Around the League: Week 2 12/28-1/3

[specialsauce]

He is expected to return by 2023

[Superbone]

He is expected to return by 2023

Well, if it is anything like when he was here, he is expected to return soon but he won’t be back until 2023.

[Superbone]

LOL Knicks/Raptors tied at 42 at the half.

[specialsauce]

He is expected to return by 2023

Well, if it is anything like when he was here, he is expected to return soon but he won’t be back until 2023.

I stand corrected LOL

[O_Gardino]

The Raptors will break out of their funk, but I don't think they will make much noise this year. They are really feeling the downgrade at the Center spot.

[INFORMER]

I don’t think Doncic is quite in shape yet.

Agreed, even more so than usual (I don't think he has ever been in great shape).

[Oatmeal]

I don’t think Doncic is quite in shape yet.

Agreed, even more so than usual (I don't think he has ever been in great shape).

Much like Jokic, their IQ/strength are so much higher than most they can get away with being winded and flabby.

[INFORMER]

Luka is a great talent. I was on the “I Want us to take him but sincerely didn’t think he would be this good, this fast” group. I was a true believer in Bender as well.

But I don’t feel validates neither horrified for how things had turned out. Yes, we are stuck with Ferdinand the bull, but he is not a bust, we just need to develop him from that angle, a David Robinson light is still within reach.

Regarding Luka, he plays with a joy and energy that is no wonder he is the current league darling, but he also is getting a huge Star treatment, Not to be fatalist, but not sure if things would have developed the same way here. Nash became a league darling as well and still was mugged time and time again without all that referee colaboration.

Linsanity comes to my mind, altough Luka it’s of course head, shoulders and hip above Jeremy, but just to ilustrate how easy is to inflate even an average player with referee help. And Luka would not be this good without that much protection.

The whole course of the Suns might have changed had we picked Luka. We probably don't have Monty Williams as our head coach right now. Probably still have Luka's coach, Kokoskov. Maybe McD is still here. I like this current reality and trajectory. Maybe this is the healthy way to look at it. I'm going to try to be more tolerant of Ayton's shortcomings and be happy with what we have.

Only on Planet Orange...

[INFORMER]

Playing Doncic like that has worked to this point.

They don't have a championship, and last season they were the worst team in the NBA in the last 5 minutes.

The conversation was about why Doncic was struggling, and it was theorized that it was because they are playing him the wrong way.

Whether or not they have won it all with him doesn't really factor in.

[INFORMER]

The Raptors will break out of their funk, but I don't think they will make much noise this year. They are really feeling the downgrade at the Center spot.

I think they could miss the playoffs.

And I don't think it is just the downgrade in center. The team hasn't been able to replenish its talent base since the championship. It has been two offseasons of significant departures without really adding any significant talent.

[INFORMER]

The Toronto Raptors benched All-Star forward Pascal Siakam for Thursday night's year-ending 100-83 victory over the New York Knicks in Tampa, Florida.

"It was a discipline thing for an internal matter," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said after his team won its first game of the season. "That's the decision we went with. We're just going to keep it at that."

When asked what message he hoped Siakam's benching would send to the team, Nurse said, "Just a certain way we want to do things. Everybody has got to be a part of that. It's just as simple as that."

While Nurse wouldn't go into specifics about what led to the decision to bench Siakam, the 26-year-old forward fouled out of Tuesday's 100-93 loss to the 76ers -- Toronto's third straight loss to open the season, all of which came after the Raptors held double-digit leads -- with 25.6 seconds to go, and he immediately walked off the court and into the visiting locker room inside Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/306 ... ason-bench

[Cap]

I don’t think Doncic is quite in shape yet.

Agreed, even more so than usual (I don't think he has ever been in great shape).

Much like Jokic, their IQ/strength are so much higher than most they can get away with being winded and flabby.

Can you imagine how much scarier Doncic would be if he were as cut as the average NBA player?

[Indy]

I don’t think Doncic is quite in shape yet.

Agreed, even more so than usual (I don't think he has ever been in great shape).

Much like Jokic, their IQ/strength are so much higher than most they can get away with being winded and flabby.

Can you imagine how much scarier Doncic would be if he were as cut as the average NBA player?

He seems to use his heft as a weapon. I am not sure he would be much better right now. It would likely prolong his career and let him go longer in games, though.

[Superbone]

Luka is a great talent. I was on the “I Want us to take him but sincerely didn’t think he would be this good, this fast” group. I was a true believer in Bender as well.

But I don’t feel validates neither horrified for how things had turned out. Yes, we are stuck with Ferdinand the bull, but he is not a bust, we just need to develop him from that angle, a David Robinson light is still within reach.

Regarding Luka, he plays with a joy and energy that is no wonder he is the current league darling, but he also is getting a huge Star treatment, Not to be fatalist, but not sure if things would have developed the same way here. Nash became a league darling as well and still was mugged time and time again without all that referee colaboration.

