The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[sunsfan88]

Rockets need Harden back immediately. Always thought it was a joke when people said CP3 alone can take that team anywhere.

 

[95pro]

Rockets need Harden back immediately. Always thought it was a joke when people said CP3 alone can take that team anywhere.

I agree on the CP3 comment, always overrated and never elevated his team to the finals or playoff wins, and oft injured.

 

[Mainstreet]

In other Rockets news, they declined Chriss' option.

With the Rockets not picking up Chriss' option and the Suns not picking up Bender's, they join a list of only a handful of top 10 picks to not play their 4th contract season. One of the others was on the Suns when his option was declined, Wes Johnson, but, to be fair, his contact was only acquired in a salary dump trade.

It's going to be hard to recover from the mistakes made in the 2016 draft and possibly the 2017 draft as well.

This has left the Suns feeling voids with veterans who are less than desired at this stage of the Suns rebuild.

Actually, the Suns should have been coming out of their rebuild this season.

 

[95pro]

It's going to be hard to recover from the mistakes made in the 2016 draft and possibly the 2017 draft as well.

This has left the Suns feeling voids with veterans who are less than desired at this stage of the Suns rebuild.

Actually, the Suns should have been coming out of their rebuild this season.

which is why McD was canned. Some were content with where we were headed but now things are worse than they seem.

 

[Mainstreet]

which is why McD was canned. Some were content with where we were headed but now things are worse than they seem.

Agreed. The reality really sunk in when the Suns were filling holes with aging veterans and lacked a starting point guard.

 

[Proximo]

Len with 22 pts on 9-9 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals and 1 assist.

He’s even extended his range to the 3pt line.

Him and Trae Young have developed good on court chemistry together.

Honestly I'm not that surprised. I saw several promising signs from him last year.

I think people just had this reserve of disappointment and disgust for him including management, that it was to much for him to ever dig out of here.

I am worried the same thing could easily happen with Jackson.

 

[Raindog]

I wasn't too worked about McD for most of his time here. He seemed to have some hits and misses, like most GMs. But in retrospect, when you look at his misses, he REALLY missed. And his general approach seemed to be willy nilly, all over the place, without a clear direction on what he was really trying to build. Taking all of that into consideration, I am not really sorry he is gone. The lack of progress is on him just as much as anyone.

That being said, the clustery of the franchise precedes, and will likely succeed, his time here, so I really feel no better in the wake of his dismissal, either.

 

[Mainstreet]

Honestly I'm not that surprised. I saw several promising signs from him last year.

I think people just had this reserve of disappointment and disgust for him including management, that it was to much for him to ever dig out of here.

I am worried the same thing could easily happen with Jackson.

If the Suns were pushing out Bender and Chriss, I wish they would have kept Len. He minimally will always be a journeyman center.

 

[Mainstreet]

More on Jimmy Butler.

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This might help push a trade along.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Actually, the Suns should have been coming out of their rebuild this season.

Well, Sarver agrees with you. I really don't. We were the worst team in the NBA last year and it had nothing to do with tanking or even injuries. We were just bad. Adding the number one pick should have moved us forward but when you still have no bench and huge holes at two starting positions, I think you're still in rebuild mode. Even if they'd played it smart this offseason by trading up and drafting SGA while signing an actual power forward instead of a combo guard/wing on the decline, we still fit my definition of a rebuilding team. But I agree we should have been a lot closer than we are to being a competitive team.

 

[Krangodnzr]

It's going to be hard to recover from the mistakes made in the 2016 draft and possibly the 2017 draft as well.

This has left the Suns feeling voids with veterans who are less than desired at this stage of the Suns rebuild.

Actually, the Suns should have been coming out of their rebuild this season.

I think this team needs one more lottery trip. It sucks to say it, but one more trip and one more good player will really help this team out. By this time next year, the core of Booker, Ayton, Jackson, Warren, and possibly Okobo will have another year under their belt and the inexperience won't be as great. I've put my crosshairs on Tyus Jones as the PG the Suns need to get because he's a good player buried behind two veterans and from some indicators, Jones isn't too happy about the situation.

The problem I see, is that I DON'T think the Suns are going to be a free agent destination like some on here do. I think the realistic timeframe is the 2020-2021 season that the Suns can start thinking about adding high quality free agents. Just build the core of the team and take the lumps and everything should be ok IF Sarver picks the right basketball guy (that's a huge if...).

 

[Krangodnzr]

Well, Sarver agrees with you. I really don't. We were the worst team in the NBA last year and it had nothing to do with tanking or even injuries. We were just bad. Adding the number one pick should have moved us forward but when you still have no bench and huge holes at two starting positions, I think you're still in rebuild mode. Even if they'd played it smart this offseason by trading up and drafting SGA while signing an actual power forward instead of a combo guard/wing on the decline, we still fit my definition of a rebuilding team. But I agree we should have been a lot closer than we are to being a competitive team.

