Opening Day Roster for the 2017/18 Season

[pokerface]

If

course he is. Every player not named Booker, Jackson and maybe Warren is being shopped. Any thoughts otherwise aren't realistic.

Yeah but Chandler and Dudley are making news rumors over it...the others aren't.

 

[Chaplin]

Chandler...It would be a shame if having him around cost us a chance at a top four pick next season. And for what??

The lesson the suns should have learned last season is to trade the players they want to sit. Minus Booker they should trade Chandler and Bledsoe. When you trade them then we don't have to hear belly aching from players and fans on how we're tanking. They're just gone.

Did you just write that Chandler will be a difference maker in wins and losses? He hasn't been a difference maker at anytime since we signed him! Chandler preventing us from having a top 4 pick... that's rich, and you really hate him don't you?

 

[pokerface]

Did you just write that Chandler will be a difference maker in wins and losses? He hasn't been a difference maker at anytime since we signed him! Chandler preventing us from having a top 4 pick... that's rich, and you really hate him don't you?

Then why did the suns "rest" him last season?? Because they think he can be a difference maker. That's why they're shopping him now.

 

[Hoop Head]

Did you just write that Chandler will be a difference maker in wins and losses? He hasn't been a difference maker at anytime since we signed him! Chandler preventing us from having a top 4 pick... that's rich, and you really hate him don't you?

If he's not a difference maker why do you want to keep him? He's not a huge contributor to wins but I think most people will acknowledge he'll help us win probably 5 more games than we would without him. He makes enough of a difference that we'll finish in the bottom 3 in the standings without him while we'll probably finish in the bottom 4-7 or 8 range with him.

 

[SirStefan32]

Chandler...It would be a shame if having him around cost us a chance at a top four pick next season. And for what??

The lesson the suns should have learned last season is to trade the players they want to sit. Minus Booker they should trade Chandler and Bledsoe. When you trade them then we don't have to hear belly aching from players and fans on how we're tanking. They're just gone.

I think you overestimate how good Chandler is. If the Suns don't get a top-five pick, it will be because of Booker, Warren, Jackson, Ulis, Bender, Chriss, Len, and Bledsoe.

 

[pokerface]

I think you overestimate how good Chandler is. If the Suns don't get a top-five pick, it will be because of Booker, Warren, Jackson, Ulis, Bender, Chriss, Len, and Bledsoe.

I never put a number on how many wins Chandler brings to the table. The thing is he brings something... maybe just enough to keep us from getting one of players we're seeking in the next draft.

 

[SirStefan32]

There is no logic there. I don't even know how to respond to something so irrational. Of course he brings something. Booker brings something too, as do Bledsoe, Warren, Jackson, etc. Hell why play at all? Let's just concede every game, or sign 8 D-leaguer (or is it G-league now?) and have that rotation. That is sure to get you the worst record in the league and you can end up with the fourth pick.

 

[pokerface]

There is no logic there. I don't even know how to respond to something so irrational. Of course he brings something. Booker brings something too, as do Bledsoe, Warren, Jackson, etc. Hell why play at all? Let's just concede every game, or sign 8 D-leaguer (or is it G-league now?) and have that rotation. That is sure to get you the worst record in the league and you can end up with the fourth pick.

Hey the Suns sat Chandler last season and word is they're shopping him now. What do you think their motivations are?

 

[SirStefan32]

Dude, they are shopping everyone, with the exception of Booker, Jackson, and maybe Warren. I am always willing to listen if someone wants to buy one of my high-end guitars. Sure, if you want to give me 3K for one of my Strats or LPs, yeah, I'll probably do it, but I am not desperate to sell them. Is someone gonna give me what would make it worth my while? Probably not, but I'll listen to offers.

If Cavs offer that Brooklyn pick, damn right they'd trade Chandler- I would too. It's not going to happen. You listen to offers, but you don't trade someone for a late first-round pick when 3/4 of your roster is a bunch of 18-25 year olds. Chandler is not hurting anything nor anyone. Chandler or no Chandler makes zero difference.

 

[pokerface]

Dude, they are shopping everyone, with the exception of Booker, Jackson, and maybe Warren. I am always willing to listen if someone wants to buy one of my high-end guitars. Sure, if you want to give me 3K for one of my Strats or LPs, yeah, I'll probably do it, but I am not desperate to sell them. Is someone gonna give me what would make it worth my while? Probably not, but I'll listen to offers.

