Suns updates and discussion for the 2019-20 season

[Mainstreet]

This thread is intended to provide a place for news and discussion relating to the Suns for the 2019-20 season.

Lots of things are happening leading up to the preseason opener against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, October 8th.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

Suns injury updates: - Oubre has right wrist tendinitis. Sidelined w/ daily treatment. No timetable and re-evaluated in 7-10 days. - Bridges has a right patella bone bruise. Rehabbing right knee discomfort. No timetable. Re-evaluated in 7-10 days.

2:01 PM - 5 Oct 2019

 

[Mainstreet]

Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson


- Baynes had a procedure done Friday for a nasal fracture. He's getting re-evaluated on Sunday. - Lecque has a left ankle sprain and is on the same program as Oubre. - Kramer has a left tibia stress reaction. Out indefinitely.

2:03 PM - 5 Oct 2019

 

[Mainstreet]

It sounds like the Suns might need to consider adding a small forward. Cam Johnson is the only small forward of note that is currently ready to go.


Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

Sounds like the earliest Oubre and Bridges will be practicing is the start of the week after next, which is 10 days out from the opener. That's plenty of time but they'll still be behind.

2:05 PM - 5 Oct 2019

 

[Mainstreet]

Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

If the Suns pick up another wing here relatively soon, I would guess that means one of those two could miss the start of the season. Because Cam is the only healthy wing right now. Still have an open two-way spot and one too many PGs.


2:09 PM - 5 Oct 2019

 

[Mainstreet]

And more injury updates.

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[Mainstreet]

Even Frank Kaminisky has reportedly experienced some low back tightness although it sounds like he will be ready for preseason.

Here is a link to a story about the Suns injury situation.

Center Frank Kaminsky told The Republic on Friday he was experiencing "little low back tightness" as he wasn't shooting baskets after practice as he had done earlier in camp.

"Nothing crazy," said Kaminsky as he looked to be ready for the preseason.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...jr-mikal-bridges-dealing-injuries/3882606002/

 

[Mainstreet]

I guess the most encouraging thing about the injuries to Oubre and Bridges is it sounds like that they will not need surgery.

However, I am not a doctor so what do I know.

 

[Hoop Head]

Last year we had no PG's and a plethora of wings and this year we're short on wings and have enough PG's to run a D'Antoni rotation. Go figure.


I think they should run a 3 guard lineup with Booker sliding over to SF. Rubio, Tyler Johnson, Booker, Saric, and Ayton isn't really that "small" of a lineup. I know it would be small against a Lakers team with Dwight, Davis, and Lebron in their frontcourt but you adapt as you go. I have no doubt that Booker, Rubio, and Tyler could play together and that is a hell of a lot bigger than Bledsoe, IT, and Dragic so I don't see the issue. It's not ideal but you play the hand you're dealt and I think having those 3 on the floor together would help Saric and Ayton find easy shots since all 3 can create for others and score on their own.

 

[Mainstreet]

Last year we had no PG's and a plethora of wings and this year we're short on wings and have enough PG's to run a D'Antoni rotation. Go figure.


I think they should run a 3 guard lineup with Booker sliding over to SF. Rubio, Tyler Johnson, Booker, Saric, and Ayton isn't really that "small" of a lineup. I know it would be small against a Lakers team with Dwight, Davis, and Lebron in their frontcourt but you adapt as you go. I have no doubt that Booker, Rubio, and Tyler could play together and that is a hell of a lot bigger than Bledsoe, IT, and Dragic so I don't see the issue. It's not ideal but you play the hand you're dealt and I think having those 3 on the floor together would help Saric and Ayton find easy shots since all 3 can create for others and score on their own.

I'm still hoping Oubre and/or Bridges are ready for the regular season opener against the Kings on October 23rd.

It would be nice to play Booker at his natural position (shooting guard) to start the season but he could easily slide to small forward for a few games and be just as potent. Rubio, Johnson, Booker, Saric, and Ayton is still a very good starting lineup as you note.

The way Monty talks about Cam Johnson, he just might start him at small forward if Bridges and Oubre are not ready for the opener.

 

[BC867]

Last year we had no PG's and a plethora of wings and this year we're short on wings and have enough PG's to run a D'Antoni rotation. Go figure.

