Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

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Superbone
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Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Superbone »

What do you want to see to start next season? We've talked a little bit about what it might look like in the next head coach thread. This should be a huge offseason and new start for the Suns to begin next season.

I want us to hire an experienced head coach for once. Fizdale is the first coach that comes to mind. Others have mentioned Jeff Vangundy. He doesn't even have to have NBA experience but could be an experienced head college coach like Jay Wright. No matter what, I want next year's team to play good defense for a change. I think that's imperative. Look at the Warriors or Spurs for an example.

How many rookies do you think we should keep on the roster? We're going to have a crapload of picks in a very deep draft. I could see three at most on the main roster. We know we'll have at least one very good prospect and hopefully a game changer.

What about free agents? I'd like to see at least a couple quality free agents join the team. However, I don't know who they might be. All I know is we need a new PG that is competent at running a team, plays good defense, and can hit an open jumper when left alone. Right now, the only sure keepers are Booker and Jackson. Everybody else has to be available if the right deal comes along.

Our starting lineup should look drastically different next year.
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Flagrant Fowl
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Flagrant Fowl »

The team needs an idenity. "Youth" is not an identity.

In an ideal situation, that idenity starts from the top with ownership. We're SOL in that regard, and McD hasn't shown the ability to help that problem within his role either, so it's got to be with the coach. Jay Triano is a nice guy, and probably a good assistant coach, but he's definitely not the right guy to lead this group. I'm weary of bringing in a college coach becuase I think transitioning an identity from the college game to the pro game is one of the biggest obstacles for those types of coaches.

Aside from an idenity, the roster needs a major boost to basketball IQ. Booker, Warren, Jackson and Bender (albeit at about 0.5 speed) all have shown to be compitent enough to run an NBA offense. We MUST add a point guard who can be a floor general and not someone still learning the position or gunning to prove their value for a big payday. Rajon Rondo and Mario Chalmers are UFAs who fit the mold to me. Drafting a point guard and signing a servicable veteran like one of the two I mentioned would be ideal, but I'd be willing to settle for a vetteran signing and giving Brandon Knight a chance to see if he has anything left.

We also need a real post presence. I have my doubts that either Chriss will be able to figure it out this summer or that he'll be moved for anything of value, so we're probably stuck with him until at least the next trade deadline. I hope I'm wrong, but it's just my gut feeling at the moment. Len can walk, and Bender is not a post player now or maybe ever. I'm hoping the draft will help make this decision easier. Ayton or Bagley solve most of that issue. Doncic makes Bender much more expendable and I think a lot of teams are willing to pay for his potential. Montrezl Harrell is UFA I like a lot. Richaun Holmes also interests me in a trade of young untapped bigs.

Chandler and Dudley can stick around, I guess. I'm indifferent about Chandler, but I think he'd really help a guy like Ayton or Bagley. Dudley needs to STFU or drop about 15 pounds.
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iLLmatic
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by iLLmatic »

Superbone wrote:What do you want to see to start next season? We've talked a little bit about what it might look like in the next head coach thread. This should be a huge offseason and new start for the Suns to begin next season.

I want us to hire an experienced head coach for once. Fizdale is the first coach that comes to mind. Others have mentioned Jeff Vangundy. He doesn't even have to have NBA experience but could be an experienced head college coach like Jay Wright. No matter what, I want next year's team to play good defense for a change. I think that's imperative. Look at the Warriors or Spurs for an example.

How many rookies do you think we should keep on the roster? We're going to have a crapload of picks in a very deep draft. I could see three at most on the main roster. We know we'll have at least one very good prospect and hopefully a game changer.

What about free agents? I'd like to see at least a couple quality free agents join the team. However, I don't know who they might be. All I know is we need a new PG that is competent at running a team, plays good defense, and can hit an open jumper when left alone. Right now, the only sure keepers are Booker and Jackson. Everybody else has to be available if the right deal comes along.

Our starting lineup should look drastically different next year.
I know a lot of the talking heads don't want 3 picks this year. We need to purge some of the trash on this team that does not have a future here, Chriss and Ulis immediately come to mind. McD needs to constantly churn this roster until he can find legitimate talent to surround Booker. It would be nice if Chandler retired and we could somehow offload Dudley.

