Game Day: Heat (4-6) @ Suns (4-7), Wed 11/8/17

[Superbone]

For any of you still on the fence about owning a DVR, for mere pennies a day you gain the ability to fast forward each and every commercial for Casino Arizona.

What I want to know is why grandma has to escape from her retirement home in that Southwest commercial.

[O_Gardino]

Poor defense but also the lack of production from Warren on offense really killed any chance of winning tonight. TJ can't vanish like this. Seems like several bad games in a row from him now. Booker is having to work way too hard out there

Booker does need a side kick. But it isn't TJ, IMO. This is who TJ is. He had a nice 3rd quarter, and anything more than that is gravy.

[Split T]

I just want to mention Chriss real quick. He's gotten a lot of deserved criticism this year, I've been disappointed to see that his scoring seems to have regressed rather than progress, but i have noticed a few little things he's seemed to improve. He shows flashes of passing ability that I like and he has maintained a more consistent effort on the glass. He had a beautiful day here to Len and I think pulled down 9 boards last night. His 3 pt shot seems to have progressed a bit to. One thing there, he seems to hit the three better when he can step or hop into it. He seems to hit that trailing on the break top of the key three at a pretty high rate.

He's still a bad defender and he fouls way too much, but he seems to be challenging more shots this year. He had a couple blocks last night and at least one more on Whiteside that shouldn't have been a foul. Other than defense, I think his biggest problem is being lost on offense. I'm not sure he understands what his role is. Our guards almost never use his screen, they prefer Len or Chandler, and he mostly ends up just hanging around the 3 pt line. I'd love to get him more involved in the pick and roll. Didn't it seem like he was getting more opportunities at the rim last year? I can't remember his last dunk.

[Split T]

Poor defense but also the lack of production from Warren on offense really killed any chance of winning tonight. TJ can't vanish like this. Seems like several bad games in a row from him now. Booker is having to work way too hard out there

Booker does need a side kick. But it isn't TJ, IMO. This is who TJ is. He had a nice 3rd quarter, and anything more than that is gravy.

Ya I think TJ is an opportunistic scorer, not a go to scorer.

[O_Gardino]

Don't kill me for this, but it would kind of be nice to have Brandon Knight right now. Booker needs an offensive side kick and James and ulis are backup pg's, we need a starter. Knight was terrible last year but he can at least create his own shot.

Dear Mr Sarver,

Your team is terrible and your fans have such low expectations that some of them are starting to want more Knight while they hate the idea of a trade for Kyrie. The Suns are so bad that the fans now have Stockholm Syndrome. Please sell the team, or hire a real basketball person to run it.

Thanks,
OG

[O_Gardino]

I just want to mention Chriss real quick. He's gotten a lot of deserved criticism this year, I've been disappointed to see that his scoring seems to have regressed rather than progress, but i have noticed a few little things he's seemed to improve. He shows flashes of passing ability that I like and he has maintained a more consistent effort on the glass. He had a beautiful day here to Len and I think pulled down 9 boards last night. His 3 pt shot seems to have progressed a bit to. One thing there, he seems to hit the three better when he can step or hop into it. He seems to hit that trailing on the break top of the key three at a pretty high rate.

He's still a bad defender and he fouls way too much, but he seems to be challenging more shots this year. He had a couple blocks last night and at least one more on Whiteside that shouldn't have been a foul. Other than defense, I think his biggest problem is being lost on offense. I'm not sure he understands what his role is. Our guards almost never use his screen, they prefer Len or Chandler, and he mostly ends up just hanging around the 3 pt line. I'd love to get him more involved in the pick and roll. Didn't it seem like he was getting more opportunities at the rim last year? I can't remember his last dunk.

I was gonna post almost the same thing. It seems like each of the guys is growing in one way or another, but we just aren't putting the pieces together at all.

[O_Gardino]

Poor defense but also the lack of production from Warren on offense really killed any chance of winning tonight. TJ can't vanish like this. Seems like several bad games in a row from him now. Booker is having to work way too hard out there

Booker does need a side kick. But it isn't TJ, IMO. This is who TJ is. He had a nice 3rd quarter, and anything more than that is gravy.

Ya I think TJ is an opportunistic scorer, not a go to scorer.

Good way to put it.

[Split T]

Don't kill me for this, but it would kind of be nice to have Brandon Knight right now. Booker needs an offensive side kick and James and ulis are backup pg's, we need a starter. Knight was terrible last year but he can at least create his own shot.

Dear Mr Sarver,

Your team is terrible and your fans have such low expectations that some of them are starting to want more Knight while they hate the idea of a trade for Kyrie. The Suns are so bad that the fans now have Stockholm Syndrome. Please sell the team, or hire a real basketball person to run it.

