SL Game Day: Rockets (1-1) @ Suns (1-1), Mon 7/10/17

[iLLmatic]

Immediately that falls on the coaching staff, but McDonough is responsible for hiring said coaching staff.

[3rdside]

Immediately that falls on the coaching staff, but McDonough is responsible for hiring said coaching staff.

And Sarver is responsible for hiring McD so it really starts with him I guess- tempered a little by the fact that, afaict, Sarver stays out of basketball decisions so might be a little removed from basketball operations.

[iLLmatic]

I'm heading down that path with McD too. We've had some really high draft picks now and it doesn't look like there's a gamechanger/stud among them. We got Booker at 13, who's for sure a stud. But Len (5), Bender (4), Chriss (8) are questionable at the moment, with Len really looking like he's on his way out. You can't go thru this period of losing and miss on top 10 picks, or top 5 for that matter.

Booker was the obvious choice at 13, I think everybody on this board wanted Booker there. Admittedly I liked Len at 5, but I also liked CJ too. I did not like Bender or Chriss, the guys on the radio were having orgasms over that deal like McDonough pulled off some sort of miracle. I felt like it was so-so at the time because both players were unproven. Chriss being so raw and Bender a foreign prospect who was not even a starter on his previous team.

If you remove Booker from his draft history, you have pretty mediocre results; four of these picks were lottery picks::

Tyler Ulis - Backup PG
TJ Warren - Sixth man SF
Alex Len - On his way out
Tyler Ennis - Traded (bench fodder)
Archie Goodwin - Released
Dragan Bender - Still too raw to project (not aggressive enough)
Marquise Chriss - Still too raw to project (too aggressive in the wrong way)
Alec Brown - Who??
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Remains to be seen

[TOO]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

[iLLmatic]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

I still like Warren, but everyone has already assumed he's being pushed to the bench in a sixth man role. I think Ulis is too small to be a starter on a playoff caliber basketball team, sorry.

[TOO]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

I still like Warren, but everyone has already assumed he's being pushed to the bench in a sixth man role. I think Ulis is too small to be a starter on a playoff caliber basketball team, sorry.

Well its a good thing we're light years away from being a playoff team eh?

[EDC]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

I still like Warren, but everyone has already assumed he's being pushed to the bench in a sixth man role. I think Ulis is too small to be a starter on a playoff caliber basketball team, sorry.

I just can't see TJ being pulled from the starting lineup. He is way better than Jackson, Chriss and Bender.

I do think Jackson is going to get to start at the three though. I think Chriss has lost his spot and TJ will be moved to the starting four. Still not sure what will happen with the 5 spot.

[iLLmatic]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

I still like Warren, but everyone has already assumed he's being pushed to the bench in a sixth man role. I think Ulis is too small to be a starter on a playoff caliber basketball team, sorry.

Well its a good thing we're light years away from being a playoff team eh?

Because I guess that's not a goal huh?

[EDC]

Kenny Smith is the color commentator. I might not have to mute the audio this game.

[Sunsfan4life]

Kenny Smith is doing our game? Ugh

[TOO]

I think you're being a bit rough on Warren and Ulis. I believe both are starter material. I dont care about Ulis' size, I 100% believe he's a starter. Agree with the rest though, hated both picks last year.

I still like Warren, but everyone has already assumed he's being pushed to the bench in a sixth man role. I think Ulis is too small to be a starter on a playoff caliber basketball team, sorry.

Well its a good thing we're light years away from being a playoff team eh?

Because I guess that's not a goal huh?

Sure its the goal, doesnt mean its realistic anytime soon.

[Sunsfan4life]

I'm heading down that path with McD too. We've had some really high draft picks now and it doesn't look like there's a gamechanger/stud among them. We got Booker at 13, who's for sure a stud. But Len (5), Bender (4), Chriss (8) are questionable at the moment, with Len really looking like he's on his way out. You can't go thru this period of losing and miss on top 10 picks, or top 5 for that matter.

Booker was the obvious choice at 13, I think everybody on this board wanted Booker there. Admittedly I liked Len at 5, but I also liked CJ too. I did not like Bender or Chriss, the guys on the radio were having orgasms over that deal like McDonough pulled off some sort of miracle. I felt like it was so-so at the time because both players were unproven. Chriss being so raw and Bender a foreign prospect who was not even a starter on his previous team.

