Evaluating James Jones as acting GM

1Sun

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I totally get what James Jones is saying. Come the fourth quarter, these guys have the ball in their hands the whole time anyway. They become the defacto point guards. Kobe was the same way in the fourth quarter. Really, aside from when Harden is on the bench, how much do you really need CP3 to start the offense for Houston?

The problem is that our go-to player in the fourth quarter (Booker) has failed miserably time and time again in the fourth quarter when counted on to play the de facto point guard role down the stretch of games.
 

CardsSunsDbacks

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It sounds like Ayton may have been a McD pick and that Doncic would have been Jones' pick was it up to him. I may be reading this all wrong as well.
I think that is a pretty wild reach from this quote. He's not comparing Doncic to LeBron from an ability standpoint, but is using him and LeBron as examples of guys that are essentially PGs even though they are built like forwards. We also have no idea exactly how he felt about Doncic in that regard prior to the draft. I know there were a lot of people on this site alone that didn't believe Doncic would be a full time ball handler at this level and Jones could have easily thought the same thing at the time.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I think that is a pretty wild reach from this quote. He's not comparing Doncic to LeBron from an ability standpoint, but is using him and LeBron as examples of guys that are essentially PGs even though they are built like forwards. We also have no idea exactly how he felt about Doncic in that regard prior to the draft. I know there were a lot of people on this site alone that didn't believe Doncic would be a full time ball handler at this level and Jones could have easily thought the same thing at the time.
I agree with your comments.

That said, I was pretty certain Doncic would be a PG (pats self on the back).
 

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It sounds like Ayton may have been a McD pick and that Doncic would have been Jones' pick was it up to him. I may be reading this all wrong as well.

Sarver wanted Doncic according Russillo on his podcast back around draft time. McD made his mind on Ayton as soon as they won the lottery. I doubt they ever did a deep phycological dive on him.
 

Sunstroke

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The Ariza for Oubre trade validates JJ deserving a shot at the June draft. JJ's strategy whether to go young again with a starting point guard pick, or Zion, if the Suns were to some how get that magic ball for a 2nd straight year or to even shop the pick around (if not the #1 over all) for a quality veteran pg and other assets or picks. This off season for JJ will be telling.
 

1Sun

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The Ariza for Oubre trade validates JJ deserving a shot at the June draft. JJ's strategy whether to go young again with a starting point guard pick, or Zion, if the Suns were to some how get that magic ball for a 2nd straight year or to even shop the pick around (if not the #1 over all) for a quality veteran pg and other assets or picks. This off season for JJ will be telling.

You realize that the Oubre trade was completely an accident, and that JJ wanted Dillon Brooks instead and was prepared to throw in a second round pick to boot, and that JJ couldn't get straight whether he was getting Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks, right?
 

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You realize that the Oubre trade was completely an accident, and that JJ wanted Dillon Brooks instead and was prepared to throw in a second round pick to boot, and that JJ couldn't get straight whether he was getting Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks, right?
omg.. you're right and I am an idiot BUT I did know that, I just completely forgot about it. I've been enamored with Oubre's play as a Sun. Thanks for making me feel stupid which I completely deserve.
 

JerkFace

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You realize that the Oubre trade was completely an accident, and that JJ wanted Dillon Brooks instead and was prepared to throw in a second round pick to boot, and that JJ couldn't get straight whether he was getting Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks, right?
There was no second round pick involved coming from us in the original trade. The second round picks were coming from Memphis to Washington since originally Washington wanted Ariza and multiple seconds to give up Oubre. After the trade fell through Washington relented on the second round picks since Oubre and Rivers had already been told they were going to be traded. JJ didn’t want Brooks over Oubre, he just didn’t want to trade the second round picks to get Oubre. With Brooks he didn’t have to give up any seconds.
 

Mainstreet

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omg.. you're right and I am an idiot BUT I did know that, I just completely forgot about it. I've been enamored with Oubre's play as a Sun. Thanks for making me feel stupid which I completely deserve.

The trade was not an accident. It was put together after the Grizzlies backed out.
 

Sunstroke

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The trade was not an accident. It was put together after the Grizzlies backed out.
Guys, forgive me, I remember reading the Suns trading for Brooks, Suns thought they were getting Dillion and the Grizz thought they were sending MarShon Brooks in a proposed 3 way? So JJ got the guy he initially wanted as I understand it?(Oubre) The Oubre acquisition, to my mind then, is a feather in JJ's cap.
 

Mainstreet

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Guys, forgive me, I remember reading the Suns trading for Brooks, Suns thought they were getting Dillion and the Grizz thought they were sending MarShon Brooks in a proposed 3 way? So JJ got the guy he initially wanted as I understand it?(Oubre) The Oubre acquisition, to my mind then, is a feather in JJ's cap.

