Suns News: The Offseason (2015)

[Split T]

Man, just think if you could pair the two up some how...

Can Cousins play pf?

The Kings are banking on it, as they want to pair him with WCS. Cousins certainly has uncharacteristic mobility for that size, but if opposite teams move him around with a pick and roll stretch 4, his conditioning will be tested.

I think they'd just put WCS on the 4 in that case. Defensively that pairing will be more than fine. The question would be if they got in each others way on offense. WCS developing a reliable 15 footer would be huge. It'd free up cousins to work down low. And cousins is pretty versatile offensively, he's best near the rim, but he can put the ball on the floor a bit and drive from the elbow. And his mid range jumper is decent.

[Indy]

Man, just think if you could pair the two up some how...

Can Cousins play pf?

The Kings are banking on it, as they want to pair him with WCS. Cousins certainly has uncharacteristic mobility for that size, but if opposite teams move him around with a pick and roll stretch 4, his conditioning will be tested.

I think they'd just put WCS on the 4 in that case. Defensively that pairing will be more than fine. The question would be if they got in each others way on offense. WCS developing a reliable 15 footer would be huge. It'd free up cousins to work down low. And cousins is pretty versatile offensively, he's best near the rim, but he can put the ball on the floor a bit and drive from the elbow. And his mid range jumper is decent.

Remember when we used the Suns Offseason thread to talk about our players' potential?

[Split T]

Man, just think if you could pair the two up some how...

Can Cousins play pf?

The Kings are banking on it, as they want to pair him with WCS. Cousins certainly has uncharacteristic mobility for that size, but if opposite teams move him around with a pick and roll stretch 4, his conditioning will be tested.

I think they'd just put WCS on the 4 in that case. Defensively that pairing will be more than fine. The question would be if they got in each others way on offense. WCS developing a reliable 15 footer would be huge. It'd free up cousins to work down low. And cousins is pretty versatile offensively, he's best near the rim, but he can put the ball on the floor a bit and drive from the elbow. And his mid range jumper is decent.

Remember when we used the Suns Offseason thread to talk about our players' potential?

Let's talk about the potential of a Len-Chandler pairing. Anybody think Len will be enough of a mid range threat to allow them to play together? Could be a pretty special defensive/rebounding duo.

Anyone else think using Tucker more as a stretch 4 is a good idea? With markieff possibly headed elsewhere, moving Tucker to the 4 could open more minutes for Warren/weems/booker/Goodwin and I think it makes a lot of sense. He'd always be paired with Chandler or Len to defend the rim. He's not a great shooter, but he's a threat to make a 3, especially in the corner.

He could be a similar player to Draymond green. Green is better, but they are about the same size, green may have an inch or two on Tucker, but both have the strength to battle in the post and still D up on the perimeter. Both rebound well. Tucker isn't as skilled ball handling, passing, or shooting, but actually might fair better playing against 4's. Anyways, I think it's worth a shot.

[Split T]

In fact there is a lot of similarities between the rosters. Just GS's versions are quite a bit better.

Len/Chandler - Bogut

Tucker - Green

Knight - Curry. Knight has a long ways to go, but similar styles

Booker - Thompson. Probably best case scenario for booker.

Goodwin - Barbosa. Probably best case scenario for Goodwin.

Weems - Iggy?? I don't know enough about weems, but seems like he could have a similar roll. Iggy is a top notch defender and highly skilled point forward though. I think weems has some defense/playmaking potential though.

Warren - Barnes. Basically just similar sized. Barnes is more of an athlete/shooter

[Indy]

I think anything to keep Tucker from bringing the ball up the court would be good. I can see him doing well at the 4 for stretches.

[carey]

I think anything to keep Tucker from bringing the ball up the court would be good. I can see him doing well at the 4 for stretches.

I think he'll be a total zero on offense if guarded by PFs. However, I would also like to see him bring the ball up the court less. Much less.

[Indy]

I think anything to keep Tucker from bringing the ball up the court would be good. I can see him doing well at the 4 for stretches.

I think he'll be a total zero on offense if guarded by PFs. However, I would also like to see him bring the ball up the court less. Much less.

I think it depends on the PF and how we are playing center at that time. But I get your point.

[djy2j]

Markieff officially demands a trade. Dont feel like posting the link but its on azcentral. Heres a quote:
"... I am not going to be there at all. That's just what it is."

Markieff is your stereotypical example of what happens to athletes when they let money get to their heads.

Who does he think would want him? Hes among league leaders in technical fouls and now facing felony charges off the court. Hes got a piss poor attitude and unproffessonally demanding a trade. He has averaged 15 points a game on a mediocre team. Hes attached to his brother who is a worse player and an even worse character.

