Suns News: The Offseason (2016)

[Ring_Wanted]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

[INFORMER]

I hate Dunn as a point guard.

[Ring_Wanted]

Cool. And as a player?

[TOO]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

Dunn is a ball hog.

[O_Gardino]

The back and forth here is like an illustration of why this year's draft was considered week. Dunn is a balhog, Hield is a chucker, Jamal Murray doesn't even exist, Bender is too passive, Chriss doesn't rebound, Simmons will be a liability in the halfcourt, Ingram doesn't have "it", etc. It is legitimately easy to spot holes in all of these guys' skill sets.

There are some really interesting and exciting bench players and role players in this draft, but only time will tell if there are any true studs. I really don't thin any of these guys have made a strong enough showing to really warrant strong feelings of regret.

[In2ition]

Not a fair assumption or something any of us wanted, BUT assume we didn't want to trade Bledsoe at all, and were only willing to trade Knight after he played half a season and showed something, AND assume no trading of picks: How would you have used our picks with who was on the board at the time?

Cap asked me the same thing. I don't see the point of placing conditions and limitations on it.

But I'll give you the same answer:

4- Hield
13 - Valentine
28 - Diallo
34 - Bolomboy

And I would have really tried to land another second rounder for Cornelie or Zipser.

This is an interesting way to build a team. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see all these guys out of the league in 3-4 years.

[Big Jake Little Jake]

Not a fair assumption or something any of us wanted, BUT assume we didn't want to trade Bledsoe at all, and were only willing to trade Knight after he played half a season and showed something, AND assume no trading of picks: How would you have used our picks with who was on the board at the time?

Cap asked me the same thing. I don't see the point of placing conditions and limitations on it.

But I'll give you the same answer:

4- Hield
13 - Valentine
28 - Diallo
34 - Bolomboy

And I would have really tried to land another second rounder for Cornelie or Zipser.

If it makes you feel any better, I thought Valentine and Diallo looked pretty bad in the two games I saw them play. Especially Diallo. Valentine was in the right spots and got some open shots he just couldn't hit. Seems like a nice role player at worst. Buddy is a baller though, so I get that. But like you yourself mentioned, not sure he makes sense with Booker.

[OE32]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

See, I actually really like Bled as the starting PG alongside Booker and backed up by Ulis. Ulis plays the right way, and *crosses fingers* could amount to an NBA starter. Bled isn't a pure PG and turns the ball over too much, but he's an efficient scorer and an elite defender, when motivated. So Bled and Ulis are very different stylistically.

Going with Dunn would essentially have been committing to a Bledsoe-style guard indefinitely. I too have missed having a pure PG on the team. If Ulis's defensive prowess makes up for his inability to switch, we won't miss Dunn (or Bled, for that matter), because we'll have drafted our starting PG at #34, rather than #4.

Can't make conclusions based on summer league. We'll see.

[Cap]

The back and forth here is like an illustration of why this year's draft was considered week. Dunn is a balhog, Hield is a chucker, Jamal Murray doesn't even exist, Bender is too passive, Chriss doesn't rebound, Simmons will be a liability in the halfcourt, Ingram doesn't have "it", etc. It is legitimately easy to spot holes in all of these guys' skill sets.

There are some really interesting and exciting bench players and role players in this draft, but only time will tell if there are any true studs. I really don't thin any of these guys have made a strong enough showing to really warrant strong feelings of regret.

It's kind of unfortunate that Bender and Chriss have the pressure of being the #4 and #8 picks. In an average draft they'd have probably gone in the teens.

On the upside for them, being in this draft means they get the salaries of Top 10 picks.

[Indy]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

See, I actually really like Bled as the starting PG alongside Booker and backed up by Ulis. Ulis plays the right way, and *crosses fingers* could amount to an NBA starter. Bled isn't a pure PG and turns the ball over too much, but he's an efficient scorer and an elite defender, when motivated. So Bled and Ulis are very different stylistically.

Going with Dunn would essentially have been committing to a Bledsoe-style guard indefinitely. I too have missed having a pure PG on the team. If Ulis's defensive prowess makes up for his inability to switch, we won't miss Dunn (or Bled, for that matter), because we'll have drafted our starting PG at #34, rather than #4.

Can't make conclusions based on summer league. We'll see.

Can you elaborate on why you think Bled is an efficient scorer?

