Suns News: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)

[Superbone]

https://www.nba.com/suns/schedule
All times MST/AZ

Last Week's Games
Mon, Nov 24 vs Rockets 114-92 LOSS
Wed, Nov 26 @ Kings 112 - 100 WIN!
Fri, Nov 28 @ Thunder 119-123 LOSS
Sat, Nov 29 vs Nuggets 130-112 LOSS

This Week's Games
Mon, Dec 1 @ Lakers, 8:00 PM, Peacock
Fri, Dec 5 @ Rockets, 6:00 PM, Suns+, Arizona's Family 3TV / Arizona's Family Sports / League Pass

Suns Stories
Steve Nash reluctantly includes himself on Suns Mount Rushmore: “I guess I was there long enough to make an impact” (ya think?!):
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-t ... t-rushmore

The Suns step onto the NBA Cup stage with something to gain
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns ... pportunity

Suns may have just found the next Collin Gillespie
https://valleyofthesuns.com/suns-may-ju ... pie-bouyea

[ShelC]

Thanks for the threads, Bone.

Sucks for us but it'll be good to see the team get some rest after tonight's game. Think they'll have played 6 games in 9 nights, with most games against the West's best over that span. Also want to see us rested and near full strength for the Rockets on Friday.

And while it's cool we may have just found the "next Collin Gillespie", it'd be even better if we could find the next Amar'e Stoudemire!

[In2ition]

It's time for the Suns to break the Laker's current 7 game winning streak.

[BKinSJC]

...

Suns Stories
Steve Nash reluctantly includes himself on Suns Mount Rushmore: “I guess I was there long enough to make an impact” (ya think?!):
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-t ... t-rushmore

...

I haven't looked at the article, but I think 3 of the 4 on the "Mount Rushmore" are pretty easy: Nash, Booker, Barkley. Then it gets trickier to figure out the fourth. Alvan Adams? (one finals appearance, very long career, not overwhelming statistically). Westphal? (Best player on a finals team, multi-time All-NBA level guy, comparatively short Suns career). Marion? (huge impact on the SSOL playstyle, long career, good stats, 2-way impact, never quite hit the peaks as an individual player that he might have). Walter Davis? (long-ish career despite injuries, big time scorer, good team success during his prime years, negative impact from the drug scandals). Amar'e? (overwhelming physical presence on the offensive end, great scorer, very good team success, probably never quite the best or most vital player during his years, significant injuries).

I'll leave out discussion of KJ (the coverup of his crimes remains a huge stain on the franchise), Kidd (good stats and 2-way impact, but only here for a short time, left under a cloud of controversy, mediocre success especially in the playoffs), CP3 (excellent overall success, but very short career with the Suns), and then there are guys like Majerle, Larry Nance, Ayton, Van Arsdale, Paul Silas - mostly all great Suns, but not at a level where they can be seriously considered.

I'll take Marion as the 4th, but I'm open to opinions.

[Superbone]

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Suns Stories
Steve Nash reluctantly includes himself on Suns Mount Rushmore: “I guess I was there long enough to make an impact” (ya think?!):
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-t ... t-rushmore

...

I haven't looked at the article, but I think 3 of the 4 on the "Mount Rushmore" are pretty easy: Nash, Booker, Barkley. Then it gets trickier to figure out the fourth. Alvan Adams? (one finals appearance, very long career, not overwhelming statistically). Westphal? (Best player on a finals team, multi-time All-NBA level guy, comparatively short Suns career). Marion? (huge impact on the SSOL playstyle, long career, good stats, 2-way impact, never quite hit the peaks as an individual player that he might have). Walter Davis? (long-ish career despite injuries, big time scorer, good team success during his prime years, negative impact from the drug scandals). Amar'e? (overwhelming physical presence on the offensive end, great scorer, very good team success, probably never quite the best or most vital player during his years, significant injuries).

I'll leave out discussion of KJ (the coverup of his crimes remains a huge stain on the franchise), Kidd (good stats and 2-way impact, but only here for a short time, left under a cloud of controversy, mediocre success especially in the playoffs), CP3 (excellent overall success, but very short career with the Suns), and then there are guys like Majerle, Larry Nance, Ayton, Van Arsdale, Paul Silas - mostly all great Suns, but not at a level where they can be seriously considered.

I'll take Marion as the 4th, but I'm open to opinions.

No mention of Connie Hawkins?

[O_Gardino]

For me it's

Nash - Booker - Hawkins - Barkley - Adams

Of those, Adams has the weakest claim to the spot, since he wasn't a true superstar. But he was the x factor on a finals team and has the most time and stats with the franchise.

[Mori Chu]

For me it's

Nash - Booker - Hawkins - Barkley - Adams

Of those, Adams has the weakest claim to the spot, since he wasn't a true superstar. But he was the x factor on a finals team and has the most time and stats with the franchise.

This sounds exactly right to me. I would narrowly give Hawk the 4th spot over Adams, though each one has a case with a different sort of Suns resume. Hawk and Adams were both before my time so I am less confident in ranking them, though.

