Suns @ Lakers Sunday game thread 3-16-2025

[Mainstreet]

I'm not sure why you brought JJ into it, I've said many times he has to go. I just don't believe getting rid of him fixes our biggest problems.

Booker has been a huge disappointment this season and I don't think that's on Bud. I do blame Bud somewhat for not forcing/manuevering KD into playing within a team concept but really, what's his alternative - lose games because you've benched arguably your best player or lose games because you didn't bench him?

None of us are close enough to the situation to know for sure how much of this is on Bud but if those that are close believe he has to go, I certainly won't miss him. I just don't want to see us hire yet another coach with the supposed mandate to win now - we don't have the talent to win now and correcting that should be our primary focus. Everything we do should be aimed at developing young players and that's going to be challenging given our future draft pick situation.

The GM puts the team together and is instrumental in hiring the head coach, that is why I start there.

Ownership is a constant.

I'm not giving any player or coach a free pass. This team is so bad, I want a good basketball mind to put it back together. It's become a nightmare since 2023.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The GM puts the team together and is instrumental in hiring the head coach, that is why I start there.

Ownership is a constant.

I'm not giving any player or coach a free pass. This team is so bad, I want a good basketball mind to put it back together. It's become a nightmare since 2023.

I continued to be mystified that the most humiliating Game 7 home loss in all of NBA history wasn’t a nightmare for some here.

 

[Mainstreet]

I continued to be mystified that the most humiliating Game 7 home loss in all of NBA history wasn’t a nightmare for some here.

Because the Suns got there and they won 64 games that season. The same with the Finals.

Where are they now?

 

[Covert Rain]

Because the Suns got there and they won 64 games that season. The same with the Finals.

Where are they now?

The same place they were then. NOWHERE and without a title. Historic NBA finals loss and a complete and utter embarrassment of a playoff performance after that regular season. Both were fools gold.

 

[Mainstreet]

The same place they were then. NOWHERE and without a title. Historic NBA finals loss and a complete and utter embarrassment of a playoff performance after that regular season. Both were fools gold.

I want an NBA title for the Suns, but I do take time to enjoy the high points along the way, although there are always disappointments.

It's not always win or nothing for me.

 

[Hoop Head]

Because the Suns got there and they won 64 games that season. The same with the Finals.

Where are they now?

I'd much rather be embarrassed in game 7 in the second round over missing the playoffs or being swept in round 1, which has been what's happened since the KD deal. Can't forget being embarrassed in game 6 of round 2 in his first season either. It's been mistake after mistake.

Literally no one outside of Suns fans care about a second round loss. The thunder lost by 73 points in 2021, regular season, but they didn't blow it up. That's the modern NBA. They've been one of the most successful teams since then. You can't overreact to one "embarrassing" loss. That will lead to situations like the Suns are in, no control of their picks yet headed for the lottery.

 

[leclerc]

Right now:
Bench KD, Beal, and Booker, maybe more
Fire James Jones
Make Budenholzer the GM*
Promote whoever to interim coach

After the season:
Trade KD, Booker, Allen
Release Damion Lee

*) anyone but zeke!!

 

[BirdGangThing]

Right now:
Bench KD, Beal, and Booker, maybe more
Fire James Jones
Make Budenholzer the GM*
Promote whoever to interim coach

After the season:
Trade KD, Booker, Allen
Release Damion Lee

*) anyone but zeke!!

we want to act like everything is merry and fine and not further devalue the already devalued - we're not shopping book or kd - we're still confident in the team but we are exploring the thoughts of maybe possibly listening to offers

 

[Hoop Head]

Right now:
Bench KD, Beal, and Booker, maybe more
Fire James Jones
Make Budenholzer the GM*
Promote whoever to interim coach

After the season:
Trade KD, Booker, Allen
Release Damion Lee

*) anyone but zeke!!

This is about where I am. I think Bud has done a good job elsewhere when wearing the GM hat and believe hanging onto him while letting JJ go would be giving him one last shot at righting the ship. He was active scouting last year so I believe he's interested in the future of this team. We'll see how it plays out but running everything back makes zero sense.

If Budenholzer is fired with Jones, I won't mind all that much. I think JJ has to go first. Allowing Budenholzer to take over would allow the team some time to see who might take over and give them a fresh slate knowing Budenholzer isn't the answer here. I just feel he hasn't been given enough rope at this point to seal his fate.

Bud will know who is salvageable on the roster as well, having been in that locker room all season. He'd have more insight than others in that regard.

 

[Phrazbit]

I continued to be mystified that the most humiliating Game 7 home loss in all of NBA history wasn’t a nightmare for some here.

I continue to be saddened that there are some fans who went so hard for the KD trade that, now that is has completely and utterly failed, have decided to commit themselves to reviling and repeatedly crapping all over the team that came before and that roster.

Mainstreet said absolutely nothing in that post that you disagree with, yet you felt some bizzare impulse to remind everyone that you not only hate this team, but you now have decided you are revolted by even the memory of the (infinetly better) team that we destroyed to create it.

