Suns News: Week 17 (2/6 - 2/12)

[Kryptonic]

It’s hard to watch those clips of Mikal…hard to grasp that he’s not on our team anymore. I’ll be a Nets fan as long as they aren’t playing Phoenix.

Yeah he was trying to be typical bubbly Mikal but you could hear it in his voice man that he's still coming to grips with it all

Yea…. Mikals interview was hard to watch. Gonna miss that guy.

[Wally_West]

I could be wrong but I think there’s a good chance Landale could be cut before the playoffs start. This what I’m thinking:

Watching some Bazley highlights, I think the Suns could view him as their small ball 5 behind Ayton, he’s long and athletic, decent defender, can switch, lob threat, dunk with authority, hit an open 3, able to do some ball handling. I think can be our back up 5 like Dario was back in 2021, not a perfect comp, he won’t be a connector like Dario was but I don’t think we’ll need him to be. He does little bit of what Dario could do but a lot of what Landale does but probably better, which makes Landale expendable in their eyes.

We have 2 open roster spots. 1 looks like it’ll go to Reggie Jackson, which leaves 1 left, but I also think were gonna get another buy out guy too, either Barton, Holiday, Ibaka or possibly Love. I think the Suns like Ish a lot and the dude has been great for the past couple weeks, I think they would want him on playoff roster, which makes me think there’s a high probability we cut Landale for him.

There’s a lot of time before the playoffs to see if Bazley can be a primary small ball 5 for us, but it’s something I’m watching out for.

[specialsauce]

I could be wrong but I think there’s a good chance Landale could be cut before the playoffs start. This what I’m thinking:

Watching some Bazley highlights, I think the Suns could view him as their small ball 5 behind Ayton, he’s long and athletic, decent defender, can switch, lob threat, dunk with authority, hit an open 3, able to do some ball handling. I think can be our back up 5 like Dario was back in 2021, not a perfect comp, he won’t be a connector like Dario was but I don’t think we’ll need him to be. He does little bit of what Dario could do but a lot of what Landale does but probably better, which makes Landale expendable in their eyes.

We have 2 open roster spots. 1 looks like it’ll go to Reggie Jackson, which leaves 1 left, but I also think were gonna get another buy out guy too, either Barton, Holiday, Ibaka or possibly Love. I think the Suns like Ish a lot and the dude has been great for the past couple weeks, I think they would want him on playoff roster, which makes me think there’s a high probability we cut Landale for him.

There’s a lot of time before the playoffs to see if Bazley can be a primary small ball 5 for us, but it’s something I’m watching out for.

Your best post of all time. And you’ve had some good ones guy

[Flagrant Fowl]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

[Split T]

I doubt they’d cut him either..but if Bazely shows he can handle small ball 5 it’s not a crazy idea.

[JeremyG]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

[specialsauce]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

Yes

[JeremyG]

Still no Booker.

[INFORMER]

Who cares? I mean really. Booker has missed a ton of games. I'm fine with him not being named to the team. He doesn't need to play in the game anyway.

[Uncle_Gene]

Still no Booker.

All three are deserving. No complaints here.

Book missed too many games.

[Mori Chu]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

I don't have time to look up the stats, but to my eyes this year Landale has been much better than Kaminsky was. I'd much rather keep Jock than swap out for a third stint of Frank the Tank.

[Shabazz]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

Yes

You guys are nuts. He's much better than Frank.

[Shabazz]

How about Kelly Oubre as a buyout guy?

[INFORMER]

Well the forwards right now are Bazley, Durant, Wainright, Craig, and Warren. I don't know if we actually need another one. I would focus on the backcourt.

[specialsauce]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

Yes

You guys are nuts. He's much better than Frank.

You woke up drunk and chose violence

[specialsauce]

I don't believe they'll cut him. He's not going to play, but Monty really values continuity and they're not going into the playoffs with only two Centers.

Honestly I would cut him for Kaminsky.

I don't have time to look up the stats, but to my eyes this year Landale has been much better than Kaminsky was. I'd much rather keep Jock than swap out for a third stint of Frank the Tank.

Get a refund on your eyes

[MightyMoog]

Booker not being at All star is a blessing. Now the team can stay home, relax, rest and hopefully get some reps in together as well.

