Morris twins contract extension

[JCSunsfan]

Pursuing Lebron and KLove was just kinda stupid. We never had a shot at those guys. Everyone knew it, so pursuing them (and waiting on their answers) was a waste of time and effort. Maybe they should have focused on the likes of Bosh as a more realistic target (if they didn't).

Would you really be happy with Bosh at $118 million? They did exactly what I wanted them to do. Go big or go home. I think KLove was a remote possibility, but you will never get a name free agent if you do not try.

Years ago, I never believed the Suns had a shot at Tom Chambers, Charles Barkley or Danny Manning. But they pulled it off. You have to just keep trying.

 

[Mainstreet]

Once you get past the really big name, I'm not sure there was a better free agent signing than Isaiah Thomas. Better stats than Kyrie (including advanced stats) at 40% the cost, what's not to love? And when your roster is loaded with young players, you have to give them time to develop. I don't think you'll see our future change with a big name free agent over the next few years. We have assets, when the right star is available, we have a chance to be players in that deal. Considering where we were when the 2013 season ended, I'm thrilled with where we are today.

Steve

I agree Isaiah Thomas was a very underrated signing. The Suns have three PGs that can start in the NBA in Dragic, Bledsoe and Thomas. Now the Suns have the luxury of continually putting pressure on opposing defenses from the PG position. They all know how to get to the basket. Opposing defenses dare not try to take the ball out of one of their hands without it costing them dearly.

 

[Mainstreet]

Would you really be happy with Bosh at $118 million? They did exactly what I wanted them to do. Go big or go home. I think KLove was a remote possibility, but you will never get a name free agent if you do not try.

Years ago, I never believed the Suns had a shot at Tom Chambers, Charles Barkley or Danny Manning. But they pulled it off. You have to just keep trying.

As you know, Love and Lebron were the only two free agents worthy of going after. I'd choke if the Suns threw $118 million towards Bosh.

 

[Mainstreet]

I cannot imagine what more they could have done. I am very happy with this team right now. I honestly believe they are one player away from contending. That would be a superstar player, but everything else is in place.

I know it would be preferred to get the superstar and then build around. But if you can't get the superstar, you can still get everything else in place AND be ready to make the move if it becomes available.

They tried for LeBron. They tried for Melo (I think). They tried for Kevin Love.

I am sure they will make an effort to get Durant when the time comes. And who knows, with one of these draft picks, they might strike gold.

I cannot imagine what more they could have done. Keeping Channing Frye was not part of the road to a championship. Locking Bledsoe up was a step.

I agree, adding one more star is doable. This is what McDonough has prepared the Suns to do by accumulating assets.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This team is going to be fun to watch. They will be able to fly down the floor, and when someone gets a little gassed, more players will flow in off the bench. The D is going to be better too. Zoran is known for his D and I assume that will translate the NBA. We were a decent defensive team when we had Bledsoe in the game. He allowed Goran to cover the lesser of the opposing guards, which made Goran look better on D too. I hope Len will also have a presence.

My concerns will be rebounding and three point shooting. The defense will be a concern with certain players. With Bledsoe, Zoran, and PJ we can cover most guards and wings. But the pf and c positions will be difficult, especially with the more highly skilled players. Pj covers wings (and sg's) pretty well, but I am not sure how he would do as a pf stopper. Keef, Plumlee, and Len are really going ot have to step up.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I agree, adding one more star is doable. This is what McDonough has prepared the Suns to do by accumulating assets.

I am not quite sure who that player would be. Maybe one of:

L. Alderidge
B. Griffin
A. Davis
K. Durant
P. George
Drummond
Cousins
D. Howard

Not sure who else in the NBA would fit the bill besides players we have already tried and failed to get. I know it sounds unrealistic, but who else would fill the bill as the last piece?

 

[elindholm]

I am not quite sure who that player would be. Maybe one of:

L. Alderidge
B. Griffin
A. Davis
K. Durant
P. George
Drummond
Cousins
D. Howard

Not sure who else in the NBA would fit the bill besides players we have already tried and failed to get. I know it sounds unrealistic, but who else would fill the bill as the last piece?

