All time Suns scoring leaders

Hoop Head

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Thought I'd post this here. This is the first thing I was going to look up after finishing that video, how far is Booker from 8000. Turns out that it was asked on Twitter in response to that post already. If Booker can stay healthy this season, and score like he did last season, he could hit 8000 points. He'll need to surpass Majerle to place on that list but that will come a game or two after hitting 8000 because Majerle is at 8034. To hit 8000 it will require he average 26.6, which is what he averaged last season.

Chambers holds the Suns single season scoring average at 27.2 right now, which is a number that could be in jeopardy if Booker is healthy all year. He was on a tear late last season and made a good run at surpassing that before he got sat for the final few games.


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95pro

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I saw this and thought it was super cool. Couldn’t figure out a good thread to share it in so I just created one:

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That is pretty cool, funny how there's no movement once Nash's points settle in, been hell since 2012.
 

Mainstreet

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If Steve Nash had played his whole career here, he would lead the Suns scoring.
 

Hoop Head

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If Steve Nash had played his whole career here, he would lead the Suns scoring.

I don't think he would but he would be high on that list. Think of all of the extra points he would have helped Marion, Stoudemire, and others get if their whole Suns tenure was with Nash. I think his effect on their scoring would outweigh his own own scoring contributions so we'd see him in the top 5 but not at the top. He'd probably be much higher in the all time assist category as well.
 

Mainstreet

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I don't think he would but he would be high on that list. Think of all of the extra points he would have helped Marion, Stoudemire, and others get if their whole Suns tenure was with Nash. I think his effect on their scoring would outweigh his own own scoring contributions so we'd see him in the top 5 but not at the top. He'd probably be much higher in the all time assist category as well.

I looked at his stats in Dallas and I think Nash would have lead the Suns in scoring if he spent his entire career here.
 

Dback Jon

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He need 2,215 to pass Dan Majerle for #10 on all-time scoring list
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Michael Jordon didn't play for the Suns so I'm missing the point.
And Steve Nash didn’t play his entire career for the suns. Pretty sure if Barkley played his entire career for the suns he would’ve lead them in scoring. Or if stat did and never got hurt. Or if, or if . . . I added Michael Jordan bc there can always be an “if” that falls outside of reality - why draw the line at when a player was traded and was later resigned? Just seems like a weird comment. Of course if a player plays more games with a specific team he has a greater likelihood of being the team leader in scoring. I guess I just don’t see the point in the “what if” exercise. Not attacking you, just seemed odd to me.
 

Mainstreet

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And Steve Nash didn’t play his entire career for the suns. Pretty sure if Barkley played his entire career for the suns he would’ve lead them in scoring. Or if stat did and never got hurt. Or if, or if . . . I added Michael Jordan bc there can always be an “if” that falls outside of reality - why draw the line at when a player was traded and was later resigned? Just seems like a weird comment. Of course if a player plays more games with a specific team he has a greater likelihood of being the team leader in scoring. I guess I just don’t see the point in the “what if” exercise. Not attacking you, just seemed odd to me.

The Michael Jordon comment seemed more off the wall to me. The same with Barkley.

The Suns drafted Nash so it was not a reach to think what he could have accomplished if he had remained a lifetime Sun like Alvin Adams.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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The Michael Jordon comment seemed more off the wall to me. The same with Barkley.

The Suns drafted Nash so it was not a reach to think what he could have accomplished if he had remained a lifetime Sun like Alvin Adams.
“Could have” is a fantasyland undertaking. I played it to the hilt to illustrate how silly it is to me.

Technically we drafted rondo too. Should we wonder if he’d be our assist leader if he played his entire career with the suns? How many seasons or games is not silly to play the “could have” game?

Again I know this comes off as being snarky, I’m not. I just find it silly to arbitrarily wonder about this player but not that. Particularly when talking about all time anything’s. I mean the only way a player typically has a shot as an all time anything is to play either a full career with a team or for a team to have a history of short term or awful players.
 

BC867

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Lifetime scoring leader for a team seems to be a relative meaningless stat, in most cases, in today's NBA.

There are so many other factors involved. Stockton & Malone for Utah seems to be the most notable
exception of their time. A small market team never strong enough to be a championship contender,
going for stats more than anything to draw the crowd.

As far as Alvan Adams and his numbers with the Suns, it reflects that no other team wanted to sign
or trade for a 212 lb. Center. And that his best year was his rookie year. His stats went downhill from
there. Most of his lifetime Suns points were from Shooting Guard range.

His longevity actually hurt the Suns, because he tied up the Center position for a decade playing like
a Guard. Our Power Forwards had to cover and go up against traditional NBA Centers.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Lifetime scoring leader for a team seems to be a relative meaningless stat, in most cases, in today's NBA.

There are so many other factors involved. Stockton & Malone for Utah seems to be the most notable
exception of their time. A small market team never strong enough to be a championship contender,
going for stats more than anything to draw the crowd.

As far as Alvan Adams and his numbers with the Suns, it reflects that no other team wanted to sign
or trade for a 212 lb. Center. And that his best year was his rookie year. His stats went downhill from
there. Most of his lifetime Suns points were from Shooting Guard range.

His longevity actually hurt the Suns, because he tied up the Center position for a decade playing like
a Guard. Our Power Forwards had to cover and go up against traditional NBA Centers.
You have a weird way of looking at things.

Stockton and Malone were in the finals not once but twice. But we’re “never strong enough to be a championship contender?” I’ve seen articles that rate Utah as having been the greatest challenge to the bulls (not that I necessarily agree with that).

