Igor Kokoskov will be Suns new head coach

[Chaplin]

So you think that if we draft Ayton and he busts that all will be roses and champagne here? Whatever whining we'll have about drafting Doncic (if it happens) will either intensify or disappear depending on the success we have with him. But, yeah, if we draft Doncic it's going to be pretty noisy for awhile until we see what impact he has on the Suns.

What's the point of smiley faces if you're just going to ignore them?

 

[AzStevenCal]

What's the point of smiley faces if you're just going to ignore them?

I often ignore them because they are meaningless from most posters. Too many times have I seen obvious insults hidden behind smiley faces.

 

[Chaplin]

I often ignore them because they are meaningless from most posters. Too many times have I seen obvious insults hidden behind smiley faces.

If I wanted to personally attack you, Steve, you'd know it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If I wanted to personally attack you, Steve, you'd know it.

My point wasn't that you were attacking me or anyone, just that the smilies are mostly meaningless. I use them occasionally but the text itself conveys the real meaning most of the time.

So, let me ask you this. When you said that you wanted us to avoid Doncic so that we could avoid the incessant whining, was that entirely in jest. Was there no meat to your words at all? If so then I apologize for me serious response.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

My point wasn't that you were attacking me or anyone, just that the smilies are mostly meaningless. I use them occasionally but the text itself conveys the real meaning most of the time.

So, let me ask you this. When you said that you wanted us to avoid Doncic so that we could avoid the incessant whining, was that entirely in jest. Was there no meat to your words at all? If so then I apologize for me serious response.

There will be whining. Here’s the difference:

Ayton - likely no whining before he plays. Mostly lamenting if he busts.

Doncic - lots of whining and teeth gnashing before he plays for suns, and likely even during first (and maybe even second) season(s) if he’s not immediately a star. TONS of whining and told you so’s if he busts.

 

[AzStevenCal]

There will be whining. Here’s the difference:

Ayton - likely no whining before he plays. Mostly lamenting if he busts.

Doncic - lots of whining and teeth gnashing before he plays for suns, and likely even during first (and maybe even second) season(s) if he’s not immediately a star. TONS of whining and told you so’s if he busts.

Absolutely. But I think most of us (even those of us that will whine when Doncic is picked by the Suns) will be more than willing to live with the noise level if he turns out to be truly special.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Absolutely. But I think most of us (even those of us that will whine when Doncic is picked by the Suns) will be more than willing to live with the noise level if he turns out to be truly special.

If ends up being the Euro-Magic, I’ll happily eat crow because it would mean we’d be really freaking good.

 

[Covert Rain]

I’m hoping we don’t draft Doncic now so we can avoid the incessant whining that will inevitably occur on this message board.

Who do you think he is? Robin Lopez?

 

[JCSunsfan]

There will be whining. Here’s the difference:

Ayton - likely no whining before he plays. Mostly lamenting if he busts.

Doncic - lots of whining and teeth gnashing before he plays for suns, and likely even during first (and maybe even second) season(s) if he’s not immediately a star. TONS of whining and told you so’s if he busts.

C'mon guys. There will be TONS of whining and told you so's no matter who is drafted and how well he does. If its not about the first pick, it will be about the second pick. Or the trades that happen or free agency, or the trades that don't happen, or McD's ears or something. There is always TONs of griping and complaining. The only question will be about what.

If its not about something happening now, it will be about the Amare/Diaw suspension, or Alvan Adams, or the IT trade. It think some are just determined to be unhappy at all costs.

 

[Covert Rain]

If ends up being the Euro-Magic, I’ll happily eat crow because it would mean we’d be really freaking good.

This. I will eat crow right along with you should he be drafted by the Suns and be the next coming of XXXX. Ultimately, I just want the next draft pick the Suns make to end up being a cornerstone of the franchise.

 

[BC867]

I get what you're saying but if Doncic is a PG like a lot of people suggest then he does have extraordinary size for his position. I still question him being a PG in the NBA but I don't think we as fans know for sure what he'll be, that's up to his coaches and if Igor thinks he's a PG then that would help provide some reassurance to those like me who don't see him as a PG.