If Cavs offer that Brooklyn pick, damn right they'd trade Chandler- I would too. It's not going to happen. You listen to offers, but you don't trade someone for a late first-round pick when 3/4 of your roster is a bunch of 18-25 year olds. Chandler is not hurting anything nor anyone. Chandler or no Chandler makes zero difference.

The suns tanked last season...did they not? They sat Chandler as a part of that tank...They dealt Tucker...they are shopping Chandler and Dudley now. They tanked and they are probably tanking again... JEESH! Why is that so hard to believe?

 

[pokerface]

The thing I like more than anything is Sarver and McD seem to be on the same page with a few of like minded fans on this board. They traded and sat players last season for the draft and word is they are shopping Chandler and Dudley with probably the same goal in mind. They realize the draft is more important than getting ten extra wins on the season...far more important.

 

[Hoop Head]

Will the Suns win more games with or without Chandler? That's what it boils down to and I don't think it's hard to answer that. He helps us win more than we would without him, based on the players that would be filling in for them. Some combination of Bender, Chriss, and Len should be divvying up Chandler's minutes and if any of them blossom into quality Centers, that's a good thing. Although it's less of a good thing with Len, I'm not worried about that. We can always resign him if he has a really good year. However if it's Bender or Chriss who can breakout as players with the extra minutes available at Center that's great because we need to see something out of them this year since out of our young core only Booker and Warren have proven to be quality NBA players. Chriss and Bender are part of our core because of their potential not what they're currently bringing to the table.

If any of them help us win more than we're projected to with Chandler as our starting Center, so be it. Player development should be our #1 priority this season and Chandler does nothing to help us develop guys like Bender, Chriss, Len, or even Alec Peters, our 2nd round pick. He's taking 25-30 minutes a game from them as long as he's on the roster. Draft positioning is something that is important but that comes second to player development and shouldn't interfere with anyone's development. If sitting one of our young players helps get ping-pong balls then that's not something I'm in favor of. We can revisit the quest for draft positioning around the trade deadline but we shouldn't be thinking tank until February at the soonest.

 

[pokerface]

Will the Suns win more games with or without Chandler? That's what it boils down to and I don't think it's hard to answer that. He helps us win more than we would without him, based on the players that would be filling in for them. Some combination of Bender, Chriss, and Len should be divvying up Chandler's minutes and if any of them blossom into quality Centers, that's a good thing. Although it's less of a good thing with Len, I'm not worried about that. We can always resign him if he has a really good year. However if it's Bender or Chriss who can breakout as players with the extra minutes available at Center that's great because we need to see something out of them this year since out of our young core only Booker and Warren have proven to be quality NBA players. Chriss and Bender are part of our core because of their potential not what they're currently bringing to the table.

If any of them help us win more than we're projected to with Chandler as our starting Center, so be it. Player development should be our #1 priority this season and Chandler does nothing to help us develop guys like Bender, Chriss, Len, or even Alec Peters, our 2nd round pick. He's taking 25-30 minutes a game from them as long as he's on the roster. Draft positioning is something that is important but that comes second to player development and shouldn't interfere with anyone's development. If sitting one of our young players helps get ping-pong balls then that's not something I'm in favor of. We can revisit the quest for draft positioning around the trade deadline but we shouldn't be thinking tank until February at the soonest.

See I agree with this and have no problem with it. If they play the young guys and win with them it's all good. I would never want to see that ruined or sit players. But to keep vets around just to muck up our draft and get older and less valuable is just silly. If they trade the vets that's what I view as a "passive tank"...not benching players to lose. I think that's acceptable.

Plus trading vets gives our young core more game time experience. Why not develop them as fast as possible?

 

[leclerc]

You've got to have some veteran leadership in there to keep the kids in line. Plus I think competition is a good thing. They should not automatically get playing time but earn it in practice. However playing Ronnie Price while Ulis rides the pine is ludicrous. The line goes somewhere but it is not easy to see.

 

[pokerface]

There are different ways of looking at it but when a team has one of the worst records in the league then things get desperate. What do you do when even if you have money to spend on players but they won't come here because there isn't enough talent for their taste? If the suns don't improve through the draft then they don't improve much at all. But the draft is a gamble too so there is no perfect choice. But at least with the draft the suns don't get burned for big money like they did with Brandon Knight.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Can I just say that I love looking at this board and seeing Poop Head's avatar in front of it?