We all initially thought the Suns were getting Dillon Brooks from the Grizzles before the confusion over the players.

However, that does not mean the reconstituted trade was an accident without the Grizzlies.
 

Hoop Head

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Guys, forgive me, I remember reading the Suns trading for Brooks, Suns thought they were getting Dillion and the Grizz thought they were sending MarShon Brooks in a proposed 3 way? So JJ got the guy he initially wanted as I understand it?(Oubre) The Oubre acquisition, to my mind then, is a feather in JJ's cap.

It's questionable if the Grizzlies thought they were trade Marshon instead of Dillon. According to Gambo the Grizzlies had sent the Suns the medical files on Dillon. At the 11th hour of the trade though the Grizzlies tried to say that they were trading Marshon and not Dillon. The Grizzlies hadn't spoken with the Suns when the report came out about the trade going down with Marshon Brooks, they'd only spoken with Washington. Both Washington and the Suns say the deal was always for Dillon but most people have said the Grizzlies tried pulling a fast one on the Suns and James Jones. The trade was also reported prematurely by Woj because no trade could be made official until midnight eastern time, because that's where the league office is and Ariza wasn't eligible to be dealt until December 15th. Everything started getting reported about 10pm Eastern on the 14th though. By the time midnight rolled around that deal was already dead. When the Suns resumed trade talks about sending Ariza out, Washington contacted Phoenix to ensure they were getting him by sending Oubre directly to us. They originally wanted a couple of 2nd round picks for him, which is why Memphis was getting him because they were sending Washington 2 2nd rounders. So the Suns ended up paying a little less for him than they originally were asking.

The way trade calls work in 3 team deals though is a rep for each team needs to be on the line with the league office so there was no way the Grizzlies were going to slip Marshon in rather than Dillon unless they could have gotten the Suns to admit the confusion was on us our young GM. Since the story being told prior to the deal even being able to go through made Phoenix look bad, it's not hard to see that Memphis might have been hoping to push something shady through. The Suns weren't talking to Memphis and only speaking with Washington before the mix up and someone was talking to Woj and considering he pushed the Grizzlies idea of Marshon even though both Phoenix and Washington have said it was always Dillon, gives an idea of what team was speaking to Woj also.
 

Sunstroke

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Guys, thanks for the info on the Oubre acquisition. I'm new this season to the forum so I do appreciate the more knowledgeable posters setting me straight on Suns activities.
 

Hoop Head

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Guys, thanks for the info on the Oubre acquisition. I'm new this season to the forum so I do appreciate the more knowledgeable posters setting me straight on Suns activities.

Welcome aboard! I hope you don't feel people are trying to "set you straight". There are a couple of posters here though with an agenda of sorts and post false information to push their narrative, typically that James Jones is a joke and so Igor. I noticed that's what happened here but I have that poster on ignore, like many others do as well. I needed to click to show his post because otherwise it shows yours alone, not that you were replying to someone.

This board does have more knowledgable fans than your typical board or facebook group, or whatever, but I think most here are welcoming and friendly towards newcomers like yourself. I don't want someone else relaying false information to you make you feel unwelcome because you have a few people correcting the incorrect information when you repeated it. Part of why everyone is replying to you though is they don't see that person's post regularly.
 

slinslin

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Lebeon and Luka are not PGs

If that is James Jones honest opinion we are in deep poo

Even the Rockets with Harden went all in on getting Chris Paul.

We badly need someone that can dribble in tight spaces and put pressure on the rim.
 

1Sun

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The trade was not an accident. It was put together after the Grizzlies backed out.

And Oubre was in no way, shape or form the original target of James Jones. It was a good recovery, but the only reason we aren't stuck with Dillon Brooks instead is that Memphis tried to pull a fast one on the Suns.
 

Hoop Head

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Lebeon and Luka are not PGs

If that is James Jones honest opinion we are in deep ****

Even the Rockets with Harden went all in on getting Chris Paul.

We badly need someone that can dribble in tight spaces and put pressure on the rim.

It's clear to see what James Jones meant by his comment. It's amazing how some people are deciding to take it literally just to bash him. If you have a Luka Doncic or Lebron James on your team then you don't need a top PG to compete and help spread the ball around because those guys do that on their own. That's why Lebron made it to the finals with PG's like Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, and Jose Calderon. That's also why the Mavericks gave up on Dennis Smith Jr so quickly.

I would think you would understand what he meant since you believe Magic Johnson wasn't a point guard but apparently you don't get it.
 

