Suns News: Week 25 - The End of '16-'17

[Ring_Wanted]

Booker is not Harden, that's for sure, but I think D'Antoni would be able to create a nice offense around the kid's playmaking, although not with the current roster, given its lack of shooting. Would have had to be a long term project but I acknowledge it's moot at this point.

[Cap]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the fuck do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

[Superbone]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

[Split T]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

Harden was pretty unstoppable at 20...of course he was in college at asu. What Booker is doing at his age is pretty unprecedented, we hear the names constantly, KD, LeBron, Kobe, Melo. I don't think he'll reach the level Kobe, LeBron and KD have, but would anyone be surprised if he put up 25/5/4 next year and shot .450/.380/.850

That's kinda what I'm hoping for our of him next year. Just increased efficiency and some added play making. 5 years from now he could be a 30/6/5 on .480/.400/.880

Don't know if he'll ever be a 50/40/90 guy, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[Flagrant Fowl]

That's kinda what I'm hoping for our of him next year. Just increased efficiency and some added play making. 5 years from now he could be a 30/6/5 on .480/.400/.880

Don't know if he'll ever be a 50/40/90 guy, but I wouldn't rule it out.

I want to see him become a better defender more than anything else.

[O_Gardino]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

Harden was pretty unstoppable at 20...of course he was in college at asu. What Booker is doing at his age is pretty unprecedented, we hear the names constantly, KD, LeBron, Kobe, Melo. I don't think he'll reach the level Kobe, LeBron and KD have, but would anyone be surprised if he put up 25/5/4 next year and shot .450/.380/.850

That's kinda what I'm hoping for our of him next year. Just increased efficiency and some added play making. 5 years from now he could be a 30/6/5 on .480/.400/.880

Don't know if he'll ever be a 50/40/90 guy, but I wouldn't rule it out.

25/5/4 would not surprise me at all. That's kind of what I expect.

As for 50/40/90, that's not happening while his idol is Kobe and his favorite moves are ISO post ups.

[JCSunsfan]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

Harden was pretty unstoppable at 20...of course he was in college at asu. What Booker is doing at his age is pretty unprecedented, we hear the names constantly, KD, LeBron, Kobe, Melo. I don't think he'll reach the level Kobe, LeBron and KD have, but would anyone be surprised if he put up 25/5/4 next year and shot .450/.380/.850

That's kinda what I'm hoping for our of him next year. Just increased efficiency and some added play making. 5 years from now he could be a 30/6/5 on .480/.400/.880

Don't know if he'll ever be a 50/40/90 guy, but I wouldn't rule it out.

25/5/4 would not surprise me at all. That's kind of what I expect.

As for 50/40/90, that's not happening while his idol is Kobe and his favorite moves are ISO post ups.

Kobe's best years were in the 46% range from the field and 36% from three. But he did play awesome D. There were a lot of superstar type players in years past who were not very efficient by today's standards.

[Split T]

Ya, I don't think he'll ever be a 50% shooter, he'll take too many 3's, but I think he's a better 3 pt shooter than Kobe.

[Cap]

Ya, I don't think he'll ever be a 50% shooter, he'll take too many 3's, but I think he's a better 3 pt shooter than Kobe.

Through two seasons:

Code: Select all

Player  FG% 3FG% 2FG% eFG%  FT%
Booker .423 .354 .453 .477 .835
Bryant .420 .354 .450 .472 .807

Kinda eerie.

http://bkref.com/tiny/ocEV0

[jonh]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

Harden was pretty unstoppable at 20...of course he was in college at asu. What Booker is doing at his age is pretty unprecedented, we hear the names constantly, KD, LeBron, Kobe, Melo. I don't think he'll reach the level Kobe, LeBron and KD have, but would anyone be surprised if he put up 25/5/4 next year and shot .450/.380/.850

That's kinda what I'm hoping for our of him next year. Just increased efficiency and some added play making. 5 years from now he could be a 30/6/5 on .480/.400/.880

Don't know if he'll ever be a 50/40/90 guy, but I wouldn't rule it out.

25/5/4 would not surprise me at all. That's kind of what I expect.

As for 50/40/90, that's not happening while his idol is Kobe and his favorite moves are ISO post ups.

Kobe's best years were in the 46% range from the field and 36% from three. But he did play awesome D. There were a lot of superstar type players in years past who were not very efficient by today's standards.

Im not worried about his ability to score. Im confident he will get 25. I would be more excited if he averaged 5-6 rebounds and 4-5 assists a game (not to mention his steals/blocks).

Booker is an elite scorer, or will be soon. I am more excited about the prospect of him being an elite player, and to do that, he has to round out his game a little more.

[Ring_Wanted]

The assists will come, look at this last ~10 games this season. The customary swingman playmaker 5 apg are not an issue, especially as his teammates develop. Decent defense is just a matter of focus and cardio. On the other hand, I see rebounding way harder to achieve for him.

