Developing Len, Warren, Goodwin & Ennis

[BC867]

The Suns are not playing like a team. If changes are not made to improve the play of this team in one way or another, the ball will be in his court.

Tennis isn't a team sport. Except in doubles.

Please pardon me. I have to find humor in the situation to fall asleep tonight.

 

[Mainstreet]

i'll say it again, but i think we need to have the first unit come off the court and have a second unit come in the game. maybe not the entire unit, but a majority of them depending on the match ups.

Some truth to this. Too many moving parts.

 

[Mainstreet]

Tennis isn't a team sport. Except in doubles.

Please pardon me. I have to find humor in the situation to fall asleep tonight.

Have a good night's sleep BC867. We can work on solving the Suns problems tomorrow.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Kieff is our best player, your analysis fails.

Well, that explains the problem perfectly then.

 

[JCSunsfan]

YOur starting center probably has to get more rebounds than fouls to win games. Haven't heard about the r/f advanced stat, but I am sure it should be on some geek's radar.

 

[sunsfan88]

Add STVG to the list of coaches of non playoff teams who know the importance of developing young talent

Sam Amico @SamAmicoFSO
Pistons waive F Josh Smith. "“We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players," says coach/president Stan Van Gundy

 

[elindholm]

Wow! Contracts as large as Smith's rarely get waived outright. His reputation must be even worse than I thought.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Add STVG to the list of coaches of non playoff teams who know the importance of developing young talent

Add STVG to the list of coaches that can tell the difference between a 5 win team and a 15 win team. Now, if we can only find some fans that count as well. I think we're winning at least two-thirds of our games when all three of our guards are available to play. Obviously some fans feel it's time to throw in the towel but it's far too early for the coaches and the team to give up on the season.

Steve

 

[Phrazbit]

Ones views have to be pretty warped to rip Hornacek by praising SVG as a coach while he has a 5-23 record... in the East... with those big men.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Tracking the development of Alex Len

Actually, so good so far. He starter the year on the bench often getting very few minutes. He has moved into the starting role and seems to be getting more comfortable. It has helped him that Miles Plumlee has been horrible.

8, 8, and 4 yesterday was a good showing.

It seemed good to have a thread where we just talk about Len. His development has to be on of this team's top priorities this year./

 

[BC867]

It seemed good to have a thread where we just talk about Len. His development has to be on of this team's top priorities this year./

In the words of Yogi Berra, reading this post is like deja vu all over again.

 

[Superbone]

In the words of Yogi Berra, reading this post is like deja vu all over again.

Ha! Was thinking the exact same thing, quote and all. I read them back to back.

 

[sunsfan88]

Goodwin's been showing when given minutes why he deserves to play. He had a very strong game yesterday as well.

It sucks to say it but an injury to Green, and/or IT could be a great thing for PHX right now because it opens up opportunities for these young guys to show something.

Goodwin is also much bigger and athletic than IT and also one of our best defenders on the team.

If Hornacek is so in love with the 3 guard lineup, how about he tries with Dragic, Bledsoe and Goodwin?

 

[sunsfan88]

Raptors still wish they could have drafted Tyler Ennis

Raptors still wish they could have drafted Tyler Ennis

Even as Ennis wanders through his rookie season with the Phoenix, bouncing between the NBA and the D League’s Bakersfield Jam because of a guard-rich Phoenix Suns lineup, there are still those in the Toronto organization lamenting the one that got away.

When the Suns took Ennis with the 18th pick in last June’s NBA draft, there were almost audible groans in the Toronto war room because the Raptors were itching to take him with the 20th selection.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Sunday night it’s that impossible to define the characteristic that made the six-foot-two Brampton product so wanted.

“He has that Pied Piper mentality,” Casey said of Ennis. “(He’s) not the most talented of all the point guards I’ve seen over the years, but just has that knack of getting where he wants to go, of moving the ball (and), like any other young kid, he’s got to get better defensively.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but that was our view if him at that time.”

You have to wonder if Ennis wishes he got drafted by Toronto as well. He'd probably have been Lowry's primary backup with Vasquez possible not being resigned. Plus he'd have been home.

Instead we drafted him and have him glued to our bench. Lose-Lose situation for everyone involved really.

I hope karma doesn't bite us in the ass for drafting a player who was wanted badly by his hometown team that was also willing to give him playing time instead of shutting him back and forth from D league to the pros.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You have to wonder if Ennis wishes he got drafted by Toronto as well. He'd probably have been Lowry's primary backup with Vasquez possible not being resigned. Plus he'd have been home.

Instead we drafted him and have him glued to our bench. Lose-Lose situation for everyone involved really.

