Returning players: most improved

[Griffin]

Of our returning players, who will likely improve the most in the coming season?

We've already seen significant improvement out of Lopez, Dragic and Dudley this past season. We expect them to continue to get better and play an even bigger role next season. Can Lopez stay healthy and start producing at the level of his brother now that Amare is gone? Is there enough playing time for Dragic to continue to develop with the addition of Turkoglu who can also run the offense?

Then there's Frye who probably surprised many people last year with his outside shooting. But can he become the rebounder and defender that we need him to be? He may not get minutes otherwise. Clark was a popular option in a similar poll last year, but he hardly played and many people are down on him now. Can he follow in the footsteps of Lopez and Dragic and have a great sophomore season? There certainly is a lot of room for improvement.

To be fair, I've included all returning players this time. But Nash and Hill would never win the most improved award regardless of what they do out there, because they've already accomplished so much. Richardson, on the other hand, is a more viable choice, because there is reason to believe that he may very well be heading for a big season. Still, for Richardson to receive consideration here he'd have to have a career year imo since he's already put up big numbers before coming to Phoenix (23ppg in 2005/06).

 

[Chaplin]

I chose Robin, but Channing is a very close 2nd.

 

[Mainstreet]

I chose Robin, but Channing is a very close 2nd.

I was the one who chose Frye simply because he played well in his first year in the Suns system and there is a lot of room for improvement in his second season with the Suns. Lopez is a good choice providing he stays healthy. Back problems with a player always worry me.

 

[Irish]

I chose Clark because he can't get any worse.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/

 

[Chaplin]

I was the one who chose Frye simply because he played well in his first year in the Suns system and there is a lot of room for improvement in his second season with the Suns. Lopez is a good choice providing he stays healthy. Back problems with a player always worry me.

I said Channing was 2nd simply because he HAS to improve. There's no question, in order for us to win, Channing Frye's improvement on the boards and defensively are vital for the team--IMO second only to Lopez's development as an everyday starting center.

 

[desertdawg]

Lopez can do big things, I can see him getting much tougher.

 

[Irish]

The question's wording creates this wild discrpancy. A guy who did nothing can easily be 100% better. A guy who did a nice job and gets 50% better could end up being a lot more valuable, but not on a percentage basis.

 

[Griffin]

The question's wording creates this wild discrpancy. A guy who did nothing can easily be 100% better. A guy who did a nice job and gets 50% better could end up being a lot more valuable, but not on a percentage basis.

The improvement has to be relative to team value. For example, Clark averaging 6 ppg would be a big statistical improvement over his last year's performance and easily attainable as you say, but not really a significant contribution to the team (and still quite disappointing given his draft position).

 

[mojorizen7]

Goran. Hopefully he shows enough improvement that he'll finally begin to squeeze out the old fun guy....so we can move on sooner rather than later.

 

[Griffin]

I'll go with Lopez. If he can stay healthy, he should become our second (behind Richardson) and perhaps even first option on offense. Defensively he has shown great improvement already and I expect that to continue. Without Amare, his numbers should significantly go up.

Frye should also play a bigger role than last year. He has been critical of himself at times for poor rebounding, so he understands what is needed of him and where he needs to improve.

Clark is a big question mark at this point. There is so much talent there that he could very well get in the rotation and play a significant role. But he could just as well be buried again at the end of the bench. Wtih him it seems mostly a mental hurdle he needs to overcome.

 

[BC867]

Clark is a big question mark at this point. There is so much talent there that he could very well get in the rotation and play a significant role. But he could just as well be buried again at the end of the bench. Wtih him it seems mostly a mental hurdle he needs to overcome.

I have more confidence in Alvin Gentry than either of his two predecessors in either solving that problem or determining that it cannot be solved.

That's a comfortable feeling.

 

[Chaplin]

Interesting how much love Goran is getting. I love the kid also, but how much more improving to people think he's going to do? I'm not saying he's hit his peak, but he's much closer to it than Robin is to his.

 

[Gaddabout]

Goran. Hopefully he shows enough improvement that he'll finally begin to squeeze out the old fun guy....so we can move on sooner rather than later.

 

[Chaplin]

Goran. Hopefully he shows enough improvement that he'll finally begin to squeeze out the old fun guy....so we can move on sooner rather than later.

Granted, we're not a championship team, but I still have trouble understanding why Steve Nash is so disrespected here. It's a little disturbing.

The guy is old, fine. But he's still AT WORST a top 5 point guard in the NBA, regardless of his age. And he does something that Goran Dragic, our point guard of the future, cannot do--make people better. Nash is brilliant at helping players achieve their potential--precisely why Hakim Warrick will probably exceed expectations this year. He's already done it with Goran Dragic, who NOBODY, including several people on this board, thought would be as good as he is now.

And like it or not, but Goran Dragic doesn't make players around him better yet. And THAT'S what our point guard should be able to do.

 

[Superbone]

It's sad really. Some don't know what they've got until they're gone.

 

[mojorizen7]

Go Beat your Matt Self

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[mojorizen7]

Granted, we're not a championship team, but I still have trouble understanding why Steve Nash is so disrespected here. It's a little disturbing.

The guy is old, fine. But he's still AT WORST a top 5 point guard in the NBA, regardless of his age. And he does something that Goran Dragic, our point guard of the future, cannot do--make people better. Nash is brilliant at helping players achieve their potential--precisely why Hakim Warrick will probably exceed expectations this year. He's already done it with Goran Dragic, who NOBODY, including several people on this board, thought would be as good as he is now.

And like it or not, but Goran Dragic doesn't make players around him better yet. And THAT'S what our point guard should be able to do.

Good post Chap.
Goran may not be the PG of the future that makes everybody around him better.....thing is, i'm okay with that. I want my PG to make every PG in front of him play like ****....thereby disrupting everything the other team wants to run offensively. It would be nice if that PG could avg 11 apg,shoot over 50% from 3pt land and excite the fans, but i'd rather let my bigs dictate the offense,and beat the opposition up physically while my guards & swings get clean looks due to the defense collapsing inside.

...but thats just me.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Good post Chap.
Goran may not be the PG of the future that makes everybody around him better.....thing is, i'm okay with that. I want my PG to make every PG in front of him play like ****....thereby disrupting everything the other team wants to run offensively. It would be nice if that PG could avg 11 apg,shoot over 50% from 3pt land and excite the fans, but i'd rather let my bigs dictate the offense,and beat the opposition up physically while my guards & swings get clean looks due to the defense collapsing inside.

...but thats just me.

I'm with you. I say turn Hedo and Frye loose and let them beat up the opposition physically.

Steve