Right, exactly. Having a top-ten player (top-twelve, whatever) puts you miles ahead of the competition, and piling up top-50 or top-100 guys doesn't really move the needle.

All of this talk of "accumulating assets" begs the question: If you were the GM of one of those players above, decided you had to trade him, and were offered some combination of lesser brothers, semi-prospects, and low first-round picks, would you bite? Of course not. You'd hold out until you got a better offer from a team with serious interest.

The Suns' best hope is probably someone at the David Lee level -- a player with flaws who is in the second half of his career, but still has some good years left, and would like to try a change of scenery to see if he can get with a club able to make some noise in the playoffs. And, by the way, almost every time David Lee himself has been mentioned on this board, he's been met with a chorus of boos. We want something better without being realistic about what it costs. (Actually, Carmelo Anthony is in that category too, and has inspired a similar reaction here.)

 

[BC867]

I think we need a little perspective and expectation management.

Two seasons ago was one of the worst in franchise history.

And now that Jeff Hornacek and the Suns have set the bar higher, we are going to run into a brick wall if we keep looking back.

Barely missing the playoffs has now raised expectations. Is our roster capable of taking more than baby steps next season?

If we miss the playoffs again or make a token appearance, it will be a disappointment after our growth last season.

Many of us evidently feel that the Suns haven't made the right roster moves to take the next step forward.

Time will tell if our team -- weak up front, overloaded in the back -- will be another Suns gimmick (like SSOL) which will not build a winner.

Perspective and expectation management require looking ahead to that next step. That is how I see it.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am not quite sure who that player would be. Maybe one of:

L. Alderidge
B. Griffin
A. Davis
K. Durant
P. George
Drummond
Cousins
D. Howard

Not sure who else in the NBA would fit the bill besides players we have already tried and failed to get. I know it sounds unrealistic, but who else would fill the bill as the last piece?

I'm not sure the player the Suns need is even in the discussion because they are likely unavailable at the moment. All a team can do is position themselves for the opportunity when a star quality player becomes available. Maybe the Suns will have to get lucky in the draft to find a big man that can take them to the next level.

I'd add Mason Plumlee to that list. He wasn't drafted until the 22nd pick.

 

[Chaz]

And now that Jeff Hornacek and the Suns have set the bar higher, we are going to run into a brick wall if we keep looking back.

Barely missing the playoffs has now raised expectations. Is our roster capable of taking more than baby steps next season?

If we miss the playoffs again or make a token appearance, it will be a disappointment after our growth last season.

Many of us evidently feel that the Suns haven't made the right roster moves to take the next step forward.

Time will tell if our team -- weak up front, overloaded in the back -- will be another Suns gimmick (like SSOL) which will not build a winner.

Perspective and expectation management require looking ahead to that next step. That is how I see it.

If the expectation is to win the championship this year prepare for disappointment.

I just want to see these players and this coaching staff continue to improve. I agree that missing the playoffs would be a disappointment but not because of what they did or did not do last year or over the summer. Missing the playoffs is always a bummer no matter what the pre-season expectation may or may not have been. Last year the disappointment just came at the end instead of the beginning of the regular season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'm not sure the player the Suns need is even in the discussion because they are likely unavailable at the moment. All a team can do is position themselves for the opportunity when a star quality player becomes available. Maybe the Suns will have to get lucky in the draft to find a big man that can take them to the next level.

I'd add Mason Plumlee to that list. He wasn't drafted until the 22nd pick.

Who else, regardless of availability, would be a candidate for the superstar addition to the Suns? Anyone in the league.

Certainly not Mason Plumlee.

 

[elindholm]

Who else, regardless of availability, would be a candidate for the superstar addition to the Suns? Anyone in the league.

