James in Phoenix?

[elindholm]

Pipe dreams aside, how likely is this really?

 

[CardsFan88]

0 or 1, but I'll say 20-30 percent since I see us in the top 3-5 teams possible, and #1 in terms of wanting to win. If winning is what he is after, no one else can offer what we can. Us, GS, Hou, Miami, Chicago.

Though the Heat now have more cap room, so if they use it wisely, that would be #1 backed by his history to stay there.

So overall 20-30 percent imo guess.

We get added points for young talent, talent where we need it if we get James, future 1st's, and if he wants to bring people along, we have to do less to make that happen. Friends with Bledsoe, and him having the same agent as James a plus, along with Hornacek as coach. Not to mention, if James wants to 'blow up', he needs to go on a running team. James on a fast break team such as the 2005 Suns, would be legendary. Since the 2005 Suns aren't an option, we have the 2014 Suns. Lebron on pick and rolls, wow.

 

[ProdigalSun]

I just can't see James coming to Phoenix. I also hope this doesn't drag on like the Peyton Manning to AZ drama

 

[leclerc]

He is the current best player in the league so if he came here and won the first championship for Phoenix he would be a legend directly. As it stands now he will "just" add his name to the long list of great players that led their team (usually one single team) to multiple championships. The problem is that his chances of winning are less here than in Miami and other places, so he probably would not risk it.

Wuss!

 

[Mulli]

Either way, I will pass on the tv show announcing his decision.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think LeBron and his South Beach Posse have already decided what they're doing, but if there was slight chance that LeBron is legitimately on the market, I think we'd be one of the front runners.

I'm going with an extremely optimistic 6.3% chance of signing him.

 

[Griffin]

When you think about it, James can play for whatever team he chooses. If he expressed interest in playing for a team without cap space, that team would find a way to create that cap space, whatever it took. So, in reality, for him to come here, he would have to choose to play for the Suns above all other teams in the NBA, including his current team that is currently on a 4-year Finals streak and won two of them. I don't see any scenario in which that would happen. Imo, this is just as unrealistic as the Suns hoping to win the lottery this year.

 

[Covert Rain]

There is practically ZERO chance IMO. All of that opting out has to do with the players creating salary cap space to improve the team.

All of this Free agent talk out of the Lebron camp is theater.

 

[az jam]

He will stay in Miami with Wade and Bosch. Wish I was wrong and would love to see him here.

 

[mojorizen7]

I'd be more interested in what types of support/role players the Suns would bring in if LBJ did indeed somehow join the team. The direction would immediately shift to "win now" mode,obviously. The backcourt would be a strength, but there's no way this team wins a championship by simply adding LBJ to this roster.

I'm not convinced the basketball people here would get it right, but i'd sure like to see them try.


Poll: I voted less than 5%. I would be pleasantly shocked if this were to happen.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Everyone is assuming this is an orchestrated effort in Miami. If that is the case, why is LeBron demanding the max? I am not sure that things are as coordinated in Miami as everyone thinks. If that is true, well, anything is possible.

It makes perfect sense for LeBron to come to Phoenix. LeBron seems to be an intelligent person. His agent is in talks with the Suns anyway. The whole thing just makes so much sense, and I think the national media is starting to see it. The Miami people are in denial, and for the Suns fans, well, its just one of those things that seems to good to be true.

The facts are these:

Positives: We have the space, we have the young core. We the friend. We have lots of options and picks going forward. We can find a way to sign whoever LeBron wants to come with him. We have the climate, and our mgmt has gone public in a big way saying that they are going for it. Oh and then there is the fact that LeBron's agent has only a few other clients (LeBron James, Johnny Flynn, Eric Bledsoe, Jabari Parker, Corey Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Malcolm Armstead). That is it. That is his whole list. Where other teams have to find this guy and get to know him, our mgmt team already has a relationship with him and has had so for nearly a year.

Negatives: The WC is alot tougher than the east. The Suns were not in the playoffs last year. Our owner is not a player favorite (but seems to have really improved in the past year or so).

Am I missing something?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd be more interested in what types of support/role players the Suns would bring in if LBJ did indeed somehow join the team. The direction would immediately shift to "win now" mode,obviously. The backcourt would be a strength, but there's no way this team wins a championship by simply adding LBJ to this roster.

I'm not convinced the basketball people here would get it right, but i'd sure like to see them try.


Poll: I voted less than 5%. I would be pleasantly shocked if this were to happen.

Injuries happen and for the most part we did well in that area but still, we were missing arguably our best player for half the season and we won 48 games anyway. I don't see how you can add the greatest player of the game to that roster and earn a "no way" in the championship argument. Personally, I'd like our chances and if we stayed healthy I'd be surprised that we didn't win it all.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

Everyone is assuming this is an orchestrated effort in Miami. If that is the case, why is LeBron demanding the max? I am not sure that things are as coordinated in Miami as everyone thinks. If that is true, well, anything is possible.

It makes perfect sense for LeBron to come to Phoenix. LeBron seems to be an intelligent person. His agent is in talks with the Suns anyway. The whole thing just makes so much sense, and I think the national media is starting to see it. The Miami people are in denial, and for the Suns fans, well, its just one of those things that seems to good to be true.

