Preseason: Trail Blazers @ Suns Monday game thread, 10-16-2023

[Phrazbit]

Between Keon, Lee and Bol we have a lot of guys who are keen on trying to score 1 on 3 out there.

 

[Mainstreet]

Final:

Suns 117 - Trail Blazers 106

 

[Mainstreet]

Some final stats.

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[Cheesebeef]

I honestly can’t recall anytime the suns had this many players capable of creating their own shot.

1993 is the closest I can think of - Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Ainge, Miller, Majerle(ish). But even that’s kind of a stretch.

Booker/KD/Beal are all elite. Gordon and Allen are both solid. And even Okogie can do a little. It’s incredibly exciting.

I still think we’re a PJ Brown-type away from having pretty much every base covered. Rebounding/Interior D will def be this team’s Achilles heel, if they have one.

Edit: 1998 squad had Kidd, McDyess, Danny Manning, Rex Chapman and Uncle Cliffy. That was 4 solid shot creators and one elite distributor but no elite scorer amongst the bunch. But that was a damn good team that could have done some 2004 Pistons-esque damage had Manning not blown out his knee with ten games left in the season.

 

[Mainstreet]

If the Suns don't keep Bol Bol, why did they sign him? It's not like he is an unknown commodity.

 

[Proximo]

So who are you replacing Saban Lee with on a two-way contract?

I suppose he is ok as a 2 way player. But if he is playing we better be up by 20+ in the 4th.

 

[Proximo]

If the Suns don't keep Bol Bol, why did they sign him? It's not like he is an unknown commodity.

It might be one of those situations where one of our coaches thought they could fix him, and now that they have tried they no longer think so.

also we added 3 other players that werent on the roster when we signed him.

 

[nashman]

So who are you replacing Saban Lee with on a two-way contract?

Maybe little or Johnson they young with potential? Not sure but Lee just doesn’t seem to fit imo, could be wrong just don’t see much to like from him. Just barrels uncontrolled towards the basket and try’s contested layups that just get blocked repeatedly… not great to me…

 

[Mainstreet]

It might be one of those situations where one of our coaches thought they could fix him, and now that they have tried they no longer think so.

also we added 3 other players that werent on the roster when we signed him.

IMO, Bol Bol is a specialty player. The only thing I can figure, the Suns had a role for him in mind.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think Goodwin is going to be my favorite player to watch h this season.

 

[Mainstreet]

Maybe little or Johnson they young with potential? Not sure but Lee just doesn’t seem to fit imo, could be wrong just don’t see much to like from him. Just barrels uncontrolled towards the basket and try’s contested layups that just get blocked repeatedly… not great to me…

Since Saban Lee is on a two-way contract, he doesn't impact the Suns 15 man roster.

They even have another two-way spot to fill if they desire.

 

[Hoop Head]

Maybe little or Johnson they young with potential? Not sure but Lee just doesn’t seem to fit imo, could be wrong just don’t see much to like from him. Just barrels uncontrolled towards the basket and try’s contested layups that just get blocked repeatedly… not great to me…

Little is locked in for the next 4 seasons. He's due about $7-8 million a year. He's not going anywhere. Not a good deal but maybe we can trade him for someone better. He's young so there's also a chance he turns it around as well. I have a feeling he'll be given lots of opportunities due to his contract though. Kind of stuck with him.

 

[Phrazbit]

1993 is the closest I can think of - Barkley, KJ, Dumas, Ainge, Miller, Majerle(ish). But even that’s kind of a stretch.

Booker/KD/Beal are all elite. Gordon and Allen are both solid. And even Okogie can do a little. It’s incredibly exciting.

I still think we’re a PJ Brown-type away from having pretty much every base covered. Rebounding/Interior D will def be this team’s Achilles heel, if they have one.

Edit: 1998 squad had Kidd, McDyess, Danny Manning, Rex Chapman and Uncle Cliffy. That was 4 solid shot creators and one elite distributor but no elite scorer amongst the bunch. But that was a damn good team that could have done some 2004 Pistons-esque damage had Manning not blown out his knee with ten games left in the season.