I think they should run a 3 guard lineup with Booker sliding over to SF. Rubio, Tyler Johnson, Booker, Saric, and Ayton isn't really that "small" of a lineup. I know it would be small against a Lakers team with Dwight, Davis, and Lebron in their frontcourt but you adapt as you go. I have no doubt that Booker, Rubio, and Tyler could play together and that is a hell of a lot bigger than Bledsoe, IT, and Dragic so I don't see the issue. It's not ideal but you play the hand you're dealt and I think having those 3 on the floor together would help Saric and Ayton find easy shots since all 3 can create for others and score on their own.

With all due respect, I hope that our goals are greater than comparing upcoming lineups to running
a D'Antoni rotation or being bigger than a 3-Point Guard lineup.

If you are running at full speed while looking back over your shoulder, you could run into a brick wall.

My wish is to see all expectations for the Suns to be based on the future, not the past.

Especially a past filled with gimmicks. Which, as the past decade has proven, are not
formulas for growth let alone steady growth.

To me, we are looking forward to the NEW PHOENIX SUNS, with management allowed
to use their professionalism and rotations with balance.

 

[Hoop Head]

With all due respect, I hope that our goals are greater than comparing upcoming lineups to running
a D'Antoni rotation or being bigger than a 3-Point Guard lineup.

If you are running at full speed while looking back over your shoulder, you could run into a brick wall.

My wish is to see all expectations for the Suns to be based on the future, not the past.

Especially a past filled with gimmicks. Which, as the past decade has proven, are not
formulas for growth let alone steady growth.

To me, we are looking forward to the NEW PHOENIX SUNS, with management allowed
to use their professionalism and rotations with balance.

My comment on the D'Antoni rotation was poking fun at us having 7 guys who can play PG. Rather than say 7 guys who can play PG I said enough for a D'Antoni rotation since he famously ran 7 players into the ground game after game.

As far as the 3 PG lineup, I was only mentioning it wouldn't be a small lineup when it comes to recent Suns teams. I'm not worried about the current Suns repeating mistakes of the Suns of the past because it seems we have a smart assembly of talent that weren't part of those previous missteps. That's not to say they aren't aware of them, I'm sure it's something that's been looked at as something this current crew needs to erase from the conscious of other NBA players and fans because they're building their own culture going forward and hopefully that culture involves the playoffs and more.

Just because the past is mentioned doesn't mean anyone's expectations are set at a certain level. I think we're all looking forward, some with more optimism than others but all of us seem to have at least a sliver of hope. No need to check anyone's point of view.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns have the size to go big or small which is what today's NBA is all about... match-ups. If necessity such as injury requires them to use smaller lineups I have no problem with it. Besides, in certain situations this is going to happen all season for strategic advantage.

I think we all want to see the Suns use their guards and small forwards along with a combination of Ayton, Saric, Baynes, Kaminsky and Diallo. However, if the Suns strength is at guard I'm all for using it as the situation demands. Monty Williams has a different coaching style than Mike D'Antoni but I am not going to deny his offensive style has revolutionized the NBA.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

TJ was out a large portion of the season with a "bone bruise". Just saying.

 

[Mainstreet]

TJ was out a large portion of the season with a "bone bruise". Just saying.

I suspect Warren didn't want to be here.

There was speculation he might play right up until the end of the season but it never happened.

The Suns shouldn't have had to add the 32nd pick to trade a productive player.

 

[Chaplin]

I suspect Warren didn't want to be here.

There was speculation he might play right up until the end of the season but it never happened.

The Suns shouldn't have had to add the 32nd pick to trade a productive player.

Who cares? The fact that we had to include the pick shows more about Warren’s value than it does about the Suns stupidity.

 

[WildBB]

Who cares? The fact that we had to include the pick shows more about Warren’s value than it does about the Suns stupidity.

I'm hearing Booker is very impressed with Saric's overall game so far. He will be a very complimentary addition and do alot of the unnoticed things that make a lineup mesh together well. Looking forward to the games to start.
Suns looking wise to move on from a crowded wing roster.

 

[Mainstreet]

Who cares? The fact that we had to include the pick shows more about Warren’s value than it does about the Suns stupidity.

We make the much the same point in different ways.

 

[Mainstreet]

Dragan Bender plays well in his first game for the Bucks.


Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

Dragan Bender had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in his first preseason game for the Bucks. Took 9 shots in 18 minutes, four threes and five at the rim. They used him at the 5.