[Mori Chu]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

See, I actually really like Bled as the starting PG alongside Booker and backed up by Ulis. Ulis plays the right way, and *crosses fingers* could amount to an NBA starter. Bled isn't a pure PG and turns the ball over too much, but he's an efficient scorer and an elite defender, when motivated. So Bled and Ulis are very different stylistically.

Going with Dunn would essentially have been committing to a Bledsoe-style guard indefinitely. I too have missed having a pure PG on the team. If Ulis's defensive prowess makes up for his inability to switch, we won't miss Dunn (or Bled, for that matter), because we'll have drafted our starting PG at #34, rather than #4.

Can't make conclusions based on summer league. We'll see.

I feel the same. Ulis looks great in SL, but the real season is a totally different level of competition. I don't want to set him up to fail by throwing him into an NBA starting job right away. That would be unwise. Let him learn in lower pressure situations against NBA bench lineups this year.

[ShelC]

As much as I love Ulis, I don't think he's a starting PG. Wouldn't count him out, but his size will be an issue against legit NBA talent. I could definitely see him as an effective change of pace, steady hand who can help close out games. But I wouldn't go selling off Bledsoe and Knight just yet.

[OE32]

The bet was sending out Bledsoe and drafting Dunn. Imagine Dunn-Booker and Ulis off the bench (seems more or less compatible with each style of player).

See, I actually really like Bled as the starting PG alongside Booker and backed up by Ulis. Ulis plays the right way, and *crosses fingers* could amount to an NBA starter. Bled isn't a pure PG and turns the ball over too much, but he's an efficient scorer and an elite defender, when motivated. So Bled and Ulis are very different stylistically.

Going with Dunn would essentially have been committing to a Bledsoe-style guard indefinitely. I too have missed having a pure PG on the team. If Ulis's defensive prowess makes up for his inability to switch, we won't miss Dunn (or Bled, for that matter), because we'll have drafted our starting PG at #34, rather than #4.

Can't make conclusions based on summer league. We'll see.

Can you elaborate on why you think Bled is an efficient scorer?

True shooting percentage of .557. That's seventh among starting point guards. Not blow-you-away efficiency, but efficient for a point guard. I think he'd be even better if he had a good team around him.

[Mori Chu]

^ I'd sell off one of Bled/Knight, but not both. I really want to see Knight gone, if I'm given the choice. But I'd also accept a Bledsoe -> Rubio swap (happily).

[carey]

True shooting percentage of .557. That's seventh among starting point guards. Not blow-you-away efficiency, but efficient for a point guard. I think he'd be even better if he had a good team around him.

If Eric is healthy then there will be a number of suitors should we make him available.

[INFORMER]

Buddy is a baller though, so I get that. But like you yourself mentioned, not sure he makes sense with Booker.

Which is why my preference was to trade down.

[INFORMER]

Not a fair assumption or something any of us wanted, BUT assume we didn't want to trade Bledsoe at all, and were only willing to trade Knight after he played half a season and showed something, AND assume no trading of picks: How would you have used our picks with who was on the board at the time?

Cap asked me the same thing. I don't see the point of placing conditions and limitations on it.

But I'll give you the same answer:

4- Hield
13 - Valentine
28 - Diallo
34 - Bolomboy

And I would have really tried to land another second rounder for Cornelie or Zipser.

This is an interesting way to build a team. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see all these guys out of the league in 3-4 years.

Too bad cap doesn't have room left in his signature.

[INFORMER]

Cool. And as a player?

He definitely has a lot of good trait. Can make plays at both ends of the floor. Can hit the three ball. Outstanding athleticism. I would have preferred him at 4 over Bender. But only if we were committed to playing him off the ball.

[carey]

Do you think they do this shit on purpose? When Ulis was drafted he was 5' 9" (5' 8.75") without shoes. An article yesterday had him listed as 5' 10". Today on Suns.com he is 5' 11". Very soon he i'll be 6' and he can just go ahead and start: http://www.nba.com/suns/blog/summerleag ... over-miami

It's been a rough go in terms of shooting for the fourth overall pick in Las Vegas, but Dragan Bender is finding out ways to score anyway thanks to Ulis. The 7-1 big man moved well when playing the two-man game with the 5-11 point guard, and found himself open as a result for a pair of three-pointers that were both assisted by Ulis.

[INFORMER]

If it makes you feel any better, I thought Valentine and Diallo looked pretty bad in the two games I saw them play. Especially Diallo.

Through 4 games Diallo is averaging 29 mpg, 10.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2 bpg, shooting 50% FG, 71% FT, and 0.75 turnovers per game.