Elfrid Payton finally gets a hair cut?

[Chaplin]

I'm not sure I'm following you? When he was first traded, one of his comments was that he was pretty sure he was going to cut his hair (I think he said after the season but not sure). The Suns got a look at his play and decided it needed to go in order for him to be effective. And we didn't want him to be particularly effective this season.

He should fire his agent immediately if this is true.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'm trying to look at it through Payton's eyes. I'd want to put my best foot forward so to speak going into free agency... not just save it for the Suns. Getting the haircut before the end of the season would seem to benefit him. The Suns are not the only team to consider.

Well, back then, you couldn't look at it through Paytons eyes. His hair was in the way.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I agree with that but he might have burned the Suns by helping them win a game or two that would have hurt in the tank race. Priority #1 was not winning when Payton was acquired. He played great the first 2-3 weeks here but fell off hard after that. Perhaps he was told to cut his hair then and quit putting forth 100% effort. Everyone could see we were tanking with how many games Booker and Warren missed, as well as Chandler and others. A headache got them listed on the injury report and sat out. So why would he go all out for us when the team wasn't going all out? I know he'd want to get paid but it wouldn't surprise me if something was said to him that caused his game to drop so far. He put up 2 triple doubles right after he came in and was awful for the final month. It was odd.

I am not sure I want to say another word about tanking. I don't think were trying as hard to tank as you think. I don't think there is any way anyone in management told a player to not put out effort, especially a player approaching free agency. Players were legitimately injured, but there was not rush to get them back.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He should fire his agent immediately if this is true.

I agree. But I do not believe it is true.

 

[BC867]

I am not sure I want to say another word about tanking. I don't think were trying as hard to tank as you think. I don't think there is any way anyone in management told a player to not put out effort, especially a player approaching free agency. Players were legitimately injured, but there was not rush to get them back.

In response to that point . . . nobody said that management told any player to not put out effort.

But, as in your second example, management sets the tone and culture of the team. Luckily, planning a losing culture worked out well for us this time. Unless we make a Small Forward our #1 pick.

EDIT: As I was typing my last sentence too quickly, "#1 pick" came out as "#1 ouch". 'Cracked me up.

 

[Hoop Head]

I am not sure I want to say another word about tanking. I don't think were trying as hard to tank as you think. I don't think there is any way anyone in management told a player to not put out effort, especially a player approaching free agency. Players were legitimately injured, but there was not rush to get them back.

I get that but it's got to be disheartening to be the PG on the team playing with Booker and Warren to all of them sitting out with "injuries" and management doesn't seem to care if you're winning or losing, in fact they probably prefer you lost. The fans are rooting for you to lose also. Is a player going to give 100% at that point? Perhaps. There's also the possibility they said something along the lines of "We know what you can do, cut your hair and we'll work on a deal this summer. No need to kill yourself trying to get wins that don't matter."

 

[Chaplin]

I get that but it's got to be disheartening to be the PG on the team playing with Booker and Warren to all of them sitting out with "injuries" and management doesn't seem to care if you're winning or losing, in fact they probably prefer you lost. The fans are rooting for you to lose also. Is a player going to give 100% at that point? Perhaps. There's also the possibility they said something along the lines of "We know what you can do, cut your hair and we'll work on a deal this summer. No need to kill yourself trying to get wins that don't matter."

You couple what happened with the fact that it's essentially a contract year, then your theory doesn't hold much water.

 

[AzStevenCal]

There's also the possibility they said something along the lines of "We know what you can do, cut your hair and we'll work on a deal this summer. No need to kill yourself trying to get wins that don't matter."

I was saying something like this but I didn't intend it to suggest we told him not to worry about wins. I think the Front Office knows better than to cross this line.

What I think might have happened is that we had a casual talk with his agent and assured him that we knew Payton's worth and wouldn't be holding the play of the team against him as it was a non-competitive roster given the age and injury situation. And then we made it clear that we'd only pursue that deal if he were willing to do what was necessary to improve, including changing his hairstyle.

 

[Chaplin]

I was saying something like this but I didn't intend it to suggest we told him not to worry about wins. I think the Front Office knows better than to cross this line.

What I think might have happened is that we had a casual talk with his agent and assured him that we knew Payton's worth and wouldn't be holding the play of the team against him as it was a non-competitive roster given the age and injury situation. And then we made it clear that we'd only pursue that deal if he were willing to do what was necessary to improve, including changing his hairstyle.

That's nice, except how do you know that Payton wanted to be all in with the Suns when he was just traded? We might not have been holding the play of the team against him, but it's damn sure going to factor in with other teams and other potential landing spots.

If he was under contract for 2-3 more years, then I'd say your theory could hold water, but not in his situation.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That's nice, except how do you know that Payton wanted to be all in with the Suns when he was just traded? We might not have been holding the play of the team against him, but it's damn sure going to factor in with other teams and other potential landing spots.

If he was under contract for 2-3 more years, then I'd say your theory could hold water, but not in his situation.

I don't know. At all. But it seems to be a reasonable possibility for how it went down. Payton has to know there isn't much of a market for him, that's been made pretty clear by the trade alone. But sure, it's also possible he has another destination already planned and the only reason he cut his hair was for that next team.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I was saying something like this but I didn't intend it to suggest we told him not to worry about wins. I think the Front Office knows better than to cross this line.