The facts are these:

Positives: We have the space, we have the young core. We the friend. We have lots of options and picks going forward. We can find a way to sign whoever LeBron wants to come with him. We have the climate, and our mgmt has gone public in a big way saying that they are going for it. Oh and then there is the fact that LeBron's agent has only a few other clients (LeBron James, Johnny Flynn, Eric Bledsoe, Jabari Parker, Corey Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Malcolm Armstead). That is it. That is his whole list. Where other teams have to find this guy and get to know him, our mgmt team already has a relationship with him and has had so for nearly a year.

Negatives: The WC is alot tougher than the east. The Suns were not in the playoffs last year. Our owner is not a player favorite (but seems to have really improved in the past year or so).

Am I missing something?

I think Lebron thinks of himself as the Alpha on the team now. If that means others taking pay cuts so he can get his max....so be it. That doesn't mean he wants to jump ship or entertain the idea. He isn't taking a single personal meeting which says it all. When in the history of the NBA has someone of LeBron's caliber not taken a personal meeting with potential teams when testing out free agency?

This could be 100% about getting paid...fielding a good team or not. This could be Wade and Bosh for example doing what they can to keep the team together and free up space to keep him and get some players. We shall see how the contracts play out.

There is no indication that LeBron is seriously contemplating actually leaving Miami right now.

 

[Billy Bob]

when Miami played here last year, Lebron spoke highly of his "little brother" Eric Bledsoe,I remember that, Lebron put on a clinic in practice, maybe they already had the interview then.

 

[BC867]

Injuries happen and for the most part we did well in that area but still, we were missing arguably our best player for half the season and we won 48 games anyway. I don't see how you can add the greatest player of the game to that roster and earn a "no way" in the championship argument. Personally, I'd like our chances and if we stayed healthy I'd be surprised that we didn't win it all.

Steve

Are you surprised that Miami didn't win it all with the greatest player of the game? With our current and projected supporting roster, I don't think winning it all is a given. Even if we keep our best current players.

I watched James' expressions as the Spurs punished the Heat. Theirs was not a well balanced team. Neither are the Suns.

 

[FutureSuperstar]

I think there's an 80 - 85% Lebron returns to Miami ... I think PHX would be the best place for them if he leaves though (so 5 - 10%) - I have yet to hear a compelling argument on why PHX is NOT the place for him , it seems so many fans / writers / reporters say "It won't happen, but it would be a great possibility" , "It's a long shot, but it would be great for them" ... But I have yet to hear anybody say why "it won't happen", why "it is a long shot" ???

... All I've heard is some non-sense about PHX being a "small market", non-sense that a guy who averaged 20 ppg on 50% shooting and 6 apg is somehow not a "star", and a total dismissal of virtually everybody on the Suns roster (Morris Twins, Green, Goodwin, Rookies, Plumlee, etc.etc.) as if they're just spare parts ... Which oddly enough if they are spare parts, than I guess Dragic / Bledsoe are superstars if they won 48 games !! ...

Answer this: Are last year's Suns better than last year's Clippers w/o DeAndre Jordan & JJ Reddick? ... Are last year's Suns better than last year's Rockets w/o Asik (and whoever else they would give up for Lebron)? ... Guess what? Even if the answer was "No" - Then add Pau Gasol (who we could sign w/ Lebron) to last year's team ... Then would the answer be "Yes" ? ... if it is still "No" - Then add the 1 year experience in the system and for Goodwin, Len, Morris Twins, Plumlee, Bledsoe - Then would the answer be "Yes"? ... Eventually if you go down the line it is a no-brainer that the supporting cast surrounding Lebron is best with PHX ... And again - this is not even including the long-term improvement of the Suns players (Who exactly will improve on the Clippers / Rockets?) or the fact they have multiple 1st rounders next year to be used in trade or that they added 3 1st rounders THIS year

I think there's a strange case of a lot of people here not wanting to sound like a "homer" , so a lot of people here are under-selling what the Suns have to offer ... Don't - As a Mavs fan for the last decade (a team that has developed virtually no players), it's hard for me to understand how fans of a team w/ young assets like Warren, Ennis, Bogdon, Len, Goodwin, Morris Twins, Plumlee, Bledsoe, etc. don't promote it and just dismiss it as non-selling pts. ...

As harsh as it sounds, I hope Lebron is smarter than some fans here ...

 

[AzStevenCal]

Are you surprised that Miami didn't win it all with the greatest player of the game? With our current and projected supporting roster, I don't think winning it all is a given. Even if we keep our best current players.

I watched James' expressions as the Spurs punished the Heat. Theirs was not a well balanced team. Neither are the Suns.

No, it isn't a given. But it isn't a given that the Spurs will win it all next year even if Miami implodes. Add Lebron to our roster and I'd like our chances over anyone's, as they stand now. If Rose returns full force and they add Carmelo and if Carmelo blends in well, maybe they'd pass us as the favorites but it's hard to say. And I disagree about balance, the Suns with Lebron would be a very balanced roster. Perfect roster? No. But a very good one with strength on offense and defense.

