Suns 2022 Off-Season Thread

[virtual9mm]

Let's be nice to each other. Bad enough having the gutless Suns breaking it again

[Split T]

We seemed to fair just fine with McGee and Biyombo when Ayton was out for that stretch of games. Our play didn't really dip that much during that time. That's one of the reasons why I think he's gone.

We also did just fine without Booker or Paul. Didn’t skip a beat.

8-6 without Booker
11-6 without Paul
18-6 without Ayton

[Drewsprocket]

So who’s leaking this? Must be suns led behind the scenes as this only wards off other teams. No one is paying Ayton max money for a role he can’t play. Unless Ayton’s camp is that dumb to think that they’re defending his position.
As stated earlier and well established, he can’t handle the rock or take people off the dribble, he can’t hit pull ups, can’t create for himself. Just because he plays soft doesn’t make him a PF unless he goes back in time to the 90s.

[BigLewy]

Part of an article over at the Athletic.

https://theathletic.com/3353821/2022/06 ... protocols/

The Phoenix Suns were managing a COVID-19 outbreak as their season fell apart, multiple sources told The Athletic, with six individuals — including one player — testing positive either late in the Western Conference semifinals or the day after Game 7.

With their season on the line, the Suns were destroyed at home by the Dallas Mavericks 123-90 on May 15. One Phoenix assistant coach, Bryan Gates, tested positive after Game 6 and missed the final game, while at least some of the other Suns indicated to colleagues they weren’t feeling well prior to Game 7.

The player tested positive the day after Game 7. The Athletic does not identify individuals who test positive for COVID-19 unless their names are made public by the team, league or the individuals themselves. The others who tested positive were support staffers.

As a result of the outbreak, the Suns could not hold season-ending exit meetings between players and coaches at their practice facility and instead conducted a team-wide meeting via Zoom. Information in this story was confirmed by more than a half-dozen sources.

The ordeal raised questions internally about whether they were following the league’s rules for testing. The NBA requires all team personnel, regardless of vaccine status, to test for the virus if they are experiencing symptoms, and they may not play, coach or be at team facilities if they test positive.

The Suns, who privately insist there was no breach of protocol, declined to comment publicly for this story.

“I think it’s very clear that nobody wanted to report stuff,” said one source with knowledge of the Suns’ positive tests who was not authorized to speak publicly about them. “And this is where it gets dicey.”

A league spokesman told The Athletic, “The NBA has seen no evidence to suggest any rules violations by Suns players or staff.” A league source added the NBA could always revisit the situation if new information emerged.

The Mavericks had grown concerned about the rumblings too, with one Dallas source indicating the discussion about a rumored Suns outbreak began as early as Game 5.

“(COVID-19) was on everybody’s mind,” one source close to the situation said.

[Split T]

Not a good look for the suns…might explain a bit why we were so awful, but pretty irresponsible to keep that quiet

[ShelC]

I guess I'd feel a bit better about the way the season ended if some key guys were under the weather. I knew Gates was out with Covid, so maybe multiple players had it. I'm sure they kept it quiet so all the guys would be available. Wonder who tested positive.

Even so, something was off even going back to the Pels series and end of the regular season.

[Mori Chu]

That tweet thread talking about Ayton wanting to be a PF, my objection to it is, it isn't really sourced to anything. Ayton once said he prefers PF? I haven't heard or read him saying that. Everything I hear from him is that he wants to be a "Dominayton" big man. The whole tweet thread just assumps that Ayton is going to want to be a PF and that therefore we should get rid of him. It seems pretty shaky to me.

[Split T]

That tweet thread talking about Ayton wanting to be a PF, my objection to it is, it isn't really sourced to anything. Ayton once said he prefers PF? I haven't heard or read him saying that. Everything I hear from him is that he wants to be a "Dominayton" big man. The whole tweet thread just assumps that Ayton is going to want to be a PF and that therefore we should get rid of him. It seems pretty shaky to me.

He talked about wanting to be a PF before his rookie season…not sure he’s said much about it since then.

