How good is Booker?

[SirStefan32]

Do you have anything other than negative comments to add to anything? You bash McD at every chance you get, you've been piling on Doncic the last couple of days, and now you're saying that James Jones doesn't know what a championship team is comprised of. Seriously every thread where anyone posts something that isn't doom and gloom has you replying it to it trying to tear it apart because god forbid that there are people who are actual fans that don't harp on the negatives all the time and try to see some positives to the team they support.

Jones was highly regarded as a player and was a part of many contenders throughout his career. Sure he was a bench player but he was still a part of those teams and saw firsthand how a contending team is put together. When he was a player he was elected to be the treasurer of the players association which says something about how he was regarded by his peers, IMO. You don't have 14 year career as a reserve unless you're well liked and respected by your peers. He was a player who was often named to be a quality GM in the future after his career was over by the GM survey that is done every year before the season starts. Sorry that I think he's a quality to addition to the front office based on what other basketball players, coaches, analysts, and front office personnel said regarding Phoenix adding him to their front office this year.

He gets excited about the young players when they have a good game. Other than that, no.

 

[SirStefan32]

I'd never heard that before. Do you have a source?

I think it's called the "GM Survey." Disclaimer: I never paid attention to it, so I have no idea whether or not the claim was true, but I am 99% sure he's talking about the GM Survey.

 

[elindholm]

I think it's called the "GM Survey." Disclaimer: I never paid attention to it, so I have no idea whether or not the claim was true, but I am 99% sure he's talking about the GM Survey.

Yeah, I didn't mean I hadn't heard of the survey. I hadn't heard that Jones was "often named" as a future GM star. For me he was a roleplaying carpetbagger who was probably a pretty good locker room presence. Good for him, but that's not front office material -- not even close.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd never heard that before. Do you have a source?

NBA.com posts a GM Survey every year that runs through a lot of questions such as which player do they think will be the best head coach, which player will be the best from the draft class in 5 years, who is the best international player in the league, etc.


Here is this years...

http://www.nba.com/gmsurvey/2017

Some notable Suns selected, Josh Jackson was predicted to be the best from this draft class within 5 years, both Booker and Dudley were named as players who would be successful head coaches. Booker was also ranked in the top 3 pure shooters in the league along with Klay and Steph.

Jones was frequently picked when he was a player for someone who would make a good GM in past years. I recall that being mentioned in some of the articles where his hiring was announced. I'll need to find which years had that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He gets excited about the young players when they have a good game. Other than that, no.

Lol... Because there’s been so much to get excited about aside from that!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I remain extremely curious about doncic. That said, he’s pretty unique. There haven’t exactly been any superstar white wings from Europe. Most of the big successes have been bigs.

Toni Kukoc?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Do you have anything other than negative comments to add to anything? You bash McD at every chance you get, you've been piling on Doncic the last couple of days, and now you're saying that James Jones doesn't know what a championship team is comprised of. Seriously every thread where anyone posts something that isn't doom and gloom has you replying it to it trying to tear it apart because god forbid that there are people who are actual fans that don't harp on the negatives all the time and try to see some positives to the team they support.

Jones was highly regarded as a player and was a part of many contenders throughout his career. Sure he was a bench player but he was still a part of those teams and saw firsthand how a contending team is put together. When he was a player he was elected to be the treasurer of the players association which says something about how he was regarded by his peers, IMO. You don't have 14 year career as a reserve unless you're well liked and respected by your peers. He was a player who was often named to be a quality GM in the future after his career was over by the GM survey that is done every year before the season starts. Sorry that I think he's a quality to addition to the front office based on what other basketball players, coaches, analysts, and front office personnel said regarding Phoenix adding him to their front office this year.

According to the above, Jack Haley shoulda had people banging down his doors to be GM material with his lengthy career at the end of the bench and with three rings on his fingers.

I mean... you wrote “Jones was HIGHLY REGARDED AS A PLAYER” and then complain that someone tears your completely unfounded take apart?

And saying that I don’t think Donicic will be a generational talent ISNT bashing him. I’ve said MULTIPLE times he could be very good. But I want to shoot for GREAT.

Of course to someone like you, not frothing at the mouth automatically means I HATE DONICIC but that’s because it’s easier for you to paint with a broad brush because you’re argument usually sucks and is backed up by literally nothing.

And look... you can belly ache about me disagreeing and slamming your post but you’re totally in control of that. If you don’t want people criticizing you, stop posting such inane thoughts backed up by nothing.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Toni Kukoc?

Kukoc wasn’t a superstar. Very good player. Key third/fourth banana on title winners and great sixth man, but not a superstar.

And Kukoc was 6’11... could stroke the three and had handles. He was a matchup nightmare. Fear Donicic won’t be the same.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

BTW I really hate putting on the mod hat these days but really the your negative thing is super overdone these days. Lets just all be Suns fans

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Kukoc wasn’t a superstar. Very good player. Key third/fourth banana on title winners and great sixth man, but not a superstar.

And Kukoc was 6’11... could stroke the three and had handles. He was a matchup nightmare. Fear Donicic won’t be the same.

I wasnt saying he was Doncic, I was just answering a great euro wing.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I wasnt saying he was Doncic, I was just answering a great euro wing.

