Suns tanking is finally public conversation

[BC867]

AzCentral/AzRepublic has finally gone public with the Suns tanking, reporting from the players' point of view. The benching of Dragic for the past two games has brought it to a head.

Much of what the players are saying are consistent with the many various posts on ASFN.

Some loyalists could never wish for losses, question how much a weak draft class will help or just disapprove of what a losing atmosphere does to young players.

“It’s a business,” Tucker said of holding out Dragic at Utah, who could help the Suns to a second draft lottery pick if they pass the Los Angeles Lakers. “All that stuff doesn’t matter. We’re going to play regardless of who they play or don’t play.

“I watch college and nobody there could impact the team like what people think. There are no game-changers. That’s so irrelevant to guys in the locker room.”

Of course, if we had a teamful of Michael Beasleys, we wouldn't have to tank. Here is what Bob Young said about his shot selection in his View From Press Row blurb.

Is there any player in the league who takes more shots from a foot inside the 3-point line? It has to be the worst shot in basketball.

Here is the full article.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...layers-struggle-accept-losing-atmosphere.html

 

[JCSunsfan]

The draft class is weak, but its still better to have a 1-3 pick than a 6-10 pick. Yes, it would be great to tank in a draft with a LeBron or Duncan, but this is the year we are bad anyway--maybe next year too.

 

[BC867]

The draft class is weak, but its still better to have a 1-3 pick than a 6-10 pick. Yes, it would be great to tank in a draft with a LeBron or Duncan, but this is the year we are bad anyway--maybe next year too.

I started this as a new thread because it is about the players' perspective of losing. There is no happy answer.

 

[Sunburn]

Where has our winning attitude gotten us the last couple of years?

 

[BC867]

Where has our winning attitude gotten us the last couple of years?

Thank Jerry Colangelo for selling to a small town banker (nothing personal, Tucson) who decided that he had the experience to be his own General Manager.

As much as I resented JC's standard of just making the playoffs for four decades, we had a team to be proud of most of the time.

"Where has winning attitude gotten us?" Wow!

 

[NashDishesDimes]

I fault the structure of the league more than the Suns now. Obviously a terrible front office is why we are even in a losing situation but to rebuild in todays league, you have to be very VERY bad for a few years. The LeBron James' of the world are not coming to Phoenix to save the franchise via free agency. They all want to team up with other stars in big cities.
I hate to say it, but in the best interest of the Suns, they have to tank. At seed #6 your getting a role player. At least at #3, theres a chance of getting an impact player.

 

[Phrazbit]

Tucson is a small town? I am a Phoenician... but outside of trying to make a personal barb on Tucson, its rather absurd to call a city of over 500k people (over 900k in the metro area) a "small town".

 

[Sunburn]

Thank Jerry Colangelo for selling to a small town banker (nothing personal, Tucson) who decided that he had the experience to be his own General Manager.

As much as I resented JC's standard of just making the playoffs for four decades, we had a team to be proud of most of the time.

"Where has winning attitude gotten us?" Wow!

Where has our winning attitude gotten us the last couple of years?

This is my original quote. You seem to have left out the last few words, probably to twist mine.

In the last couple years, we've desperately clung to a shred of respectability, scraping out wins, while costing us significantly better talent in the draft. Some, like you, may call it "a culture of winning". Others might call it pathetic.

 

[Mainstreet]

It yesteryear, when Jerry Colangelo was the owner, there was not this overwhelming concern about where the Suns drafted because the Suns had an excellent scouting staff. Fans expected the Suns to draft well no matter where they picked. After the death of scouting director, Dick Percudani, things changed. No longer are the Suns drafting players like Steve Nash at #15 or Larry Nance at #20.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It yesteryear, when Jerry Colangelo was the owner, there was not this overwhelming concern about where the Suns drafted because the Suns had an excellent scouting staff. Fans expected the Suns to draft well no matter where they picked. After the death of scouting director, Dick Percudani, things changed. No longer are the Suns drafting players like Steve Nash at #15 or Larry Nance at #20.

there also wasn't the concern about us playing in a market which couldn't attract big name talent. JC made us a major market team. Without him... and with an owner that's seemingly loathed by a lot of the sports community, we have no hope but to try and strike it rich in the lotto.

 

[sunsfan88]

The draft class is weak, but its still better to have a 1-3 pick than a 6-10 pick. Yes, it would be great to tank in a draft with a LeBron or Duncan, but this is the year we are bad anyway--maybe next year too.

Didn't they 2 years who's draft was weak? And then last year's was weak?

Will there ever be a strong NBA draft again? And don't say next year's draft cause people said that about the last 2 drafts (and the upcoming one) as well.

Bottom line is, nobody knows if the draft will be weak or strong til like 3 years after the draft. It's up the teams, players, coaches, developmental staff etc to turn their rookie into a good player cause guys who are in the NBA are talented, they just need to be shown a way and put in a situation where they can utilize it.

 

[Errntknght]

There's a lot in what you say sunsfan88 but the teams, coaches, staffs need to come up with a cure for the affliction best described as an addiction to shooting. Marcus Banks was such a case - give him a green light and he'd throw up a shot every time he touched the ball; with an orange light he was indecisive and shot out of rhythm; give him a red light and he was frustration personified. The sad part was that he was as good a perimeter defender as I've ever seen when he was focused on it but his focus was almost always elsewhere. D'Antoni was a predictable disaster as a coach for him but he had at least three other stops and no one could make anything of him.

 

[DiamondBacks5117]

Maybe we arnt tanking. Maybe were just that bad. which is unfortunate because i think we have a lot of talent on this team. I think if we played Dragic we wouldn't win anyway but are chances are better of winning with him in the lineup.

 

[carey]

Maybe we arnt tanking. Maybe were just that bad. which is unfortunate because i think we have a lot of talent on this team. I think if we played Dragic we wouldn't win anyway but are chances are better of winning with him in the lineup.

You do?

 

[95pro]

only one with talent is dragic, as seen by his brilliant flashes seen time and time again. everyone else...uhhh not really. i mean gortat is an okay starting center, but not as great as he claimed to be...with or without nash.

beaseley has gobs and gobs of talent, but no brain. all wasted...

brown, tons and tons of athleticism but he's a black hole with no other real skills other than jumping, which was god given talent.

everyone else either has no athleticism and/or is a career backup player...if that.

oh, tucker would be that guy you'd love to have if you had all star players on your team. he'd be the dirt worker and defensive hound that top teams have.