Thanks,
OG

Haha.

What do people think of Kemba Walker as our next PG? He's unrestricted in 2019 and gives you basically 90-95% of Kyrie

[ShelC]

LOVE Kemba, but not sure I'd want him. Seriously love him though. I could see him going to the Knicks actually.

[In2ition]

Don't kill me for this, but it would kind of be nice to have Brandon Knight right now. Booker needs an offensive side kick and James and ulis are backup pg's, we need a starter. Knight was terrible last year but he can at least create his own shot.

Dear Mr Sarver,

Your team is terrible and your fans have such low expectations that some of them are starting to want more Knight while they hate the idea of a trade for Kyrie. The Suns are so bad that the fans now have Stockholm Syndrome. Please sell the team, or hire a real basketball person to run it.

Thanks,
OG

Haha.

What do people think of Kemba Walker as our next PG? He's unrestricted in 2019 and gives you basically 90-95% of Kyrie

Kemba is very good and he fits the mold of the kind of pg that this management seems to prefer. Without them actually telegraphing who they are going after, which would be a violation, they have said that 2019 is their target for FAs. So, I wouldn't doubt that Kemba would be their target. I'm sure that Charlotte can and may extend him soon though.

[Split T]

Kemba is definitely a shoot first PG, but he's pretty efficient. .45/.40/.83 splits last year I think and he may not get a ton of assists, but he also keeps his turnovers down. I think he'd be a great compliment to Booker and if we could land a stud big, either in 2018 draft or via trade we might have something.

[Split T]

LOVE Kemba, but not sure I'd want him. Seriously love him though. I could see him going to the Knicks actually.

I really like him too, would potentially be a great fit in the backcourt with Ntilikina. Would play well off of Porzingis too.

[djy2j]

2019 Free Agents? Haha. Here's the list as of right now. There are the top 10 in terms of salaries currently and a few other big names. The rest are role players. What FAs does McDo think he is going to get? If this is his big strategy then this is laughable. He better be on his knees praying someone wants to trade for all these draft picks he's been stockpiling because the FA train isn't making a stop in PHX.

LeBron James CLE $33,285,709 Not coming
Kevin Durant GSW SF $25,625,000 Not coming
Carmelo Anthony OKC $24,812,936 No point
Chandler Parsons MEM $23,609,631 Terrible idea
Dwight Howard CHA C $23,500,000 Doesn't fit timeline
DeAndre Jordan LAC $21,904,013 Needs a PG to lob to be effective
Paul George OKC SF $18,314,532 Not coming
Wesley Matthews DAL $17,515,007 Doesn't fit timeline
Enes Kanter NYK C $17,515,007 I don't see him as a fit so that means the Suns probably have them in their top 3 targets.
Klay Thompson GSW SG $17,244,863 I'd say like a 5% chance of him coming to PHX

A few other notables just for fun:

Karl-Anthony Towns MIN RFA $6,430,009 no chance
Milos Teodosic LAC RFA $6,150,000 He's already 30 so probably doesn't fit the timeline
D'Angelo Russell BKN RFA $5,754,495 If he does well BKN resigns him. If he doesn't why would we want him?
Kristaps Porzingis NYK RFA $4,662,524 He'd have to absolutely want to leave NY. Suns would have to get really lucky here. Suns aren't lucky.
Myles Turner IND RFA $2,700,451 Pacers advertise him as the franchise player so not going anywhere.

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/2019/ FULL LIST

[carey]

I think he'll try and sign DAJ.

[djy2j]

I think he'll try and sign DAJ.

Yeah, that'd be a Sunsy move. If that's the plan I'd rather have Drummond. I could see the Clippers letting DAJ walk though. He hasn't adjusted to life after Chris Paul so far. Has sat a few 4th quarters.

[Superbone]

LOVE Kemba, but not sure I'd want him. Seriously love him though.

Why not? Just curious.

[TOO]

I wouldn't want Kemba at the money he will command.

[specialsauce]

If we end up with Deandre after all this I will have to quit being a fan a while. One of the most overpaid big men in the league. Style of play of the league has passed him by, he’s not nearly as valuable now as he would have been 20 years ago. NEXT. Kemba would be good. My dream is KAT coming to unite with Booker but we know that won’t happen. Or Porzingis, which also wouldn’t happen. We already have Jackson so if we get Paul George that would have to mean that Jackson didn’t develop, which would be really disappointing.

[Ring_Wanted]

Booker does need a sidekick, indeed, but we can't count on a big FA signing given our recent history. We are on our own, that's why it is so important to nail the '18 draft.

[Split T]

I can't see us going after DAJ, we can just draft Robert Williams, he can do everything DAJ can and he'll be much younger and cheaper.