Training camp opens in Flagstaff October 1, 2019

[Mainstreet]

ESPN is doing a list of top 100 players.

The Suns should have at least three players on it. Rubio is ranked at #81 and Ayton is #66 so far.

Devin Booker should be ranked in the last 50 names to be released.

I think Kelly Oubre Jr. should have made the top 100 as contrasted with some other names on the list such as Derrick White and Jarrett Allen.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27640475/ranking-best-players-nba-season-100-51

 

[Phrazbit]

Ingram in the 50s is high comedy. Even the projections they use paint him as a below replacement player, he's the only player with a projected negative RPM and they some how rank him as among the better players in the league.

He's Beasley light, a volume shooter who is inefficient and doesn't pass, rebound or pretend to defend.

 

[elindholm]

I like Rubio, but 81 is too high for him.

 

[BC867]

This is interesting. I wonder if there will be more context.


Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

“That’s my born and raised position is power forward.” - Deandre Ayton at his fundraiser tonight

5:28 PM - 23 Sep 2019

Uh huh! Hearing that he said that is no surprise!

I expect that Monty Williams will listen.

And that Deandre playing PF in his year at UofA
wasn't only by default, but perhaps by choice.

 

[Hoop Head]

I like Rubio, but 81 is too high for him.

81 is too high? Did you see him in the World Cup? I know that's a small sample size and he's coming off a down year but if there were an even number of players at each position ahead of him he'd rank about 13th as a PG, at 81 overall. That's middle of the pack and I think that's more than fair.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I like Rubio, but 81 is too high for him.

Look at some players ranked ahead of him and think about 81 again.

Lots of over ranked players imo.

 

[Mainstreet]

Uh huh! Hearing that he said that is no surprise!

I expect that Monty Williams will listen.

And that Deandre playing PF in his year at UofA
wasn't only by default, but perhaps by choice.

This won't make a lot of Suns fans happy if Ayton ends up playing power forward a lot.

Here is a bit more of the quote:


Gina Mizell‏Verified account @ginamizell

Ayton on if he could play some PF: “I heard the word. That’s college all over again. That’s my born-and-raised position. It’s a great look. It’s a big lineup too. That would be fun. The league is changing. It wouldn’t be (bad) to see a 7-footer dribbling up here and there.” #Suns

7:31 PM - 23 Sep 2019

 

[Hoop Head]

This won't make a lot of Suns fans happy if Ayton ends up playing power forward a lot.

Here is a bit more of the quote:


Gina Mizell‏Verified account @ginamizell

Ayton on if he could play some PF: “I heard the word. That’s college all over again. That’s my born-and-raised position. It’s a great look. It’s a big lineup too. That would be fun. The league is changing. It wouldn’t be (bad) to see a 7-footer dribbling up here and there.” #Suns

7:31 PM - 23 Sep 2019

In certain lineups, I'd be fine with it. Off the top of my head though there only maybe 3 teams that I can think of where going big like that could be a necessity. The Lakers with Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard, the Blazers with Pau Gasol, Nurkic, and Whiteside, and the T-Wolves with KAT and Dieng. Those teams won't run big lineups all the time either so it's not something we'd need to counter a lot of. I'm glad Utah let Favors go because I could have seen a Favors and Gobert frontcourt being big enough to warrant using Ayton with Baynes but that's not very many teams. Maybe the Spurs can play big, I don't know who all they have but Pop probably has some 7 foot European who can play with Aldridge without a problem so they might be another team that plays big.

Another issue with Ayton at PF is that he shouldn't be playing with anyone here other than Baynes. With Kaminsky? No, Frank is a stretch big but he's probably a worse rim protector than Ayton. I don't think Diallo will see much time either and even if he does, it'll probably be garbage time. So Ayton at PF doesn't make a whole lot of sense in terms of matchups against other teams or involving our own personnel.

I thought acquiring Saric would help put everyone at their natural positions but I wonder if there are some doubts as to how much Saric can play or whether Cam Johnson can play some backup PF. I think Cam will see time at SF & PF, wherever he can get some minutes, but I think this Ayton talk may have something to do with him not being that ready to play PF in the NBA or Baynes being the better option. I hope it's Baynes being the better option.

