either.

 

[Phrazbit]

I don't get why you don't understand that if you don't swing there is no shot at a home run. Just like in real life you won't always get the perfect lob over the plate.

It is far more nuanced than that. I generally think the entire analogy is silly.

If a trade has an overwhelming chance of being a complete disaster... don't do it.

It wasn't even like it had this HUGE chance to increase our chances for a title, we were already a really good team, the increase in odds was marginal and the risk of failure was to a level of extreme that there is little precedence.

 

[Phrazbit]

Ok, now this is ridiculous, how is Kevin Durant a "cancer"?

You don't like the trade, we know that. We even understand the financial reasons why you don't like it, but there is no evidence that one of the best players of all time is a cancer to our team. Honestly, you don't need to start throwing out that extreme position without evidence to prove the trade wasn't great, so why do it?

Not sure where he lies on the chart of "Malcontent/Diva/Cancer", but he certainly shows up.

Getting coaches fired, sometimes openly campaigning for it, trashing teammates using burner accounts online... not a good look.

 

[Phrazbit]

Here are the best remaining free agents. The Suns do have an open roster spot should they choose to use it.

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After reading how much moving Little saved them in tax, I don't see them using that last spot until they have an obvious need.

It makes sense anyway, none of those guys would sniff the court unless we had an injury, but you don't know where the injury will fall... so wait until you see where you have the need.

 

[Chaplin]

Not sure where he lies on the chart of "Malcontent/Diva/Cancer", but he certainly shows up.

Getting coaches fired, sometimes openly campaigning for it, trashing teammates using burner accounts online... not a good look.

He said he was a cancer. I'm not making that up.

Without talking about Brooklyn or OKC, tell me one instance where he's been on the Suns where he was a cancer.

If his past is that big of a problem for you and others, don't forget to throw Grayson Allen into that same bucket as well.

 

[Covert Rain]

I acknowledged that. You seem to be neglecting the fact there is more ways to drive in a run than smashing a homer. You can't muscle bad pitches that are high and outside out of the park either.

Driving in runs or watching pitches go by is what the Suns have been doing for 56 years. We are not the Lakers who get a ton of lobs over home plate. If you want to hit a home run we have to take more chances than a team like that.

 

[Covert Rain]

It is far more nuanced than that. I generally think the entire analogy is silly.

If a trade has an overwhelming chance of being a complete disaster... don't do it.

It wasn't even like it had this HUGE chance to increase our chances for a title, we were already a really good team, the increase in odds was marginal and the risk of failure was to a level of extreme that there is little precedence.

I don't disagree about the analogy. However, hindsight is always 20/20. Most analyst across the league thought the trade had huge potential. We had a team that was headed in the wrong direction and with all the moves other teams had we were getting further away and not closer. We are not the Lakers or some team that players like Lebron are going to run to. So, we likely have to take risks other teams don't. 56 years. 56 years of of what we have been doing has not worked.

 

[Hoop Head]

He said he was a cancer. I'm not making that up.

Without talking about Brooklyn or OKC, tell me one instance where he's been on the Suns where he was a cancer.

If his past is that big of a problem for you and others, don't forget to throw Grayson Allen into that same bucket as well.

We acquired a known cancer and you're ignoring that simply because he wears a Suns jersey. How many seasons has he been here and how many coaches have we had? Of course he has nothing to do with that right?

 

[Covert Rain]

He said he was a cancer. I'm not making that up.

Without talking about Brooklyn or OKC, tell me one instance where he's been on the Suns where he was a cancer.

If his past is that big of a problem for you and others, don't forget to throw Grayson Allen into that same bucket as well.

This. Past behavior is definitely a risk. However, it's not a factor until he starts doing that crap here. Having said that? If he ever decides he wants out? I have no doubt (just like I did at the time of the trade) that he could definitely turn that crap on in a flash. However, I am not going to use that to bolster an argument that is what was wrong with the Suns last year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't disagree about the analogy. However, hindsight is always 20/20. Most analyst across the league thought the trade had huge potential. We had a team that was headed in the wrong direction and with all the moves other teams had we were getting further away and not closer. We are not the Lakers or some team that players like Lebron are going to run to. So, we likely have to take risks other teams don't. 56 years. 56 years of of what we have been doing has not worked.

Wow.

 

[Mainstreet]

After reading how much moving Little saved them in tax, I don't see them using that last spot until they have an obvious need.

