Season Obits

[JCSunsfan]

Just thought I would start a thread where we post links to articles recapping the Suns season.

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are headed for the lottery and the Memphis Grizzlies the playoffs, just as we all thought when the season began.

Yet while Memphis breathed a collective sigh of relief after clinching its fourth straight playoff berth with a 97-91 victory Monday in Phoenix, it's the Suns who celebrated a season that surpassed all preseason expectations before coming to a plodding end against a Grizzlies squad they could not beat all season.

"It's always fun to do opposite of what other people are saying," Suns guard Goran Dragic said. "It was really fun to prove them wrong."

Yet unlike after their previous three playoff misses -- the first two with the franchise still hanging on to the Nash era, the last with a team lacking talent and cohesion -- this time it's not hard to envision a quick return to prominence in the desert, especially with six first-round picks coming Phoenix's way in the next two drafts.

"I think we're headed in the right direction," Dragic said. "When you're so close to the playoffs, you always want a little bit more. At the end, maybe we didn't have so much experience in some games. Overall it was a great season, fun year for us."

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-140414/rise-fall-surprising-suns

Please follow the link to read the entire article

 

[WildBB]

Not enough meat and potato's inside.

Need a Barkley type. Kevin Love? Zach Randolph showed exactely what the team lacks. NBA mid round draft pick prob. won't fix it.

Otherwise a very entertaining team. You had to root for them.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Not enough meat and potato's inside.

Need a Barkley type. Kevin Love? Zach Randolph showed exactely what the team lacks. NBA mid round draft pick prob. won't fix it.

Otherwise a very entertaining team. You had to root for them.

I don't think there are any Barkley types out there.

Kevin Love actually put up a triple double (24p 16r 10a) against Zbo (4 5 3) last time they went head to head. The other time they played this month, the points were about the same, but Love outrebounded Zbo. When they played in January, the stats were close but love outscored Zbo 28/26 and outrebounded him 16/12. When they played in December, Love outscored him 30/20 but was outrebounded 9/12, but Love had 3 blocks to 0 by Randolph.

Just saying, I think Love can hold his own against Randolph. He'd be a great addition to our team. And from what I have seen, he isn't going to get pushed around by anyone.

 

[BC867]

Congratulations to the Suns for far exceeding expectations!

Looking ahead, this elimination game against the Grizzlies is, interestingly, a microcosm of a season in which we were so close to a playoff berth and why we lost.

Their starting front court totaled 54 points and 25 rebounds. Randolph 32 & 9; Gasol 18 & 8; and Prince 4 & 8. Each of the three with 8 or 9 rebounds.

Our starting front court totaled 31 points and 12 rebounds. Frye 14 & 5 (one of his better games); Plumlee 12 & 4; and Tucker 5 & 3 (one of his worse games).

Even if you add in Markieff's twenty-seven minutes as a bonus to the Suns comparison, his 2 rebounds still brought us up to 14 vs. their 25.

If we are going to build a strong playoff contender and team, any plans to stick with any two of our three front court starters (let alone all three) is going to ruin it.

Who are our best players at this time?

(1) Head and shoulders above the rest -- Goran Dragic (on one leg or two).

(2) Markieff Morris -- that shows how weak a team we are.

(3) Eric Bledsoe -- as many weaknesses as strong points even without considering his leg problems, while our main defensive stopper in the back court.

(4-tie) PJ Tucker -- our main defensive stopper in the front court.

(4-tie) Gerald Green -- if only his basketball IQ were as advanced as his skills.

(6) Ish Smith -- a perfect 3rd Point Guard.

The rest of them -- marginal or worse. If Len's legs and development hold up, he could step out as (7). Miles Plumlee -- too inconsistent. As a Center, he doesn't put fear into any opponent's mind. Marcus -- marginal. Frye -- weakens the two power positions.

Your thoughts, guys?

Edit: Instead of referring to our best players, I should have said the most valuable of our players, which is what I was thinking.

 

[SirStefan32]

Congratulations to the Suns for far exceeding expectations!

Looking ahead, this elimination game against the Grizzlies is, interestingly, a microcosm of a season in which we were so close to a playoff berth and why we lost.

Their starting front court totaled 54 points and 25 rebounds. Randolph 32 & 9; Gasol 18 & 8; and Prince 4 & 8. Each of the three with 8 or 9 rebounds.

Our starting front court totaled 31 points and 12 rebounds. Frye 14 & 5 (one of his better games); Plumlee 12 & 4; and Tucker 5 & 3 (one of his worse games).

Even if you add in Markieff's twenty-seven minutes as a bonus to the Suns comparison, his 2 rebounds still brought us up to 14 vs. their 25.

If we are going to build a strong playoff contender and team, any plans to stick with any two of our three front court starters (let alone all three) is going to ruin it.

Who are our best players at this time?

(1) Head and shoulders above the rest -- Goran Dragic (on one leg or two).

(2) Markieff Morris -- that shows how weak a team we are.

(3) Eric Bledsoe -- as many weaknesses as strong points even without considering his leg problems, while our main defensive stopper in the back court.