 

[Mainstreet]

In certain lineups, I'd be fine with it. Off the top of my head though there only maybe 3 teams that I can think of where going big like that could be a necessity. The Lakers with Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard, the Blazers with Pau Gasol, Nurkic, and Whiteside, and the T-Wolves with KAT and Dieng. Those teams won't run big lineups all the time either so it's not something we'd need to counter a lot of. I'm glad Utah let Favors go because I could have seen a Favors and Gobert frontcourt being big enough to warrant using Ayton with Baynes but that's not very many teams. Maybe the Spurs can play big, I don't know who all they have but Pop probably has some 7 foot European who can play with Aldridge without a problem so they might be another team that plays big.

Another issue with Ayton at PF is that he shouldn't be playing with anyone here other than Baynes. With Kaminsky? No, Frank is a stretch big but he's probably a worse rim protector than Ayton. I don't think Diallo will see much time either and even if he does, it'll probably be garbage time. So Ayton at PF doesn't make a whole lot of sense in terms of matchups against other teams or involving our own personnel.

I thought acquiring Saric would help put everyone at their natural positions but I wonder if there are some doubts as to how much Saric can play or whether Cam Johnson can play some backup PF. I think Cam will see time at SF & PF, wherever he can get some minutes, but I think this Ayton talk may have something to do with him not being that ready to play PF in the NBA or Baynes being the better option. I hope it's Baynes being the better option.

I hope Ayton playing outside a lot was Kokoskov's idea and not Ayton wanting to play outside. As I mentioned previously, the Suns need to convince him it's in the best interest of his career and All-Star recognition to play center.

 

[Mainstreet]

Most teams have 20 man rosters for training camp. Unless I'm missing someone it looks like the Suns have 18 players. I'm wondering if they will add more players.

The link below appears correct.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2020.html

 

[JCSunsfan]

This won't make a lot of Suns fans happy if Ayton ends up playing power forward a lot.

Here is a bit more of the quote:


Gina Mizell‏Verified account @ginamizell

Ayton on if he could play some PF: “I heard the word. That’s college all over again. That’s my born-and-raised position. It’s a great look. It’s a big lineup too. That would be fun. The league is changing. It wouldn’t be (bad) to see a 7-footer dribbling up here and there.” #Suns

7:31 PM - 23 Sep 2019

Ah. That is different. He is not saying he does not want to play center. He is just saying that he would look forward to playing pf if asked and believes he would do well at it. Defensively, he is more of a pf. Offensively, more of a center.

 

[Hoop Head]

Most teams have 20 man rosters for training camp. Unless I'm missing someone it looks like the Suns have 18 players. I'm wondering if they will add more players.

The link below appears correct.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2020.html

Just signed someone else to a camp deal, Norense Odiase from Texas Tech. He's a 6'8" forward who played with Tariq Owens.

http://amicohoops.net/suns-sign-undrafted-free-agent-forward-odiase/

 

[Mainstreet]

Just signed someone else to a camp deal, Norense Odiase from Texas Tech. He's a 6'8" forward who played with Tariq Owens.

http://amicohoops.net/suns-sign-undrafted-free-agent-forward-odiase/

It looks like one more signing to come to make 20 players for camp. I guess the Suns have been scouting the Red Raiders.

 

[gimpy]

I have kind of tuned the Phoenix Suns and the NBA out the last few years (just follow them a little bit here and a little on the internet). The Suns have been so terrible and the game has changed so much over the last several years (not for the better imo).

But, after saying that, I am "kinda" looking forward to the Suns season this year. I am anxious to see how the team plays this year. GO SUNS

 

[Mainstreet]

I have kind of tuned the Phoenix Suns and the NBA out the last few years (just follow them a little bit here and a little on the internet). The Suns have been so terrible and the game has changed so much over the last several years (not for the better imo).

But, after saying that, I am "kinda" looking forward to the Suns season this year. I am anxious to see how the team plays this year. GO SUNS

This should be the season to start watching the Suns although we are probably not talking playoffs. If Suns stay healthy, I expect them to turn the corner and become become really good the following season.

And who knows they could surprise.

 

[Ronin]

Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin)
9/25/19, 11:28 AM
#Suns open practice Oct. 6 at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Noon: Doors open.

12:30 p.m.: Suns Entertainment teams.

1 p.m.: Players take court.

$2 hot dogs, popcorn and soda.

Fan festival inside Casino Arizona Pavilion w/interactive photo booth, face painter, balloon animals. pic.twitter.com/TkcEdcbABO

 

[Hoop Head]

They talked a bit about the Ayton at PF talk on the Timeline podcast, worth a listen. They don't see it as an Anthony Davis situation where he doesn't want to play Center and wants to be a PF. They feel his answer is how he answers everything, going with it because he was asked and saying he can do it because that's who he is. It's kind of hard to explain but it is essentially the first thing they talked about on the podcast other than a brief discussion on the training facility.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Mainstreet]

Devin Booker was ranked #30 by ESPN in top 100 ranked players.

