Game Day: Suns (31-39) vs Thunder (43-26), Mon 8/10/20

[INFORMER]

Ya I’m sold on Carter. He should be back next year.

Don't be that easy.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Ayton is right at the rim and passes it out. Dude can be SO frustrating!

Is he our new boris diaw?

At least Boris was an intelligent player.

This feels like an uncommon criticism of Saric. I've never heard his basketball be questioned.

Maybe it's because the guys who don't overly rely on athleticism or genetics have to use their brain to get to the NBA level?

[Cap]

Ayton is right at the rim and passes it out. Dude can be SO frustrating!

I heard a little bit of gas escape his vagina during the broadcast on that play.

I think we've filled our quota of "vagina" and "pussy" references today guys.

Agreed.

What about assholes? I don’t think that’s been filled yet.

[ShelC]

Just going back on this game...the 2nd half went about the way we (I) expected the entire game to go. Ayton's absence really threw us out of whack the entire 1st qtr and most of the 2nd. We finally started getting it together to end the half and took over in the 3rd. Glad we got the blowout, glad our starters rested in the 4th.

Book has been unreal in the bubble and has probably taken a bigger leap offensively since coming back. His scoring, playmaking, even his defense looks to have gone up a notch. He's a 1A player, I think we can put that to rest?

Cam had a strong offensive game knocking down four 3s and gets out in transition well for easy baskets. Still a bit hesitant off the dribble but has a real smooth, effective game. He's maybe been our most steady player in the bubble outside of Book. Nothing fancy...no head bobbing, no pushups, no jumping up and down because who needs that?

Dario stepped in as starting center and had another solid game with 16 and 9 on 7-12 FGs. Hit a 3, worked inside, had a few nice drives. Just plays hard and smart, works well with starters or bench guys. It'd be tough to not see him back next season.

The rest of the team was kinda meh...Rubio's out of sync, Mikal hit his shots later in the game when it was a blowout. Payne had some good minutes again, Carter played his game and was all over the place, played a team high 37 minutes. DA actually played with activity and urgency when he got in, maybe today lit a fire but who knows.

Mainly, the starters got their rest and the bench got some good run heading into tomorrow.

[INFORMER]

In terms of cap maneuvering, we could decline Frank's option w/the MLE and give part of it to Carter? Say 3 yrs at 3/4mil per?

Saric is restricted so he would have to find another team to want him at a price we wouldn't match. What's that number? Do other teams see him as a starter? Are they willing to potentially overpay just to get him as a bench guy? Can we offer him the MLE as an extension?

Huh? I don't understand the Frank scenario. And Saric can't be extended; he can sign the QO, sign a new contract with the Suns, or a sign a new contract with another team, at which point the Suns would have to decide whether they want to match.

[INFORMER]

Dario stepped in as starting center and had another solid game with 16 and 9 on 7-12 FGs. Hit a 3, worked inside, had a few nice drives. Just plays hard and smart, works well with starters or bench guys. It'd be tough to not see him back next season.

Do you need to go back and watch the first 60 games of the season?

[Furlanfufi]

Ayton is right at the rim and passes it out. Dude can be SO frustrating!

Is he our new boris diaw?

At least Boris was an intelligent player.

This feels like an uncommon criticism of Saric. I've never heard his basketball IQ be questioned.

It's about Ayton, I think.

[INFORMER]

Oops. Thanks, Furlanfufi. I got mixed up; there was a lot of hate in the game thread today.

[ShelC]

Dario stepped in as starting center and had another solid game with 16 and 9 on 7-12 FGs. Hit a 3, worked inside, had a few nice drives. Just plays hard and smart, works well with starters or bench guys. It'd be tough to not see him back next season.

Do you need to go back and watch the first 60 games of the season?

If he's found his role and niche in the league as a 4/5 off the bench, I'm all for bringing him back.

[ShelC]

In terms of cap maneuvering, we could decline Frank's option w/the MLE and give part of it to Carter? Say 3 yrs at 3/4mil per?

Saric is restricted so he would have to find another team to want him at a price we wouldn't match. What's that number? Do other teams see him as a starter? Are they willing to potentially overpay just to get him as a bench guy? Can we offer him the MLE as an extension?

Huh? I don't understand the Frank scenario. And Saric can't be extended; he can sign the QO, sign a new contract with the Suns, or a sign a new contract with another team, at which point the Suns would have to decide whether they want to match.

I thought Frank's 2nd year on the MLE was a team option. So the Suns decline it, have a new MLE to use and use part of that to sign Carter.

[INFORMER]

In terms of cap maneuvering, we could decline Frank's option w/the MLE and give part of it to Carter? Say 3 yrs at 3/4mil per?

Saric is restricted so he would have to find another team to want him at a price we wouldn't match. What's that number? Do other teams see him as a starter? Are they willing to potentially overpay just to get him as a bench guy? Can we offer him the MLE as an extension?

Huh? I don't understand the Frank scenario. And Saric can't be extended; he can sign the QO, sign a new contract with the Suns, or a sign a new contract with another team, at which point the Suns would have to decide whether they want to match.