And you think Adams longevity was because no one wanted to sign or trade for him? Lol. He played at a time when FA was only a dream and you have no idea I’d anyone wanted to trade for him. He was a talented ball player. Maybe the suns didn’t want to get rid of him.
 

Mainstreet

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“Could have” is a fantasyland undertaking. I played it to the hilt to illustrate how silly it is to me.

Technically we drafted rondo too. Should we wonder if he’d be our assist leader if he played his entire career with the suns? How many seasons or games is not silly to play the “could have” game?

Again I know this comes off as being snarky, I’m not. I just find it silly to arbitrarily wonder about this player but not that. Particularly when talking about all time anything’s. I mean the only way a player typically has a shot as an all time anything is to play either a full career with a team or for a team to have a history of short term or awful players.

I was looking at it from a statistical point of view and doing the math. Theoretically it was possible Nash could have become the Suns scoring leader but it didn't happen. I was simply adding the points he scored in Phoenix and the points he scored in Dallas.

A couple of reasons I looked at Nash is because he was drafted by the Suns and he played in 10 seasons with the team which would have helped him towards this plateau.

If you want to get literal on this, there are two good reasons it didn't happen: Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd.
 

Milgod

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Lifetime scoring leader for a team seems to be a relative meaningless stat, in most cases, in today's NBA.

There are so many other factors involved. Stockton & Malone for Utah seems to be the most notable
exception of their time. A small market team never strong enough to be a championship contender,
going for stats more than anything to draw the crowd.

As far as Alvan Adams and his numbers with the Suns, it reflects that no other team wanted to sign
or trade for a 212 lb. Center. And that his best year was his rookie year. His stats went downhill from
there. Most of his lifetime Suns points were from Shooting Guard range.

His longevity actually hurt the Suns, because he tied up the Center position for a decade playing like
a Guard. Our Power Forwards had to cover and go up against traditional NBA Centers.
Err, I'm not sure you remember Utah like the were.
 

Covert Rain

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I am impressed Barkley is even up there considering he spent only a quarter of his entire career here. He is also 7th in rebounding which is even more impressive.
 

BC867

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Trust me, some of us feel the same way about his memories regarding the 70's and 80's era Suns.
That's why I appreciate you guys correcting me. I'm not kidding! My point was primarily about Adams.

It is what it is. When you hit my age, you'll understand why. Humor me! :mad:
 

AzStevenCal

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That's why I appreciate you guys correcting me. I'm not kidding! My point was primarily about Adams.

It is what it is. When you hit my age, you'll understand why. Humor me! :mad:

Yeah, but I think you really do Adams an injustice with your comments. First off, do you really think he's the reason we couldn't find a good big man? We tried every season and no matter who we drafted or traded for, AA outplayed every other option. He was not the reason we lost, although his absence doomed us a few times.
 

BC867

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Yeah, but I think you really do Adams an injustice with your comments. First off, do you really think he's the reason we couldn't find a good big man? We tried every season and no matter who we drafted or traded for, AA outplayed every other option. He was not the reason we lost, although his absence doomed us a few times.
Are you forgetting that Alvan Adams was the undersized Center whom John MacLeod coached at Oklahoma
and was certainly instrumental in the Suns drafting him.

And keeping him at Center for a decade, despite the rest of the league catching up with one who played it
like a Shooting Guard.

Jerry didn't get past the expansion team mentality for decades and placated MacLeod. Down the stretch
and in the post-season, when the refs swallowed their whistles, Adams gave up 30+ pounds regularly.

Couldn't find a big man? That is not a compliment to the Suns leadership. Finesse, finesse, finesse, by design.

And it haunted the Suns long past them being an expansion team. I, as a fan, found it frustrating year after
year, decade after decade. I am not ashamed of my feelings.
 

AzStevenCal

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Are you forgetting that Alvan Adams was the undersized Center whom John MacLeod coached at Oklahoma
and was certainly instrumental in the Suns drafting him.

And keeping him at Center for a decade, despite the rest of the league catching up with one who played it
like a Shooting Guard.

Jerry didn't get past the expansion team mentality for decades and placated MacLeod. Down the stretch
and in the post-season, when the refs swallowed their whistles, Adams gave up 30+ pounds regularly.

Couldn't find a big man? That is not a compliment to the Suns leadership. Finesse, finesse, finesse, by design.

And it haunted the Suns long past them being an expansion team. I, as a fan, found it frustrating year after
year, decade after decade. I am not ashamed of my feelings.

Like I said, you really do him an injustice. He was big 8 player of the year and highly regarded nationally. You make him out to be a courtesy pick to satisfy a coach but you are just wrong with that thinking. Maybe JM wanted him, I'm sure he did. But he was expected to go early with or without us. And he not only won ROY, he made the All star team as a rookie. And he never played the game like a shooting guard, he was a high post center/PF and he played that position well.

I do think all the undersized banging took an early toll on Alvan but he had probably 5 very good years before he began his slow but steady decline.
 

BC867

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I do think all the undersized banging took an early toll on Alvan but he had probably 5 very good years before he began his slow but steady decline.
For the record, Alvan's best year in just about every stat was his rookie year, when he was a novelty. The "undersized banging" he took defending in the post hurt
not only Adams, but his teammates as well.

Particularly those nine straight seasons when our Power Forwards had to be our de-facto Center. Even if he had, as you posted, five very good seasons. Not only
could he not fulfill his role. The number confirm his decline after his rookie year.

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