Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

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carey
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Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by carey »

Only 11 games left this season. Does anyone have predictions on how we close it out? We play Utah twice more who always seem to have our number. Winnable games vs. Chicago, Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans and on the road against Dallas.

Last Week's Games

Wednesday, March 13th vs. Utah LOSS 114-97
Friday, March 15th @ Houston LOSS 108-102
Saturday, March 16th @ New Orleans WIN 138-136 OT

This Week's Games

Monday, March 18th vs. Chicago 10:00 PM EST
Thursday, March 21st vs. Detroit 10:00 PM EST
Saturday, March 23rd @ Sacramento 10:00 PM EST

Suns Stories

Webber redux: TO call costs Pels win vs. Suns - http://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401071709

How Suns pulled off crazy overtime win at New Orleans - https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 191749002/

Center of the Sun: Suns go 1-2 for the week, now 17-54 for the season - https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2019 ... the-season

Solar Panel, ep. 118: Walton or Kokoskov? Oubre or Bridges? Special guest Jim Coughenour helps break it down - https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2019 ... or-bridges

Five reasons why the Suns’ late season turnaround is legit - https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2019 ... ound-legit

The Suns are on a Bender, and he’d kind of like to keep it that way - https://theathletic.com/873801/2019/03/ ... -that-way/

We can look now: Suns have developed into a watchable team - https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 186415002/
Go Suns!

Og Snus!

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Indy
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Indy »

Thanks for compiling, carey.

To your question, I would be surprised if we hit 22 wins.

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jonh
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by jonh »

Would you put the over/under at 21?

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Split T
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Split T »

We’ve actually got some pretty winnable games to close out the year...going 5-6 in our final 11 gets us to 22. I think we can do that...I’d take the over

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Superbone
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Superbone »

From the Bender Athletic article:
Maybe​ Dragan Bender​ knows​ something​ the​ rest​ of us don’t. Or maybe​ he’s​ just​ hopeful.

Whatever​ the​ reason, Bender​ sounds​ a lot like​​ a guy who wants, and possibly even expects, to keep playing for the Phoenix Suns beyond this season.

“Yeah, for sure,” he said before the Suns left on a trip to Houston and New Orleans, where he was in the starting lineup for the eighth and ninth games in a row. “It’s a long summer for us. We’re not going to the playoffs, so definitely I will get some rest and get back in a mindset to workout and get ready for next season.”

With the Suns?

“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s definitely a couple of months ahead of me, so I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m trying to finish the season strong and think about that. For sure, I think this is an option to be here. We’ll see. That’s in the future, and right now I’m just trying to finish strong.”

The chance of a future beyond this season in Phoenix has seemed remote for Bender since the Suns declined the fourth-year option on his rookie contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent in July.

But he still is just 21 years old. And the potential of young, skilled, 7-foot-1, 225-pound big men can be intoxicating even when they’ve underachieved.

However, if the Suns hope to be active in the free-agent market, Bender’s cap space will be essential. His most likely hope likely is to return on a veteran minimum contract after the team has renounced his rights. That would be about $1.6 million.
"Be Legendary."

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AmareIsGod
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by AmareIsGod »

The article is reading too much into his quotes. Doesn't sound like he plans to be here. Just that the option exists.
What is smallball? I play basketball. I'm not a regular big man. I can switch from the center to the guards. The game is evolving. I'd be dominAyton if the WNBA would let me in. - Ayton

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jonh
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by jonh »

AmareIsGod wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:24 am
The article is reading too much into his quotes. Doesn't sound like he plans to be here. Just that the option exists.
You're probably right, but it sounds a heck of a lot different from how Alex Len responded to almost the exact same line of questioning last year:

https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-alex ... ee-agency/
“I’m looking forward to this offseason,” Len said, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. “I think it’s going to be exciting. It’s the first time I’m actually going to have a chance to go where I want to go...The last few years we’ve had three different coaches, the roster was changing every year. There was never really any consistency,” Len said. “It was like starting over every year. Yeah, stability and consistency will be something I definitely look for.”
I've pulled out the sunscreen and sunglasses--gonna make myself comfortable here on Bender Island.

Image

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Mori Chu
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Mori Chu »

I would be surprised if Bender took a veteran's minimum contract. I would think some team would offer him 2-3 times that at least, since that is still a tiny contract in today's NBA. If you're a solid team like the Spurs or Raptors or whoever, why wouldn't you offer Bender $2.5m or $3m? He's easily worth that in an organization that knows how to develop and use him. He would be the perfect Spur. They would honestly turn him into a starting NBA PF who would pull in 15 and 8 every night somehow.

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Split T
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Split T »

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:32 am
I would be surprised if Bender took a veteran's minimum contract. I would think some team would offer him 2-3 times that at least, since that is still a tiny contract in today's NBA. If you're a solid team like the Spurs or Raptors or whoever, why wouldn't you offer Bender $2.5m or $3m? He's easily worth that in an organization that knows how to develop and use him. He would be the perfect Spur. They would honestly turn him into a starting NBA PF who would pull in 15 and 8 every night somehow.
Honest question...Why are you so high on Bender and so low on Jackson? They’ve both been pretty awful on the court. What do you see in Bender?

