Phoenix Suns 2013-2014: Year In Review

[INFORMER]

BSOTS being BSOTS, courtesy of Kris Habbas:

Of all the teams in the lottery the Suns would willing trade places (situations) with right about zero of them. No team in the lottery has a brighter near future than they do and every team at the bottom is there for a reason. Those teams will be down there looking for an Eric Bledsoe talent while the Suns have one and need to find more P.J. Tucker types or Channing Frye types to sprinkle around him.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... erspective

This is why I can't read that site for long.

There was a reason why the Suns got Eric Bledsoe for so little. The Clips offered him to the Magic for the second pick of the draft and were turned down. The Suns are not in an enviable position having to dole out max money for an injury prone PG that they've only seen play for half a season as a starter. Is Habbas going to be this prideful when Bledsoe is making max money and cheering the Suns on from the bench in street clothes?

And sure there are some disaster teams like Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, etc. that would love to trade places with the Suns. But Philly is exactly where it wants to be. Orlando would take Victor Oladipo over Eric Bledsoe any day of the week and twice on Sundays. New Orleans, with all their bad contracts, still has Antony Davis. I think they're pretty happy about that. I don't think they're looking to swap him for Eric Bledsoe.

I get wanting to cheer everyone up about missing the playoffs, but we don't need to be stupid. There's a reason why Habbas uses the qualifier "near future" in the following statement:

No team in the lottery has a brighter near future than they do and every team at the bottom is there for a reason.

Translation: the Suns are closest to making the playoffs. That's great and all, but a number of these teams are trying to win it all. And the Suns, like all those other teams, aren't on that road yet.

So while Habbas seeks comfort sticking his tongue out at the other lotto teams and trumpeting the Suns near-playoff appearance, I'll simply find comfort in the following:

1. Michael Beasley is gone.

2. The Suns have a coach that I believe can coach at a championship level. I think exceptional coaching is an underrated and very rare commodity in the NBA, and it's huge that the Suns have Hornacek.

3. The Suns have flexibility and tons of draft picks going forward.

4. Every single rotational player got better.

5. Goran Dragic has raised his game to another level, a legitimate All-Star level.

[m1chal]

And, last but not least:

6. Shannon-the-Cannon is gone!

This guy was a real disaster to me.

[carey]

This is why I can't read that site for long. .

I'm not Kris's biggest fan. He says he's a scout & I just dunno...

It seems like he's saying a lot of the same things Sharp said about the Suns in that Grantland piece.

Sharp: 1. Go back to October and think about the tanking race. Given everything that’s happened since, would you rather be the Sixers or the Suns?

2. Phoenix had a fun year, but wound up in the worst possible place for an NBA team: on the outside of the playoffs, at the bottom of the lottery. The Suns will have two other first-round picks from Indiana (likely mid-20s) and Washington (mid-teens), plus a lottery pick from last year who missed most of this year but should be a regular contributor next year. Philly had a miserable year, but now has two top-10 picks in one of the deepest drafts in years, plus a lottery pick from last year that missed the entire year but will be healthy next season.

3. In a vacuum, it’s close, but Philly’s situation probably looks better.

4. In real life … the Suns just put together a season where they proved they can hang with the West, they played some of the most entertaining basketball in the league, and made all their stars look better in the process. In the span of six months, they went from a wasteland in the desert to a perfect landing spot for a star free agent who wants to come in and take a team to the next level. Meanwhile, the Sixers will be banking on complete unknowns for at least the next two years, with a fan base that’s been mostly dead since Allen Iverson left. For as much as fans talk about teams tearing it down to start over, would anyone in Phoenix trade places with Philly?

5. The Suns don’t have a top-10 pick, but the picks they have are assets they could flip for a superstar, either now or in the next year or two. Dragic is signed through the next two years, and Bledsoe is a restricted free agent. The Suns are not only the best young team in the league, but also the most flexible.

6. This is a long way of saying: Please God, let the Suns trade for Kevin Love this June and let him play in that offense for the next five years. It would make the whole world a better place.

[Sunsfan4life]

You listed 5 things that puts Phoenix in a better position then most in the lottery. Sure it's a fluff piece, but most of the stuff on that site is. I noticed you left Mcdonaugh off your 5 things list. I'd include him as an asset as well. I agree you have to put together more then 1 nice off-season, but he has done nothing to have me question him and if your going to praise Hornecek after just 1 yr on the bench then you gotta give Ryan his due for the Pacers Trade,WizTrade,Clipps Trade (love or hate Eric Bledsoe he is worth a lot more then Jared Dudley..and I like Dudley).


The things that make Phoenix's future bright IMO are...

1)More 1st rounders then any team over the next two years

2)Cap Space

3) Bledsoe/Dragic. The Suns are in a better situation with Bled then without. All they gave up for him was a role player in Jared Dudley. I'm not paying Bledsoe max money, but he'll get a payday and its from someone else it could likely be a S&T. If its not it sucks...but ultimately the suns didn't give up much to get him.

4) No long term money locked up. This is one thing that other regime, one of the only things, actually did well a few summers ago. They missed on almost every move they did, but when the longest contract you give out is 3 years it makes it easier for competent GM's and front office guys to clean up your mess. The suns have very little money locked up long term which is the flexibility you want going forward.