(4-tie) PJ Tucker -- our main defensive stopper in the front court.

(4-tie) Gerald Green -- if only his basketball IQ were as advanced as his skills.

(6) Ish Smith -- a perfect 3rd Point Guard.

The rest of them -- marginal or worse. If Len's legs and development hold up, he could step out as (7). Miles Plumlee -- too inconsistent. As a Center, he doesn't put fear into any opponent's mind. Marcus -- marginal. Frye -- weakens the two power positions.

Your thoughts, guys?

Edit: Instead of referring to our best players, I should have said the most valuable of our players, which is what I was thinking.

Oh man, I am not a Bledsoe fanboy like some on this board, but he is easily our second best player.
I'd rank them something like this:
1. Dragic (By far)
2. Bledsoe
3. Green
4. Kieff Morris
5. Tucker
6. Plumlee
7. Marcus Morris
8. Ish Smith

Huge drop off after Bledsoe.

 

[elindholm]

I'd rank them something like this:
1. Dragic (By far)
2. Bledsoe
3. Green
4. Kieff Morris
5. Tucker
6. Plumlee
7. Marcus Morris
8. Ish Smith

Did you leave Frye off by accident, or do you really have him outside the top 8? I'd probably put him at #6, if you go by the season as a whole.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Oh man, I am not a Bledsoe fanboy like some on this board

jesus...you're a douche. and before someone bans me for saying so, we all know that the term "fanboy" isn't a term of endearment. it's an insult...much like the rest of the digs you get in at people who say anything positive about Bledsoe. Forgive us for enjoying a player who made a MAJOR impact on the team.

 

[SirStefan32]

Did you leave Frye off by accident, or do you really have him outside the top 8? I'd probably put him at #6, if you go by the season as a whole.

I did forget Frye by accident, and I would agree that he'd be #6 on the list. Nice catch- I knew I was forgetting someone.

 

[SirStefan32]

jesus...you're a douche. and before someone bans me for saying so, we all know that the term "fanboy" isn't a term of endearment. it's an insult...much like the rest of the digs you get in at people who say anything positive about Bledsoe. Forgive us for enjoying a player who made a MAJOR impact on the team.

What a lovely, kind, happy person you are!
I WAS actually saying something positive about Bledsoe, so I am not sure what your problem is. I was calling people names because they say something positive about Bledsoe, and then I said that he was by far the second best player on this team? Yeah, that makes sense.

If you don't like my posts, don't read them, especially if your best response is to call me a douche.

Lighten up, man. We've both been on this board for 10+ years. We'll disagree and agree on many different things. No need to get pissy when we disagree.

 

[Catlover]

What a lovely, kind, happy person you are!
I WAS actually saying something positive about Bledsoe, so I am not sure what your problem is. I was calling people names because they say something positive about Bledsoe, and then I said that he was by far the second best player on this team? Yeah, that makes sense.

If you don't like my posts, don't read them, especially if your best response is to call me a douche.

Lighten up, man. We've both been on this board for 10+ years. We'll disagree and agree on many different things. No need to get pissy when we disagree.

So you'd like to be called a fanboy?

 

[KloD]

How did this thread go from posting links to articles about the Suns season to people arguing and throwing insults over their OPINION of where each player ranks on the team? Man has this board declined... sigh.

 

[KloD]

What a lovely, kind, happy person you are!
I WAS actually saying something positive about Bledsoe, so I am not sure what your problem is. I was calling people names because they say something positive about Bledsoe, and then I said that he was by far the second best player on this team? Yeah, that makes sense.

If you don't like my posts, don't read them, especially if your best response is to call me a douche.

Lighten up, man. We've both been on this board for 10+ years. We'll disagree and agree on many different things. No need to get pissy when we disagree.

..and FYI, Stefan you started it with the unnecessary insult thrown at those who value Bledsoe more than yourself. If you are going to get personal, don't act surprised when it's thrown back at you.

 

[SirStefan32]

How did this thread go from posting links to articles about the Suns season to people arguing and throwing insults over their OPINION of where each player ranks on the team?

Probably my fault. I just couldn't not point out that Bledsoe is much more valuable than Morris, which somehow made me a Bledsoe-hater.

 

[SirStefan32]

..and FYI, Stefan you started it with the unnecessary insult thrown at those who value Bledsoe more than yourself. If you are going to get personal, don't act surprised when it's thrown back at you.

I did not get personal nor am I surprised. I've been around for so many years that nothing surprises me. Doesn't mean I am not going to point out how ridiculous someone's overreaction is.

 

[BC867]

I knew it wouldn't be a popular opinion, but I chose Markieff as more valuable than Eric to the Suns this season. He came through all season long.

When your most valuable player is a Guard, your next most valuable player needs to be in the front court and he met that responsibility.

Beside being talented, the next most important part of being high on the team MVP list is being consistent.

I feel that, second to Dragic, Markieff turned out to be our most consistent player. He was there in steady performance all season long, whether going up against bigger Power Forwards or even Centers.

