Do we think that Vogel / Young are actively bad at coaching this team's offense? Like, if Monty were still our coach, would the offense be going better? Or is it more about the large number of roster changes that happened during the offseason, primarily dealing CP3 but also all the other role player changes? Or is it both?
IMO it's both.
Vogel is coaching the Suns a lot like he coached the Lakers. But KD + Nurk << Lebron + AD. Monty's system would have more off ball movement and fast breaks to create shots, and I think that would benefit this roster a ton. As for defense and playing with heart, that's kind of Monty's calling card. Even when we were bad pre-bubble, we still played hard every night.
But also, this team needs a point guard. Not necessarily CP3 or Nash, but we need someone to run the offense and get guys in the right spots. Kinda like how Shaq and Kobe needed Derek Fisher.
The league needs heroes, villains... and clowns. -- Aztec Sunsfan
Little would be the only real option we have to acquire a PG…based on his salary the guys I see as options are:
Kira Lewis Jr
Davion Mitchell
Cole Anthony
Not sure any would actually play important minutes for us. To me it still seems better to just wait. Booker is a very good pg and I think we forget that. We have had a 123 ORTG with him on the court.
While I think this team would be better off with Payne, I'm not going to play the "what if" game of lamenting past decisions. Where can the Suns get a PG that helps today? AIG alludes to McConnell but avoids proposing a realistic scenario for acquiring him. Allen makes a similar salary, but I would rather have Allen. Maybe you can get him for Little and change, but why would Indiana give up their backup PG for that? We could do this for every backup PG in the league and come to same answer. Even if a trade could happen, the Suns only get a backup quality PG. So, do the Suns start a backup PG? Play him in clutch situations in the 4th quarter? That solves the Sun's problems? I'm not buying it.
Booker, Beal and KD playing together most likely solves the problems. I'll see what that looks like after at least a month before concluding a major roster change is needed.
To be fair, I never thought through how we get any viable PG options, especially considering our current salary restrictions, etc. I was simply using McConnell as an example of possible near starting quality PGs out there that aren't really getting the opportunity they are probably afforded based on their current abilities.
I don't know what the answer is. Only that the problem is that our offense has looked very poor with no real plan or identity. It shouldn't look this bad with 1 of the big 3 missing. We are no longer down 2 of our big 3. It seems we had no identity or strategy for reimplementing Beal other than dribble iso and maybe drive and kick.
Fair enough. I'll concede that the lack of a quality point guard is hurting the offense. Let's hope that Booker's return fixes that. If not, there is little recourse, and it's going to be a long season.
Little would be the only real option we have to acquire a PG…based on his salary the guys I see as options are:
Kira Lewis Jr
Davion Mitchell
Cole Anthony
Not sure any would actually play important minutes for us. To me it still seems better to just wait. Booker is a very good pg and I think we forget that. We have had a 123 ORTG with him on the court.
Cole Anthony would definitely play and would be the first to start when Booker or Beal are out. I don't think the Magic are interested in moving him right now with Fultz's knee issues and Black still being a 19 year old rookie.
We already have a Davion Mitchell in Jordan Goodwin, so not much to gain from that acquisition.
Kira Lewis would struggle to see the court, IMO. Just a more promising Saben Lee.
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Hurt right now, but 4th on the Pistons PG depth chart behind Killian, Ivey and Sasser. Definitely more of a game-manager type and he’s good enough that he could play credible minutes for us.
I’m not sure I’d give up Little for him and he’s not as good as Grayson so it would have to be a buyout.
I’d also rather see how we look with Booker in the lineup first because we may have a bigger need in the frontcourt.
Yeah, I wouldn't be happy to give up wing depth for Monte Morris. We'd have to lose one of our 4 main guards for a long stretch to make me comfortable with that kind of move.
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I think we’ll look to add someone either via buyout or midseason trade in that facilitator role (preferably someone who can step up into starter minutes if/when Book or Beal are out, and can help the bench unit with ball movement). No idea who that is but I would be surprised if we roll into the playoffs with exactly the roster we have now.
I could watch Amare highlights all day. Right there with Majerle as my favorite Suns.
It might come as a surprise but Amare is one of my all time favorite Suns as well!
What is smallball? I play basketball. I'm not a regular big man. I can switch from the center to the guards. The game is evolving. I'd be dominAyton if the WNBA would let me in. - Ayton
I remember that Amare was the leader at the All-Star break for MVP that first year in NYC. It only got derailed because the Knicks management decided to gut their depth for a high usage Melo that killed his chances. Sarver was a piece of work.
"When we all think alike, nobody is thinking" - Walter Lippmann "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them." ~ Frederick Douglass
That's an older interview from last year I think. AlexB is kind of an ass in KnicksTwitter land so I don't know if he's making that stuff up about the Suns and their fans laughing at the Knicks over signing Amar'e. I don't remember anything like that at all. I think the org, the fans and Amar'e all felt like it was time to move on. The 7SOL era was over and the Suns were trying to rebuild on the fly. The report at the time, not sure if it was true or not, was that the Suns medical staff didn't think Amar'e's knees would hold up over 5 years so the Suns only offered 60mil over 3 while the Knicks offered 100mil over 5. It was what it was. The Suns tried to fill the void with Hedo and Childress (both Babby guys) and Warrick. Didn't work out.
