Suns Preseason News 2018

[Superbone]

My point guard targets remain the same: TJ McConnell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Malcolm Brogdon.

You forgot Beverly.

[Split T]

I don't necessarily think Kemba and Harris will command max offers. They'll probably want them, but there's enough actual players that deserve max offers that I don't think Kemba and Harris will get them. But they could.

If we can land a PG this season, going after Harris could make a lot of sense. Mirotic could be very nice too. Neither rebound well, but next to Ayton that might not matter.

My point guard targets remain the same: TJ McConnell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Malcolm Brogdon.

We don't need to break the bank for Kemba. He is a good player, but I don't see him agreeing to a reasonable. Paying Kemba Walker $25 million or more a season is a subscription to Mediocrity Monthly.

I like Tobias Harris, but he isn't a very good stretch 4. He doesn't rebound and doesn't offer anything on defense. He is more of a small forward.

I like those PG's. Will Malcolm be restricted? I mostly agree about Kemba. We'd have to pay him a lot to come here and I'm not sure we'd get enough value. We'd pay him 25 million and get 18 million worth of value. He would make us better though. He's great in the pick n roll and would form a lethal combo with Ayton. Especially with 3 shooters like Booker/Bridges/Ariza on the wing.

Harris had some better rebounding years earlier in his career. The last couple years he's been paired with Drummond and Jordan, both are top 3/4 rebounders in the NBA. Is Harris not rebounding because he's not great at it, because he doesn't need to with Jordan/Drummond there, or are they stealing rebounds from him? He's next to Gortat this year, so we'll have a better idea. He's turned himself into a really nice shooter and efficient scorer though. I'd love him taking Warren's spot.

[Superbone]

The Suns got a strange mention at the end of tonight's Simpsons episode. They had a sports talk show where Stephen A. and Skip Bayless look alikes picked the Phoenix Suns to win it all.

[Superbone]

ESPN2 had a NBA Rookie Special show tonight that had a nice interview by Paul Pierce of Deandre Ayton. Check it out if you get a chance.

[ShelC]

Harris is a SF playing PF. He can act as a stretch 4 because of his skillset, but it's no different than Shawn playing the 4, or Aminu/Harkless, Thad Young, etc. They're not true 4s IMO.

[Split T]

What exactly is a true 4? There might be like 3 still left. Shawn would be almost exclusively a 4 nowadays and Thad Young is a pretty typical 4 nowadays as well. Most 4's are perimeter oriented now.

[O_Gardino]

I'm not a big Tobias Harris fan, but some of the takes here are puzzling.

How is he not a PF? That's the position he has played most since he was a rookie. He even gets spot minutes at center. Is he passing too much and shooting too well?

How is he a bad rebounder? His rebounding numbers are in line with every stretch-4 to win a championship.

[carey]

Was Boris taken 4th in the draft? I can't remember.

21st pick

I was being flippant. I know where he was selected. My point is that the expectations are quite different between a 4th pick in the draft and the 21st. So suggesting that Atlanta fans felt the same way about Boris after 2 years that we feel about Dragan is not quite right, is it?

[carey]

The Suns got a strange mention at the end of tonight's Simpsons episode. They had a sports talk show where Stephen A. and Skip Bayless look alikes picked the Phoenix Suns to win it all.

Maybe the Simpsons will do for the Suns what The Good Place has done for the Jaguars.

[Mori Chu]

I wouldn't want us overpaying for unproven RFAs like Wright, Jones and Rozier. And yes, all those guys are unproven as starters and making others better. No interest in Russel. Dinwiddie can't exceed expectations in BK.

Rubio is maybe the only guy I could see us pursuing and coming here, and ironically, playing up as a Nash-like acquisition. It's such a McD and Sarver move that you know it won't pan out. And Rubio still can't shoot.

Hnnnnnnnngggggggggghhhhhhhhhggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!

[Mori Chu]

Was Boris taken 4th in the draft? I can't remember.

21st pick

I was being flippant. I know where he was selected. My point is that the expectations are quite different between a 4th pick in the draft and the 21st. So suggesting that Atlanta fans felt the same way about Boris after 2 years that we feel about Dragan is not quite right, is it?

For comparison, Boris was 23 when traded here to Phoenix, right before he had that great 2005-06 season for us. Bender is still 20 years old for another month. Some of these guys just take longer to figure it out.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... wbo01.html

[carey]

https://twitter.com/duanerankin/status/1049122214031884289

This is interesting...

“I never talk to the whole team during the game,” Kokoskov said. “I talk to the point guard and his job is to relay the calls and the messages to the other guys. That’s how communication goes. If somebody doesn’t know the play on the court, that’s your job as the point guard to deliver the message. That’s his job. That’s what my expectations are for the point guard. To be my voice or the voice on the court.”

Kokoskov keeps saying he needs his point guard to be “solid,” but the start of the regular season is drawing nearer, and Phoenix remains under major construction at that position.

[carey]

Was Boris taken 4th in the draft? I can't remember.

21st pick

I was being flippant. I know where he was selected. My point is that the expectations are quite different between a 4th pick in the draft and the 21st. So suggesting that Atlanta fans felt the same way about Boris after 2 years that we feel about Dragan is not quite right, is it?