Steve

 

[JS22]

Are you surprised that Miami didn't win it all with the greatest player of the game? With our current and projected supporting roster, I don't think winning it all is a given. Even if we keep our best current players.

I watched James' expressions as the Spurs punished the Heat. Theirs was not a well balanced team. Neither are the Suns.

They won 2 championships and made it to the finals 4 years in a row.

The Suns roster last year (with James) arguably would have been more talented than Miami.

 

[BC867]

The Suns have a younger, more athletic, and I'd say more talented roster than MIA if you add James.

I would say that most of our more talented roster is, for various reasons, not yet part of our starting and closing rotation. They have yet to prove their NBA skill level or stamina.

Plumlee, Len, Goodwin, Bledsoe, Green. So far, Dragic is the only one who has reached that level of dependability. One player. It is still a pipe dream for Suns fans.

 

[Dr. Jones]

It's a

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[FutureSuperstar]

The above posts are exactly what I'm talking about - So many people have the opinion that it is a "pipe dream" that Lebron will sign w/ Phoenix ... Yet few people are giving any reasons why ?

One poster above said Dragic is the only player at "that level of dependability" - I'm not exactly sure what that means ... There's less than 10 players in the NBA who are dependable every single night to show up - Guys like Wade ... Bosh ... Ginobili ... Parker ... Duncan ... all are definitely not that consistent and have their 5 point nights a lot

And guess what - If PHX had 48 wins w/ that many players the team couldn't depend on, what does that say? If you truly believe that, then I guess they have a lot of room to improve ...

People aren't coming out and saying it, but the #1 reason that fans here and everybody out there in general are overlooking Phoenix is that they think last year was a "fluke" ... However, the characteristics of a "fluke" team are just not there for last year's TEAM (such as staying injury-free, winning close games, beating on bad teams and losing to the best teams, bad on the road, having a bad pt. differential, playing well early and then when teams adjust - fall back the 2nd half of the year)

The Suns as a team had NONE of those characteristics: They had a major injury and still fought through it, they lost a lot of close games (didn't get "lucky"), they were GREAT against the best teams, they had some big road wins, and they played their best ball the 2nd half of the year when teams were taking them seriously ... That TEAM was not a fluke ...

 

[sunsfan88]

The above posts are exactly what I'm talking about - So many people have the opinion that it is a "pipe dream" that Lebron will sign w/ Phoenix ... Yet few people are giving any reasons why ?

One poster above said Dragic is the only "dependable" player - I'm not exactly sure what that means ... There's less than 10 players in the NBA who are dependable every single night to show up - Guys like Wade ... Bosh ... Ginobili ... Parker ... Duncan ... all are definitely not that consistent and have their 5 point nights a lot

People aren't coming out and saying it, but the #1 reason that fans here and everybody out there in general are overlooking Phoenix is that they think last year was a "fluke" ... However, the characteristics of a "fluke" team are just not there for last year's TEAM (such as staying injury-free, winning close games, beating on bad teams and losing to the best teams, bad on the road, having a bad pt. differential, playing well early and then when teams adjust - fall back the 2nd half of the year)

The Suns as a team had NONE of those characteristics: They had a major injury and still fought through it, they lost a lot of close games (didn't get "lucky"), they were GREAT against the bed teams, they had some big road wins, and they played their best ball the 2nd half of the year when teams were taking them seriously ... That TEAM was not a fluke

Because it's Phoenix. It's not LA, NY or Miami. These guys want to go somewhere they have a great social life or/and superstar already in place.

I'm not saying Phoenix is a boring city cause that wouldn't even be close to true but it simply doesn't get the attraction that other big name places get.

And your forgetting the most important reason....the Suns are in the Western conference where's it's tough as nails where as you can make it to the Finals in the East by sleeping through the regular season.

 

[Lefty]

Never will happen. James will stay in the east, much easier to get to the NBA Finals playing the east.

 

[mojorizen7]

Injuries happen and for the most part we did well in that area but still, we were missing arguably our best player for half the season and we won 48 games anyway. I don't see how you can add the greatest player of the game to that roster and earn a "no way" in the championship argument. Personally, I'd like our chances and if we stayed healthy I'd be surprised that we didn't win it all.

Steve

Two threads, same subject

Yeah my point was similiar to BC's point. We'd be a team loaded at guard plus a superstar who can't be asked to do it all in the paint on both ends.
We'd need more up front to get through the West playoffs.

scoring=check
speed=check
athleticism=check
3pt shooting=check
superstar who gets all the calls=check
HC with a clue=check
defense in the paint/at the rim=no
rebounding=no
depth/experience up front=no

 

[AzStevenCal]

Never will happen. James will stay in the east, much easier to get to the NBA Finals playing the east.

Are they letting multiple teams from the East into the Finals these days? It might be a little easier but "much easier" sounds like quite an exaggeration to me. The easiest way to get to the finals is build a team around the greatest player in the game. Remove the teams that did it that way and the finals winner is just as likely to come from the West. There's an age old argument. What's better? Play a soft schedule so you can advance easier or play a tough schedule so you're better prepared to face the best in the game. I don't buy "much easier".

Steve