Game Day (Preseason): Jazz (3-0) @ Suns (1-1), Mon 10/9/17

[Split T]

In2intion take on lack of player development and the only person who has really improved is TJ is so interesting. I gave it some thought and when you look at the fact that TJ just has an ability to get buckets regardless of system or plays one can even argue that his natural uncanny feel for the game in and around the basket is more reason for his success than having been put in situations to excel.

I'm not really sure how TJ is considered the only player who has improved. Booker has definitely improved, Bledsoe is better than when he got here. Chriss, Bender, ulis, and Jones were all rookies last year, so they haven't had much time to show improvements, yet Chriss, ulis, and Jones Jr all made improvements during the season last year. Len is really the only guy who's been essentially the same player since he got here.

[Cap]

Bender should be told by the coaches to only shoot when he has the ball.

Well, obviously. He'd look funny if he tried to shoot without the ball. And maybe a little crazy.

It would make for a great AdotBdot5 video though, wouldn't it?

I had to google that reference.

It's pretty awesome that Google found that for you even though I misspelled the name. It's BdotAdot5, not AdotBdot5.

[INFORMER]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2016 draft!

[Cap]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Nobody thinks this is an awesome team with an awesome GM, but we still enjoy it, because we're dedicated fans. So sorry you disapprove.

[INFORMER]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Nobody thinks this is an awesome team with an awesome GM, but we still enjoy it, because we're dedicated fans. So sorry you disapprove.

You missed my point.

[Cap]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Nobody thinks this is an awesome team with an awesome GM, but we still enjoy it, because we're dedicated fans. So sorry you disapprove.

You missed my point.

Then I'm still missing it.

[In2ition]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Funny. We are all pretty frustrated that the Suns aren't better by now, and that it looks like a rough year ahead and no end in sight with Watson.

[specialsauce]

Agree with all the sentiment about Watson. Team sucks, not one player has improved under his mentorship. He doesn't make it through the year I don't think.

Also agree, Len has been our best player this preseason.

I'm really, really disappointed in Chriss and Bender. I've given up hope on both. Neither is one bit better than last year.

Jackson looks wild, but promising.

I love how you can acknowledge that Len has been our best player so far in the preseason, yet in the same sentence, you say you have given up hope on Bender in Chriss. The cognitive dissonance is incredible. YOUNG PLAYERS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. People shouldn't be surprised that Len is suddenly looking much, much better as he is entering his 5th year in the league. Experience is THE biggest factor in turning talent into production. Chriss and Bender are not even 21. They have 12 months of experience in the NBA. Y'all remember Otto Potter in his second year? Did any of you guess back then that he was going to be a MAX PLAYER???? And he was older and more developed than our young big guys. Have some patience.

Chill.

I don’t believe in players changing their attitudes. You are what you are. You can develop your talent, but your attitude is pretty much set. The game is too physical for Bender and Chriss is not mature enough and does not have the drive to succeed in this league. I don’t see either changing.

Len always has had the attitude. He just hasn’t been very good.

[Cap]

Agree with all the sentiment about Watson. Team sucks, not one player has improved under his mentorship. He doesn't make it through the year I don't think.

Also agree, Len has been our best player this preseason.

I'm really, really disappointed in Chriss and Bender. I've given up hope on both. Neither is one bit better than last year.

Jackson looks wild, but promising.

I love how you can acknowledge that Len has been our best player so far in the preseason, yet in the same sentence, you say you have given up hope on Bender in Chriss. The cognitive dissonance is incredible. YOUNG PLAYERS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. People shouldn't be surprised that Len is suddenly looking much, much better as he is entering his 5th year in the league. Experience is THE biggest factor in turning talent into production. Chriss and Bender are not even 21. They have 12 months of experience in the NBA. Y'all remember Otto Potter in his second year? Did any of you guess back then that he was going to be a MAX PLAYER???? And he was older and more developed than our young big guys. Have some patience.

Chill.

I don’t believe in players changing their attitudes. You are what you are. You can develop your talent, but your attitude is pretty much set. The game is too physical for Bender and Chriss is not mature enough and does not have the drive to succeed in this league. I don’t see either changing.

Len always has had the attitude. He just hasn’t been very good.

Bender's problem (other than his terrible shooting, and consequent reluctance to shoot) is that he's deferential by nature, and doesn't have the kind of teammates he can accomplish much by deferring to. On a better team, he'd by a better player.

And hitting his shots would work wonders. He came in with a reputation of being able to shoot; so far he has failed to live up to that, but he's still just a teenager, so there's hope.