8:14 PM - 7 Oct 2019

 

[AzStevenCal]

Dragan Bender plays well in his first game for the Bucks.


Kellan Olson‏Verified account @KellanOlson

Dragan Bender had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in his first preseason game for the Bucks. Took 9 shots in 18 minutes, four threes and five at the rim. They used him at the 5.

8:14 PM - 7 Oct 2019

I absolutely don't expect it to happen but wouldn't it be something if Chriss, Bender and Jackson all became good NBA players, or even stars?

While I don't usually care about players that fail here and then succeed elsewhere, if this actually happened it would probably sting for quite awhile given that they were supposed to be not just our future but our payment for putting up with some horrendous basketball. McD probably has his fingers crossed hoping those 3 will turn things around thereby resurrecting his career. Something like that might even earn him another chance at a key position in an NBA front office (something other than GM I would think).

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm not surprised Bender had a good game. If he can keep it up, we'll see, but he's got better mentors of sorts in Milwaukee to learn from. Brook Lopez should be a quality vet for him to learn from. He's became a good stretch big in Milwaukee and having Bender spell him for a few minutes could be interesting. Robin Lopez is also there and he might be able to help him play with a little more fire but I think Bender deserved another year. Knowing we gave up on him so early was disappointing. I know the cap figures but when you draft someone, especially as young as Bender, you should commit for 4 years. Knowing the Suns didn't even pick up his 4th year option was a sign that the Suns aren't committed to developing their draftees.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I absolutely don't expect it to happen but wouldn't it be something if Chriss, Bender and Jackson all became good NBA players, or even stars?

While I don't usually care about players that fail here and then succeed elsewhere, if this actually happened it would probably sting for quite awhile given that they were supposed to be not just our future but our payment for putting up with some horrendous basketball. McD probably has his fingers crossed hoping those 3 will turn things around thereby resurrecting his career. Something like that might even earn him another chance at a key position in an NBA front office (something other than GM I would think).

Even if they do, the problem was and is that you cannot develop all that youth at once. This is why tanking year after year is just a bad idea. When you have multiple teenagers and playing the same position, the whole team atmosphere cannot be conducive to player development. Of course, the vets that McD brought in were not that good either.

 

[Hoop Head]

Even if they do, the problem was and is that you cannot develop all that youth at once. This is why tanking year after year is just a bad idea. When you have multiple teenagers and playing the same position, the whole team atmosphere cannot be conducive to player development. Of course, the vets that McD brought in were not that good either.

Add in the poor attitude of 2 of those guys, Chriss and Jackson, and it's a recipe for disaster. If you're going to go young then you need to find the right young talent. Having potential and being athletic isn't everything. McD frequently ignored or disregarded the personalities of players and that came back to blow up in his face multiple times. We're lucky he hit on Booker because it seems most of the players he signed had terrible attitudes. McD was a terrible judge of character and the Suns paid for that. I'm shocked he was part of the front office that cut Beasley when he arrived. You'd think he would have kept him around as some sort of reclamation project.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I absolutely don't expect it to happen but wouldn't it be something if Chriss, Bender and Jackson all became good NBA players, or even stars?

While I don't usually care about players that fail here and then succeed elsewhere, if this actually happened it would probably sting for quite awhile given that they were supposed to be not just our future but our payment for putting up with some horrendous basketball. McD probably has his fingers crossed hoping those 3 will turn things around thereby resurrecting his career. Something like that might even earn him another chance at a key position in an NBA front office (something other than GM I would think).

I believe we gave up on bender and jJ too early. I’d be shocked if Chriss ever becomes even serviceable.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Even if they do, the problem was and is that you cannot develop all that youth at once. This is why tanking year after year is just a bad idea. When you have multiple teenagers and playing the same position, the whole team atmosphere cannot be conducive to player development. Of course, the vets that McD brought in were not that good either.

Maybe. We certainly turned it into that kind of problem. But I'm not convinced that it couldn't have been handled much better if we'd added a couple of good player development coaches and didn't fill out our bench with players that weren't good enough to help at the moment and were unlikely to be part of our future. If a team learned anything from our recent past, I'd hope it was that even rebuilding teams still need quality veterans and if you're going to draft several "projects", you need extra coaches to develop them.