Suns News: The Offseason (2016)

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Hey Cardoso, tickets for the games at CDMX are already on sale in Superboletos.com. Are you still up for going together?

I''m looking forward to assist the 14th at the red zone, "Retractil", but they only sell them in packages for the two games, 12th & 14th. Wonder if you are interested in going to both games, and purchase mine for the 12th.

Retractil 1 is going at $5,879 MXN including both games I think.

[O_Gardino]

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

I agree.

*crosses every finger

[Superbone]

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.

Of course there's no guarantee. James Harden can't defend a chair. I think Booker will become a much better defender than what we've seen so far. I already saw improvement in Summer League. Of course, well, that's just like my opinion, man.

[sunshoopjunky]

I think the thing that Booker has going for him that none of the other 19 year-olds in the league have yet, is a developed psyche. This is also being reinforced by figures outside our team. The media has started to catch on. It really is his dream to lose. If he puts in the work, and puts the correct people around himself, then the sky really is the limit. Right now Booker has caught lightning in a bottle really the only question in my mind is can he keep it and if so for how long? The second question is has Sarver finally learned all the lessons he needs to make sure that he doesnt mess it up?

On a side note talent wise I think there are several players on our team that can match Booker. If Len, Goodwin, Warren had the right psyche we could be having the same conversation about them. For me that's the exciting thing about the Suns and the place they are right now. The right stretch of games for any of our players and because of their youth lightning can be caught. As far as the rookies this year I have not seen enough to tell you.

I can say tho that Ulis reminds me a lot of Nash so that means we will get rid of him and then get him back in a few years right before his MVP seasons that's exciting! I just hope we don't lose Booker because of it (FOE).

[Superbone]

Some pretty funny stories courtesy of Shaq in his short stint in Phoenix:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /90111464/

[ShelC]

On a side note talent wise I think there are several players on our team that can match Booker. If Len, Goodwin, Warren had the right psyche we could be having the same conversation about them.

Not quite sure I agree. Booker has an extremely high basketball IQ, combined with an uncanny maturity and work ethic for someone so young. On top of that, he has actual basketball fundamentals that can be honed. Those 3 may have a couple of those traits, but not all.

[Indy]

On a side note talent wise I think there are several players on our team that can match Booker. If Len, Goodwin, Warren had the right psyche we could be having the same conversation about them.

Not quite sure I agree. Booker has an extremely high basketball IQ, combined with an uncanny maturity and work ethic for someone so young. On top of that, he has actual basketball fundamentals that can be honed. Those 3 may have a couple of those traits, but not all.

This.

[JCSunsfan]

On a side note talent wise I think there are several players on our team that can match Booker. If Len, Goodwin, Warren had the right psyche we could be having the same conversation about them.

Not quite sure I agree. Booker has an extremely high basketball IQ, combined with an uncanny maturity and work ethic for someone so young. On top of that, he has actual basketball fundamentals that can be honed. Those 3 may have a couple of those traits, but not all.

This.

I would agree. There is a total skills, athletic, mental package with Booker. His only weakness is defense and I would think he could significantly improve there given his work ethic.

Funny thing is that Tyler Ulis has the same make-up. His only deficiency is height and weight but he happens to play the position where that matters least. I have pretty high hopes for Ulis.

[Cap]

SI is counting down the Top 100 players in the NBA. So far they have published 51-100. AASE appears on the list at #98 and Booker at #100. Presumably Bleds will appear in the Top 50.

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/09/12/nba-to ... r-rankings

[Phoenix219]

Some pretty funny stories courtesy of Shaq in his short stint in Phoenix:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /90111464/

Everyone talks about the failure that was the Shaq experiment, but the honest to god truth is WE DON'T KNOW.

We wasted half the year with Terry Porter..... had 3 of the most offensively potent games *ever* when we finally had our system back, Nash and Amare doing what they do best, and Shaq in the paint.... and almost immediately lost Amare to the eye injury. The next season we jettisoned the experiment (and, i believe, passed on Tyson Chandler) - we will never know how Shaq would have truly turned out in the right circumstances, because we bungled the moves, just like we bungle ALL the moves.

[Shabazz]

The Terry Porter hiring was low-key a bottom-3 Sarver move.

[O_Gardino]

^ Agreed

^^ Agreed

[Superbone]

The Terry Porter hiring was low-key a bottom-3 Sarver move.

That was the worst. I'm just glad he recovered pretty quickly. By the all-star break if I remember correctly.

[Ring_Wanted]

Some pretty funny stories courtesy of Shaq in his short stint in Phoenix:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/h ... /90111464/

Everyone talks about the failure that was the Shaq experiment, but the honest to god truth is WE DON'T KNOW.

We wasted half the year with Terry Porter..... had 3 of the most offensively potent games *ever* when we finally had our system back, Nash and Amare doing what they do best, and Shaq in the paint.... and almost immediately lost Amare to the eye injury. The next season we jettisoned the experiment (and, i believe, passed on Tyson Chandler) - we will never know how Shaq would have truly turned out in the right circumstances, because we bungled the moves, just like we bungle ALL the moves.

The half year Shaq spent with Mike D was not a marvel either. The Spurs bounced us in the first round and I still remember Shaq's goaltending on a key three. He also left Duncan open for his stupid three, chasing Manu well inside the three point line when a two didn't help San Antonio.

And there was his salary. That monstrous contract on somebody who at the time was not more than a role player unless everything revolved around him, like Porter tried, with the results we all know.

Ugh, Mori bring back that pickture of a tombstone that read RIP 7SOL.

I liked Shaq, though, but the move was a mistake (even if trading Marion was the right call, although that's another story).

[Phoenix219]

The year that we had to integrate him on the fly, with a guy less willing to make adjustments then Gentry, an injured Grant Hill, and no time to adjust to Marion's absence? I don't think that half year really qualifies either. We never had all of our pieces healthy and with the right schemes to ever know if Shaq could have been successful, IMO.

[Mori Chu]

Sometimes I disagree with P219's takes on past Suns eras/seasons, but I agree with him a lot about the Shaq era. We didn't really get to see it at 100% strength. But them's the breaks.

(Also, hi, P219! Always great to see ya.)

[Superbone]

Sometimes I disagree with P219's takes on past Suns eras/seasons, but I agree with him a lot about the Shaq era. We didn't really get to see it at 100% strength. But them's the breaks.

(Also, hi, P219! Always great to see ya.)

I always think who knows what would have happened had Duncan not hit that game winning 3 pointer. That Suns team could have gone on to win it all. We'll never know.

[ShelC]

On a different note, we hired Mehmet Okur as a player development coach. Kinda like the move since he can work with Bender and Chriss on their perimeter games, as well as Len.

Not sure if it was an actual rumor or just something I wanted to happen, but I remember him being a FA in 2004 and wanting us to sign him away from the Pistons. He signed a 6 year 50 mil deal with the Jazz, we signed QRich.

[Superbone]

Nice. I think we have a deep developmental staff.

[Superbone]

Some other nuggets in the Okur AZCentral article:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /90309470/

Okur will specialize in all Suns post players' skill development, joining a player development staff that also added Scott Duncan and Marlon Garnett and returns player development coach Jason Fraser.

Okur, Turkey's first NBA All-Star, and Bender already have a commonality because each man grew up idolizing Toni Kukoc.

The Suns also announced the addition of Jason Hervey as an advance scout. Hervey has worked in the NBA for 11 years with Minnesota (2014-16 college scout), Detroit (2012-14 director of basketball operations), Washington (2009-12 advance scout and video coordinator) and Detroit (2005-09 assistant video coordinator).