Re: Suns News: Week 18 (2/17 - 2/24)
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 7:59 am
The Play-In Center
Piece of Ish Arena
The Regrettable Supermax Center
11th Seed Garden
Piece of Ish Arena
The Regrettable Supermax Center
11th Seed Garden
A place for fans of the Phoenix Suns
https://www.phx-suns.net/
Our front office is ranked 28th just above the Mavs.No organization in the NBA operates with less foresight than the Suns. That's true in a macro sense, obviously. ESPN's Kevin Arnovitzwrote a lengthy feature about how little stock general manager James Jones puts into the draft. But it's evident on a micro level as well. They are the impulse shoppers of the NBA.
They went after Bradley Beal as a pure talent play, but didn't stop to think that maybe uniting three players on max contracts that do not generate consistent rim pressure might yield diminishing offensive returns and hamstring their ability to field a decent defense. They traded one very valuable unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Jazz for three very weak picks. At the time, it seemed as though the move was a precursor to a Jimmy Butler trade. It turned out, however, they had no follow-up move lined up. They just sacrificed a very valuable asset for... the theoretical flexibility to trade three worse assets separately? They didn't even think to keep Kevin Durant informed when they discussed trading him at this deadline. That is a very basic star relationship fumble.
It doesn't seem as though decisions are made with a three-year plan in mind, or even a three-month plan for that matter. One minute they're aiming for a big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Jimmy Butler. The next, they're prepared to give up Durant, the best player in that trio, to secure Butler? They're currently on their third coach in three years with no signs of improvement. They control none of their own picks between now and 2031. Ryan Dunn is the only notable young player on the roster, but they somehow managed to give up Toumani Camara, who would eventually grow into the perfect young role player for this roster, as a throw-in when they shipped Deandre Ayton to Portland. It's one thing to ruin your future by going all-in on the present. It's another to botch the present by going all-in on the present. The Suns have done so, and that inspires little trust in their leadership moving forward.
Ding ding ding…. Winner!Superbone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:59 pmFrom CBS Sports (nailed it!):
Our front office is ranked 28th just above the Mavs.No organization in the NBA operates with less foresight than the Suns. That's true in a macro sense, obviously. ESPN's Kevin Arnovitzwrote a lengthy feature about how little stock general manager James Jones puts into the draft. But it's evident on a micro level as well. They are the impulse shoppers of the NBA.
They went after Bradley Beal as a pure talent play, but didn't stop to think that maybe uniting three players on max contracts that do not generate consistent rim pressure might yield diminishing offensive returns and hamstring their ability to field a decent defense. They traded one very valuable unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Jazz for three very weak picks. At the time, it seemed as though the move was a precursor to a Jimmy Butler trade. It turned out, however, they had no follow-up move lined up. They just sacrificed a very valuable asset for... the theoretical flexibility to trade three worse assets separately? They didn't even think to keep Kevin Durant informed when they discussed trading him at this deadline. That is a very basic star relationship fumble.
It doesn't seem as though decisions are made with a three-year plan in mind, or even a three-month plan for that matter. One minute they're aiming for a big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Jimmy Butler. The next, they're prepared to give up Durant, the best player in that trio, to secure Butler? They're currently on their third coach in three years with no signs of improvement. They control none of their own picks between now and 2031. Ryan Dunn is the only notable young player on the roster, but they somehow managed to give up Toumani Camara, who would eventually grow into the perfect young role player for this roster, as a throw-in when they shipped Deandre Ayton to Portland. It's one thing to ruin your future by going all-in on the present. It's another to botch the present by going all-in on the present. The Suns have done so, and that inspires little trust in their leadership moving forward.