If you remove Booker from his draft history, you have pretty mediocre results; four of these picks were lottery picks::

Tyler Ulis - Backup PG
TJ Warren - Sixth man SF
Alex Len - On his way out
Tyler Ennis - Traded (bench fodder)
Archie Goodwin - Released
Dragan Bender - Still too raw to project (not aggressive enough)
Marquise Chriss - Still too raw to project (too aggressive in the wrong way)
Alec Brown - Who??
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Remains to be seen

I cannot stand when people say this. So if Booker was a bust, McDonaugh wouldn't be at fault? He deserves credit for this pick. It's not like Booker was Lebron James coming out.

[Sunsfan4life]

Chriss seems like he has more energy already.

[ShelC]

I'm heading down that path with McD too. We've had some really high draft picks now and it doesn't look like there's a gamechanger/stud among them. We got Booker at 13, who's for sure a stud. But Len (5), Bender (4), Chriss (8) are questionable at the moment, with Len really looking like he's on his way out. You can't go thru this period of losing and miss on top 10 picks, or top 5 for that matter.

Booker was the obvious choice at 13, I think everybody on this board wanted Booker there. Admittedly I liked Len at 5, but I also liked CJ too. I did not like Bender or Chriss, the guys on the radio were having orgasms over that deal like McDonough pulled off some sort of miracle. I felt like it was so-so at the time because both players were unproven. Chriss being so raw and Bender a foreign prospect who was not even a starter on his previous team.

If you remove Booker from his draft history, you have pretty mediocre results; four of these picks were lottery picks::

Tyler Ulis - Backup PG
TJ Warren - Sixth man SF
Alex Len - On his way out
Tyler Ennis - Traded (bench fodder)
Archie Goodwin - Released
Dragan Bender - Still too raw to project (not aggressive enough)
Marquise Chriss - Still too raw to project (too aggressive in the wrong way)
Alec Brown - Who??
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Remains to be seen

Great post. The results there are less than stellar. I think we almost always took the obvious guy, especially at the top of the draft. We pretty much knew we were taking Len, knew we were taking Booker, knew we were taking Bender. I had concerns about Chriss and didn't see it with him, still don't. I hope I'm wrong. TJ is an NBA scorer but I don't know how/where he fits. Ennis was a wasted pick. Archie was a low-risk/high-reward who didn't pan out. Let's see what Bogdan does for the Kings. I think we'll regret trading him. Outside of Booker, Ulis is probably the most talented, pound for pound, guy we've drafted. I don't think he's a starter tho unfortunately.

We'll have to see how Chriss and Bender shake out. I like what I've seen from Reed so far but obviously it's really early.

[EDC]

Zero arc on that shot. I just don't understand it.

[ShelC]

Sloppy game so far and no one looks particularly good. I don't see any explosion around the rim from Chriss and he seems to be throwing up wildy shots around the rim. Lazy working for post position so he gets pushed out off the block. No feel in the post or how/where to move, tried an up and under which was OK but blew the lay-in. He's just trying to work from too far out, and his natural instinct is to pivot away and fade.

JJ got his 3pt attempt by Qi, who's a legit 7 footer. That's where his form is a hinderance.

[Sunsfan4life]

Suns definitely have more energy. Jackson is constant movement...Chriss definitely looks more engaged.

[Sunsfan4life]

Sloppy game so far and no one looks particularly good. I don't see any explosion around the rim from Chriss and he seems to be throwing up wildy shots around the rim. Lazy working for post position so he gets pushed out off the block. No feel in the post or how/where to move, tried an up and under which was OK but blew the lay-in. He's just trying to work from too far out, and his natural instinct is to pivot away and fade.

JJ got his 3pt attempt by Qi, who's a legit 7 footer. That's where his form is a hinderance.

Are we watching the same game? Ball might not be going in, but the energy is up 110% from yesterday.

[TOO]

He wasnt my choice, and he cant shoot, but I love pretty much everything else about Jackson. His nose for the ball and aggressiveness are sorely needed here.

[Sunsfan4life]

He wasnt my choice, and he cant shoot, but I love pretty much everything else about Jackson. His nose for the ball and aggressiveness are sorely needed here.

Constant movement. Great baseline move. Also the constant movement is VERY notciable, he already has like 3 offensive rebounds. Now on the downside...he's following his own misses, haha.