Suns News: Week 8 12/9-12/15

[Superbone]

Booker "questionable": https://www.nba.com/article/2019/12/13/ ... e-vs-spurs

He (Booker) previously held the Mexico City single game scoring record with back-to-back 39-point games in 2017 until Luka Doncic bested those efforts with a 41-point triple-double on Thursday.

Of course he did. And spoke fluent Spanish.

[JeremyG]

Booker "questionable": https://www.nba.com/article/2019/12/13/ ... e-vs-spurs

He (Booker) previously held the Mexico City single game scoring record with back-to-back 39-point games in 2017 until Luka Doncic bested those efforts with a 41-point triple-double on Thursday.

Of course he did. And spoke fluent Spanish.

Yep, and now Book will play when he shouldn't to try to get his record back.

[carey]

The Booker injury is troublesome but the Cam Johnson hip thing worries me too since that was his issue in college.

[Split T]

Monty Williams and James Jones: The only black coach-general manager duo in NBA
A conversation with the Suns tandem about being African American in their positions in the NBA, learning from the greats, their mentors, and more

https://theundefeated.com/features/suns ... uo-in-nba/

I suppose I never paid much attention to it, but I didn't realize the Suns are the only team with both a black GM and HC. Surely it's not the first in the history of the league, right?

A bit crazy. Any majority owners not white besides MJ?

Outside of MJ and Oprah, I don’t think there are a lot of African Americans with that kind of money.

ETA: According to Wikipedia, there are 11 African-American billionaires including MJ and Oprah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_billionaires

I didn't mean just black. I meant any non-whites. Still not as many to pick from, but there has to be a lot more than 11. (By the way, that number is just crazy)

Nets owner Joseph Tsai is Chinese

[The Bobster]

Monty Williams and James Jones: The only black coach-general manager duo in NBA
A conversation with the Suns tandem about being African American in their positions in the NBA, learning from the greats, their mentors, and more

https://theundefeated.com/features/suns ... uo-in-nba/

I suppose I never paid much attention to it, but I didn't realize the Suns are the only team with both a black GM and HC. Surely it's not the first in the history of the league, right?

A bit crazy. Any majority owners not white besides MJ?

Outside of MJ and Oprah, I don’t think there are a lot of African Americans with that kind of money.

ETA: According to Wikipedia, there are 11 African-American billionaires including MJ and Oprah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_billionaires

Only five of those 11 are American though. Three of the five (Winfrey, Jordan and Jay-Z) we're familiar with. The other two are
Robert Smith of Austin, Texas and David Steward of St. Louis.

[Cap]

Monty Williams and James Jones: The only black coach-general manager duo in NBA
A conversation with the Suns tandem about being African American in their positions in the NBA, learning from the greats, their mentors, and more

https://theundefeated.com/features/suns ... uo-in-nba/

I suppose I never paid much attention to it, but I didn't realize the Suns are the only team with both a black GM and HC. Surely it's not the first in the history of the league, right?

A bit crazy. Any majority owners not white besides MJ?

Outside of MJ and Oprah, I don’t think there are a lot of African Americans with that kind of money.

ETA: According to Wikipedia, there are 11 African-American billionaires including MJ and Oprah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_billionaires

Only five of those 11 are American though. Three of the five (Winfrey, Jordan and Jay-Z) we're familiar with. The other two are
Robert Smith of Austin, Texas and David Steward of St. Louis.

Oprah or Jay-Z owning a team might actually attract new fans, and thus increase the value of the team by the mere fact that they own it. Hmm.

[The Bobster]

0.8% of all american billionaires are African-American (5 of 621)

Among the 621 billionaires are NBA owners Steve Ballmer (Clippers), Micky Arison (Heat), Stanley Kroenke (Nuggets), Robert Pera (Grizzlies), Daniel Gilbert (Cavaliers), Richard Devos (Magic), Tom Gores (Pistons), Mark Cuban (Mavericks), Herb Simon (Pacers), Joshua Harris (76ers), Glen Taylor (Timberwolves), Marc Lasry (Bucks), Gail Miller (Jazz), Jerry Reinsdorf (Bulls), Antony Ressler (Hawks), Michael Jordan (Hornets), Joseph Tsai (Nets), Madison Square Garden's James Dolan (Knicks), Ted Leonis (Wizards), Tilman Fertitta (Rockets), Gayle Benson (Hornets), Jody Allen (Trail Blazers), and Maple Leaf Sports' Larry Tanenbaum (Raptors)

That's 23 of the league's 30 owners. Robert Sarver ($400 million) is a relative small fry in this group.

