Suns News: Week of 4/14-4/20

[INFORMER]

I was referring to the Suns media (AZ Republic, BSOTS) and the fanbase in general. And I'm not saying that the Cinderella season is the only reason to be happy with McDonough. I told this to Superbone last offseason: I'm not going to be easy. I'm not going to praise Hornacek for his summer league coaching. I'm not going to anoint McDonough for doing the bare minimum.

Bare Minimum? We must have different translations of that word. Getting 2 1st rd picks,Bledsoe,Green,and cap space is a whole lot more then "bare minimum" in my book.

You're right; "bare minimum" is too much of a hyperbole. But for me, it's pretty close to the minimum of what I would expect out of a good GM.

[INFORMER]

but why assume Mcdonaugh will do the same?

Long-term? I don't assume anything, good or bad. Short term? I'm just going off of what came out of the horse's mouth. The self-imposed 3-rookie embargo and the max salary love affair with Eric Bledsoe are not prudent uses of a cap flexibility in assets IMO.

if he packaged 14 n 19 and moved up for Gordon or Randle then I'd be all for it. We may differ on this though.

We don't differ, although I wouldn't be too excited about moving up for Randle. But getting one of those top prospects is longshot IMO, so when I hear McDonough muse about potential plans for the picks, I don't automatically credit him with being able to pull off landing a top prospect or Kevin Love with them. I don't think that's reasonable. But that's just my opinion.

[Ring_Wanted]

I don't think anyone can get Kevin Love or trade up for one of the top prospects (assuming those are Wiggins, Parker, Exum, Embiid, Vonleh maybe Randle and Smart) with the assets we have, so I won't hold it against McD if that's not the return of the summer.

Trading for Gordon, Maybe. Kevin Love? Free agency only,

[INFORMER]

one of the top prospects (assuming those are Wiggins, Parker, Exum, Embiid, Vonleh maybe Randle and Smart)

I think the premium prospects in the draft are Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Vonleh, Exum, Gordon, Randle, and Smart. From the Suns standpoint, I would leave out Exum and and Smart if Bledsoe and Goodwin are entrenched on the roster.

[Ring_Wanted]

I agree with the list. And I wouldn't be surprised if Stauskas made it. Bottom line is that the Suns have a number of assets but they are modest so I don't expect miracles. If something in the mold of Bledsoe is done again I'll be more than glad.

[Superbone]

I think that would be big too. I hope I didn't give the impression that the option to do nothing but stand pat wasn't there. Sometimes that's even harder to do, because you know GM's get itchy to do something. If nothing presents itself that would meaningfully improve the team long term, then they should do just that, stand pat. What they do in the draft is going to be very meaningful not just for this year, but years afterwards. Increase the assets, increase the value of the assets, keep building up the team to be ready for bigger things.

And McDonough even has a precedent for this. This last trading deadline.

[Ring_Wanted]

In my opinion the deadline was a miscalculation. Pau Gasol is thrown around endlessly but he was not the only player, or big man, who could have helped. Post scoring was not the only need we had. Defense and rebounding were equally missing during the second half of the season, if not more than offense.

I don't look back at the deadline and think to myself that he did a good job. At all.

[Superbone]

I was referring to the Suns media (AZ Republic, BSOTS) and the fanbase in general. And I'm not saying that the Cinderella season is the only reason to be happy with McDonough. I told this to Superbone last offseason: I'm not going to be easy. I'm not going to praise Hornacek for his summer league coaching. I'm not going to anoint McDonough for doing the bare minimum.

Bare Minimum? We must have different translations of that word. Getting 2 1st rd picks,Bledsoe,Green,and cap space is a whole lot more then "bare minimum" in my book.

Yeah, I'm sorry but the "bare minimum" comment is laughable. This is coming from the guy who bills himself as realist. INF, you know I love you man but I think your love of the draft is clouding your judgement here.

I'm starting to see what's going on here though. INF is taking on the Wormwood philosophy of assuming the worst so you're not hurt if it happens and pleasantly surprised if it doesn't.

[Superbone]

You're right; "bare minimum" is too much of a hyperbole.

Thank you.

[Superbone]

In my opinion the deadline was a miscalculation. Pau Gasol is thrown around endessly but he was not the only player, or big man, who could have helped. Post scoring was not the only need we had. Defense and rebounding were equally missing during the second half of the season, if not more than offense.

I don't look back at the deadline and think to myself that he did a good job. At all.

Maybe, maybe not. We don't know what the offers were on the table. All I'm saying is he has a precedent for standing pat if he doesn't get the right deal (for him).

[Ring_Wanted]

In my opinion the deadline was a miscalculation. Pau Gasol is thrown around endessly but he was not the only player, or big man, who could have helped. Post scoring was not the only need we had. Defense and rebounding were equally missing during the second half of the season, if not more than offense.

I don't look back at the deadline and think to myself that he did a good job. At all.

