Phx-Suns.Net

Yes, but the Board of Governors make the rules, not the NBA league office. They're not going to ever go for a rule like that.

What impetus does the other owners have to improve the Suns?

carey wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:34 am

What impetus does the other owners have to improve the Suns?

I agree that they won't do anything. But from a revenue standpoint, nobody wants hopelessly bad and unwatchable franchises. They lose a lot of revenue if their team travels to Phoenix and nobody buys tickets, or if Phoenix comes to town to play their team and nobody wants to attend/watch.

Is that worth more than the easy wins?

Someone has to be the worst in the league. Why should the other governors mind that the Suns often fill that role?

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:20 am

carey wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:34 am

What impetus does the other owners have to improve the Suns?

I agree that they won't do anything. But from a revenue standpoint, nobody wants hopelessly bad and unwatchable franchises. They lose a lot of revenue if their team travels to Phoenix and nobody buys tickets, or if Phoenix comes to town to play their team and nobody wants to attend/watch.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think teams share ticket revenue. So it wouldn't cost the Warriors money if they go to Phoenix and they don't sell any tickets. Sure, the other way around it would hurt, but if you are a good team you have fans/sell outs at nearly every game. Maybe a lot of season ticket holders are no-shows that game, but you still get the ticket money.

carey wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:26 am

Is that worth more than the easy wins?

Not just that, but don't you want plenty of incompetent GMs around? Sure makes filling out your roster easy.

Cap wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:48 am

Someone has to be the worst in the league. Why should the other governors mind that the Suns often fill that role?

I would think that the league would step in like in the case of Philly if the Suns become a standing joke and horrible draw.

In2 is right. Philly is a great recent example; teams don't want a team actively tanking or losing for years on end. They stepped in along with the Commissoner to do something about it and get Philly back on the road toward being competitive again.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:12 am

In2 is right. Philly is a great recent example; teams don't want a team actively tanking or losing for years on end. They stepped in along with the Commissoner to do something about it and get Philly back on the road toward being competitive again.

We’re not actively tanking, we’re just incompetent.

Cap wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:35 am

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:12 am

In2 is right. Philly is a great recent example; teams don't want a team actively tanking or losing for years on end. They stepped in along with the Commissoner to do something about it and get Philly back on the road toward being competitive again.

We’re not actively tanking, we’re just incompetent.

This. And honestly, if Philly hadn't been getting a ton of press for how they were actively gaming the system, and marketing that to people, the league wouldn't have stepped in. It was bad PR.

Cap wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:35 am

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:12 am

In2 is right. Philly is a great recent example; teams don't want a team actively tanking or losing for years on end. They stepped in along with the Commissoner to do something about it and get Philly back on the road toward being competitive again.

We’re not actively tanking, we’re just incompetent.

I have agreed with this so far this year, but the actions of the front office and sometimes incompetent moves by Igor have made me think that they may actually be tanking this year. Who would go into a year without a natural power forward next to their rookie center or a pg that has more experience than a 2nd round rookie?

Hmmm, we’ve decided to secretly tank so the league doesn’t intervene....our plan has been to get Zion all along

Split T wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:20 pm

Hmmm, we’ve decided to secretly tank so the league doesn’t intervene....our plan has been to get Zion all along

brilliant! too bad the odds are flat...

You have what some people think that is a generational big man taken at #1, but with some defensive flaws that need to be worked on. You have an superstar sg in the making that also needs to work on. How would you makes sure that both are minimized?

1. Make sure that your pg is a choice between 2 different rookie 2nd round pgs, both with promise, but both that are relatively new to the position on top of being rookies. Guys that aren't a threat, don't have any gravity, questionable shooters and not natural talents to pass.
2. Make sure that you use your young skinny small forwards to play power forward, because you haven't brought in a natural power forward to be next to Ayton. Don't put a pf on the roster to help Ayton with his rebounding, keeping the opposing big off the glass, have his back on the defensive end and protect the paint when Ayton is pulled away.
3. Give them all a rookie head coach that needs to learn as he goes. Someone that will not stick up for their players and that will put out crazy lineups in some of the most obvious situations.

