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Am I wrong?? The people want to seeWally_West wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:44 pm???specialsauce wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:09 pmAnother trash ass video. Zoom the fuck in. Why does Beal have pants on?? Take that shit off.
I woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream and now I'm dripping with sweat and can't sleep. Might need to wake up my wife to help put me to bed.
The Timeline is fantastic. Every Suns fan should be listening to it weekly.Drewsprocket wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:42 amIs it just me do all our Suns podcasts suck? They’re either meandering or are so superficial and vague.
Pat Barf agrees:Drewsprocket wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 7:23 amBook talking up his new center. Trigger warning. https://x.com/kellanolson/status/171029 ... 27342?s=46
Been thinking about this too and you can even add Baynes to the list that first season. It's not like we were running a different system when those guys were on the floor, they just opened up the offense to where it should've/could've been. Problem was they put us at a disadvantage defensively and were really backups. Hopefully we get the best of the offense with at least average level defense from Nurk.
The 5th starter
All eyes will be drawn to the news trickling in on Sunday morning when it comes to the starting lineup, quickly scanning to see who the fifth name is.
I would urge you not to overreact to it.
'Like a jungle in there': Suns' length will be defensive strength
While it is possible head coach Frank Vogel finds a standout in training camp as his guy right away, the more likely outcome is he cycles through a few different options. The roster has a handful of players on a similar level in terms of the contributions they bring each night, so it’s going to come down to what Vogel wants as the skillset to accentuate Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic.
“Whichever guy we have in there, we want them to play to their skillset,” Vogel said Thursday.
If it’s on-ball defense, that’s your music, Josh Okogie. If a pinch of primary initiating is required plus that irritant on star ball-handlers, Jordan Goodwin come on down. How about avoiding a smaller lineup and going with a traditional small forward? That would be Keita Bates-Diop’s 3-and-D appeal. If Nassir Little’s impact in those categories is deemed better, he’s the man. And then there are more offensive-minded approaches like Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon and Yuta Watanabe.
Vogel indicated this mix and matching has been going on through the loads of 5-on-5 work the Suns have put in over the last three days.
“We haven’t really had five set guys out there,” he said. “We’ve looked at a lot of different combinations.”
I’m guessing it’s Okogie but we’ll see.
Two must go in roster spot battle
The Suns have 17 players in on standard contracts and must get that down two more spots before the regular season. Trading Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara for four players created this issue.
It appears the Suns at least want to get a look at someone like Keon Johnson, a hyper-athletic guard who was a first-round pick just two years ago and was part of the return for Ayton, instead of addressing this problem instantly.
Who else is potentially on the chopping block?
Wainright’s non-guarantees in his contract do him no favors, although he seems like exactly the type of switchable, physical defender Vogel likes. Goodwin has to be mentioned because of his favorable contract situation toward making a move like this as well but Phoenix would be foolish to let him go after the promise he showed in Washington D.C. last year. Bol is the one guy on the roster who doesn’t make much sense as a fit despite the one-of-a-kind parts of his game. Maybe this group really impresses enough to put pressure on someone like Metu. That seems unlikely, though.
Just know the stakes for that group when they get in the game (or don’t).
I think for some of these guys we’re going to see non stars break out in smaller ways- Nurk with career blks or assists, Okogie with steals and deflections, KBD 3s made, fg %, or on the boards, etc. we have gaps that these guys will fill out the stat sheet as they make a difference. I really hope that KBD has a career year as a starter as I think it benefits the rest of the team the most to have great versatile defense, good rebounding, and excellent spacing.Split T wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 11:18 amWas thinking about which player having a breakout this year would be most beneficial to the team…I kinda eliminated the big 3, but obviously if one of them took a leap and became an MVP that would be huge.
I came to the conclusion that it would be Nassir Little. He’s got potential, he’s got size and athleticism to defend 1-4(and maybe 5), and maybe most importantly, he’s incredibly cheap and under team control the next 4 years. If he took a leap and say turned into OG Anunoby, that would be absolutely massive.
Obviously I’d love any of the vet min guys breaking out as well, but that probably means they leave next summer. Grayson Allen becoming JJ Reddick on offense would be nice. So would Nurkic turning into a healthy playmaking hub. Little seems like the guy to me though.
I’m sure he’s relieved to not have to constantly babysit his teammate on the court.Drewsprocket wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 7:23 amBook talking up his new center. Trigger warning. https://x.com/kellanolson/status/171029 ... 27342?s=46
Yes yes. Come to the light.Split T wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 11:18 amWas thinking about which player having a breakout this year would be most beneficial to the team…I kinda eliminated the big 3, but obviously if one of them took a leap and became an MVP that would be huge.
I came to the conclusion that it would be Nassir Little.