Suns News: September

[Wally_West]

Why must you gentlemen say such wounding words regarding Mr. Shavlik? He has said nothing but polite and kind things about you gentlemen. He is not even here to defend himself. Such a shame you fellows would sully a man's skills in such a way. A shame indeed.

[carey]

Suns bits in D.A.'s Morning Tip: http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/d ... index.html

The Curious Case of Eric Bledsoe will finally be resolved, one way or another, in the next week. Rarely has a player as talented as the 24-year-old Bledsoe spent so much time unsigned. By anybody. But with camps opening up at the end of this week, Bledsoe has to decide what he wants to do.

The Suns' guard is a restricted free agent, an especially difficult classification for a player. Restricted free agency was one of those categories owners insisted upon during the last couple of collective bargaining negotiations with the players, arguing that teams needed more tools to keep their good young players from being scooped up by deep-pocketed teams. A restricted free agent can thus seek out contracts from other teams (offer sheets), but the "home" team has the right to match those offers within three days and keep the player.

The problem for Bledsoe is that no other team has, thus far, stepped out there and made him an official offer. And Bledsoe has refused Phoenix's four-year, $48 million offer it made earlier this summer. That leaves the one-year, $3.7 million qualifying offer from the Suns for the 2014-15 season.

If Bledsoe takes the one-year offer from Phoenix, he'll be an unrestricted free agent next year, free to negotiate with any team without the Suns having the right to match. But Bledsoe would be gambling against a long-term debilitating injury. It's the tactic that Detroit's Greg Monroe, also a restricted free agent, opted to take, signing a one-year deal with the Pistons. He'll be on the open market next summer.

But Bledsoe has yet to do so. He's running out of time. Bledsoe has flashed throughout his NBA career. Last season, he teamed up brilliantly at times with veteran Goran Dragic, averaging 17.7 points and 5.5 assists for the high-flying Suns, who surpassed all expectations and were in the playoff hunt until the last week of the season.

The Suns were supposed to tank royally last season, positioning themselves for a high lottery pick in a deep Draft. Instead, Phoenix had one of those beautiful campaigns, when everyone played loose and free and everything went right. Bledsoe was electric when healthy, Dragic had a career year, the Morris Twins (Markieff and Marcus) came out of, seemingly, nowhere to be impactful pieces, and role players like P.J. Tucker and Miles Plumlee were godsends. All of that production will ultimately cost someone money. Whether that's Phoenix or another team remains to be seen.

The Suns offered Bledsoe the same deal that the Raptors gave Kyle Lowry this summer and that Denver gave Ty Lawson in 2012. It was obviously less than the max deals for Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and John Wall, but more than Stephen Curry (four years, $44 million) and Jrue Holiday (four years, $41 million) got in recent years. Whether Bledsoe is savvy or crazy to turn that down is in the eye of the beholder.

His supporters would point to the artificial limits placed on him early in his career playing behind Chris Paul in Los Angeles, followed by a trade to Phoenix where he had to share the ball with Dragic. They'd point to his production at the ends of games, a PER that ranked higher last season than John Wall, Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Chris Bosh.

They'd note that anyone should want to be unrestricted in the next year or two, with the salary cap almost certain to explode exponentially when the money from the next TV deal kicks in. Why would it be any different for Bledsoe than it is for LeBron James -- also a Rich Paul client, it should be noted at this point -- who opted for a two-year deal in Cleveland, in part, so that he'll be able to cash in for max dollars again in 2016?

Bledsoe's also figuring the Suns won't want to gamble on potentially losing both of their starting guards next summer (though the Suns hedged that bet this summer by working a sign-and-trade deal for Isaiah Thomas from Sacramento). The 29-year-old Dragic will be an unrestricted free agent next year unless he inexplicably opts in for $7.5 million in 2015-16. And forward Gerald Green will be an unrestricted free agent next year. That was part of Phoenix's original plan, of course -- maximize potential cap room in order to be players in free agency as soon as possible.
It's just that no one expected what happened last season.

Minnesota stepped in at the 11th hour last week, trying to figure out a way to work a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix. But once the Suns informed the league through Yahoo! Sports that they wouldn't be interested in Minnesota's package, the line of teams with potential offers of their own began forming to the right.

The glut of quality point guards in the game has hurt Bledsoe from the moment he went to Kentucky the same year Wall did, but though there aren't many NBA teams left with a clear need at point guard, a few still are looking, and could be willing to make a deal. The Rockets, of course, are always willing to inject themselves into trade talks at the drop of a hat. While Patrick Beverley is a perfectly good starter at the point going into the season, Bledsoe is a better player. Houston GM Daryl Morey is always interested in upgrading any position. The Rockets have enough cap room to absorb another big contract, though they'd have to move multiple players in order to fulfill Bledsoe's desire for a max deal. On the other hand, Houston needs to jettison at least one contract before the start of camp, anyway, as the Rockets currently have 16 guaranteed deals, one more than the maximum 15 allowed to bring to camp.

