Suns updates and discussion for the 2022-23 season

[Proximo]

Tax-payer mid-level LFG!!

That's not how it would go down, it would be a sign and trade with Chris Paul.

 

[Phrazbit]

That's not how it would go down, it would be a sign and trade with Chris Paul.

I sure as hell hope we don't get Kyrie, however, Paul's contract only has value as trade ballast if we can attach it to something, we don't have any assets. The only thing I can see us getting out of it is if a team has an albatross player that, while they're terribly overpaid, still might have some value. Then that team dumps Paul's contract before the option kicks in.

Something like Paul for Gordon Hayward or for Duncan Robinson.

 

[GatorAZ]

That's not how it would go down, it would be a sign and trade with Chris Paul.

No it wouldn’t because Dallas isn’t willingly helping the Suns.

 

[AzStevenCal]

No it wouldn’t because Dallas isn’t willingly helping the Suns.

Maybe by then they'll view their help as a curse in disguise? Probably not but I can't see us going after Kyrie anyway.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[95pro]

News that the Suns almost acquired Vanderbilt and Beasley for Jae and Shamet. This sounds more like JJ move than Ish. I'm not sure how much more that would have made us better, if we kept Cam and Mikal.

 

[AzStevenCal]

News that the Suns almost acquired Vanderbilt and Beasley for Jae and Shamet. This sounds more like JJ move than Ish. I'm not sure how much more that would have made us better, if we kept Cam and Mikal.

I hate hearing this. I don't know if it's enough to get us over the hump but I'd like our chances every night. Now, I only like our chances when KD is healthy.

 

[Proximo]

No it wouldn’t because Dallas isn’t willingly helping the Suns.

If they value Paul greater than nothing they wouldn't be helping the Suns, they would be helping themselves.

Whatever, I'm not even sure I want that to happen. The idea of locking up Kyree to a long term deal and retrying the Nets experiment doesn't seem like a very good idea.

 

[Proximo]

News that the Suns almost acquired Vanderbilt and Beasley for Jae and Shamet. This sounds more like JJ move than Ish. I'm not sure how much more that would have made us better, if we kept Cam and Mikal.

Dang. Sure feels like we would have been better off with that deal then the Durant deal right now.

But of course it's really too early to tell still.

 

[Peter Sheldon]

This present version of the Suns reminds me of 2018 Suns who had one true NBA player(Book) and would give up leads when Book sat and lose every close game imaginable. I'm not convinced this Suns team could beat a team trying to tank! If Ayton would just beast a game or two, that could all change. But he's far too relaxed out there. I think he's gone this Summer.

 

[Proximo]

This present version of the Suns reminds me of 2018 Suns who had one true NBA player(Book) and would give up leads when Book sat and lose every close game imaginable. I'm not convinced this Suns team could beat a team trying to tank! If Ayton would just beast a game or two, that could all change. But he's far too relaxed out there. I think he's gone this Summer.

This version of the team is pretty close to that, because it is just pretty much Book as a shot creator.

But that is not this team, Durant and Book together is what unlocks everything.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This version of the team is pretty close to that, because it is just pretty much Book as a shot creator.

But that is not this team, Durant and Book together is what unlocks everything.

With Durant healthy we have 2 great starters, 1 starter that's a huge liability on defense but can still run an offense (a very slow offense), 1 starter that's inconsistent but all told above average and no player worthy of the 5th spot nor the 6th spot nor the 7th spot. Payne can sometimes give you what you need off the bench but his injuries have made him too inconsistent.

Anyway, what I'm leading to is that we are about as weak as a team can be from the 5th spot down. Most of the players we have filling that 5th starter or coming off the bench should be outside of the rotation looking in yet we need them almost every night.

 

[Chaplin]

With Durant healthy we have 2 great starters, 1 starter that's a huge liability on defense but can still run an offense (a very slow offense), 1 starter that's inconsistent but all told above average and no player worthy of the 5th spot nor the 6th spot nor the 7th spot. Payne can sometimes give you what you need off the bench but his injuries have made him too inconsistent.

Anyway, what I'm leading to is that we are about as weak as a team can be from the 5th spot down. Most of the players we have filling that 5th starter or coming off the bench should be outside of the rotation looking in yet we need them almost every night.

