Phx-Suns.Net

I don't know that Nick Johnson has any redeemable quality aside from athleticism, I wouldn't draft him. I certainly wouldn't want him in place of Bledsoe.

Mori Chu wrote:Microwave off the bench? Maybe. But that's basically his ceiling if you ask me.

Exactamundo - bench energy. Again, filling Ish Smith's role.

I guess Christon could bring something similar - worse shooting, better ball-handling & playmaking. My main concern would probably be strength - he's got size, but Johnson's stronger.....

TheOriginalOriginal wrote:I don't know that Nick Johnson has any redeemable quality aside from athleticism, I wouldn't draft him. I certainly wouldn't want him in place of Bledsoe.

I agree that he's not a replacement for Bledsoe. Johnson is good, but when he has those days that he can't shoot, he drags down the rest of the team.

Sunsfan4life wrote:He's done some nice things this year to improve, but I don't think he'll ever be the playmaker Eric is.

He doesn't have to be. He is not even on the same level as Bledsoe. But what he will do is run the floor and finish, catch and shoot, and play great D. That's what the Suns need from the player playing with Dragic in the backcourt.

I don't think that's what the Suns need. It's another route but I don't think it's better than the current setup.

I want Goran at SG. That's what has convinced me about this combo. The L is void of quality at the SG position, and very few teams have two perimeter defenders capable of guarding Goran and Bledsoe. And alongside somebody like Bledsoe, Goran's flaws are as minimized as it gets. He won't have to defend the feline athletes at PG and won't be the alpha and omega of our ball distribution.

Goran played his best basketball of the season at the point. He played great with Bledsoe too, don't get me wrong, but the ball belongs in his hands. Period. Goran's best stretch of the season was sans Bledsoe, not with him.

Ideally I'd like to see a bigger athletic SG who has a good shot next to Dragic. Not an undersized 2. Maybe not someone quite as tall as Gerald Green, but a 6'5/6'6 guy who is long and able to defend the James Hardens of the world may suffice. Ultimately though, I'm in the neighboorhood of just finding good players at this stage, but yea...in a perfect world I'd like a more traditional 2 or a guy like Jamal Crawford then the double PG set.

You should have just said said Gary Harris.

Nope. Gary Harris is 6'5 in a good day and is not particularly long with a 6'7 wingspan and 8'0 standing reach. Bledsoe bests him at both. PJ Hairston is long. James Young is long.

Please, keep in mind that this SG you are talking about would need to defend the PGs, not the Hardens of the L (as few as they may be).

Goran elevated his offense without Bledsoe, true, but was quite poor on D against PGs (and remember, it was defense what did us this season), with fatigue being probably a factor, I'd dare to say in part from having to carry the team too much. Yet he doesn't have nearly as much trouble defending SGs, in part because they tend to be slower, but also because the level of the position is quite low compared to PGs.

Do you remember how troublesome was having to hide Nash? This is our opportunity to avoid that kind of situation with Goran Dragic. Not Eric Bledsoe per se, but the kind of PG he is. What his particular case has showed is that he is also a great way to force a mismatch on offense. Injury concerns are legit, of course.

Ring_Wanted wrote: Please, keep in mind that this SG you are talking about would need to defend the PGs, not the Hardens of the L (as few as they may be).

That's why I said Gary Harris. He has the ability to defend 1s and 2s. And that's why I like Nick Johnson. He too can defend 1s.

Goran elevated his offense without Bledsoe, true, but was quite poor on D against PGs (and remember, it was defense what did us this season), with fatigue being probably a factor, I'd dare to say in part from having to carry the team too much.

Which will be addressed when the Suns add more talent via trade, free agency, and the draft. Plus you have the potential/probably internal improvement of Alex Len and the 29-pointer.

Do you remember how troublesome was having to hide Nash? This is our opportunity to avoid that kind of situation with Goran Dragic.

Sorry, you lost me here. Dragic is nowhere near the liability on D that Nash was.

INFORMER wrote:

Ring_Wanted wrote: Please, keep in mind that this SG you are talking about would need to defend the PGs, not the Hardens of the L (as few as they may be).

That's why I said Gary Harris. He has the ability to defend 1s and 2s. And that's why I like Nick Johnson. He too can defend 1s.

Bledsoe tends to get somewhat overrated but is still a very relevant defender, just not the terror labeled during his LAC days. I don't know how those two prospects will defend in the NBA, but I'd be very susprised if they were at the same level. What is clear regarding Harris is that Bledsoe has better tools to work on defense against PGs. Nick Johnson has a better case on D but lacks on offense especially in terms of PG skills, or at least that's why he gets compared to Avery Bradley. Either player has a good chance of being a downgrade one way or another.

INFORMER wrote:Which will be addressed when the Suns add more talent via trade, free agency, and the draft. Plus you have the potential/probably internal improvement of Alex Len and the 29-pointer.

The chances of getting a player of Bledsoe's caliber are not high, be it from the draft, FA or trades. It happens, but it is hard to come by. Since I already have said player, I'd rather focus my efforts in adding pieces I may lack, like a post presence or a creator at the wings. But this is the same discussion all over agin. Keep Bledsoe vs let him go. You are just looking for ways to replace him, and I am trying to point out how big he is for the current team, Dragic included, and how hard would it be to do without him, in absolute terms. The only reason I'd want to let him go is because of his health, but that's not something I can judge so I'll have to go by what they med staff (yes, falible men) have to say. If they are confident that Bledsoe can play, I am willing to gamble a contract on him.