I've felt since the middle of last season that Aldridge would be the best fit, but that was partly because there was a period of a couple of weeks in which it looked like he and the Blazers might part ways, and those dreams have now been shot down. Even so, he'd be pretty close to ideal. Anthony Davis maybe. I think Paul George will come back strong, but the Suns don't need another wing, even a great one.

As for players who might be available, Larry Sanders should be in the mix. It's possible he'd come back strong enough to have value, but not so strong that the Bucks would be dead set on keeping him.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I've felt since the middle of last season that Aldridge would be the best fit, but that was partly because there was a period of a couple of weeks in which it looked like he and the Blazers might part ways, and those dreams have now been shot down. Even so, he'd be pretty close to ideal. Anthony Davis maybe. I think Paul George will come back strong, but the Suns don't need another wing, even a great one.

As for players who might be available, Larry Sanders should be in the mix. It's possible he'd come back strong enough to have value, but not so strong that the Bucks would be dead set on keeping him.

That's always it though, isn't it? Once we start talking about player who might be available we sink to the Larry Sanders' of the world--far from superstar status.

There are just not that many superstar players. Eric Bledsoe has as much a chance of being a superstar as any player we could get.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I've felt since the middle of last season that Aldridge would be the best fit, but that was partly because there was a period of a couple of weeks in which it looked like he and the Blazers might part ways, and those dreams have now been shot down. Even so, he'd be pretty close to ideal. Anthony Davis maybe. I think Paul George will come back strong, but the Suns don't need another wing, even a great one.

As for players who might be available, Larry Sanders should be in the mix. It's possible he'd come back strong enough to have value, but not so strong that the Bucks would be dead set on keeping him.

The problem is, the time to go after Sanders is right now (or this season) before he fully re-establishes himself. He's a risk but he's the perfect risk for us. I know you aren't impressed by our accumulated assets but I think we have enough even without breaking into our core.

A combination of Ennis, Goodwin, Green, and the Minnesota and LA picks might be enough in a multi-team deal. I say multiple team because Ennis has more value to Canada than to any US team. Or if not Ennis then we may have to include Warren who probably has a lot more value right now after his summer league hype. I've thought all summer that he or Mason Plumlee should be our target. Neither of them are stars but they both have above average potential.

Steve

 

[ASUCHRIS]

All of this talk of "accumulating assets" begs the question: If you were the GM of one of those players above, decided you had to trade him, and were offered some combination of lesser brothers, semi-prospects, and low first-round picks, would you bite? Of course not. You'd hold out until you got a better offer from a team with serious interest.

I don't know...very rarely do you have superstar for superstar trades. More often than not it involves a package of young players/picks, etc. From that standpoint, the Suns seem well positioned.

This last summer was pretty instructive as to where the Suns are with top tier free agents. Acquiring good young talent/picks and putting together a trade seems to be our best opportunity to get a star.

David Lee = yuck. He puts up some stats, but is way overpaid, and doesn't move the needle. I appreciate the fact that the FO has been patient, and hope they continue to avoid the David Lee's of the world.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That's always it though, isn't it? Once we start talking about player who might be available we sink to the Larry Sanders' of the world--far from superstar status.

There are just not that many superstar players. Eric Bledsoe has as much a chance of being a superstar as any player we could get.

I think Bledsoe, Dragic and Thomas give us such an advantage at the guards spots that we can contend if we can just get sightly above average play from the center spot. It's even possible that Miles and Alex will give us that slightly above average play, it's just not likely to occur in the next season or even two. Still, I don't need us to win it all this year to believe that we are on the right track. Regardless of whether we make the playoffs this season, I'll consider this year a success if our center spot shows real improvement from what we saw last December (when it was arguably the best we had from that position all season).

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

Who else, regardless of availability, would be a candidate for the superstar addition to the Suns? Anyone in the league.

Certainly not Mason Plumlee.

Why does it have to be a superstar? That's only a title. I think Mason Plumlee would take the Suns to another level. This is a young player on the rise.

