The Suns next big move

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It was never fun to tank. Tanking these last couple of years provided an excuse to accept the awful basketball we watched. We could celebrate losses as wins because they got us more pingpong balls.

We're basically in NBA purgatory right now. Not good enough to compete and not bad enough to secure a top lottery pick. We're 10th in the West despite being 7 games below 500. The 8th seed is 3 games below 500 right now. I saw a good article a few weeks ago that I meant to share here about how the middle class in the NBA is disappearing because of how hard it is to build from the middle.

Here's an excerpt...



Definitely check it out, it's a little depressing but it hits on some good points.

https://sports.yahoo.com/once-consi...ded-middle-is-becoming-extinct-214751467.html

This why I was a firm tank commander. If we didn’t whiff so badly on bender, Chriss and Jackson - if evening one had lived up to the hype, we likely would’ve jumped the middle class.

 

[Hoop Head]

Come on guys. NBA purgatory is where teams that have peaked stay when they are no longer good but do not want to rebuild. This team has hit bottom and is on the way up. We have a star player in Booker and a likely star in Ayton. We are the youngest team in the league and we just matched our win total from last year and it’s still January. We need a pf and a back up pg. Last year we did not even have a starting pg. This is a stage this team has to move through and I am confident it will. Yes, I would have loved to improve by 25 games year over year, but we are going to have to settle for 15 or so.

And this draft class is not worth a tank.

We're on the upswing. That swing would have been larger and moved much quicker if some of the high draft picks we had panned out but right now all of our eggs are in the Booker and Ayton basket, and I'm ok with that. We are still stuck in purgatory this year, not good enough to contend but not bad enough to bottom out to add a top pick.

It's questionable if we'd be better suited fighting for an 8th seed or just letting things play out and ending up with another lottery pick. We may get lucky like the Pelicans last year, I doubt it but that is a possibility. I think our guys need the playoff experience more than the potential payoff of a high draft pick.

Booker is a star and if we can get him to the playoffs this year, he'll have a much easier time convincing someone to join him here for the future than if we get another lottery pick. That's why I lean more towards swinging for the playoffs this year than not.

We're still stuck in the middle class of the NBA whether we can make the playoffs this year or not. The only way we'd get out is if Booker takes another big step, Ayton can be who he was for that 3 game stretch on a more permanent basis, or we add another All-Star type player. Booker getting better isn't likely to happen, I know he's young but it's just greedy asking for him to do even more at this point. Ayton needs to be more consistent and I think he will be but I'm not sure how long it will take to see that Ayton 90% of the time rather than how we see it 10-15% of the time now. Adding another star is difficult, it can happen but it won't be that easy to accomplish. I think Booker is best bet there, like I said let's get him in the playoffs and then have him call some of his Team USA buddies this summer.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Playoffs are our best bet. Needed experience for this young team. Makes the suns more attractive destination. Eliminates the National media’s beating on suns.

even if they win the lottery this year it’s a poor top of the lottery talent wise.

 

[Mainstreet]

Metric stats currently rank Beal as the worst defender in the entire NBA. The Wizards are currently significantly better when Beal is off the court, like, by a stunning margin, they're giving up an insane 123 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court, vs 108 when he is off.

The Wizards will want a kings ransom for him, but with the way he is playing I wouldn't take him for free.

Bradley Beal is a two-time NBA All-Star in 2018 and 2019. Maybe he gets in this year as well but not as a starter.

 

[BC867]

Come on guys. NBA purgatory is where teams that have peaked stay when they are no longer good but do not want to rebuild. This team has hit bottom and is on the way up. We have a star player in Booker and a likely star in Ayton. We are the youngest team in the league and we just matched our win total from last year and it’s still January. We need a pf and a back up pg. Last year we did not even have a starting pg. This is a stage this team has to move through and I am confident it will. Yes, I would have loved to improve by 25 games year over year, but we are going to have to settle for 15 or so.

And this draft class is not worth a tank.

I applaud the details of your optimism. And I certainly do not want to see the Suns go back into tank mode.

I just hope that their braintrust has the brains to fill the needs. So far it has not been a given.

