Suns Trading for Brandan Wright

[INFORMER]

Thought he could of done better then James Young(Gary Harris?)

Agreed.

[INFORMER]

So, McD calls Wright the "best backup center in the league."

LOL for a couple reasons. 1) Didn't we have a poster EMPHATICALLY state that Brandan Wright is NOT a center? Seems like "McMiracle" disagrees. 2) Looks like "McMiracle" shares my fondness for exaggeration.

[Ring_Wanted]

He is a C, at least by his recent past in Dallas. Maybe he is not 7'1 and doesn't have the typical weight of a C, but that's where Carlisle has used him and where he has found his success.

Thinking about his fit on the Suns, I believe he can play along either Kieff or Len.

[OE32]

Thinking about his fit on the Suns, I believe he can play along either Kieff or Len.

Best part about this. We can go big if we want.

I feel terrible for Plum, though. To go from surprise starter to an invite with the National Team, then dropped to third string on your own squad in little over three months. Brutal.

[Mori Chu]

I think he's a PF/C and that we already have two adequate rotation centers, so he should be a PF for us except in cases of foul trouble/injury. Dallas ran him at center because they had no backup whatsoever for Chandler, and before Chandler arrived, their center situation was even worse. Wright could start next to Dirk at C and everything worked out fine. But I don't think he's a center by default.

[Cap]

So, McD calls Wright the "best backup center in the league." Whoa. Looks like Miles has gone from starter to out of the rotation.

Who will miss him, honestly?

Anybody have him on a fantasy team?

[carey]

I think he's a PF/C and that we already have two adequate rotation centers, so he should be a PF for us except in cases of foul trouble/injury. Dallas ran him at center because they had no backup whatsoever for Chandler, and before Chandler arrived, their center situation was even worse. Wright could start next to Dirk at C and everything worked out fine. But I don't think he's a center by default.

Every indication is the Suns are going to use him at backup C and that he's taking Miles minutes. Basically straight from McDonough's mouth. Also Coro and Dave King (2 beat reporters) are saying he'll purely play C.

[Cap]

The thing is, Miles is good enough to play in this league and shouldn't be rotting at the end of our bench waiting for somebody to get hurt. If we're not going to play him, we should look into possibly trading him to somebody who will.

[Cap]

On second thought, scratch that. Depth is a good problem to have.

We'll still find opportunities for Plumlee to play, if not in every game, and help keep the other guys fresh. With Len's injury history and Keef's apparent determination to get himself suspended, we still need the PlumDog.

[virtual9mm]

I think he's a PF/C and that we already have two adequate rotation centers, so he should be a PF for us except in cases of foul trouble/injury. Dallas ran him at center because they had no backup whatsoever for Chandler, and before Chandler arrived, their center situation was even worse. Wright could start next to Dirk at C and everything worked out fine. But I don't think he's a center by default.

The problem is spacing. By all accounts, Wright is not a knock-down shooter. I can very easily see him playing next to Kieff or Mook, but I am having a harder time seeing him playing next to Len. At least, I don't want to see Len becoming mainly a jump-shooter on offense.

I wonder if the Suns can go back to a SSOL offense circa the KT era. Run a pick and roll between a PG (Dragic or Bledsoe) and Wright, while the other PG/SG and the SF are spacing in the corners. Kieff or Mook could play the role of KT or even Frye. If the PnR breaks down, give it to Kieff for one of those contested fadeaways that somehow seem to go in, or pass it to the other PG to penetrate and create.

If Len keeps on hitting that top-of-the-key jumper on a consistent basis, I could very well change my mind. I'm not sure that I want Len to become a Yao-type jump shooter on offense, though. Bad habits for a big man who should be dominating inside.

[Sunsfan4life]

If they found a way for Shav to get spot minutes, they can find a way for Plumlee to.

The suns want there center to have the wingspan to be able to alter as many shots as possible. Wright has about the same wingspan as Len (7'4).

[virtual9mm]

Regarding the Plumdog, he really has no excuse but a lack of mental fortitude. He was considered a solid and up-and-coming starter early last season before he regressed. I thought he was more than competent as a backup center, but that there was a night-and-day falloff in interior defense because Len was so damn good. With Wright, we can keep that high level of interior defense for 40+ minutes a game.

I suspect that Plum will need a change in scenery before he can really blossom...

[EDC]

Regarding the Plumdog, he really has no excuse but a lack of mental fortitude. He was considered a solid and up-and-coming starter early last season before he regressed. I thought he was more than competent as a backup center, but that there was a night-and-day falloff in interior defense because Len was so damn good. With Wright, we can keep that high level of interior defense for 40+ minutes a game.

I suspect that Plum will need a change in scenery before he can really blossom...

The regression has been a pretty big surprise. I thought it might just be a slump but he has just been unable to get out of it. He gets plenty of time to work through it as well. The offensive stuff is understandable as our guards aren't hitting the roll guy on the PnR.

The problem is his defense has looked bad. Seems like he just wants to make a few big blocks and that it will somehow make everything better. Meanwhile he is just giving up layups by not being in position. He is also rotating and jumping for blocks on shots he has no chance of getting leaving his guy to get an easy rebound and put back.

I think you are right about him needing a change of scenery. It just doesn't seem to be clicking for him here anymore.

[Shabazz]

Kevin Pelton's trade analysis. He gave the trade a B+, but has similar concerns to me:

Many of Wright's high-percentage shots are set up by rolling to the hoop after setting a screen, and it's interesting to take a look at Phoenix's pick-and-roll performance this season. Roll men are averaging 1.053 points per play, good for sixth in the league according to Synergy Sports (Dallas is second at 1.21 points per play), but such plays account for just 5.1 percent of all Suns plays -- the league's fourth-lowest mark. We'll have to see whether Phoenix's score-first point guards look to lob more often with Wright around.

In particular, Wright seems like a poor fit with backup point guard Isaiah Thomas, who tends to go on dribbling exhibitions after getting a screen rather than immediately finding the roll man.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... oenix-suns

IT's next pass to the roll man will be his first.

[Superbone]

Shav will be the odd man out.

[Cap]

Shav will be the odd man out.

Assuming we're keeping Plumlee, we really have no place for Randolph at all. Stick him on the reserve list until we can find another team with interest in him, then let him go.

[Indy]

Kevin Pelton's trade analysis. He gave the trade a B+, but has similar concerns to me:

Many of Wright's high-percentage shots are set up by rolling to the hoop after setting a screen, and it's interesting to take a look at Phoenix's pick-and-roll performance this season. Roll men are averaging 1.053 points per play, good for sixth in the league according to Synergy Sports (Dallas is second at 1.21 points per play), but such plays account for just 5.1 percent of all Suns plays -- the league's fourth-lowest mark. We'll have to see whether Phoenix's score-first point guards look to lob more often with Wright around.

In particular, Wright seems like a poor fit with backup point guard Isaiah Thomas, who tends to go on dribbling exhibitions after getting a screen rather than immediately finding the roll man.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... oenix-suns

IT's next pass to the roll man will be his first.

Yeah, I haven't read the game day thread from last night yet, but man that was really pissing me off. I am an IT supporter in general, but there were way too many one-on-one moves with him yesterday with literally no passes from in-bound to shot.