For comparison, Boris was 23 when traded here to Phoenix, right before he had that great 2005-06 season for us. Bender is still 20 years old for another month. Some of these guys just take longer to figure it out.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... wbo01.html

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I think I'm just frustrated because I've pulled so hard for the guy and he's given me nothing. I'm pissed at McDonough too. Can you imagine what his draft record would be if he didn't hit on Booker with Len at 5, Dragan at 4, and Chriss at 8 all busting?

[ShelC]

I saw Igor talking to the PGs at every single break, be it a TO or FTs. Still, he can call things out to other guys during the game. That just seems natural.

[O_Gardino]

https://twitter.com/duanerankin/status/1049122214031884289

This is interesting...

“I never talk to the whole team during the game,” Kokoskov said. “I talk to the point guard and his job is to relay the calls and the messages to the other guys. That’s how communication goes. If somebody doesn’t know the play on the court, that’s your job as the point guard to deliver the message. That’s his job. That’s what my expectations are for the point guard. To be my voice or the voice on the court.”

Kokoskov keeps saying he needs his point guard to be “solid,” but the start of the regular season is drawing nearer, and Phoenix remains under major construction at that position.

Coach needs to change his approach with this team.

[Split T]

I wouldn't take that too seriously. I've seen him talk to Jackson and Bridges and Bender. I think it just shows the mentality he wants his PG to have. He's not refusing to talk to other players, he just wants his PG to be able to direct the team and correct them when they don't run the play correctly.

[Indy]

Was Boris taken 4th in the draft? I can't remember.

21st pick

I was being flippant. I know where he was selected. My point is that the expectations are quite different between a 4th pick in the draft and the 21st. So suggesting that Atlanta fans felt the same way about Boris after 2 years that we feel about Dragan is not quite right, is it?

For comparison, Boris was 23 when traded here to Phoenix, right before he had that great 2005-06 season for us. Bender is still 20 years old for another month. Some of these guys just take longer to figure it out.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... wbo01.html

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I think I'm just frustrated because I've pulled so hard for the guy and he's given me nothing. I'm pissed at McDonough too. Can you imagine what his draft record would be if he didn't hit on Booker with Len at 5, Dragan at 4, and Chriss at 8 all busting?

Who taken in the lottery that year is a decent NBA player right now?

There were 353 guys that played >500 minutes in the league last year. The average win shares seems to be about 2.8 for the entire league.

If you look at guys taken in the lottery for 2016, you only have 5 of 14 above 2.8 win shares. (Simmons, Poeltl, J. Murray, Sabonis, Brown).

None are playing on a losing team.
None are on their 3rd coach.
None as as young.

I am disappointed in his performance, and wouldn't pick up his option. But I think it is too soon to say he can't be a good rotation player in the NBA. He won't be the 4th best person taken in that draft, but considering how shitty it was, he could be top 10. That says a lot about that draft.

(PS--It is still asinine that we spent resources to double down in a draft like that.)

[Indy]

I wouldn't take that too seriously. I've seen him talk to Jackson and Bridges and Bender. I think it just shows the mentality he wants his PG to have. He's not refusing to talk to other players, he just wants his PG to be able to direct the team and correct them when they don't run the play correctly.

Yeah, i took that to mean he doesn't tell the other guys what play they need to run, or where they need to be on offense. He was clearly talking to guys other than PGs when they came out of the game. He takes time to keep them standing at the bench before they sit down to make sure they get his point. I really liked that.

[O_Gardino]

Was Boris taken 4th in the draft? I can't remember.

21st pick

I was being flippant. I know where he was selected. My point is that the expectations are quite different between a 4th pick in the draft and the 21st. So suggesting that Atlanta fans felt the same way about Boris after 2 years that we feel about Dragan is not quite right, is it?

For comparison, Boris was 23 when traded here to Phoenix, right before he had that great 2005-06 season for us. Bender is still 20 years old for another month. Some of these guys just take longer to figure it out.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... wbo01.html

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I think I'm just frustrated because I've pulled so hard for the guy and he's given me nothing. I'm pissed at McDonough too. Can you imagine what his draft record would be if he didn't hit on Booker with Len at 5, Dragan at 4, and Chriss at 8 all busting?

It has been a very frustrating time. The only players to look good for us are the ones who can score in isolation. All of our role players have looked like trash for the last 4 years. You've got to be able to do it all to look good, because we haven't had a team identity.

I'm just not ready to give up on Dragan. It's very possible he doesn't have the competitiveness to stick in the league, but I don't think we know that yet. Fewer than 40 guys in all of history have had his combo of assists, rebounds, and 3ptshooting by the age of 21. 12 guys had seasons like that by the age of 20. I'm not saying Bender is rare and special, I'm just saying it would be surprising for him to be more productive than he has been at this age.

[O_Gardino]

I wouldn't take that too seriously. I've seen him talk to Jackson and Bridges and Bender. I think it just shows the mentality he wants his PG to have. He's not refusing to talk to other players, he just wants his PG to be able to direct the team and correct them when they don't run the play correctly.

You're probably right.