James in Phoenix?

[KloD]

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

In the remotely slim to none chance that Lebron came to Phoenix, don't you think they'd add more? The can easily sign two max players so why wouldn't they bring in a few more bigs that are good, but not max? Not that Plumlee is the answer, but most of his game is blocking and rebounding. He was looking pretty damn good at it too the first half of the season, but like most every guy who is playing big minutes for the first time, he ran out of gas and struggled with an injury. Yes they would need to add more, but of course they would.

 

[mojorizen7]

In the remotely slim to none chance that Lebron came to Phoenix, don't you think they'd add more? The can easily sign two max players so why wouldn't they bring in a few more bigs that are good, but not max? Not that Plumlee is the answer, but most of his game is blocking and rebounding. He was looking pretty damn good at it too the first half of the season, but like most every guy who is playing big minutes for the first time, he ran out of gas and struggled with an injury. Yes they would need to add more, but of course they would.

I do. Steve and i were discussing adding LBJ to the current roster with no changes. He believes they'd be the favorite. I disagree.
Agree on Plumlee, but we'd need more and i question his experience in big games.

 

[KloD]

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

And what does that say about someone who's supposedly a competitor? You don't get prepared by sleeping your way there. Anyway, I wouldn't expect the Suns to get past the 2nd round his first season if he came to Phoenix. They need to build something, but I would put money on season 2.

 

[KloD]

I do. Steve and i were discussing adding LBJ to the current roster with no changes. He believes they'd be the favorite. I disagree.

Ah, sorry. I would disagree too. But, more because I think it will take a little time to learn to play together and build the chemistry.

 

[mojorizen7]

Ah, sorry. I would disagree too. But, more because I think it will take a little time to learn to play together and build the chemistry.

Its all good.

 

[AzStevenCal]

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

Our defense was very good early in the season. Not great, we still were eaten alive by Cousins but still, pretty good (very good, somewhere in that neighborhood). It tailed off dramatically when Bledsoe went down and then it dropped even further when Frye and Plumlee hit the wall. Granted, that's an assumption. There are posters convinced that they didn't hit the wall, they just returned to form.

I guess we'll see who is right about Frye and Plumlee but even once they hit this wall, we again became a very good team when Bledsoe returned. Our defense never returned to it's early season form and yet we still closed out the season on a 12 - 6 run against a tough schedule.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

Ah, sorry. I would disagree too. But, more because I think it will take a little time to learn to play together and build the chemistry.

I guess that's possible but Lebron is supposedly one of the smartest players in the history of the game. We threw a bunch of new players onto the court last year and they came together pretty quickly. Now, we'd basically be swapping Frye and Lebron in that same starting lineup. I think the team would improve with experience together but I don't see it stopping them from winning it all. I think what Boston did when they threw multiple new pieces together and won it all was a fluke but we wouldn't be looking at wholesale changes like that.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

I may be way off here, but do the '93 Suns get to the Finals without adding Oliver Miller(in addition to Barkley) ?
Without Miller in there defending the rim i don't think so. Chambers was soft defensively and West was aging.

I see similarities here by adding only LBJ to a team that is already loaded at guard and with some talent at SF. We'd need more up front.

 

[KloD]

I guess that's possible but Lebron is supposedly one of the smartest players in the history of the game. We threw a bunch of new players onto the court last year and they came together pretty quickly. Now, we'd basically be swapping Frye and Lebron in that same starting lineup. I think the team would improve with experience together but I don't see it stopping them from winning it all. I think what Boston did when they threw multiple new pieces together and won it all was a fluke but we wouldn't be looking at wholesale changes like that.

Steve

True, but it wouldn't just be James that would be new. Plus, he tends to control the ball movement where our current best players do the same. Who know? I'd sure enjoy watching it unfold though! I just wouldn't expect it to all come together the 1st season, but sure would enjoy it if they did.