[ShelC]

That tweet thread talking about Ayton wanting to be a PF, my objection to it is, it isn't really sourced to anything. Ayton once said he prefers PF? I haven't heard or read him saying that. Everything I hear from him is that he wants to be a "Dominayton" big man. The whole tweet thread just assumps that Ayton is going to want to be a PF and that therefore we should get rid of him. It seems pretty shaky to me.

Totally agree. A lot of assuming going on there that kind of felt agenda driven from Vigil. I don't doubt DA wants an expanded offensive role but I don't think he sees himself as Giannis, KAT or AD. I think he knows he's a 5 (flaws and all), but wants more opportunities like Embiid gets in Philly - both inside and out. He's not Embiid and won't be the focal point of the offense here, but a few more of those kinds of touches could go a long way IMO. Maybe another team like Detroit thinks he can play like Embiid and run offense thru him but his efficiency will take a hit.

[Indy]

Not a good look for the suns…might explain a bit why we were so awful, but pretty irresponsible to keep that quiet

From what I have heard, it isn't just the Suns. LOTS of teams/players/coaches.

[Indy]

Right. A big reason why I don't believe Ayton will ever be DOMINATYON at the Center position is because he doesn't actually want to do the stuff required, and it really puts a kink in the "get him more post touches" argument. He apparently wants to do stuff that he's not skilled enough to do (right now, maybe ever) at the expense of winning, and be paid at a superstar level to do it. That's a lot to ask of any team who's not in the rebuilding phase.

Smart teams who're interested in signing him have to be asking questions about this to Ayton and themselves. If a team, say the Pistons, signs him to a max contract with the expectation that he'll be their Center in a mostly similar role to what he's done in Phoenix, wouldn't they need some assurances that he'll commit to improving his game in that role? They have to be at least a little worried about why the Suns haven't been willing to do whatever it takes to keep him in Phoenix, and contrary to what a lot of people think, the main reason isn't Robert Sarver.

Exactly. I mean who is a better center, Looney or Ayton? Bjelica or Ayton? Ayton or 36 year old Horford? Ayton's physical abilities dwarf them all, but I don't see either team being better with him starting for them.

Lmao.

Your boncic is getting in the way again

It is so funny to me that you normally bitch incessantly about guys avoiding contact, but you seem to embrace it with Ayton. Like you are 100% hot or 100% cold.

Yes he avoids contact like a little bitch, but you’re hilarious saying he wouldn’t improve the warriors by replacing KEVON LOONEY or bjelica!!!! Horford!!!! Lolololol

Have you told your physician about your Boncic?

You think the Warriors would be playing better if they had Ayton on their roster? They play extended minutes with Draymond at the 5, running their offense from that position. And Horford has been fantastic this post-season.

[Drewsprocket]

Not a good look for the suns…might explain a bit why we were so awful, but pretty irresponsible to keep that quiet

From what I have heard, it isn't just the Suns. LOTS of teams/players/coaches.

This is now a pervasive problem across all society. We’re left to the subjectivity of substandard health protocols. Of course there could be testing avoidance in the league. That said, did any Mavs players test positive during or after the Suns series?

[Indy]

Not a good look for the suns…might explain a bit why we were so awful, but pretty irresponsible to keep that quiet

From what I have heard, it isn't just the Suns. LOTS of teams/players/coaches.

This is now a pervasive problem across all society. We’re left to the subjectivity of substandard health protocols. Of course there could be testing avoidance in the league. That said, did any Mavs players test positive during or after the Suns series?

Luka was sick leading up to Game 1 of the WCF and it was talked about. But it doesn't sound like he tested.

[Superbone]

I guess I'd feel a bit better about the way the season ended if some key guys were under the weather. I knew Gates was out with Covid, so maybe multiple players had it. I'm sure they kept it quiet so all the guys would be available. Wonder who tested positive.

Even so, something was off even going back to the Pels series and end of the regular season.

It would explain a lot actually.

