Phx-Suns.Net

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:24 am

I don't think we've turned the corner or "arrived" yet, but the way things have come together is awesome. A month ago these guys didn't look like they wanted to play basketball at all and started off games knowing they were going to lose. I think it might've had to do with the vets playing so much and kind of dragging things down. Now the younger guys are playing more freely and are feeding off each other. No more Tyson, no more Ariza, no more Anderson.

And again, Jamal is the one making things really go with the 2nd unit.

I agree that it would be quite premature to say that this team has "turned the corner." But this little win streak should show the guys that they are capable of a lot if they work hard and play as a team. I also think Coachoskov has gotten much smarter about his rotations; stopping playing Ryan Anderson, playing Crawford more, using Josh Jackson better, realizing the value of Holmes, and so on.

I would say they turned the corner. I am not ready to annoint them Champions yet but, a few weeks ago they were the undisputed crappiest team in the NBA that other teams would let their starters rest against. Now I don’t think any team will just assume they have a victory because they are playing the Suns. Turning the corner to me means you have already hit rock bottom and have started the climb up the ladder. That’s what this feels like to me.

I was wondering if it was by design that Igor kept the young guys in to the finish out the game last night rather than bring Jamal in. I was getting nervous the last 2-3 minutes with PointBooker and felt like we needed a steady hand but Igor let them play thru it. It was good to see them keep the Cs down every time they made a run.

I've also noticed the team playing harder. I got the sense they weren't playing hard before but only because maybe they thought they were playing hard. There's a clear difference now and seeing Ayton, Jackson, Bridges flying around really shows off the potential of our young guys.

Holmes might be our most valuable player this year. He has consistently brought the energy and hustle and it’s now caught on with everyone. Jackson always hustled too, but he also does dumb stuff on offense, haha. I think Melton and Bridges has moments of hesitancy because they are rookies, but they’ve followed suit and are a huge part of the change as well. Oubre fits right in and warren and booker seem to have stepped up their defensive intensity. Ayton has been more active as well, and just needs to learn when to help and when to stay put. He does that and we have the makings of a very good defensive team.

I think it takes Jackson a little while to figure out how to play right each season (especially considering how he took most of last off season away from basketball). I bet he will have slow starts most seasons because his head isn't really in the game.

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:47 am

I think it takes Jackson a little while to figure out how to play right each season (especially considering how he took most of last off season away from basketball). I bet he will have slow starts most seasons because his head isn't really in the game.

Huh?

Split T wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:53 am

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:47 am

I think it takes Jackson a little while to figure out how to play right each season (especially considering how he took most of last off season away from basketball). I bet he will have slow starts most seasons because his head isn't really in the game.

Huh?

I thought I remembered him spending a lot of time in the offseason traveling (whereas TJ had been working on his 3 point shot). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly.

Split T wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:40 am

Holmes might be our most valuable player this year. He has consistently brought the energy and hustle and it’s now caught on with everyone. Jackson always hustled too, but he also does dumb stuff on offense, haha. I think Melton and Bridges has moments of hesitancy because they are rookies, but they’ve followed suit and are a huge part of the change as well. Oubre fits right in and warren and booker seem to have stepped up their defensive intensity. Ayton has been more active as well, and just needs to learn when to help and when to stay put. He does that and we have the makings of a very good defensive team.

We absolutely need to resign Holmes to a multi year contract this offseason.

I hope we don't make a mistake with Holmes and not re-sign him thinking he's replaceable as an energy/hustle guy off the bench. He's everything you want in a backup 4/5.

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:55 am

Split T wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:53 am

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:47 am

I think it takes Jackson a little while to figure out how to play right each season (especially considering how he took most of last off season away from basketball). I bet he will have slow starts most seasons because his head isn't really in the game.

Huh?

I thought I remembered him spending a lot of time in the offseason traveling (whereas TJ had been working on his 3 point shot). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly.

I do remember him being called out for posting picture of himself on vacation, but I don’t expect players to spend every day in the offseason working on their game. TJ is very private, we had no idea what he did in the offseason, although it’s pretty obvious now that he spent a lot of time working on his shot.

Jackson very well may have taken a lot of time off from basketball, but I don’t remember hearing anything other than the few pictures he posted of a vacation.

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:05 am

I hope we don't make a mistake with Holmes and no re-sign him thinking he's replaceable as an energy/hustle guy off the bench. He's everything you want in a backup 4/5.

Is Holmes restricted? How much money will we have to spend if we don’t renounce Holmes and Oubre? We might have to move fast if we want to retain those two and bring in another FA.

Next offseason will be interesting because we might have a lot of logjams.

Melton/Booker/Bridges/Warren/Ayton are all back along with Jackson. If we bring Oubre and Holmes back, that’s 8 rotation players. Add our draft pick and a FA signing and that’s 10.

I guess that’s ok. Would Crawford come back without any guaranteed minutes? Does okobo find any minutes?

If we do bring back Oubre, trading Jackson for a pg or pf makes some sense. Although Jackson is really our only wing with playmaking skills.

I'd try and keep the wings together because they all do something different. Jackson is the best ballhandler, Bridges the best shooter, TJ the best scorer, Oubre the best defender. They all do other things but there's little redundancy which I really like. I think a lot of it comes down to whether TJ can be the fulltime PF. If we're looking to upgrade there, does he move to the starting SF spot or to the bench?

I really want to smoke the Wizards on Saturday. Ariza and Markieff are both detestable. And they're starting Thomas Bryant at center. That's really an opportunity for Ayton to dominate.

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:55 am

I thought I remembered him spending a lot of time in the offseason traveling (whereas TJ had been working on his 3 point shot). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly.

James Harden spends most of the regular season traveling.

I'm sure he didn't spend 24x7, the entire offseason, traveling. Just like I'm sure he didn't spend 24x7, the entire offseason, in the gym.

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:31 am

I'd try and keep the wings together because they all do something different. Jackson is the best ballhandler, Bridges the best shooter, TJ the best scorer, Oubre the best defender. They all do other things but there's little redundancy which I really like. I think a lot of it comes down to whether TJ can be the fulltime PF. If we're looking to upgrade there, does he move to the starting SF spot or to the bench?

One or two of these guys will become expendable when Kevin Durant signs here next year.

There are so many frustratingly wrong things in this article, ugh: https://www.si.com/nba/2018/12/19/deand ... center-nba

Mori - were you ever able to figure out why the default is not to open external links in a new tab? Is that fixable?

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 12:18 pm

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:55 am

I thought I remembered him spending a lot of time in the offseason traveling (whereas TJ had been working on his 3 point shot). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly.

James Harden spends most of the regular season traveling.

wait nobody commenting on Mori with this one
8/10 sir

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 12:18 pm

jonh wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:55 am

I thought I remembered him spending a lot of time in the offseason traveling (whereas TJ had been working on his 3 point shot). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly.

James Harden spends most of the regular season traveling.

Had to take a double step back before rating this one. 9/10