[INFORMER]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Funny. We are all pretty frustrated that the Suns aren't better by now, and that it looks like a rough year ahead and no end in sight with Watson.

Ha, I actually meant to say 2016 draft.

[O_Gardino]

No coach will last more than a few years. If we had gotten the best coach ever a few years ago we would be calling for his head by now.

Well, seeing how we once had a coach here for 14 years, and there's a guy who's been coaching in San Antonio for 21, plus Utah had a coach for 23 years, I'd like to think we could find somebody who would at least be "semi-permanent."

But this team hasn't anything resembling stability since Sarver took over. We had Colangeo, Cotton and Van Arsdale in the front office, seemingly forever. Now we seem to be churning through forgettable player personnel decision makers, coaches and assistants.

All the issues with this team start at the top.

Yep.

[O_Gardino]

I love how you can acknowledge that Len has been our best player so far in the preseason, yet in the same sentence, you say you have given up hope on Bender in Chriss. The cognitive dissonance is incredible. YOUNG PLAYERS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. People shouldn't be surprised that Len is suddenly looking much, much better as he is entering his 5th year in the league. Experience is THE biggest factor in turning talent into production. Chriss and Bender are not even 21. They have 12 months of experience in the NBA. Y'all remember Otto Potter in his second year? Did any of you guess back then that he was going to be a MAX PLAYER???? And he was older and more developed than our young big guys. Have some patience.

This is all true - the only way Bender and Chriss are going to get better is with playing time. Same with the guys who have shown a little more - Williams, Jackson, Ulis, Len, Warren and Booker. If five or six of these guys develop into dependable NBA players, then we're on to something. But having Bender and Chriss stand around around on the perimeter and shoot from the 3-point line all game, and then giving them a hug and telling them they're going to be an Al-Star someday isn't good coaching.

Double yep.

And while I agree we need to give these guys time, it's also apparent that they are a step or two below the rookies this year.

[Cap]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Funny. We are all pretty frustrated that the Suns aren't better by now, and that it looks like a rough year ahead and no end in sight with Watson.

Ha, I actually meant to say 2016 draft.

Hey, nobody's gotten much out of that draft so far. 10p/4a was enough to win Malcom Brogon the ROY.

[Mori Chu]

Just our luck that Len is now going to come into his own and then not sign with us due to being an unrestricted free agent.

I wanted us to sign him all summer. But this outcome is 100% the typical Suns outcome. We keep the wrong guys and we let the wrong guys leave.

[n4th4n]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Funny. We are all pretty frustrated that the Suns aren't better by now, and that it looks like a rough year ahead and no end in sight with Watson.

Ha, I actually meant to say 2016 draft.

Hey, nobody's gotten much out of that draft so far. 10p/4a was enough to win Malcom Brogon the ROY.

If you think the book is closed on the 2016 draft, then you have lost it.

[n4th4n]

The degree of pessimism and negativity on this board over these preseason games is astounding. We were always going to be one of the bottom 3 teams in the west this year. We knew this. We have a team loaded with kids who, if they even make it, are probably still 2 years away from becoming effective NBA players. There are going to be tons of ups and downs this year. More downs than ups. This is going to be a long, long season. We need to be looking at growth over the course of 82 NBA games. Not panicking over preseason.

[Superbone]

The degree of pessimism and negativity on this board over these preseason games is astounding. We were always going to be one of the bottom 3 teams in the west this year. We knew this. We have a team loaded with kids who, if they even make it, are probably still 2 years away from becoming effective NBA players. There are going to be tons of ups and downs this year. More downs than ups. This is going to be a long, long season. We need to be looking at growth over the course of 82 NBA games. Not panicking over preseason.

+1. I'm pretty sure we won't average 32 turnovers per game.

[Cap]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the awesome team our awesome general manager has put together. Quick: somebody post one of the articles praising how great the Suns did in the 2015 draft!

Funny. We are all pretty frustrated that the Suns aren't better by now, and that it looks like a rough year ahead and no end in sight with Watson.

Ha, I actually meant to say 2016 draft.

Hey, nobody's gotten much out of that draft so far. 10p/4a was enough to win Malcom Brogon the ROY.

If you think the book is closed on the 2016 draft, then you have lost it.

I said "so far."

[Superbone]

Not only did we know this. We need it. This next draft is going to have a handful of real difference makers. We need one of them.

[Hermen]

Not only did we know this. We need it. This next draft is going to have a handful of real difference makers. We need one of them.

It feels like I read this every year