[Drewsprocket]

So the nba is just going to quietly live with the product it has with covid in the background. If it were the case for CP3’s or any players terrible play, why the hell is that kept quiet?! It’s not an excuse to lose but rather an issue to address. I’d love to not blame, say, Cam Payne if he wasn’t well or not blame CP3’s age. Who the eff knows. But the apparent competence being projected by professional athletes sometimes is just dumb.

[Wormwood]

https://twitter.com/FlexFromJersey

Flex reporting that Charlotte and Indiana are looking to get out from underneath long term contracts, and that Phoenix is looking to move some players with expirings (Shamet, Payne) who underperformed. Looking at the rosters of Charlotte and Indiana, that would seem to suggest that Terry Rozier and Malcom Brogdon are both on the chopping block. Either would make sense for a Suns team thoroughly dissatisfied with the bench play of the backcourt.

[Indy]

So the nba is just going to quietly live with the product it has with covid in the background. If it were the case for CP3’s or any players terrible play, why the hell is that kept quiet?! It’s not an excuse to lose but rather an issue to address. I’d love to not blame, say, Cam Payne if he wasn’t well or not blame CP3’s age. Who the eff knows. But the apparent competence being projected by professional athletes sometimes is just dumb.

They have to keep quiet on it. I mean they are risking people's health by using these rules, that they basically copied from the awful ones the NFL used.

"Hey, if think you have COV"ID you should test for it! And if you have it you can't play. But if you don't think you have it you don't have to test, and you can play. Wink Wink Wink"

[Drewsprocket]

So the nba is just going to quietly live with the product it has with covid in the background. If it were the case for CP3’s or any players terrible play, why the hell is that kept quiet?! It’s not an excuse to lose but rather an issue to address. I’d love to not blame, say, Cam Payne if he wasn’t well or not blame CP3’s age. Who the eff knows. But the apparent competence being projected by professional athletes sometimes is just dumb.

They have to keep quiet on it. I mean they are risking people's health by using these rules, that they basically copied from the awful ones the NFL used.

"Hey, if think you have COV"ID you should test for it! And if you have it you can't play. But if you don't think you have it you don't have to test, and you can play. Wink Wink Wink"

Utter crap. It should follow then that part of any team’s winning playoff strategy is to avoid covid and set some social distance parameters (or whatever). I would liken it to CP3’s team curfew on the road. Apparently I think I recall the Suns locker room was more on the minimization end of covid of Covid Rorschach Test. I hope they learned a lesson if this is at all the case.

[Indy]

So the nba is just going to quietly live with the product it has with covid in the background. If it were the case for CP3’s or any players terrible play, why the hell is that kept quiet?! It’s not an excuse to lose but rather an issue to address. I’d love to not blame, say, Cam Payne if he wasn’t well or not blame CP3’s age. Who the eff knows. But the apparent competence being projected by professional athletes sometimes is just dumb.

They have to keep quiet on it. I mean they are risking people's health by using these rules, that they basically copied from the awful ones the NFL used.

"Hey, if think you have COV"ID you should test for it! And if you have it you can't play. But if you don't think you have it you don't have to test, and you can play. Wink Wink Wink"

Utter crap. It should follow then that part of any team’s winning playoff strategy is to avoid covid and set some social distance parameters (or whatever). I would liken it to CP3’s team curfew on the road. Apparently I think I recall the Suns locker room was more on the minimization end of covid of Covid Rorschach Test. I hope they learned a lesson if this is at all the case.

Oh I am not saying they did a good thing. They did a bad thing. The same bad thing the entire league is doing. Wait until the other stories come out. I know they will. The league will try and quash them as much as they can, but there were certainly other series affected by this. But Silver decided that he would rather risk the product on the floor quietly than loudly. If each series had top guys sitting out with COVID, that would be the only story and the world "asterisk" would be used in every story. Instead we were just talking about how many blowouts there were. Hmmm, coincidence?

[Drewsprocket]

No kidding. Too many blow outs. Everyone was robbed of the Suns vs GSW. Our greatest regular season cratered inexplicably. IDK, I hope more comes out on it.