The only reasons that they've won some of the games that they've won, imo, is that the opposing team complete took them for granted and the Suns snuck out the win. It's amazing how big of an affect that not having a capable pf and pg can handicap this team, even though it has a lot more talent on it then the previous 2-3 years.

I don’t think they intended to tank this year. It’s working out that way though. Everybody on the planet knows we are missing a PG and a PF. We have had some injury problems this year but, nothing real serious. Being last won’t gurantee us another #1 pick but, it won’t hurt. As bad as we are I still see some light at the end of the tunnel

PG - Johnson, Melton, Okobo,
SG - Booker (future All Star?) Daniels
SF - Warren, Jackson, Bridges, Oubre?
PF - Bender
C - Ayton, Holmes

PG - Maybe one of those guys can become our BU pg but none of them deserve the starting job. This position is #1 priority in off season.

SG - Booker has that position sewed up. I suspect his permanent BU is to be determined.

SF - We have a plethora of guys. I think we keep two and use the rest as trade bait.

PF - Bender is basically it and he only gets minutes when the team is desperate for bodies. He did show a little something recently but overall has been a huge disappointment. This position needs a serious upgrade and is my #2 priority just behind a starting PG.

C - Center position is done.

We may not get the #1 pick being the biggest losers again but, we have as good a chance as anyone else and it should be a good pick regardless. I am counting on us picking up a solid PG or PF in the draft and trading for the other spot next year so we can at least put a real full team on the court. That is my hope at least. Some has expressed that they don’t want to draft a PG and have to wait for him to mature into the guy we need. I say you see what’s available on draft day and pick the guy who will fill one of those needs or make the trade to get that guy. Booker, Ayton and Bridges stepped right into the starting role and have produced well.

This year is just practice again. It’s all about the future, not the present. It sucks but it is what it is. Keep Booker healthy. Give Ayton lots of touches. Winning or losing at this point in time is just to feel good but, means nothing in the big picture.

You just have to hope for a Sacramento Kings-like, or to a degree Philly-like, renaissance where a perennial loser team suddenly finds the right mix with enough stars and enough veterans and enough luck and finally starts to put it together. It would take a real home run offseason, but it is possible.

Winning or losing at this time of year doesn't mean a whole lot as far as the lottery odds. I don't think they should shut anyone down to tank, and should still be doing everything they can to win each game, but I don't think they will win very many to finish the season. Not having a decent pg or natural pf really hamstrings this team.

Ayton isn't quite at the same level as WCS yet, but by next season he may be or even surpass him. Right now, he's putting up almost 17 pts and 11 rebounds. I could see him make a natural jump and go up to 23 and 13 by as early as next season. No one is more affected negatively by not having a good pg or pf next to him more than Ayton is. At the same time, he clearly has things he needs to improve this off-season. He needs to get stronger, needs to demand the ball more, needs to face up and take people off the dribble, and needs to

Booker is a better player than anyone on the Kings, but his impact isn't as great as Fox right now. Give him a competent to above average pg and he improves that much more and proves he's better than anyone on the Kings.

I really like Bridges, and I think Jackson has improved over the course of the season(even though his advanced numbers that Worm shows tell a different story). I think that both Bridges and Jackson will get stronger in the off-season and improve their shooting more which will help both of them quite a bit.

Other than that, both Melton and Okobo have talent, but it may take them 3-4 years before they contribute at a playoff type level if ever.

The Suns need to address both pf and pg this off-season(OBVIOUSLY!), even if they get lucky in the draft. They also need to build solid depth with solid positive contributing vets. I'm sure that this is a priority of Jones, but I'll have to see it before I believe they will make a big jump next year. And this is coming from someone that expected them to be much improved this year. Those roster holes left unaddressed were crazy.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Suns finish with 18-20 wins and I wouldn't be surprised if they only got to 15. This 23 game stretch to finish the season is probably the easiest part of the schedule so far with 12 winnable games.

Better win one of the next two in Cleveland and Atlanta or this losing streak is going to be epic.