Missing on Bender/Chriss and Brandon Knight REALLY hurt this franchise. Another indictment against McD is how he really didn't find good players outside of the lottery. Look at the Sixers, yes the sucked for years, but Hinkie found some solid role players that are useful for them now. The same cannot really be said about the current Suns roster, outside of Warren's scoring ability off the bench.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Missing on Bender/Chriss and Brandon Knight REALLY hurt this franchise. Another indictment against McD is how he really didn't find good players outside of the lottery. Look at the Sixers, yes the sucked for years, but Hinkie found some solid role players that are useful for them now. The same cannot really be said about the current Suns roster, outside of Warren's scoring ability off the bench.

I can live with the Knight trade, it was questionable but understandable to a degree. And although I didn't like it, I can justify the Josh Jackson pick, even the Len pick. But the Chriss/Bender draft was an over the top screw-up. We gave up 3 picks and a halfway decent young player to select a tall kid that no one had even seen play in real games and a great athlete that had demonstrated time and again that he didn't know basketball and had no will to compete.

 

[JCSunsfan]

And after a mere 3 consecutive games of Len playing like absolute horse crap! He's turned the corner for sure!

Oh, and you forgot to mention that Len's highlight night tonight came in a blowout loss to the previously winless Cavs.

(cough) troll (cough)

Len's overall numbers are almost identical to what they have been in years past (per36). In fact, his rebounding numbers are down significantly. He is the same guy.

I would rather have him than Chandler, but Len is still a back up center.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I can live with the Knight trade, it was questionable but understandable to a degree. And although I didn't like it, I can justify the Josh Jackson pick, even the Len pick. But the Chriss/Bender draft was an over the top screw-up. We gave up 3 picks and a halfway decent young player to select a tall kid that no one had even seen play in real games and a great athlete that had demonstrated time and again that he didn't know basketball and had no will to compete.

Over the history of the NBA, drafting multiple players--especially when both are considered nearly equal--at the same position has never really worked out well. In the 2009 draft Minnesota drafted point guards with the 5th and 6th picks (Rubio, Flynn) and another one with their second round pick. Its like they could not decided who was best so they took both. McD had a bad habit of doing that. He did it with Bender and Chriss, and even with this draft we ended up with Okobo and Melton. It is better to just commit to one.

 

[Hoop Head]

The only difference between Len as a Hawk and a Sun is how his bad games in Atlanta aren't being talked about. They're still happening but when he posts 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1-2 from the FT line, and 5 fouls in 19 minutes there is no need to dissect his stat line. Those games are still happening in between games where he looks like he was worthy of the #5 pick but they don't happen often. If Len were still here, most people would be counting the days until he was a free agent again.

 

[Phrazbit]

Len's overall numbers are almost identical to what they have been in years past (per36). In fact, his rebounding numbers are down significantly. He is the same guy.

I would rather have him than Chandler, but Len is still a back up center.

The odds of Len agreeing to be a backup, and at a wage less than the qualifying offer, are basically nil.

 

[Chaplin]

Hearing Jimmy Butler sitting out tonight is not because of the the trade stuff, but because his body is hurting. Either way, doesn't that further hurt his trade value??

 

[Mainstreet]

Well, Sarver agrees with you. I really don't. We were the worst team in the NBA last year and it had nothing to do with tanking or even injuries. We were just bad. Adding the number one pick should have moved us forward but when you still have no bench and huge holes at two starting positions, I think you're still in rebuild mode. Even if they'd played it smart this offseason by trading up and drafting SGA while signing an actual power forward instead of a combo guard/wing on the decline, we still fit my definition of a rebuilding team. But I agree we should have been a lot closer than we are to being a competitive team.

I doubt if Sarver and I agree on much of anything. If I were the Suns owner I would have heavily invested money into scouting, coaching and a good GM position. A person should be smart enough to know what they don't know and rely on those who do.

McDonough had plenty of time to rebuild the Suns so I can't fault Sarver for wanting results. There is no guarantee after the next draft the Suns won't be sitting in the same position they are today. Unfortunately the Suns problems rests with Sarver and only he can fix it. The Suns problems are much deeper than waiting for the next draft pick.

 

[gimpy]

Mainstreet, can you clarify for me when you say only Sarver can fix the Suns problems, but they are much deeper than the next draft pick? I've got two or three things going around in my head about what you might mean, but...?

 

[sunsfan88]

If the Suns were pushing out Bender and Chriss, I wish they would have kept Len. He minimally will always be a journeyman center.

Honestly I'm not that surprised. I saw several promising signs from him last year.

I think people just had this reserve of disappointment and disgust for him including management, that it was to much for him to ever dig out of here.

I am worried the same thing could easily happen with Jackson.

Yeah worst case scenario he would’ve been an upgrade over Chandler as the back up 5.

 

[Proximo]

More on Jimmy Butler.

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This might help push a trade along.

Wow. Well the peace deal didn't last long. Not that I really thought it would.

 

[Mainstreet]

Wow. Well the peace deal didn't last long. Not that I really thought it would.

Maybe there is some backpedaling? Who knows.

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[Mainstreet]

Yeah worst case scenario he would’ve been an upgrade over Chandler as the back up 5.

It's something to ponder. If the Suns hadn't signed Chandler they might have spent more time developing Len.

 

[sunsfan88]

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