Rubio was ranked #81 and Ayton is #66.

It's hard to understand how they left Oubre out of the top 100 players.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27691396/ranking-best-players-nba-season-30-11

 

[gimpy]

Thx

 

[Hoop Head]

Something I found interesting listening to the Timeline this morning, this year's Suns team is the youngest Suns team in history as far as average age of the roster. Having guys like Jamal Crawford, Trevor Ariza, Tyson Chandler, and Jared Dudley helped skew things a bit older previously but this year our oldest player is Aron Baynes at 32. Baynes is the only guy on the other side of 30 this year. Rubio is the 2nd oldest but he doesn't turn 30 until next season. We don't have a lot of rookies either, which is ok, but both players that were added from the 1st round were upperclassmen. Cam Johnson is actually older than Booker by a few month.

The Suns will be the youngest team in the league, again, and have the youngest team in their history, again, so son.

 

[Mainstreet]

Something I found interesting listening to the Timeline this morning, this year's Suns team is the youngest Suns team in history as far as average age of the roster. Having guys like Jamal Crawford, Trevor Ariza, Tyson Chandler, and Jared Dudley helped skew things a bit older previously but this year our oldest player is Aron Baynes at 32. Baynes is the only guy on the other side of 30 this year. Rubio is the 2nd oldest but he doesn't turn 30 until next season. We don't have a lot of rookies either, which is ok, but both players that were added from the 1st round were upperclassmen. Cam Johnson is actually older than Booker by a few month.

The Suns will be the youngest team in the league, again, and have the youngest team in their history, again, so son.

The Suns may be young but they have a lot of experience. They will not be counting on inexperienced players to get the job done.

Glancing at the projected starters Rubio (8), Booker (4), Oubre (4), Saric (3) and Ayton (1) have a combined 20 years of experience.

Likely bench rotation players Tyler Johnson (5), Baynes (7), Bridges (1) and Kaminsky (4) have a combined 17 years of experience.


https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2020.html

 

[BC867]

The Suns may be young but they have a lot of experience. They will not be counting on inexperienced players to get the job done.

Glancing at the projected starters Rubio (8), Booker (4), Oubre (4), Saric (3) and Ayton (1) have a combined 20 years of experience.

Likely bench rotation players Tyler Johnson (5), Baynes (7), Bridges (1) and Kaminsky (4) have a combined 17 years of experience.


https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2020.html

That's a great combination. Not newbies, but a young group to grow and advance together, contracts permitting.

In retrospect, it took the Suns a long time to reach this point -- too long -- but all that matters now is that we're here. With a coach whom we believe can take us through the next steps.

'Feels good!

 

[Hoop Head]

The Suns may be young but they have a lot of experience. They will not be counting on inexperienced players to get the job done.

Glancing at the projected starters Rubio (8), Booker (4), Oubre (4), Saric (3) and Ayton (1) have a combined 20 years of experience.

Likely bench rotation players Tyler Johnson (5), Baynes (7), Bridges (1) and Kaminsky (4) have a combined 17 years of experience.


https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2020.html

Still disappointed that Jackson (2), Bender (3), and Chriss (3) won't be part of this team. That's 3 wasted lotto picks between Booker and Ayton.

I got thinking today about how the Suns refused to deal Bledsoe to Cleveland in a package for either Kyrie or Love because they wanted Bledsoe & Jackson. Jackson is what held the deal up, the Suns wouldn't deal him. I doubt we get Ayton if that deal happens but who knows where we'd be in terms of who the coach is, how Booker looks, and the rest of the team rounded out.

 

[95pro]

McD McF'd us over all these years.

 

[Mainstreet]

Still disappointed that Jackson (2), Bender (3), and Chriss (3) won't be part of this team. That's 3 wasted lotto picks between Booker and Ayton.

It makes one wonder how McDonough lasted long enough to be a part of the 2018 NBA Draft.

I got thinking today about how the Suns refused to deal Bledsoe to Cleveland in a package for either Kyrie or Love because they wanted Bledsoe & Jackson. Jackson is what held the deal up, the Suns wouldn't deal him. I doubt we get Ayton if that deal happens but who knows where we'd be in terms of who the coach is, how Booker looks, and the rest of the team rounded out.

This is so surreal to think this was an option looking back. Bledsoe didn't want to be here and Jackson had negative trade value for the Suns.