Ceballos was on that 93 team too, broke his ankle in the Seattle series. Chambers was there as well, obviously in his twilight but still solid. They had 7 guys averaging double figures. Just a ridiculously stacked team.

 

[SunsTzu]

If the Suns don't keep Bol Bol, why did they sign him? It's not like he is an unknown commodity.

It was a 1 year minimum deal, seems more like kicking the tires on a player than being invested in them.

For example all the other players the Suns signed to minimum deals included a 2nd year player option just to give them as much insurance as possible(at significant cost to the team since the league only offsets 1 year minimum deals when it comes to taxes).

 

[GatorAZ]

Beal is still deceptively explosive.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Ceballos was on that 93 team too, broke his ankle in the Seattle series. Chambers was there as well, obviously in his twilight but still solid. They had 7 guys averaging double figures. Just a ridiculously stacked team.

Ced was a garbage man supreme at that point, but it wasn’t until the next season that he really started creating shots on his own. And Chambers I thought about listing, but he’d more often put the ball on the ground, only to get it stolen, fall down and slap the floor while yelling at a ref than actually score.

But yeah… that team was stacked.

 

[95pro]

Little is locked in for the next 4 seasons. He's due about $7-8 million a year. He's not going anywhere. Not a good deal but maybe we can trade him for someone better. He's young so there's also a chance he turns it around as well. I have a feeling he'll be given lots of opportunities due to his contract though. Kind of stuck with him.

He could be trade filler in the future as well.

 

[95pro]

Maybe little or Johnson they young with potential? Not sure but Lee just doesn’t seem to fit imo, could be wrong just don’t see much to like from him. Just barrels uncontrolled towards the basket and try’s contested layups that just get blocked repeatedly… not great to me…

I agree with your assessment on Saben. He just has too much tunnel vision, he's attack the rim good for his size but he just will not pass it up to the open guy in the corner. His finishing sucks, good athleticism for his size though. But you let the local guy stick on the 2 way contract. His shot is a little better looking than last year.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

IMO, Bol Bol is a specialty player. The only thing I can figure, the Suns had a role for him in mind.

He has shown some ability in the past to bother Jokic with his length. That is probably part of the reason they brought him in.

It might be one of those situations where one of our coaches thought they could fix him, and now that they have tried they no longer think so.

also we added 3 other players that werent on the roster when we signed him.

That would lend itself to the idea that they probably aren't going to make that decision based on a few preseason games. It takes more than a month or so to "fix" someone.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Little is locked in for the next 4 seasons. He's due about $7-8 million a year. He's not going anywhere. Not a good deal but maybe we can trade him for someone better. He's young so there's also a chance he turns it around as well. I have a feeling he'll be given lots of opportunities due to his contract though. Kind of stuck with him.

His contract is movable. Even if it was to pick up a second round pick or something.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Ced was a garbage man supreme at that point, but it wasn’t until the next season that he really started creating shots on his own. And Chambers I thought about listing, but he’d more often put the ball on the ground, only to get it stolen, fall down and slap the floor while yelling at a ref than actually score.

But yeah… that team was stacked.

Oh man. I remember Chambers getting the ball stolen so much. That was so frustrating.

 

[Folster]

I think Goodwin is going to be my favorite player to watch h this season.

He was a steal. It's incredible that he was essentially a throw-in as cap filler on a trade that was already a robbery.

I wonder if Beal pushed to have him included in the deal. I feel bad for Wizards fans.

 

[95pro]

He was a steal. It's incredible that he was essentially a throw-in as cap filler on a trade that was already a robbery.

I wonder if Beal pushed to have him included in the deal. I feel bad for Wizards fans.

He did.

 

[Bufalay]

maybe goodwin can guard jamal murray

 

[Mainstreet]

It was a 1 year minimum deal, seems more like kicking the tires on a player than being invested in them.

For example all the other players the Suns signed to minimum deals included a 2nd year player option just to give them as much insurance as possible(at significant cost to the team since the league only offsets 1 year minimum deals when it comes to taxes).

Waiving Bol Bol and replacing him with another vet minimum player is an expensive way of doing business, but Mat Ishbia has shown no reluctance to spend.