Hes a bum. I know it wont happen but I wish the Suns would pay him NOT to play. Just tell him they are going to let his contract ride out and stay away. They arent going to get anything from the team they trade him to so just let him sit. CBA rules prevent thst from happening im sure but if he wants to be gone so bad then make him take a buyout.

Fuck the Morris twins up their stupid asses.

[Phoeknicks]

I really hate that these morons are making the Suns look bad. These guys refuse to take any responsibility for wrong. It is a clear example of what I try to teach my students. Just own up to your stuff and move on. Covering it up makes you a sociopath that has to be right. I will be so happy to see this purge complete for the Suns. Similar to throwing up in a public place. This gross stuff has to come out. At this point I do not care what the Suns get in return.

[Shabazz]

Kieff and Tucker are the last remnants of the Blanks era.

[Mori Chu]

Markieff is your stereotypical example of what happens to athletes when they let money get to their heads.

In this case what I would say is that Markieff has tunnel vision or selective memory. He actually took a pretty modest contract to be here, which in isolation is very nice of him and seems to show loyalty to this team and this city. But I think he feels that he took a discount and only signed at that price because we were also signing his brother. I think he feels like the unspoken agreement was that we'd keep the two Morrii for the duration of that deal, or at the very least, if we were going to trade one, we'd trade them as a package.

So in a way, I can see why he's so upset to be separated from his twin brother again. But he's ignoring all of the other things that happened this past season on and off the court. He and (especially) his brother were trouble-makers and jerks.

The team I really chuckle at is Detroit. Why in the world did they pick up Marcus Morris? What possible use can he be there, considering that he'll be just as miffed as Markieff? Those guys won't be happy again until they're back on the same team. Maybe we should just call Detroit and try to give them Markieff.

[Ring_Wanted]

This guy has to understand that trading his brother didn't came out of the blue. First, it was needed strategically to have a shot at a great player that would have improved the team but above all, it served as a punishment for the highly unprofessional behavior displayed both on and off the court.

Make no mistake, if Marcus Morris was anything special, the move would have been agreed upon by Phoenix and Detroit but only consummated after Aldridge was secured, like teams do rutinely in the league. Instead he was straight dumped, with nothing coming back to show for him, and you have to ask yourself why.

You bark at the coach in front of everybody and on national TV, you bark at refs nonstop, you call out fans. Bad dog. You get kicked out.

Now Markieff has, to some extent, the right to feel obfuscated because individually he took less money, but that's what happens when you have to carry a lesser player into contract negotiations and when you don't want to wait one year to secure money.

If he is not able to see the franchise standpoint or if he just can't see beyond his own grief, that's his problem and hopefully some other team's, as soon as possible, but don't play it like you are a victim when in reality you have brought all this on you by yourselves, acting like Isaiah Rider and Rasheed Wallace while being only a fraction of those players.

My only wish now is that the club doesn't get fleeced in his way out.

Like I said, expiring stuff and a 1stR from second tier East teams like Toronto, Washington or Indiana sounds good to me as a floor in trade scenarios.

[carey]

This guy has to understand that trading his brother didn't came out of the blue. First, it was needed strategically to have a shot at a great player that would have improved the team but above all, it served as a punishment for the highly unprofessional behavior displayed both on and off the court.

Make no mistake, if Marcus Morris was anything special, the move would have been agreed upon by Phoenix and Detroit but only consummated after Aldridge was secured, like teams do rutinely in the league. Instead he was straight dumped, with nothing coming back to show for him, and you have to ask yourself why.

You bark at the coach in front of everybody and on national TV, you bark at refs nonstop, you call out fans. Bad dog. You get kicked out.

Now Markieff has, to some extent, the right to feel obfuscated because individually he took less money, but that's what happens when you have to carry a lesser player into contract negotiations and when you don't want to wait one year to secure money.

If he is not able to see the franchise standpoint or if he just can't see beyond his own grief, that's his problem and hopefully some other team's, as soon as possible, but don't play it like you are a victim when in reality you have brought all this on you by yourselves, acting like Isaiah Rider and Rasheed Wallace while being only a fraction of those players.

My only wish now is that the club doesn't get fleeced in his way out.

Like I said, expiring stuff and a 1stR from second tier East teams like Toronto, Washington or Indiana sounds good to me as a floor in trade scenarios.

Good post, Ring. The only thing I disagree with is what we can get back for Markieff. He's a good player on a good contract that has 4 more years on it. I think you can get a decent haul for that even with the pending legal stuff and the trade "request." Certainly someone as good as Terrence Jones or D-Mo, though I'm not a fan of getting yet another player right before restricted free agency. The Lakers should consider trading Randle for him. He would help that team out a great deal. Another team that should see what they could piece together for him is Minnesota. I don't know what we could take back from them, maybe Payne? I'm sure there's a deal that makes sense somewhere that doesn't totally screw us.

