Right, but I can't imagine there would be no other teams willing to offer him a starting spot at that kind of money, given that he has been starting, and producing, for the past two seasons.
Isaiah Thomas To Suns
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I thought I read somewhere that he turned down a 3 year Detroit offer of 24 million.
Steve
CardsSunsDbacks
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It's a valid question. Maybe there were a few reasons behind it like, not wanting to go to a losing team or maybe he liked the fact that we utilize a system that has 2 PGs on the floor at the same time and thus he would pretty much be guaranteed big minutes whether he starts or not. Maybe Phoenix just felt like the best fit for him, but who knows really. I will take it either way because I know this guy is a good player who will either do a lot of good things for us on the court or be a big part in landing us a star in a trade.
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He's a tough kid but he can't guard NBA guys. I was watching the San Antonio game last night, Clyde Drexler was one of the commenters and since it was against the Kings they were talking about Collison and IT. Collison has similar defensive issues he's just not strong enough and gets overpowered, he can pressure the ball but he gets abused inside. But Drexler said more than once that IT can't guard anybody and that the coaching staff were quite honest that they consider Collison to be a large upgrade defensively.
I get they would say that after making the move but he said everyone told him that's why they made the move, they realized they could never be a good defensive team playing IT.
CardsSunsDbacks
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"Thomas is much better than Greivis Vasquez and earned the starting spot fair and square," SactownRoyalty.com editor Aykis shared via email to me last night. "Vasquez wasn't terrible, but the Kings offense proved to be much more efficient with Thomas on the floor than Vasquez and so did the defense. There were only two players last season that made the Kings better offensively and defensively according to Basketball-Reference's On-Off stats and they were DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas."
http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2...xth-man-isaiah-thomas-just-wants-to-be-wanted
Obviously he has his limitations as some of the bigger guards can abuse him at times in the post, but at least statistically he appears to do a lot better than people tend to give him credit for.
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For the moment, I like to look at it, the Suns chose to pay 27M to Thomas rather than 32M to Frye. Of course, we will have to see what else the Suns have planned.
CardsSunsDbacks
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It wasn't either/or IMO. If they wanted to pay 4/32 to Frye they would have. They just didn't feel like that was a good value contract for Frye's production and they are probably right. They easily could have signed both players if they had wanted to.
iRobot
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There is a good draft express free agent video on Thomas that shows his positives and his deficiencies.
SirStefan32
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People tend to exaggerate when it comes to defense, good or bad. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. Above-average defenders tend to get too much credit- see Marion, Bell, Majerle before them. They get elevated to this "defensive stopper" status. Someone who is average (or have trouble against certain players) tend to get the "they can't guard a chair" reputation.
Dragic, for example is not a terrible defender. He simply has trouble with extremely quick, smaller PGs (like Isaiah Thomas, for example). Thomas has trouble with taller, stronger PGs that can post up, much like any short PG has. Derron Williams/ Jason Kidd types will abuse him in the low post.
That doesn't make either one of them terrible defenders. They simply have trouble with certain match ups.
Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Bledsoe as a PG on defense, but IT is not nearly as bad as people are making him out to be.
CardsSunsDbacks
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Still have to take those with a grain of salt. The strengths tend to be spot on because there is usually more than enough examples of those to draw on, but some of the weaknesses aren't as bad as they seem, but they are put into those videos because they need to put something in there.
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You are right, I would have been miserable if the Suns payed Frye 4/32. I was hoping he would opt out on the Suns contract. Also I like the Suns choosing to go with young talent.
TRW
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I guess we will see what the +/- ratio is with IT when he PLAYS on the court. If his scoring/assists exceed or balance out his defensive "liabilities" then it's a win. If he is abused constantly and it outweighs his production then it's a loss.
This isn't rocket surgery or brain science people
This isn't rocket surgery or brain science people
BC867
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Fair comparison. After all, Frye and Thomas are both Guards.
devilalum
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The Suns also paid Frye $8 million for a whole year to do absolutely nothing.
Chaplin
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If that lineup ever appears (I don't think it will), then I'll eat crow, but I'd say the odds of that lineup are basically nil. Hornacek isn't D'Antoni, after all.
Folster
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I don't think that line-up is so far-fetched. I think it's highly likely we'll see that line-up or something similar to try to create mismatches and exploits slower players/teams.
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I agree and I suspect it will be pretty effective. I have no problem with it either. I don't get frustrated thinking about small ball like some here do. I think it's a nice tool to have at your disposal. I don't like it when it's our only tool though.
Steve
BC867
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Three Point Guards, a Wing and a light Power Forward as our lineup. Really?
That would be like Kirk Gibson using three Catchers and two Shortstops as his first five batters in the lineup. Even he knows better. Maybe.
elindholm
edited for content
Chaplin
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Seriously? Since when has that ever worked? Even with D'Antoni it never worked, and everyone here HATED it. Now it "could be effective"? Come on now.
JCSunsfan
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Three Point Guards, a Wing and a light Power Forward as our lineup. Really?
That would be like Kirk Gibson using three Catchers and two Shortstops as his first five batters in the lineup. Even he knows better. Maybe.
Its not the same game any more.
Innovation arises from changes in rules, talent availability, and other trends. Changes in the NBA rules in the last decade have changed the way the game is played inside. Players can no longer be manhandled on the perimeter which means that size and strength (while still an advantage) is not nearly the advantage it used to be. I really believe that if KJ had played under the present rules, he would have been one of the best ever. Allan Iverson's career would have lasted longer as well. That little guy took a beating that he would not have to endure today.
It is not just the Suns that are going with smaller lineups and stretch 4's. It is happening all over the league. Miami was in the finals without a real center at all. Roy Hibbert, who would have been dominant 15 years ago, was rendered irrelevant by simple strategies using the new rules for an advantage. In fact, the beginning of the end for Indiana was when the Suns, twice in a week in the middle of the season, spanked them with Frye playing outside and rendering Hibbert basically useless.
Its a new game. It demands new strategies and a different kinds of players.
Folster
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It's a late 3rd early 4th quarter line-up to gas your opponent. It could be effective in short stints, but fools gold really.
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It's worked often. Yes, just about everyone here hates it but that doesn't mean it can't be effective. I'm not advocating the full time use of small ball, merely as an occasional lineup. As I said, it can be a valuable tool. Our problem has been it's far too often our only tool.
Steve
Chaplin
Better off silent
Give me one instance where a 6'9" center and a lineup of nobody over 6'6" ever worked. Even D'Antoni didn't go THAT small.
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It's a different game and it's still changing. When they first instituted those rules, far too many of the old guard referees just ignored the changes especially in the playoffs. Throughout this past decade many of those referees have either adjusted or left the game (retired) and each year we see it get a little closer to the way the NBA wants the game called.
Steve
