Around the League: Week 6 (11/21 - 11/27)

[Cap]

Well if it’s this team plus a minor addition in a Crowder trade…can’t just be like Justin Holiday or someone similar.

Trading Crowder for a player like Holiday would be a losing trade. If we were willing to trade Crowder for a nothing, we’d have done it by now. We’re holding out until we get a decent offer, or the trade deadline comes along,

[JeremyG]

I see. It's the reactions to the wins that's the problem. Are they supposed to mope? I'm not sure what you're looking for. All I've heard is that they want to continue to play their game and continue to improve on it.

React as in, "We have a great record, so we don't need to make any significant upgrades to our roster." Or, "We have a great record, so there's no need to develop our younger players any further."

We saw how that type of thinking ended up last season.

Got it. You're talking about outside the team. Specifically James Jones and his cohorts.

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

[Uncle_Gene]

Gene's quick takes on the Nets:

1) They don't have a deep roster. Not a lot of scoring of the bench.

2) There's not enough size on this team. Claxton is a long and skinny PF/C. Markieff Morris is a true PF. After that, that's it. You look at the rest of their roster, it's a bunch of guards and small forwards.

3) They had a tough schedule to start the season. Losses to New Orleans, and a back-to-back against Milwaukee then Dallas. Split two games against Indiana, then on a second night of back-to-back home games you lose to Chicago.

GM Sean Marks put that roster together and apparently forgot to add size. That's not coach Steve Nash's fault, that's on the GM. Now of course, I'm not in the locker room. Maybe they needed a new voice and a change was necessary. But, this roster just isn't good enough to compete night in and night out despite having Durant and Irving.

[pickle]

They are also dealing with a bunch of injuries to key shooters... so far neither of Harris or Curry has played, and TJ is also a theoretical shooter.

[Flagrant Fowl]

GM Sean Marks put that roster together and apparently forgot to add size. That's not coach Steve Nash's fault, that's on the GM.

100%

They should've fired Marks in the Summer so the new GM would have a chance to build the roster. Instead Marks will make deals with their best assets and the next GM will have to figure out the puzzle.

[AmareIsGod]

Brooklyn is straight asshole. 4 years and nothing to show. What a joke.

[Superbone]

React as in, "We have a great record, so we don't need to make any significant upgrades to our roster." Or, "We have a great record, so there's no need to develop our younger players any further."

We saw how that type of thinking ended up last season.

Got it. You're talking about outside the team. Specifically James Jones and his cohorts.

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

[Shabazz]

Got it. You're talking about outside the team. Specifically James Jones and his cohorts.

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

We don't let Ayton shoot on every single possession.

[Shabazz]

They are also dealing with a bunch of injuries to key shooters... so far neither of Harris or Curry has played, and TJ is also a theoretical shooter.

Harris has played in the last 6 games. I'm not sure he, Curry or TJ will solve what actually ails them (their D sucks).

[JeremyG]

Got it. You're talking about outside the team. Specifically James Jones and his cohorts.

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

I said “younger” not “young” (since we don’t have any draft picks since 2019). Cam, DA, Mikal. Monty screwed up their growth last season because we were winning so well the old way (in the regular season), relying on Paul and Booker.

[pickle]

They are also dealing with a bunch of injuries to key shooters... so far neither of Harris or Curry has played, and TJ is also a theoretical shooter.

Harris has played in the last 6 games. I'm not sure he, Curry or TJ will solve what actually ails them (their D sucks).

Yeah sorry, I didn't really check the box scores but I also didn't mean that Harris isn't playing at all, just that he isn't producing at his 2020 levels when they gave him that contract. But yes, I agree with you, the problem isn't on the shooters, it starts and ends with chemistry...

[Superbone]

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

We don't let Ayton shoot on every single possession.

Ah. Right.

[Flagrant Fowl]

And the coaching staff.

