Suns @ Raptors Sunday game thread 2-23-2025

[boisesuns]

I think we should hit reset this summer. That includes trading book.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This team is determined to make us fans long for the days when they were just mediocre.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I think we should hit reset this summer. That includes trading book.

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[dscher]

People still watching this?

 

[Germz249]

Lunacy and stubborn leadership

Sigh.. I don’t have faith in the front office.. did they really think the team was going to flip a switch and start to dominate?

I get the roster is loaded on paper but its been a dumpster fire the first half of the season. That should have been enough.

Sorry to vent.. I am just trying to see what the front office was thinking.. they are exposed to this more than us fans and should know more but we as fans all knew it was not going to get better.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sigh.. I don’t have faith in the front office.. did they really think the team was going to flip a switch and start to dominate?

I get the roster is loaded on paper but its been a dumpster fire the first half of the season. That should have been enough.

Sorry to vent.. I am just trying to see what the front office was thinking.. they are exposed to this more than us fans and should know more but we as fans all knew it was not going to get better.

I think the Suns put all their marbles in the Butler sweepstakes.

Locking onto a target has been a problem with this front office and ownership. It dates back to the trade for Durant.

They even took leftovers for Ayton and sweetened the deal.

 

[Yuma]

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Toronto was like Sha'Carri Richardson, waiting for the Suns to catch up, and then turn it up and blow away the Suns!

 

[Mainstreet]

I should add, the Suns even threw in a first round pick to trade Nurkic.

Opposing GMs salivate when they see the Suns coming.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

Trading for Beal has fudged this team royally, with the no trade clause he has. It might be the worst contract in the NBA.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Trading for Beal has fudged this team royally, with the no trade clause he has. It might be the worst contract in the NBA.

Yeah it's been a disaster for us. And a guy that looked just like me thought it was a clever move when we made it.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah it's been a disaster for us. And a guy that looked just like me thought it was a clever move when we made it.

I understand what you are saying, but Beal the player isn't the problem.

It's the folks who thought they could juggle three $50 million plus contracts, add filler and shazaam, have a contender.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I understand what you are saying, but Beal the player isn't the problem.

It's the folks who thought they could juggle three $50 million plus contracts, add filler and shazaam, have a contender.

Oh I agree he's not the problem. But his health problems aside, it's who he isn't more than who he is that dooms us as we just had too many other needs to invest so heavily in BB.

 

[Hoop Head]

I understand what you are saying, but Beal the player isn't the problem.

It's the folks who thought they could juggle three $50 million plus contracts, add filler and shazaam, have a contender.

Yup. The narrative when we traded for Beal was to hell with the aprons. Ishbia did not care and openly stated his intention to disregard them. Now we don't know if he was the driving force behind the Nurk salary dump but he allowed it and deserves some blame. That shows a clear change in direction also, one he hasn't acknowledged or addressed and neither has James Jones. That's a problem, IMO. Hopefully he's keeping quiet to avoid anyone's trade value plummeting by saying he's blowing it up this summer but who knows. I won't give him that benefit before he's earned it and he's a James Jones dismissal from earning it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yup. The narrative when we traded for Beal was to hell with the aprons. Ishbia did not care and openly stated his intention to disregard them. Now we don't know if he was the driving force behind the Nurk salary dump but he allowed it and deserves some blame. That shows a clear change in direction also, one he hasn't acknowledged or addressed and neither has James Jones. That's a problem, IMO. Hopefully he's keeping quiet to avoid anyone's trade value plummeting by saying he's blowing it up this summer but who knows. I won't give him that benefit before he's earned it and he's a James Jones dismissal from earning it.

Ish might as well talk about who he's trading, KD certainly seems motivated to tank his trade value and with the way we're playing it will probably impact others too.

 

[95pro]

I understand what you are saying, but Beal the player isn't the problem.

It's the folks who thought they could juggle three $50 million plus contracts, add filler and shazaam, have a contender.

He is the problem. Along with KD.

People still watching this?

No. I’ve skipped the last two games.

I found myself yelling at the tv in front of my wife and kids. Cursing and screaming. I’m just frustrated with this team that I figure not watching them is actually healthier.

And they suck. There is no coming out of this even if the kings go full tank.

 

[Yuma]

Yeah it's been a disaster for us. And a guy that looked just like me thought it was a clever move when we made it.

