Around the League: Week 25 - The End of the Regular Season

[Ring_Wanted]

Spend one more year losing. Booker, #17, Warren, Chriss, Bender and Ullis make a stupidly young group. We can afford to tank one more season if the reward is a true big man in the middle.

[Split T]

I'm done tanking. We add a potential star in this draft and fight for the playoffs next year. I don't think we make it, but would like to try. We'd still have plenty of assets to find a nice young big.

[In2ition]

I'm done tanking. We add a potential star in this draft and fight for the playoffs next year. I don't think we make it, but would like to try. We'd still have plenty of assets to find a nice young big.

I'm with you, no more tanking please. Just fight, scratch and claw your way into a playoff position or at least grow from the experience of fighting for one.

[TOO]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

[JCSunsfan]

Spend one more year losing. Booker, #17, Warren, Chriss, Bender and Ullis make a stupidly young group. We can afford to tank one more season if the reward is a true big man in the middle.

No more. I am done.

[In2ition]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

I don't think you go out and find middle of the road veterans to take time away from the young guys to make the push. You ride the young guys, develop their skills and toughness and take what you get from them. It's still rebuilding, but not tanking for the sake of tanking, like this year.

[EDC]

I'm done tanking. We add a potential star in this draft and fight for the playoffs next year. I don't think we make it, but would like to try. We'd still have plenty of assets to find a nice young big.

I'm with you, no more tanking please. Just fight, scratch and claw your way into a playoff position or at least grow from the experience of fighting for one.

With or without Bledose and Chandler?

[TOO]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

[In2ition]

I'm done tanking. We add a potential star in this draft and fight for the playoffs next year. I don't think we make it, but would like to try. We'd still have plenty of assets to find a nice young big.

I'm with you, no more tanking please. Just fight, scratch and claw your way into a playoff position or at least grow from the experience of fighting for one.

With or without Bledose and Chandler?

My preference is that the Suns get a top 2 pick, and can trade Bledsoe while his stock is high. If someone really wants to pay over fair value for Chandler, go for it. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if he stays or not to me. He's been good for the young guys, other than his starting maybe causing a stunting of Len's growth, but that's not his fault.

[Split T]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

Not expecting to make the playoffs, just don't want to shoot for the bottom. I'd be happy just having the young guys get experience winning games. Playoffs the year after.

[Split T]

I'm done tanking. We add a potential star in this draft and fight for the playoffs next year. I don't think we make it, but would like to try. We'd still have plenty of assets to find a nice young big.

I'm with you, no more tanking please. Just fight, scratch and claw your way into a playoff position or at least grow from the experience of fighting for one.

With or without Bledose and Chandler?

I'd keep Chandler. Bledsoe depends on who we draft. If we draft a pg, I'd move Bledsoe. If we draft a sf, I'd keep him, but probably move Warren.

[In2ition]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

Not expecting to make the playoffs, just don't want to shoot for the bottom. I'd be happy just having the young guys get experience winning games. Playoffs the year after.

Yes, I think the Mavs built like this with Nash, Finley, and Dirk, no?

[Split T]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

Not expecting to make the playoffs, just don't want to shoot for the bottom. I'd be happy just having the young guys get experience winning games. Playoffs the year after.

Yes, I think the Mavs built like this with Nash, Finley, and Dirk, no?

They went 19-31 in their first year together(50 game season)
40-42 in year 2
53-29 and made playoffs in year 3.

I don't think we'll win 40 games next year, but I think we should try. And who knows, the 8th seed was surprisingly up for grabs this year, we don't know what will happen next year.

[In2ition]

Yeah, no one but Don Nelson was thinking that Dirk was going to be anything special or really anything at all after his first season posting:
Season Age Tm Lg Pos G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% 2P 2PA 2P% eFG% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
1998-99 20 DAL NBA PF 47 24 20.4 2.9 7.1 .405 0.3 1.4 .206 2.6 5.7 .455 .426 2.1 2.7 .773 0.9 2.6 3.4 1.0 0.6 0.6 1.6 2.2 8.2

Looks very Bender like. or at least it's my ever hopeful homer in me that hopes for this.

[England Sun]

Draft a pg, try and trade with Minni for Towns withbBled and chandler, plus others, I know it's a pipe dream but think he would be perfect with our young core.

Tanking again would be ok if there were similar talent in the draft at C next year.

[JCSunsfan]

You guys are going total Sarver right now. 1 legit rebuild year finally, and now you wanna chase the playoffs again? Unless the young guys pick it up massively defensively, we wont sniff the playoffs, maybe 35 wins with this team.

Disagree. We have one star, we are about to draft another. We have the cap space to get a third in free agency, if not there we also have the trade pieces. After that its building around the core which is easy enough to do. This team now needs to learn how to win.

This is not "going total Robert Sarver", but going for more tank years is "going total Donald Sterling" in my book.

[In2ition]

Draft a pg, try and trade with Minni for Towns withbBled and chandler, plus others, I know it's a pipe dream but think he would be perfect with our young core.

Tanking again would be ok if there were similar talent in the draft at C next year.

Yeah, Towns would look good on any team. That's a bigger pipe dream than anything I've come up with. Can't fault you for dreaming though. There is a possibility of finding that young center next year without tanking. I just don't think it sends the right message for the guys. They have their own pick and a possible top 10 protected pick from Miami. I hope the Miami pick rolls over to '19, where it becomes unprotected and the Suns can leverage some of their other assets for more '19 unprotected picks. Hopefully, by then the Suns are playing great, a solid to near dominate playoff and contending team, and then add a transcendent star to the young star studded team. I'm still hopeful that Chriss and Bender can become stars too.

[EDC]

I'd keep Chandler. Bledsoe depends on who we draft. If we draft a pg, I'd move Bledsoe. If we draft a sf, I'd keep him, but probably move Warren.

I would much rather trade Bledsoe. I really don't want to trade Warren. I just hope McD is willing to let Bledsoe go. Would suck to trade down in the draft just because McD thinks Bledsoe is part of the core.

I wonder if there is any chance of Bledose getting us a first round pick that we could use to pick up a center in this draft. Are there any good center prospects? All of them listed in the mock draft seem mostly outside of the lottery.

[Split T]

Draft a pg, try and trade with Minni for Towns withbBled and chandler, plus others, I know it's a pipe dream but think he would be perfect with our young core.

Tanking again would be ok if there were similar talent in the draft at C next year.

Ya, not sure anyone could get Towns away from Minny.

As for next years draft, at C there is DeAndre Ayton, a 7'0 240 lb mobile C with perimeter skills. He'll be playing at UA. Mohammed Bamba is the other big one. He's 6'11 and about 200 lbs but actually has a longer wingspan than Rudy Gobert. We'd have to be top 5 to land either of those guys. The real prizes might be Michael Porter, a 6'10 athletic combo forward who can handle and shoot. And Luka Doncic a 6'7 just turned 18 year old who's playing legitimate minutes for Real Madrid.

[Split T]

I'd keep Chandler. Bledsoe depends on who we draft. If we draft a pg, I'd move Bledsoe. If we draft a sf, I'd keep him, but probably move Warren.

I would much rather trade Bledsoe. I really don't want to trade Warren. I just hope McD is willing to let Bledsoe go. Would suck to trade down in the draft just because McD thinks Bledsoe is part of the core.

That's fair, Warren has been playing very well as of late, just don't think you can keep Warren and Jackson or Tatum on the same team.