Do you honestly think the Suns will win a NBA Championship in your lifetime?

[FArting]

Saw this on the Cards forum

Yes
No

 

[Ronin]

Why not?
I didn't think the SF Giants would win a world series in my lifetime but hey they did....so I yes the suns will win a championship before I die.

 

[Phrazbit]

If the Arizona Cardinals can make the Superbowl then the Suns can win a title... eventually.

 

[BC867]

If the Arizona Cardinals can make the Superbowl then the Suns can win a title... eventually.

Not until they have an owner, a GM and Head Coach who understand that good enough isn't good enough. To win a championship, you have to obviously be the best team in the league for a full season. Better than all the rest.

You do it with balance. Offense and defense. Strong and speedy. Starters and bench. Intelligence and natural skills.

Better than each of the other teams in the NBA.

The Suns have never put together that complete kind of roster.

In fact, the more years that go by, the farther they fall short of building that kind of team.

Objectively, look at our current roster. Our three most talented players fall somewhere between Point Guard and Shooting Guard. That's it!

The rest are marginal players. Inconsistent. And certainly not a team that is close to taking the next step toward a championship.

That is why I voted 'no' in response to this poll.

 

[Iceman]

This is a tough one. I want to say yes, but the Suns seem to always just be good, but not great. The Spurs are great (as much as I hate saying that). The Amare suspension hurt our chances at the one chance we had for Championship. I feel I have 50 years left to live, so I would say yes to at least one......

 

[Chaplin]

Life's much to short to say no, so I say sure, why not?

 

[mojorizen7]

No. Not unless someone comes in(Owner especially...along with the GM, HC) and decides to change the thinking and culture as a basketball town. It would be difficult to pull off, but not impossible.

Otherwise the Suns would have to have the next great legendary superstar to fall into their laps somehow. Magic, Bird, Jordan, Duncan, Shaq, LeBron etc...

 

[mojorizen7]

Suns fans deserve an NBA championship. This town would go ape$H!T and it would be pure awesome.

 

[sunsfan88]

No. Not unless someone comes in(Owner especially...along with the GM, HC) and decides to change the thinking and culture as a basketball town. It would be difficult to pull off, but not impossible.

Otherwise the Suns would have to have the next great legendary superstar to fall into their laps somehow. Magic, Bird, Jordan, Duncan, Shaq, LeBron etc...

This. One thing Robert Sarver has continously done throughout his tenture as owner is ignore defense and rebounding in favor of offense.

People don't realze that yes, even today defense wins titles. MIAMI doesn't win back to back without being a great defensive team. San Antonio doesn't win without Duncan, Splitter, Kawhi and even Diaw playing out of their minds on defense. Dallas doesn't win without Tyson Chandler anchoring the paint.

You could go on and on but you get the point. I do think defense only can't win either, but offense only can't win anything either. I have my doubts about how much Suns ownership cares about that end of the court.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Reply hazy, try again.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

I plan on living a long time so I say yes. However, anytime soon is another story. Before I am using tennis balls at the bottom of a walker chasing a bird around named Kevin? Doubtful.

 

[Errntknght]

I hope its a long time before they win a title and I'm around to see it! Being 77 gives you a little different perspective... Of course, I hope the win it all soon and often and I see them all.

I'm very disappointed in McD and Hornacek... McD somewhat more because coming from Boston he ought to know the history of the team - and Red Auerbach laid down the blueprint for winning with the fastbreak many years ago. Stout defense and strong rebounding are the foundation. I think he phrased it: you can't run without the ball and taking it out of the net slows you down too much.

Hornacek gets his fair share of the credit, too... he should be able to see that Marcus and Green are not good enough to play heavy minutes for a contender - meaning, the way they utilize their natural abilities makes them not good enough. Our youngsters - Warren, Goodwin and Ennis may be good enough but they clearly need lots of experience - and they might not prove out even with it. They have enough talent but the big question is always whether they will develop the mental side of their games to get the most out of them. Its pretty darn silly not to find out as soon as possible.

