Suns updates and discussion for the 2023-24 season

[Covert Rain]

Is it that we can’t trade multiple players or can’t receive multiple players in a trade as a 2nd apron team? @Hoop Head

I believe it's we can't aggregate players to bring in one higher priced player but we can trade someone for multiple players in return. I believe @Proximo brought that up.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Here is a link to the Suns press conference today if it hasn't already been posted.

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That was whole bunch nothing. Hey ishbia if you just came out here to have the meetings maybe schedule the press conference for when you’ve got something ti share.

 

[GatorAZ]

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[95pro]

Charles Barkley got this part right. Look at who put the Lakers and Suns together.

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I think if TNT's nba rights get bought out, Chuck should be an advisor/consultant. Can you imagine him tell Ishbia and JJ how stupid they are?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

"There are whispers of a Suns reserve airing out and excoriating the entire group in a passionate pre-game rant, blistering the team’s core for their disgusting nonchalance." I wonder who it was. A shame that his message fell on deaf ears.

 

[95pro]

"There are whispers of a Suns reserve airing out and excoriating the entire group in a passionate pre-game rant, blistering the team’s core for their disgusting nonchalance." I wonder who it was. A shame that his message fell on deaf ears.

Could EG just be that guy? The other reserves have too much to lose imo.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Could EG just be that guy? The other reserves have too much to lose imo.

Seems like the most likely suspect. Too bad his play didn't really back it up.

 

[Chaplin]

Could EG just be that guy? The other reserves have too much to lose imo.

Who else could it be? Would newly signed Isaiah Thomas rip into the team like that?

 

[taz02]

I can understand running it back, even firing no one. I disagree but I understand. Even though this approach is probably doomed to failure, they simply don't have any good path towards success unless this works. But the defiance, the arrogance really concerns me. If Ish still thinks the path that got us here is the right path, we're screwed, now and for the foreseeable future - because it means he's likely to approach team building this same way. I was hoping that maybe the decision makers had learned something from this fiasco.

Agree with all of this and would add, what they are saying and what they are thinking is likely two very different things.

Alot of the press conference speak was likely geared towards keeping the players unified and on the same page, if they ever were.

They are in a real pinch no matter how brave they try to be.

 

[CardNots]

I think if TNT's nba rights get bought out, Chuck should be an advisor/consultant. Can you imagine him tell Ishbia and JJ how stupid they are?

People with power and money normally don’t surround themselves with people who tell them they are stupid more or less pay them to do so.

 

[Yuma]

Uh… watching more of this presser, just want to give a disclaimer for anyone who didn’t watch:

If you’re hoping we’re gonna draft someone this year or hold on to our pick in 2031, you can start lamenting neither of those things happening… right now.

That was probably the only real insight we got in his press conference, or JJ's either.

 

[Yuma]

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OKC? WTF? Does LV watch the NBA at all?

 

[Mainstreet]

I think if TNT's nba rights get bought out, Chuck should be an advisor/consultant. Can you imagine him tell Ishbia and JJ how stupid they are?

The problem with Chuck, as I see it, he changes his tune when his mood changes.

 

[CardNots]

The problem with Chuck, as I see it, he changes his tune too often.

The problem with Charles Barkley is he is Charles Barkley

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Could EG just be that guy? The other reserves have too much to lose imo.

I don’t think he has the personality for it. I would think Thad or Royce. Thad doesn’t have anything to lose.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Speaking of Chuck:

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[Mainstreet]

Speaking of Chuck:

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Yeah, James Jones needs to pack as well.

 

[Chaplin]

Speaking of Chuck:

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He has a point but he doesn't go far enough. Coaching, at least on the Suns, was definitely a problem. It's not just the players -- the coach needs to put his players in a position to succeed. Period. And frequently, Vogel didn't do that. Let's take the 4th quarter woes for an example -- we saw it time and time again, we would play well for 3 quarters and then continually implode in the 4th quarter. Why? Anyone with two eyes could see that it was because Book and KD would consistently change the way they play the game and become ISO players. Every time we had a bad 4th quarter is because we went away from what was successful earlier in the game.

Now, if we continued doing that same thing with no discernible change in the way 4th quarters were played, whose responsibility is it to remove that tendency to ISO? It's partially on the players, sure, but you've got a couple things here -- 1) the players don't trust their teammates in those minutes, and 2) the Coach is not stepping in and stopping it. The first one is fixable by having more time on the floor, the 2nd is hard to fix if the players don't respect anything coach would draw up. In that case, the coach is responsible -- he's responsible for not holding his players accountable and forcing the issue. If Vogel (and by extension JJ) are ok with our star players to just ignore the coaches in late game situations (with NO attempt to actually rectify it), then why have Vogel and JJ at all? And if Vogel isn't vocal enough to hold the guys accountable and force the issue, well that is the very definition of having the wrong coach for this group.

So Barkley is only half right -- the players share the blame, but there is no room to give Vogel a free pass here. To do so reeks of ignorance, which is hard to believe coming from such a veteran player. Say what you will about Barkley, but he made the most of his time in the league, and was a coach killer in his own right.

 

[95pro]

I don’t think he has the personality for it. I would think Thad or Royce. Thad doesn’t have anything to lose.

So the two guys that got there halfway through the season? Would make more sense if it was someone who had to go through this crap all season.

 

[Hoop Head]

Is it that we can’t trade multiple players or can’t receive multiple players in a trade as a 2nd apron team? @Hoop Head

We can't send out multiple players in a deal but can receive multiple players. So we can trade KD for 2 players in return but we can't trade KD and Little for 3 players.

 

[Hoop Head]

"There are whispers of a Suns reserve airing out and excoriating the entire group in a passionate pre-game rant, blistering the team’s core for their disgusting nonchalance." I wonder who it was. A shame that his message fell on deaf ears.

Other than Eric Gordon, perhaps Thad Young? That would kind of explain why he didn't see playing time.

Another possibility is Eubanks. I know that seems odd but the reports about him not returning next season came out almost immediately after elimination. That could be why. Something there seems odd.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don’t think he has the personality for it. I would think Thad or Royce. Thad doesn’t have anything to lose.

EG spouted off to the press about his role with the team earlier in the season. Wouldn’t surprise me if he did something similar in the locker room.

 

[Phrazbit]

We can't send out multiple players in a deal but can receive multiple players. So we can trade KD for 2 players in return but we can't trade KD and Little for 3 players.

Correct.

Which is also going to make it difficult to get anything of value should we decide to foolishly throw away our pick this year and in '31. We gotta attach them to out going salary in the form of 1 guy and we don't have the salary to send out, at least not that will be enough to bring back a decent player.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Other than Eric Gordon, perhaps Thad Young? That would kind of explain why he didn't see playing time.

Would seem odd as he was around for such a short time, but maybe?

Another possibility is Eubanks. I know that seems odd but the reports about him not returning next season came out almost immediately after elimination. That could be why. Something there seems odd.

Placating the fan base with what an awful choice his addition/tampering was?

 

[Raindog]

Correct.

Which is also going to make it difficult to get anything of value should we decide to foolishly throw away our pick this year and in '31. We gotta attach them to out going salary in the form of 1 guy and we don't have the salary to send out, at least not that will be enough to bring back a decent player.

Yeah, that whole idea has stupid written all over it.

We're going to end up dumping further picks and chances to get younger for whatever washed up available wing reminds James Jones most of his awesome self during his playing days.