Suns News: Week 12 1/13-1/19

[carey]

Don't look now but the Suns are 5-5 in the last 10. We go on a little 3 game road trip starting Tuesday.

Last Week's Games

vs. Sacramento LOSS 114-103
vs. Orlando WIN! 98-94
vs. Charlotte WIN! 100-92


This Week's Games

Tuesday, 1/14 @ Atlanta 7:30PM EST
Thursday, 1/16 @ New York 7:30PM EST
Saturday, 1/18 @ Boston 7:00PM EST

Suns Stories

Center of the Sun: Suns go 2-1 but are still on the outside looking in to the playoff race - https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2020 ... f-race-nba

ESPN Power rankings has the Suns 19th - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/284 ... rs-fallers

Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton talking with management, coaches about role - https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 446382002/

[Superbone]

Thanks, carey! Good to have you and the thread back.

[ShelC]

Thanks for the thread Carey!

[carey]

Thanks for the thread Carey!

I really don’t know why we can’t get that game 1 starting lineup. They prepared all training camp with it. Won handily with it. Now refuse to go back to it because of Baynes who’s gone in 3 months? Maybe even sooner if we get a good deadline offer.

[jonh]

Thanks for the thread Carey!

I really don’t know why we can’t get that game 1 starting lineup. They prepared all training camp with it. Won handily with it. Now refuse to go back to it because of Baynes who’s gone in 3 months? Maybe even sooner if we get a good deadline offer.

I think its a lot easier to create for Ayton than Baynes, and Williams has said that 2nd unit lacks playmakers.

[Superbone]

[Flagrant Fowl]

I said this in the Hornets thread. I really believe Ayton coming off the bench is mostly about the Suns bench being garbage than anything else.

Baynes was the guy for that bench role when the season started, and he was playing at the highest point of his career coming of a great World Cup. Ayton's suspension, leading to more demand out of Baynes, leading to a couple of nagging injuries, have killed his momentum. Now Monty is in a position where he has to play Baynes with better players because he's too much of a liability if he's playing with the bench scrubs.

Cam Johnson has been pretty meh in my opinion, but he's a rookie. I'll live with his ups and downs for another 8 months. Tyler Johnson looks washed. Javon Carter is barely an NBA player, and Frank Kaminsky is good about three times a month when healthy.

On the positive side, Mikal Bridges is starting to show signs of progress again after a pretty rough start. But he's not going to be a guy who can reliably get buckets even against opposing second units. At least not this season. Maybe not ever? Yikes, I hope that doesn't happen. Elie Okobo has also looked better recently. He's playing with more poise than usually seen from a second year PG drafted in the second round. He's still ill-qualified to be a second PG and no one trusts him to consistently generate offense for the second unit.

If they're planning to get Ayton back into the starting line up soon, which they should be, James Jones needs to figure something out with this roster.

[Superbone]

I'm curious if we'll be players before the trading deadline.

[Shabazz]

We'd be foolish not to move Tyler's contract while we have the opportunity.

[Nodack]

I am ok with either coming off the bench basketball wise. Ayton is the clear pick long term. I think he needs to get his confidence up and the second unit might be a good place for him to have more impact for awhile. I have a feeling he will have a breakout game at some point and maybe slide into the starters role sooner than later. There was a couple of times in the last game where he kind of wowed me.

Come on Ayton, figure it out and take back what is yours!

[Indy]

We'd be foolish not to move Tyler's contract while we have the opportunity.

Even if you can only get a 2nd round pick for him. He isn't giving us anything, and if you can trade zero for something (and not pay his salary the rest of the year), why wouldn't you?

[Flagrant Fowl]

We'd be foolish not to move Tyler's contract while we have the opportunity.

Even if you can only get a 2nd round pick for him. He isn't giving us anything, and if you can trade zero for something (and not pay his salary the rest of the year), why wouldn't you?

I'm not so sure about that. For as bad as he's been, we've still occasionally needed him. I'd rather he get spot minutes over Javon Carter and Ty Jerome at this point, so not getting at least a 9th-10th man in return is not ideal.

[Superbone]

It's ON now!

[specialsauce]

It's ON now!

So creative Suns really making moves

[AmareIsGod]

It's ON now!

So creative Suns really making moves

That will get us over the hump! Well done James Jones!

[Wally_West]

Part of me almost wishes we could just get to the offseason already. This season has messed with my emotions so much already. Haha.

[specialsauce]

Part of me almost wishes we could just get to the offseason already. This season has messed with my emotions so much already. Haha.

We’re better than last year but this year is so much harder. I find myself much much more emotionally invested because they have the talent to be at least a .500 team. I was content to lose the last few years with the crap rosters to get picks so the losses didn’t bother me much.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Last year was easier because I pretty much stopped watching more than 5 minutes of any given game after around Thanksgiving.

This year I'm making an effort to watch as much as possible.

[djy2j]

We'd be foolish not to move Tyler's contract while we have the opportunity.

Even if you can only get a 2nd round pick for him. He isn't giving us anything, and if you can trade zero for something (and not pay his salary the rest of the year), why wouldn't you?

I'm not so sure about that. For as bad as he's been, we've still occasionally needed him. I'd rather he get spot minutes over Javon Carter and Ty Jerome at this point, so not getting at least a 9th-10th man in return is not ideal.

We've needed him because he's been a healthy body. His shot left him after the hot start and he's down to 37% and 27% from three. You could plug in just about anyone in and get those numbers. I'd rather give minutes to someone who has a potential future with the team. I'm not a huge Okobo fan but I'd give him every single one of Tyler's minutes.

[specialsauce]

We'd be foolish not to move Tyler's contract while we have the opportunity.

Even if you can only get a 2nd round pick for him. He isn't giving us anything, and if you can trade zero for something (and not pay his salary the rest of the year), why wouldn't you?

I'm not so sure about that. For as bad as he's been, we've still occasionally needed him. I'd rather he get spot minutes over Javon Carter and Ty Jerome at this point, so not getting at least a 9th-10th man in return is not ideal.

We've needed him because he's been a healthy body. His shot left him after the hot start and he's down to 37% and 27% from three. You could plug in just about anyone in and get those numbers. I'd rather give minutes to someone who has a potential future with the team. I'm not a huge Okobo fan but I'd give him every single one of Tyler's minutes.

There’s no benefit to playing TJ over Jerome. None. Carter and Johnson should never see the court again.