Glad he has a sense of humor about his name. The board needs to take itself less seriously sometimes. Solid work there Poop Head!

 

[Hoop Head]

Sure, vets help keep younger players in line but guys like Bledsoe are now veterans. It's unlikely we'll be able to move both Dudley & Chandler but moving one of them should be possible, with Chandler being the likely candidate. We don't have to look at only bringing in picks either. We could bring in someone younger who hasn't panned out elsewhere or isn't needed due to the position they play. I wish we could find a Center who is around 28-29 to bring in but those guys aren't that plentiful and aren't easily available. Some team might prefer to have Chandler than a younger guy though if they're looking to make a deep playoff run. I'd much rather have a player who plays through their peak in Phoenix and sticks around to mentor our young guys than someone who just wants to be here for 1 last payday, like Chandler. I know Dudley didn't play here during his peak years but that's only because we traded him for Bledsoe.

Bledsoe is the only player who is in their peak years, with everyone else being on rookie deals outside of Chandler & Dudley. We're really young and we don't need to add more youth but younger than Chandler, who is 35, isn't a bad thing. Bringing in someone else who is closer to Bledsoe's age would help this team more than Chandler or Dudley could on the court plus they'd be in position to help us much longer, being able to move into a mentor role later on. I think that's why Chandler hasn't worked out that well as a vet here, he has no experience with anyone here. Young players respect players they have history with. I read an article about the Greek Freak being mad that Jason Kidd benched him and he decided to look him up because he thought Kidd was a scrub throughout his playing days, kind of a like an Earl Watson type player. Once he looked him up then he realized he was in the wrong, not just about who Kidd was in the NBA but to question him in general. We need someone our young guys can really look up to, not a journeyman big like Chandler or journeyman wing like Dudley.



Here's the story on Giannis & Kidd...
https://www.barstoolsports.com/newy...sed-to-be-a-*******-superstar/comment-page-1/

 

[leclerc]

You make some good points, poop head.

 

[Mainstreet]

The game Friday night against Brisbane is supposed to give at hint at the Suns starting roster.

Watson said that if everyone's healthy – T.J. Warren sat out Wednesday's game with a back contusion – he'll likely go with his regular-season starting lineup in Friday's preseason finale against the Brisbane Bullets.

Watson wouldn't divulge what that lineup will look like but he seemed to give a hint that Tyson Chandler will be his starting center with this statement:

“As we saw through preseason we need veteran leadership to start the game,” Watson said. “Our starts have been challenging. We need guys out there who have been there and done that.”

by Scott Bordow, azcentral sports

So this could be Chandler or Len at center but my guess it's Chandler starting.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...-booker-reggie-miller-chris-webber/756128001/

 

[Hoop Head]

Len has played really well too, he's only one of 4 players to average a double double so far this preseason but Chandler is walking into the starting job. I think that says what we need to know about the chances of Chandler having a bench role this year.

 

[Chaplin]

Len has played really well too, he's only one of 4 players to average a double double so far this preseason but Chandler is walking into the starting job. I think that says what we need to know about the chances of Chandler having a bench role this year.

Come on. If Len continues this tear WHEN GAMES MATTER, you will see a change. 100% guaranteed.

 

[Hoop Head]

Maybe, maybe not. If I were Len I'd be a disheartened by being sat after a great preseason while your competition didn't show up. It's not like Chandler is a top 10 or even top 15 Center in the league either.

 

[BC867]

Len, disheartened? His fate is, and has been, in his hands and he has failed, except for a good game now and then.

If he had confidence in himself, he'd already be the lead Center at this stage of Chandler's career.

The other conclusion would be that Alex Len simply does not have the skill package to be a starting Center in the NBA.

My feeling is ........ both! It is what it is. The Suns have invested in him and he has not produced, leaving a gaping hole in the roster, now that the Coach realizes that you need a presence in the middle.

If anyone thinks there is still a chance, the first ten games of the season should decide that, once and for all. And Len will have the benefit of playing against reserves to prove himself.

If he can't cut it against reserves, he surely can't be expected to fill a role with the starters, an opportunity that he has been given over and over.

Am I angry at Alex Len? No, I am disappointed that he has not produced and that management keeps plodding along.

 

[pokerface]

Yeah let's see how Len is in his first 10-20 games... regular season games! My guess is it will be a mixed bag of points/rebounding & fouling/turnovers.

 

[Ronin]

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