Suns updates and discussion for the 2023-24 season

[Cheesebeef]

Letting go of Payne really hurt us. I’m not saying we need a pg, but Payne was a legit player on both ends. He’s a backup who is capable of starting as well.

We’d likely see something like

Payne
Book/allen
KD
KBD
Big Nurk

Gordon, yuta and Eubanks would still come off the bench.

Hindsight but still, just sayin.

Yeah… didn’t like the Payne trade at the time. Like it even less now.

And that’s not to say Payne is any great shakes. But with our big 3s penchant for injuries and no legit PG on the roster, didn’t make any sense to me to give him away for money.

 

[Mainstreet]

My mistake.. Matt asked me to stay away. I am cursed. I must stay away from the team.

The Suns are in a funk. You are most assuredly not a curse.

If Matt wants to buy you out for a few million dollars at the next waffle house meeting, then we can talk about it.

 

[Larry Schweikart]

We're a really bad defensive team and I don't see a path to being a good one. It's going to be a problem all year.

We have to hope that we can get healthy and just outscore teams.

Well, this was one of those things I kept referring to when we lost Bridges. I don't ese KD making this up. Now, without a McGhee in the middle, we have no real shot blocker either.

 

[Covert Rain]

Discussion in another thread got me curious. Again, this is WAY WAY early to make any determination at all but I wanted to know where we stand defensively compared to last year. Most defensive stats have improved (Green), some comparable but down (Yellow), some and others a drop off (Red).

Comparison:
Opp Points in the Paint = Last year #8, currently #29
Opp Points of Fast Break = Last year #9, currently #7
Opp 2nd Chance Points = Last Year #18, currently #13
Opp Points off of TO = Last Year #11, currently #22
Blocks = Last Year #5, currently #3
Steals = Last Year #16, currently #16
Opp FGM - Last year #2, currently #16
Opp FG% - Last year #6, currently #11
Opp 3PM - Last year #4, currently #9
Opp 3P% - Last Year #11, currently #9
Plus/Minus - Last year #9, currently #17
Overall Def Rating = Last year Suns #7, currently #10

Teams Defense | Stats | NBA.com

A table featuring defense information for each team in the league based on selected filters.

www.nba.com

 

[Chaplin]

Discussion in another thread got me curious. Again, this is WAY WAY early to make any determination at all but I wanted to know where we stand defensively compared to last year. Most defensive stats have improved (Green), some comparable but down (Yellow), some and others a drop off (Red).

Comparison:
Opp Points in the Paint = Last year #8, currently #29
Opp Points of Fast Break = Last year #9, currently #7
Opp 2nd Chance Points = Last Year #18, currently #13
Opp Points off of TO = Last Year #11, currently #22
Blocks = Last Year #5, currently #3
Steals = Last Year #16, currently #16
Opp FGM - Last year #2, currently #16
Opp FG% - Last year #6, currently #11
Opp 3PM - Last year #4, currently #9
Opp 3P% - Last Year #11, currently #9
Plus/Minus - Last year #9, currently #17
Overall Def Rating = Last year Suns #7, currently #10

Teams Defense | Stats | NBA.com

A table featuring defense information for each team in the league based on selected filters.

www.nba.com

These are the type of stats that will eventually even out -- no real telling if these are all below or above the reality at this moment.

 

[Covert Rain]

These are the type of stats that will eventually even out -- no real telling if these are all below or above the reality at this moment.

I agree which is why I had a disclaimer. Although, if anything stands out right now? We can't defend the paint. Not putting much stock in that though knowing our defensive rotations are all screwed up because of Book and Beal being out.

 

[Chaplin]

I agree which is why I had a disclaimer. Although, if anything stands out right now? We can't defend the paint.

I know we'll get pushback, but we are missing one of our better defenders in Book. I think it will matter when he's back, but don't really know until we're consistently healthy for more than a game or two.

 

[Ronin]

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[Germz249]

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker to team-up with former #1 overall pick? 5-Time All-Star John Wall expresses desire to join Suns SUPERTEAM

During his prime, John Wall was one of the best guards in the league. He was the No.1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft and is a 5-time All-Star.

firstsportz.com

 

[Cheesebeef]

I agree which is why I had a disclaimer. Although, if anything stands out right now? We can't defend the paint. Not putting much stock in that though knowing our defensive rotations are all screwed up because of Book and Beal being out.

This team was built to outscore people. Plain and simple.

 

[Covert Rain]

This team was built to outscore people. Plain and simple.

That might be but the teams at the top of the league generally play defense as well. As long as we hover around #10 in overall defense I think we are OK.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

That might be but the teams at the top of the league generally play defense as well. As long as we hover around #10 in overall defense I think we are OK.

We were 7th in defensive rating last year. The roster probably isn't as good defensively, but we did bring in a defensive minded HC. I think we have just enough personnel wise to be at least solid on that end.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Town Drunk]

Beal might be back this week.

https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/phoenix-suns-could-see-bradley-beal-return-this-week

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Cheesebeef]

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Can’t be. We were told after Game 2 he was a total bust.

 

[Superbone]

Yep, Gordon and Allen were busts and KD was washed.

 

[Suns_fan69]

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Whoa, that's surprising to me. Don't know if it's early / small sample size but I would have assumed it's flipped. I think Nurk is a bit better on ball defender but a worse help defender just due to speed alone.

 

[Hoop Head]

Whoa, that's surprising to me. Don't know if it's early / small sample size but I would have assumed it's flipped. I think Nurk is a bit better on ball defender but a worse help defender just due to speed alone.

They were within 0.4% of each other prior to the Philadelphia and Detroit games. Nurkic was slightly behind Ayton. Nurkic's percentage seems consistent though as it was about that when I looked it up then. Ayton must have pulled his usual disappearing act in the last couple of Blazer games for him to slip like that.

Credit to Nurkic since he had deal with Embiid in one of those games and stayed consistent.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Whoa, that's surprising to me. Don't know if it's early / small sample size but I would have assumed it's flipped. I think Nurk is a bit better on ball defender but a worse help defender just due to speed alone.

neither of them are good rim defenders.