 

[1Sun]

I applaud the details of your optimism. And I certainly do not want to see the Suns go back into tank mode.

I just hope that their braintrust has the brains to fill the needs. So far it has not been a given.

Thus far, it seems that their brain trust doesn't have the brains to recognize that they HAVE any needs, let alone to fill them...

 

[leclerc]

Stay in the hunt for as long as possible. Make it like winning counts, win as a team. Down goes the Spurs, go Suns!

 

[JCSunsfan]

Playoffs are our best bet. Needed experience for this young team. Makes the suns more attractive destination. Eliminates the National media’s beating on suns.

even if they win the lottery this year it’s a poor top of the lottery talent wise.

Absolutely correct.

 

[1Sun]

James Jones should be getting lessons from Mike Hazen down the street...

 

[Mainstreet]

I wish the playoffs were a possibility for the Suns but the opportunity is slipping away.

The only thing that can give the Suns a boost at this point, playing the toughest part of their schedule, is a trade.

 

[Sunburn]

If it's any consolation, the new lottery odds are slightly more generous to late lottery teams. I
believe new orleans, memphis, and dallas were tied last year for the 7th worst record. Two of those teams ended up with top 2 picks.

 

[95pro]

Suns probably win the lottery this year in a bad draft

 

[Raindog]

Suns probably win the lottery this year in a bad draft

Probably.

So... who do we take with the first pick?

 

[1Sun]

Probably.

So... who do we take with the first pick?

Knowing Jones and Sarver, it would still be Nico Mannion...

 

[JCSunsfan]

Not LaMelo.

 

[elindholm]

Probably.

So... who do we take with the first pick?

Re-sign Bender?

 

[1Sun]

Not LaMelo.

That wouldn't surprise me, either.

 

[Mainstreet]

A couple of key trades were made last season. I thought it would be interesting to look at the dates to compare with any trades made this season.

Suns agreed to trade Trevor Ariza on December 15th, 2018 to the Wizards for Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre.

On February 6th, 2019 the Suns agreed to trade Ryan Anderson to the Heat for Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington.

The 2019 NBA trade deadline was February 7th while the 2020 trade deadline is February 6th.

 

[Hoop Head]

Re-sign Bender?

Does Bender have a younger brother? I'm almost scared to look.

It's been a little while since the Suns added anyone that fits "the other brother" billing they used to look for. Taylor Griffin, Robin Lopez, the Morrii, Zoran, Elijah Millsap, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

Now I am worried they'll win and take LaMelo. They could fumble it completely and accidentally select LiAngelo.

 

[Mainstreet]

Does Bender have a younger brother? I'm almost scared to look.

It's been a little while since the Suns added anyone that fits "the other brother" billing they used to look for. Taylor Griffin, Robin Lopez, the Morrii, Zoran, Elijah Millsap, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

Now I am worried they'll win and take LaMelo. They could fumble it completely and accidentally select LiAngelo.

There was Dick and Tom Van Arsdale. Also Zoran Dragic comes to mind.

 

[Mainstreet]

Did some looking. There was also Grant Gondrezick, Miles Plumlee and Wesley Person.

 

[1Sun]

Tre Jones would fill the "other brother" mantra, along with LaMelo Ball.

 

[Phrazbit]

Does Bender have a younger brother? I'm almost scared to look.

It's been a little while since the Suns added anyone that fits "the other brother" billing they used to look for. Taylor Griffin, Robin Lopez, the Morrii, Zoran, Elijah Millsap, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

Now I am worried they'll win and take LaMelo. They could fumble it completely and accidentally select LiAngelo.

Jarron Colllins.

We also had one of the Zeller brothers. I can't remember which, but I do recall Lance Blanks proclaiming him the greatest shooter he'd ever seen.

 

[BC867]

Probably.

So... who do we take with the first pick?

Luka Doncic, of course . . . . . oh!

 

[BC867]

There was Dick and Tom Van Arsdale. Also Zoran Dragic comes to mind.

Thunder Dan's little brother Jeff had a tryout with the Suns.

Then he went on to manage the restaurants.