[Split T]

Hawkins didn’t play here long…I think I’d go to one of the long tenured guys, even if they weren’t as elite. Give me Marion with Nash, Booker, and Barkley

[Split T]

Nash had KJ as the 4th guy for the record…understandable if we’re just talking basketball, but I’d leave him off for the non basketball stuff

[BKinSJC]

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Suns Stories
Steve Nash reluctantly includes himself on Suns Mount Rushmore: “I guess I was there long enough to make an impact” (ya think?!):
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-t ... t-rushmore

...

...

No mention of Connie Hawkins?

You're right, Hawk at least deserves consideration.

The case for: first true star in a Suns uniform, legitimized the franchise and energized the fan base after a bad first season and the disappointment of losing the coin flip, truly great first season (25/11/5, All-NBA first team, fifth in MVP voting in his first year in the NBA), even better numbers in his first playoff series (25/14/6) as the Suns fell just short of defeating a Lakers team with multiple Hall of Fame players.

But it seems like he never quite reached those heights again; his numbers fell off the next couple of years in Phoenix, and despite some regular-season success the next two years the team didn't make the playoffs again while Hawkins was in Phoenix. Not really his fault; he got screwed over by being in an impossibly strong division with Milwaukee and Chicago and a qualification system that took only the top two. Still, I think if you're essentially only going to have four years worth of games with the Suns (like Barkley, like Kidd) to make your Rushmore case, then you'd better have damn good regular season and playoff success during that time, along with individual accolades. Barkley obviously had that; Kidd and Hawkins, less so.

Finally, here's where I should probably say that, because I was too young to have seen Hawk play myself, my opinions about him are inevitably going to be influenced by people who did. And quite a lot of how I feel about the earliest Suns teams and players is biased by what Joe Gilmartin felt and wrote in "The Little Team That Could...", his book that released after the first finals season. And he was kind of down on Hawkins; wrote about him as a player that felt like he could never really live up to his playground legend and didn't consistently give his all. Is this fair, or accurate? I don't know for sure. But all of it together adds up, in my mind.

[Wally_West]

No Kevin Durant?

[Furlanfufi]

No Kevin Durant?

Boooo

[ShelC]

I don't think cutting the schedule down is the answer but our frontloaded schedule is an issue. And Book played a lot of minutes to start the season, playing near 40mpg the last 10 or so days. Running from December to August is an interesting concept to add more time to the schedule but I doubt it's ever a realistic option.

[Superbone]

[Shabazz]

Tyus Jones is currently averaging 2 points and 2 assist per game on 30% from the field and 22% from 3 in 13 MPG. Dude has aged like milk.

[Mori Chu]

Something was really wrong with Coach Bud. He just stunk. I heard a theory that he's never been the same since his brother tragically died in a car accident in spring of 2023, which is awful and would be understandable. But he just seemed to lose most of his coaching chops and instincts. Not noticing what he had in Gillespie is almost criminal given how lousy Tyus was.

I also think it may have been the case that the FO gave an under-the-table promise to Tyus that if he came to Phoenix and took the pitiful contract we were able to offer, we would promise him a starting spot so he could thrive and earn his next bigger contract. Then once he sucked, we couldn't bench him due to the secret promise. Sounds conspiratorial but I almost can't think of another reason Tyus started for so long.

[BigLewy]

Something was really wrong with Coach Bud. He just stunk. I heard a theory that he's never been the same since his brother tragically died in a car accident in spring of 2023, which is awful and would be understandable. But he just seemed to lose most of his coaching chops and instincts. Not noticing what he had in Gillespie is almost criminal given how lousy Tyus was.

I also think it may have been the case that the FO gave an under-the-table promise to Tyus that if he came to Phoenix and took the pitiful contract we were able to offer, we would promise him a starting spot so he could thrive and earn his next bigger contract. Then once he sucked, we couldn't bench him due to the secret promise. Sounds conspiratorial but I almost can't think of another reason Tyus started for so long.

Probably a combo of both-Bud wasn't mentally in it (which would be understandable) and was just there for the paycheck AND Tyus was given a wink-wink that he would start. And then once the wheels came off, Bud just didn't care at all and kept starting Tyus out of malpractice.

[specialsauce]

As I've said since last year, ain't no three in D here just three

[Wally_West]

If Giannis really wants out, Green, Maluach, Royce, and Flemming could be intriguing.

CG,Book, Brooks, Giannis, Williams


Goodwin, Grayson, Dunn, Oso.

[ShelC]

If Giannis really wants out, Green, Maluach, Royce, and Flemming could be intriguing.

CG,Book, Brooks, Giannis, Williams


Goodwin, Grayson, Dunn, Oso.

In a heartbeat and Maluach has enough intrigue around him still that the Bucks may consider him a future cornerstone.

However, I think Giannis is set on NY which means the Bucks could accommodate him and take some kind of package involving OG, Hart, Mikal, Duece, maybe Mitch or hold firm for KAT which the Knicks may balk at. Neither us or the Knicks have any real picks to throw in so the Bucks could also play hardball with Giannis and wait on the package they want but I doubt they'd do that. I suspect they'd prefer to send him West tho.