Devin Booker scores franchise-record 70 points in loss to Celtics

[slinslin]

Naw Fultz is clear cut #1.

If we draft Fultz we don't even have to trade Bledsoe at least not immediately.

Fultz can play the 2 also. We could run a small ball lineup of Bledsoe, Fultz, Booker, Warren and Chriss. Ulis would still get minutes.

 

[sunsfan88]

There's no way I want the Suns to piss off Booker and force him to SF when he's played SG his whole life. We already pissed Dragic off doing that, no need to do that once again. Just like Dragic, Booker is also a weak defender and would struggle and hate life at SF.

I know McDonough is smart enough to not make that mistake again. I'm guessing if we keep Bledsoe and still draft Fultz then that means Fultz will come off the bench as 6th man which is fine. But then once Bledsoe blows out his other knee, he would lose all trade value and may just walk as a UFA after the season with the Suns getting nothing in return then.

 

[slinslin]

There is very little difference between playing SF and SG, the profiles of what you want from these positions is almost identical.

I'd like to paraphrase Jalen Rose on this "positional labels are meaningless. they were made for people who do not understand the game"

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

There is very little difference between playing SF and SG, the profiles of what you want from these positions is almost identical.

I'd like to paraphrase Jalen Rose on this "positional labels are meaningless. they were made for people who do not understand the game"

Well played. Great quote, and I'm somewhat in agreement here. My bigger issue with drafting Fultz and keeping Bledsoe is that you are asking a lot from Bledsoe...

Really think about it from Bledsoe's perspective:

1. I play for a team that has had several disgruntled employees due to a perceived lack of loyalty. I've seen Dragic, Thomas, Frye, Markieff and Knight get frustrated with the team for not being loyal or honest with them.

2. I've spent my whole life, despite being one of the best point guards in the world, battling for a team to call my own. I played in Wall's shadow in college, Paul's shadow in L.A., and had to share the Suns with not one but two top point guards.

3. While negotiating my long term contract, I see the Suns bring in a 20 ppg point guard to replace me. I show loyalty and sign anyway.

4. The team finally chooses me to run the show, something I've wanted my whole life. I reward them by going outside my comfort zone, spending summers working my ass off in Phoenix, and even developing as a more vocal leader. I start playing the best basketball of my life.

5. During my best season as a pro, in the middle of my prime, I'm asked to sit the last 20 games or so. My understanding is that the Suns are looking to get a better draft pick.

6. They then use the draft pick to draft my replacement? Sure, they tell me they see me as a big part of the present and future, but now I'm stuck sharing the team with a 20-year-old who I'm better than, knowing all the time that fans and management will be rooting for him to eventually outplay me.

7. My agent is telling me that this potentially compromises my free agent value right before the biggest payday of my life. What team is going to give me the max when the Suns decided I had to be replaced?

8. Why wouldn't they use that asset to improve the team and finally give me help? Instead they need to replace me? Brandon is right. They don't care about us...


I'm not saying this is how it would play out, but I am saying that's a reasonable perspective for Eric to have in that situation and the Suns have proven inept at handling these situations.

And that doesn't even address Tyler Ulis, our now third string point guard and our best player's best friend...

 

[3rdside]

Some perspective:

http://hoopshype.com/2017/03/27/what-do-we-make-of-devin-booker/




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[devilalum]

Some perspective:

http://hoopshype.com/2017/03/27/what-do-we-make-of-devin-booker/




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That's what I thought. If he doesn't change his effort at the defensive end he probably looks a lot like James Harden in a few years. Minus the beard hopefully.

 

[Mainstreet]

I guess you weren't full of it because Fox has been shooting up the mock drafts. So much for my tunnel vision with Fultz or Ball.

I guess if we get #1 pick the case for trading down is getting stronger and stronger. The top five spots now are very fluid.

I don't think Fox will last long in the draft, maybe #4. So if the Suns trade down they want to make sure a player they want is still on the board.

We agree, the first five spots are very fluid.

Unless Monk can play PG, I'm not sure why he rated so high because his height is not ideal for a SG.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Some perspective:

http://hoopshype.com/2017/03/27/what-do-we-make-of-devin-booker/




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I hope he reads this. He has to step up his defense. I believe he can. No limits.

 

[Phrazbit]

Any time a player goes that ape it is going to have stat padding or be "gimmicked". In the Kobe 83 point game, from the 11:45 mark until the final 30 seconds the ONLY Laker who shot the ball was Kobe. I don't remember people pissing and moaning about that? He ball hogged and chucked to a FAR greater extent than Booker did. But... he was already a star, so no one whined. If Booker had done this at 25 and he'd played in a few all-star games no one would have batted an eye at the Suns strategy.

 

[SirStefan32]

Best part of that article:
"Suns’ offense is filled with weird spacing mistakes and actions that don’t put players on the move and in positions to succeed, and in a sharper offense with better players around him Booker’s shooting percentages could potentially skyrocket as his shot selection improves."

 

[pokerface]

I don't think Fox will last long in the draft, maybe #4. So if the Suns trade down they want to make sure a player they want is still on the board.

We agree, the first five spots are very fluid.

Unless Monk can play PG, I'm not sure why he rated so high because his height is not ideal for a SG.

I just thought of something...If the suns drafted ahead of the Lakers and took Ball... Would they offer us a extra sweet deal to take him from us? Swap picks and next year's pick too? Seems like Ball and the Lakers have a hard on for each other... Maybe we can benefit from it.

