How many moves away are the Suns?

[boisesuns]

Something i've been thinking about with the suns and the NBA in general, is that it seems like so many teams are "less moves" away from being good/better as a team than the suns. Many teams have better tradeable assets, or promising young players in order to get better. It doesn't seem like the Suns really have either to make a significant jump anytime soon.

What are ways you get better?
-Draft 1-2 key pieces to make the team better (We are still too far away, or just miss on impact guys)
-Could they pull off a big move like the Celtics did for their "Big three?" (doubtful any big stars want to team up here)
-Develop talent/build around a core (Are the young guys we have good enough to turn into a decent team? (Not likely)

The suns have wallowed in mediocrity for a while now. Do you see it turning the corner at any point?

 

[Catlover]

I think we're one move away from being a playoff contender assuming everyone returns to full health. But being a playoff contender just means you're somewhere d inside the top 20 or so and it's a long way from there to being a championship contender.

I think best case scenario for next season is something like this: Bledsoe returns at full speed, Booker continues his development and quickly becomes a top 5 shooting guard, Knight's ankle finally heals and he becomes a scoring threat off the bench along with spot duty at the 1, Mcrae takes over the small forward spot forcing Tucker to the bench where he belongs, Len's hand problems go away and he finally starts playing like a top 5 draft pick and Simmons hits the ground running as a consensus rookie of the year winner. And we get knocked out in the first round by the Warriors but hope swells for Suns fans as we get a glimpse of our bright future as the young guys mature.

I don't even want to look at our worst case scenario, it's a dark scary road from which few return.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think it begins with hiring the right head coach. The Suns have questions at the forward positions and PG. The Suns look good at center and SG. There is even the possibility Bogdan Bogdanovic may come over. The Suns need to put some talented depth behind Bledsoe at PG. Knight needs to play backup SG unless he is traded.

 

[sunsfan88]

I think the next move is to trade Kieff and the move after that is to pick between Bledsoe and Knight and NOT acquire another high priced combo PG in the process.

 

[Joe Mama]

I watch Alex Len and I don't feel it all like we are set at center most nights. Soft hands were one of the things I liked about him from the video I saw at Maryland. Most nights now he reminds me of Big Jake with hands of stone.

I would say we are only set at shooting guard and possibly with TJ at small forward. They both have a lot of work to do on defense.

Joe

 

[elindholm]

They're a very long way away. Booker could potentially be an All-Star in a few years, but you don't go anywhere with one borderline All-Star. The rest of the roster is a mess. I think we're seeing that this nonsense about "collecting assets" is no way to build a team. Get players that you really want and that you have a plan to use. If it turns out down the road that someone else wants them even more than you do, great, but otherwise, plan to buy and hold.

 

[JCSunsfan]

They're a very long way away. Booker could potentially be an All-Star in a few years, but you don't go anywhere with one borderline All-Star. The rest of the roster is a mess. I think we're seeing that this nonsense about "collecting assets" is no way to build a team. Get players that you really want and that you have a plan to use. If it turns out down the road that someone else wants them even more than you do, great, but otherwise, plan to buy and hold.

The entire team culture is broken.

 

[Catlover]

I watch Alex Len and I don't feel it all like we are set at center most nights. Soft hands were one of the things I liked about him from the video I saw at Maryland. Most nights now he reminds me of Big Jake with hands of stone.

I would say we are only set at shooting guard and possibly with TJ at small forward. They both have a lot of work to do on defense.

Joe

He's had a hand injury for quite awhile. I'd sit him until it healed completely but for whatever reason they've chosen to have him play through it. He looks like he's got potholders on every time he tries to catch the ball now.

 

[frdbtr]

The Suns are a new owner away from ever being able to accomplish anything.

 

[slinslin]

Winning the lottery would go a long way.

They could sit back and let a lineup of Bledsoe, Booker, Warren, Simmons and Len grow.

Unfortunately I am worried Sarver won't be so patient and the Suns will eventually pull out win-now moves.

 

[Covert Rain]

They're a very long way away. Booker could potentially be an All-Star in a few years, but you don't go anywhere with one borderline All-Star. The rest of the roster is a mess. I think we're seeing that this nonsense about "collecting assets" is no way to build a team. Get players that you really want and that you have a plan to use. If it turns out down the road that someone else wants them even more than you do, great, but otherwise, plan to buy and hold.

I agree with much of this. Although, I think collecting assets isn't non-sense. It's only non-sense if you can't parlay those assets which I think the Suns are not very good at. The problem is constantly drafting in the teens isn't going to get you players you want and plan to use very often unless you land a sleeper. We seem to settle with FA players that will have us. My biggest issue is the Suns "plan" seems to be that it's constantly in flux.

 

[crisper57]

1 Move: Sarver Sells the team.

 

[Dback Jon]

Making too many moves is one reason why the Suns are in the state they are in now.