I thought Frank's 2nd year on the MLE was a team option. So the Suns decline it, have a new MLE to use and use part of that to sign Carter.

That isn't how the MLE works.

And I believe Frank's deal was done with the Room exception, not the MLE.

The Suns will have their MLE available to use this offseason if they do NOT renounce the rights to all of their free agents, don't pick up Frank's team option, and waive Okobo's non-guaranteed deal.

[INFORMER]

Dario stepped in as starting center and had another solid game with 16 and 9 on 7-12 FGs. Hit a 3, worked inside, had a few nice drives. Just plays hard and smart, works well with starters or bench guys. It'd be tough to not see him back next season.

Do you need to go back and watch the first 60 games of the season?

If he's found his role and niche in the league as a 4/5 off the bench, I'm all for bringing him back.

It's a dangerous thing to make personnel decisions based on a handful of games.

[Flagrant Fowl]

In terms of cap maneuvering, we could decline Frank's option w/the MLE and give part of it to Carter? Say 3 yrs at 3/4mil per?

Saric is restricted so he would have to find another team to want him at a price we wouldn't match. What's that number? Do other teams see him as a starter? Are they willing to potentially overpay just to get him as a bench guy? Can we offer him the MLE as an extension?

Huh? I don't understand the Frank scenario. And Saric can't be extended; he can sign the QO, sign a new contract with the Suns, or a sign a new contract with another team, at which point the Suns would have to decide whether they want to match.

I thought Frank's 2nd year on the MLE was a team option. So the Suns decline it, have a new MLE to use and use part of that to sign Carter.

That isn't how the MLE works.

And I believe Frank's deal was done with the Room exception, not the MLE.

The Suns will have their MLE available to use this offseason if they do NOT renounce the rights to all of their free agents, don't pick up Frank's team option, and waive Okobo's non-guaranteed deal.

IIRC, Okobo's 20/21 deal became guaranteed after July 10th. Maybe that changed with COVID?

[ShelC]

Sorry, I'm all confused with the exceptions.

[ShelC]

Dario stepped in as starting center and had another solid game with 16 and 9 on 7-12 FGs. Hit a 3, worked inside, had a few nice drives. Just plays hard and smart, works well with starters or bench guys. It'd be tough to not see him back next season.

Do you need to go back and watch the first 60 games of the season?

If he's found his role and niche in the league as a 4/5 off the bench, I'm all for bringing him back.

It's a dangerous thing to make personnel decisions based on a handful of games.

It'll be up to the coaching staff to let Jones know how they feel but I think Saric was misplaced and then overextended as a starter due to Ayton's suspension. i don't think this is necessarily a flash in the pan, more a staff and a player figuring out the right role.

[Nodack]

No hate here. They started iffy but, they obviously pulled it together. I bag on Saric but, he has been really stepping it up. I am proud of the whole team. How can you not be being 6/0? I am not going to talk trades right now, not that I ever do. It’s not the off season.

Sometimes a team just gels and this team is gelling. We know what to expect from Booker, Ayton and Rubio. Bridges, Cam, Saric and Payne have really stepped up their games and have been the difference.

[ShelC]

Yea It's always fun to have young guys to root for and watch get better. Bridges and the Cams have me excited. Payne is exactly the type of guard I've wanted us to find. Hope he keeps it together and just keeps being solid for us.

[INFORMER]

In terms of cap maneuvering, we could decline Frank's option w/the MLE and give part of it to Carter? Say 3 yrs at 3/4mil per?

Saric is restricted so he would have to find another team to want him at a price we wouldn't match. What's that number? Do other teams see him as a starter? Are they willing to potentially overpay just to get him as a bench guy? Can we offer him the MLE as an extension?

Huh? I don't understand the Frank scenario. And Saric can't be extended; he can sign the QO, sign a new contract with the Suns, or a sign a new contract with another team, at which point the Suns would have to decide whether they want to match.

I thought Frank's 2nd year on the MLE was a team option. So the Suns decline it, have a new MLE to use and use part of that to sign Carter.

That isn't how the MLE works.

And I believe Frank's deal was done with the Room exception, not the MLE.

The Suns will have their MLE available to use this offseason if they do NOT renounce the rights to all of their free agents, don't pick up Frank's team option, and waive Okobo's non-guaranteed deal.

IIRC, Okobo's 20/21 deal became guaranteed after July 10th. Maybe that changed with COVID?

I would assume so, along with all the other option/guarantee deadlines that were scheduled for after the 20-21 league year began.

[Superbone]

Ayton is right at the rim and passes it out. Dude can be SO frustrating!

I heard a little bit of gas escape his vagina during the broadcast on that play.

I think we've filled our quota of "vagina" and "pussy" references today guys.

Agreed.

For the record, I didn't use either...today.

[Superbone]

Ayton is right at the rim and passes it out. Dude can be SO frustrating!

Is he our new boris diaw?

At least Boris was an intelligent player.

This feels like an uncommon criticism of Saric. I've never heard his basketball IQ be questioned.

Except we're talking about Ayton. Edit: See we got there.