Phx-Suns.Net

Atreides wrote:

O_Gardino wrote:According to that Bright Side article I posted, we haven't publicly worked out any point guard. Not Ball, not Fox, not Smith or Ntilikina. No PGs.

I don't know if that means we are set on getting a wing player, or if we want one of the star guards and they just wont talk to us.

Maybe after all this years they finally realize that more than one star pg is really not necessary on your squad.

We can hope.

O_Gardino wrote:

Atreides wrote:

O_Gardino wrote:According to that Bright Side article I posted, we haven't publicly worked out any point guard. Not Ball, not Fox, not Smith or Ntilikina. No PGs.

I don't know if that means we are set on getting a wing player, or if we want one of the star guards and they just wont talk to us.

Maybe after all this years they finally realize that more than one star pg is really not necessary on your squad.

We can hope.

Its way better to have a team full of wings that are raw and cant shoot?

We need good players, I dont care what position they play.

i agree that:
Bledsoe is a plus on offense and defense.
if we go with a rookie point and trade Bledsoe, we probably get back less than his value because of the abundance of good point guards in the league.

i lean towards trading the pick or player, especially if it is Ball

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/17/nba-d ... twitter_si
I've mentioned him before in my hopes for 54 or ufa.

ShelC wrote: And what do we do with Bledsoe if we want Ball and Booker in the backcourt? Again, I see a logjam where we go into the season saying "Bledsoe, Booker and Ball are our 3 perimeter players and give us fantastic versatility" blah blah blah.

I may be in the minority, but I think if you draft ball, you kinda want to keep Bledsoe around. I think they pair well in the backcourt together and until ball gets comfortable running the pick and roll, we're going to need pick and roll ball handlers. Booker can't do it by himself.

I think you'd have to bring ball off the bench as bled/ball/Booker probably won't work defensively against a lot of starting units, but there could be some situations where it's ok. Just can't have Booker or ball guarding the LeBron, Durant, and kawhi like SF.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:

ShelC wrote:Seems like our FO doesn't want to be in the position where Fox is the BPA and we either take him because he's there or take a guy we don't like as much or doesn't fit such as Tatum or Isaac. If Fultz is 1 and Jackson is the Cs guy at 3, that leaves Fox and Ball. If Ball is the Lakers' guy, then its a moot point. If they're on the fence, we'll prob have to overpay for the pick to get it from them.

We could take the chance that the Lakers take Fox at 2 and Ball falls to us at 4 or they take Ball at 2, we take Fox and work out a trade after. Ball hasn't worked out for us tho correct? And what do we do with Bledsoe if we want Ball and Booker in the backcourt? Again, I see a logjam where we go into the season saying "Bledsoe, Booker and Ball are our 3 perimeter players and give us fantastic versatility" blah blah blah.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster.

You think? Usually blah blah blah is always a great strategy.

I'm not even sure I'm sold on Ball and Booker in the backcourt. Defensively, I'd be very worried. That's also part of the reason I like Fox. And for all the talk of Bledsoe's D, I just don't see it.

Steve Kyler tweeted earlier that we're open to idea around a 3 way trade between the Lakers and Pacers should thinks progress there. Lakers get George, Pacers get 4, we get 2 maybe with other parts thrown in.

ShelC wrote:I'm not even sure I'm sold on Ball and Booker in the backcourt. Defensively, I'd be very worried. That's also part of the reason I like Fox. And for all the talk of Bledsoe's D, I just don't see it.

Steve Kyler tweeted earlier that we're open to idea around a 3 way trade between the Lakers and Pacers should thinks progress there. Lakers get George, Pacers get 4, we get 2 maybe with other parts thrown in.

I don't understand. Why wouldn't the Pacers just trade straight up for #2? Also, why wouldn't the Lakers wait one year and sign George outright? Don't make the same mistake New York made with Melo by gutting all their assets to get him a year early. Just be patient. The Lakers are not winning anything anytime soon. https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/876574289708818432

Presumably the reason for the Lakers to move now on George is that you can never be sure. If George were traded to, say, the Cavs, maybe he'll decide he's very happy there (might even win a title) and then would no longer want to come to the lottery-bound Lakers. If you can lock him up for essentially one first-round pick, maybe you do it.

