Game Day: Suns (1-4) @ Pelicans (0-5), Fri 11/4/16

[Ring_Wanted]

And Knight needs to be written out of the series. Does anybody actually like watching him? He ruins almost every scene he appears in.

I share the sentiment. It's nice when one of his hero shots goes in, though. He needs to be shipped off to a team with a real presence at HC so he can be an useful 6th man. He is taking the role here but as long as we are in a rebuilding stage it looks like it won't work out.

[Mori Chu]

It's like a TV show. Bender and Ulis are two of my favorite characters, and I'm tired of episodes in which they appear very little or not at all. I hope the writers have something bigger planned for them.

And Knight needs to be written out of the series. Does anybody actually like watching him? He ruins almost every scene he appears in.

Spoiler alert: He gets traded in season (20)17. Ratings skyrocket afterward.

[Cap]

It's like a TV show. Bender and Ulis are two of my favorite characters, and I'm tired of episodes in which they appear very little or not at all. I hope the writers have something bigger planned for them.

And Knight needs to be written out of the series. Does anybody actually like watching him? He ruins almost every scene he appears in.

Spoiler alert: He gets traded in season (20)17. Ratings skyrocket afterward.

I wonder who he'll be traded for. I hope the casting directors get it right this time.

[In2ition]

Things you read on .net after a Suns win:

"I'm tired of our players, I wish coach would sit them."
"Coach isn't maximizing our talent."
"The youngest player in the league could have done as much."
etc

Come on guys. Enjoy the win. You don't want to lose to a team playing this badly. You'll have plenty of other loses to get those ping pong balls.

You can call me out directly.

You know I can simultaneously be thrilled and enjoy the win as well as be critical of the choices of the coach and direction of the franchise, right? They aren't mutually exclusive. Even Bright Side wrote a post today about not playing the rookies so we can get a few wins: http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... or-of-wins

I would just like to see our number 4 pick out there getting some burn and less of Tucker and Knight.

I'm totally with you. I fail to see how Ulis and Bender are a liability at this point. Both provide many positives and will only pay even dividends much greater than the potential for some of the guys they would be taking minutes from.

[JCSunsfan]

yup.

Booker went off like a Roman candle in a gasoline station. Chandler and Len corralled 28 boards. Warren struggled in the field, but got to the FT line for 9-11. Bledsoe was solid. And Tucker was an X-factor with 7 boards and the team's only two blocks.

Yeah, it was great to see Booker finally go off like that. His shot was wet. I look forward to many more nights like that for D Book.

His post up isos were a thing of beauty. Silky smooth.

He is not just good. Its beautiful basketball, just artwork on the court.

[Nodack]

Been a busy weekend. I'm late to the casting party.

Ok with losing to get a good pick but, deep down I want them to win every game. The optimist in me always says a loss is good because we get a better chance at a good pick and every win is a moral victory for the team to build on.

Tucker gets a lot of crap here. He was a major factor in the win. He defended Davis well. That's no small acheievment. His rebounded and made some great passes. He doesn't deserve our scorn.

Chandler is cleaning the boards.

Len is doing decent. His changed mechanics have F'd up his shooting %. I always thought he had decent mechanics before. Maybe his shot was too flat and they wanted to get more arc on his shots. I hope he gets it together soon.

I want to see Ulis and Bender more too.

Knight has been put in a position as 6th man to take advantage of his shoot first mentality. So far he's disappointed. Lots of shooting and thats about it. I know he is streaky. So far he has been on a somewhat bad streak. I would prefer Ulis in that position. Then again we paid Knight a lot of money and he should be playing. In my spoiler alert look into the future that I want, I see Knight being shipped off at the deadline or maybe after this season and Ulis becoming the guy running the bench show for a year or two before maybe if the cards work out becoming a starter depending on how well he does. He's looked good to me in the very limited minutes he's gotten so far.

Bender is getting just as many minutes, which is none lately. He looked good in his debut and played little after that. Maybe they should send Ulis and Bender to the farm team and at least get them some playng time somewhere in the mean time.

[jonh]

Been a busy weekend. I'm late to the casting party.

Ok with losing to get a good pick but, deep down I want them to win every game. The optimist in me always says a loss is good because we get a better chance at a good pick and every win is a moral victory for the team to build on.

Im a little bit confused about the need for the Suns to tank at this point. The point of tanking, I think, is when you are not currently competing for a championship, and the the teams potential to develop into a championship team in the future is also low (because there are not enough high-potential, complementary players on the roster).

The Suns have 3 players that could arguably make an all-star team in the next 2 years (Bledsoe, Booker, and Warren), a stable of versatile, athletic bigs in Chriss and Bender (Len??--perhaps a reach, but still has youth and "upside" that can be used in asset acquisition), and established, team-first players willing to do whatever to help the team win (Chandler, PJ, and Knight). All I'm saying is that to me, this feels like a team that doesn't need to tank.

[In2ition]

Been a busy weekend. I'm late to the casting party.

Ok with losing to get a good pick but, deep down I want them to win every game. The optimist in me always says a loss is good because we get a better chance at a good pick and every win is a moral victory for the team to build on.