1) You'd think the Suns would have learned after Bledsoe and Knight that hoping a non-Point Guard would be a good facilitator is not a good idea. Especially on this young Suns team.

2) And that whatever time Booker has to spend covering Point Guard detracts from his superior offense at Shooting Guard. And adds to his injuries.

3) McDonough previously announced that a Center was our top priority in the draft. We'll see if he sticks to his word.

I think that is all more important than Igor bringing his boy onboard.

 

[Hoop Head]

C'mon guys. There will be TONS of whining and told you so's no matter who is drafted and how well he does. If its not about the first pick, it will be about the second pick. Or the trades that happen or free agency, or the trades that don't happen, or McD's ears or something. There is always TONs of griping and complaining. The only question will be about what.

If its not about something happening now, it will be about the Amare/Diaw suspension, or Alvan Adams, or the IT trade. It think some are just determined to be unhappy at all costs.

It'll be interesting to see what the complaints will be if we do get Ayton though. I imagine it will have something to do with his style of play. Either he's not ready to contribute enough or he not a great defender/rim protector. Probably something along the lines of him not being like Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns, how they can shoot 3's and stretch the floor as well as being able to play hard inside, either in the paint or the post.

I think our free agency deals will be overanalyzed if we get Ayton though, that is the most likely thing to happen. Something about McD not assembling a team that can make it to the postseason or be able to go far in the playoffs. They won't be a playoff team next year, barring an amazing turnaround, but they should improve. Asking for more than 21 wins isn't asking too much. They need to lose less than 60, I'd say less that 50 but it's tough to put a real number out there before we know where we'll draft and who we're able to sign. We only need 2 more wins to keep from losing 60 games though so that should be possible, even with our current roster returning healthy.

 

[BC867]

C'mon guys. There will be TONS of whining and told you so's no matter who is drafted and how well he does. If its not about the first pick, it will be about the second pick. Or the trades that happen or free agency, or the trades that don't happen, or McD's ears or something. There is always TONs of griping and complaining. The only question will be about what.

If its not about something happening now, it will be about the Amare/Diaw suspension, or Alvan Adams, or the IT trade. It think some are just determined to be unhappy at all costs.

Unhappiness is seeing the team for whom you root not know how to put a winner together and keep repeating past mistakes. And seeing us tank over and over.

The Suns record next season will not be based on what the fans think. But on which direction Suns management goes in the draft.

 

[BC867]

Absolutely. But I think most of us (even those of us that will whine when Doncic is picked by the Suns) will be more than willing to live with the noise level if he turns out to be truly special.

But that doesn't take into account that whether we choose a Wing to be Point Guard or not, we wouldn't have used our first pick for a Center.

It is not just about Doncic. It is about a consistent rebounder and defensive presence in the post.

McDonough made that clear when he said that our priority is a Center, then a Point Guard. As I posted a few minutes ago, we'll see if McDonough sticks to his word.

 

[Chaplin]

My point wasn't that you were attacking me or anyone, just that the smilies are mostly meaningless. I use them occasionally but the text itself conveys the real meaning most of the time.

So, let me ask you this. When you said that you wanted us to avoid Doncic so that we could avoid the incessant whining, was that entirely in jest. Was there no meat to your words at all? If so then I apologize for me serious response.

Yes it was in jest. I have said that I don't mind him if he's a #3 or #4, but I don't like him over Ayton and Bagley for our pick.

 

[Hoop Head]

1) You'd think the Suns would have learned after Bledsoe and Knight that hoping a non-Point Guard would be a good facilitator is not a good idea. Especially on this young Suns team.

But Doncic is a good facilitator, regardless of what position he plays. He may not be a PG in the NBA but that has more to do with size and speed than his playmaking ability. He's definitely more a facilitator than Bledsoe or Knight. The problem is they're too small to be anything but PG's while Doncic is anywhere from 6'6 to 6'8, depending on whose measurements you go by, and since he's not fast or quick that is too big to be an NBA PG. If he was a great athlete and quick then we could play him at PG, even at that size, but his lack of speed keeps that from being a reality.

