The Suns Main Issues and How to Fix

[Superbone]

I posted this in the Clippers thread but think it needs its own thread for discussion. The Suns have suffered major playoff exit blowouts in the last couple years and have been destroyed a handful of times this season. This goes across coaching regimes from Monty to Vogel. Below is my assessment of why this is happening. What do you all think? Agree? Disagree? And what do you think we should do going forward to try to address these issues?

I think I finally figured it out. The blowout playoff losses two seasons in a row... Last night's game... The secret to beating this Phoenix Suns team (not so secret any more) is to play them physically and they will wilt. They are a finesse team with no answer for physical defense. Not a good combination with the NBA's latest relaxed fouling policy for defenders.

Dallas knows this. The Pelicans know this. OKC knows this. The Clippers know this. Pretty sure the whole league knows this now. It has been shown time and again.

I think we just need a better mix of players. More like Nurk and O'Neale. Guys who can play physically and handle physical play from our opponents. Right now most of our players are finesse players and don't handle physical play very well. They need some protection. Also, a coach who will light a fire under them and hold them accountable. A strong leader.

[wpmiller42]

Part of me hopes this is similar to what happened with the James, Bosh, and Wade team-up on the Heat a while back. The Heat looked disjointed at times that first year, and there were definite calls for Spolestra to be replaced. And they didn't win it all that first year in Miami. But then that second-year, they seemed to put it all together from the coaching staff and players on down. So I'm hopeful that we'll see a positive bounce back next year.

[specialsauce]

Booker. Soft. Easy to get in his head through physicality and get him off his game.

All other takes are weak. There's only one common denominator here. When he said the locker room is "chillin" after last nights loss, im officially off his bandwagon

[TOO]

Booker hasn't endeared himself to any fans this year that's for sure.

Now I do wonder, given all the talk from Ishbia about wanting to win and be the preeminent franchise in sports, blah blah blah, how does he get out of this hole when it shows that it's not gonna work?

Can you trade Booker/KD after all of the I wanna win talk knowing the fan backlash will be immense? There isn't any other way to recoup assets, do you just ride out the lack of picks until they are both gone via FA?

[Superbone]

Booker hasn't endeared himself to any fans this year that's for sure.

Now I do wonder, given all the talk from Ishbia about wanting to win and be the preeminent franchise in sports, blah blah blah, how does he get out of this hole when it shows that it's not gonna work?

Can you trade Booker/KD after all of the I wanna win talk knowing the fan backlash will be immense? There isn't any other way to recoup assets, do you just ride out the lack of picks until they are both gone via FA?

It feels like it's kind of a mess and hard to recover from so it will be interesting for sure. Might have to do what wp said and just run it back. Ishbia's first attempt as owner made a huge splash but with quite poor results. Money doesn't always buy happiness or a good team for that matter. He gutted our soul for an attempt at a super team of mercenaries. As us long time fans have learned, that strategy rarely works. Reminds me of when the Lakers got Karl Malone and Gary Payton. The Brooklyn Nets being the latest example including our own KD.

[Superbone]

Part of me hopes this is similar to what happened with the James, Bosh, and Wade team-up on the Heat a while back. The Heat looked disjointed at times that first year, and there were definite calls for Spolestra to be replaced. And they didn't win it all that first year in Miami. But then that second-year, they seemed to put it all together from the coaching staff and players on down. So I'm hopeful that we'll see a positive bounce back next year.

The one thing Ishbia doesn't seem to have is patience. So, I'm not sure he would be willing to try that. But maybe with our cap situation and the new second apron rules, he has no choice.

[AmareIsGod]

I would hope Ishbia has hopped in the locker room and laid into these limp dicked putzes, from the coaching staff to the players. What an embarrassment. I'm sure he was fuming and embarrassed as hell on fan appreciation night watching that laughingstock performance.

[specialsauce]

There's no running it back with these sorry sacks of shit. It would be one thing if we saw some glimmers of hope and slowly improved throughout the year, but it's glaringly obvious this team has no identity on the court and no leadership off it. You can't seriously think running this team back is a viable option for success. This isn't the Suns team that made the finals and just came up short. This team shows no promise and zero signs of getting it

[Superbone]

There's no running it back with these sorry sacks of shit. It would be one thing if we saw some glimmers of hope and slowly improved throughout the year, but it's glaringly obvious this team has no identity on the court and no leadership off it. You can't seriously think running this team back is a viable option for success. This isn't the Suns team that made the finals and just came up short. This team shows no promise and zero signs of getting it

So, how do you fix?

[wpmiller42]

I'm willing to give Book some time because I think he's been placed in this weird facilitate-but-also-get-yours position. He's in a position where it's easy to be indecisive and for whatever reason, he's not getting any help from the coaching staff. Like, honestly, we could be a better version of Dallas with Booker playing the Doncic role with Beal and KD just looking to spot up or wait for Book to call their number. This summer, the coaching staff and the players need to more clearly define the roles of whoever is on the floor.

This is where I wish we had really given Monty a chance with this team. I think he was very good at calling plays where players knew where they were supposed to be and what shots were supposed to be taken. Vogel is putting too much of that on Booker and KD and Beal right now to the point where everyone is tentative because they're all deferring.

[Wally_West]

My answer pretty simple…


Isiah Thomas as GM and Coach.

Hell yeah, brotha. Let’s fucking go.

[Split T]

We need someone who will be the jerk…Yell at his teammates and not let us be so complacent. The talent isn’t the problem..the casualness is. I do not want Pat Bev but he’d probably help. Bring CP3 back…is Kyle Lowry a jerk?

[TOO]

I'll take CP3 at head coach, or Becky Hammon, just a no nonsense type, Vogel is a ho and gets walked all over, and Monty was too stubborn but only held certain players accountable.

[Split T]

I’m trying to think what head coaches are like that…I think Nurse was kind of a jerk…maybe we should’ve hired him.

[Superbone]

I’m trying to think what head coaches are like that…I think Nurse was kind of a jerk…maybe we should’ve hired him.

I like what Thibs did in NY. He would have been good for this team.

[Superbone]

But is a coach like that enough to take our current roster further? I think we need more O'Neale types.

[specialsauce]

There's no running it back with these sorry sacks of shit. It would be one thing if we saw some glimmers of hope and slowly improved throughout the year, but it's glaringly obvious this team has no identity on the court and no leadership off it. You can't seriously think running this team back is a viable option for success. This isn't the Suns team that made the finals and just came up short. This team shows no promise and zero signs of getting it

So, how do you fix?

Retool.

I think you're stuck with Beal.

I'd target Miami and try to offer them KD for Bam or Philly and offer Book for Embiid

[TOO]

I’m trying to think what head coaches are like that…I think Nurse was kind of a jerk…maybe we should’ve hired him.

I like what Thibs did in NY. He would have been good for this team.

Not with these glass body humans.

[Superbone]

There's no running it back with these sorry sacks of shit. It would be one thing if we saw some glimmers of hope and slowly improved throughout the year, but it's glaringly obvious this team has no identity on the court and no leadership off it. You can't seriously think running this team back is a viable option for success. This isn't the Suns team that made the finals and just came up short. This team shows no promise and zero signs of getting it

So, how do you fix?

Retool.

I think you're stuck with Beal.

I'd target Miami and try to offer them KD for Bam or Philly and offer Book for Embiid

I get what you’re saying in general but they’d laugh in our faces about a Book for Embiid offer.

[Split T]

KD to the Thunder to finish his career would be interesting…they could restock our picks