Suns 2022 Off-Season Thread

[SunsRIt]

Booker is not a type A driven guy. He complained about being doubled in pickup games. You know what Kobe said to that? He said, I would have told them to send another. Big difference.

Booker isn't as good as Kobe Bryant?! NO, say it isn't true.

Who said anything about Booker being as good as Kobe. Certainly wasn’t me.

[Drewsprocket]

Ok that’s just ridiculous. Some of you guys are getting cray. Book transcends his abilities. He’s type A personality but doesn’t have an Apex athletic body. Every year he grows and does more than he could before. But he’ll never be AI or JORDAN OR Kobe or Carter. Book is more Nash type athlete than a Kobe. And let’s all not forget Kobe’s trash years post Shaq and before Gasol.
Last year in the playoffs he was able to torch teams. Clearly that ended this season with his injury and the rest of his supporting cast no showing. He can’t overcome getting blitzed by defenses that took away their first and second looks all within their first action. It put pressure on Everyone else to come through and Monty wasn’t throwing out his playbook following a franchise record winning season.

[Superbone]

Booker is not a type A driven guy. He complained about being doubled in pickup games. You know what Kobe said to that? He said, I would have told them to send another. Big difference.

Booker isn't as good as Kobe Bryant?! NO, say it isn't true.

Who said anything about Booker being as good as Kobe. Certainly wasn’t me.

Well, you did say he isn't a type A player and that's definitely not true.

[Superbone]

Ok that’s just ridiculous. Some of you guys are getting cray. Book transcends his abilities. He’s type A personality but doesn’t have an Apex athletic body. Every year he grows and does more than he could before. But he’ll never be AI or JORDAN OR Kobe or Carter. Book is more Nash type athlete than a Kobe. And let’s all not forget Kobe’s trash years post Shaq and before Gasol.
Last year in the playoffs he was able to torch teams. Clearly that ended this season with his injury and the rest of his supporting cast no showing. He can’t overcome getting blitzed by defenses that took away their first and second looks all within their first action. It put pressure on Everyone else to come through and Monty wasn’t throwing out his playbook following a franchise record winning season.

Yeah, you get it. As far as the bolded part though, I'd say he's somewhere in the middle.

[Drewsprocket]

Ayton might be capable of being 25/10, but to do so he would have to improve his ball handling a lot. He gets stripped way too easily and loses the ball when he tries to make a move of more than one dribble or so. I agree that being with CP3 and Book reduced his shots, but if you just throw Ayton the ball and ask him to create offense, at this point in his career you're going to be disappointed.

If he goes to Det he’ll become a 25 and 10 guy. And will be lucky to get 25 wins. Fans really pushing a narrative here. Anytime defenses keyed on him, they kept him from getting the ball in his spots and getting scoring comfortably.

Yeah. Unlike Booker who just demolished Dallas when they keyed in on him.

No one can break down blitzing double teams throughout a playoff game let alone series. Jordan had to learn to trust his teammates. Can Book score in the clutch sure. He’s nailed big shots plenty of times but if you’re suggesting that he just hero ball long 2’s and 3’ to win as our only option to win, then just keep playing 2k. AI is probably the best we’ve ever seen do that. What could Book due to breakdown a blitz aside from pulling up for a long 2? We’re talking about the action where Book with the ball playing to either get to his spot or pass into Ayton. The Mavs blitz took both the passing lane and his shooting spots which is why the ball had to be swung so often to Crowder or Bridges. CP3 was toast for whatever reason and couldn’t get to his spot either.

Looking back, we needed to beat the Mavs the way we beat LA without CP3 by using Cam Payne as an additional scoring threat off the dribble which let Book just score from all over the floor and keeping the pass open for Ayton. Where the f was Cam Payne?
Edit: obviously Lebron earlier was unstoppable downhill.

[JeremyG]

What they missed is he had a .568 TS% when he got more touches and has been over .650 TS% with CP3.

And none of that improvement could possibly be due to him improving his shooting after only his second season in the league?

And .568 TS% isn't horrible anyway. Anthony Davis has had All-Star years shooting worse than that.

[specialsauce]

Ok that’s just ridiculous. Some of you guys are getting cray. Book transcends his abilities. He’s type A personality but doesn’t have an Apex athletic body. Every year he grows and does more than he could before. But he’ll never be AI or JORDAN OR Kobe or Carter. Book is more Nash type athlete than a Kobe. And let’s all not forget Kobe’s trash years post Shaq and before Gasol.
Last year in the playoffs he was able to torch teams. Clearly that ended this season with his injury and the rest of his supporting cast no showing. He can’t overcome getting blitzed by defenses that took away their first and second looks all within their first action. It put pressure on Everyone else to come through and Monty wasn’t throwing out his playbook following a franchise record winning season.

