Suns @ Timberwolves Friday game thread 3-28-2025

[Mainstreet]

Absolutely, but I think you have to go back much further than the KD trade. The Durant trade was bad for so many reasons but the biggest reason is we just didn't have the kind of roster that could survive such a lopsided trade. And we didn't have that roster because of all the horrible draft picks we made during the McD era.

If DA hadn't self-destructed and if we'd had another Mikal and another Jae Crowder and another CamJ waiting in the wings, we could have made the KD trade work and maybe even won a title or two. But our run to the finals convinced too many decision makers that we were on the verge of being great so cost-be-damned dominated their thinking. And as bad as things look right now, I expect them to keep getting worse until the front office wises up.

One can keep going back to the inception of the franchise. I'm basically looking at when the Suns essentially blew up the Finals team in 2023.

At that time, the Suns had the ability to build on that team with all their draft picks and expiring contracts. Instead, they chose to disassemble that team to go after an aging, oft injured superstar. This led to a chain of events thereafter.

 

[BirdGangThing]

im over the whole which trade was worse discourse - it doesn't matter man - and im over the whole which players need to be traded discourse too because it doesn't matter

aside from dunn and oso - they're all probably more than happy to get the hell out of here - it looks like they are making sure bradley beal will want to leave too with ish-bia and jj crank calling beal's house 24/7 and setting off his car alarm in the middle of the night - OR AT LEAST THEY SHOULD BE

book is soft beal is worthless and kd is gone - these aren't opinions - i wish they were opinions - we'd be so much better off but reality is it doesn't matter they all gotta go - kd is the only one you can build around but that was 5 years ago

 

[Mainstreet]

And both Bradley Beal (waiving the trade clause) and KD (public comments) pushed to get here. Another fact that's ignored.

As I have mentioned before, I think James Jones had been chasing the Kevin Durant trade the entire 2022-23 season.

I'm sure the Wizards had been waiting to unload Bradley Beal and found a mutually agreeable trade partner in the Suns that summer.

 

[Proximo]

an angry multimillionaire, odd…

It's not odd at all. Money doesn't make you happy, it just gets rid of some stress, and creates different stress.

 

[gimpy]

It's not odd at all. Money doesn't make you happy, it just gets rid of some stress, and creates different stress.

Speaking from experience?

 

[Cheesebeef]

One can keep going back to the inception of the franchise. I'm basically looking at when the Suns essentially blew up the Finals team in 2023.

At that time, the Suns had the ability to build on that team with all their draft picks and expiring contracts. Instead, they chose to disassemble that team to go after an aging, oft injured superstar. This led to a chain of events thereafter.

They didn’t blow up the Finals team. They blew up the second round complete and embarrassment team that was HUMILIATED WORSE THAN ANY TEAM IN NBA GAME 7 HISTORY and then was a pedestrian 30-26 the next season (a season where the west was historically weak for the last two decades mobs you), on its way down because the player the team was built around (CP3) was no longer able to run the squad.

Now, the way they decided to try and get better has ended up being a disaster, no doubt. But if you really want to have a honest convo about this, you need to stop making a completely specious argument saying they blew up the Finals team. The “Finals” team blew themselves up in the utterly humiliating loss to the Mavericks, followed by CP3 falling off a Cliff and looking even worse the next season where the arrow for the team started turning down as we struggled to a 30-26 record.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm not understanding. The Suns traded for them, so they must have wanted them. There was a conscious decision to add them to the team and take on their salaries.

The Suns didn't reward them with those contracts. Yes, they traded for them but they didn't make the financial offer.

 

[Hoop Head]

They didn’t blow up the Finals team. They blew up the second round complete and embarrassment team that was HUMILIATED WORSE THAN ANY TEAM IN NBA GAME 7 HISTORY and then was a pedestrian 30-26 the next season (a season where the west was historically weak for the last two decades mobs you), on its way down because the player the team was built around (CP3) was no longer able to run the squad.

Quit rewriting history. It wasn't even a top 3 game 7 point differential. As a matter of fact, the Suns lost to the Lakers by 35 decades before. So it wasn't even the biggest game 7 defeat in franchise history. An honest discussion starts with facts, quit presenting your opinion as factual.