[JustWinBaby]

I expect Thibs to be a much better coach than Watson at this point in their careers. Thibs has many years of experience as an assistant and head coach at this point. I agree that Watson has a lot to learn especially on the strategy side of things. Will he get there in his first head coaching stint with the Suns? I don't know but he seems like the type of person that wants to continue to grow and improve. I'm willing to give him some time with this team to see how/if they can grow together.

I think Watson has had enough time to learn this coaching thing. I expect another upgrade in talent this summer via the young guys who are another year older and the influx of more talent via the draft and maybe free agency.

Gambo said today that he expects 41 wins next year which would be a 17 game improvement. We could have really won several more games if we did not sit key players while obviously tanking.

Assuming no major injuries at this point I think that 41 wins is a reasonable goal. This certainly will be revisited after we complete our summer moves.

Watson was on the radio talking about young players and their development. He said that a lot of coaches like to control and limit the development of young players. They limit their minutes and roles, bring them along slowly, pull them quickly for mistakes. Its because the coach wants to be in control. Watson said his philosophy is different. He believes that his responsibility is not NOT limit young players. Provide guidance and help, but then get out of the way and give them every opportunity to succeed.

I totally agree with him. Watson is the type of coach whose W-L record will never look good, but he will make a huge difference in the overall success of a team.

As far as wins next year. I could see a huge improvement.

Booker will be a year older, and he has really settled into his role.
We will add an impact rookie, no matter where we draft.
Chriss is advancing at an astounding rate. I expect him to have huge positive impact next summer.
There will be some sort of trade that will help.
We can shore up some areas with free agency.
Alan Williams role will increase.
Ulis has established himself in the back up pg role and will have an impact.

Barring injuries, there is nothing there that indicates decline, and a lot that indicates improvement.

I think 35-40 wins, maybe even 41.

How can you be a successful team when you don't win?

Thank you JC. - My point exactly. I am not expecting a title just some progress in the Win Column and I think, as it appears you do, that 41 win season is possible with this group along with hopefully another upgrade in talent bump this summer.

[JustWinBaby]

Not yet, but Booker may have the potential to become the same kind of "How the f*** do you stop this guy?" guy as Harden.

In fact, I'd put Booker above Harden at the same age.

In Harden's first year in the league he played in the WCF and his team lost
In Harden's 2nd year he played in the Finals and his team lost.

While his numbers were not what Booker put up this year he was mainly used as a 6th man. His stats also suffered due to playing with two dominant players in Westbrook and Durant.

Harden is a great player and Booker has a real chance to be a great player. Harden was a great college player at 20 years old.

I would love to have both of them on my team.

[JustWinBaby]

Booker is not Harden, that's for sure, but I think D'Antoni would be able to create a nice offense around the kid's playmaking, although not with the current roster, given its lack of shooting. Would have had to be a long term project but I acknowledge it's moot at this point.

I doubt Booker would have put up the numbers with MDA this year that he did with Watson. However I think Booker would have shot a higher percentage and been a far more efficient player. He would have received far better looks in Mike's offense. I think Bledsoe would have been even better than he was this year.

[Ring_Wanted]

I doubt Booker would have put up the numbers with MDA this year that he did with Watson. However I think Booker would have shot a higher percentage and been a far more efficient player. He would have received far better looks in Mike's offense. I think Bledsoe would have been even better than he was this year.

Kobe still averaged his 27ppg under Mike D. Of course Booker was not remotely as stablished entering the season, but I believe D'Antoni would have acknowledge Booker's blossoming ability, put a system around it and allow Booker to average ~20ppg.

[JustWinBaby]

I doubt Booker would have put up the numbers with MDA this year that he did with Watson. However I think Booker would have shot a higher percentage and been a far more efficient player. He would have received far better looks in Mike's offense. I think Bledsoe would have been even better than he was this year.

Kobe still averaged his 27ppg under Mike D. Of course Booker was not remotely as stablished entering the season, but I believe D'Antoni would have acknowledge Booker's blossoming ability, put a system around it and allow Booker to average ~20ppg.

Yeah I think that is very possible.

In Mikes offense Booker would get better shots. I agree that he would have averaged at least 20 ppg with Mike. Kobe actually shot close to if not his highest percentage from the field In his career with MDA. The Rockets this year finished 2nd in the league in TS% and the Warriors 1st. The Suns finished 22nd which is better than I thought. I think with a few tweaks and the possible addition of Ball we could move well up the ladder next year.

TS%, IMO, is one of the biggest factors in determining winners and losers. Each team only gets so many possessions and the team that does the most with each possession almost always wins. Obviously defense and turnovers are huge factors as well. If you turn it over or get killed on the boards you don't get as many shots as the other team. I would like to see improvement in all three areas next year. If we do the wins will come.

[pickle]

If we score more points than the other team, we will win... If we focus on everything that lead to scoring more points than the other team well, then we will win more games. But let's go one step at a time maybe...

[Nodack]

I just finished watching the last Suns game of the year finally. Was on vacation and super busy after getting back and haven't found the time to watch all the games until now. I stayed away from here because I didn't want to know any results. I am weird that way. I even finish watching a TV show that I am not that thrilled about just because it wasn't over yet. Just read through the last few pages here trying to catch up.