2) And that whatever time Booker has to spend covering Point Guard detracts from his superior offense at Shooting Guard. And adds to his injuries.

I don't want to see Booker at PG either, not sure why you're bringing that up. Since you did though, his injuries may not have anything to do with him playing PG, that's conjecture on your part. In today's NBA there are a lot of players who play the "position-less" style of basketball that the Warriors have made popular and they're not suffering any odd injuries that can be blamed on them playing outside of their natural position.

3) McDonough previously announced that a Center was our top priority in the draft. We'll see if he sticks to his word.

I think that is all more important than Igor bringing his boy onboard.

Our priority needs to be adding the best talent we can regardless of where we pick, that's what I've heard McD say. He's mentioned both Point Guard and Center as areas where the Suns have holes and need help. He's mentioned that they'll look to fill those holes through the draft and free agency, I don't recall him specifically saying "we're looking to add a Center through the draft". That would be short sighted on his part and a bad move that I'm sure he would have been called out for here. You don't show your hand like that before the lottery has even taken place.

They need to take the best player available, regardless of position. I think that's Ayton but I'll trust the teams judgement because I've seen a few Youtube videos while they've watched dozens of games, in person and on tape, and our head coach has coached Doncic before also, which gives us a little more insight on him. That doesn't guarantee we'll take Doncic but it would be stupid to ignore Igor's input since he'll be the Suns head coach and like I said, he has coached Doncic before. He'll know his skills and limitations better than anyone here, I'm certain of that, and part of that is knowing if he can be a PG in the NBA game.

 

[Hoop Head]

Unhappiness is seeing the team for whom you root not know how to put a winner together and keep repeating past mistakes. And seeing us tank over and over.

The Suns record next season will not be based on what the fans think. But on which direction Suns management goes in the draft.

I don't think you know what "tanking" is. The Suns have been bad for a while now but they've only tanked in two of those seasons, last year and this most recent season. Tanking is when they purposefully lose in order to get the highest possible draft pick to add top talent from the draft. They did that by benching Bledsoe, Knight, and Chandler in the 2016-17 season after the All-Star break. They did that again this year by sitting players when they had minor injuries that they probably would have played through when if we were playing for playoff seeding or something where winning mattered.

Next year we won't be tanking, virtually everyone agrees on that. They're making a push to turn this team around this offseason by spending money in free agency to add some vets to fill holes that can contribute to wins. They'll also add a top pick from this draft which should help turn this team around also. We won't be a playoff team but that doesn't mean we're tanking. We will no longer be purposefully bottoming out to increase the value of our draft pick, which is what tanking is.

But that doesn't take into account that whether we choose a Wing to be Point Guard or not, we wouldn't have used our first pick for a Center.

It is not just about Doncic. It is about a consistent rebounder and defensive presence in the post.

McDonough made that clear when he said that our priority is a Center, then a Point Guard. As I posted a few minutes ago, we'll see if McDonough sticks to his word.

Where did he say our top priority is adding a Center? Or where did he say we would choose a Center with our top pick? I don't believe he said that considering he's been clear that Center AND Point Guard are our biggest needs going forward. I know he's said we have a bigger hole to fill at Center but that doesn't mean we'll draft one. We could target one in free agency or through a trade, holes can be filled many ways.

Of the top 5 players in this draft there is only 1 Center, Ayton, the other players are Doncic, whose NBA position isn't clear. He has the skill to play PG, SG, or SF, but we don't know what position he'll play before we know what team he'll play for. His size isn't that of a normal PG, he's as big as a wing but he plays PG in Europe now but it's questionable if he can against quicker and faster NBA players. The other top players are Trae Young, who is a PG from Oklahoma, Marvin Bagley, who is a PF from Duke, and Michael Porter, who is a forward from Missouri. Porter can probably play PF or SF, depending on where he lands. He has the size and quickness to play either, but it's all about where he'll be best at. The Suns would use him as a PF with Jackson at SF though. There is also Mo Bamba who is a Center from Texas but his stock is dropping and his offensive game has a lot of holes. He's a real project and probably years away from contributing at a high level.