Linsanity comes to my mind, altough Luka it’s of course head, shoulders and hip above Jeremy, but just to ilustrate how easy is to inflate even an average player with referee help. And Luka would not be this good without that much protection.

The whole course of the Suns might have changed had we picked Luka. We probably don't have Monty Williams as our head coach right now. Probably still have Luka's coach, Kokoskov. Maybe McD is still here. I like this current reality and trajectory. Maybe this is the healthy way to look at it. I'm going to try to be more tolerant of Ayton's shortcomings and be happy with what we have.

Only on Planet Orange...

If you have something to say, say it.

[INFORMER]

I did.

[Superbone]

I did.

OK, I have no idea what it is but if you're happy with it...

[Indy]

He saying that only a Suns fan would talk themselves into thinking that NOT taking a legit MVP candidate with the #1 pick might've been for the best, and just accepting Ayton for being what he is today is OK.

Basically, we need to want the best out of our players and have them maximize (or close) their talent.

But I get you want to be as positive as possible about the current situation and not worry about it since you can't change any of it.

[Superbone]

He saying that only a Suns fan would talk themselves into thinking that NOT taking a legit MVP candidate with the #1 pick might've been for the best, and just accepting Ayton for being what he is today is OK.

Basically, we need to want the best out of our players and have them maximize (or close) their talent.

But I get you want to be as positive as possible about the current situation and not worry about it since you can't change any of it.

What else are you going to do? Cry yourself to sleep every night? Do you not agree that our trajectory would have been totally different had we selected Doncic? You think McD wouldn't still be our GM? You think Monty would be head coach? Of course we'll never know but the butterfly effect would have been in full bloom. The current reality ain't too bad.

[Indy]

He saying that only a Suns fan would talk themselves into thinking that NOT taking a legit MVP candidate with the #1 pick might've been for the best, and just accepting Ayton for being what he is today is OK.

Basically, we need to want the best out of our players and have them maximize (or close) their talent.

But I get you want to be as positive as possible about the current situation and not worry about it since you can't change any of it.

What else are you going to do? Cry yourself to sleep every night? Do you not agree that our trajectory would have been totally different had we selected Doncic? You think McD wouldn't still be our GM? You think Monty would be head coach? Of course we'll never know but the butterfly effect would have been in full bloom. The current reality ain't too bad.

I think that is the point. The last decade has brought the bar so low that an 8-0 run to just miss the playoffs was the best moments we have had as Suns fan in a LONG time, so we are really happy with it. Remember when it was an awful thing to get 50-55 wins, make the playoffs, and get booted in round 1 or 2? Jerry blew up the team because of that.

Hopefully we are on a good path that will lead us to a championship.

To your 2nd question, no, not cry yourself to sleep every night. But expecting players to play hard, get better, and live up to their potential is fair. I mean, we are sports fanatics, not sports "let's see how this game goes and I will be happy win or lose and regardless of how hard our players play and regardless of what our coach does to attack the other team and regardless of what our GM does to build a team for our coach and regardless of whether or not the owner is a fuck face."

[Superbone]

He saying that only a Suns fan would talk themselves into thinking that NOT taking a legit MVP candidate with the #1 pick might've been for the best, and just accepting Ayton for being what he is today is OK.

Basically, we need to want the best out of our players and have them maximize (or close) their talent.

But I get you want to be as positive as possible about the current situation and not worry about it since you can't change any of it.

What else are you going to do? Cry yourself to sleep every night? Do you not agree that our trajectory would have been totally different had we selected Doncic? You think McD wouldn't still be our GM? You think Monty would be head coach? Of course we'll never know but the butterfly effect would have been in full bloom. The current reality ain't too bad.

I think that is the point. The last decade has brought the bar so low that an 8-0 run to just miss the playoffs was the best moments we have had as Suns fan in a LONG time, so we are really happy with it. Remember when it was an awful thing to get 50-55 wins, make the playoffs, and get booted in round 1 or 2? Jerry blew up the team because of that.

Hopefully we are on a good path that will lead us to a championship.

To your 2nd question, no, not cry yourself to sleep every night. But expecting players to play hard, get better, and live up to their potential is fair. I mean, we are sports fanatics, not sports "let's see how this game goes and I will be happy win or lose and regardless of how hard our players play and regardless of what our coach does to attack the other team and regardless of what our GM does to build a team for our coach and regardless of whether or not the owner is a fuck face."

Uh... yeah. Of course, but that has nothing to do with what I said. Nowhere did I say any of that. I wasn't implying that I'm happy with where Ayton is at the moment. He is what he is and so far he lacks the aggression of the greats. I don't expect him to become an all-time great. I don't expect him to have a career as good as Doncic's. But do I want him to get better over time? Of course. He's only 22 for god's sake. He's got the potential to be a very good center in this league and a big part of our team.

I'm not sure where you're coming from and why this was your response to my post. This would be like if I said, "I like toast." and you responded with "but can't we all wish for world peace?"