Suns at Warriors 10-8-18 (preseason)

[slinslin]

They're not as good as they looked tonight, but, similarly, I don't think they're as bad as they've looked previously.

I think they're the worst point guard rotation in the league, but not the worst by 10 miles. Tonight they looked better because tonight the ball movement by the entire team was better and open shooters hit their threes. I think Booker (as the primary ball handler or not) will make their lives waaaaay easier than what we've seen.

And on the same note... firing McD before seeing how this roster looked with Booker really makes me queasy. Booker is going to be back in weeks, why not wait a few weeks to see how the roster looks with it's best player? If it is still a mess... fire McD. Any solution to that mess will be as ready then as it is now... and probably come with less cost as it won't smack with as much desperation.

I might be overreacting... but if we do some stupid trade like Warren, and a mildly protected first for a stop gap point guard... I'm going to blow a blood vessel.

Even if we win 40 games with this roster McDonough deserved to get fired over allowing the Dragic fiasco, the Thomas fiasco, the Knight trade, the Morris fiasco, the Bledsoe fiasco, the Ulis fiasco and the Bender pick.

 

[Phrazbit]

Even if we win 40 games with this roster McDonough deserved to get fired over allowing the Dragic fiasco, the Thomas fiasco, the Knight trade, the Morris fiasco, the Bledsoe fiasco, the Ulis fiasco and the Bender pick.

I don't argue that McD hadn't earned a dismissal.

I just think the reasons for that dismissal were well known 6 months ago, and the reasoning for doing it now is because our owner is impatient and there is a really good chance he is about to do something stupid.

 

[Russ Smith]

Dude can play! Such a smooth jumper, great hands, soft touch around the rim too.

Jim Barnett in particular just loved Ayton's game, said you just don't see too many kids that age who understand the game(offensively) so well. He was also impressed that Ayton can move his feet on defense, the play late first half when Durant challenged him and drew a foul in particular he said that's actually really good defense as a rookie they call the foul on you but he played that well.

 

[Russ Smith]

This. Oddly, Alonzo trier who was a huge dissapointment at U of A and went undrafted to Knicks has been playing real well in preseason...

U if A underperforms every year, i dont know hiw Miller still has a job

Alkins had a 25 point 11 rebound game in SL and got signed to a 2 way contract by the Bulls. So they had 3 NBA players on last years roster. Admittedly Alkins was never 100% healthy.

I think Miller burns teams out, he pushes them so hard in the regular season he can't get more out of them in the postseason. But I also think the last few years of losing to double digit seeds is a direct result of who he recruited. When you start going after mercenary kids who are only in school because they have to be, you're going to have a harder time getting them to buy in, especially a personality like Miller. Coach K is having the same issue at Duke, and even Calipari has had some UK teams that underachieved relative to talent because they weren't really a team. It's much harder to coach those kinds of kids, and Miller found that out the last 3 years.

 

[Yuma]

Everyone keeps throwing in the Knight trade as a reason McD got fired. How do you blame him for this? Houston had a bad playoff round versus GS, and Anderson and Ariza looked really bad. So Houston was willing to trade them to almost anyone for anything. Enter the Phoenix Suns. If a GM called me and said they would take Knight and Chriss for two guys who would be starters on my team currently, I'm doing that trade all day long! Get rid of two headaches for two solid players? From what I have seen just so far, it's a win win trade. Chriss looks better at Houston with a fresh start than he did last season for us.

I get we traded away our "PG." Then teams held us hostage. But seriously, you have a chance to move Knight and you don't take it?

 

[Krangodnzr]

He's still learning the game and I fully expect him to make a lot of stupid mistakes this season. I was surprised that the freaking Warriors made it a point to double-team him. I mean, talk about respect.

He's a monster. The kid is going to be the best inside threat likely next season.

 

[TJ]

This. Oddly, Alonzo trier who was a huge dissapointment at U of A and went undrafted to Knicks has been playing real well in preseason...

U if A underperforms every year, i dont know hiw Miller still has a job

Trier averaged 18ppg last season with Ayton in the same lineup. Exactly how was he a “huge disappointment”?

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

Everyone keeps throwing in the Knight trade as a reason McD got fired. How do you blame him for this? Houston had a bad playoff round versus GS, and Anderson and Ariza looked really bad. So Houston was willing to trade them to almost anyone for anything. Enter the Phoenix Suns. If a GM called me and said they would take Knight and Chriss for two guys who would be starters on my team currently, I'm doing that trade all day long! Get rid of two headaches for two solid players? From what I have seen just so far, it's a win win trade. Chriss looks better at Houston with a fresh start than he did last season for us.

I get we traded away our "PG." Then teams held us hostage. But seriously, you have a chance to move Knight and you don't take it?

Ariza was a free agent signing. Anderson and Melton was the Knight/Chriss trade...

 

[slinslin]

they mean the Knight trade that acquired Knight in the first place

 

[Hoop Head]

Everyone keeps throwing in the Knight trade as a reason McD got fired. How do you blame him for this? Houston had a bad playoff round versus GS, and Anderson and Ariza looked really bad. So Houston was willing to trade them to almost anyone for anything. Enter the Phoenix Suns. If a GM called me and said they would take Knight and Chriss for two guys who would be starters on my team currently, I'm doing that trade all day long! Get rid of two headaches for two solid players? From what I have seen just so far, it's a win win trade. Chriss looks better at Houston with a fresh start than he did last season for us.

