Around the League News - 2022 Offseason Edition

[Indy]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

[The Bobster]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

Well, Bill Russell certainly had a history of it.

[TOO]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

Well, Bill Russell certainly had a history of it.

And now he's dead, coincidence?

[Indy]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

Well, Bill Russell certainly had a history of it.

yeah I was just making the comparison. It was interesting to hear him say how he loved playing for the Celtics but hated playing for the city.

[The Bobster]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

Well, Bill Russell certainly had a history of it.

yeah I was just making the comparison. It was interesting to hear him say how he loved playing for the Celtics but hated playing for the city.

So much so that when they retired his number in 1972 they held a ceremony with just the players, management and his family because he didn't want it done in front of a Boston Garden crowd.

He also refused to attend his Hall of Fame induction in 1975 (also in Massachusetts) and didn't accept his ring from the Hall of Fame until 2019.

[ShelC]

[Mori Chu]

Wow, look how little Bojan could have been had for. We must not have wanted him?

[The Bobster]

Trading for Bogdanovic would have helped the offense, but it would have been a huge step backwards defensively from Crowder.

[Indy]

Trading for Bogdanovic would have helped the offense, but it would have been a huge step backwards defensively from Crowder.

And it might be hard to trade with us right now. Not from a PR stand point, but from a logistics stand point.

[Split T]

I’m sure the suns wanted to move Crowder only…no picks. Seems like Utah just didn’t have any 1st round pick offers for Bojan.

[Indy]

They also got to keep the same number of white guys on the team.

[Superbone]

Yeah, those speculating were way off.

[Indy]

I heard a ton speculating exactly this.

[Indy]

I have no idea if this is true... but it would certainly explain the punishment being issued.

[Superbone]

I heard a ton speculating exactly this.

Not here. Didn't see a one. I'm not speaking to the world wide internets. Just phx-suns.net.

[Split T]

Book at 10!



KD at 8 seems low….LBJ out of the top 5 too.

My guess:

1. Giannis
2. Jokic
3. Embiid
4. Curry
5. Luka

[ShelC]

No. 10: Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns | SG

2021 NBArank: No. 15

Only 25 years old and already a three-time All-Star and coming off an All-NBA selection, Booker and his silky smooth offensive game should vie for the top shooting guard status in the league for years to come.

Why he rose five spots

Booker's ascendant year -- an NBA Finals run, followed by an Olympic gold medal and leading Phoenix to a league-best 64 wins in the regular season -- ended with a precipitous fall. The Suns were unceremoniously bounced from the second round of the playoffs, with Booker combining to shoot a combined 9-for-31 in Games 6 and 7 against Dallas.

But Booker's 26.8 points per game last season ranked No. 12 in the league, further cementing his reputation as one of the game's most lethal scorers. However, he'll take the next step by leveraging those scoring skills in crunch time. Last season, in the first nine minutes of quarters, Booker shot 48.5% overall and 42.1% from 3. In the last three minutes of quarters? He shot 41.8% from the field and 31.8% from deep.

One huge question for 2022-23

The Suns won a whopping 74.6% of their regular-season games over the past two seasons but are defined just as much by their flameouts as they are their success. Booker's rise to All-Star status has been largely absent of the weight of expectations. He will have to win big in the playoffs to further his place in the game.

The question is, in today's NBA, where the top tier of superstardom is reserved for players who dominate on both ends, what room for growth remains for Booker? Offensively, he relies on finesse, angles and footwork to do his damage. Defensively, he's certainly known as a heady player who can operate within team schemes. Can he become more forceful with his stops and his scores to keep climbing up the list of the game's best?

-- Dave McMenamin

[Drewsprocket]

I prefer simple rules that you can’t date or have relationships with coworkers in your dept. Spouse’s be damned. Now for some basketball news—why does it feel like Suns prices are always so high when it comes to our trade targets?

[SunsRIt]

He probably called out Boston for being a racist city. If you are a Celtic you can't do that.

Aren’t you glad you made that leap?

[Indy]

lol it was a joke because of Boston's nickname. jeez