NBA Biggest Margin Of Victory In A Game 7 | StatMuse

The Dallas Mavericks have the highest point differential by a team in a game 7, with a 40 point differential in Game 7 of the 2005 First Round versus the Rockets.

www.statmuse.com

 

[CardNots]

It's not odd at all. Money doesn't make you happy, it just gets rid of some stress, and creates different stress.

hmmm

 

[Yuma]

Thank god I missed this going out to dinner on my birthday! I did get to see the Dbacks kick A$$. I think I am transitioning over to baseball. My kids are taking me to the Suns and GS in a couple weeks. They thought it may be the last time I get to see KD play live as a Sun. Also there's curry!

 

[BirdGangThing]

Thank god I missed this going out to dinner on my birthday! I did get to see the Dbacks kick A$$. I think I am transitioning over to baseball. My kids are taking me to the Suns and GS in a couple weeks. They thought it may be the last time I get to see KD play live as a Sun. Also there's curry!

damn i never caught a kd game

 

[AzStevenCal]

Thank god I missed this going out to dinner on my birthday! I did get to see the Dbacks kick A$$. I think I am transitioning over to baseball. My kids are taking me to the Suns and GS in a couple weeks. They thought it may be the last time I get to see KD play live as a Sun. Also there's curry!

I like curry and I like Curry too. I'd be far more tempted to see Steph play live than to check out KD in one of his final Suns games.

 

[Phrazbit]

They didn’t blow up the Finals team. They blew up the second round complete and embarrassment team that was HUMILIATED WORSE THAN ANY TEAM IN NBA GAME 7 HISTORY and then was a pedestrian 30-26 the next season (a season where the west was historically weak for the last two decades mobs you), on its way down because the player the team was built around (CP3) was no longer able to run the squad.

Now, the way they decided to try and get better has ended up being a disaster, no doubt. But if you really want to have a honest convo about this, you need to stop making a completely specious argument saying they blew up the Finals team. The “Finals” team blew themselves up in the utterly humiliating loss to the Mavericks, followed by CP3 falling off a Cliff and looking even worse the next season where the arrow for the team started turning down as we struggled to a 30-26 record.

Talk about a specious argument... lineup starting 4 guys in their 20s who were 4 of the top guys on a finals teams somehow don't represent that finals team.

Yeah, they gutted a finals team (also gutting it's future at the same time)... you moan about it now because you've decided to hate them, as it seems to assuage how wildly wrong you were about the Durant trade.

 

[Mainstreet]

I like curry and I like Curry too. I'd be far more tempted to see Steph play live than to check out KD in one of his final Suns games.

I'm beginning to think good curry (the food) might be as rare as Stephen Curry. It's all in the curry powder.

 

[Covert Rain]

Talk about a specious argument... lineup starting 4 guys in their 20s who were 4 of the top guys on a finals teams somehow don't represent that finals team.

Yeah, they gutted a finals team (also gutting it's future at the same time)... you moan about it now because you've decided to hate them, as it seems to assuage how wildly wrong you were about the Durant trade.

Wait “he hates them”?!? They have given up their future?!? What is more specious than that? That’s not at all what he said. That team had a ton of help to get to the finals and CP3’s leadership was a big part of that. The team regressed in the playoffs and showed no mental toughness from that point on. The trade has not worked and depending on what we get back for Durant they might have given up their future. Depends on the return. We have no idea what the overall ROI on Durant will be but you could be right. This offseason will be fun around here.

 

[Chaplin]

Wait “he hates them”?!? They have given up their future?!? What is more specious than that? That’s not at all what he said. That team had a ton of help to get to the finals and CP3’s leadership was a big part of that. The team regressed in the playoffs and showed no mental toughness from that point on. The trade has not worked and depending on what we get back for Durant they might have given up their future. Depends on the return. We have no idea what the overall ROI on Durant will be but you could be right. This offseason will be fun around here.

Agreed except I disagree that the offseason will be fun here. It won't.

 

[Covert Rain]

Agreed except I disagree that the offseason will be fun here. It won't.

I was definitely being facetious.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Wait “he hates them”?!? They have given up their future?!? What is more specious than that? That’s not at all what he said. That team had a ton of help to get to the finals and CP3’s leadership was a big part of that. The team regressed in the playoffs and showed no mental toughness from that point on. The trade has not worked and depending on what we get back for Durant they might have given up their future. Depends on the return. We have no idea what the overall ROI on Durant will be but you could be right. This offseason will be fun around here.

