What is the plan?

[1Sun]

Alright. So I'm about as bummed as anyone. The way I see it they failed 3 times today.

1. I think the Warren trade was bad.
2. They completely got bamboozled out of the #6 pick.
3. Then they REEEEEEACHHED at #11.

But I took some time to think about it. So here's the "potentially" bright side of this debacle:

We tried the whole rebuilding through the draft with teenagers thing. It yielded some mixed results and very few wins. As we've seen drafting teens with potential is a never ending cycle of:

1. get high draft pick
2. draft teen with potential
3. have a losing season

1. get high draft pick
2. draft teen with potential
3. have a losing season

JJ is clearly on a path to get veterans and prospects with production rather than potential. He's tired of losing. So he's trying to break the cycle.

Argue about the draft position all you want, Cam and Ty were crazy productive in college. Cam shot 46% from 3 and Ty won a championship. That's crazy high production in this era of drafts (Nearly half of the 1st round are freshmen).

Then they went and got some vets. Baynes knows his role as a backup C and Soric is an experienced stretch 4. That's vet leadership at positions of need.

JJ is obviously looking for Juniors and Seniors that can help now. (Drafting Bridges last year is a FAR BETTER example of how to do this, but... ugh) And that's the goal. To send the message that we want to win now by acquiring players that can help us win now.

So I can get on board with that plan. Unfortunately JJ clumsily enacted the first phase of that plan and fell on his face in front of the world. And even though he's terrible at bartering, as evident from today, he still got the pieces he needed.

And take a moment to truly look at the next 10 draft picks after Cam. There isn't much to get excited about. Clarke is the closest interesting prospect that had production and he went 10 picks later. So if you're going to make big mistakes, make them in a draft that wasn't that great to begin with.

Like I tell my kids; learn from it, AND THEN NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

The problem is that this just confirmed what we knew from the Ariza/Brooks debacle last season. James Jones is just not intelligent or competent enough for the position. I think it is obvious now more than ever that the acquisition of Oubre was sheer blind luck.

 

[1Sun]

Yeah overall I don't think it's horrible - but it could have been better. At least we got 3 very good shooters.

What concerns me, is I see no sign of them doing anything in free agency now.

I don't think we sign a single veteran free agent at this point.

 

[AZCrazy]

So who's our starting PG next year? We had one job this offseason.

We've got roster spots 8-14 managed nicely. so that's great......

 

[1Sun]

So who's our starting PG next year? We had one job this offseason.

We've got roster spots 8-14 managed nicely. so that's great......

Two actually, considering we also need a starting PF.

And we gave up a ton of assets and got neither.

 

[Proximo]

I don't think we sign a single veteran free agent at this point.

I kind of tend to agree with you. Only thing that makes me wonder if that is true, is how much emphasis Jones has been putting on free agency prior to tonight

EDIT : with the exception of Oubre of course.

 

[Proximo]

So who's our starting PG next year? We had one job this offseason.

We've got roster spots 8-14 managed nicely. so that's great......

I think it is tyler johnson, with Ty Jerome as the backup.

 

[elindholm]

I think it is tyler johnson, with Ty Jerome as the backup.

At least we can keep track of their initials easily, especially now that Warren is gone.

 

[1Sun]

I kind of tend to agree with you. Only thing that makes me wonder if that is true, is how much emphasis Jones has been putting on free agency prior to tonight.

One thing on which we should all be able to agree after today is that James Jones is in over his head and doesn't know the first thing about what he is doing.

 

[Proximo]

SO

PG Tyler Johnson, Ty Jerome, Melton, Okobo, Jacques
SG Booker, Bridges
SF Oubre, Johnson, Jackson?
PF Saric, Spaulding?
C Ayton, Baynes

That is already 14 guys

Melton and Okobo are gone somehow.

They may sign a PF/C - Maybe Bender?

 

[1Sun]

SO

PG Tyler Johnson, Ty Jerome, Melton, Okobo, Jacques
SG Booker, Bridges
SF Oubre, Johnson, Jackson?
PF Saric, Spaulding?
C Ayton, Baynes

That is already 14 guys

Melton and Okobo are gone somehow.

