Suns News: Week 4 11/5-11/11

[carey]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc....

Booker and Ayton were the consensus picks. He lucked into those players just by virtue of having the draft picks. It’s way too early to say whether Bridges is worth what we traded for him, and it’s starting to look like Jackson was not the right pick.

I was a McDonough homer. Hell, I posted that article saying he'd be a good choice before it even leaked that he interviewed. But he wasn't good, Mori. He busted on back to back #4 picks, a #8 and a #5. That's four busts in the top half of the lottery and it is going to wind up setting us back years. The only thing he did well was resist handing out big contracts left and right, though he did pay Chandler and Knight, both of which are bad deals. That said the cap is relatively clean going forward. Once we stretch Anderson the books will look really good with only Booker and Warren making anything over $10M. We'll have a max salary slot available to add to the core of Booker-Ayton-Bridges. If we can convince Kemba to sign here this team could get really good very quickly. So not all is lost but we could have been in much better shape by now.

[O_Gardino]

I think it ultimately doesn't matter as long as Sarver does Sarver things.

That's really the bottom line.

[Split T]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc....

Booker and Ayton were the consensus picks. He lucked into those players just by virtue of having the draft picks. It’s way too early to say whether Bridges is worth what we traded for him, and it’s starting to look like Jackson was not the right pick.

I don't agree with this mentality. If you don't give him credit for making the expected pick when it goes right, you can't fault him when it goes wrong either. Jackson was the consensus pick at 4. Bender was considered #3 by a lot of people in the 2016 draft as well.

[O_Gardino]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc....

Booker and Ayton were the consensus picks. He lucked into those players just by virtue of having the draft picks. It’s way too early to say whether Bridges is worth what we traded for him, and it’s starting to look like Jackson was not the right pick.

I don't agree with this mentality. If you don't give him credit for making the expected pick when it goes right, you can't fault him when it goes wrong either. Jackson was the consensus pick at 4. Bender was considered #3 by a lot of people in the 2016 draft as well.

There was a ton of talk that Jackson was going to go #2 to the Lakers, and some media folks predicted Jackson would be rookie of the year.

I don't think the Suns have been particularly insightful on draft day n Sarver's tenure. They get it right and wrong about as often as the average fan, because an average fan runs the show. McD and Kerr are the only 2 that have gotten any picks right. I hope this summer we get a good player, but I fear that the next GM will make us wish for the good old days of McD the way Babby made me miss the good old days of Kerr.

[Cap]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc....

Booker and Ayton were the consensus picks. He lucked into those players just by virtue of having the draft picks. It’s way too early to say whether Bridges is worth what we traded for him, and it’s starting to look like Jackson was not the right pick.

I don't agree with this mentality. If you don't give him credit for making the expected pick when it goes right, you can't fault him when it goes wrong either. Jackson was the consensus pick at 4. Bender was considered #3 by a lot of people in the 2016 draft as well.

Personally, I haven’t blasted him for either the Bender or the Jackson pick. Both of them were the picks I would have made. But if all he’s doing is making the same picks I would make, I can do the same job for a lot cheaper.

ETA: As is being discussed in another thread, a lot of people here wanted to take Fox at #4 last year. So maybe those folks could do a better job than McD.

[In2ition]

https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher/status/1059856604961562624

[Cap]

https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher/status/1059856604961562624

Is that good? It would be freaking amazing if they can keep it up for more than 33 minutes.

[Mori Chu]

McDo has a mixed record, for sure. But I don't buy the "consensus pick" narrative. McDo could have drafted Doncic #1 this year. He could have taken plenty of guys other than Booker. I don't even think it is true to say that Booker was a "consensus pick." Maybe on this site we liked him the best. Maybe some pundits liked him the best. But he went, what, #13? Why wasn't he the consensus #12 pick? Nobody wanted us to draft anybody else? I don't buy it.

If your GM gets a franchise superstar at #13, you have to give him at least some credit for that. And if he drafts #1 and takes a dude who also looks like a franchise cornerstone, even if drafting #1 has the benefit of getting to pick whomever you want, you have to at least acknowledge that he got the right guy and didn't screw it up.

Another thing that I think is being underrated about McDo is how generally carefully he managed our cap. Our salary sheet is quite clean after this year. McDo was criticized sharply for not getting us a PG, and he deserves some criticism for that. But at least he didn't blow a ton of cap space on a mediocre veteran like, say, Rajon Rondo at big bucks on a multi-year deal. And he didn't surrender super valuable first rounders to grab a mediocre/washed vet like Patrick Beverley. Sometimes the hardest correct move to make is to not make a move and be patient when the right option isn't available yet. Now if you look at our cap, we have a ton of money to use to try to go get a great free agent this offseason if we want one. (Isn't my guy RICKY RUBIO going to be an FA????)

I am not saying McDo is perfect. The Brandon Knight trade was horrendous. The 2016 Bender/Chriss draft was a big misfire, especially trading future picks/assets to get Chriss who turned out to be worthless. Signing the three PGs (Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas) was ridiculously stupid. I will readily fault McDo for all of these moves. He has had to learn some hard lessons as our GM.

But I think a lot of folks on here lately are too quick to pounce on him for his failures and too hesitant to credit him for his successes. He didn't make us into a winning team, but he has us set up to become a winning team very soon, and he has given us the flexibility and picks and assets necessary to get there in 1-2 years. I think it is much like Hinkie, who basically built a future contender in Philly only to be fired before that team got a chance to get good. In both cases I think a solid GM got screwed and was fired unjustly.