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Mori Chu
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Mori Chu »

Split T wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:35 am
Honest question...Why are you so high on Bender and so low on Jackson? They’ve both been pretty awful on the court. What do you see in Bender?
I think Bender does a lot of things well. Mostly whenever I see him play, he seems to play good defense. He moves well laterally, stays with his man, does a good job helping, gets his hands up to bother shots without fouling, and generally just does the right thing. He seems to be quite a good defender to me.

IMO he has a good bball IQ and does a lot of little things. He cuts to the basket for easy dunks and layups. He sets good screens. He's a selfless team player.

I also think he's a serviceable shooter. The numbers don't really back me up, but I think he can be a guy who hits 3s when he's open.

He's also a selfless guy who doesn't demand the ball or demand to be a top option for us. On a team that has Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Oubre, and others, we have a lot of guys with their hands up wanting the ball. Bender is willing to be a supporting player who doesn't care about touches or shots. We need guys like that. I think Bender makes a great fit in the frontcourt next to Ayton with his defense and his outside shooting.

And I think he wants to be here in Phoenix and would be willing to stay on a reasonably cheap contract.

I totally hear the criticism about how Bender can disappear and have games where he doesn't have huge numbers. I get it. I do think that he has played better when he had a clear role (e.g. starting and getting N minutes/game, or coming off the bench at specific times, etc.). I think if we keep investing in him he'll keep getting better and better. I really like the idea of signing/keeping Bender cheap rather than breaking the bank to get a big-name PF like Kevin Love or Aaron Gordon.

Also: You specifically asked me why I like Bender but not Josh Jackson. That's a fair question; they both do some things well and totally suck at other things. I guess to me it is that Bender almost never harms us. When he's out there, we just play well as a team. He doesn't hurt us. He doesn't do anything stupid that hurts the team; he doesn't hog the ball; he doesn't take bad shots. Jackson does all of those things. At his best Jackson is a more noticeably awesome player than Bender, but at his worst Jackson hurts us way more than Bender ever could.

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Split T
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Split T »

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:33 pm
Split T wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:35 am
Honest question...Why are you so high on Bender and so low on Jackson? They’ve both been pretty awful on the court. What do you see in Bender?
I think Bender does a lot of things well. Mostly whenever I see him play, he seems to play good defense. He moves well laterally, stays with his man, does a good job helping, gets his hands up to bother shots without fouling, and generally just does the right thing. He seems to be quite a good defender to me.

IMO he has a good bball IQ and does a lot of little things. He cuts to the basket for easy dunks and layups. He sets good screens. He's a selfless team player.

I also think he's a serviceable shooter. The numbers don't really back me up, but I think he can be a guy who hits 3s when he's open.

He's also a selfless guy who doesn't demand the ball or demand to be a top option for us. On a team that has Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Oubre, and others, we have a lot of guys with their hands up wanting the ball. Bender is willing to be a supporting player who doesn't care about touches or shots. We need guys like that. I think Bender makes a great fit in the frontcourt next to Ayton with his defense and his outside shooting.

And I think he wants to be here in Phoenix and would be willing to stay on a reasonably cheap contract.

I totally hear the criticism about how Bender can disappear and have games where he doesn't have huge numbers. I get it. I do think that he has played better when he had a clear role (e.g. starting and getting N minutes/game, or coming off the bench at specific times, etc.). I think if we keep investing in him he'll keep getting better and better. I really like the idea of signing/keeping Bender cheap rather than breaking the bank to get a big-name PF like Kevin Love or Aaron Gordon.

Also: You specifically asked me why I like Bender but not Josh Jackson. That's a fair question; they both do some things well and totally suck at other things. I guess to me it is that Bender almost never harms us. When he's out there, we just play well as a team. He doesn't hurt us. He doesn't do anything stupid that hurts the team; he doesn't hog the ball; he doesn't take bad shots. Jackson does all of those things. At his best Jackson is a more noticeably awesome player than Bender, but at his worst Jackson hurts us way more than Bender ever could.
His defense is ok to me. He’s pretty vulnerable when switching onto guards. He also doesn’t protect the rim as much as I’d expect a 7’1 guy with long arms to do. He still can get bullied by guys like Julius Randle as well. But we don’t really have anyone to defend 4’s on our roster and he’s a decent match for athletic stretch 4/5 types.

He was absolutely awful as a shooter most of the year...he’s made some strides recently and was decent last year though, so I think there is potential for him to be a solid shooter. He’s shown a willingness to put the ball on the floor lately, which has been nice.

I’m not opposed to keeping him...he’s still 21 and there are things to like, but he still just doesn’t do much on the court. We need to spend money on players that will actually produce for us. So if Bender is fine signing for the minimum or one of those low salary exceptions to be our 5th big, then I’m cool with it.