I’m responding to the comment that all defenses have to do is key in on DA to make him uncomfortable and take him out of the game. That’s exactly what the Mavs did with Book.

[Split T]

What they missed is he had a .568 TS% when he got more touches and has been over .650 TS% with CP3.

And none of that improvement could possibly be due to him improving his shooting after only his second season in the league?

And .568 TS% isn't horrible anyway. Anthony Davis has had All-Star years shooting worse than that.

Sure of course it could. It’s still a massive difference. Also I agree, .568 isn’t bad. It’s pretty average overall, though probably below average for a big.

What do you say about Ayton’s lack of aggression? Do you not think that’s a problem? He’s got a negative trend in his free throw rate…somehow he’s gotten worse at drawing fouls. He’s an incredibly efficient shooter, but right now he has to be set up, he doesn’t draw fouls and he doesn’t create scoring opportunities for others. Those are all pretty crucial things for someone who wants to be a #1 option on offense. I’m assuming you think he’d develop those traits, what has he shown you to believe that?

[Drewsprocket]

Ok that’s just ridiculous. Some of you guys are getting cray. Book transcends his abilities. He’s type A personality but doesn’t have an Apex athletic body. Every year he grows and does more than he could before. But he’ll never be AI or JORDAN OR Kobe or Carter. Book is more Nash type athlete than a Kobe. And let’s all not forget Kobe’s trash years post Shaq and before Gasol.
Last year in the playoffs he was able to torch teams. Clearly that ended this season with his injury and the rest of his supporting cast no showing. He can’t overcome getting blitzed by defenses that took away their first and second looks all within their first action. It put pressure on Everyone else to come through and Monty wasn’t throwing out his playbook following a franchise record winning season.

I’m responding to the comment that all defenses have to do is key in on DA to make him uncomfortable and take him out of the game. That’s exactly what the Mavs did with Book.

I hear what you’re saying. I’d like you to consider the difference between keying in on defensively. The Clippers and Bucks keyed in Book and CP3 with throwing intimidating defenders at them. Book struggles with being pushed around sometimes but so long as his team is firing on all cylinders, Suns win and he plays lole a star. With the Bucks, Giannis put on an all great performance to win and suns lack of physicality down low and lack of talent lost out.
The Mavs didn’t beat up n Book. They took out their first and second looks in our first action (in essence they took out Book, Ayton, and CP3). The Suns’ typical counters weren’t working. CP3 didn’t have it. Here’s an example.

This wasn’t Paul George, or Pat Bev, or Dru Holiday hounding Book. This was a coordinated defense taking away our offense: with mid range blitzing our bread and butter (CP3 and Books’ shooting spots and good passing lane to Ayton). This was an X’s and O’s problem amidst what was supposed to be a solid unit of guys who could back up. Next year, Suns better come correct with more star power for Book or better 3 pt shooting. If Ayton does re-sign, they better figure out a counter because we’re toast- again.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Is he allowed to wear Majerle's number in the Summer League?

[TOO]

I hope he makes it just because his name is cool.

[Mori Chu]

With Vrenz like him, who needs enemies?

[ShelC]

Came across Vrenz last year but have been digging in a bit more...really intriguing player at 6-10 with legit ballhandling and playmaking skills -not so much a high post passing big but more of a PnR guard. His lack of weight/strength might be holding him back at this point (he's been listed anywhere between 190-220 lbs) and his competition in Europe wasn't always great. He worked out for the Kings, Grizz, Spurs, Hornets, Thunder and Knicks prior to the draft last year and had 2nd round buzz but went undrafted. Then he played for Chicago's GLeague team in February but didn't do much of anything.

I do like that we're up on some of the top euro players and are bringing them in - first Iffe and now Vrenz.

[Split T]

I could definitely get behind an Ayton for Collins swap

[Wally_West]

I could definitely get behind an Ayton for Collins swap

And then trade him for KD, fuck yeah.

[Split T]

Well that too haha

How about CP3, Bridges, and Ayton for Kyrie and KD, then Crowder and Shamet for Grant

Use the tax payer MLE to add another bench guard and bring back Biyombo at the min

Kyrie/Booker/CamJ/Grant/KD with
Payne/TPMLE/Craig/Saric/Biyombo off the bench

[Wally_West]

What about just Bridges and Ayton(or Collins) for KD. No need to bring Kyrie into this lol

[Split T]

Haha, ya I was mostly just joking about Kyrie

[Indy]

[Indy]

Hopefully a bigger sign Sarver is gone?