INFORMER wrote:Sorry, you lost me here. Dragic is nowhere near the liability on D that Nash was.

Exactly as bad? No (and I didn't say so, by the way). But 'nowhere near'? Not accurate. It got to the point that basically every PG could drive by Goran and torch the defense. And if there was a screen, Goran was gone. He paid them back on offense, but if Dragic doesn't perform better defensively next year, this is an issue no matter how you cut it.

Ring_Wanted wrote: Nick Johnson has a better case on D but lacks on offense especially in terms of PG skills, or at least that's why he gets compared to Avery Bradley.

Which is fine by me because we have an All-NBA point guard already. Dragic needs more offensive threats, not another point guard.

Either player has a good chance of being a downgrade one way or another.

Which I've already stated. I'm looking at Eric Bledsoe's extracting what I think the Suns need: someone who can D up PGs. Everything else will be taken care of by upgrading the 3, 4, and 5 spots, which needs to happen whether we let Bledsoe go or not.

You are just looking for ways to replace (Bledsoe)

Actually I'm not. I'm differentiating between the luxuries he affords us and the necessities he addresses. Ultimately, I feel he is a luxury that doesn't need to be replaced. The only thing that we would be well-served replacing is merely one of the roles he served: defensive relief for Dragic. That role can be addressed by a role player at a 10th of the cost, potentially.

INFORMER wrote:

Ring_Wanted wrote: Nick Johnson has a better case on D but lacks on offense especially in terms of PG skills, or at least that's why he gets compared to Avery Bradley.

Dragic needs more offensive threats, not another point guard.

Either player has a good chance of being a downgrade one way or another.

I'm looking at Eric Bledsoe's extracting what I think the Suns need: someone who can D up PGs. Everything else will be taken care of by upgrading the 3, 4, and 5 spots, which needs to happen whether we let Bledsoe go or not.

Ha! Yeah. Everything else will be taken care of. Easier said than done. I'd like to keep the thing I know that works, and if I have the chance at improving everywhere else, I'll do it even at the expense of Bledsoe, but I am not letting him go based on a hope that we can replace his production and then some.

INFORMER wrote:I'm differentiating between the luxuries he affords us and the necessities he addresses. Ultimately, I feel he is a luxury that doesn't need to be replaced. The only thing that we would be well-served replacing is merely one of the roles he served: defensive relief for Dragic. That role can be addressed by a role player at a 10th of the cost, potentially.

Having two offensive threats at the same time who are also capable of creating for others is not a mere luxury. You need more than one guy capable of doing things with the ball in his hands (and a post presence, of course). I think we can agree on that.

We happen to possess this in an atypical form of two PGs, but one of them has showed no problem playing at SG and is on the record saying that having a guy like Bledsoe helps him by taking some of the pressure off.

I like the system, because I have seen it work. Before the season started I was against it, or in wait and see mode at best. Inefficient management of resources, duplicity, etc. But they made it work. I want to keep this, instead of getting worse first on purpose with the hopes that I'll be able to get as good and then better using cap space, picks and trades. I am going to use all of it anyways, but to adress real needs, not something that is already covered and then some.

I think, given the way the league is now, having Bledsoe and Dragic, gives us a big advantage on the perimeter. It's a bit unconventional but they could form an elite backcourt that makes it very difficult for teams to defend because of their PG skills and ability to score in various ways.

Dragic can defend PGs. Why is it necessary to have a quick speedy SG who needs to be able to defend 1's? Like stated, this isn't Steve Nash. He isn't Tony Allen either, but he isn't this massive liability on D he's being made out to be.

As far as Gary Harris is concerned...he'll be able to defend any type of guard. I'm not concerned about his less then impressive measurables.

Sunsfan4life wrote:Dragic can defend PGs.

He couldn't this season.

Nik Stauskas may be a good pick.

He seems like a good fit with Jeff being coach
I dont know to much about how good he is on defense, but with that aside, We can always use shooter and he seems like he can spread the floor well. If we dont keep Channing Fry then we need a guy who can pull out defenders to the three opening floor space for Eric and Goran to penatrate.

It would be, with Nik Stauskas, a return to a small ball type game. So if miles can slide to PF well enough, than Alex can give us a good amount of height and that should keep the balance of in game chemistryΔ

Ring_Wanted wrote:

Sunsfan4life wrote:Dragic can defend PGs.

He couldn't this season.

Archie can do that then, he needs to learn the pace of the game and can always be a good swap

Mori Chu wrote: Microwave off the bench? Maybe. But that's basically his ceiling if you ask me.

Thats A pretty good ceiling. We got alot of draft picks and he will get the fans Hyped beacuse hes local and if he IS a microwave off the bench then that IS worth it. Next year were gonna be or might be stacked with a guap of new players from the draft and a common face is HUGE for the local loyalist Just like with Channing; Nick Johnson will bring his Classmates with him to the Suns as fans; growing our fan base and flowing that highschool and college spirit into the professional Arena‼

Ring_Wanted wrote:

Sunsfan4life wrote:Dragic can defend PGs.

He couldn't this season.

Not true - he couldn't down the stretch because his ankles (and his body in general) were ground into hamburger. Before that and fatigue set in, he was more than capable.

Same with Plumlee, who hit a wall of his own the last couple of months.