On the surface it did look good. People here play revisionist history, but we got rid of all our garbage, only traded second rounders instead of firsts like the KD trade, and were getting back a player who could still play. Sports radio, online media, this forum, almost everyone at the time thought it was at least OK, if not good. I remember Dave Burns saying at the time, the Suns would never be able to move off the Beal contract, EVER. He was oK with Beal as a player, but he said Phoenix bought something they could never sell. I still think this way. We won't be able to move on until his contract runs out. I think it's wishful thinking a team will bail us out for his last season. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this is going all the way down to the last second of this contract. You were not alone. A lot of people felt that way. At the time, I had just seen Beal torch the Suns for a win in our own stadium. I thought he looked good in person, and we were trading away perceived junk at the time. It looked great. Beal is still a good player. We just can't be flexible over the second apron. That is in theory, killing us.

 

[Proximo]

Leander is awful. He's saying Toronto can celebrate being the talk of the basketball world after beating the Suns. The 13th team in the East beating the 11th team in the West isn't anything to celebrate or talk about. Two lottery teams facing off means there isn't a favorite or a surprise win.

No it makes the Suns the talk of the league, they have left no doubt they are one of the 5 worst teams in the league, with the highest payroll that is actually quite an accomplishment of incompetence.

 

[Proximo]

On the surface it did look good. People here play revisionist history, but we got rid of all our garbage, only traded second rounders instead of firsts like the KD trade, and were getting back a player who could still play. Sports radio, online media, this forum, almost everyone at the time thought it was at least OK, if not good. I remember Dave Burns saying at the time, the Suns would never be able to move off the Beal contract, EVER. He was oK with Beal as a player, but he said Phoenix bought something they could never sell. I still think this way. We won't be able to move on until his contract runs out. I think it's wishful thinking a team will bail us out for his last season. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this is going all the way down to the last second of this contract. You were not alone. A lot of people felt that way. At the time, I had just seen Beal torch the Suns for a win in our own stadium. I thought he looked good in person, and we were trading away perceived junk at the time. It looked great. Beal is still a good player. We just can't be flexible over the second apron. That is in theory, killing us.

Look, I get Beal has not been what we hoped for - but he was the best player on the floor in that game.

This teams problems go far deeper than just that move.

 

[leclerc]

Not much to do about that ending.

Except maybe put a team away before the fourth quarter? Do you think?

 

[mjb21aztd]

Was sad still sad on result this pathat season is over

Rebuild from hc to players i say richards dunn only untradeable players

Id look at offers for book to coop would look nice in phoenix!! Prob show more attiude to

I loveee book but got to beat teams like spurs raptors im just saddd as a die hard fan see suns downfall bitessss

Fireeeee bud

 

[mjb21aztd]

People still watching this?

Only on a lot 420 to numb the stress bein a suns fan lol

 

[Mainstreet]

Oh I agree he's not the problem. But his health problems aside, it's who he isn't more than who he is that dooms us as we just had too many other needs to invest so heavily in BB.

I don't think we are disagreeing about Beal, although I agree the health issues were risky and the price tag was exorbitant.

It's more the Suns couldn't afford his salary.

The way I look at it, the Suns bought three expensive houses, but they could only afford two. Do we blame the third house or the buyer?

You can substitute expensive cars if you like.

 

[Hoop Head]

On the surface it did look good. People here play revisionist history, but we got rid of all our garbage, only traded second rounders instead of firsts like the KD trade, and were getting back a player who could still play. Sports radio, online media, this forum, almost everyone at the time thought it was at least OK, if not good. I remember Dave Burns saying at the time, the Suns would never be able to move off the Beal contract, EVER. He was oK with Beal as a player, but he said Phoenix bought something they could never sell. I still think this way. We won't be able to move on until his contract runs out. I think it's wishful thinking a team will bail us out for his last season. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this is going all the way down to the last second of this contract. You were not alone. A lot of people felt that way. At the time, I had just seen Beal torch the Suns for a win in our own stadium. I thought he looked good in person, and we were trading away perceived junk at the time. It looked great. Beal is still a good player. We just can't be flexible over the second apron. That is in theory, killing us.

Beal as a talent is fine and from that standpoint the Suns improved. We, us fans, didn't really see the trade from a team building standpoint and it appears the front office didn't either. Beal doesn't really offer anything other than what Booker does on the floor. It was reasonable to be excited we upgraded the talent around Booker and KD since that was a big problem just months prior but it essentially forced Booker back to PG, where he's less effective and impactful, and also didn't help the offense much since there's only one ball. I'd argue bringing Beal in also highlighted Durant's awful passing and non-existant off ball movement since there was another talent here who deserves the ball for a dozen or more possessions each night. Beal can still be a good talent and a poor fit. That isn't revisionist history to see that now, IMO.

Plus we're seeing what we feared, this team not working and being stuck in no mans land. Everyone knew then it was costly and if it didn't work then we'd be screwed. This is us being screwed and it not working. That angle wasn't examined much because we're dumb fans who were clinging to the last bit of hope we'd get.