When the regular seasons starts, Suns coach Earl Watson has to cut down his rotation to a manageable size. Unfortunately, that means someone or someone(s) will be disappointed in their bench role future, and one of those guys might be your favorite player.
Watson already stared down one big decision by making Brandon Knight a permanent fixture on the bench while promoting teenager (soon to be 20) Devin Booker to the starting lineup. On the court, this move appears to have paid dividends as Knight has led the second unit in scoring while Booker shows he belongs in the starting unit.
“It will be a mix,” he said of the fourth guard off the bench behind Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Brandon Knight. “Depending on how the game flows. We really want to try to keep two out of those three on the court at the same time, so it really can’t be a solid 10. That 10th guy flows here and there. Whoever that guy is, will play itself out.”
I love Wiliams but never thought he'd be a rotation guy. With Ulis, again, tough with minutes and Knight back there. Chriss seems to be the more effective player because he can attack and plays inside-out. We may need that more when Dudley comes off, then a 7-1 perimeter guy in a lineup of Bledsoe, Knight, Booker and Chandler/Len.
Williams is a great end-of-the bench big man, who can absorb fouls, thump under the boards, and provide cheerleading support.
He knows what he is, too, and is happy with any role he gets.
I could see Leandro and Ulis alternating from game to game, depending on the situation. Ulis can run the show and play defense, while Leandro can provide an offensive spark.
To me, Benders seems a bit more serviceable and flexible, able to play different positions. Chriss has great potential, but I think he's a bit more raw.
The true test of Watson and staff's coaching chops will be managing minutes while growing the ability of the younger guys.
Watching the last 2 games, I think Chriss can contribute right away, as raw as he may be. He was making legit basketball moves out there. The tentative nature that Bender has been playing with thus far lends itself to a more gradual implementation. That's just how it appeared from watching them on the court. Of course, regular season is completely different from preseason.
What is smallball? I play basketball. I'm not a regular big man. I can switch from the center to the guards. The game is evolving. I'd be dominAyton if the WNBA would let me in. - Ayton
As much as I like those guys, it makes sense with this roster. "Fan favorite" pretty much means bench players who play with heart. In this case it also indicates a guy who played very well in the playoffs last year all the way through the finals. Tough to sit Barbosa after his showing last spring.
Williams is averaging over 7 rebounds in is just over 14 minutes in summer league. That's crazy. Of course, he shooting like 36% or something.
Jenkins looked good with us at the end of the year last season, which might just be a sign of how bad the rest of the team was. But I think he could play a role if we had minutes for him.
Bender needs to be playing somewhere. I would like to see him either playing for the Suns or the Prescott team.
That's the problem with stacking your roster 15 deep with young players. Some of them will sit.
The league needs heroes, villains... and clowns. -- Aztec Sunsfan
So it's a daily podcast M-F on the Locked On network. It is not the best, but hey, it's Suns talk. Dave King is the guest today, who admittedly I go back and forth with in the comments @ BSotS & Twitter sometimes because I think he's a bit of a jerk.
FS: What's the biggest philosophical difference you've noticed from your first head coach (Jeff Hornacek) to the current one (Earl Watson)?
DB: No disrespect to Coach Hornacek -- I love him as a coach and a person -- but when Earl took over, the whole team all of a sudden had a family mindset. When Coach Hornacek was here, it was probably unfair to him, players didn't want to be here, people not getting along in the locker room, things like that. But once Coach Earl took over, he eliminated all of that. We started moving in one direction. He made us realize that we can't move forward unless we do it together. We actually spend our free time together now; we're required to be on the court together, but it's the off-the-court stuff that's really made us a special unit.
That's bullshit. It might be true, but it's still bullshit and shouldn't be an indictment on Hornacek. And again, that family stuff might go out the window if/when guys are traded or not re-signed. It's a business, not a family.
ShelC wrote:That's bullshit. It might be true, but it's still bullshit and shouldn't be an indictment on Hornacek. And again, that family stuff might go out the window if/when guys are traded or not re-signed. It's a business, not a family.
So is Horny. And I agree with you about the business part of it. But coaching means operating with the hand that's been dealt (touchy feely 20 somethings), not the one you wish you had been dealt. Its a soft new world out there.
Every organization run the "we are family" stuff at some degree. Successful organizations pull it off as well as they run the "it's a business" line in a necessary combination.
This kid is being polite to Hornacek, but several things can be read from his words: Shattered lockerroom, unhappy players, toxic players, lack of direction, lack of cohesion... It's the coach's job to deal with all of this, of course, like everyone of us, you would want a job with all the perks and none of the drawbacks, but in the real world, either you overcome your situation, or you get fired. You would have to go coaching West Point's team to find a place where cohesion and discipline comes natural within your players. Maybe.
If Watson indeed managed to bring back some sort of order and peace to that lockerroom almost overnight, no wonder why the players vouched for him to stay. Of course trading Markiefd helped, but he wouldn't be the only malcontent I think.