 

[AzStevenCal]

And now that Jeff Hornacek and the Suns have set the bar higher, we are going to run into a brick wall if we keep looking back.

Barely missing the playoffs has now raised expectations. Is our roster capable of taking more than baby steps next season?

If we miss the playoffs again or make a token appearance, it will be a disappointment after our growth last season.

Many of us evidently feel that the Suns haven't made the right roster moves to take the next step forward.

Time will tell if our team -- weak up front, overloaded in the back -- will be another Suns gimmick (like SSOL) which will not build a winner.

Perspective and expectation management require looking ahead to that next step. That is how I see it.

Not to all of us. I think we make the playoffs but we could play well and still miss out. IMO we're just starting the second year of our re-build. It takes time and trying to speed up the process runs the risk of doing more harm than good. Get the pieces you need and then develop those pieces. If we have the right parts, we just have to live through the process. Unless management has decided that Plumlee and Len are not the right parts, we just need to take our lumps while they develop.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

Why does it have to be a superstar? That's only a title. I think Mason Plumlee would take the Suns to another level. This is a young player on the rise.

If you can't get a superstar, you have to get a player that you think will be a superstar. Mason Plumlee might be a help, but he would replace one of Len, Mile, or Keef. That might be a little more than a sideways move.

 

[elindholm]

More often than not it involves a package of young players/picks, etc. From that standpoint, the Suns seem well positioned.

"Agree to disagree." Yes, it's usually a package of non-established assets, but it's almost always headlined by a single premium talent or top pick. (For example, the Cavaliers had to cough up Wiggins to get Love.) The Suns have a whole bunch of throw-ins and no headliner.

 

[elindholm]

That's only a title. I think Mason Plumlee would take the Suns to another level.

I can't agree with that at all. He'd add a few wins at most.

 

[JCSunsfan]

"Agree to disagree." Yes, it's usually a package of non-established assets, but it's almost always headlined by a single premium talent or top pick. (For example, the Cavaliers had to cough up Wiggins to get Love.) The Suns have a whole bunch of throw-ins and no headliner.

I would think that one of Dragic, Bledsoe, or IT might have to be involved in a trade for a superstar. The Lakers pick would also be intriguing to teams. If TJ Warren is as I think he might be, he could be a part of a package as well.

Superstar level talent has changed teams recently without giving up top level talent in return. There are free agents like Howard and LeBron. Trades like Harden to Houston and Howard to the Lakers. So its, possible, but we are not likely going to get a superstar without giving up one of our top players.

So, that move is a few months away.

It is possible that one of Bledsoe, TJ Warren, or Len could develop into that superstar level as well (yes Len). It might have to be a player that is on the cusp of really breaking out. A lot of superstar types were traded at that stage: Harden to Houston, KJ to Phoenix etc. Even Mark Gasol, wasn't considered much when he was traded to Memphis, but, according to some would fit the superstar role (I am not sure myself).

 

[Mainstreet]

I can't agree with that at all. He'd add a few wins at most.

I hope the Nets see him the same way and the Suns can work a trade.

I would throw a boatload of assets the Nets way if he could be obtained in a trade. As I understand it, AzStevenCal feels much the same.

Now that's cooking.

 

[Mainstreet]

If you can't get a superstar, you have to get a player that you think will be a superstar. Mason Plumlee might be a help, but he would replace one of Len, Mile, or Keef. That might be a little more than a sideways move.

I like Keef but I think Mason Plumlee would be a huge upgrade at PF. Mason might not be there today but he is on his way, IMO.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I hope the Nets see him the same way and the Suns can work a trade.

I would throw a boatload of assets the Nets way if he could be obtained in a trade. As I understand it, AzStevenCal feels much the same.

Now that's cooking.

I like him a lot but I like him as a center in our lineup. We need someone that can give us a low post game and he can do that at both ends of the court plus he runs the floor well. I just see him as a near perfect fit for what we lack and what we want to do. He's a better Miles IMO although I'm still hoping that Miles can get closer to this level.

Steve