Phx-Suns.Net

Indy wrote:

OE32 wrote:What do you guys think is the best way forward? Aiming for the top of the lottery every year? There are countless teams for whom that strategy hasn't worked.

The Wolves got lucky with Love, turning him into Wiggins. The Jazz got lucky with Gobert (heck, even THEY passed on him once earlier in the draft - or twice, depending on how you count!). A lot of this is just luck.

We're going to have the #11 or #12 pick in this draft. We'll have two picks in each of the next two drafts after this one. We haven't sacrificed our future to get the players we have. We're set up for a sustained run. And hey, things change in this league. And I, for one, am not convinced that TJ can't be just as good as Wiggins. Len has the potential to be a top 5 center. No need to panic.

Count the number of championships won by teams without a top 5 player in the league that they drafted (or acquired on draft night--same thing). I haven't yet, but I would bet you won't find more than a couple examples over the past 50 years.

You recommending we continue to suck intentionally until we've drafted said top 5 player?

Not giving up, choosing Knight because I like him better. I'd roll with Bledsoe if we didn't have Knight but I don't like both of them together. And I think Knight can be had for a little less money.

OE32 wrote:

Indy wrote:

OE32 wrote:What do you guys think is the best way forward? Aiming for the top of the lottery every year? There are countless teams for whom that strategy hasn't worked.

The Wolves got lucky with Love, turning him into Wiggins. The Jazz got lucky with Gobert (heck, even THEY passed on him once earlier in the draft - or twice, depending on how you count!). A lot of this is just luck.

We're going to have the #11 or #12 pick in this draft. We'll have two picks in each of the next two drafts after this one. We haven't sacrificed our future to get the players we have. We're set up for a sustained run. And hey, things change in this league. And I, for one, am not convinced that TJ can't be just as good as Wiggins. Len has the potential to be a top 5 center. No need to panic.

Count the number of championships won by teams without a top 5 player in the league that they drafted (or acquired on draft night--same thing). I haven't yet, but I would bet you won't find more than a couple examples over the past 50 years.

You recommending we continue to suck intentionally until we've drafted said top 5 player?

No. I am suggesting we realize that good players don't win you anything except regular season games. And being the best team in the league means we have to have one of the best players in the league. I can't see anyone on this team being talked about (even with huge growth) as a top 5 player in the league.

Our FO keeps talking about acquiring assets. They don't do us any good if we don't cash them in. And it is very difficult to cash in a lot of mediocre assets for a great asset.

I guess I am saying I can't see this current team, even with some tweaks, being good enough to even compete as a top 5 team in the West. If we don't have a plan to get there in the next couple years, we need a different front office. And that plan better not be hoping the talent around us gets worse, so we look better by comparison.

I like TJ Warren more than you do I think. I think he can be a 25 PPG scorer in this league.

OE32 wrote:I like TJ Warren more than you do I think. I think he can be a 25 PPG scorer in this league.

Unless you are a dominant big man like Cousins you can't score 25ppg without being able to shoot the 3 extremely well. I'm not sure he'll ever even average 20ppg without shooting the 3 at 40%.

carey wrote:

OE32 wrote:I like TJ Warren more than you do I think. I think he can be a 25 PPG scorer in this league.

Unless you are a dominant big man like Cousins you can't score 25ppg without being able to shoot the 3 extremely well. I'm not sure he'll ever even average 20ppg without shooting the 3 at 40%.

Uh, Westbrook, Russell?

OE32 wrote:I like TJ Warren more than you do I think. I think he can be a 25 PPG scorer in this league.

There are 3 guys in the league getting 25 or higher this year. I guess you do think TJ is much better than I do, because I don't see him as a Harden, LeBron or Westbrook-level player.

He's different, that's for sure. All those guys are primary ball-handlers, whereas TJ will mostly play off-the-ball.

Maybe 23, 24 PPG?

We'll see.

A lot of guys can score 25ppg in the league. The question is, how successful is your team going to be.

Hornacek with another comment in the Republic today questioning whether these are the players we "want to go to battle with." He's repeatedly questioned the heart of the players in our rotation. Who is he referring to? Does the FO want to see these guys moved?

Given our lack of passing, ball-handling and playmaking, I really think Love would be an excellent fit with this squad. But could he really leave Cleveland for Phoenix, given the disparity in the likelihood of or winning championships in the near-future? He'd be the #1 guy here rather than #3...is that enough?

There's our superstar if we can convince him to come.

Bled-Knight-Warren-Love-Len. Weak defensively, perhaps, but I could see that team making noise.

If Love leaves Cleveland, he's going to LA. Maybe NY. Most likely LA.

He'll come here in February for a King's ransom, then sign with LA in July.

OE32 wrote:

carey wrote:

OE32 wrote:I like TJ Warren more than you do I think. I think he can be a 25 PPG scorer in this league.

Unless you are a dominant big man like Cousins you can't score 25ppg without being able to shoot the 3 extremely well. I'm not sure he'll ever even average 20ppg without shooting the 3 at 40%.

Uh, Westbrook, Russell?

Cool. The exception that proves the rule.

TJ Warren will never average 25 ppg. He could maybe scrape close to 19-20 someday, though, if he got huge minutes.

Warren`s game looks so natural that I think he would average 17-18 ppg right now if given 35 mpg.

Agreed, provided the rest of the team passes him the ball. He'd shoot better than 50% too.

OE32 wrote:Hornacek with another comment in the Republic today questioning whether these are the players we "want to go to battle with." He's repeatedly questioned the heart of the players in our rotation. Who is he referring to? Does the FO want to see these guys moved?

the only players other teams may want to acquire from the suns are keef and green. bled's contract make him difficult to swallow. tucker is overpaid if you are rebuilding as a team. Len is "untouchable".

Suns letting Curry go and signing AJ Price.

Price can actually give us real backup PG minutes.

Shabazz wrote:Price can actually give us real backup PG minutes.

Not an earth-shaking development, but definitely an upgrade.