Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Discussion of the league and of our favorite team.
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Split T
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Split T »

I guess I'm not that high on Len, he's an above average rebounder and defender and is ok offensively. Not a liability, but not really an asset either. I just think spending a bunch of money on someone who is never going to be a star is risky. Especially when your current roster doesn't have a star. If we were already a contender, I could see paying Len 15 million a year, but we have so many holes that I'd be very careful.

What do we think Len's ceiling is? Is he better than Robin Lopez or Marcin Gortat?

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LazarusLong
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by LazarusLong »

Center is one position where the Suns could be set for the future.
Chandler still has two more years on his contract; I could see him with Phoenix at least through most of next season.
Len is playing solid; as several have mentioned, his numbers get better when he starts.
Williams is strong and wide, with a good feel for rebounding. He brings energy off the bench and is developing into a decent backup center.
Bender, once he matures, adding strength and a couple of pounds, may be an option as a high post center.
Window is open again ... blue skies ahead?

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O_Gardino
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by O_Gardino »

Split T wrote:I guess I'm not that high on Len, he's an above average rebounder and defender and is ok offensively. Not a liability...
Making him one of the best centers the Suns have ever had. :)

I don't think he's a star, but I do like him more than I ever have. I hated him when we drafted him, and he has grown on me. He does some of the little things that make the other guys on the team look good, and he grabs rebounds I'll take it. I think his ceiling is GSW Bogut, but playing more minutes.
The league needs heroes, villains... and clowns. -- Aztec Sunsfan

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Mori Chu
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Mori Chu »

Big men take a long time to develop, and Len shows slow but steady improvement year to year. If we let him go, he will blossom on some other team and frustrate the heck out of us as we then go for years without a dependable center. We just gotta pay the guy and keep him here into his prime.

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Superbone
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Superbone »

Yep, he's going to be a better center than Robin Lopez and he's a pretty decent starter.
"Too little, too late, too unbothered."
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UglyTruth
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by UglyTruth »

Joel Embiid is such a beast. I know Towns gets all the fame but honestly this kid could end up being better.

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carey
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by carey »

Blake is out 3-6 weeks.

https://twitter.com/TheVertical/status/810722784934555649

Go Suns!

Og Snus!

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Mori Chu
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Mori Chu »

That's rough about Blake. The media snarks are already saying that the Clips will probably have a great record without him and that it'll prompt more "Clips should trade Blake" speculation. They might be right, but I have always thought Blake was super valuable to them and that such talk was foolish.

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Mori Chu
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Mori Chu »

https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/810891955521490944

https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/810892250255196160


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ShelC
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by ShelC »

What's the book on Blake at this point? He's never really turned into the dominant scoring PF people envisioned, yet does a lot of everything very well. His injury history is well known, his personality seems a bit iffy and the Clips haven't really been able to get over the hump despite him, CP3, DAJ being their core and Big 3. Is he a franchise, go-to type? A soft-ish big that can be part of a championship team?

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Ring_Wanted
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by Ring_Wanted »

ShelC wrote:What's the book on Blake at this point? He's never really turned into the dominant scoring PF people envisioned, yet does a lot of everything very well. His injury history is well known, his personality seems a bit iffy and the Clips haven't really been able to get over the hump despite him, CP3, DAJ being their core and Big 3. Is he a franchise, go-to type? A soft-ish big that can be part of a championship team?
Amare 2.0. If you surround him by the right roster I think he can be the 1A/B guy on a championship team, but the Clipps have had depth issues for a long time and you are not going to win a chip with just Blake, Paul, DeAndre, JJ and Jamal. Too many key roles are void on that team, the picks they actually keep don't provide anything and the attempts at vets on the cheap have not produced good results either.

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O_Gardino
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by O_Gardino »

Blake reminds me of Webber a little bit. People think he's not a dominant scorer because he is an excellent passer and plays in a team system. He doesn't win a ton in the playoffs because of injuries and because there is always that one historically great team blocking them.

Blake can score, pass, and rebound. He's not a shot blocker at all, and he really should be with his jumping ability. He doesn't seem to be the locker room leader, and he has started to miss a lot of time. Maybe he's done, but if you offer me 2010 Blake, I would take him.
The league needs heroes, villains... and clowns. -- Aztec Sunsfan

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ShelC
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Re: Around the League: Week 8 12/12-12/18

Post by ShelC »

I was thinking he might be another version of Amar'e. Better basketball player, but doesn't have bigman skills. Not a great rebounder, not a shotblocker at all, no real back to the basket game. I don't think he's a go-to guy where you can start over and build around him to win a title. He's got the PG and defensive center next to him. He needs to be that go-to guy and hasn't been.

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