Im a little bit confused about the need for the Suns to tank at this point. The point of tanking, I think, is when you are not currently competing for a championship, and the the teams potential to develop into a championship team in the future is also low (because there are not enough high-potential, complementary players on the roster).

The Suns have 3 players that could arguably make an all-star team in the next 2 years (Bledsoe, Booker, and Warren), a stable of versatile, athletic bigs in Chriss and Bender (Len??--perhaps a reach, but still has youth and "upside" that can be used in asset acquisition), and established, team-first players willing to do whatever to help the team win (Chandler, PJ, and Knight). All I'm saying is that to me, this feels like a team that doesn't need to tank.

I agree that they don't need to tank. I think they will struggle while attempting to win each and every game. I would like to see them play the young guys more, as I'm not a huge fan of Knight, nor do I think Tucker and Dudley are the future. If they don't ake the playoffs or if they aren't ll that good, I really would like to see them get a superstar pg in the draft. Preferably a tall pass first pg.

[Ring_Wanted]

This team would be in terrific shape with another prospect worthy of a top5 pick at PG or C. We are at a point where we need to really think about our future and put pieces around Booker that fit him in play style and age. Bledsoe is not that player at point guard (let alone Knight) and Len is looking more and more like bench material. And regardless of wether we need to tank or not, Bender and Chris need to play.

[Shabazz]

This team would be in terrific shape with another prospect worthy of a top5 pick at PG or C. We are at a point where we need to really think about our future and put pieces around Booker that fit him in play style and age. Bledsoe is not that player at point guard (let alone Knight) and Len is looking more and more like bench material. And regardless of wether we need to tank or not, Bender and Chris need to play.

Harry Giles or Markelle Fultz sound good to me.

[Superbone]

This team would be in terrific shape with another prospect worthy of a top5 pick at PG or C. We are at a point where we need to really think about our future and put pieces around Booker that fit him in play style and age. Bledsoe is not that player at point guard (let alone Knight) and Len is looking more and more like bench material. And regardless of wether we need to tank or not, Bender and Chris need to play.

Harry Giles or Markelle Fultz sound good to me.

They just sound like made up names to be but I don't follow college basketball until March Madness.

[Cap]

This team would be in terrific shape with another prospect worthy of a top5 pick at PG or C.

Did you see Booker playing the point against the Lakers? He may be our PG of the future!

[The Bobster]

The Phoenix Suns will spend an extra day in Southern California for a beach yoga session on Monday. Last season, Suns Coach Earl Watson, who played at UCLA, began mandatory yoga sessions once a week. He says it builds mindfulness in his players, and a connection that helped them beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime recently. “That backdoor play that we beat New Orleans with, that’s straight mindfulness,” Watson said.

-- Los Angeles Times

[Mori Chu]

Watson should meditate on the idea of playing the rookies more than 0 minutes.

[UglyTruth]

Watson should meditate on the idea of playing the rookies more than 0 minutes.

Or at least not playing Knight at all.

[INFORMER]

I'm totally with you. I fail to see how Ulis and Bender are a liability at this point.

It's not. There is no reason why Bender and Chriss shouldn't be seeing 10-16 minutes a night. No one is calling for them to play 40 minutes a night. But there is no reason for them not to see the floor. This isn't a good team. There aren't vastly superior veterans in front of them.

It's just stupid. It's just that simple. From the coaching to the front office, this organization seems compelled to bouts of inexplicable stupidity. It's why I am at a breaking point. It's Warren and Booker that is helping me maintain a semblance of Suns fandom sanity.

[INFORMER]

Watson should meditate on the idea of playing the rookies more than 0 minutes.

Or at least not playing Knight at all.

Sorry, but Knight has to play. If you have any hope of moving him, he has to get substantive floor time. That's why I don't blame them for sitting Ulis.

[virtual9mm]

I'm totally with you. I fail to see how Ulis and Bender are a liability at this point.

It's not. There is no reason why Bender and Chriss shouldn't be seeing 10-16 minutes a night. No one is calling for them to play 40 minutes a night. But there is no reason for them not to see the floor. This isn't a good team. There aren't vastly superior veterans in front of them.

It's just stupid. It's just that simple. From the coaching to the front office, this organization seems compelled to bouts of inexplicable stupidity. It's why I am at a breaking point. It's Warren and Booker that is helping me maintain a semblance of Suns fandom sanity.

I get what you are saying. Yet, you agreed that both Bender and Chriss were better than you expected! So, the only real black mark on the team is Knight, and that LAL pick looks like it might be in the high teens.

I think that Watson deserves a few more games before we rip him to shreds. Worst comes to worst, he is a good rebuilding coach before we bring in a title coach.

But I would like to see the rooks get 20 minutes each, and want Knight gone ASAP.

[Shabazz]

Knight is the least popular Sun since __________________?

[AmareIsGod]

Michael Beasley!

Apparently his name is a profanity and autocorrects as such! Love it. Found a phx-suns.net Easter Egg. Go Mori!

Michaelll Beasssley