[ShelC]

JayZ and Usher had small pieces of the Nets and Cavs, respectively. Pretty sure they've both sold their stakes tho. It's very, very hard to be a profitable sports team, almost always a losing entity. Jordan had the wealth through his business dealings to be to afford a team. I could see LeBron in that situation when he retires. Maybe he takes a piece of the Cavs? Steph Curry talked about wanting a stake in the Carolina Panthers. With these new 200+mil contracts, we might see more ex-NBA players want a piece of NBA teams down the line. And the NBA might be wise to embrace that I think...LeBron part owner of the Cavs, Curry part owner of the Warriors, Wade maybe part owner of the Heat, Lillard part owner of the Blazers.

[Nodack]

The Booker injury is troublesome but the Cam Johnson hip thing worries me too since that was his issue in college.

Walking wounded. I suppose nobody goes through an entire season unscathed.

[Superbone]

https://theathletic.com/1458314/2019/12 ... astermind/

Kelly Oubre Jr. was not supposed to be with the Suns. Now, they can’t envision their rebuild without the ‘Valley Boyz’ mastermind

Some highlights below:

It’s a franchise moment that feels like it could have been ripped from the 1990s film “Sliding Doors”, or from the multiple-timeline “Remedial Chaos Theory” episode of the television comedy Community. But now it’s virtually impossible to envision the Suns’ rebuild without Oubre, the “Valley Boyz” mastermind.

“The trade was something that changed my life,” Oubre said. “It changed my career, I believe. I’m thankful. But at the end of the day, I want to be great. I want to do what I said I was gonna do when I came here, and that’s just to help this organization grow.”

As Oubre waited inside his Washington, D.C. home for four days to join the Suns, he said he “didn’t feel like I was part of the NBA at all.” But since he started his move of blowing kisses to the crowd after made 3s during his Suns debut at Boston last December, Oubre has put up career numbers and captured a fan base so deeply that grown men routinely and unabashedly yell “I love you, Kelly!” during home games.

Suns fans are naturally drawn to Oubre’s flashy, infectious playing style, complete with pushups when he hits the deck, a vigorous arm motion resembling a football first-down sign when the Suns force a turnover and elaborate postgame fashion. Though Williams acknowledges “there are things that he does that I would have gotten benched for” during his own playing career, the coach appreciates Oubre’s edge “because that’s who he is, and I don’t want to legislate every personality trait.”

But teammates also appreciate Oubre’s subtler steps to foster chemistry. Oubre has created intricate, individualized handshakes with each of them. He and star Devin Booker, who were part of the same draft class, spend “a lot” of time having deep conversations in hotels on the road.

[Superbone]

[ShelC]

It's over with. He just needs to play and produce now.

[Cap]

Well, that and the fact he had no case.

Thanks for not distracting us with a meritless appeal. That would have been an ugly side show. And a big embarrassment for you.

[SunsRIt]

https://arizonasports.com/story/2195545 ... irst-time/

Good interview with and about Ayton.

[Superbone]

https://arizonasports.com/story/2195545 ... irst-time/

Good interview with and about Ayton.

Thanks, I needed that after tonight. Just the hope that Ayton will be a difference maker for us and get us over the hump.

[Shabazz]

Tyler and Elie for Patty Mills and Demarre Carroll?

[Superbone]

[Flagrant Fowl]

Sigh.

From James Jones perspective, now is not a good time to play bad cop with Ayton. But I hope to god that he can evaluate him objectively.

[Mori Chu]

"He is who he is," is not what you want to hear about your supposed phenom you passed up on Doncic to draft.

[Superbone]

"He is who he is," is not what you want to hear about your supposed phenom you passed up on Doncic to draft.

Nope, but I suppose it doesn't do any good now to cry about it either. The Suns screwed up. Move on.