Hornacek had a mismanaged roster at the end of it's lifecycle. No coach could have made that team productive and content. Management should have recognized it and sent Markief packing as soon as LaMarcus signed with SA. They should have blown that team up and started the rebuild in earnest. I still think we have a couple of players from that rebuild attempt that need to move on - for their own good and that of the Suns.
The league needs heroes, villains... and clowns. -- Aztec Sunsfan
ShelC wrote:That's bullshit. It might be true, but it's still bullshit and shouldn't be an indictment on Hornacek. And again, that family stuff might go out the window if/when guys are traded or not re-signed. It's a business, not a family.
There may be something to this. I am a Cleveland Indians fan and they have been saying for the last few months the reason they are so good is because of how close they are and how everyone cheers for each other.
But I agree, thats not Horneceks fault if you have a few ME players. Selfish players gonna be selfish, its the nature of things. I think thats the point Book was trying to get across, he makes it a point of saying it wasn't Jeffs fault, but its different now.
“Kobe had said (after the play) I wasn’t hugged enough as a child,” Bell recalled. “My mom kind of found him after the instance and we had beat them and offered him a hug in the bowels of the Phoenix arena. She really feels a part of that story.”
When the regular seasons starts, Suns coach Earl Watson has to cut down his rotation to a manageable size. Unfortunately, that means someone or someone(s) will be disappointed in their bench role future, and one of those guys might be your favorite player.
Watson already stared down one big decision by making Brandon Knight a permanent fixture on the bench while promoting teenager (soon to be 20) Devin Booker to the starting lineup. On the court, this move appears to have paid dividends as Knight has led the second unit in scoring while Booker shows he belongs in the starting unit.
“It will be a mix,” he said of the fourth guard off the bench behind Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Brandon Knight. “Depending on how the game flows. We really want to try to keep two out of those three on the court at the same time, so it really can’t be a solid 10. That 10th guy flows here and there. Whoever that guy is, will play itself out.”
I counted on either Bender or Chriss not playing for the 1st half of the yr atelast. But thought it would be other way around. Give Chriss credit though, he's looked better. Kinda bummed Ulis won't get run, think that will change after the deadline and we deal Knight or Bled.
“Kobe had said (after the play) I wasn’t hugged enough as a child,” Bell recalled. “My mom kind of found him after the instance and we had beat them and offered him a hug in the bowels of the Phoenix arena. She really feels a part of that story.”
carey wrote:
I counted on either Bender or Chriss not playing for the 1st half of the yr atelast. But thought it would be other way around. Give Chriss credit though, he's looked better. Kinda bummed Ulis won't get run, think that will change after the deadline and we deal Knight or Bled.
Hopefully, trading one of them is among the primary paths envisioned by the FO. Bledsoe, Booker, Ulis, Barbosa is a solid rotation, I would love if we can move Knight AND Tucker for some kind of assets. A stopgap true PF like Brandon Bass and picks would be nice, get Dudley back to the SF rotation with Warren, and let The Kids play.
carey wrote:
I counted on either Bender or Chriss not playing for the 1st half of the yr atelast. But thought it would be other way around. Give Chriss credit though, he's looked better. Kinda bummed Ulis won't get run, think that will change after the deadline and we deal Knight or Bled.
Hopefully, trading one of them is among the primary paths envisioned by the FO. Bledsoe, Booker, Ulis, Barbosa is a solid rotation, I would love if we can move Knight AND Tucker for some kind of assets. A stopgap true PF like Brandon Bass and picks would be nice, get Dudley back to the SF rotation with Warren, and let The Kids play.
One of the biggest reasons I don't think we make a move this year - we don't really need anything. PG, SG, SF, PF, C, we're basically covered. Vets, check. Youth, check. Guys in their prime, check. Shooters, check. Defense, check. Future picks, check.
carey wrote:
I counted on either Bender or Chriss not playing for the 1st half of the yr atelast. But thought it would be other way around. Give Chriss credit though, he's looked better. Kinda bummed Ulis won't get run, think that will change after the deadline and we deal Knight or Bled.
Hopefully, trading one of them is among the primary paths envisioned by the FO. Bledsoe, Booker, Ulis, Barbosa is a solid rotation, I would love if we can move Knight AND Tucker for some kind of assets. A stopgap true PF like Brandon Bass and picks would be nice, get Dudley back to the SF rotation with Warren, and let The Kids play.
One of the biggest reasons I don't think we make a move this year - we don't really need anything. PG, SG, SF, PF, C, we're basically covered. Vets, check. Youth, check. Guys in their prime, check. Shooters, check. Defense, check. Future picks, check.
In this situation, I think you stay patient.
Idk, I'd think the Suns will have to upgrade at center with an aging Chandler, and Len not yet there on the offensive end yet. Also, personally I'd like to have an option of a strong post player at center/pf, along with a tall defensive and preferably pass first pg to get the ball to the athletes.
"There are 3 rules I live by: never get less than 12 hours sleep, never play cards with a guy with the same first name as a city & never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Everything else is cream cheese."
"There are 3 rules I live by: never get less than 12 hours sleep, never play cards with a guy with the same first name as a city & never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Everything else is cream cheese."