No, I know. But Ouchie asked which of them were superstars. I think it’s a pretty big stretch to call Kukoc a superstar.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Yeah agreed a bit overstated. I admittedly skimmed his post

 

[SirStefan32]

I'd argue that Doncic can be a matchup nightmare the way Kukoc was. It's not going to happen immediately, but I think he can get there. He has point guard handles and passing, and he is 6'8. It will take him a while to get used to the NBA defenses and three-point line, but he'll be fine. Truth be told, he would do best on a team that has a point guard who can shoot and defend, but doesn't have to have the ball in his hands all the time.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

From my end, I actually think a Doncic / Booker backcourt would be succcessful BUT at the same time limited. I like Doncic at like 5

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I'd argue that Doncic can be a matchup nightmare the way Kukoc was. It's not going to happen immediately, but I think he can get there. He has point guard handles and passing, and he is 6'8. It will take him a while to get used to the NBA defenses and three-point line, but he'll be fine. Truth be told, he would do best on a team that has a point guard who can shoot and defend, but doesn't have to have the ball in his hands all the time.

Yep this is why I believe he and Booker would be successful.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'd argue that Doncic can be a matchup nightmare the way Kukoc was. It's not going to happen immediately, but I think he can get there. He has point guard handles and passing, and he is 6'8. It will take him a while to get used to the NBA defenses and three-point line, but he'll be fine. Truth be told, he would do best on a team that has a point guard who can shoot and defend, but doesn't have to have the ball in his hands all the time.

Kukoc was a matchup nightmare because he was 6’11. Donicic is three inches shorter. That’s a big gap in the NBA and those 3 inches are what caused the matchup problems.

If Donicic was that size, I’d buy the hype more, but even then... Any team that gets the first pick in the draft should be shooting for the stars in a loaded draft like this. Toni Kukoc highest achievement was 6th man of the year.

That just ain’t shooting for the stars that high, IMO.

 

[SirStefan32]

Eh, I see what you are saying, but I don't think that there is much difference. Kukoc was 6'10, and Doncic may not be done growing. I suspect we'll be talking about an inch and a half of difference when it's all said and done. Kukoc was also very skinny. Without looking it up, I am pretty sure that Doncic already weights as much as Kukoc did in his prime. I expect Luka will be bulkier/ stronger/ heavier within a couple of years. He already handles the ball as well as Kukoc ever did. Kukpc was a complete player by the time he hit the NBA, so who knows. I hate comparing potential to a known commodity, so I don't know how to compare guys like Doncic or even bender to guys like Kukoc, Stojakovic, etc.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Okay I have my legit Doncic comparison. Drazen Petrovic

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd argue that Doncic can be a matchup nightmare the way Kukoc was. It's not going to happen immediately, but I think he can get there. He has point guard handles and passing, and he is 6'8. It will take him a while to get used to the NBA defenses and three-point line, but he'll be fine. Truth be told, he would do best on a team that has a point guard who can shoot and defend, but doesn't have to have the ball in his hands all the time.

I don't think using Doncic as a PG will create that many matchup problems going forward because it seems that Point Guards keep getting bigger and bigger coming into the league. Over the last 2 years, 6 of the 8 PG's chosen in the lottery are 6'4 or taller. Ben Simmons is 6'10, Lonzo Ball is 6'6, Frank Ntilikina is 6'5, Markelle Fultz, Jamal Murray, and Kris Dunn are all 6'4. The other 2 are DeAaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr who are both 6'3. Most teams have at least 1 PG who is 6'4 or taller and there are 10 teams right now who start a PG that is 6'4 or taller currently.

While Doncic will have a few inches on most opposing PG's, it won't be what it would have been 10 years ago when 6'4 or 6'5 was considered a big PG. Most teams will be able to switch off easier to a defender that is his size. Using their wings to cover him and moving their PG onto Booker or Warren/Jackson.

 

[devilalum]

Booker has the "Jordan Gene." that ability to slow things down and take it the next level when everybody else is freaking out. To bad he rarely gets to utilize this ability on such a crappy team.

 

[devilalum]

Yeah agreed a bit overstated. I admittedly skimmed his post

Hey, if Nunes can write a memo that effects our entire country about a document without actually reading the document.............

Dare I say the new normal?

 

[JS22]

Hey guys Booker won the 3pt contest, and was 1 shot behind Hodges and Kopono from having the most makes in the competition.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Do you have anything other than negative comments to add to anything? You bash McD at every chance you get, you've been piling on Doncic the last couple of days, and now you're saying that James Jones doesn't know what a championship team is comprised of. Seriously every thread where anyone posts something that isn't doom and gloom has you replying it to it trying to tear it apart because god forbid that there are people who are actual fans that don't harp on the negatives all the time and try to see some positives to the team they support.

Jones was highly regarded as a player and was a part of many contenders throughout his career. Sure he was a bench player but he was still a part of those teams and saw firsthand how a contending team is put together. When he was a player he was elected to be the treasurer of the players association which says something about how he was regarded by his peers, IMO. You don't have 14 year career as a reserve unless you're well liked and respected by your peers. He was a player who was often named to be a quality GM in the future after his career was over by the GM survey that is done every year before the season starts. Sorry that I think he's a quality to addition to the front office based on what other basketball players, coaches, analysts, and front office personnel said regarding Phoenix adding him to their front office this year.

I love when people get sanctimonious and attack other posters and make passive aggressive comments insinuating other posters aren’t “actual” fans. Makes me lose anything else of value that might exist in their posts.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kukoc was a matchup nightmare because he was 6’11. Donicic is three inches shorter. That’s a big gap in the NBA and those 3 inches are what caused the matchup problems.

If Donicic was that size, I’d buy the hype more, but even then... Any team that gets the first pick in the draft should be shooting for the stars in a loaded draft like this. Toni Kukoc highest achievement was 6th man of the year.

That just ain’t shooting for the stars that high, IMO.

I said very much the same. If Doncic was 6'11" I would be much more comfortable drafting him with the first pick.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Toni Kukoc?

He may be the closest, but “superstar?” Was even ever an all star?