 

[Cheesebeef]

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 ...

those are all really compelling reasons for LeBron to come here, especially if he could bring another solid player here, but I think the reason people here think it's a long-shot isn't because we were a fluke last year, but we're still a question mark moving into the future for a couple reasons. Last season, you pretty much had EVERYONE on the team have their best seasons as pros. Can they do it again? That's a legit question for a bunch of guys who up until this point in their careers haven't shown more then one season of great play (in Dragic and Bledsoe's case) or good play (in Green or the good Morri). The second reason is that this team as of right now doesn't have an established culture of winning. A guy like LeBron will only go to a team that's looks like a sure thing from both angles...players who have been great for years and a FO that has proved for more then a year that they can year in, year out do what's necessary to compete in the league. We come up short at both ends in those two categories.

NBA player's memories are short. We're only one season into restoring respectability to the franchise. That is what i think hampers us the most in chasing a guy like LeBron or Love or any other superstar.

 

[FutureSuperstar]

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.

I've never been to PHX, but is the "social life" really that different from other places? And about the "superstar already in place" thing - That's an assumption on what Lebron wants ... I don't think he wants that; Lebron is about winning no matter the structure of a team ... And Dragic if a superstar anyway - definitely a better scorer than Blake Griffin an Chris Paul for example ... I would assume that Lebron wouldn't want to repeat his Miami experience of relying so much on 3 players (wouldn't he just stay there then?) - After 4 str. Finals, I think IF he leaves Miami, he would want to go to a team w/ DEPTH and multiple ball handlers to give him some rest during the season

The fact that the Suns are in the West is a legit reason - I would agree w/ that ...

 

[AzStevenCal]

True, but it wouldn't just be James that would be new. Plus, he tends to control the ball movement where our current best players do the same. Who know? I'd sure enjoy watching it unfold though! I just wouldn't expect it to all come together the 1st season, but sure would enjoy it if they did.

Maybe not but I do believe we'd be the favorite going into the season. Just like Miami was their first year with Lebron even though it took them an extra year to actually win it. I believe we'd be the favorite but I can see reasons to argue we wouldn't be. But consider also that this discussion grew out of a claim that if we added Lebron to our roster we'd have no chance at winning it all.

Steve

 

[FutureSuperstar]

True, but it wouldn't just be James that would be new. Plus, he tends to control the ball movement where our current best players do the same. Who know? I'd sure enjoy watching it unfold though! I just wouldn't expect it to all come together the 1st season, but sure would enjoy it if they did.

You bring up a good pt. in your last sentence ... on why Lebron should go to the Suns. Think about it - The Suns are the only team chasing Lebron that can literally just plug him into the rotation from last season ... The team would basically be identical to last year, with the only other change perhaps at backup PG (Ennis for Smith) or if they sign another big guy ... The other teams courting him would bring in a lot more rotation guys (min. salary deals) - It would be 2010-11 Miami all over again for Lebron with guys having to figure out how to play with each other - With Phoenix, it's just him who has to adjust, not the whole team ...

And this is just for next season ... In 2-3-4 years, wouldn't Lebron rather be surrounded by young guys like Ennis, Warren, Bogdon, Len, Archie (Only 1-2 of them have to "click" ... If 3-4 do, R.I.P. to the rest of the league) on cheap deals than old vets on min. salary deals?

 

[AzStevenCal]

those are all really compelling reasons for LeBron to come here, especially if he could bring another solid player here, but I think the reason people here think it's a long-shot isn't because we were a fluke last year, but we're still a question mark moving into the future for a couple reasons. Last season, you pretty much had EVERYONE on the team have their best seasons as pros. Can they do it again? That's a legit question for a bunch of guys who up until this point in their careers haven't shown more then one season of great play (in Dragic and Bledsoe's case) or good play (in Green or the good Morri). The second reason is that this team as of right now doesn't have an established culture of winning. A guy like LeBron will only go to a team that's looks like a sure thing from both angles...players who have been great for years and a FO that has proved for more then a year that they can year in, year out do what's necessary to compete in the league. We come up short at both ends in those two categories.

NBA player's memories are short. We're only one season into restoring respectability to the franchise. That is what i think hampers us the most in chasing a guy like LeBron or Love or any other superstar.