 

[SO91]

1 Move: Sarver Sells the team.

Guy he sells to is fond of Seattle, we all get screwed.

 

[Cheesebeef]

1 Move: Sarver Sells the team.

was going to say this.

nothing else matters as long as that idiot is the owner. Think about this... whoever is going to be the next HC is going to be 5TH (Porter, Gentry, Horny, Watson, New Guy) in 8 years. And if McD gets fired (which he should), that would make the 4th G.M. in 8 years as well. He's turned the crown jewel of the Phoenix sports world into a non-entity in the city and a laughingstock in the league.

 

[Errntknght]

We are working under a big handicap with Sarver as the owner, that for sure. MdD has neutralized him to some degree but he may have lost traction with overall mess he and Hornacek made of the roster - a case where the HC and GM being on the same page was detrimental, since it was a poor page. I liked their overall idea of a fastbreaking offense but two combo guards was clearly not the way to go with an unstructured halfcourt offense. They also failed to get the rebounding strength that is needed to fuel a fast break. Good idea, bad execution.
Bledsoe would be a good backup PG, assuming he returned to his Kamakaze style and Knight might be okay as a backup SG - frankly I think they'll both rebel at that and they're pretty high priced so they won't be easy to deal. Heck, McD might rebel himself since they're his anointed guys.

By the time we have that sorted out we'll probably have a better idea what we have on the rest of the roster - meaning Len, TJ and Goodwin. Booker is a definite keeper and Markieff is a definite non-keeper. Leuer is a passble backup big and PJ is a good bench guy. I'm okay with Tele as a designated gunner but he figures to be shorter termed than the time to rebuild. Weems and Price are in that category, too. Who knows about Bogdan...

What is that... ten moves?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

A lot of issues right now that go deeper than the roster. Front office, ownership, looking arena issue that could cause a move just off the top of my head.

 

[chickenhead]

As much as I want Sarver to sell, I hope it doesn't happen until after a new building is secure. That's a whole other topic on which I have many opinions... But a new owner with no ties to Phoenix will have a lot of other people whispering in his ear about new arenas elsewhere.

 

[AZCrazy]

Does it count as ten moves to place our entire starting roster on the 2nd team and get five new starters?

 

[Absolute Zero]

The Suns are a new owner away from ever being able to accomplish anything.

Exactly. Just one move. Sarver sells the team to a new group led by Jerry Colangelo.

 

[sunsfan88]

Exactly. Just one move. Sarver sells the team to a new group led by Jerry Colangelo.

Or anyone else for that matter. And I certainly mean it, any one else. Colangelo would obviously be a dream come true though.

 

[Chaplin]

Or anyone else for that matter. And I certainly mean it, any one else. Colangelo would obviously be a dream come true though.

Yeah, a dream of 50-and-fade seasons. I think Jerry is better than Sarver, but his championship pedigree is non-existant. Another 36 years of championship futility isn't exactly where I'd like the franchise to go, do you?

I agree it would be great if Sarver would sell the team, but to Colangelo? Not so sure about that one. Someone get Grant Hill on the phone.

 

[BC867]

I agree it would be great if Sarver would sell the team, but to Colangelo? Not so sure about that one. Someone get Grant Hill on the phone.

I agree. In terms of Owner or General Manager, we are not going to move ahead by looking back.

Is turning the reins over to a 76 year old a long-range plan for the future? And before you accuse me of age discrimination, Jerry is only a year and a quarter older than I am. If I stepped into any operation at this time, I would consider it a stopgap.

And, as we and the NBA have learned, Jerry turning it over to Bryan again would not be a strong plan for the future.

If the Suns want to win back the fans, token moves or constantly changing the roster are not the solution.

 

[chickenhead]

Let's see, on the one hand we have Sarver, who is widely despised by the Suns fanbase and who alienated players and agents in general during the lockout (and an entire generation recently). Then on the other hand we have Colangelo, who is widely beloved and still missed by most of the Suns fanbase, and who helped resurrect USA basketball, which has had a direct impact on the movement of superstars throughout the league. I don't care about age. Between these two, who gets the meeting?

I'm not saying it couldn't go wrong, but man, if I could make the trade today, I wouldn't even think twice. I think to even try to compare Sarver with Colangelo's success is way off. Jerry built the franchise. To borrow a metaphor from another sport, Sarver started on second base, and now we're somehow back in the batter's box.

 

[slinslin]

The halo that Colangelo has is ridiculous. He was it who sold the team to Sarver in the first place.

I don't want to bring back the facts but the 12 or so years of Sarver have been better on average than the 30+ years under Colangelo - whether it is players on all-nba teams, allstars, mvps, conference finals etc

A chimp could have resurrected USA basketball. Really how much of an accomplishment is that, there was never any resurrection needed just putting together a valid team. Based on talent USA basketball has always been way ahead of other countries.