I think we're down to about 5 possible scenarios for our pick. In order of likelihood:

Scenario 1: Draft goes Fultz, Ball, Jackson and we pick between Isaac and Tatum. I think we lean Isaac, but that could be my bias.

Scenario 2: Draft goes Fultz, Ball, Tatum and we pick between Jackson and Isaac. I think we pick Jackson.

Scenario 3: Draft goes Fultz, Jackson, Tatum and we draft Ball.

Scenario 4: We trade up with LA to secure Ball.

Scenario 5: Draft follows one of the first 3 scenarios and we convince Sacramento to move up for Fox and we take our guy 5.

Side note, if Tatum is our guy, we should seriously consider moving back with Orlando. I feel like Orlando is after Isaac and may be willing to pay for him. I doubt they offer their 2018 pick, but perhaps a pick swap next year where we send them the heat pick. They also have pick 25, I think, in this draft.

After extensive youtube research, I think my order of preference is 1. Jackson 2. Tatum 3. Isaac.

I'd take Ball if he's there at 4 over all of them.

I reserve the right to change my mind on all this tomorrow.

Shabazz wrote:After extensive youtube research, I think my order of preference is 1. Jackson 2. Tatum 3. Isaac.

I'd take Ball if he's there at 4 over all of them.

I reserve the right to change my mind on all this tomorrow.

Nope, Isaac is 3rd, you're locked into it now. *thumbs up*

TheOriginalOriginal wrote:

Shabazz wrote:After extensive youtube research, I think my order of preference is 1. Jackson 2. Tatum 3. Isaac.

I'd take Ball if he's there at 4 over all of them.

I reserve the right to change my mind on all this tomorrow.

Nope, Isaac is 3rd, you're locked into it now. *thumbs up*

I think the only thing I'd switch is Jackson and Tatum. I think Tatum may be a better prospect, but it's close enough that I weigh Jackson's fit next to Booker as a little more valuable.

Shabazz wrote:After extensive youtube research, I think my order of preference is 1. Jackson 2. Tatum 3. Isaac.

I'd take Ball if he's there at 4 over all of them.

I reserve the right to change my mind on all this tomorrow.

Same.

1. Ball
2. Jackson
3. Tatum
4. Isaac

I also agree with Shabazz , that's my list too and not really that worried about Lavar. Can't remember who mentioned it but Devin n Lonzo improving on D would be a bigger concern for me. Hard to get a read on Lonzo's "desire" but he is not slow footed and has length/quick hands in his favour so not far fetched to see him becoming solid defensively. As for Devin I just think he has to be smarter more than anything, he doesn't back down and is as proud as they come so the desire is definitely there. His falling asleep off d ball is what usually gets him in trouble on backdoors and then being late to close outs resulting in fouls.

We haven't talked about 32nd pick in a while, who we liking in that range ?

Not going to be super thrilled or super disappointed with who we get unless it's Jackson. I will be thrilled. The rest I'll take a wait and see approach. If we take Ball I am curious as to how you think the team will react if/when Lavar criticizes one of Lonzo's teammates? What if he criticizes Booker or what if he says something like "Eric Bledsoe isn't the future of the team so why is he getting more mins?"

Just see him as such a loose cannon that it would be inevitable he criticize a teammate of Lonzo's. I would be way more on board with Lonzo if his dad wasn't such a shit show.

I think the order is going to be Fultz, Ball, and then Jackson. I'm hoping that we draft Fox at #4 in that scenario, but if Jackson were to fall to us, I think he would fit in so well with our team. I just think Jackson is going to be a really great player. I also think Fox is going to be really great, and a more willing distributor than he showed in college. So I'm hoping for one of those 2.

In that scenario, I think we go Tatum or Isaac. I'd lean towards Tatum because he has a definable NBA skill.

I'm Fultz, Ball, Jackson, Isaac, Tatum right now. The middle 3 are constantly changing however. I'd be ok with any of those guys as our pick though, just would be slightly less excited if it was Tatum.

The scenarios I would be disappointed in are trading up for ball or Jackson if we give up our unprotected pick next year and drafting fox or Smith with no Bledsoe trade.

https://twitter.com/stevekylerNBA/status/876854018148118528 https://twitter.com/stevekylerNBA/status/876856742369538048