Around the League: Week 1 10/27-11/2

[Ring_Wanted]

They are considering heavily just the fact that the playoffs is their floor and if Horford is back, they were 3rd best team in the East while he lasted. We certainly have that hope too. Anyway, Atlanta didn't improve significantly other than Thabo(questionable at this point, but could have a resurgence) and Payne, and are bringing back the same TEAM that played pretty well under Budenholzer.

New Orleans, see what I wrote elsewhere.

[INFORMER]

Yahoo power rankings: LINK

I find it a bit weird that there are two teams that didn't even win 40 games last year ranked ahead of us: Atlanta & New Orleans. I don't see Atlanta being a top 10 team.

I get New Orleans, but Atlanta?! That's just stupid.

Ditto for ESPN ranking Washington over the Suns.

[INFORMER]

Boy I would love to have the young talent that either Minnesota or Orlando has.

[INFORMER]

Pacers fans are going to be very thankful for this season and for George's injury. Last season, their bad contract decisions began to be manifest as it became obvious that Hibbert is woefully overpaid (rim protection!), George Hill is overpaid, and Paul George isn't a lead guy. They were going to be stuck. Now, with George injured, they just might be bad enough to land a great draft pick and be the second professional sports franchise in Indiana to benefit from a major injury to their best player.

[Superbone]

Yahoo power rankings: LINK

I find it a bit weird that there are two teams that didn't even win 40 games last year ranked ahead of us: Atlanta & New Orleans. I don't see Atlanta being a top 10 team.

The Suns are underrated once again. Good.

[OE32]

Boy I would love to have the young talent that either Minnesota or Orlando has.

I'm excited for Warren, Bledsoe, and Bogdanovic. I'm holding out hope for Len, who remains very tall. Ennis can still be parlayed for better-fitting young talent.

LaVine, Wiggins, and Dieng is a heck of a trio, though. Bennett ain't shit. I'm not terribly envious of the Magic because I like Warren so much and I think Payton would be right where Ennis is if he were in a Suns uni. They do have Vucevic, though.

I'm not saying I'd take our young talent ahead of theirs, but I don't think we're too far back. I really do think TJ is likely to be as good as anyone in this draft class.

[Cap]

I liked what I saw of Len in limited action in the preseason. He certainly looked better than Robin Lopez at the same point in his career, when I was ready to give up on him. The moral I learned from that: If you've got a big guy who moves well and works hard, be patient with him.

[INFORMER]

I'm not terribly envious of the Magic because I like Warren so much and I think Payton would be right where Ennis is if he were in a Suns uni. They do have Vucevic, though.

And Aaron Gordon. And Tobias Harris. And Victor Oladipo. (I also like Harkless and Nicholson.)

I really do think TJ is likely to be as good as anyone in this draft class.

I like Warren a lot, but if we had a redraft right now and the Suns were given the top spot, I'm taking Wiggins, Parker, LaVine, Exum, Gordon, and Vonleh ahead of him, and that's just off the top of my head.

[EDC]

Yahoo power rankings: LINK

I find it a bit weird that there are two teams that didn't even win 40 games last year ranked ahead of us: Atlanta & New Orleans. I don't see Atlanta being a top 10 team.

Well from reading all the previews it is pretty clear that losing Frye has doomed us. Not even a fully healthy Bledsoe can make up for it.

[INFORMER]

Yahoo power rankings: LINK

I find it a bit weird that there are two teams that didn't even win 40 games last year ranked ahead of us: Atlanta & New Orleans. I don't see Atlanta being a top 10 team.

Well from reading all the previews it is pretty clear that losing Frye has doomed us. Not even a fully healthy Bledsoe can make up for it.

Eric Bledsoe can't space the floor for Eric Bledsoe.

Part of me does feel that the loss of Frye is being overblown by some, but I still think there is a valid point behind it all. If the plan is to camp Markieff at the 3-point line, then the Suns are screwing themselves. First, Markieff just isn't that effective of a 3-point shooter, although that may be subject to change with the reported work he's put in during the offseason. The second concern is much more critical though. Markieff had his career year last year by operating primarily in the post and midrange; the whole impetus from Hornacek to Markieff was to get inside. Now we're going to undo all of that? It's self-defeating.

[Shabazz]

Kemba Walker just signed a 4 year, $48M extension.

Makes the Bledsoe deal seem a lot more reasonable.

[INFORMER]

Okay

[Xylus]

Kemba Walker just signed a 4 year, $48M extension.

Makes the Bledsoe deal seem a lot more reasonable.

Makes the Lowry deal look like highway robbery.

[carey]

Kemba Walker just signed a 4 year, $48M extension.

Makes the Bledsoe deal seem a lot more reasonable.

Makes the Lowry deal look like highway robbery.

I don't know how I feel about it yet. 17/6/4 but his shooting percentages are ick for a PG. 39% from the field last year, 33% from 3. That's Beasley-like. Bledsoe was 17/5/5 but he shot 48% from the field and we know he is a beast around the basket. Hands down I'd rather have Eric over Kemba at $14M versus $12M. Especially when you talk about defensive play.

[carey]

Asik has a double double in the first half of his first game as a Pelican. 12 & 11. 0-3 at the FT line.

Davis has 12 & 9 himself but he's not shooting well. 5-12.

[Xylus]

End of the 3rd quarter:

Anthony Davis: 22 pts, 15 rebs, 7 blks

*GULP*

[Split T]

Vucevic with 20 boards in the 3rd Q. I really like Orlando. They aren't gonna win a lot this year but they are loaded with young talent. Payton is gonna be a good pg, very likeable style of play as well. Aaron Gordon even hit a corner 3, though he followed it up with an airball. Tobias Harris looks good too.

[carey]

Vucevic with 20 boards in the 3rd Q. I really like Orlando. They aren't gonna win a lot this year but they are loaded with young talent. Payton is gonna be a good pg, very likeable style of play as well. Aaron Gordon even hit a corner 3, though he followed it up with an airball. Tobias Harris looks good too.

Yeah, Payton is only 1-7 for 2 points. He needs to learn to shoot, but 7 assists....

[INFORMER]

Hands down I'd rather have Eric over Kemba at $14M versus $12M.

Hands down I'll go with neither.

I can't really point to Kemba and make any definitive claim about Bledsoe's contract. First, I don't think you can get very far with Kemba Walker as your starting point guard. So the premise of this case study is shaky at best. Secondly, this is the same franchise that handed a max contract to Gordon Hayward, so it's obvious they're operating from, at best, a mild sense of desperation.

Those things aside, Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets still don't change the circumstances surrounding Eric Bledsoe. They don't change the fact that there wasn't an offer from another team. It doesn't change the fact that Bledsoe had only played 40-something games for the Suns and as a full-time starter. It doesn't change the fact that the Suns already had two starting caliber point guards already under contract.

So to make an argument in favor of the Bledsoe extension based on anything having to do with Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets rings kind of hollow for me.

[Shabazz]

But what do you think of that Anthony Davis guy?