What I think might have happened is that we had a casual talk with his agent and assured him that we knew Payton's worth and wouldn't be holding the play of the team against him as it was a non-competitive roster given the age and injury situation. And then we made it clear that we'd only pursue that deal if he were willing to do what was necessary to improve, including changing his hairstyle.

Hmmm. Well. If we sign him, then maybe this was true.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't know. At all. But it seems to be a reasonable possibility for how it went down. Payton has to know there isn't much of a market for him, that's been made pretty clear by the trade alone. But sure, it's also possible he has another destination already planned and the only reason he cut his hair was for that next team.

Then wouldn't he (or his agent at least) done EVERYTHING he could to create a market for him from the moment he was traded? He was on his way for a week after the trade, and then he literally disappeared.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Then wouldn't he (or his agent at least) done EVERYTHING he could to create a market for him from the moment he was traded? He was on his way for a week after the trade, and then he literally disappeared.

He played great for a month and then just disappeared.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Then wouldn't he (or his agent at least) done EVERYTHING he could to create a market for him from the moment he was traded? He was on his way for a week after the trade, and then he literally disappeared.

We seem to have a disconnect. I'm sure his agent has worked hard to find the best place for him. But maybe they'd already decided that place was Phoenix? And the meeting that I'm suggesting occurred didn't have to happen on day one, maybe it was a week or four after he arrived in town. But I don't know anything, this is all speculation.

 

[Chaplin]

We seem to have a disconnect. I'm sure his agent has worked hard to find the best place for him. But maybe they'd already decided that place was Phoenix? And the meeting that I'm suggesting occurred didn't have to happen on day one, maybe it was a week or four after he arrived in town. But I don't know anything, this is all speculation.

Ok, that's certainly possible, but how did they KNOW that place was Phoenix? Seems to be pretty premature, especially with a team circling the drain. I can't imagine Payton said, "Yeah, this is the place," after he got here.

 

[Carolinacacti]

And the meeting that I'm suggesting occurred didn't have to happen on day one, maybe it was a week or four after he arrived in town.

I would speculate this and the hair had to go. Really not sure a team in the NBA would take him with the hair. Cardinals have not played a game and I'm ready for the Suns. WOW

 

[Hoop Head]

Payton has the same agent as TJ Warren and it was said that those 2 are close friends, best friends, however you want to say it. Sharing an agent with Warren and being close friends with him means that the Suns have a history with his agent and a trust built up with Warren, who could vouch for the team if Payton had doubts.

It's a possibility, but we don't know. It's all guesswork here. There was something odd about how well he played for a couple of weeks and then he just fell off completely. It could be him and he's just not any good but it could also be some behind the scenes work with McD and his agent, no one here can say for certain. Since McD pulled one over on Boston by getting JJ to cancel his workout, and how McD came up with the Boston organization working closely with Ainge, he's surely learned some tricks over the years. Ainge is one of the savviest GM's in the league and has been for well over a decade now. Not everything in the league is done above board, there are still handshake deals taking place and gray areas that teams operate in. With a low profile player like Payton, who would raise a stink if there was some sort of collusion? He wasn't throwing games. He wasn't putting in 100% effort though and the reason for that could be many of things. He did sit a few games with injuries also.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well, back then, you couldn't look at it through Paytons eyes. His hair was in the way.

Then he should have seen the need better than anyone. LOL

 

[JCSunsfan]

Payton has the same agent as TJ Warren and it was said that those 2 are close friends, best friends, however you want to say it. Sharing an agent with Warren and being close friends with him means that the Suns have a history with his agent and a trust built up with Warren, who could vouch for the team if Payton had doubts.

It's a possibility, but we don't know. It's all guesswork here. There was something odd about how well he played for a couple of weeks and then he just fell off completely. It could be him and he's just not any good but it could also be some behind the scenes work with McD and his agent, no one here can say for certain. Since McD pulled one over on Boston by getting JJ to cancel his workout, and how McD came up with the Boston organization working closely with Ainge, he's surely learned some tricks over the years. Ainge is one of the savviest GM's in the league and has been for well over a decade now. Not everything in the league is done above board, there are still handshake deals taking place and gray areas that teams operate in. With a low profile player like Payton, who would raise a stink if there was some sort of collusion? He wasn't throwing games. He wasn't putting in 100% effort though and the reason for that could be many of things. He did sit a few games with injuries also.

Something happened during the first week in March, and then his play dropped like a rock. He ended the season not playing (lots of games) because of injury.

 

[Phrazbit]

Something happened during the first week in March, and then his play dropped like a rock. He ended the season not playing (lots of games) because of injury.

That was the exact moment his hair grew beyond his eyelids.

 

[Hoop Head]

Josh Jackson is following in Payton's footsteps. He's cut the fro. Decided not to start a new thread and add it to Payton's haircut thread.

So, how will his shooting percentage approve? 1% 2% or more?

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Josh Jackson is following in Payton's footsteps. He's cut the fro. Decided not to start a new thread and add it to Payton's haircut thread.

So, how will his shooting percentage approve? 1% 2% or more?

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Chriss has already cut his hair too

 

[JerkFace]

Josh Jackson is following in Payton's footsteps. He's cut the fro. Decided not to start a new thread and add it to Payton's haircut thread.

So, how will his shooting percentage approve? 1% 2% or more?

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Ah man... I actually kinda liked the fro on him.

 

[pokerface]

Ah man... I actually kinda liked the fro on him.

Yeah Jackson's fro worked...

Payton's...not so much

 

[JCSunsfan]

Jackson's fro worked, but who knows, maybe it will help his shooting a tad.