Goran and Kieff were the two players we knew we could count on, every quarter and every game.

Regarding Eric, the league MVP wouldn't be one who missed half the season. That should be taken into account with the team, too.

And, with his leg problems, we don't know if that is going to change.

BTW, for those who feel that Frye should be considered over Kieff, his occasional hot 3-point shooting nights hardly qualify him as an MVP 6'11" player.

P.S.: Despite my suggesting that Markieff was our 2nd most valuable player, we need a strong Power Forward, now that more will be expected of us.

 

[Catlover]

I knew it wouldn't be a popular opinion, but I chose Markieff as more valuable than Eric to the Suns this season. He came through all season long.

When your most valuable player is a Guard, your next most valuable player needs to be in the front court and he met that responsibility.

Beside being talented, the next most important part of being high on the team MVP list is being consistent.

I feel that, second to Dragic, Markieff turned out to be our most consistent player. He was there in steady performance all season long, whether going up against bigger Power Forwards or even Centers.

Goran and Kieff were the two players we knew we could count on, every quarter and every game.

Regarding Eric, the league MVP wouldn't be one who missed half the season. That should be taken into account with the team, too.

And, with his leg problems, we don't know if that is going to change.

BTW, for those who feel that Frye should be considered over Kieff, his occasional hot 3-point shooting nights hardly qualify him as an MVP 6'11" player.

P.S.: Despite my suggesting that Markieff was our 2nd most valuable player, we need a strong Power Forward, now that more will be expected of us.

I wouldn't put Frye above Markieff at all but you apparently had him somewhere below Ish and that's unreal. As for rating them based on their importance to our wins over the entire season I'd go with Dragic, Green, Markieff, Bledsoe, Frye, Plumlee, Marcus and then Ish with a major drop off after Frye and the last three being pretty much a tossup. If we had made this ranking on the first of the year I would have gone Bledsoe, Dragic, Frye, Green, Markieff, Plumlee, Marcus and then Ish and the huge drop off would have been after Plumlee.

Markieff has had a better season than Frye, by far, but he hasn't been as consistent as you suggest. He's been there all season which is a huge plus but he's disappeared on far too many nights. He hasn't disappeared as frequently as he did in previous years but he still needs to find that spark every night, same with Green.

 

[SirStefan32]

It's a big jump from "Morris is better than Frye" to "Morris is the Suns' second best player. This notion that one of your two best players has to be a PF or a C doesn't have any basis in reality. It is true that most of the time, that is true, as it makes the team more balanced, but you cannot possibly tell me that Jordan/Pippen Bulls had a frontcourt 2nd best player. Add OKC to that list. Opposite can also be true (Duncan/ Robinson Spurs with PF and C being the two best players.

I agree that the Suns need to be more balanced (give me Dragic and Love or Dragic and LMA over Dragic/ Bledsoe combo any day of the week) but you are taking this way too far, in my opinion.

 

[BC867]

It's a big jump from "Morris is better than Frye" to "Morris is the Suns' second best player.

As I corrected myself, before anyone responded, I meant second most valuable player rather than second best player.

I feel he filled a need more than anyone else on the team except for Dragic from start to finish, whereas all of the other players were inconsistent from game to game.

It got to the point where we couldn't wait to see Kieff come in, knowing he'd lift the team.

That is a reflection on the inconsistency of most of the rest of the roster more than his performance alone.

Or, to put it another way, the Suns finished a lot higher than anyone expected, thanks to (1) Dragic, (2) Markieff and (3) Bledsoe (when he was healthy).

The bottom line is that we're finishing as a lottery team. For next season to be better (now that we are not under the radar), anyone except Goran is expendable to add strength to the front court. Including Markieff and Bledsoe. So, who was the second most valuable Sun after Dragic is almost a moot point.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Um...any articles?

 

[BC867]

Um...any articles?

If that is in response to my post, it is just one long-time fan's opinion.

This is the ARIZONA SPORTS FANS board.

 

[KloD]

If that is in response to my post, it is just one long-time fan's opinion.

This is the ARIZONA SPORTS FANS board.

I could be wrong, but I think he's asking the same question I did earlier. Ok, I didn't ask the question... I bitched about the thread going off in some random direction, but he started the thread to ask folks to post articles about the teams season. Yet, after his first post all he got was some folks posting their player ranks and insulting each other over it. I clicked on the thread hoping to read some articles and as happens a lot around here, found nothing of what the thread was supposed to have in it. Of course I could be wrong though...

 

[JCSunsfan]

If that is in response to my post, it is just one long-time fan's opinion.

This is the ARIZONA SPORTS FANS board.

No. Its about this thread being a place where we can put links to articles recapping the Suns season.

 

[BC867]

No. Its about this thread being a place where we can put links to articles recapping the Suns season.

How about instead of labeling this an "obit" we just call it a short coma?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Is this where we post about the D-Backs?

 

[Griffin]

It should be noted that the Suns are now on their longest playoff drought since 1971-75 and, obviously, its longest during the modern 16-team playoff format.