Suns News: Week 21 3/14-3/20

[The Bobster]

Scoring 20 points a game isn't the hard part - Knight is almost there. The hard part is doing it efficiently and contributing in other ways too.

[Cap]

Booker looks like he'll mature into a really efficient scorer. A TS% of .552 for a 19-year-old without much offensive help is very auspicious.

[OE32]

Knight has that annoying playground PG game. You know, the guy who thinks he's a distributor, but in fact, will not pass unless it's for an assist. Oh, you want to create your own shot? You're going to pass it to someone else? Nah. I GOT THIS.

[Mori Chu]

In other words, garbage.

[OE32]

I keep waiting for him to humble himself - you know, commit to the PROCESS... of handing the reigns to superior talents.

This whole "3 scoring PGs" thing - one huge problem, from my perspective. TJ Warren. What's the point of having a bona fide bulk scorer if your guards are taking all the shots? With guys like that in the fold, what you want is defense.

Took a look at upcoming free agents. Not a lot of defense-first guys in the group. Dudley is a lesser Tucker. Courtney Lee would be an option if we could move one of Bled or Knight. Batum won't sign with us. I'm not seeing a lot of good options there. I'd take a look at Deng, though.

I'd LOOOVE to trade Bled or Knight in a deal that nets us Crowder and/or Bradley. Don't know how to make that happen. Maybe trading down if we end up in the #4 slot with the Celts at #5 - I have a feeling that Jamal Murray and Dragan Bender will be the exclusive occupants of Tier II after Ingram and Simmons. We can't, we just can't draft Jamal Murray, even if he is BPA, can we? That being the case, I would expect a trade.

[Ring_Wanted]

Crowder has become another Ainge home run. Nobody talks about the Rondo deal but it was a true heist for Boston. The thing is the Celtics don't need Bleds or Knight anymore with IT4, Smart, Bradley and Turner, especially if the cost is Crowder. I'm sure they'd love Len, though.

The pick worries me too. All I can see is how Dunn is BPA (although his stock is falling lately). Again, I'd be all for it if the current PGs were moved.

[pickle]

Here's a thought... Don't sign any free agents. Continue to suck a little and develop the young players. I'm all for adding some chemistry pieces, but just let the young 'uns grow. It's not like we were an attractive product earlier in the season with Bledsoe and Knight playing and that 7-5 record...

[Ring_Wanted]

I am interested in rotation players who add chemistry and know how. Say a Darrell Arthur. I am ok with losing one more season, but it has to be done the right way. Besides trading one of Bledsoe-Knight I think experience and leadership are very needed for the kid's sake (let's also keep in mind that Watson is a rookie).

[OE32]

Rambling this morning...

I'd be happy rolling one of these picks forward and depending on other teams' losing for our draft prospects going forward. After adding one or two solid talents in this draft, I'm ready to start winning and relying more heavily on trades and free agency for improvement.

McD has not shown an interest in losing valuable players via free agency, preferring instead to acquire draft picks. I'd like to keep that up, obviously. It isn't easy, but it's one way to avoid collapse.

... Back to Knight. There are some players who are wired to want to make others better. Then there are guys who have that need to show that they are the best. Chip on their shoulder. The only way Knight works for us is if he can be the former, not the latter. But he's been all the latter all season. At this point, with his play this season, could we even get a mid-first for him in a trade? Not that that's what my target would be, but it's just sad to look back at that trade and consider how much value we gave up for a player who has shown no inclination to put the team first in his time here so far. There's a 45% chance that Lakers pick turns into a #4 or 5 in this draft, and even if it rolls over to next season, it's hard to imagine it won't be top 7. Who wouldn't trade Knight and the CLE pick (and arguably Tyson Chandler) for IT, Ennis and the Lakers pick? Sure, it would have meant winning more games this season and thereby lowering our own pick, but that's a trade you make 10 times out of 10. Just rehashing here. Hindsight may be 20/20, but the vast majority of posters here called that trade garbage when we made it, and they were right. I get the feeling that the reason Knight keeps trying to prove himself rather that improve others is that he simply doesn't have what it takes from a talent standpoint. He's fast and can get his own shot, but he can't break down defenses and get the ball where it needs to be. Man, how I wish I was wrong.

... Again on free agents. Defensive-minded team-first guys will go a long way towards helping our young guys be successful. You can add veteran talent while still developing young talent, but it has to be the right veterans. Chandler is one of those guys. I'd like to add one more. Ish Smith already turned down a solid offer from us, and you have to think Philly will spend money to keep him, but he'd be a great add.

[pickle]

I agree with what you are saying OE, but I'd have to say, in terms of defensive-minded team-first guys, we have one already in Ronnie Price, and few seem to like having him on the team. And yes, I get that he took time away from younger players, so really, we need defensive team-first veterans for positions of weakness, which at this point might be just the 4 position. And if that's the case, then I probably am not very interested in Ish Smith.

Agree with your take on Knight. I quite like him, but he's just not working out.

[carey]

Sportscenter back in the day was Suns v. Lakers from the playoff series with Nash v. Kobe. Diaw called timeout before the jump ball and we were screwed as usual. Kobe hit a shot at the buzzer to put LAL up 3-1.

No mention of course that L.A. would lose that series 4-3.

[Sunsfan4life]

[video][/video]

10 Years ago..can't believe it's been that long. One of my favorite teams (and series) of all time.

[OE32]

I've never loved a team as much as the 04-05 Suns. Thought we were set up for a dynasty. News of the microfracture that offseason was my worst day as a Suns fan, followed by the day McDyess went to Denver.

I was too young to really be hurt by our loss in the '93 finals. The Artest rebound and putback was another really bad day. Lots of heartbreaking moments in the Nash era. The more it hurts, the more you love, I think.

[ShelC]

The 04-05 team was the most fun I think, but the 05-06 may have been my favorite. No Amar'e but more underdog/undervalued players in Raja, KT, Boris. High IQ basketball, more team play IMO and not as reliant on Nash doing everything for everyone because of Boris' emergence.

The one lesson I think we should all take away, but maybe ownership and management haven't learned, is that sometimes you gotta keep a team together and let them fail, in order to grow. It can't be "Well, we didn't win a title this year so let's make some changes". Felt like every year, there was this urgency to make changes.

[Mori Chu]

05-06 was unforgettable. The SSOL book is a treat to re-read even now. Miss that bunch of guys and especially Nash.

[carey]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15006 ... ard-future

The Book on Booker by Zach Lowe

[Indy]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15006 ... ard-future

The Book on Booker by Zach Lowe

Well written

[Split T]

Thank goodness for Booker, I wonder what state we'd all be in had we drafted say Sam Dekker. Booker gives us hope.

[carey]

Suns sign Alan Williams to a contract for the rest of the season with an option on '16-'17.

[The Bobster]

Suns sign Alan Williams to a contract for the rest of the season with an option on '16-'17.

They were VERY impressed with that free throw he made against Utah apparently!