You hear that the Bucks have been talking Bledsoe all summer, as they should be. They have cap room, they have young, good role players on reasonable contracts (John Henson, Brandon Knight) and they have intriguing Draft picks in the future (their second-rounders, likely coming high in those rounds, will have much hidden value the next couple of years). While I doubt Phoenix would be interested in taking on Larry Sanders' or O.J. Mayo's big contracts, there are a lot of assets to put together for a sign and trade that would allow the Bucks to add Bledsoe to their Giannis Antetokounmpo-Jabari Parker base.

Having more credible talent like Bledsoe could also only help the Bucks as they try to find state and local financing for the new arena they need to keep the team in Milwaukee. While there's muted optimism in Milwaukee that the political forces necessary to fund the public piece of the partnership required to get an arena deal done will fall into place, the proof will only come when the money's in the budget. NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum was in town last week to meet with Mayor Tom Barrett and the club's new owners, and to scout out potential locations in the city for the new building.

There's also a California-based NBA franchise that will be looking for a long-term solution at the point after this season. (This team currently has a 40-year-old incumbent at the position.) It will have an inordinate amount of cap room next summer, more than enough for a max offer to a still-young point guard with superstar potential. It would be a gamble for Bledsoe to play this season on the chance that that team would come calling next summer, but that's why they sell insurance, right? Bledsoe has been quiet almost all summer about his intentions. But if he opts to play the year out in Phoenix on relatively short money, it's hard to see 2014 as anything but his last year in the Valley of the Sun.

[Superbone]

Thanks, Carey. I need to start reading D.A.'s stuff.

[Sunsfan4life]

Good piece. I'd take Pat Beverly in a heart beat. He'd be an ideal 3rd guard and is one of the best on ball defenders in the league. Terrence Jones and Bev and something to even everything out would be a good deal.

I haven't heard of Houston putting anything concrete together though

[Superbone]

Whoa! Didn't realize media day is this coming Monday!

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /16083119/

Oh, it's almost here. In short order, the Suns will have an answer to the Eric Bledsoe issue, they'll host their annual media day Monday, and then, later in the afternoon, they'll take a bus ride to Flagstaff to begin training camp.

Bledsoe, as most Suns fans know, has until Oct. 1 to agree to a new deal with Phoenix or sign the Suns' qualifying offer, which ensures he'll play for about $3.7 million this season.

The Suns open their schedule at home Oct. 29 vs. the Lakers.

...

I'm just glad this episode of the Bledsoe show is coming to an end. The bad part is that episode two will start immediately after that and continue on throughout the season. Or will it? Stay tuned. Same Bled-time, same Bled-channel!

[INFORMER]

RealGM takes a look at the Morris Twins progression from fringe NBA players to significant contributors:

That changed in the NBA, where they went from the biggest fish in a small pond to medium-size fish in an ocean. All of a sudden, Markieff was a slightly undersized PF with only average athleticism and Marcus became a guy who was too small to guard PF’s and too slow to guard SF’s. Markieff settled into a role as a complementary big men in Phoenix while Marcus struggled to find himself in Houston, shuffling between the bench and the D-League.

In one of their rare moments of lucidity, the Suns' previous management team reunited the twins two seasons ago, acquiring Marcus at the deadline for a future second-round pick. However, the move was lost amid all their other questionable acquisitions and Phoenix stumbled to a 25-57 record as one of the worst teams in the NBA. The disastrous season prompted a major housecleaning, with a new GM, front office and head coach coming in.

No two players benefited from the new direction more than the Morrii, who were reborn as a second-unit tag-team in Hornacek’s spread offense. With Miles Plumlee and Channing Frye starting upfront, Markieff was the perfect third big man, with the ability to stretch the floor next to either Plumlee or Frye. Marcus, meanwhile, could swing between the forward positions, spreading the floor and attacking slower forwards who come off the bench.

It was like they were back in school, as they once again had a physical edge on most of the guys they were going up against. Without great length or explosiveness, neither Morris twin will ever be able to match up against the NBA’s best players upfront, but they can more than hold their own against second unit players. When they came in the game, they kept the floor spread and they could create their own shot without taking the ball out of better players hands.

Their per-36 minute numbers spoke to their value in Phoenix - Markieff averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 48% shooting while Marcus averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists on 44% shooting. Just as important, their versatility meant Hornacek could slide the two between in a number of different roles, as he could go big with both of them on the floor next to a center or go small with the twins sharing the frontcourt next to a wing player.

When they were healthy last season, the Suns were one of the best teams in the NBA, going 28-15 with Eric Bledsoe in the line-up. The Morris Twins played a big role in the career seasons for Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, as their ability to shoot the ball from the frontcourt meant that Phoenix was able to spread the floor for all 48 minutes, giving their star guards the driving lanes to attack the defense and get to the rim against lesser defenders.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/blog/23497 ... t-Showdown

[Superbone]

In one of their rare moments of lucidity, the Suns' previous management team reunited the twins...

Heh.

This article begs the question, how will Markieff be as a starting PF? Will we start him at PF? I really don't see us starting Tolliver in front of him but who knows. We definitely seem to have the least depth at the PF and C positions. I really hope Len starts to show some growth this year and can stay on the court.

