Suns @ Clippers Tuesday game thread 8-4-20 (season restart)

[ASUCHRIS]

Which probably would be something that would make him even more disengaged and aloof.

Ha, consider the front office and organization...TJ seems to be doing just fine in Indiana, and I haven't heard many complaints about his attitude.

 

[Chaplin]

Ha, consider the front office and organization...TJ seems to be doing just fine in Indiana, and I haven't heard many complaints about his attitude.

??

He's not coming off the bench.

 

[Mainstreet]

Which is why it's funny we picked up Oubre - Oubre is another guy who would likely flourish as the first option on the 2nd unit. You aren't going to sit Bridges, so what do you do with Oubre now?

It's interesting to compare the stats of Oubre and TJ -https://www.basketball-reference.co...+Warren&player_id2=warretj01&idx=bbr__players

The Suns original target was Dillon Brooks but getting anything for Trevor Ariza was a huge plus.

Starting Bridges and Oubre with Saric and Cam Johnson off the bench would be solid.

 

[Mainstreet]

@ASUCHRIS

Another thing to look at when comparing Warren and Oubre.

Warren is 26 and is averaging 19.7 points and 4 rebounds this season.

Oubre is 24, and is averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds this season before injury.

Kelly Oubre is a full 2 + years younger than Warren.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

The Suns original target was Dillon Brooks but getting anything for Trevor Ariza was a huge plus.

Starting Bridges and Oubre with Saric and Cam Johnson off the bench would be solid.

True - the Ariza signing in the first place was absurd. He made it painfully obvious that there was one reason he was here.

I like Saric off the bench, but if Cam keeps playing like he does, it'll be hard to keep him on the bench. Teams respect his ability to space the floor more than Oubre.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

??

He's not coming off the bench.

His only dissatisfaction here was coming off the bench? Considering the "talent" starting ahead of him, it's probably understandable. Outside of that, I've never really heard anything negative about him.

 

[Chaplin]

His only dissatisfaction here was coming off the bench? Considering the "talent" starting ahead of him, it's probably understandable. Outside of that, I've never really heard anything negative about him.

No, you said his best role would have been coming off the bench. I'm saying it absolutely is not because it was known that he didn't want to come off the bench.

 

[Mainstreet]

True - the Ariza signing in the first place was absurd. He made it painfully obvious that there was one reason he was here.

I like Saric off the bench, but if Cam keeps playing like he does, it'll be hard to keep him on the bench. Teams respect his ability to space the floor more than Oubre.

I don't think Cam Johnson is ready to be a regular starter at the moment. Oubre shot .352 from 3 point range this season, is a better rebounder and more athletic.

What is often overlooked, Johnson and Oubre are the same age... 24.

 

[Hoop Head]

Which is why it's funny we picked up Oubre - Oubre is another guy who would likely flourish as the first option on the 2nd unit. You aren't going to sit Bridges, so what do you do with Oubre now?

It's interesting to compare the stats of Oubre and TJ -https://www.basketball-reference.co...+Warren&player_id2=warretj01&idx=bbr__players

Their stats are quite similar. One huge difference that the stats won't show you is the impact they have on their teams. When Kelly scores 20, you know it and probably 3-4 of those buckets will be on highlight reels. When TJ scores 20 you're a little surprised because he didn't seem to make a difference in the game and there isn't a highlight worthy play amongst them, unless he sinks a bucket while taking a ton of contact in the paint.

I think Oubre is a better decoy also, even if he's not the scorer that Warren is. No one minds giving up a few easy buckets to someone who just puts his head down and jogs back on defense but giving up buckets to Kelly means he'll flex in your face and trash talk your bench. No one wants to be the wrong side of an Oubre poster. Meanwhile in TJ's 6-7 years in the league, I don't think he's had one posterizing play.

That energy is huge for a team struggling to find an identity, earn respect, and fight it's way out of the cellar. TJ was here for how long scoring quite efficiently but those points didn't lead to wins. The Suns are better with Oubre than they ever were with TJ in a prominent role.