Suns News: Week 13 1/16-1/22

[carey]

Last Week's Games

vs. Mavericks L113-108
vs. Spurs W108-105

This Week's Games

Thu, Jan 19th @ Cleveland 7:00PM EST
Sat, Jan 21st @ New York 7:30PM EST
Sun, Jan 22nd @ Toronto 6:00PM EST

Suns Stories

Joe Johnson's big 3 helps Jazz sink Suns: http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /96656048/

Booker's practice battles trigger scoring outburst: http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /96651868/

NBA Power Rankings: Booker in spotlight - http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /96634310/

How the Suns won the 4th Q versus the vaunted Spurs: http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2017/ ... onio-spurs

Suns’ Devin Booker youngest ever with back-to-back 39+ point games:
http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2017/ ... oint-games

[Superbone]

It's not new news but found this blurb about Coro. Still mysterious. I didn't know Boivin was gone too. (Anybody else think of the scientist on the Simpsons when you say her name?)

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/ari ... in-8960919

Paul Coro left his longtime gig covering the Phoenix Suns late last month, leaving co-workers and Suns fans wondering what happened and if he left of his own volition.

He told New Times on Wednesday that he was looking at new opportunities and intends to stay in Phoenix but didn't want to elaborate.

Coro worked at the Republic for 19 years before his departure, covering Arizona Diamondbacks baseball before switching to Suns coverage in 2004. In a 2012 article about him on NBA.com, Coro described his job as the achievement of a lifelong dream.

[carey]

There's a rumor going around. I won't repost it here but someone posted it on RealGm after it was out. I think it's out at AZSF forums too. You can search for Coro's name there if you care. I'm not sure I believe it though I guess anything is possible.

[UglyTruth]

I know this this has been discussed here before recently but I'll just say it again...with Minnesota looking to trade Rubio and needing a "bridge" veteran guard in return till Dunn is ready, I would trade Knight to them for Rubio straight up. Then sell high on Bledsoe before he suffers another knee injury.

Rubio isn't a scorer at all. Can't shoot at all.

That said, he will help improve and develop Booker, Warren, Bender and Chriss games. He will get them the best looks they have ever seen in their lives.

Please don't mistake me for a Rubio fanboy, I'm not. I didn't like him much coming out of the draft and thought t was overrated when everyone said he was the next big thing.

After 5-6 years of watching ball hog PGs on this team chuck and chuck and chuck and chuck away, I really want to see someone who can actually pass the rock.

The Suns under Watson run a freestyle offense where players just do what they want. With a floor general like Rubio, he can command the offense and set it up beautifully.

Minnesota and Thibs may find value in Tucker as well since they were looking for a perimeter defender and I would add Tucker to the deal as well if that's what it takes to get it done.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are actively shopping Ricky Rubio.

The Timberwolves have attached Rubio to multiple offers with Shabazz Muhammad to several teams around the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings have had a strong interest in acquiring Rubio, but there’s no traction on a deal between those two teams.

Minnesota has been searching for a "bridge" guard in return to start in the short-term but ultimately back up Kris Dunn.

Rubio, 26, is the highest paid player on the young Timberwolves roster this season. He is making $13.5 million for 2016-17 and will be owed $29 million through the end of his contract in 2019.

He has a huge contract but let's be honest, it's not like we're gonna need cap space to sign some star player before 2019 anyway. This team isn't even ready to be a winning team by 2019 anyway. Plus under the new salary cap, his contract ain't that bad.

[carey]

I know this this has been discussed here before recently but I'll just say it again...with Minnesota looking to trade Rubio and needing a "bridge" veteran guard in return till Dunn is ready, I would trade Knight to them for Rubio straight up. Then sell high on Bledsoe before he suffers another knee injury.

I know we're desperate for a pass first PG, but Rubio is not the answer. I'll re-post what I've said here before and what I posted over at RealGm yesterday because they are discussing Rubio as well.

I've never liked the argument for Rubio. If he made young players better why would Minnesota trade him? They have a better stable of young guys than we do with Dunn, LaVine, Wiggins, KAT & Shabazz. Wouldn't they want to keep him for the same reason we would want him? Makes no sense, but when we discuss trades we rarely do. We see a player we want and we construct a narrative to make it happen. It's nonsense.

Then another poster replied with the research I've long figured was the problem.

"Rubio makes everyone better" is a myth. He's a flawed player and very often he's just a liability on the court.