I'm neutral on the three PG thing - I'd use them far differently than Jeff does but the test is whether they perform. One thing I don't like about our trio is Goran's age because I think we are two or three years away from being in contention, best case, and I don't see Goran being able to play his style for more than another three years and that is assuming he rests in the offseason. I love Goran but you have to be realistic. I hope he gets his big payday with someone else.

This is on a slightly different topic but it is relevant to our 3 PGs, and its hardly worth a new thread.
I wrote a program that extracts information from the lineup data on 82games.com. There were 108 lineups available - and that was quite a distance from complete. 450 minutes were unaccounted for and no one of the missing lineups could have total floor time longer than 15 minutes so there are at least 30 of them - and I estimate its more like 60. Anyway using the data available I found that the three PGs were on the floor for 105 minutes and had a +- rating of +14.2/48. Pairwise they rated: Goran & Eric +7.0 (973 minutes), Goran & Isaiah +10.8 (241), Eric & Isaiah +8.4 (292). Now the the teams over all +- was 2.6/48 (team point differential) but during time these 108 lineups played(1727 minutes) the team plus minus was +4.9/48. So the actual rates are not very meaningful but they do give good a estimate of their relative sizes - all three together were better than any pair, and all three pairs were about equally good. Another way of seeing how important the 450 miising minutes are is to note that Gorans +- was 7.0 during those 1727 mins vs his true +- of 3.4, Eric 5.8 vs 3.7 and Isaiah 5.4 vs 4.1.
A few other odd things on +-: Archie and Gerald played together 20 minutes and accumulated a 33 point deficit, -79.2/48. Markieff Morris and Thomas had the best +- of all the pairs that played 96 minutes of more together at +18.9/48 and Marcus paired with Len for the worst at -4.8 - same time restriction.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This. One thing Robert Sarver has continously done throughout his tenture as owner is ignore defense and rebounding in favor of offense.

People don't realze that yes, even today defense wins titles. MIAMI doesn't win back to back without being a great defensive team. San Antonio doesn't win without Duncan, Splitter, Kawhi and even Diaw playing out of their minds on defense. Dallas doesn't win without Tyson Chandler anchoring the paint.

You could go on and on but you get the point. I do think defense only can't win either, but offense only can't win anything either. I have my doubts about how much Suns ownership cares about that end of the court.

wasn't the first move of the new GM drafting a C? Big men don't grow on trees guys.

 

[sunsfan88]

wasn't the first move of the new GM drafting a C? Big men don't grow on trees guys.

True. But I mean overall, I feel like since Sarver has taken ownership, PHX has focused a lot more on offense than its defense. Whether its free agents, drafting, trades, whatever. McD has indeed made some moves defensively (trading for Bledsoe, Len, trading for Wright) so it may be changing but we'll see.

 

[Errntknght]

True. But I mean overall, I feel like since Sarver has taken ownership, PHX has focused a lot more on offense than its defense. Whether its free agents, drafting, trades, whatever. McD has indeed made some moves defensively (trading for Bledsoe, Len, trading for Wright) so it may be changing but we'll see.

I'm glad to have Wright on the team because while he's a pretty weak rebounder he's a fair defender and one of the most efficient offensive players in the league - very high pctage shooter and turns the ball over rarely. And I don't think we have to worry about him pouting over his minutes. A good type of player to have on the team but we do need better rebounding and more toughness.

 

[sunsfan88]

I'm glad to have Wright on the team because while he's a pretty weak rebounder he's a fair defender and one of the most efficient offensive players in the league - very high pctage shooter and turns the ball over rarely. And I don't think we have to worry about him pouting over his minutes. A good type of player to have on the team but we do need better rebounding and more toughness.

I could see us going after a guy like Tarik Black in the off season. Should be real cheap.

I like the Wright addition as well.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yes. I have always believed it. I am a fan. I cannot imagine being a fan without that hope.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Not until they have an owner, a GM and Head Coach who understand that good enough isn't good enough. To win a championship, you have to obviously be the best team in the league for a full season. Better than all the rest.