5)Ryan Mcdonuagh. Sure its only one year, but he's proven he has a vision and has executed it. He did a masterful job of turning Gortat and Scola into 1st rd picks...Picking up the Morri's option years looks very good right now, and not extending Bledsoe is probabaly split for many, but I thought it was the right move at the time and I stand by that. It proves he isn't going to just throw money at people because they are guys he brought in. If that was the case Bled would be locked up by now.

6) Hornecek looks like a great coach. The most important thing about coaching is commanding the respect and trust of your players and he seems like he does that with this bunch.

There e some over the top stuff in that piece, but the suns future definitely is brighter then alot of teams in this league. Players are going to want to play under Hornecek and McD and the suns have cap flexibility and draft picks...not much more you can ask for.

[Ring_Wanted]

...I noticed you left Mcdonaugh off your 5 things list. I'd include him as an asset as well. I agree you have to put together more then 1 nice off-season, but he has done nothing to have me question him...

I'd point out not making a move at the deadline. With the plethora of picks we have, I think we were in a perfect position to get help for the playoffs push. Many teams made moves that really benefited them. Memphis and Courtney Lee, for instance.

In my opinion a couple of second rounders or even the Indiana pick should have been used, and not necessarily on Pau Gasol, if that's what comes to mind. Any big man minimally capable of either defending-rebounding-scoring in the paint could have made a difference in the end, or a wing player who could create his own shot.

As the trade deadline approached I saw a team that was struggling on various fronts, and whose playoff place was becoming more and more precarious, so I felt spending Okafor and one minor asset was well worth it if it meant giving the team a better chance to achieve its goal. It is what it is, but I would have liked a more proactive approach at the deadline.

[INFORMER]

I noticed you left Mcdonaugh off your 5 things list. I'd include him as an asset as well. I agree you have to put together more then 1 nice off-season, but he has done nothing to have me question him and if your going to praise Hornecek after just 1 yr on the bench then you gotta give Ryan his due for the Pacers Trade,WizTrade,Clipps Trade (love or hate Eric Bledsoe he is worth a lot more then Jared Dudley..and I like Dudley).

Except at best, I think McDonough gets an incomplete when it comes to the draft. And the draft is too important in building a team to trumpet a GM who is unproven in that regard.

Trades you mentioned were all good, but I don't ascribe the miraculous stature to those deals as others do. I've been interested in Green for years. I campaigned for Miles Plumlee. I think the Wizards marginally won the negotiations on the pick protection.

Overall, I don't find any of those deals exceptional except for the Bledsoe move. They were good moves; but they were the moves that should have been expected.

I'm not trying to take credit away from McDonough either. He should be the executive of the year. But I would assert that Hornacek accomplished more on the court than McDonough did in the front office. So yes, I will leave McDonough off my list for the time being.

[Superbone]

You do realize that McDonough hired Hornacek, right? Just checking.

[Sunsfan4life]

Last yrs draft might be the worst in NBA History I wouldn't judge how he drafts based on just that...but if you want to give him an incomplete I can understand that. Anyone who watched and read up on Archie and Len knew they would be projects. Len's injuries have me worried, so we'll see about that but I pleased from what I read about Goodwin.

I'm not quite sure how you say someone is executive of the yr and then say he isn't an asset...but it is what it is. The guy gets an A+ in my book for cashing in on Gortat at the right time, Getting a 1st plus 2 rotational players for an aging Scola, and turning a declining Dudley into Eric Bledsoe then not just handing Bledsoe a crap load of money before seeing him play in a starters role.

[Sunsfan4life]

Good point 'Bone

[TOO]

In regards to McD, I really don't know how much more he could have done with the turd he took over. We basically did a total 180 in his 1st off-season, thats astonishing. He acquired assets, cap space, hired a great coach, and drafted what looks to be 2 good prospects. What he did in his short time in office is easily just as impressive as what Hornacek did IMO. So the draft picks weren't a success right out of the box, that can be said for most teams this year.

[Sunsfan4life]

Ring-

I can understand wanting to make a move at the deadline. But I didn't want to give up a 1st for a rental on Gasol. I have no idea why the Lakers didn't trade him other than the fact that they were demanding a 1st. I'd rather not make a move then overpay...But I can understand the reasoning behind what you say with the team barely missing out.

[Superbone]

This discussion deserves it's own topic. Carry on...

[INFORMER]

I'm not quite sure how you say someone is executive of the yr and then say he isn't an asset...but it is what it is.

He can be an asset, I just didn't list him as one of the main things I feel good about the Suns.

And being EOTY has nothing to do with his draft. And as I said, the drafting ability of a GM is very important.

[Charlie Smithy!]

... Such moddly powers!

Btw, guys, I'll (finally) be back in Texas on the 19th; dot net radio (Offseason edition!) will also finally launch shortly thereafter.

[INFORMER]

Last yrs draft might be the worst in NBA History

I don't agree with that at all.

And if I'm Orlando, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Boston, Minnesota, or Milwaukee, then I like the 2013 draft just fine.

[TOO]

I really liked Gorgui Dieng.. *sigh*

[INFORMER]

I really liked Gorgui Dieng.. *sigh*

I missed on him because of being haunted by the ghost of Ekpe Udoh's draft past.

He's been great over the last two months; a double-double machine. I'm working on a thread discussing the 2013 rookies.

[TOO]

I really liked his feel for the game, much like Noah coming out, I'm a sucker for big guys who aren't afraid to pass the ball.

[INFORMER]

Yeah, I liked what I saw, but I was still lukewarm on him. I should have had him rated higher.

[TOO]

Well ya can't get em all right.. I should know