That's why I highly doubt McD has said "We'll draft a Center" because that's saying we'll pick Ayton, which sounds great but he's the projected #1 pick in this draft and the Suns don't get #1 then they probably won't have a chance to take him.

 

[SirStefan32]

This. Except instead of having the likes of Bell and Marion and Joe J. on help defense, we will have Booker, Chriss, and JJ (who while he may have the speed, does not yet have the experience to be a skilled defender).

And I am not even convinced that Doncic would be a particularly competent PG on offense. Aside from his size, he has no other qualities that would make him superior to others at the 1... and that advantaged will be canceled out to some degree by his lack of athleticism compared to other PGs.

Come on, man, it's OK to not like the guy, but now you are just making things up. Doncic is by far the best passers in this draft. Anyone who's watched two full games knows that.

 

[SirStefan32]

I’m hoping we don’t draft Doncic now so we can avoid the incessant whining that will inevitably occur on this message board.

It will be really entertaining, though!

 

[SirStefan32]

OK. I am not a Doncic fan, but the D is not as big an issue as some make it. Young will be a problem on D too. First. Just because he plays pg on offense, does not mean he plays it on D. My guess is that JJ would draw the more difficult pg matchups. But also players weaknesses, especially defensive ones tend to get exaggerated at this point. Fans never seem to call a draft prospect an average defender. He either a stopper or a traffic cone. Doncic is neither of those. His D against 2's and 3's looks ok.

To me, its his shooting. He gets called a good shooter, but the numbers just do not bear it out. He seems like a nice player, but not a 1 or 2 pick in an exceptional draft.

And that, my good Sir, is a very reasonable, logical, well thought-out argument. We need more posts like this.

 

[AzStevenCal]

McDonough made that clear when he said that our priority is a Center, then a Point Guard. As I posted a few minutes ago, we'll see if McDonough sticks to his word.

OR. Maybe we'll see if Ryan is naive and/or incompetent enough to accurately broadcast his drafting intentions. Anyone that watched the Suns play knows we lack an inside presence AND a point guard and many other skills. We are horrible on offense and on defense. We need talent. Ryan should and IMO will draft the player he believes can help us the most without concern over "keeping his word".

 

[JCSunsfan]

OR. Maybe we'll see if Ryan is naive and/or incompetent enough to accurately broadcast his drafting intentions. Anyone that watched the Suns play knows we lack an inside presence AND a point guard and many other skills. We are horrible on offense and on defense. We need talent. Ryan should and IMO will draft the player he believes can help us the most without concern over "keeping his word".

I know everyone says we need talent. And we do need a star player. But we do have some talented players. We need good coaching.

 

[Chaplin]

We shouldn't underestimate how potentially huge this hire will be for Dragan Bender. Igor's pedigree is working with young players and improving shooting mechanics, both things that could help Bender be the player we are all hoping he could be.

 

[SirStefan32]

We shouldn't underestimate how potentially huge this hire will be for Dragan Bender. Igor's pedigree is working with young players and improving shooting mechanics, both things that could help Bender be the player we are all hoping he could be.

On paper, it looks like a great fit. Igor likes passing and ball movement, and I think Bender fits that. The question with Bender is whether or not Igor will figure out a way to get Dragan to be more aggressive. Bender CAN play. He has a multitude of NBA skills. However, he really needs to be more aggressive.

 

[Cheesebeef]

OK. I am not a Doncic fan, but the D is not as big an issue as some make it. Young will be a problem on D too. First. Just because he plays pg on offense, does not mean he plays it on D. My guess is that JJ would draw the more difficult pg matchups. But also players weaknesses, especially defensive ones tend to get exaggerated at this point. Fans never seem to call a draft prospect an average defender. He either a stopper or a traffic cone. Doncic is neither of those. His D against 2's and 3's looks ok.

To me, its his shooting. He gets called a good shooter, but the numbers just do not bear it out. He seems like a nice player, but not a 1 or 2 pick in an exceptional draft.

You really think his D against 2s and 3s... the guys who are in the majority THE most athletic players in the league will be okay?

I don’t see it there and playing Josh out of position on D means that you have Booker/Doncic having to D up against 2s and 3s which I think will be a disaster defensively.