 

[GatorAZ]

Any time a player goes that ape it is going to have stat padding or be "gimmicked". In the Kobe 83 point game, from the 11:45 mark until the final 30 seconds the ONLY Laker who shot the ball was Kobe. I don't remember people pissing and moaning about that? He ball hogged and chucked to a FAR greater extent than Booker did. But... he was already a star, so no one whined. If Booker had done this at 25 and he'd played in a few all-star games no one would have batted an eye at the Suns strategy.

It's not chucking when you have a 74% true shooting percentage which Kobe had in that game. Besides he single-handedly won that game.

Not taking anything away from Book. That performance was historic... 70 is 70.

 

[Mainstreet]

I just thought of something...If the suns drafted ahead of the Lakers and took Ball... Would they offer us a extra sweet deal to take him from us? Swap picks and next year's pick too? Seems like Ball and the Lakers have a hard on for each other... Maybe we can benefit from it.

This would be a trade down scenario. I wouldn't mind at all so long as the Suns are not in love with the player, can still get the player they want plus additional assets.

However, I'm wondering if the Lakers have a first round pick in 2018 if get their first round draft pick this season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I just thought of something...If the suns drafted ahead of the Lakers and took Ball... Would they offer us a extra sweet deal to take him from us? Swap picks and next year's pick too? Seems like Ball and the Lakers have a hard on for each other... Maybe we can benefit from it.

I have been suggesting this for quite a while. We get #1 and the Lakers get #2. We can pick up an extra pick or something (although it cannot be next year, because that is committed already if they are picking this year).

 

[BC867]

There is very little difference between playing SF and SG, the profiles of what you want from these positions is almost identical."

Question. Do you believe that applies to defense as well as offense? Expectations defending the front court are different than defending Shooting Guards, Points and Tweeners. And, so far, Book's skills have been only marginal on defense.

 

[BC867]

Really think about it from Bledsoe's perspective

As a Suns fan, I prefer to think about it from a team perspective rather than one player. The status quo is that Bledsoe competes with Booker for top scorer and, even worse, from the same backcourt.

Bledsoe on the roster is blocking us from going forward. A Point Guard (by default), he is in the way of a Point Guard who can make the rest of the team better (whoever that may be). His having made slight improvements as a Point Guard and as a vocal team leader have not put him in the upper echelon of NBA Point Guards.

He has not shown that he is capable of leading us to the next step. Because he can't. Not to mention that he is a potential health risk as he gets older.

P.S.: After posting this, I saw a quote in the Arizona Republic from Eric Bledsoe when asked if he thinks coaching is in his future. "Nah, I don't think I'd do a good job." I can't top that.

Doesn't he realize that the Point Guard is the "coach" on the court? He is his own worst enemy.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Some perspective:

http://hoopshype.com/2017/03/27/what-do-we-make-of-devin-booker/

Booker'a defense is not good, but that article is an overstatement on almost every level.

The comment about Bledsoe being too old to be part of the next gen Suns is silly. He is 27. He has an 8-10 year career ahead of him.



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[JCSunsfan]

Question. Do you believe that applies to defense as well as offense? Expectations defending the front court are different than defending Shooting Guards, Points and Tweeners. And, so far, Book's skills have been only marginal on defense.

In today's NBA yes. The wing positions are very similar.

 

[BC867]

In today's NBA yes. The wing positions are very similar.

The average size of Small Forwards in the NBA has got to be bigger than Shooting Guards, which would negate Booker's 6'6" height in the backcourt. I hope the Suns don't mess with a 20-year old developing superstar for the sake of Eric Bledsoe. Especially since his 70-point performance which has been good publicity for the Suns as well as DBook.

 

[TJ]

P.S.: After posting this, I saw a quote in the Arizona Republic from Eric Bledsoe when asked if he thinks coaching is in his future. "Nah, I don't think I'd do a good job." I can't top that.

Doesn't he realize that the Point Guard is the "coach" on the court? He is his own worst enemy.

This is what you took out of that quote? Because John Stockton and Steve Nash are currently running teams, and Magic Johnson was an elite coach.

We get you hate Bledsoe for some personal reason like he stiffed you for an autograph, but this is utterly ridiculous.

 

[BC867]

We get you hate Bledsoe for some personal reason like he stiffed you for an autograph, but this is utterly ridiculous.

It is sad that you are trying to make this personal. No, I have never had contact with Eric Bledsoe.

I believe he will continue to hold the team back, accumulating nothing but stats, as I have posted in the past. He is too small to play alongside a Point Guard and has not shown the ability to be a skilled NBA Point Guard himself. Or be a team leader. A classic tweener who puts up stats, but cannot lead the team to its next level.

I have been a Suns fan for a long time and root for the team to succeed and make us proud. Eric Bledsoe has yet to show the ability to do that.

 

[Yuma]

So I was watching the game. The Suns got the score from twenty down to ten. What do teams do at the end of games when they think they have a shot at winning? They foul, stop the clock, hope the other team misses free throws, then try and score fast, repeat. What was the difference from what the Suns did that any other team does. Plus Watson said he called the first time out with 48 seconds left. Hardly trying to get Booker a record.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Bledsoe is not really a tweener. He's a solid pg. we've just had KJ, Kidd, marbury and Nash who were top pgs. We are totally skewed in our vision of what a pg should be bc we've always had elite pg play.

 

[pokerface]

If we draft a PG Bledsoe will just be trade bait...

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

As a Suns fan, I prefer to think about it from a team perspective rather than one player. The status quo is that Bledsoe competes with Booker for top scorer and, even worse, from the same backcourt.

My point was that if we draft a young point guard, we HAVE to trade Bledsoe for chemistry reasons. That's why I think it's important to look at things from Bledsoe's perspective; because there is no way he would be happy if we drafted Fultz, Ball or Fox and kept him.