I get we traded away our "PG." Then teams held us hostage. But seriously, you have a chance to move Knight and you don't take it?

Knight and Chriss weren't "two solid players" and Ariza was a free agent signing. Houston wanted to keep Ariza but Anderson had disappeared from their rotation in the playoffs almost entirely because of D'Antoni's system of only playing 7 players. They had a really good Warriors series all things considered. Had Paul not gotten injured then they probably win the title. They were up on the Warriors before the Paul injury happened.

I know people wanted Knight moved but moving him for a more expensive contract was a mistake. It created a bigger hole than we had at PG. You know your PG rotation sucks when the fans are upset you threw away Knight as the starter.

they mean the Knight trade that acquired Knight in the first place

That doesn't make any sense in this instance. Why bring up Houston if they meant the initial trade to bring Knight here?

 

[sunsfan88]

Everyone keeps throwing in the Knight trade as a reason McD got fired. How do you blame him for this? Houston had a bad playoff round versus GS, and Anderson and Ariza looked really bad. So Houston was willing to trade them to almost anyone for anything. Enter the Phoenix Suns. If a GM called me and said they would take Knight and Chriss for two guys who would be starters on my team currently, I'm doing that trade all day long! Get rid of two headaches for two solid players? From what I have seen just so far, it's a win win trade. Chriss looks better at Houston with a fresh start than he did last season for us.

I get we traded away our "PG." Then teams held us hostage. But seriously, you have a chance to move Knight and you don't take it?

I think in general, people see the Anderson contract as worse than the Knight contract. That’s why Houston was willing to take make the deal and even added the sweetner of Melton to the deal.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think in general, people see the Anderson contract as worse than the Knight contract. That’s why Houston was willing to take make the deal and even added the sweetner of Melton to the deal.

So how does Chriss fit in? Was he sweetener as well?

 

[sunsfan88]

So how does Chriss fit in? Was he sweetener as well?

No I think he was just a dump and Houston didn’t mind it since he’s an expiring and could maybe provide some value for one season playing with CP3/Harden due to his athleticism.

 

[leclerc]

Even if we win 40 games with this roster McDonough deserved to get fired over allowing the Dragic fiasco, the Thomas fiasco, the Knight trade, the Morris fiasco, the Bledsoe fiasco, the Ulis fiasco and the Bender pick.

Can you elaborate on the Ulis fiasco?

 

[1Sun]

Can you elaborate on the Ulis fiasco?

I think he means not communicating with Devin Booker before he was released. This is one of the few instances, however, where I really don't believe there was another way McDonough could have handled it, assuming it was reported accurately that McDonough followed standard protocols by informing Ulis through his agent first.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Can you elaborate on the Ulis fiasco?

The whole releasing him before telling booker thing which many of us to have been the right order and not a fiasco at all.

 

[Hoop Head]

This is just depressing. I didn't realize they've struggled with ball movement and unselfish play for that long.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[1Sun]

This is just depressing. I didn't realize they've struggled with ball movement and unselfish play for that long.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

So...basically since Steve Nash left. Sounds about right...

 

[AzStevenCal]

This is just depressing. I didn't realize they've struggled with ball movement and unselfish play for that long.

Okay but it isn't all due to lack of ball movement or selfish play. Not having a reliable inside scorer to get us easy baskets plus our inefficiency from 3 has contributed greatly to our lack of assists IMO.

 

[Hoop Head]

So...basically since Steve Nash left. Sounds about right...

That is true but we had 3 good PG's for a while and running a system that is built around 2 playmakers should create more opportunities for assists, even if they were setting each other up. 2 of the 3 PG's were All-Star caliber PG's. We kept the one who never reached that level, go figure.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That is true but we had 3 good PG's for a while and running a system that is built around 2 playmakers should create more opportunities for assists, even if they were setting each other up. 2 of the 3 PG's were All-Star caliber PG's. We kept the one who never reached that level, go figure.

Yeah, we kept the one with a history of injury problems who of course proceeded to get injured again (and was never quite the same afterwards). But in all fairness, we also kept him here in Phoenix and that can't be overstated. Those other 2 guards got a chance to play with better talent, better coaches and for better organizations in the much weaker Eastern Conference.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yeah, we kept the one with a history of injury problems who of course proceeded to get injured again (and was never quite the same afterwards). But in all fairness, we also kept him here in Phoenix and that can't be overstated. Those other 2 guards got a chance to play with better talent, better coaches and for better organizations in the much weaker Eastern Conference.

I am certainly guilty. I remember passionately making the case that if we have to choose between Goran and Bledsoe, I would choose Bledsoe. I was certainly wrong about that one.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am certainly guilty. I remember passionately making the case that if we have to choose between Goran and Bledsoe, I would choose Bledsoe. I was certainly wrong about that one.

I was staunchly in Bledsoe's corner too in large part due to age and the idea Eric would continue to improve whereas Goran had likely peaked. And Bled played well at times for us but the hoped for improvements didn't come and then he started coasting on D. He was still effective and easily our best player but he wasn't what I expected him to become. I think it was due to the injury but who knows.

 

[Yuma]

Ariza was a free agent signing. Anderson and Melton was the Knight/Chriss trade...

Don't let facts get in the way of my ideas! Damn you! LOL!

 

[Yuma]

they mean the Knight trade that acquired Knight in the first place

OK. I thought they meant the RECENT Knight trade.