I don't really think any of this matters. IMO, the main reason we'd have an outside chance is Bledsoe. If Lebron really wanted to play with him I think he'd know enough about the situation to feel comfortable in Phoenix.

But I don't think he wants to leave Miami and if he does, I don't think he wants to go West (not from concerns over competition though) and if he's willing to go West I'd expect him to prefer a major market. That's a lot of things to overcome even with his little buddy Bledsoe being here. I think it's more likely that Eric will play out his stay in Phoenix and leave as an unrestricted free agent than it is that he'd lure James to Phoenix. If Eric weren't here I could see our lack of sustained success keeping him away but I don't even think it gets to that point.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

we've got to hope and pray that Riley can't convince guys like Gortat/Lowry to take a little less in their only chance at major paydays. If he strikes out there, all bets are off, IMO.

if we were to somehow land James/Bosh, we would lay waste to everyone in the league. We probably wouldn't even have to ship anyone off in that scenario. We could start planning the parade the moment that happened, IMO.

 

[desertdawg]

Less than 5%.

 

[gmabel830]

Don't think there is any chance, but excellent move by the front.office to force their way into the discussion. While it might not pay off now, this could be something that sets us up down the road to land a superstar free agent.

 

[Lefty]

Mike Jurecki @mikejurecki

>> RT .@WojYahooNBA on @FOXSportsLive: "The framework for contract extensions in Miami with their big three are more or less in place."

 

[Cheesebeef]

Mike Jurecki @mikejurecki

>> RT .@WojYahooNBA on @FOXSportsLive: "The framework for contract extensions in Miami with their big three are more or less in place."

of this i have no doubt, but whether or not they can get anyone else significant to play with them based on these contracts will determine if those contracts ever get signed.

 

[CardsFan88]

The Phoenix area has got an amazing nightlife, especially Scottsdale, where every day you can see a star of some sort, or ten. If it's so bad, why are they here and come back?

Justin Upton used to blow up my friends phone trying to find out where the action was on a given night. Sports stars, movie stars, doesn't matter, they party down here. If that's an issue for Lebron, he'd LOVE IT here.

The only thing our nightlife doesn't have is a beach and an ocean next to it.

I am absolutely not concerned about the nightlife angle, if they want it, it's here, and abundantly.

There's a reason ESPN usually parties in Scottsdale when we host something like a Superbowl, or National Championship, or whatever. They LOVE it.

It also doesn't hurt having all the ASU and community college honey's, many with fake breasts, always in their summer club wear.

 

[Bert]

I cant stand Lebron, I think he's a total jackass, I have never rooted for him and I swear if he ever has the nerve to put on a Phoenix Suns jersey I will...








Totally worship him.

 

[tobiazz]

The Phoenix area has got an amazing nightlife, especially Scottsdale, where every day you can see a star of some sort, or ten. If it's so bad, why are they here and come back?

But less amazing than Miami.

The only thing our nightlife doesn't have is a beach and an ocean next to it.

That's a huge difference. Kind of like saying Silicon Valley has a great night life, just no women.

It also doesn't hurt having all the ASU and community college honey's, many with fake breasts, always in their summer club wear.

Tempe/Scottsdale is great but what NBA player would choose that over scantily clad Latin beach booty?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I cant stand Lebron, I think he's a total jackass, I have never rooted for him and I swear if he ever has the nerve to put on a Phoenix Suns jersey I will...


Totally worship him.

Cute. I really don't know what to make of the guy. He says some of the most annoyingly egotistical and immature things I've ever heard. But that hardly sums him up because the vast majority of the time he says just the right thing. And I'm not talking about the prepared statements that so many athletes depend on.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

Am I the only person that's mind blown by the fact that LeBron has never in his career been the highest paid player on his team in any season? I realize that he makes a ton of money through endorsements and such but still, WOW.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Am I the only person that's mind blown by the fact that LeBron has never in his career been the highest paid player on his team in any season? I realize that he makes a ton of money through endorsements and such but still, WOW.

Yeah that's a bit surprising.

Steve