It's Over for Suns

[1tinsoldier]

This is the Booker Warren show with No Booker and Warren. Get a clue jam

except that we added 9 players, including the #1 pick
and another player who cost us 2 first round picks
and spent big money on veterans
so that this season would NOT be just the Booker show anymore,
and instead of 2nd option, Warren would become the 6th man.

 

[Proximo]

except that we added 9 players, including the #1 pick
and another player who cost us 2 first round picks
and spent big money on veterans
so that this season would NOT be just the Booker show anymore,
and instead of 2nd option, Warren would become the 6th man.

Yeah, but Ariza is a shell of himself, Jackson is statistically the worst player in the NBA now (seriously he really is), Booker has been hurt all year in one way or another, the only power forwards we have are Bender and Anderson (so we don't have one) and we have no point guard that can score consistently or distribute the ball.

The only thing that has gone right this season is TJ has developed a 3 point shot. Well I do see promise in Bridges, Ayton and Okobo, but they all have serious holes in there games at this point.

 

[AzStevenCal]

While I don't think you are completely wrong here. During that 6-8 game stretch where we were playing competitive ball we were never falling behind by 20 something points. That kind of nulifies the idea that teams just got bored and let us back in. We have simply lost the effort in these last few games that we had in that competitive stretch.

I agree that we were improving especially as Booker gradually got into game shape and his nagging injuries lessened but I don't think the closer scores was all on us. Each blowout told the league we were an easy out and a lot of teams have trouble getting up for games against weak opponents. If we get everyone back healthy and suddenly win 3 out of 4, we'll probably start seeing stronger efforts from other teams again. Let's face it, we aren't the only franchise that has historically played down to the level of our opponent.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What I don't quite understand about the "No Booker & Warren" line is how so many people wanted Warren traded this last offseason and now without him, we can't win. It's odd that someone went from expendable to a necessity as quick as he did. I'm not saying you were one of those people Carolinacacti, I just remember a ton of talk of dealing Warren this last offseason, and last season as well, and now without him we're awful. Thankfully we didn't trade him because then there wouldn't be the hope of his return getting the team going again and giving them enough confidence that they believe they can win.

Warrens addition of a reliable three point shot is a legitimate reason for people to change their thinking. It would be like if Ayton all of a sudden became a monster post player or a dominant defender, you’d see a lot of attitudes change about him.

 

[Hoop Head]

I caught part of KTAR this am and thought I heard them say that the suns have the worst offense since the implementation of the shot clock.

No NBA team has ever been held to less than 10 points in the 1st quarter in back to back games since the implementation of the shot clock. Yes, that does sound like a stat that is slightly cherry picked but it does say how poor the offense has been.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Warrens addition of a reliable three point shot is a legitimate reason for people to change their thinking. It would be like if Ayton all of a sudden became a monster post player or a dominant defender, you’d see a lot of attitudes change about him.

Exactly this. If you could have given me a guarantee prior to the season that Warren would have developed a good 3 point shot I would have immediately said he should be starting.

 

[Errntknght]

What I don't quite understand about the "No Booker & Warren" line is how so many people wanted Warren traded this last offseason and now without him, we can't win. It's odd that someone went from expendable to a necessity as quick as he did. I'm not saying you were one of those people Carolinacacti, I just remember a ton of talk of dealing Warren this last offseason, and last season as well, and now without him we're awful. Thankfully we didn't trade him because then there wouldn't be the hope of his return getting the team going again and giving them enough confidence that they believe they can win.

Last year Warren was terrible from 3 and avoided shooting them when he could. This year he's looking for them and shooting them well. That's why everyone suddenly wants to keep him.

 

[BC867]

What I don't quite understand about the "No Booker & Warren" line is how so many people wanted Warren traded this last offseason and now without him, we can't win. It's odd that someone went from expendable to a necessity as quick as he did. I'm not saying you were one of those people Carolinacacti, I just remember a ton of talk of dealing Warren this last offseason, and last season as well, and now without him we're awful. Thankfully we didn't trade him because then there wouldn't be the hope of his return getting the team going again and giving them enough confidence that they believe they can win.

I think those who wanted him gone were thinking more in terms of who we get in exchange to fill our needs. PG. PF. It would be much easier to find a one-dimensional player (scorer -- minus a 3-point shot at the time) to replace Warren than a solid PG or PF.

Now, the Suns are so pathetic (and yes, Booker and Warren being MIA is a key part of it), that the second most important player on the team is one who can take pressure off our most important player, Booker . . . until Ayton is used properly.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think those who wanted him gone were thinking more in terms of who we get in exchange to fill our needs. PG. PF. It would be much easier to find a one-dimensional player (scorer -- minus a 3-point shot at the time) to replace Warren than a solid PG or PF.

Now, the Suns are so pathetic (and yes, Booker and Warren being MIA is a key part of it), that the second most important player on the team is one who can take pressure off our most important player, Booker . . . until Ayton is used properly.

Or his balls drop. Whichever needs to come first.

 

[BigRedRage]

Oh yeah they were killing it with Booker and Warren. Thanks for setting everyone straight.

