Suns News: The Offseason (2016)

[AmareIsGod]

At least we have the Superbowl projected Arizona Cardinals to cheer for in the meantime while we wait.

[TOO]

Until Palmer goes down with a strained belly button in week 3.

[JCSunsfan]

Until Palmer goes down with a strained belly button in week 3.

So, what is that supposed to mean? Are you accusing Palmer of being soft or sitting out because of minor injuries?

[Superbone]

Suns C Alan Williams becomes 14th guaranteed contract
BY ARIZONA SPORTS | September 1, 2016 @ 6:04 pm

Suns center Alan Williams’ contract has become guaranteed for the 2016-17 season, effectively giving Phoenix a roster of 14 guaranteed contracts.

The backup center will now be guaranteed his $874,636 contract.

Retaining Williams secures the depth chart for the Suns, who have a lively big body and solid third center behind Tyson Chandler and Alex Len.

Read more...

https://twitter.com/alantwilliams/status/771467373429813248 https://twitter.com/Earl_Watson/status/771485119936724992

[AmareIsGod]

Until Palmer goes down with a strained belly button in week 3.

So, what is that supposed to mean? Are you accusing Palmer of being soft or sitting out because of minor injuries?

Agree. Not sure what is being inferred. Palmer has missed games due to ACL tears. Those aren't injuries that you man up and tough out.

[Cap]

Congrats to Big Sauce for securing a season ticket for one of the best seats in the building.

[OE32]

A solid series on the Suns today at http://www.nba.com/. Quenched my thirst a little bit.

Happy Labor Day, fellas.

[Mori Chu]

I've been out of town for a week, so I haven't visited the site much. Can't wait to see the team all back in town and playing games together. August is such a dead NBA month!

[O_Gardino]

Here's a pretty decent piece from BSotS on the return of Warren. There's a good bit of statistical analysis, and a fairly balanced take on Warren's strengths and weaknesses. Plus the embedded video of his highest scoring game. Fun to watch.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... o-recovery

After doing individual workouts for the last month or so, the last bit with assistant coach Ty Corbin, the just-turned 23 year old will start out with two-on-two, then three-on-three before graduating to full court five-on-five scrimmaging later this month if all goes well with the foot.

What I like about Warren is his extreme comfort in broken plays and when the ball is up for grabs. He can poke the ball and knock it around in the air before scoring a basket without ever really gaining possession in the traditional sense. He's a very gifted scorer, and I hope we take advantage of that.

[OE32]

Here's a pretty decent piece from BSotS on the return of Warren. There's a good bit of statistical analysis, and a fairly balanced take on Warren's strengths and weaknesses. Plus the embedded video of his highest scoring game. Fun to watch.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... o-recovery

After doing individual workouts for the last month or so, the last bit with assistant coach Ty Corbin, the just-turned 23 year old will start out with two-on-two, then three-on-three before graduating to full court five-on-five scrimmaging later this month if all goes well with the foot.

What I like about Warren is his extreme comfort in broken plays and when the ball is up for grabs. He can poke the ball and knock it around in the air before scoring a basket without ever really gaining possession in the traditional sense. He's a very gifted scorer, and I hope we take advantage of that.

My only complaint is that the article spends a lot of time dissecting the incompatibility of Booker and Warren before mentioning that every piece of their analysis applies equally well to Knight and Warren and then giving the shrug. Sample size, folks.

Start TJ. And give him the damn ball. What's the point to having a great scorer like that on the floor if you're just going to jack it up from mid-range? Lookin at you, Keef and AASE.

[Ring_Wanted]

Booker and Warren are not incompatible. Actually, if you put enough role players around those two, you can easily engine an offense.

[Cap]

Anyone going to the open scrimmage on Oct 1?

[TOO]

Am I the only one who just saw that the court is being re-purpled?

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/QT ... ing-season

[Superbone]

Am I the only one who just saw that the court is being re-purpled?