 

[CardNots]

I continue to be saddened that there are some fans who went so hard for the KD trade that, now that is has completely and utterly failed, have decided to commit themselves to reviling and repeatedly crapping all over the team that came before and that roster.

Mainstreet said absolutely nothing in that post that you disagree with, yet you felt some bizzare impulse to remind everyone that you not only hate this team, but you now have decided you are revolted by even the memory of the (infinetly better) team that we destroyed to create it.

The Beal trade was worse in my eyes.

To me, being detained for questioning is quite different than handcuffed for incarceration.

 

[boisesuns]

It felt like we were a few fixes away recently, but it feels like a multiple tiered solution now.

We took a few big swings, and it’s beyond “run it back” time. I do respect the effort, but it’s clearly time to change. I’m sure Ishbia took many big risks to get where he’s at with business. Now he’s got to own his results and get the ship back on sone kind of course.

I would hope we could at least semi reload while we rebuild. If we’re #11 with this team, at least we can’t go backwards much.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Beal trade was worse in my eyes.

To me, being detained for questioning is quite different than handcuffed for incarceration.

In this case, I think the KD trade begat the Beal trade. If the Suns hadn't given up so many assets in the KD trade, they wouldn't have felt the need to take on Beal's albatross of a contract. There would have been plenty of trade options then or the coming summer.

Also, let's not forget how horrible the Ayton trade has turned out to be.

 

[Sparky16]

Then you should be all in favor of getting rid of KD and Booker because they are both quitting dogs.

Yeah, I am over Booker. He has not been the same since Luca bish slapped him and made a meme out of it

 

[Mainstreet]

Right now:
Bench KD, Beal, and Booker, maybe more
Fire James Jones
Make Budenholzer the GM*
Promote whoever to interim coach

After the season:
Trade KD, Booker, Allen
Release Damion Lee

*) anyone but zeke!!

YEAH!!!

 

[Sparky16]

I want an NBA title for the Suns, but I do take time to enjoy the high points along the way, although there are always disappointments.

It's not always win or nothing for me.

It would have meant more if a title was won with the prior crew. The twins and some has beens with a long suffering star drafted and sticking around. Now we get a top 10 player of all time who does not make anybody else better. I view CP3 as a better player than KD now. JJ screwed the pooch when he did not draft Haliburton and did not trade DA for Sabonis if that was indeed in play. OR whoever decided the grifter DA was the pick at 1 when guard play is what wins now especially PG

 

[Mainstreet]

It would have meant more if a title was won with the prior crew. The twins and some has beens with a long suffering star drafted and sticking around. Now we get a top 10 player of all time who does not make anybody else better. I view CP3 as a better player than KD now. JJ screwed the pooch when he did not draft Haliburton and did not trade DA for Sabonis if that was indeed in play. OR whoever decided the grifter DA was the pick at 1 when guard play is what wins now especially PG

Early on, I read the Suns had an opportunity to trade Deandre Ayton for Myles Turner and didn't pull the trigger. I'm not sure about Sabonis.

James Jones passing on Tyrese Haliburton defies logic.

Yes, it would have meant a lot to fans if the Finals group had won the title. They were a very likeable bunch.

 

[CardNots]

In this case, I think the KD trade begat the Beal trade. If the Suns hadn't given up so many assets in the KD trade, they wouldn't have felt the need to take on Beal's albatross of a contract. There would have been plenty of trade options then or the coming summer.

Also, let's not forget how horrible the Ayton trade has turned out to be.

Beal has had a zero return in value for the team, zero. You cannot make that same case for Ayton or Durant.

 

[Mainstreet]

Beal has had a zero return in value for the team, zero. You cannot make that same case for Ayton or Durant.

We will see about Beal this summer with his NTC, but it looks like he has a negative trade value.

In regard to the Ayton trade, it cost the Suns a 1st round pick to move Nurkic. Allen may have a negative trade value as well with his salary.


The season isn't over, so let's see the trade value of Durant and what the Suns can get in return during the summer. There may be a very limited market of contenders willing to give him an extension. His value may not be as high as some hope.

 

[CardNots]

When I say no value I’m referring to on court value.

 

[Mainstreet]

When I say no value I’m referring to on court value.

I think Beal has plenty of court value when he plays but I believe he has already missed 20 games.

That's the problem along with his salary and NTC.

 

[Covert Rain]

I want an NBA title for the Suns, but I do take time to enjoy the high points along the way, although there are always disappointments.

It's not always win or nothing for me.

I would be there with you if we were not 57 years in...with nothing.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Beal trade was worse in my eyes.

To me, being detained for questioning is quite different than handcuffed for incarceration.

Not for me, not even close. The only reason we even considered making the Beal trade was that we had so handcuffed ourselves because of the absurd KD trade that we were left with very few options to add legit players. It was a futile attempt to make the Durant trade work but not doing it would have led us down this same path IMO because we simply didn't have enough talent.