[Cap]

Nobody wanted us to draft anybody else? I don't buy it.

Nobody here. Check the thread yourself. Doesn’t mean we were expecting 25.7 ppg on .605 TS%, but he is the pick anybody participating in that thread would have made.

[jonh]

Great quote in an AZcentral article by Coach Pop:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 900103002/

Gregg Popovich isn’t buying this inexperienced business when it comes to Igor Kokoskov.

“Igor’s been coaching for like 90 years,” joked Popovich about Kokoskov, who’s been an NBA assistant dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000-01. “Everybody thinks he’s some kind of rookie.”

It’s been a rough start for Kokoskov as the Phoenix Suns (2-7) suffered through a seven-game losing skid, but Popovich believes there are better days ahead for the Suns with their first-time NBA head coach at the helm.

“It’s just about being at a new program,” the San Antonio Spurs coach said. “Putting new people together is not easy. It takes a while. They’re going to learn what he’s all about and vice versa and they’ve had a very tough schedule so far. It’s been a difficult start because of that.

“So the future portends well because he knows what he’s doing.”

I don't remember reading a similar quote about other Suns coaches--perhaps they did, but I don't remember them. This really does give me more confidence about the team moving forward.

[O_Gardino]

https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher/status/1059856604961562624

Is that good? It would be freaking amazing if they can keep it up for more than 33 minutes.

The Suns are sooo much better with floor spacers and defenders around Booker.

[pickle]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc.... McDo is the architect of this core. I think if we get a veteran PG who can run the offense, and if these guys continue to grow and learn together (especially on defense), this can be a good team. And he built it. I have no faith in James Jones (with Saver hovering over him like a soccer mom) doing as well.

Who was it that kept calling people McD's burner account? Lemme save you the trouble here. McD burner account spotting!

[pickle]

McDo has a mixed record, for sure. But I don't buy the "consensus pick" narrative. McDo could have drafted Doncic #1 this year. He could have taken plenty of guys other than Booker. I don't even think it is true to say that Booker was a "consensus pick." Maybe on this site we liked him the best. Maybe some pundits liked him the best. But he went, what, #13? Why wasn't he the consensus #12 pick? Nobody wanted us to draft anybody else? I don't buy it.

If your GM gets a franchise superstar at #13, you have to give him at least some credit for that. And if he drafts #1 and takes a dude who also looks like a franchise cornerstone, even if drafting #1 has the benefit of getting to pick whomever you want, you have to at least acknowledge that he got the right guy and didn't screw it up.

Another thing that I think is being underrated about McDo is how generally carefully he managed our cap. Our salary sheet is quite clean after this year. McDo was criticized sharply for not getting us a PG, and he deserves some criticism for that. But at least he didn't blow a ton of cap space on a mediocre veteran like, say, Rajon Rondo at big bucks on a multi-year deal. And he didn't surrender super valuable first rounders to grab a mediocre/washed vet like Patrick Beverley. Sometimes the hardest correct move to make is to not make a move and be patient when the right option isn't available yet. Now if you look at our cap, we have a ton of money to use to try to go get a great free agent this offseason if we want one. (Isn't my guy RICKY RUBIO going to be an FA????)

I am not saying McDo is perfect. The Brandon Knight trade was horrendous. The 2016 Bender/Chriss draft was a big misfire, especially trading future picks/assets to get Chriss who turned out to be worthless. Signing the three PGs (Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas) was ridiculously stupid. I will readily fault McDo for all of these moves. He has had to learn some hard lessons as our GM.

But I think a lot of folks on here lately are too quick to pounce on him for his failures and too hesitant to credit him for his successes. He didn't make us into a winning team, but he has us set up to become a winning team very soon, and he has given us the flexibility and picks and assets necessary to get there in 1-2 years. I think it is much like Hinkie, who basically built a future contender in Philly only to be fired before that team got a chance to get good. In both cases I think a solid GM got screwed and was fired unjustly.

Agree with everything in this post.

I feel like as fans we tend to be fanatic, and maybe that's to be expected. But basketball is a business, and people who are paid to do this job need to be a lot more rational and if we are to evaluate them in a fair light then we need to try and be rational too. McD was a middling GM, he had his strengths and he had his faults. He wasn't all great, and neither was he all awful.

I do think that the one person we can say with some level of certainty is Sarver. He is all awful.

[Split T]

[SDC]

I think we are going to regret firing McDo. He drafted and acquired a lot of good young pieces that will be part of this team's core going forward. Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Warren, Jackson, etc....

Booker and Ayton were the consensus picks. He lucked into those players just by virtue of having the draft picks. It’s way too early to say whether Bridges is worth what we traded for him, and it’s starting to look like Jackson was not the right pick.

no way the suns pick Fox then (bledsoe, healthy Knight and Ulis)
would have been also unthinkable mcdo selects Lauri or Isaac (because of Bender and Chriss)

should have traded up or traded down or traded out.

[Uncle_Gene]

Sarver fired Ryan Mc over the phone ? LOL !

[SDC]

better than doing it on twitter.

[INFORMER]

Good to hear. Keep him up there. Let him get the minutes, touches, and experience.

[bajanguy008]

https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1060200205440606208

[Superbone]

Good! Glad they're embarrassed. They should be. There is NO excuse for being out-hustled at home.