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

I said “younger” not “young” (since we don’t have any draft picks since 2019). Cam, DA, Mikal. Monty screwed up their growth last season because we were winning so well the old way (in the regular season), relying on Paul and Booker.

Nah. They had plenty of development opportunities last year and continue to have them now. Booker and Paul are the closers and that’s how it should be because they’re the best at it and the Suns are rightfully trying to win games.

[specialsauce]

The coaching staff? How so?

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

I said “younger” not “young” (since we don’t have any draft picks since 2019). Cam, DA, Mikal. Monty screwed up their growth last season because we were winning so well the old way (in the regular season), relying on Paul and Booker.

Nah. They had plenty of development opportunities last year and continue to have them now. Booker and Paul are the closers and that’s how it should be because they’re the best at it and the Suns are rightfully trying to win games.

Incorrect. They’re easy to take out of the game in the playoffs and now you have the timid deer trio of Cam-Mikal-DA unable to be playmakers without getting the ball in a position to score right away. They absolutely need opportunities to grow. And I’m not talking about this year so far where they catch the ball rolling off a screen and shoot. They need to make a move with the ball in their hands.

The Mikal short roll is good. Work on that more. Need to see Mikal as the ball handler of pick and rolls as well.

[JeremyG]

Yep, and the point of my original post (besides the front office part) is that I’m worried that Monty will see the early season success and say, “We’re good, let’s not change anything or add any more new stuff.”

And then come playoff time…same results.

[ShelC]

Yep, and the point of my original post (besides the front office part) is that I’m worried that Monty will see the early season success and say, “We’re good, let’s not change anything or add any more new stuff.”

And then come playoff time…same results.

That's a legit concern, especially if there isn't a no-brainer type of trade like getting KD. Monty may not want to get rid of some of his guys for even a marginal upgrade.

[SunsRIt]

Does Steve Nash being fired also mean his staff got let go? If so, any chance we can bring in Amare as an assistant to coach Ayton how to attack the rim on offense?

[Indy]

Does Steve Nash being fired also mean his staff got let go? If so, any chance we can bring in Amare as an assistant to coach Ayton how to attack the rim on offense?

https://www.nba.com/nets/roster

They still list them at the bottom. But Amare isn't there. Was he to start the season?

[SunsRIt]

Does Steve Nash being fired also mean his staff got let go? If so, any chance we can bring in Amare as an assistant to coach Ayton how to attack the rim on offense?

https://www.nba.com/nets/roster

They still list them at the bottom. But Amare isn't there. Was he to start the season?

I guess he left after the end of the playoffs last May. Do we have any interest in bringing him in?

[Flagrant Fowl]

My second statement above (bolded).

Who are we not developing? Washington Jr?

I said “younger” not “young” (since we don’t have any draft picks since 2019). Cam, DA, Mikal. Monty screwed up their growth last season because we were winning so well the old way (in the regular season), relying on Paul and Booker.

Nah. They had plenty of development opportunities last year and continue to have them now. Booker and Paul are the closers and that’s how it should be because they’re the best at it and the Suns are rightfully trying to win games.

Incorrect. They’re easy to take out of the game in the playoffs and now you have the timid deer trio of Cam-Mikal-DA unable to be playmakers without getting the ball in a position to score right away. They absolutely need opportunities to grow. And I’m not talking about this year so far where they catch the ball rolling off a screen and shoot. They need to make a move with the ball in their hands.

The Mikal short roll is good. Work on that more. Need to see Mikal as the ball handler of pick and rolls as well.

They're never going to be primary playmakers. They've never shown that skill at any point in college or the NBA. The best we can hope for is the stuff we've been seeing for the past year.

Mikal, for example, added a quick first step off the catch to probe the defense for a 12-foot shot last year. Now we're seeing him in do short roll stuff. The skills some people are talking about makes it seem like they're expecting him to be Paul George or someone similar. He's never shown offensive skills like those players.

I maintain they've had and continue to have plenty of opportunities to grow. Maybe it's the expectations of their growth that people are overestimating.