I still think Bender would be best off adding muscle and committing to being a stretch 5. He was billed as someone who could switch onto guards, but I just don’t see it.


As for Jackson, I think there are good things to see in him too. He kinda has the opposite problem as Bender. Bender disappears, jackson is impossible to miss. He’s always doing something, which unfortunately has often been bad. But there is obvious talent there. He just needs to figure out what to do with it.

The shot is improving...it still needs work, but it’s coming around. I like Oubre and Bridges better as defenders, but Jackson is solid and can make things happen on that end. If he adds some strength so he can improve as a finisher, there is potential there for a good offensive player. He’s also one of the few guys on our team right now that makes plays for others.

Kinda like Bender though, I’m just not sure we can wait around for him to develop. Oubre and Bridges are rotation ready. We have to make a decision on a 9 million dollar 4th year option on Jackson this offseason and that worries me. So like Bender, I’d keep him around, but I’d like that price tag to be a lot lower.

So ultimately, I don’t think we need Jackson or Bender. If we add a pf and a pg this offseason. Bridges and Oubre have the wing defender spot filled. A new pg would make it so we don’t really need Jackson’s playmaking. And it wouldn’t be hard to find someone that can do the things Bender does because Bender doesn’t really do anything, haha.

So 2 years at bi-annual exception would be my biggest offer to Bender. And I’d really look into moving Jackson as I’m worried about that 9 million 4th year option. That’s a lot of money for a project.

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INFORMER
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by INFORMER »

Split T wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:16 pm
And I’d really look into moving Jackson as I’m worried about that 9 million 4th year option. That’s a lot of money for a project.
Agreed. I think Jackson has a good chance to turn into a good player. I just don't know how long it is going to take, and I don't see it as ever filling a need for us. I just don't think he has a lot of value for this team/roster.
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INFORMER
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by INFORMER »

I'd like to see us invite Tyler Harvey and Daniel Hamilton to camp next season.
Trendon Watford. Please and thank you.

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Shabazz
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Shabazz »

Early submission for dumbest tweet of the year:


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Cap
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Cap »

Dunk leaders (not including tonight):

Code: Select all

                                                                     
Rk                  Player  Season  Tm  G  FG FGA  FG% FGX Astd %Astd
1    Giannis Antetokounmpo 2018-19 MIL 62 250 275 .909  25  145  .580
2              Rudy Gobert 2018-19 UTA 69 249 278 .896  29  201  .807
3             Clint Capela 2018-19 HOU 53 194 210 .924  16  178  .918
4         Montrezl Harrell 2018-19 LAC 62 178 195 .913  17  148  .831
5           DeAndre Jordan 2018-19 TOT 62 159 186 .855  27  128  .805
6      Willie Cauley-Stein 2018-19 SAC 62 158 182 .868  24  146  .924
7             JaVale McGee 2018-19 LAL 56 152 164 .927  12  139  .914
8            Jarrett Allen 2018-19 BRK 64 150 171 .877  21  131  .873
9            Anthony Davis 2018-19 NOP 52 148 161 .919  13  112  .757
10            John Collins 2018-19 ATL 48 132 149 .886  17  110  .833
11        Hassan Whiteside 2018-19 MIA 56 129 134 .963   5   94  .729
12          Andre Drummond 2018-19 DET 60 128 149 .859  21   99  .773
13          Derrick Favors 2018-19 UTA 58 126 140 .900  14  100  .794
14             Ben Simmons 2018-19 PHI 65 123 137 .898  14   74  .602
15           Deandre Ayton 2018-19 PHO 54 120 125 .960   5   96  .800
16            Steven Adams 2018-19 OKC 59 110 129 .853  19   97  .882
17           Mason Plumlee 2018-19 DEN 52 102 110 .927   8   86  .843
18            Kevin Durant 2018-19 GSW 50  98 104 .942   6   77  .786
19                Alex Len 2018-19 ATL 49  97 115 .843  18   85  .876
20             Joel Embiid 2018-19 PHI 48  97 107 .907  10   67  .691
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/18/2019.

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Indy
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Indy »

Shabazz wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:41 pm
Early submission for dumbest tweet of the year:

Do they know "a lot" is two words?

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Split T
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Split T »

Fun fact:
32.1%
32.3%

One of those is Booker
One is Josh Jackson

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Superbone
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Superbone »

Indy wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 6:00 am
Shabazz wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:41 pm
Early submission for dumbest tweet of the year:

Do they know "a lot" is two words?
No.
"Be Legendary."

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Indy
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Indy »

Split T wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:30 am
Fun fact:
32.1%
32.3%

One of those is Booker
One is Josh Jackson
Yeah, it is really depressing how far he has sunk this year on 3s. But he is 39.3% on catch and shoot 3s.

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Indy
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Re: Suns News: Week 23 3/18-3/24

Post by Indy »

Split T wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:05 am
We’ve actually got some pretty winnable games to close out the year...going 5-6 in our final 11 gets us to 22. I think we can do that...I’d take the over
still feel that way after last night? I think the over/under at 21.5 is about right.

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