I liked the core we gave up on and believed, then and now, that we should have built upon it rather than gutting it. But yeah, as it was, that roster was not a real contender. We got lucky that finals season, at no time did I think we were a top 4 team but injuries paved the way for not just us but the Bucks too. And from that point we then saw the disappearance of DA, the aging out of CP3 and the whatever it was with Jae Crowder - all three were essential pieces of that finals season. So it's not like we could have just maintained status quo and expected another finals run.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm beginning to think good curry (the food) might be as rare as Stephen Curry. It's all in the curry powder.

Seth Curry catching strays.

 

[Mainstreet]

Seth Curry catching strays.

Seth Curry had a solid NBA career, but it's tough to get proper credit living in the shadow of a superstar.

 

[Covert Rain]

I liked the core we gave up on and believed, then and now, that we should have built upon it rather than gutting it. But yeah, as it was, that roster was not a real contender. We got lucky that finals season, at no time did I think we were a top 4 team but injuries paved the way for not just us but the Bucks too. And from that point we then saw the disappearance of DA, the aging out of CP3 and the whatever it was with Jae Crowder - all three were essential pieces of that finals season. So it's not like we could have just maintained status quo and expected another finals run.

If I had a magic wand for the day we would have added Durant to that team instead of trading away everyone. Although I strongly believe the team would still have a serious leadership void.

 

[Mainstreet]

I liked the core we gave up on and believed, then and now, that we should have built upon it rather than gutting it. But yeah, as it was, that roster was not a real contender. We got lucky that finals season, at no time did I think we were a top 4 team but injuries paved the way for not just us but the Bucks too. And from that point we then saw the disappearance of DA, the aging out of CP3 and the whatever it was with Jae Crowder - all three were essential pieces of that finals season. So it's not like we could have just maintained status quo and expected another finals run.

The Suns winning 64 games the following season indicates the Suns appearance in the Finals wasn't luck, but something went seriously wrong against Dallas in game 7 of the playoffs, there is no denying that.

I wish the Suns had tried to specifically address the problem rather than dismembering that team.

IMO, it was an overreaction by the Suns organization, all the while Jae Crowder sat at home.

The Suns had assets (expiring contracts and all their draft picks) they could have used to improve the team that season or the coming summer, without doing something drastic.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Suns winning 64 games the following season indicates the Suns appearance in the Finals wasn't luck, but something went seriously wrong against Dallas in game 7 of the playoffs, there is no denying that.

I wish the Suns had tried to specifically address the problem rather than dismembering that team.

IMO, it was an overreaction by the Suns organization, all the while Jae Crowder sat at home.

The Suns had assets (expiring contracts and all their draft picks) they could have used to improve the team that season or the coming summer, without doing something drastic.

We were a very good team, I just believed there were better teams that suffered injuries during the season and postseason - IIRC teams such as Utah, Denver, Lakers, Clippers, 76ers and Brooklyn all had key injuries. I'm not saying they were all better than us but I don't think we get past either LA team if it hadn't been for their injuries and I don't think Milwaukee gets past Philadelphia if they'd stayed healthy. But that's the nature of the sport, getting lucky with health plays a factor more often than not. We had good luck until it ran out in the finals.

 

[Mainstreet]

We were a very good team, I just believed there were better teams that suffered injuries during the season and postseason - IIRC teams such as Utah, Denver, Lakers, Clippers, 76ers and Brooklyn all had key injuries. I'm not saying they were all better than us but I don't think we get past either LA team if it hadn't been for their injuries and I don't think Milwaukee gets past Philadelphia if they'd stayed healthy. But that's the nature of the sport, getting lucky with health plays a factor more often than not. We had good luck until it ran out in the finals.

Losing in the Finals is nothing to be ashamed of when the Suns exceeded expectations.

However, losing to the Mavericks in the playoffs in game 7 of that 64 win season set off a domino effect for future seasons.

IMO, the Suns overreacted. Those were excellent seasons.

Too bad the Suns passed on the future solution at #10 in the 2020 draft.

 

[Yuma]

I'm beginning to think good curry (the food) might be as rare as Stephen Curry. It's all in the curry powder.

Best Curry I ever had was here:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/mermaids-cafe-kapaa-2