Sunstroke

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Welcome aboard! I hope you don't feel people are trying to "set you straight". There are a couple of posters here though with an agenda of sorts and post false information to push their narrative, typically that James Jones is a joke and so Igor. I noticed that's what happened here but I have that poster on ignore, like many others do as well. I needed to click to show his post because otherwise it shows yours alone, not that you were replying to someone.

This board does have more knowledgable fans than your typical board or facebook group, or whatever, but I think most here are welcoming and friendly towards newcomers like yourself. I don't want someone else relaying false information to you make you feel unwelcome because you have a few people correcting the incorrect information when you repeated it. Part of why everyone is replying to you though is they don't see that person's post regularly.
Welcome aboard! I hope you don't feel people are trying to "set you straight". There are a couple of posters here though with an agenda of sorts and post false information to push their narrative, typically that James Jones is a joke and so Igor. I noticed that's what happened here but I have that poster on ignore, like many others do as well. I needed to click to show his post because otherwise it shows yours alone, not that you were replying to someone.

This board does have more knowledgable fans than your typical board or facebook group, or whatever, but I think most here are welcoming and friendly towards newcomers like yourself. I don't want someone else relaying false information to you make you feel unwelcome because you have a few people correcting the incorrect information when you repeated it. Part of why everyone is replying to you though is they don't see that person's post regularly.

Thanks very much for the encouragement. I should've been better prepared. Honestly, I've been a fan since (or after) the Mclane, Nance years til Jerry & Cotton got here. Anyway, you guys who follow this team, upper management, ownership( I have an opinion re; this guy) are better qualified to offer opinions on the current Suns situation. Thanks & Go Suns!
 

Hoop Head

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Thanks very much for the encouragement. I should've been better prepared. Honestly, I've been a fan since (or after) the Mclane, Nance years til Jerry & Cotton got here. Anyway, you guys who follow this team, upper management, ownership( I have an opinion re; this guy) are better qualified to offer opinions on the current Suns situation. Thanks & Go Suns!

To say that fans here are a little "obsessive" would definitely be accurate. We're all passionate fans for the most part but there is definitely more discussion about off the court stuff here than anywhere else I've seen. I think that's a good thing and bad, generally good though. Check out the game day threads, those are a lot more action oriented, at least until the game is over.
 

Finito

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Just found it interesting the Mavs swung for the fences getting Kristaps for expiring contracts.

We gave chandler and rivers away for nothing. Those contracts could of been used as assets but our front office didn’t see the bigger picture.
 

BC867

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Thanks very much for the encouragement. I should've been better prepared. Honestly, I've been a fan since (or after) the Mclane, Nance years til Jerry & Cotton got here. Anyway, you guys who follow this team, upper management, ownership( I have an opinion re; this guy) are better qualified to offer opinions on the current Suns situation. Thanks & Go Suns!
You might want to do some research on the early Suns. I think you'd enjoy catching up on the the history.

For example, Jerry was with the Suns from their start. He had begun in the Marketing Dept. of his hometown Chicago Bulls, then did some work assisting their GM.

Eventually he left Chicago to be named the first GM of the Suns. It was he who brought John MacLeod from college coach to the Suns. Eventually, Cotton had two separate tenures as Head Coach of the Suns.
 

Hoop Head

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Just found it interesting the Mavs swung for the fences getting Kristaps for expiring contracts.

We gave chandler and rivers away for nothing. Those contracts could of been used as assets but our front office didn’t see the bigger picture.

I agree that they should have done more with Chandler but Rivers couldn't be packaged with another player due to NBA rules so cutting him was sort of whatever. I don't fault JJ for doing that since he couldn't be dealt and could have been an issue. Chandler shouldn't have made the opening day roster and if he did then he should have been in street clothes on the inactive list until we found something for him.
 

AzStevenCal

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You might want to do some research on the early Suns. I think you'd enjoy catching up on the the history.

For example, Jerry was with the Suns from their start. He had begun in the Marketing Dept. of his hometown Chicago Bulls, then did some work assisting their GM.

Eventually he left Chicago to be named the first GM of the Suns. It was he who brought John MacLeod from college coach to the Suns. Eventually, Cotton had two separate tenures as Head Coach of the Suns.

You left out that Jerry also coached the Suns in two different seasons early on.
 

BC867

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The problem is that our go-to player in the fourth quarter (Booker) has failed miserably time and time again in the fourth quarter when counted on to play the de facto point guard role down the stretch of games.
AND Booker is not just our go-to player and de facto Point Guard down the stretch.

Booker has been our Point Guard from the start of every game. Most of the time, he brings the ball up and our smaller, inexperienced Point Guards play Shooting Guard. And not very well.

There was a very short stretch where the Point Guard would bring up the ball for a little while.

Mainly, the only times that Book did not play Point Guard were when he's been out injured.
 
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