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/QT ... ing-season

Nope, was just getting ready to post it myself. I've been a little busy having moved (after 14 years in the same house) last weekend.

Here's the AZCentral article I was going to post:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /89925452/

I for one am really glad to hear it. Much less Halloweeny now.

[Superbone]

Tyler Ulis earns the respect of fellow rookies

As noted earlier this week, the Suns rookie trio represented well in the annual rookie survey.

The survey pretty much reiterated what we were exposed to all summer and during Summer League from our young guns: Marquese Chriss is really athletic, Dragan Bender is malleable and huge, which could lead to a long career, and Tyler Ulis was a freaking steal. Sure, it’s nice to know in our heart of hearts that the other rookies around the league feel the same way as us rampaging fans do, but at the end of the day, it is all just offseason fluff.

With that said, even a cynic like myself couldn’t help but be surprised at the amount of respect that Ulis garnered from his fellow rookies. Of the eight questions asked, Ulis’ name came up on six of them, including a nice cameo in the footnotes of the “most athletic” question. Traditionally, you would not associate someone with Ulis’ stature as “most athletic,” but when you really sit down and think about it, the description fits.

Read more...

[Superbone]

You should buy whatever Devin Booker stock is left

If you haven’t been following the Devin Booker hype train in the past year, here’s a list of what’s been going on for the 19-year-old Phoenix Sun following his rookie year.

Get an endorsement from the best player in the world? Check. Make a hypothetical 2020 Olympic team? Check. Be the athlete Drake reps at his concert? Check.

For some, this is becoming a bit much. Sure, the No. 13 overall pick in last year’s draft has far exceeded expectations and has a bright future, but we shouldn’t go too far and start penciling him as an All-Star for the next decade.

Actually, we should.

Booker was a tough evaluation coming out of Kentucky. He played with two ball-dominant — and when I say ball-dominant, I MEAN ball-dominant — guards and the No. 1 overall pick, along with one of the most stocked up Kentucky rosters of talent ever assembled.

Read more...

[JCSunsfan]

Am I the only one who just saw that the court is being re-purpled?

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/QT ... ing-season

Nope, was just getting ready to post it myself. I've been a little busy having moved (after 14 years in the same house) last weekend.

Here's the AZCentral article I was going to post:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /89925452/

I for one am really glad to hear it. Much less Halloweeny now.

Now, if they would just get rid of that stupid, meaningless "We are PHX" slogan.

[JCSunsfan]

You should buy whatever Devin Booker stock is left

If you haven’t been following the Devin Booker hype train in the past year, here’s a list of what’s been going on for the 19-year-old Phoenix Sun following his rookie year.

Get an endorsement from the best player in the world? Check. Make a hypothetical 2020 Olympic team? Check. Be the athlete Drake reps at his concert? Check.

For some, this is becoming a bit much. Sure, the No. 13 overall pick in last year’s draft has far exceeded expectations and has a bright future, but we shouldn’t go too far and start penciling him as an All-Star for the next decade.

Actually, we should.

Booker was a tough evaluation coming out of Kentucky. He played with two ball-dominant — and when I say ball-dominant, I MEAN ball-dominant — guards and the No. 1 overall pick, along with one of the most stocked up Kentucky rosters of talent ever assembled.

Read more...

Man its nice to have a potential star on the roster. The sophomore year for Booker will be telling regarding his potential: star, superstar, or flash in the pan.

[Superbone]

No way is he a flash in the pan. The only question is star or superstar.

[Cap]

There's no guarantee of anything. For one thing, he has yet to prove that he can be a two-way player.

Maybe not entirely his fault. It's not like he had a lot of help on defense on this team. But even in terms of individual skills, like staying in front of his man, he gets beat routinely. At this point in his career, it's fair to call him a defensive liability. The fact that he's just 19 gives us high hopes for improvement, but doesn't guarantee it.