That is a heavy exaggeration based on your negative feelings towards the team and (especially) towards the trade. You are saying that Okogie and Torrey aren’t worthy of anything better than the 8th man. That’s ridiculous.

 

[Mainstreet]

News that the Suns almost acquired Vanderbilt and Beasley for Jae and Shamet. This sounds more like JJ move than Ish. I'm not sure how much more that would have made us better, if we kept Cam and Mikal.

I like a trade like this because the Suns could have kept their core players with more options to trade Chris Paul this summer.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That is a heavy exaggeration based on your negative feelings towards the team and (especially) towards the trade. You are saying that Okogie and Torrey aren’t worthy of anything better than the 8th man. That’s ridiculous.

It might be a slight exaggeration but we are losing games to weak teams for a reason. Once we get past our top 4 players we're using guys that would be at the end of the bench for most contending teams. And quit making this about my fandom, please.

We have one of the best players in the game and can't win in OKC, that's not because I'm negative or don't like the trade or don't want a championship as you've stated. It's because we are slightly better than average from 1 through 4 and weak from 5 through 9. That's what happens when you need serious minutes from end of the bench players.

 

[Covert Rain]

With Durant healthy we have 2 great starters, 1 starter that's a huge liability on defense but can still run an offense (a very slow offense), 1 starter that's inconsistent but all told above average and no player worthy of the 5th spot nor the 6th spot nor the 7th spot. Payne can sometimes give you what you need off the bench but his injuries have made him too inconsistent.

Anyway, what I'm leading to is that we are about as weak as a team can be from the 5th spot down. Most of the players we have filling that 5th starter or coming off the bench should be outside of the rotation looking in yet we need them almost every night.

Sees like a heavy exaggeration like @Chaplin said. When Durant is back it pushes one guy to the bench automatically making the bench deeper. IF HEALTHY, I think our bench is better than you are indicating. I am not saying they are world beaters but even with all the injuries the Suns have the 11th highest scoring bench in the NBA. I think if Payne rounds into shape and Shamut does as well? That is a boost. Our biggest issue has been consistency in the lineup which has been all over the place all season long.

Naturally the "health" factor of this team is a BIG IF.

 

[AzStevenCal]

When Durant is back it pushes one guy to the bench automatically making the bench deeper. IF HEALTHY, I think our bench is slightly better than you are indicating. Even with all the injuries the Suns have the 11th highest scoring Bench in the NBA. I think if Payne rounds into shape and Shamut does as well? That is a boost.

Naturally the "health" factor of this team is a BIG IF.

Yes it does and that's a big deal but it doesn't change my point. With Durant out though, instead of having players that would normally be between 5th and 8th best on your roster, we're loaded with players that would be outside of the rotation or fighting for the 8th spot. Except Payne, who is good enough to be a 6th man when he's fully healthy and up to speed but unfortunately, most of the time, that isn't the case.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yes it does and that's a big deal but it doesn't change my point. With Durant out though, instead of having players that would normally be between 5th and 8th best on your roster, we're loaded with players that would be outside of the rotation or fighting for the 8th spot. Except Payne, who is good enough to be a 6th man when he's fully healthy and up to speed but unfortunately, most of the time, that isn't the case.

We have the 11th best bench so your point seems be an exaggeration. That's not the issue IMO. The issue has been a consistent lineup with all the health issues all season long and rotating guys in and out of the lineup that would comfortably fit in the 5th to 8th spot that have been inserted in and out of the starting 5. To me that is the issue. Not that we have a bunch of guys that are not capable of playing 6, 7, 8 spots WHEN HEALTHY.

This team has not been able to even figure that out let alone been healthy long enough to establish who those guys are. It's been that kind of year. I sure hope we get some health back to determine that. We do seem to have a bunch of guys with similar skill levels bunched up though. No doubt about that.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Peter Sheldon]

They are going to need KD by end of March. Otherwise, I see no sure wins at all from here on out. Book played an epic game against Thunder and yet they still came away with a loss. What happens when Book is a little off, and not playing at this level? 20 point losses?

 

[Mainstreet]

They are going to need KD by end of March. Otherwise, I see no sure wins at all from here on out. Book played an epic game against Thunder and yet they still came away with a loss. What happens when Book is a little off, and not playing at this level? 20 point losses?

Hopefully, Deandre Ayton will return in the not too distant future.