Suns News: Week 12 1/11-1/17

[carey]

We won a game! It's madness! Dogs & cats, living together!

Last Week's Games

vs. Charlotte Hornets WIN 111-102
vs. Miami Heat LOSS 103-95

This Week's Games

Tuesday, January 12th @ Indiana Pacers 7:00PM EST
Friday, January 15th @ Boston Celtics 7:30PM EST
Sunday, January 17th @ Minnesota Timberwolves 3:30PM EST

Suns Stories
https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/686613386465914880 https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/686615657157267456 McDonough, "We obviously need to make changes." http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... -nba-trade

[carey]

Paul Coro was voted Arizona Sportswriter of the year: http://nssafame.com/2016/01/10/berman-p ... a-winners/

[carey]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken ... e-a-seller

It's a tire fire in Phoenix, where the Suns fell for the elixir of an unexpected 48-win season in 2013-14, went for it with a series of moves that deviated from their original rebuilding plan and now find themselves in a state of chaos. In 2013, the Suns traded veterans Jared Dudley, Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat for a collection of young players and draft picks, a tried-and-true strategy for rebuilding. But lo and behold, Phoenix nearly won 50 games and narrowly missed the playoffs.

The organization's posture changed, and its undoing was two-fold, according to rival executives: 1) Signing 33-year-old Tyson Chandler to a four-year, $52 million deal on the belief that the move would entice free agent LaMarcus Aldridge to sign (spoiler alert, it didn't); and 2) Underestimating Markieff Morris' reaction to his twin brother being traded to Detroit.

Chandler showing up for the Suns' free-agent pitch meeting with Aldridge was great theater. "We walked in and we had no idea what he was doing there," a person who attended the meeting told CBS Sports. "And then they said, 'He's with us now.'" The only problem with this bold plan was that it didn't work. Now with Chandler once again struggling to stay healthy and Morris having diminished any leverage the Suns had to trade him, the Suns are stuck. The shakeup on the coaching staff didn't help, and coach Jeff Hornacek still doesn't have any security beyond this season.

"We are looking at a number of things between now and the trade deadline," GM Ryan McDonough said on Phoenix radio. "We obviously need to make some changes."

As the Suns have learned, sometimes the moves that you have to make to undo mistakes are more costly than the mistakes themselves.

[Indy]

sometimes the moves that you have to make to undo mistakes are more costly than the mistakes themselves.

Hey guys and gals. Need a quick favor. Will you please tattoo this backwards on Sarver's forehead? Thanks in advance!

[Superbone]

If you hold him down...

[carey]

Suns defense is so, so bad: http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... very-angle

Looking at stats.nba.com, the Suns as a team ranked 25th or worse in opposing guards shooting percentage from nearly every distance on the floor before Eric Bledsoe went down to injury. The reason they were able to have a mid-pack overall defensive rating (points per possession) was because they limited opposing guards to some of the fewest attempts in the league (Top 10 in fewest shots allowed to guards from nearly every distance).

Since Bledsoe's injury (and exacerbated by the dismissal of the team's top two assistants), the Suns have gotten even worse.

Specifically, T.J. Warren allows one of the highest opponent shooting percentages in the league among forwards, filtered for mid-to-high activity levels.

I don't know what that last remark means.

Overall, the Suns are allowing the HIGHEST opponent shooting percentage in the league, and it's not even necessarily close.

[Nodack]

Well at least we are highest in something. Maybe they can shoot for more and have the highest turn over ratio too.

Just some little goals to shoot for while we suck.

[INFORMER]

"We are looking at a number of things between now and the trade deadline," GM Ryan McDonough said on Phoenix radio. "We obviously need to make some changes."

This was so avoidable. Idiot.

[OE32]

Suns defense is so, so bad: http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2016/ ... very-angle

Looking at stats.nba.com, the Suns as a team ranked 25th or worse in opposing guards shooting percentage from nearly every distance on the floor before Eric Bledsoe went down to injury. The reason they were able to have a mid-pack overall defensive rating (points per possession) was because they limited opposing guards to some of the fewest attempts in the league (Top 10 in fewest shots allowed to guards from nearly every distance).

Since Bledsoe's injury (and exacerbated by the dismissal of the team's top two assistants), the Suns have gotten even worse.

Specifically, T.J. Warren allows one of the highest opponent shooting percentages in the league among forwards, filtered for mid-to-high activity levels.

I don't know what that last remark means.

Overall, the Suns are allowing the HIGHEST opponent shooting percentage in the league, and it's not even necessarily close.

You gotta watch the games to understand the meaning of the statistics. We've turned the ball over so much and relied on so much outside shooting that long rebounds and live turnovers have killed us on defense. That is, our no offense has lead to no defense. Funny how that works.

... That all changed in a big way tonight against Indiana, btw. May the reign of the Point Goodwin begin!

[TOO]

"We are looking at a number of things between now and the trade deadline," GM Ryan McDonough said on Phoenix radio. "We obviously need to make some changes."

This was so avoidable. Idiot.

[Mori Chu]

I love having salty INF around.

[UglyTruth]

"We are looking at a number of things between now and the trade deadline," GM Ryan McDonough said on Phoenix radio. "We obviously need to make some changes."

This was so avoidable. Idiot.

His changes are gonna mean during more assistant coaches. Oh wait they already did that, maybe it will be waterboys next.

[Superbone]

"We are looking at a number of things between now and the trade deadline," GM Ryan McDonough said on Phoenix radio. "We obviously need to make some changes."

This was so avoidable. Idiot.

INF, I know we have to tell you this all the time, but don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

[Charlie Smithy!]

Inf, your posts are sincerely cathartic for me; I appreciate the honesty, and agree.

[Shabazz]

Spoiler: show/hide

WHY IS MARKIEFF MORRIS STILL ON THIS TEAM?????

[Shabazz]

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/687772567684386816 https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/687773351578890240

[carey]

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[Superbone]

Spoiler: show/hide

WHY IS MARKIEFF MORRIS STILL ON THIS TEAM?????

Spoiler: show/hide

GOOD QUESTION!!!!!

(More available players staring tomorrow.)

[TOO]

......(\_/)
......( '_' )
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\_@_@_@_@_@/

Happy Easter?

[ShelC]

Some rumblings about 'Kieff and the Cavs

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... s_wou.html

Influential figures within the Cavaliers' locker room are open to the notion of trading for disgruntled Phoenix Suns power forward Markieff Morris, cleveland.com has learned.

I can only imagine those "influential figures" includes LeBron. As stated in the article the Cavs are looking for depth at PF and stretch 4, along with a defensive minded wing that can spot up and shoot the 3 (lookin' at you PJ). They have a 10.5mil TE so they can take back Morris, but a separate deal would have to be made for PJ since I don't think you can combine a TE with a player in a deal. We could simply unload Kieff for their TE and a pick but would we want more than that?

Generally speaking, the cavs don't have too many players that interest me. I was kind of hoping Kieff would play well this year and up his value, with KLove continuing to struggle in CLE and a deal working out there, but the opposite has happened.