I thought the season went very well. I know, "Are you crazy Nodack!" Maybe I am.

I wasn't that thrilled with the start of the season. I wasn't that thrilled that we got Chandler. We already had Len and I thought it was time for Len to sink or swim as the starter and thought getting Chandler wasn't a good idea. I like Chandler and he is a decent Center but, that was telling Len they had no faith in him and I didn't like the message. Len is big and has a decent looking shot but, hasn't been able to put it all together yet and look comfortable as a basketball player. My patience is wearing a little with the guy.

Chriss and Bender. Obviously they had more faith in Chriss from the get go and made him a starter. I thought Chriss did ok. He obviously has athleticism. He seemed to kind of sleep walk through the season for me. Didn't make too many mistakes but, didn't really show me that much either. As the season went on he improved, especially defensively. He has shown he can really be a shot blocker. He also came around some offensively throgh the season but, overall I am still not quite sure what we have with him. He has shown that he has a slight attitude problem with all his techs. I will be keeping an eye on that.

Bender didn't get a whole lot of playing time. He was starting to get more and more time when he got hurt and obviously after that it was a moot point. He did make it back for the end and looked pretty good. Somebody was saying he had no offensive skills. I don't agree at all. I think his offense is better than Chriss's at this point. He needed to put on some muscle and he obviously did while he was injured.

Ulis didn't get a lot of playing time in the beginning of the season but, I really liked his play. He is a play maker and that is something the Suns really need. He's got skills. His only real spot is he is short and teams will always try to take advantage of that.

Williams came out of nowhere and I reallly like his play. I like him better than Len already. He just has a feel for the game. He is really good at the pick and roll, especially him and Ulis together. He rebounds well and is always fighting. His attitude is awesome and he is frm AZ.

Booker has shown that he is the real deal. He will be an All Star soon.

Warren came on like he wanted to be an All Star and then had the mysterious head injury that set him back. He finally got back to himself towards the end of the season. He is money anywhere inside 15 feet.

Jones? I never heard of the guy until it was announced he was in the All Star dunk contest. Then he appeared on the bench. I was like "WTF is this all about?" He is super skinny but, can really jump high, probably because he is so skinny. Then the next thing you know he was a integral part of the rotation. He can obviously dunk and block some shots. He did show some offensive skills. Not sure where he is going with the team.

The season started out so so. Nobody here really likes Knight on the team and his stint as a 6th man was kind of a failure. I am pretty sure the Suns would like to trade him asap as would most Suns fans. Nuff said.

Bledsoe had a great year and looked good to me. I know half the people here don't like him. "He's not an assist guy." That is his weakest stat. He averaged over 6 assiste per game. Not great, not horrible either. To each his own. I am fine with Blesoe as our PG.

Earl Watson like all coaches is always in the hot seat. I didn't have a problem with him. I don't know who made the call to start shutting down players to give the rookies more time but, I really liked the move. They obviously weren't going to the playoffs anyway. I liked the move because it really gave the rookies a lot of playing time and eliminated the risk of getting the vets hurt, not to mention improved our lottery chances. They actually played some good basketball and lost most of those games in the end. Not sure if that was sort of intentional or not. Seeing all the rookies starting was a glimpse into the future and I liked what I saw.

Now we will talk about trading most of the team during the off season like we always do. My changes would be move Chamdler and Knight for sure. Chandler because he is not needed, Knight because I don't like his play. The role players like Barbosa, Dudley, Price, etc. are fill ins and can stay or go.

Milsap and Jarell? Not sure what is going on with those two.

As a Suns fan watching a team rebuild I thought it was a productive season. Our rookies got a crap load of playing time. I didn't see anything to make me hate Watson. I think he is safe for another season. I think next year the Suns start to string together more wins. My best guess would be that they are just shy of making the playoffs. They should get a real high draft pick and this years crop is supposed to be better than last years. Not sure who they go for. Best player or best at the position they need. I doubt we will all agree with the choice no matter who it is. My optimistic self is excited about next season already, especially if we move Knight.

[Indy]

Bledsoe had a great year and looked good to me. I know half the people here don't like him. "He's not an assist guy." That is his weakest stat. He averaged over 6 assiste per game. Not great, not horrible either. To each his own. I am fine with Blesoe as our PG.

Thanks for the lengthy recap, Nodack. I appreciate your takes.

On this one above, I just wanted to point out that I haven't heard anyone (or very few) say Bledsoe's problem is he doesn't get enough assists. Usually, the complaints this year were he stands there and pounds the ball instead of moving it around, and that he doesn't make his teammates better. Those are both legit complaints. I know he probably will never be a legit starting PG in this league, but you totally see the difference in ball movement when Ulis is in the game.

[Mori Chu]

Bledsoe gets a lot of assists where he just happens to be the guy who makes the last pass. Ulis and truer PGs get assists where they actually see a play unfolding and go out of their way to pass to somebody who is open or who can get a shot. There is a huge difference. Bledsoe is the one who I think should never be a starting NBA PG. He doesn't play the position the right way. I am just done with these ball hogging guards who don't share the ball or make their teammates better.