[Mori Chu]

Here are some stats:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... ajo01.html
https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... nfr01.html

Landale, 2023: 6.8 ppg on .519 / .236 / .775 splits; 4.0 reb; 0.9 ast; 0.5 blk; 1.0 to; 1.8 pf; in 14.4 min/game.
Kaminsky, 2021: 6.6 ppg on .471 / .365 / .617 splits; 4.0 reb; 1.7 ast; 0.4 blk; 0.5 to; 1.5 pf; in 15.2 min/game.

2021 was the last year Kaminsky played a nontrivial sample size for us. Fairly similar looking stat lines at a glance, but Landale is bigger and better around the basket while Kaminsky is more of an undersized perimeter C with better outside shooting. Kaminsky is a better passer. Landale's 23.6% 3pt is even worse than I'd thought. But Landale's overall FG% is noticeably higher than Frank's was, and I trust Landale much more to do a little move near the basket compared to Kaminsky.

The stats don't say much about defense, but I also get the sense that Landale is incrementally better on that end, partly due to his greater size, length, and strength.

Neither one of these guys is a high impact rotation player, so I'm not here to die on the Landale hill. But when I watch us this year I feel like Landale is giving us a better contribution, and more the "right kind" of contribution that I want from my C, than Kaminsky gave back in the day. Outside of a few games where Kaminsky would get hot with his outside shooting, I felt like a lot of times he'd make boneheaded mistakes or poor decisions. Landale is no Rhodes Scholar but he seems to understand the flow of the game better.

[Wally_West]

Listening to the new episode of this league uncut from Chris Haynes and Marc Stein and Chris Haynes described how the Durant trade went down. Basically, it started when Haynes called Chris Paul and ask if he was cool if he reported that he was offered in a Kyrie trade, Chris was already aware that he was and was fine with Haynes reporting and wasn’t mad about being offered at all, before their call ended Paul told him that they should see what they’re about to do next. So Haynes was already aware that something was going down just didn’t know what.

Haynes was really surprised about the trade and even more surprised how close to the chest this whole thing was and how nothing was leaked before. Basically KD only wanted Phoenix in the offseason and when he rescinded his trade request it was with the understanding that they would revisit this again during the season if it wasn’t working and that Joe Tsai/Marks would do right by him if it came to that point. When Kyrie was traded, they knew KD would want out.

This wasn’t a normal trade request, it was exclusively between Nets and the Suns and if they couldn’t come to an agreement then KD would finished the season with the nets. KD only wanted Phoenix. KD, his agent, Joe Tsai, Sean Marks, James Jones and Ishbia all worked on this to make sure everyone was happy and everyone was in the end. There’s no bad blood between KD and the nets, nets were fine doing right by KD. KD is now a Sun.

[specialsauce]

Here are some stats:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... ajo01.html
https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... nfr01.html

Landale, 2023: 6.8 ppg on .519 / .236 / .775 splits; 4.0 reb; 0.9 ast; 0.5 blk; 1.0 to; 1.8 pf; in 14.4 min/game.
Kaminsky, 2021: 6.6 ppg on .471 / .365 / .617 splits; 4.0 reb; 1.7 ast; 0.4 blk; 0.5 to; 1.5 pf; in 15.2 min/game.

2021 was the last year Kaminsky played a nontrivial sample size for us. Fairly similar looking stat lines at a glance, but Landale is bigger and better around the basket while Kaminsky is more of an undersized perimeter C with better outside shooting. Kaminsky is a better passer. Landale's 23.6% 3pt is even worse than I'd thought. But Landale's overall FG% is noticeably higher than Frank's was, and I trust Landale much more to do a little move near the basket compared to Kaminsky.

The stats don't say much about defense, but I also get the sense that Landale is incrementally better on that end, partly due to his greater size, length, and strength.

Neither one of these guys is a high impact rotation player, so I'm not here to die on the Landale hill. But when I watch us this year I feel like Landale is giving us a better contribution, and more the "right kind" of contribution that I want from my C, than Kaminsky gave back in the day. Outside of a few games where Kaminsky would get hot with his outside shooting, I felt like a lot of times he'd make boneheaded mistakes or poor decisions. Landale is no Rhodes Scholar but he seems to understand the flow of the game better.

Basically everything we hope to get from JackOLantern we get to a higher level with Biz. And everything that Biz can’t do, Frank can do.

It makes no sense.

Frank shoots infinitely better and is a way better passer by leaps and bounds. Biz is on another level defensively. Hack is the odd man out