Lol

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[BigRedRage]

Sarver was compared to bill bidwill today on the drive. Cheap coaches, cheap GM's, no investment in improving beyond drafting players.

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[TRW]

Ya think?

 

[Mainstreet]

Sarver was compared to bill bidwill today on the drive. Cheap coaches, cheap GM's, no investment in improving beyond drafting players.

It sounds familiar.

 

[Hoop Head]

Sarver was compared to bill bidwill today on the drive. Cheap coaches, cheap GM's, no investment in improving beyond drafting players.

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I've thought of that similarity before but I didn't know when Bill stepped aside for his son to takeover but there are definitely some similarities between the two. I don't think Bill pretended to know the sport though, at least not for the same amount of time that Sarver has. Sarver stumbled into a quality team when he bought the Suns and thought he played a role in doing that. He was nothing but a spectator to Jerry and Bryan's swan song with the Suns though, bringing Nash back and setting us up to contend for the next 4-5 seasons. Once Bryan was pushed out though anyone paying attention could tell Sarver thought he didn't need him and had this whole "ownership" thing figured out. It wasn't long after that when he let Amare walk, which was the right move, and tried replacing him with Warrick, Hedo, and Childress. For that much money he should have just paid Amare. At least we could have contended for another year or two, maybe three with our training staff. The final years of that contract would be awful but the years without him were awful as well.

 

[BC867]

Do you guys think that Sarver (and his phony promises to not micro-manage) will ever consider how badly his public persona is slipping, both in terms of style and decisions?

He is driven by his ego. Maybe that is the only motivator he'll pay attention to.

Is he an egotist, and egomaniac or a narcissist?

 

[SirStefan32]

Do you guys think that Sarver (and his phony promises to not micro-manage) will ever consider how badly his public persona is slipping, both in terms of style and decisions?

He is driven by his ego. Maybe that is the only motivator he'll pay attention to.

Is he an egotist, and egomaniac or a narcissist?

You have literally no idea what drives him. How do you know he is driven by his ego?

 

[BC867]

You have literally no idea what drives him. How do you know he is driven by his ego?

As I posted, waving that foam finger, trying to make himself the face of the organization way before he earned it, which he never has ... or should.

The faces of the organization are on the court.

 

[BC867]

And shouting instructions to his General Manager while he is on the phone with his counterparts.

Undercutting his GM to draw attention to himself.

 

[SirStefan32]

As I posted, waving that foam finger, trying to make himself the face of the organization way before he earned it, which he never has ... or should.

The faces of the organization are on the court.

That's nothing but an assumption based on what you want to see and what you want to be true. I always got the impression that he just loves basketball and that owning a team is fun (especially in his early years.)

 

[Hoop Head]

Do you guys think that Sarver (and his phony promises to not micro-manage) will ever consider how badly his public persona is slipping, both in terms of style and decisions?

He is driven by his ego. Maybe that is the only motivator he'll pay attention to.

Is he an egotist, and egomaniac or a narcissist?

You really think that the joker who did the chicken dance on the sideline while wearing a big foam finger in an attempt to taunt the best coach in NBA history cares about how he looks or how people think he looks?


I know saying Pop is the best coach in NBA history is subjective but I believe he's at least the best coach in the modern NBA.

 

[BC867]

That's nothing but an assumption based on what you want to see and what you want to be true. I always got the impression that he just loves basketball and that owning a team is fun (especially in his early years.)

We each have our take on the matter, Stef. That's cool.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You really think that the joker who did the chicken dance on the sideline while wearing a big foam finger in an attempt to taunt the best coach in NBA history cares about how he looks or how people think he looks?

Yeah, we'll never really know but I thought that was a failed attempt by Sarver to prove he was just one of the common folk.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yeah, we'll never really know but I thought that was a failed attempt by Sarver to prove he was just one of the common folk.

I'd agree with that. It was an attempt to prove he was a fan from the Mark Cuban playbook of how to appear like a normal fan when you own an NBA team. He's reminded me of Cuban a lot, with less success but still very involved. Cuban doesn't get bashed like Sarver though. He does seem to step back occasionally but the NBA also created rules to get him out of huddles during late game timeouts.

 

[Chaplin]

It was also YEARS ago. Yeah, it was stupid, but do you ever ask yourself why we haven't seen that behavior repeated? I don't like the guy, and don't like how he's running the Suns, but the foam finger thing is just stupid to keep bringing up.

 

[BC867]

It was also YEARS ago. Yeah, it was stupid, but do you ever ask yourself why we haven't seen that behavior repeated? I don't like the guy, and don't like how he's running the Suns, but the foam finger thing is just stupid to keep bringing up.

Chap, I disagree. Whether getting attention by waving that foam finger at the beginning or shouting instructions to his General Manager who is on the phone with another General Manager not too long ago, and everything in between, are consistent examples of his using his position as Managing Partner to seek glory. And hiring inexperienced underlings who won't stand up to him for the sake of the team.

It is what it is and there is no indication that we've seen the last of it. The history is no mystery!