Maybe, maybe not. We don't know what the offers were on the table. All I'm saying is he has a precedent for standing pat if he doesn't get the right deal (for him).

Sure, but in2ition put an eventual standing pat this summer under a good light, since it could help the franchise in 2015. That could very well be the case, but I wouldn't use the deadline to support it since it actually had the opposite effect.

That's it, if making the playoffs could have been considered a goal worth of actively pursuing and investing something in the process (maybe as little as second round picks, seeing the moves that actually went down).

[Superbone]

That's it, if making the playoffs could have been considered a goal worth of actively pursuing and investing something in the process (maybe as little as second round picks, seeing the moves that actually went down).

That's the question, isn't it? Is it more important to squeak into the playoffs or to have long-term success. I have faith that McDonough is looking at the big picture.

[In2ition]

That's it, if making the playoffs could have been considered a goal worth of actively pursuing and investing something in the process (maybe as little as second round picks, seeing the moves that actually went down).

That's the question, isn't it? Is it more important to squeak into the playoffs or to have long-term success. I have faith that McDonough is looking at the big picture.

That's the kind of thinking that was absent for the last 10 years.

[Ring_Wanted]

The real question is how much would have cost to add a player who could have helped. By help I mean a relatively modest contribution. Obviously more than Shavlik Randolph, but not necessarily a Pau Gasol, Zbo or the likes.

I often see the 'mortgage the future' argument. I find it a gross hyperbole if what we are talking about is Indiana's pick at most.

[Superbone]

I often see the 'mortgage the future' argument. I find it a gross hyperbole if what we are talking about is Indiana's pick at most.

That's what we don't know, Ring. That's a mighty big "if". How do you have any clue that's all it took?

[Ring_Wanted]

Well, we know that some players were acquired for miserable second rounders. Again, I think people got too fixated with the Pau Gasol rumor. He was not the only piece on the table, as we could see. It was a buyer's market and in my personal opinion the FO thought we were making the playoffs with what we had.

[INFORMER]

Yeah, I'm sorry but the "bare minimum" comment is laughable. This is coming from the guy who bills himself as realist. INF, you know I love you man but I think your love of the draft is clouding your judgement here.

The "bare minimum" comment included McDonough acquiring extra picks. If my "love for the draft" was clouding my judgement, I would assign McDonough the infallibility with which so many have already anointed him for merely acquiring those extra picks.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

There are jobs that are predicated on self producing. When you are a writer or in IT, you are fully capable to produce without any colaboration your next book, or the source code required for your program, out of pure inspiration, altough having the tools or the support necesary is always welcome.

On the other hand, there Jobs predicated on getting the most out of your interaction with other people like Projects Management or sales. You can be the most organized dude of the world, but if you can manage your people to actually produce, there is little to nothing to show as results. Same on sales, you can be the most charming, knowledgeable or articulated guy in the company, but you must translate that into OTHER people agreeing to give away their money for your products.

NBA GM is a Job obviously predicated on obtaining results trough other people, and therefore, talk about "bare mínimum" is a lot more complex. You can be sure of whats the correct move, or the correct value of your assets, and still be forced to go for less optimum trades. So, for me is over the bare minimun that McD was able to pull off this string of good moves. For me, he already has shown the capacity to stay put if the deal is not good enough (A deal for a playoff push), and yeah, is wise to be open to keep 3 rookies, or trying to use them diferently.

When I read that famous statement, I took it as lip service, he can as well declare that we will bring 3 rookies and them away on draft day trade . To me, it was more on the line of "people, teams willing to get a pick from us for whatever use you want, we are open for business".

Maybe some teams are reluctant to deal with us, but if you put it out there, the media on their respectives market, the analists, and so, could start writing stuff like "Hey, we could be players in the upcoming draft, if our stupid GM was savvy enough to pull a deal with some team in posesión of extra picks". You know, create a market were is none.

You can disagree with my take and blow it off, I'm just calling it as I see it. Just a random declaration that is not by far the final word on what is going to happen.

[SDC]

McDonough is horrible. He could have traded for Pau Gasol but didn’t. That deal would’ve have surely made the Suns guaranteed to win every postseason award as well made the Suns shoe-ins for the superbowl world series championship of the world cup for the next 10 years. McDonough has sent this franchise back years. I miss the Lance Blanks days.

if only the suns traded for luol deng or rudy gay, think of the possibilities.

[SDC]

Although I think that McDonough did a very good job this last off-season, this one is even bigger for him and the Suns.

Maybe, maybe not. This may be the summer to stand pat. If Minnesota doesn't want to move Kevin Love, then he won't be moved, and right now they don't appear inclined to move. Do you waste assets to work a sign and trade for Monroe or Hayward? The draft aside, this may be the summer where the Suns don't do much at all.

really, just keep the team, add one more big man (gortat or gasol) and move forward.