How good is Booker?

[pokerface]

I said two or three years ago that the Sixers had better long-term fundamentals than the Suns, and got laughed off the board.

It looks like it's starting to come to fruition for them. It may have been slow in coming but now their course is set. After this next draft I hope we are in a similar situation.

 

[pokerface]

Difference is the Sixers had 4 straight years with either the #1 pick or the #3 pick, so their talent pool picking that high is much better than where the Suns have been. We haven't had the chance to draft a Simmons, or an Embiid. We could've gotten the Greek Freek, but geeze, the Bucks really lucked out on that one. So following the Sixers plan...you have to just suck so bad that you're guaranteed a top 2 pick during drafts where there's practically sure fire stars.

But we scored with Booker and Warren. If we get a big out of this next draft we should be ok.

 

[elindholm]

So following the Sixers plan...you have to just suck so bad that you're guaranteed a top 2 pick during drafts where there's practically sure fire stars.

That's the thing, though: You're never guaranteed a top-2 pick. Even the #1 lottery seed has only a 46.5% chance of picking top-2, and they're about to revise the system to make it even less likely.

The main problem with tanking is that you're still subject to the whims of the ping-pong balls. The Suns could, theoretically, have had the worst record in the league for the last three years, and they still might not be any better off than they are now. They should be thankful that they were lucky enough to get a possible franchise player at #13 -- that's a scoop not quite at the Bucks' level, but still impressive.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

That's the thing, though: You're never guaranteed a top-2 pick. Even the #1 lottery seed has only a 46.5% chance of picking top-2, and they're about to revise the system to make it even less likely.

The main problem with tanking is that you're still subject to the whims of the ping-pong balls. The Suns could, theoretically, have had the worst record in the league for the last three years, and they still might not be any better off than they are now. They should be thankful that they were lucky enough to get a possible franchise player at #13 -- that's a scoop not quite at the Bucks' level, but still impressive.

Well I know it's not guaranteed, but your chances are much more likely. The ping pong balls have never been the Suns friend...for whatever reason. Even if the Suns finished with 0 wins...we'd still somehow get the 4th pick. Just not fair.

 

[pokerface]

Well I know it's not guaranteed, but your chances are much more likely. The ping pong balls have never been the Suns friend...for whatever reason. Even if the Suns finished with 0 wins...we'd still somehow get the 4th pick. Just not fair.

I'd take 4th again!

 

[Chaplin]

I'd take 4th again!

Of course you would. And then we’d have to suffer through another year of you pushing for the team to lose.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Of course you would. And then we’d have to suffer through another year of you pushing for the team to lose.

So you don’t want the fourth pick. You’re okay with this team trying to sign FAs and make trades. Yeah great track record with those avenues of improvement.

 

[SirStefan32]

So you don’t want the fourth pick. You’re okay with this team trying to sign FAs and make trades. Yeah great track record with those avenues of improvement.

Far be it from me to speak for Chap, but I can tell you that I would be perfectly fine with the 4th pick, if that's how the chips fall. Fans rooting for the team to lose, on the other hand, makes me sick.

 

[Chaplin]

So you don’t want the fourth pick. You’re okay with this team trying to sign FAs and make trades. Yeah great track record with those avenues of improvement.

We had the 4th pick this year, and it didn't mean a damn thing. You are wrong, but only because you aren't understanding the point.

 

[Hoop Head]

Would the 4th pick this year be enough to change things enough that people won't talking about tanking next season?

I know this draft is supposed to be more than a 2 player draft but I highly doubt it will truly have 4 or 5 franchise altering players at the top of the board. There will be some good players though, just like this year, and if we don't get one of the very top prospects come draft time is that enough to finally start building the team through signings and trades or will we need to continue bottoming out in hopes of getting the #1 overall pick to get that real impact player?

 

[BC867]

Pick, pick, pick, pick, pick. Putting all of our eggs in one basket of unproven players. Waiting year after year, continually hoping that we luck out in each year's draft and that they all materialize and come together to become playoff competitors.

The Suns problem has been lack of balance. In experience. In scorers spread between the back- and front-courts. In offense and defense.

Tunnel vision on the part of the owner and GM. The inability to multi-task and address all of the needs.

It doesn't matter whether a team is "good" or "bad". Just that, most of the time, they are better than their competition.

There are winners and there are losers. Can anyone on this board say that our Suns have been winners? In a long, long time. The common thread -- dysfunctional team leadership.

And, as in some of the posts, insulting newspaper/online professional sportswriters and thinking that solves the problem. Yeah, kill the messenger that brings the bad news. 'Doesn't solve a thing.

Rooting for sports teams are meant to be an uplifting experience. To take our minds off the everyday challenges we face. To reduce stress rather than add to it. The Suns have not succeeded in that regard. Sadly, there is no hope in sight. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

[pokerface]

So you don’t want the fourth pick. You’re okay with this team trying to sign FAs and make trades. Yeah great track record with those avenues of improvement.