It makes sense anyway, none of those guys would sniff the court unless we had an injury, but you don't know where the injury will fall... so wait until you see where you have the need.

None of the current available free agents excite me either, but the Suns have to do better than adding a player like Isaiah Thomas late in the season and they wasted a roster spot on an injured Damion Lee as well.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't disagree about the analogy. However, hindsight is always 20/20. Most analyst across the league thought the trade had huge potential. We had a team that was headed in the wrong direction and with all the moves other teams had we were getting further away and not closer. We are not the Lakers or some team that players like Lebron are going to run to. So, we likely have to take risks other teams don't. 56 years. 56 years of of what we have been doing has not worked.

It's as simple as the Suns made a bad trade in acquiring Durant. They gave up too much.

Now leave Mikal Bridges out of the equation and we are very close to being on the same page. Trading Mikal Bridges was a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Hoop Head]

It's as simple as the Suns made a bad trade in acquiring Durant. They gave up too much.

Now leave Mikal Bridges out of the equation and we are very close to being on the same page. Trading Mikal Bridges was a dealbreaker for me.

Trading Mikal and Cam was a dealbreaker for me. 1 young talent? Ok, 2 and every pick we could legally deal? Why not throw in Crowder, whose value was low at that point because of JJ's idiocy. Brooklyn immediately turned him into 5 2nd round picks, IIRC. There wasn't a single concession made by Brooklyn. The final deal was worse than the rumored deals during the off-season. Brooklyn had much less leverage than the Suns as well. JJ was taken to school but I really don't think he learned from it.

 

[Covert Rain]

It's as simple as the Suns made a bad trade in acquiring Durant. They gave up too much.

Now leave Mikal Bridges out of the equation and we are very close to being on the same page. Trading Mikal Bridges was a dealbreaker for me.

We have been down the same roads over over (building through the draft, fielding fun teams, making team barely competitive, trying to build around one star etc. etc. etc.) for the last 56 years and still have zero titles. It's that simple for me.

 

[Mainstreet]

We have been down the same roads over over (building through the draft, fielding fun teams, making team barely competitive, trying to build around one star etc. etc. etc.) for the last 56 years and still have zero titles. It's that simple for me.

I had Mikal Bridges entering the star phase. So the Suns already had two stars in Booker and Bridges and in position to improve the team without breaking the bank asset wise.

Look at what the Nets received in trade for Bridges, which demonstrates his value.

Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets for haul of picks, Bojan Bogdanovic | NBA.com

New York will send five 1st-round picks to Brooklyn, among other assets, in exchange for veteran forward Mikal Bridges.

www.nba.com

 

[Mainstreet]

Trading Mikal and Cam was a dealbreaker for me. 1 young talent? Ok, 2 and every pick we could legally deal? Why not throw in Crowder, whose value was low at that point because of JJ's idiocy. Brooklyn immediately turned him into 5 2nd round picks, IIRC. There wasn't a single concession made by Brooklyn. The final deal was worse than the rumored deals during the off-season. Brooklyn had much less leverage than the Suns as well. JJ was taken to school but I really don't think he learned from it.

I think the Suns had to give up something (Cam Johnson) to get something, but I wouldn't have included Mikal Bridges.

The Nets could have wanted him in the trade all they wanted, but my answer would have always been no.

We agree, the Suns were taken to school in the Durant trade.

 

[Covert Rain]

I had Mikal Bridges entering the star phase. So the Suns already had two stars in Booker and Bridges and in position to improve the team without breaking the bank asset wise.

Look at what the Nets received in trade for Bridges, which demonstrates his value.

Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets for haul of picks, Bojan Bogdanovic | NBA.com

New York will send five 1st-round picks to Brooklyn, among other assets, in exchange for veteran forward Mikal Bridges.

www.nba.com

Mikael Bridges fell back down to earth. A 2 star team of Booker/Bridges isn't going to get it done.

 

[Mainstreet]

Mikael Bridges fell back down to earth. A 2 star team of Booker/Bridges isn't going to get it done.

However, the Suns had all their draft picks and assets to trade if they hadn't locked onto a one-sided trade.

Kevin Durant wasn't the only fish in the sea.

 

[Covert Rain]

However, the Suns had all their draft picks and assets to trade if they hadn't locked onto a one-sided trade.

Kevin Durant wasn't the only fish in the sea.

Of his caliber? Who else was clamoring to come here? What other Superstar was there for us to trade for where the other ownership side was willing as well? Plugging Superstars into trade machines doesn't make it feasible.