Stats with Rubio on court (per 36 minutes):
LaVine 18.1 pts, 3.1 reb, 2.3 ast, -5.2 NetRtg
Wiggins 19.4 pts, 4.0 reb, 1.9 ast, -1.3 NetRtg
Dieng 11.1 pts, 8.2 reb, 2.2 ast, -2.4 NetRtg
KAT 22.4 pts, 12.2 reb, 2.9 ast, -2.1 NetRtg

Stats with Rubio off court (per 36 minutes):
LaVine 21.7 pts, 3.6 reb, 4.0 ast, -0.8 NetRtg
Wiggins 25.5 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.2 ast, -1.7 NetRtg
Dieng 14.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 2.2 ast, +9.2 NetRtg
KAT 21.1 pts, 11.6 reb, 2.7 ast, -1.9 NetRtg

[SDC]

contrary to popular belief, rubio is actually a good shooter. currently 87% from the line.

[carey]

contrary to popular belief, rubio is actually a good shooter. currently 87% from the line.

All that means is he's a good free throw shooter. He's shooting 38% from the field and 24% from 3. Those are abysmal numbers.

[carey]

https://twitter.com/DaveKingNBA/status/821726370384539648

[OE32]

Bled had a really, really good game against the Jazz. Showed he could score inside on Gobert. Provided a stretch of quality passing. Of late, the pairing of he and Booker has been very good.

Excited to keep watching this team develop over the course of the year. No panic moves required at this point. Keep playing, fellas.

[Superbone]

You think Booker is getting a lot of attention now defensively? Replace Bledsoe with Rubio and he'd get even more defensive attention as they can lay off of the poor shooting Rubio.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

https://twitter.com/DaveKingNBA/status/821726370384539648

I think "elite career" does not longer means what is used to be.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

You think Booker is getting a lot of attention now defensively? Replace Bledsoe with Rubio and he'd get even more defensive attention as they can lay off of the poor shooting Rubio.

If Rubio can effectively deliver backdoor cutters, and big men rolling to the hoop, to actually get the ball, I think we can at least stay even. If we can't, great, more ping pong balls but in a more involving enviroment for the kids. I prefer to sell high on Bledsoe right now before his knee implodes for good, he is no longer the answer at PG, either we get one of the prized PG's on this year's draft, or he blows his knees just in time to leave us without a point guard as the current rookies grow up. Not wishing any harm on him, but just as with Amare, you have to recognize when it's time to let go.

If that Rubio-Shabazz package is on the table, I would gladly sent Knight- Tucker or Bledsoe for it (reaching for a 2nd rounder from Minny). Rubio would be our own "bridge PG", because we can hold the fort for the rest of the year with a PG by comitee that includes him, Barbosa and Ulis (assuming there is no way we keep Knight beyond the trade deadline as well)

[TOO]

This is when Bledsoe should be at his best, he's in the prime of his career, if he didnt step up now, it was never gonna happen. He's played great this year, should be able to bring in some good assets if/when we decide to move on from him.

[Split T]

Rubio is not the answer. I'd rather just play ulis.

[carey]

https://twitter.com/AZSports/status/821823574528770048

[Shabazz]

contrary to popular belief, rubio is actually a good shooter. currently 87% from the line.

[pickle]

I'm not sure that there's anyone "answer". Our problem is that we want to move Knight, and Tucker while we still can, and let's be honest, we need to take back *some* baggage to get rid of our own, so we are all looking for something that is least destructive. Is Rubio perfect? Certainly not. Will his place on this team, given the state of the players/chemistry/specific nuances of our coaching staff be more beneficial than having Knight here? Maybe. And that's good enough for me to pull the trigger. But of course in this case I would want to move Bledsoe a little more urgently and perhaps keep Chandler since we can leverage the pick and roll much more.

[UglyTruth]

https://twitter.com/AZSports/status/821823574528770048

They should attach Knight to any Tucker deal.

[Split T]

Knight for Rubio is a lateral move at best. There is no chance of Rubio playing over Bledsoe, and for those who want to trade Bledsoe for Rubio, I think you're crazy. Minny would jump on that trade so fast. It would be an absolute heist. It'd be a worse move, value wise, than Knight for the Laker pick.

We don't need to move Knight just for the sake of moving him. He's hardly even playing anymore and is not hurting our team in anyway. If we can get value for him, then by all means, we move him, but I don't see Rubio as value. We'd be trading Knight's crappy pg skills for Rubio's crappy shooting. I'd rather have Ulis backing up Bledsoe.

[Shabazz]

I could see a scenario where we trade Knight in July to the team that has struck out with all their free agent point guard targets.