They want more lopsided trades where we get hosed and get some other teams so so stuff. Oh boy exciting!

Yeah getting another high draft pick on a cheap rookie contract where we don't have to trade half our team away...that really sucks.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Far be it from me to speak for Chap, but I can tell you that I would be perfectly fine with the 4th pick, if that's how the chips fall. Fans rooting for the team to lose, on the other hand, makes me sick.

So you want the fruits of the failure without having to accept the reality of what has to happen to get those fruits. That’s called voluntary dementia.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We had the 4th pick this year, and it didn't mean a damn thing. You are wrong, but only because you aren't understanding the point.

It didn’t mean anything? So you’re ready to call Jackson a bust. Okay.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

So you want the fruits of the failure without having to accept the reality of what has to happen to get those fruits. That’s called voluntary dementia.

Disagree. You can be content with the record that it takes to get a good pick without actively rooting for the team to lose. It isn't even close to the same thing.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Would the 4th pick this year be enough to change things enough that people won't talking about tanking next season?

I know this draft is supposed to be more than a 2 player draft but I highly doubt it will truly have 4 or 5 franchise altering players at the top of the board. There will be some good players though, just like this year, and if we don't get one of the very top prospects come draft time is that enough to finally start building the team through signings and trades or will we need to continue bottoming out in hopes of getting the #1 overall pick to get that real impact player?

Yet again you guys talk of signings and trades. Who is signing with us? Even pre-last year (which was the first year the suns overtly tanked) no one of consequence signed with this team. And now things will magically change? Why, because you want them to?

And we’ve made trades. How did those work out for us?

So far none of your suggested solutions have worked. Why are you still so against an alternative solution (particularly as it netted us Jackson last year)?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Pick, pick, pick, pick, pick. Putting all of our eggs in one basket of unproven players. Waiting year after year, continually hoping that we luck out in each year's draft and that they all materialize and come together to become playoff competitors.

The Suns problem has been lack of balance. In experience. In scorers spread between the back- and front-courts. In offense and defense.

Tunnel vision on the part of the owner and GM. The inability to multi-task and address all of the needs.

It doesn't matter whether a team is "good" or "bad". Just that, most of the time, they are better than their competition.

There are winners and there are losers. Can anyone on this board say that our Suns have been winners? In a long, long time. The common thread -- dysfunctional team leadership.

And, as in some of the posts, insulting newspaper/online professional sportswriters and thinking that solves the problem. Yeah, kill the messenger that brings the bad news. 'Doesn't solve a thing.

Rooting for sports teams are meant to be an uplifting experience. To take our minds off the everyday challenges we face. To reduce stress rather than add to it. The Suns have not succeeded in that regard. Sadly, there is no hope in sight. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Difficult to argue with this.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Disagree. You can be content with the record that it takes to get a good pick without actively rooting for the team to lose. It isn't even close to the same thing.

Semantics.

 

[Chaplin]

It didn’t mean anything? So you’re ready to call Jackson a bust. Okay.

And again, YOU AREN’T GETTING THE POINT. For some people, the 4th pick will not be enough. It wasn’t this year and it won’t be next year either.

 

[JCSunsfan]

How good is Booker? This good. I think he can be the #1 star on a championship team. He needs a team around him, but I think that is where he will end up. He is close already.

He needs a 3 and D distributing pg. Does not need a slashing pg.

Needs a jack of all trades wing player. The kind of player that Jackson is supposed to become. Unless TJ really ups his defense and rebounding, I don't think TJ is the player.

He needs a versatile defensive big.

 

[pokerface]

And again, YOU AREN’T GETTING THE POINT. For some people, the 4th pick will not be enough. It wasn’t this year and it won’t be next year either.

Calm down Chaplin
..No one is talking about future tanks except the anti tank zealots.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

And again, YOU AREN’T GETTING THE POINT. For some people, the 4th pick will not be enough. It wasn’t this year and it won’t be next year either.

It likely won’t be enough. Once they get a stud (hopefully) this year they will have a plethora of young talent. That’s when the next step of fine tuning with strategic signings and/or trades for impactful vets (like Minnesota just did) comes into play to hopefully turn them into a true contender.

 

[GatorAZ]

How good is Booker? This good. I think he can be the #1 star on a championship team. He needs a team around him, but I think that is where he will end up. He is close already.

He needs a 3 and D distributing pg. Does not need a slashing pg.

Needs a jack of all trades wing player. The kind of player that Jackson is supposed to become. Unless TJ really ups his defense and rebounding, I don't think TJ is the player.

He needs a versatile defensive big.

I like Booker but not THAT much.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I like Booker but not THAT much.

Yeah. Love me some Booker but some people are going to have disappointing expectations of the kid.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I see a Reggie Miller winner in Booker