They may sign a PF/C - Maybe Bender?

How can anyone say that roster is an improvement upon last year?

 

[Proximo]

How can anyone say that roster is an improvement upon last year?

It is better - but not by much, and not as much as it should be.

 

[1Sun]

It is better - but not as much as it should be.

How in the world is it better?

 

[Yuma]

So who's our starting PG next year? We had one job this offseason.

We've got roster spots 8-14 managed nicely. so that's great......

I was worried at one point we wouldn't make the league minimum in players.

 

[Proximo]

How in the world is it better?

Fit mainly. We now have better shooting.

Like I said, I think we are going to go to the Rocket style offense. They do quite well with mostly guys that can just hit the 3 and play some D.

Ayton needs to be more involved than Capella though.

 

[AzStevenCal]

How can anyone say that roster is an improvement upon last year?

Well, basically it involves pulmonary pressure by the lungs which leads to the vocal folds creating sounds via quasi-periodic vibration.

 

[1Sun]

Fit mainly. We now have better shooting.

Like I said, I think we are going to go to the Rocket style offense. They do quite well with mostly guys that can just hit the 3 and play some D.

Ayton needs to be more involved than Capella though.

They also have playmakers like Harden, Paul and Gordon. Anyone who thinks Booker can replicate what Harden does is sharing a pipe with Josh Jackson. And we still don't have an equivalent of Paul or Gordon, either.

 

[1Sun]

Fit mainly. We now have better shooting.

Like I said, I think we are going to go to the Rocket style offense. They do quite well with mostly guys that can just hit the 3 and play some D.

Ayton needs to be more involved than Capella though.

And worse defense, worse rebounding and worse athleticism.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Here

How can anyone say that roster is an improvement upon last year?

the plan

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Proximo]

They also have playmakers like Harden, Paul and Gordon. Anyone who thinks Booker can replicate what Harden does is sharing a pipe with Josh Jackson. And we still don't have an equivalent of Paul or Gordon, either.

Well, no we don't have a paul. Gordon is not that much of a creator - he is mainly a spot up shooter.

If we could somehow get DLO - than I would say we do match up pretty well - but that doesn't seem like it is going to happen.

 

[SirStefan32]

Current cap situation:

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[DevonCardsFan]

Well, no we don't have a paul. Gordon is not that much of a creator - he is mainly a spot up shooter.

If we could somehow get DLO - than I would say we do match up pretty well - but that doesn't seem like it is going to happen.

Dont worry theybused 5 mil that could of helped push for Dlo on Baynes, Championship decision

 

[Proximo]

Dont worry theybused 5 mil that could of helped push for Dlo on Baynes, Championship decision

They can still get the space if they want to. Move Jackson and waive and stretch Johnson.

Edit: Actually I think just doing a waive and stretch of Johnson is enough.

 

[SirStefan32]

They can still get the space if they want to. Move Jackson and waive and stretch Johnson.

Edit: Actually I think just doing a waive and stretch of Johnson is enough.

Yep! That would create almost $13M in addition to $13M they already have (assuming Spalding and Holmes are gone.)

 

[DevonCardsFan]

They can still get the space if they want to. Move Jackson and waive and stretch Johnson.

Edit: Actually I think just doing a waive and stretch of Johnson is enough.

Yeah but after this trash do you have faith, they can do anything correct, they took 6 Warren capspace Milwaukee pick and turned it too 4 scubs, Suns front office is total garbage

 

[Cheesebeef]

SO

PG Tyler Johnson, Ty Jerome, Melton, Okobo, Jacques
SG Booker, Bridges
SF Oubre, Johnson, Jackson?
PF Saric, Spaulding?
C Ayton, Baynes

That is already 14 guys

Melton and Okobo are gone somehow.

They may sign a PF/C - Maybe Bender?

unless Ayton takes a MASSIVE step forward, that looks like a 25 win team to me. Hopefully Monty and his staff can help him do that. Maybe they're better offensively, but defensively, they're just as bad as last year.

But good lord... that bench. I mean... a bench of Ty Jerome, Bridge, Johnson, Baynes and Spaulding is completely atrocious.