Phoenix Suns Media Day 2018

[Superbone]

Shoot, even these tidbits made me get a little optimistic about Anderson and Ariza being on the team.

I really hope we stick with TJ. I'd like to give him the opportunity to improve as a Sun.

[Drewsprocket]

Anyone think the suns win 41 games with Shaq, Okobo, and Melton bringing up the ball upcourt?

[INFORMER]

I think the season's success is in Ayton's hands.

[iLLmatic]

Anyone think the suns win 41 games with Shaq, Okobo, and Melton bringing up the ball upcourt?

With Igor's offense I don't think it's as point guard dependent.

[Drewsprocket]

I agree with you both. I watched the film series on Igor’s five out offensive schemes. Someone’s going to bring up the ball and hand it off to booker to initiate the offense. Ayton will be crashing the boards on offense. It’s such a wing driven offense. Hopefully Ayton will learn to score in a variety of ways (pick and pops and rolling in the lane and post ups).

[JCSunsfan]

watch this again.

[JeremyG]

Shaquille O'Neal to Ayton: "I hope you do break all my records"

[Superbone]

Shaquille O'Neal to Ayton: "I hope you do break all my records"

Very cool! He's got Shaq's blessing.

[Superbone]

Anyone think the suns win 41 games with Shaq, Okobo, and Melton bringing up the ball upcourt?

I'm not going to put any limitations on them but I'd be happy with even the low 30s. It would be a start in the right direction. The West is so loaded.

[Flagrant Fowl]

35 wins is where I climax. Literally.

[In2ition]

I think you guys are all a bit low. Idk if they make the playoffa, but they will push for it all the way to the end. No tanking will happen, Ariza won't be bought as expected by many national talking heads, and Ayton will answer a lot of people's questions about is defense.

[O_Gardino]

+ 5 wins for not actively tanking.
+ 5 wins for having Igor.

That puts us at 33. Anything more or less than that shows us how our roster improved vs the rest of the west. I think 38 wins is optimistic but achievable.

[Split T]

Agree with Inf. I think the team will be better than last year regardless. I'm thinking 30 wins minimum. I don't think it's crazy to think we could push towards 40 if Ayton is really good from the get go. We already know Booker is great and Ariza/Anderson really do complement that duo well. If the media day rumors are true that Shaq TJ or Josh made improvements in their 3 point shot, then that's another really solid complimentary piece.

[pickle]

My Kokoskov notes:
> Thanks 'Bone.

TJ spent a lot of hours in the gym. Wishes they could have spent more time together. 3 point shooting is better.
> Summer is so great, everyone is so awesome during the summer. Still wish he had focused on defense though.

Ayton only a center in the NBA.
> So much for Bol Bol 2019... I wanted us to draft him just for the name.

Coach Miller is going to spend time with the staff to help with Ayton.
Defense first for Ayton. Needs to be a rim protector.
> Hope this becomes true so I can stop wishing for Doncic.

Dragan had a good summer. Was here most of the summer. He's a PF only. Needs to mature fast.
> I'm the biggest Dragan defender I know, but I'm also losing faith in him. Maybe it is a maturity thing but he really hasn't shown anything at all and there's some talk that he doesn't like to practice or work on his game... lacks that fire on the court like Saric shows.

Multiple ball handlers. Can go small ball with TJ at 4.
> A 6'8 player with long arms at the 4 seems more like the norm these days. I know that TJ is not a Millsap type 6'8, but still... Sounds like another veiled reference at lack of defense.

[pickle]

Shoot, even these tidbits made me get a little optimistic about Anderson and Ariza being on the team.

I really hope we stick with TJ. I'd like to give him the opportunity to improve as a Sun.

I remember you saying in another post that TJ is a decent/good contract. What do you see in him? And what would you want to see out of him for him to take that next step? I guess 3 point range is the easy answer and I always pine for defense, but defense is also a complicated topic. I would start with him having better focus on D for starters, but don't watch enough games to know more.

[Cap]

> So much for Bol Bol 2019... I wanted us to draft him just for the name.

Still can. He can come off the bench as a rookie. If he plays too well to remain a reserve, he’ll be easy enough to trade. Quality starting centers are a primo commodity.

[SDC]

+ 5 wins for not actively tanking.
+ 5 wins for having Igor.

That puts us at 33. Anything more or less than that shows us how our roster improved vs the rest of the west. I think 38 wins is optimistic but achievable.

-5 wins for not having a credible point guard
- 5 wins (potentially) for not trading away the 2019 suns first round pick and mcdo is tempted to tank again by midseason
+ 5 wins for having coach igor
+ 5 wins for having both ayton and mikal

[Flagrant Fowl]

> So much for Bol Bol 2019... I wanted us to draft him just for the name.

Still can. He can come off the bench as a rookie. If he plays too well to remain a reserve, he’ll be easy enough to trade. Quality starting centers are a primo commodity.

I'm still not sure where Bol Bol fits in the NBA. Obviously he has the height, but I'm not sure he can take the pounding. He might just be a really tall stretch 4.

[Split T]

+ 5 wins for not actively tanking.
+ 5 wins for having Igor.

That puts us at 33. Anything more or less than that shows us how our roster improved vs the rest of the west. I think 38 wins is optimistic but achievable.

-5 wins for not having a credible point guard
- 5 wins (potentially) for not trading away the 2019 suns first round pick and mcdo is tempted to tank again by midseason
+ 5 wins for having coach igor
+ 5 wins for having both ayton and mikal

You think our pg's are worse than last year?
We tanked the whole year last year, yet we're gonna win 5 less games this year by tanking half a season?

Your math makes no sense.

[SDC]

+ 5 wins for not actively tanking.
+ 5 wins for having Igor.

That puts us at 33. Anything more or less than that shows us how our roster improved vs the rest of the west. I think 38 wins is optimistic but achievable.

-5 wins for not having a credible point guard
- 5 wins (potentially) for not trading away the 2019 suns first round pick and mcdo is tempted to tank again by midseason
+ 5 wins for having coach igor
+ 5 wins for having both ayton and mikal

You think our pg's are worse than last year?
We tanked the whole year last year, yet we're gonna win 5 less games this year by tanking half a season?

Your math makes no sense.

suns are going to win the same amount of games if suns got off to a poor start. but a five game improvement if they dont tank.