Timberwolves at Suns

[AzStevenCal]

I still disagree. This is a franchise that was a ruin less than 2 years ago, its a roster that was supposed to win less than 20 games last year. There are limits to what can be done when the talent is minimal and some key personalities are cancerous.

Its a bummer that they've taken a couple steps back this year but they've progressed by a mile since taking over for the clowns that used to be here.

I realize how futile it is to make all these observations for like the 200th time here, but outside of some disgruntled fans with unrealistic expectations the front office and coaching staff is held in extremely high regard around basketball, and with good cause.

I feel like some people need to go watch some of the 2012-13 season to regain some of the perspective about what it REALLY looks like when a team is in disarray.

They do. And then they need to look at the fact that we have this roster (the good and the bad), our own draft picks and 3 additional future 1st rounders. Compare that to our 25 win season and the future we were staring at.

Steve

 

[Joe Mama]

I'm basically with you and Joe Mama that one of our problems is that we don't have a PG to run the rookie. It surprises me a bit that you two didn't complain about giving up Ennis in the Knight trade. It goes back to another thing where McD and Hornacek were not in synch enough - they drafted Ennis and kept him around over half a season and didn't bother to find out how good he was. The only reason to draft him was at least a hunch that three combo guards might have difficulty running a reasonably efficient halfcourt offense - even without the territorial disputes.

I don't have much hope for Brandon Knight evolving into a capable PG even though he believes that is his calling. For starters his Assist/TO ratio is lower than Bled's and I haven't seen a counter indication that that is an accurate representation of his skill. In another offense maybe but not ours - not this one, anyway.

I think we're stuck as long as Jeff is running the show - with Ennis around I felt we had a migration path to a more sane half court offense but now it is going require a major change in the offense - and Jeff has shown no inclination to introduce even minor changes. Heck, Dragic and Bledsoe at their best never looked like the backcourt of a contender to me - well, maybe flashes here and there. A year later it looks like we're in the same boat except now we are overpaying Bledsoe and Knight is going to be merciless in his demands, I'm sure - careerwise its the right time to make his push for the big bucks.

I didn't see anything from Ennis that led me to believe he is going to be more than a below average backup. Of course that's completely based off of watching a few college games, summer league, and some scattered minutes in the NBA in blowouts. I wanted them to take the combo guard from Michigan State and last I checked he has not had a great rookie year in Denver.

Joe

 

[AzStevenCal]

I didn't see anything from Ennis that led me to believe he is going to be more than a below average backup. Of course that's completely based off of watching a few college games, summer league, and some scattered minutes in the NBA in blowouts. I wanted them to take the combo guard from Michigan State and last I checked he has not had a great rookie year in Denver.

Joe

I wanted the 6'4 guard from Michigan State too, all the way up to the combine when we all learned he was only 6'2. Gary Harris has been a huge disappointment but that's true for just about anyone stuck on Denver this season. I can't believe that the recently fired Brian Shaw has the nerve to toss his hat into the ring for other vacancies (he's expressed an interest in the Orlando job). Not since Quinn Buckner has there been an ex-player turned Head Coach so ill-suited for his new profession.

Steve

 

[82CardsGrad]

They do. And then they need to look at the fact that we have this roster (the good and the bad), our own draft picks and 3 additional future 1st rounders. Compare that to our 25 win season and the future we were staring at.



Steve

I don't place myself in that group. My angst has always been focused on Bledsoe and the Morri. Nobody else and certainly not Jeff or the front office.
I was on record this past summer saying how much I did t want the Suns to cave in with Bledsoe. And since Marcus came within an inch of punching Jeff's lights out on the sideline earlier this season, the Morrii have done nothing to change my opinion of them.
Otherwise, I do see a high-quality coaching and management team in place. And a path that presents a better future, Len's ankle issues notwithstanding...

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't place myself in that group. My angst has always been focused on Bledsoe and the Morri. Nobody else and certainly not Jeff or the front office.
I was on record this past summer saying how much I did t want the Suns to cave in with Bledsoe. And since Marcus came within an inch of punching Jeff's lights out on the sideline earlier this season, the Morrii have done nothing to change my opinion of them.
Otherwise, I do see a high-quality coaching and management team in place. And a path that presents a better future, Len's ankle issues notwithstanding...

And I'm on record saying they didn't cave, they negotiated. Getting that extra year is going to pay dividends to whichever team owns his contract in a few years. That alone was worth spending an extra 2 million a year on. But I agree with the Len implications, much of our future depends on that man's ankles. If they become a non-issue we're in great shape for the future. If not, we're in better shape than we were in 2013 but that's not saying much given we had the worst outlook in the league 2 seasons ago.

Steve

 

[Errntknght]

I didn't see anything from Ennis that led me to believe he is going to be more than a below average backup. Of course that's completely based off of watching a few college games, summer league, and some scattered minutes in the NBA in blowouts. I wanted them to take the combo guard from Michigan State and last I checked he has not had a great rookie year in Denver.

Joe

I was impressed watching Ennis playing for the Bakersfield Jam - nothing flashy but their offense looked more organized than the Suns when he was running it. I've been following him via the Bucks box scores and they looked... well, 'spotty' would be kind. But then last night they started him against the Grizz & he got 11 Ast vs. 3 TO in 36 minutes. 1 game is just 1 game but it was his first big opportunity in the NBA and he didn't muff it.

 

[Errntknght]

I wanted the 6'4 guard from Michigan State too, all the way up to the combine when we all learned he was only 6'2. Gary Harris has been a huge disappointment but that's true for just about anyone stuck on Denver this season. I can't believe that the recently fired Brian Shaw has the nerve to toss his hat into the ring for other vacancies (he's expressed an interest in the Orlando job). Not since Quinn Buckner has there been an ex-player turned Head Coach so ill-suited for his new profession.

Steve

I'd noticed that Denver seemed to come alive recently and they'd been in free fall for a stretch before that. Should have guessed it was a coaching change...

Edit: Anyone know who the new coach for Denver is... I just saw that they sacked the Pelicans in double overtime today.