[TOO]

Cant see how a team with playoff aspirations could start Tolliver.

[Shabazz]

I think Tolliver is an odd man out of the rotation right now.

[Superbone]

I think Tolliver is an odd man out of the rotation right now.

How do you envision our PF rotation?

[carey]

I think Tolliver is an odd man out of the rotation right now.

I think he's going to play quite a bit unless we make a trade for a starting quality PF. I think he'll be the first big off the bench unless Plumlee is in foul trouble in which case it will be Len.

[The Bobster]

List of Suns' 50 greatest players needs editing

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /16083119/

So does theirs. Here's my top 20 -

1 - Kevin Johnson
2 - Charles Barkley
3 - Steve Nash
4 - Paul Westphal
5 - Amare Stoudemire
6 - Walter Davis
7 - Shawn Marion
8 - Alvan Adams
9 - Connie Hawkins
10 - Dick Van Arsdale
11 - Larry Nance
12 - Jason Kidd
13 - Tom Chambers
14 - Dennis Johnson
15 - Dan Majerle
16 - Goran Dragic
17 - Jeff Hornacek
18 - Paul Silas
19 - Mark West
20 - Antonio McDyess

[INFORMER]

Anyone else notice Coro has been late to the game nearly all offseason, particularly when it comes to Eric Bledsoe news? Windhorst and Wojnarowski have beat him to the punch repeatedly, with Coro releasing an article 12 to 24 hours later essentially restating what those national guys already broke.

[Charlie Smithy!]

List of Suns' 50 greatest players needs editing

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /16083119/

So does theirs. Here's my top 20 -

1 - Kevin Johnson
2 - Charles Barkley
3 - Steve Nash
4 - Paul Westphal
5 - Amare Stoudemire
6 - Walter Davis
7 - Shawn Marion
8 - Alvan Adams
9 - Connie Hawkins
10 - Dick Van Arsdale
11 - Larry Nance
12 - Jason Kidd
13 - Tom Chambers
14 - Dennis Johnson
15 - Dan Majerle
16 - Goran Dragic
17 - Jeff Hornacek
18 - Paul Silas
19 - Mark West
20 - Antonio McDyess

This will surprise no one, but your #1 and mine are the same. Just wished KJ had had more of a career into his 30s.

[iLLmatic]

Anyone else notice Coro has been late to the game nearly all offseason, particularly when it comes to Eric Bledsoe news? Windhorst and Wojnarowski have beat him to the punch repeatedly, with Coro releasing an article 12 to 24 hours later essentially restating what those national guys already broke.

He's worse than the RealGM guys

[Superbone]

Anyone else notice Coro has been late to the game nearly all offseason, particularly when it comes to Eric Bledsoe news? Windhorst and Wojnarowski have beat him to the punch repeatedly, with Coro releasing an article 12 to 24 hours later essentially restating what those national guys already broke.

Coro reported about it at 9:37 pm tonight. Check the other thread.

[SDC]

Suns starting 5 next season (without bleds)
dragic, green, tucker, markieff, plumlee

bench
len, warren, IT, rookie PG, marcus, zoran

[SDC]

List of Suns' 50 greatest players needs editing

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /16083119/

So does theirs. Here's my top 20 -

1 - Kevin Johnson
2 - Charles Barkley
3 - Steve Nash
4 - Paul Westphal
5 - Amare Stoudemire
6 - Walter Davis
7 - Shawn Marion
8 - Alvan Adams
9 - Connie Hawkins
10 - Dick Van Arsdale
11 - Larry Nance
12 - Jason Kidd
13 - Tom Chambers
14 - Dennis Johnson
15 - Dan Majerle
16 - Goran Dragic
17 - Jeff Hornacek
18 - Paul Silas
19 - Mark West
20 - Antonio McDyess

This will surprise no one, but your #1 and mine are the same. Just wished KJ had had more of a career into his 30s.

i'd put kurt rambis over mcdyess. in 1989, suns got swept by the lakers. in 1990, suns only significant addition was rambis, suns beat the lakers (best record in 1990) series 4-1

[Wally_West]

List of Suns' 50 greatest players needs editing

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /16083119/

So does theirs. Here's my top 20 -

1 - Kevin Johnson
2 - Charles Barkley
3 - Steve Nash
4 - Paul Westphal
5 - Amare Stoudemire
6 - Walter Davis
7 - Shawn Marion
8 - Alvan Adams
9 - Connie Hawkins
10 - Dick Van Arsdale
11 - Larry Nance
12 - Jason Kidd
13 - Tom Chambers
14 - Dennis Johnson
15 - Dan Majerle
16 - Goran Dragic
17 - Jeff Hornacek
18 - Paul Silas
19 - Mark West
20 - Antonio McDyess

This will surprise no one, but your #1 and mine are the same. Just wished KJ had had more of a career into his 30s.

i'd put kurt rambis over mcdyess. in 1989, suns got swept by the lakers. in 1990, suns only significant addition was rambis, suns beat the lakers (best record in 1990) series 4-1

Really? Eww...

[Superbone]