I hope karma doesn't bite us in the ass for drafting a player who was wanted badly by his hometown team that was also willing to give him playing time instead of shutting him back and forth from D league to the pros.

My hope is that we find a good trade for IT and move Ennis into IT's spot. I think Ennis in combo with either Goran or Bled is a better fit. He is more of a true pg than anyone else on our roster.

 

[Errntknght]

Ennis looked quite good playing for the Jam (watched the 3rd game). In control and under control, maneuvered well with the ball and shot well. Defensively he wasn't too good but 'D' league does not stand for D.

Goodwin was actually playing hard on defense but his man still scored 30-something. He had to deny him the ball because whatever shot the guy threw up went in. Archie only guarded him about half the time so it wasn't all on him and in the 4th Q he held him pretty well in check. The kid's name was Seth Ellis I think - I'm fairly sure of the last name because my first thought was that he sure shoots like his name is Ellis.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Ennis looked quite good playing for the Jam (watched the 3rd game). In control and under control, maneuvered well with the ball and shot well. Defensively he wasn't too good but 'D' league does not stand for D.

Goodwin was actually playing hard on defense but his man still scored 30-something. He had to deny him the ball because whatever shot the guy threw up went in. Archie only guarded him about half the time so it wasn't all on him and in the 4th Q he held him pretty well in check. The kid's name was Seth Ellis I think - I'm fairly sure of the last name because my first thought was that he sure shoots like his name is Ellis.

I watched that game a few days ago and I didn't think Archie was really to blame for that showing. The shooter was a Curry not an Ellis but close enough, same kind of pedigree. A lot of teams (including us) have given him a look, I'm not really sure why he's not failed to catch on yet.

Steve

 

[Ronin]

Back to the D-League Archie goes.

You must be registered for see images

Paul Coro @paulcoro · 3m 3 minutes ago

Archie Goodwin has been assigned to #Suns D-League affiliate Bakersfield for his second Jam stint of the season.

 

[sunsfan88]

Back to the D-League Archie goes.

You must be registered for see images

Paul Coro @paulcoro · 3m 3 minutes ago

Is he being send there for another day? Jam play tomorrow and won't play again for another week.

Suns probably won't pick up his option next season. Wouldn't surprise me if Goodwin asks them to not pick it up.

A shame. I think Goodwin will be good elsewhere when he actually gets playing time (just like he has in PHX), I hope the Suns don't go on to regret it.

 

[Errntknght]

Is he being send there for another day? Jam play tomorrow and won't play again for another week.

Suns probably won't pick up his option next season. Wouldn't surprise me if Goodwin asks them to not pick it up.

A shame. I think Goodwin will be good elsewhere when he actually gets playing time (just like he has in PHX), I hope the Suns don't go on to regret it.

I don't know why the Suns wouldn't pick up his option. McD was obviously tickled to get him with the 29th pick and he has shown glimpses of being quite a good player - and he's still young. If Green splits, which I think is likely, Archie should get his chance to play decent minutes and, perhaps, even if Green sticks. Actually, I think it would be borderline stupid not to pick up his option, even if he asks them not to.

 

[Ronin]

Archie didn't make the top ten prospects to watch or honorable mentions but Earl barron made the list.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/top-10-d-league-prospects-040307317.html

 

[Mainstreet]

Archie didn't make the top ten prospects to watch or honorable mentions but Earl barron made the list.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/top-10-d-league-prospects-040307317.html

You have to play to win says the lotto commercials.

The Suns young prospects have not spent much time in the D-League.

 

[Ronin]

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 6m6 minutes ago

Archie Goodwin scored 24 points in 31 minutes of today's Bakersfield win vs. Texas. 7-18 FG, 2-6 3s, 8-12 FT, 3 tov, 1 ast, 3 reb.

I think the Suns have a log jam at SG.

 

[BC867]

I think the Suns have a log jam at SG.

At Small Forward as well. Certainly the case of flooding the lineup with players whose positions in the past have been Point Guard. That is undeniable.

'Reminds me of the old saying about you don't marry someone with the idea of changing them. It doesn't usually work out.

In retrospect, hiring a new Head Coach whose playing experience was just that -- a Point Guard moved to Shooting Guard -- led to the inevitable situation of three positions infiltrated, especially at key times, by natural Point Guards by experience and/or size limitations.

The result is a log jam at Point Guard, Shooting Guard and Small Forward and even affecting Power Forward and Center.

So far, the Suns have taken baby steps to rectify it.

 

[Chaplin]

Gerald Green is leaving at the end of the year--there is no denying that. It also appears that they don't want Archie either, as they sent him to Bakersfield to showcase him for a trade.

Complaining about the point guard situation right now is pointless.