Suns News: Week 15 2/2-2/8

[SDC]

I honestly don't see the current roster as a 'championship team' either. But as a fan, I would be more than happy with a perennial playoff team, considering just 2 years ago we were one of the worst teams in the league.

can you see this team getting better next season, or getting worse?

[SDC]

Just waiting for superior teams to age to improve our mediocrity doesn't sound like a strategy.

I honestly don't think our ceiling is mediocrity. I do think we need at least one move to become capable of being an elite team. But our core is so young, and a decent number of these guys haven't played together very long. I think with a few tweaks plus natural progression and improvement we could be a contender.

I don't buy that Utah has a championship core. I love Anthony Davis don't buy into the Pelicans without a LOT of moves for that team around him. I think we can be 3rd-5th in the West for the next 5-6 years straight if we want to be. That sounds pretty good to me.

you need three moves, actually.

get rid of one pg. (i prefer bledsoe)

two, replace frye's shooting.

three, sign another max-type player.

[SDC]

Give me Exum, Steve Novak, and Trevor Booker for Bledsoe any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Wow.

I'd take it.

and all i wanted for bledsoe was expiring contracts.

[ShelC]

The one thing that stuck out to me about Harden in college was his body control and ability to get to the basket. He wasn't a freak athlete, didn't have an explosive first step but he knew how to get around defenders and get to the rim.

[Mori Chu]

i thought last year's suns team was destined for something. losing frye was underrated loss for the suns.

I liked Frye a lot. I really did. But look at his numbers this season and tell me that is a guy worth paying what we currently pay Markieff Morris.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2754/channing-frye

[SDC]

i thought last year's suns team was destined for something. losing frye was underrated loss for the suns.

I liked Frye a lot. I really did. But look at his numbers this season and tell me that is a guy worth paying what we currently pay Markieff Morris.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2754/channing-frye

that's why him moving to orlando was a lose-lose for both him and the suns, basketball wise.

financially, he gained, but he simply took the money without caring whether his game fits with a team full of non-shooters, where he doesnt get any open looks.

edit: btw, i'd trade bledsoe for frye and some of their young assets.

[lazyboy62]

Frye and Tobis Harris for Bledsoe works in the trade machine. Giving up Bledsoe is a little rough for me but I love the potental in Harris, if we can re-sign him. Frye at that god awful price sucks, but I'd suck it up to put Dragic back at the one with an outside spacing big would rock my world. Put the Morri back on the bench where they did the most damage. This might open some time to see some of the rooks that we brough in. we could go over the cap for Dragic and Harris IIRC.

[Superbone]

IT3 will be in the All-Star Skills challenge this year.

[iLLmatic]

IT3 will be in the All-Star Skills challenge this year.

I guess they felt sorry for us because we had no one in the all-star game.

[Cap]

IT3 will be in the All-Star Skills challenge this year.

I guess they felt sorry for us because we had no one in the all-star game.

That probably is one of the considerations, and it's not an unreasonable one.

[Sunsfan4life]

IT3 will be in the All-Star Skills challenge this year.

Weren't Goran and Eric already in this? I know Dragic was one year.

[Hermen]

He's essentially coming into the NBA straight of high school. I'd take him in heartbeat. Give me Exum, Steve Novak, and Trevor Booker for Bledsoe any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

I wasn't calling him a bust, just thought it was interesting. At least he's getting playing time...

[SDC]

if i were mcdo, i'd made it known to the other teams that all THREE PGs are on the trading block. this is done to protect the feelings of bledsoe (because this will leak to the press). once the offers start coming in, i'd turn down all trade offers for dragic and IT (unless they blow me away) and be open minded to every bledsoe offer.

[SDC]

which team needs a pg? utah (burke's a flop). orlando (elfrid payton cant effin shoot).

[wpmiller42]

Your Harden take is dated. He isn't a lockdown defender, but his performance on the defensive end is no longer standing in the way of Houston's chances to succeed.

Did anybody see Harden being this good coming out of ASU?

I'm sure wpmiller did.

He had a really good last season at ASU, and I think I remember him just killing us at Arizona in a game where it just seemed like nobody could guard him. I thought he would be a good pro, but no where near what he is doing right now. I was thinking more along the lines of a solid shooting guard, maybe a starter on an average team...

Funny story: I used to go to the Las Vegas summer league all the time and I like to run around and get my picture taken with players. I ran into Harden in the lobby and I thought, "Oh, this will be funny. An Arizona guy with an ASU guy..." He was super nice, cool to talk to, but when I told him I went to Arizona, I got the sense that he didn't realize it was such a big rivalry. Oh well, really nice guy!

[Indy]

He was super nice, cool to talk to, but when I told him I went to Arizona, I got the sense that he didn't realize it was such a big rivalry.

As someone who spends a lot of time in Tucson, even though I live in the East Valley, I can tell you that it is a much bigger deal to people in Tucson.

[cbesch5]

Frye and Tobis Harris for Bledsoe works in the trade machine. Giving up Bledsoe is a little rough for me but I love the potental in Harris, if we can re-sign him. Frye at that god awful price sucks, but I'd suck it up to put Dragic back at the one with an outside spacing big would rock my world. Put the Morri back on the bench where they did the most damage. This might open some time to see some of the rooks that we brough in. we could go over the cap for Dragic and Harris IIRC.

Chalk me up the category of liking this trade idea...I just don't know if Orlando would do it. And you also have to consider that Harris is on the last year of his deal (I think), so we would have to figure a way to sign Dragic + Harris (with Frye's $8MM), which would be easier w/o Bledsoe's contract on books, but not 'easy' IMO.

[cbesch5]

I honestly don't see the current roster as a 'championship team' either. But as a fan, I would be more than happy with a perennial playoff team, considering just 2 years ago we were one of the worst teams in the league.

can you see this team getting better next season, or getting worse?

I think their young players will improve (mostly Len and hopefully Goodwin, Warren & Ennis). But I honestly think a couple WC teams will slowly start to decline, so hopefully even if we maintain, we will see progression upwards in the standings.

[INFORMER]

Frye and Tobis Harris for Bledsoe works in the trade machine. Giving up Bledsoe is a little rough for me but I love the potental in Harris, if we can re-sign him. Frye at that god awful price sucks, but I'd suck it up to put Dragic back at the one with an outside spacing big would rock my world. Put the Morri back on the bench where they did the most damage. This might open some time to see some of the rooks that we brough in. we could go over the cap for Dragic and Harris IIRC.

Chalk me up the category of liking this trade idea...I just don't know if Orlando would do it.

They wouldn't. They passed on Bledsoe when the Clips were looking to deal him, and they sure wouldn't want him now with his behemoth contract. They're building the right way (for the most part).

[OE32]

Frye and Tobis Harris for Bledsoe works in the trade machine. Giving up Bledsoe is a little rough for me but I love the potental in Harris, if we can re-sign him. Frye at that god awful price sucks, but I'd suck it up to put Dragic back at the one with an outside spacing big would rock my world. Put the Morri back on the bench where they did the most damage. This might open some time to see some of the rooks that we brough in. we could go over the cap for Dragic and Harris IIRC.

Chalk me up the category of liking this trade idea...I just don't know if Orlando would do it.

They wouldn't. They passed on Bledsoe when the Clips were looking to deal him, and they sure wouldn't want him now with his behemoth contract. They're building the right way (for the most part).

I thought they bungled their draft, personally. I would've taken Randle or Vonleh at 4. I would not have traded a future pick to move up two spots, but hey, when you're in love...