[LazarusLong]

"I really hate that these morons are making the Suns look bad."

Sorry, but it's evidence of the franchise shooting itself in the foot with a bad decision. Babby, et. al., decided to make the twins the face of the franchise, or at least a major component(s). They gave two relatively untested players too much too soon. The twin thing is a little too cutesy for the NBA, but the huckster in Babby thought it would be a good selling point. Maybe to the blue-hairs who sit in the corporate seats provided by relatives, but most of the basketball-savvy fans had trouble buying into it from the get-go.

[ShelC]

In this case what I would say is that Markieff has tunnel vision or selective memory. He actually took a pretty modest contract to be here, which in isolation is very nice of him and seems to show loyalty to this team and this city. But I think he feels that he took a discount and only signed at that price because we were also signing his brother. I think he feels like the unspoken agreement was that we'd keep the two Morrii for the duration of that deal, or at the very least, if we were going to trade one, we'd trade them as a package.

So in a way, I can see why he's so upset to be separated from his twin brother again. But he's ignoring all of the other things that happened this past season on and off the court. He and (especially) his brother were trouble-makers and jerks.

I think this spells everything out.

Bernucca definitely hits hard in this article:

http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2015/08/07 ... o-grow-up/

[Indy]

I have to second the "these guys are making the Suns look bad" critique. The Suns are making the Suns look bad. For years now. The FO has nobody to blame but themselves.

[ShelC]

I still think McD is a solid basketball mind and exec, maybe still learning as he goes. But a lot of this stuff is from Babby and Blanks that McD is try to work thru and clean up.

[Indy]

https://twitter.com/azcsports/status/631484282683424773

[Ring_Wanted]

Certainly someone as good as Terrence Jones or D-Mo, though I'm not a fan of getting yet another player right before restricted free agency. The Lakers should consider trading Randle for him. He would help that team out a great deal. Another team that should see what they could piece together for him is Minnesota. I don't know what we could take back from them, maybe Payne? I'm sure there's a deal that makes sense somewhere that doesn't totally screw us.

Would you really move Randle for him if you were the Lakers? Unless I knew the player is damaged goods, I wouldn't. Did you watch him last summer league before he went down? His combination of strength, quickness and skill with the ball in his hands is not common and jumpshot is silky smooth. Kieff has his tricks but no real star potential. Again, if the Lakers were ok with it, get it done fast af.

Houston, I just don't know. I'd like D-Mo. He has gone from an Archie Goodwin situation to being a legitimate cog on a contender. He is a real low post threat. Morey loves advanced stuff and Motiejunas has great numbers in the paint and D, with potential at shooting threes. Could develop into a hell of a stretch 4. I'd trade Kieff for him, and maybe Morey takes the guaranteed 1on1 midrange game (plus some threes) and the bargain contract over DMo and the prospect of paying him, but I doubt it. I believe Morey is aiming at bigger fishes. For what is worth, I think Houston has a roster and FO that should be able to handle Kieff's personality and they could use him as a third option. I wonder what's the impact of Houston having drafted then traded (dumped) Marcus before, if any.

Minni is a destination I hadn't considered, mainly because Kieff doesn't seem like a good fit, and they are too young and inexperienced to bring in questionable character. Anyway, Payne alone is too little. Would they be willing to gamble a real pick for swaping Kieff and Pekovic? Can you imagine, if healthy, how packed our paint would become? On the other hand Bennet-Payne for Kieff, I believe I'd pass. I like those two wolves but would prefer a pick instead of Bennet. LaVine should be out of reach but you never know.

But really, I think this situation can only be solved quickly if the solution is simple. Two teams: one gains Kieff's contributions on the court, pays with a 1stR and negligible filler. Suns/player move on and the receiving team can buy the idea that a new scenario gets Morris to focus. There is always such a taker for value, like we saw recently with IT3. Toronto should jump on this opportunity. They need to add to 2Pat and what else they have at PF.

[Ring_Wanted]

I still think McD is a solid basketball mind and exec, maybe still learning as he goes. But a lot of this stuff is from Babby and Blanks that McD is try to work thru and clean up.

Overlooked fact. But it's also true that he inherited some good assets like LAL pick and Dragic.

I still don't get over the fact that under his watch the Dragic-Frye combo was dismantled and alienated and that he used the LAL pick to acquire a player who so evidently didn't have a future with Milwaukee, and who in any case is not special, although still has potential. If nothing else, it is not an expensive deal given the circumstances.

Didn't like selecting Tyler Ennis either. And what makes it worse is that right now we actually have a role for him as 3rd PG and only real floor general.

Needless to speak about how IT3 turned out.