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The Bobster
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by The Bobster »

I want to see a new owner.
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carey
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by carey »

Ulis isn't going anywhere until Booker signs his extension. He's useful as a cheap 3rd PG anyway.
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O_Gardino
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by O_Gardino »

I want to see us move on from players before the shit hits the fan, and I want to see us keep the right players. And I want to see us hire a real NBA coach who can coach the team and manage his assistants.

Let's look at some other struggling tankers who turned it around this season:

PHI:
Covington has been on the team since '13-'14.
McConnell and Holmes have been on the team since '15-'16.
Every other player on the roster started playing for Philly this season or last season. They have let go all of their other tankers.

MIN:
Dieng since '13-'14.
Wiggins since '14-'15.
Jones and Bjelica since '15-'16.
Everyone else is new in the last 2 years.

It seems to me that we have to cut ties with a lot of dudes when we are ready to win. I don't know if you can get rid of the stink of tanking without major change in the locker room.

This summer, we have to get legit all-star talent with our pick (either a rookie or a trade), and replace most of the rest of the roster with smart, hustling role players who can defend, shoot, and know how to play the game.

I'm OK with 5 rookies if we can clean out the roster. In fact, I prefer it. I'd also like to see us bring in 3ish vets who can actually play.

Bring back:
Harrison
Booker
Jackson
(Bender?)
(Williams?)
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Superbone
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Superbone »

The Bobster wrote:I want to see a new owner.
I guess I needed to say realistic vision.
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TOO
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by TOO »

I'd like the Suns to pursue some combination of Ettore Messina, David Fizdale, Jay Wright, Aaron Gordon, Dante Exum, Doug McDermott, Jusuf Nurkic, Fred VanVleet, Patrick McCaw and Marco Belinelli. I'd like to unload Chandler, Chriss, Payton. I'd still keep Len as a back up/fill in starter at C.
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Mori Chu
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Mori Chu »

I just really want them to prioritize actual 2018 NBA skills: shooting, defense, coaching. They keep getting these guys who are "scorers" or "athletes" or whatever. They don't seem to have figured out that in today's NBA, shooting is like 10x more important than any other NBA skill. You can only afford roughly 1 position on the court who isn't a plus shooter. You can't just trot out a lineup with guys like Payton, Jackson, and Chandler (all of whom cannot shoot) and expect to win any games. Your PG needs to be able to shoot. Your PF needs to be able to hit 3s. Your center should even ideally be able to shoot. Or if you can't find a center who can shoot, play two PFs who can.

The second most important 2018 NBA skill is defense. No more of these guys who can't play a lick of it.

Literally every guy we acquire should be a 3-and-D guy. If you do that, you will win basketball games. 3 and D. 3 and D. We need *much* more of both of these two critical skills.

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Split T
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Split T »

So much of what we do depends on who we get in the draft. We need a defensive anchor, we need another playmaker or two and one needs to be able to play PG.

If we draft Ayton, JJJ, or Bamba, our free agency/trade focus can be on adding offensive playmakers. Guys like Love, the restricted PF class, and maybe some wings like Will Barton or Tyreke Evans. I'm not a huge fan of the FA class at PG and I'm also not big on trading for Kemba. We might need to just acquire one through the draft.

SGA is my dream target in the draft but I think we'd have to move up. But I'm willing to move 15 and 16 for him.

If we draft someone like Bagley/Doncic/Porter, then we'll need to probably find a defensive anchor via trade. Not sure there are many FA targets. Drafting Doncic would make finding another PG less of a priority.

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Danimal
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Re: Your 2018-2019 Phoenix Suns Vision

Post by Danimal »

I worry about our ability to shed dead weight in Dudley knight and Chandler. Hate the idea of Chandler playing significant minutes as his defense now blows

Harrell and exum sound good as free agent pickups. I wonder how many vets would want to come here. Yes shooting would be nice. If we get a good young C in the draft then guys like mc buckets or benneli would be interesting.


Can't say too much until we see our pick and our coach
It would be nice to have a coach with a distinct style of play as our offense has been anemic for a while.

For now what we do with be Bender and Chriss depends on how our draft order works out. Don't mind keeping but don't mind moving for the right player.

I doubt Len would return. Don't mind him on a short or tradeabel deal if we don't have any other options going around and haven't fixed things through the draft. I don't think he is getting that much better than he is now though
Starting pg worries me for now. I think a bench unit featuring warren and knight could be interesting because you at least have some scoring options. I don't mind Shaq and ulis as backups if they work on their 3pt shot. But not as starters playing huge minutes.

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