Around the League: September

[Superbone]

And the Morris Twins were negotiating from a position of strength. They wanted to stay together no matter what and interest around the league in that combo is slim to none.

You mean were NOT negotiating from a position of strength?

[Indy]

And the Morris Twins were negotiating from a position of strength. They wanted to stay together no matter what and interest around the league in that combo is slim to none.

You mean were NOT negotiating from a position of strength?

No. I think he is saying that slim to none was just the Suns and they knew they wanted them as a package deal. So the Suns were at a disadvantage.

[INFORMER]

And the Morris Twins were negotiating from a position of strength. They wanted to stay together no matter what and interest around the league in that combo is slim to none.

You mean were NOT negotiating from a position of strength?

Sorry, yes, I meant to say NOT.

[Mori Chu]

In retrospect I think the Morris contracts were the biggest bust of our offseason. I like Markieff a lot, but I just don't think it makes sense to pay him + his brother that much combined money. Marcus isn't very good, and Markieff (while promising) is never going to be an elite starting PF. This isn't the same as paying Zoran Dragic a few mil to sit on the bench and make Goran happy. This is many millions of dollars to Marcus Morris, a guy who is only effective when he's on the floor WITH Markieff, meaning that you have to start both or neither of them, and we have way too many better SFs to want to start Marcus.

The worst part was, those guys had Z-E-R-O negotiating power here! They both wanted to stay here, and they both wanted to stay together on the same team, and both the team and the players knew it! Literally no other team would have given these guys this combo of deals. Nobody. We could have offered them half this much and they would have (begrudingly) stayed. Well, maybe not quite that little, but not far from it. I think we overpaid big time. Marcus should be at 2-3 mil, Markief at 6-7 mil, tops.

It's too bad because the rest of our offseason went pretty well. Bledsoe's deal, I'm okay with it. IT3, seems like a bargain. Tolliver, cheap veteran, low risk. Most of the other deals seem just fine to me. But the Morris combo seems like a failure by our FO. I think they wanted to run the table, to not lose any FAs outside of Frye and really keep the team together. But I think this twin signing was the lone misstep.

[INFORMER]

I think from the front office to the training and coaching staff, everyone loves having them around. I think the organization really values the Morris Twins' commitment to the franchise, their work ethic, their presence in the lockerroom, plus they're great PR and representatives of the organization.

Too many times in sports, character and intangibles are ignored or not valued enough. In this instance, I think those things are being valued too much over actual on court performance.

[carey]

I'm fine with a few million more per year in light of the new salary cap in 2 years. I also think you're underrating Marcus a tad. He shot a respectable 38% from 3 las season. He and his brother added a new wrinkle to our offense when they shifted Kieff to C and Marcus to PF. I think he still has time to improve as a player as well. I think in a vacuum it makes a lot of sense, it's just with all the redundancy on this team it's hard to justify it right now. Tucker is making $5M too. Green is probably better than both of them. Then there's Warren, who might be a future star in this league. That's 4 guys who arguably deserve time at SF. Green will probably have to beg for scrap minutes at the 2, and there won't be many.

Just thinking out loud, but what could a package of Green-Ennis-Len and picks get us right now. Are there any big men on the market that would be worth giving up assets for? I doubt the Hawks move Horford. Sanders isn't really worth it. We know LMA isn't getting moved. At this point it doesn't even look like we can cash in those assets. I guess you never know who may become available though.

[Superbone]

I think from the front office to the training and coaching staff, everyone loves having them around. I think the organization really values the Morris Twins' commitment to the franchise, their work ethic, their presence in the lockerroom, plus they're great PR and representatives of the organization.

Too many times in sports, character and intangibles are ignored or not valued enough. In this instance, I think those things are being valued too much over actual on court performance.

I think you're exactly right, INF. I can't be too upset with the Suns though. I don't think it was a horrible price to pay for the package (on and off the court). At least the Suns are showing a desire for continuity and I read how they admire the Spurs organization in that regard. I hope it pays off for us.

[INFORMER]

I hear people extol the virtues of continuity, but continuity only works when you continue with the right talent. Just keeping the same group together just for the sake of continuity is a recipe for mediocrity.

[Superbone]

I hear people extol the virtues of continuity, but continuity only works when you continue with the right talent. Just keeping the same group together just for the sake of continuity is a recipe for mediocrity.

I don't think anybody would disagree with that. Obviously, the Suns think they're keeping the right talent.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I hear people extol the virtues of continuity, but continuity only works when you continue with the right talent. Just keeping the same group together just for the sake of continuity is a recipe for mediocrity.

I think the front offices agrees with you every word. That's why they let go in cold blood fan favorites like Nash, Hill and Frye, and trade away productive players like Dudley, Escola and Gortat; and every move came with people praising or screaming the decision. On the other hand, they value the twins as "right talent" while many of us disagree at several degrees, time will tell who's right.

I think this upcoming season is key to see what we got behind the curtain with the twins, Len and Goodwin, even if the latter two are only in spurts.

[Mori Chu]

I don't think Goodwin is going to play at all. Len will probably get minutes, but not many. I still don't know how they are going to play Marcus Morris over all the other SFs we have.

[SwingMan]

I don't think Goodwin is going to play at all. Len will probably get minutes, but not many. I still don't know how they are going to play Marcus Morris over all the other SFs we have.

Reluctantly agreed on Goodwin - poor kid's apparently been busting his ass only to see the Suns draft 2 backcourt players (Ennis & Bogdanovic) and sign 2 more (Isaiah Thomas and Zoran Dragic). I think Warren might see some D-League run early on as well.

As for Marcus, he's just going to have to play behind his brother at 4 - 1-3 are jam packed.