You do it with balance. Offense and defense. Strong and speedy. Starters and bench. Intelligence and natural skills.

Better than each of the other teams in the NBA.

The Suns have never put together that complete kind of roster.

In fact, the more years that go by, the farther they fall short of building that kind of team.

Objectively, look at our current roster. Our three most talented players fall somewhere between Point Guard and Shooting Guard. That's it!

The rest are marginal players. Inconsistent. And certainly not a team that is close to taking the next step toward a championship.

That is why I voted 'no' in response to this poll.

I do not know why you bother being interested in the Suns then. You believe that the ownership and mgmt is not interested in winning a championship? Really? They are just satisfied with this?

The Suns have put together championship rosters on several occasions over the past years.

You need to go wash the limberger cheese off your 'stash. The world doesnt smell as bad as you think it does.

 

[elindholm]

Yes. I have always believed it. I am a fan. I cannot imagine being a fan without that hope.

But isn't there a difference between hoping that something is true and honestly believing it to be so? If I buy a lottery ticket, I hope it's a big winner, but that's not the same as really thinking that it is.

 

[Phrazbit]

Part of my logic for a yes vote has to do with my age. I'm in my early 30s, my family has a habit of living into their early 90s.

I figure at various points over the next 60 years the Suns will again build a contender... and one of those teams might not get stupid suspensions, have a player break their face or have a Cedric Ceballos break his ankle... you know, at some point over the span of a century one of those things has to go the other way.

 

[FArting]

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/st...championship-hurt-by-lack-of-superstar-012915

 

[BC867]

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/st...championship-hurt-by-lack-of-superstar-012915

A realistic article.

I got a kick out of the Suns latest 3Tweeners photo.

 

[TimurT1990]

Yes, I feel confident that I'll live to see us win the championship.

However, there are a few issues I have with our fan base that I think need to be addressed if we are going to win it anytime soon. Frankly, the attendance figures are underwhelming and the atmosphere has been too timid for too long. I'm convinced that the only way we'll see the Suns start threatening the title is if Metro Phoenix starts looking like a basketball town that actually cares for its team.

Obviously a lot of work has to go into this franchise to make it a title contender, but we'll never get there if the Bucks' home games look livelier than ours.

 

[JCSunsfan]

But isn't there a difference between hoping that something is true and honestly believing it to be so? If I buy a lottery ticket, I hope it's a big winner, but that's not the same as really thinking that it is.

I do not buy lottery tickets because I have no hope/belief of winning. I do believe the Suns will win it all at some point. Hopefully in my lifetime.

 

[slinslin]

However, there are a few issues I have with our fan base that I think need to be addressed if we are going to win it anytime soon. Frankly, the attendance figures are underwhelming and the atmosphere has been too timid for too long. I'm convinced that the only way we'll see the Suns start threatening the title is if Metro Phoenix starts looking like a basketball town that actually cares for its team.

Pretty sure the lack of attendance and atmosphere is closely tied to the Suns reluctance to make any real rebuilding effort and instead aiming to stay mediocre instead of playing young guys that people are excited about (Len, Goodwin, Warren, Ennis..).
Nobody is interested in seeing mediocre team for such a long time and no player around to clearly identify as someone to build around - Len and Bledsoe slowly getting there but in general it is hard to get excited about a team where you could say that 9 out of 10 rotation players are trade chips.

Way to kill all the hype of their own rookies.

Even the Lakers have figured out that tanking a year when you can't compete is the right choice to get back to relevant.

But I am sure Lon Babby has all his research to fall back on which explained that rebuilding teams often stay bad and need several years to get back to where they were.
So why not go for 9th place 5 years in a row. (sarcasm)

Also cherry picking the James Harden trade as an example of something that the Suns could get in position for despite the whole set of circumstances being extremely rare and even more unlikely with the new cap situation.

The whole talk about trading for a superstar will never happen unless we take damaged goods (age and contract) like Anthony or Bosh as a star. All our players are positive trade assets but we have no real high pick to trade. Our young guys don't get playing time besides Len and all our other pieces are attractive to contenders rather than rebuilding teams.