Suns updates and discussion for the 2020-21 season

[TJ]

To almost any extent - for the most part those offers will set his market. I'd rather overpay him a little than let him go (especially if it's for nothing).

Then I let the market decide what his value is and go from there. That said, if somehow he explodes next season, I then start to make that $20mil offer. This is a fluid situation

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Who says that's what it will take? Dario was just resigned for about $9 million a year. I don't see Mikal being that cheap but somewhere between $10-15 annually seems reasonable.He'll be restricted after next season, we'll be able to match anything he's offered and I hope they do so long as its reasonable.

The reason Saric got only $9m is because teams didn't really show him any interest and thus he had to settle for that contract. Saric also lacks any sort of elite level skill that teams would covet, but Mikal is an elite defender and is also a 40% three point shooter. He is going to see quite a bit more than Saric and it could be north of $15m per, especially if he shows even more improvement next season.

 

[Chaplin]

Don’t interpret me not caring about your out-of-pocket statements as being thin-skinned. Simply saying to you that if you want to depreciate the quality of the conversation, don’t expect me to follow.

Wow you need to calm down. It wasn’t meant to insult you.

 

[JCSunsfan]

to what extent?

This is a team that we need to keep together. Let the market determine his value and match. There is a core that needs to remain. CP3, Booker, Mikal, Cam, DA. There is another group that you really want to keep but might have to let one or two go depending on the circumstances: Crowder, Dario, CamP, Frank, Jevon.

I do not want to end up like OKC when they traded away Harden.

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[GatorAZ]

We’re not paying for the current version of Bridges. Given his improved shooting by year (still not a sharp shooter yet) you’d think he’d be worth $15+ a year by the end of 2022. I think he’ll get 4/90 or something close to it.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Bridges has way too many games in which he completely disappears. like, 0-3 point games. He’s a solid role player for this team, but the way fans adore him makes him vastly overrated. If I’m JJ, I don’t make much of an effort to re-sign him

this is absolutely insanity.

 

[Cheesebeef]

To almost any extent - for the most part those offers will set his market. I'd rather overpay him a little than let him go (especially if it's for nothing).

I can’t buy this. This is how teams destroy their cap. This assumes the market is always right, when usually the market for in between MLE and MAX guys is almost always wrong, IMO. Doing the above is how you get your cap screwed like the Lakers for years who wayyyyy overpaid for guys like Mosgov and Deng.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

$20 million per year ain't what it used to be. 51 players are at $20M+ this season, and another 13 are right behind at $18-20M. Player salaries continue to escalate quickly, and by the time Bridges gets extended, $20 million per year will look like even less. If he continues to shoot 40% from three, expands his slashing game, and gets into the conversation for All-NBA defensive teams, $20M per seems reasonable, and it's a safe bet that someone will offer him more.

I think this is right. I also expect that next season bridges will expand his range to other spots around the arc and his scoring will become more consistent, but it likely won’t ever exceed 15-16pts/game.

 

[Chaplin]

I can’t buy this. This is how teams destroy their cap. This assumes the market is always right, when usually the market for in between MLE and MAX guys is almost always wrong, IMO. Doing the above is how you get your cap screwed like the Lakers for years who wayyyyy overpaid for guys like Mosgov and Deng.

I know you've been pretty critical of his current play as of late, but do you think, if we extended him, that we'd be extending THIS Mikal, or the Mikal Bridges that was tearing it up pre-all star break? If you are going to base your opinion on him on his offense (his defense is pretty consistent), then which Mikal do you think is the true Mikal?

 

[Cheesebeef]

We’re not paying for the current version of Bridges. Given his improved shooting by year (still not a sharp shooter yet) you’d think he’d be worth $15+ a year by the end of 2022. I think he’ll get 4/90 or something close to it.

but his numbers this year have all dropped as the season has gone on. If he kept ascending, or was very young still, I could get behind the idea of spending “what will be” money on him. But I don’t know how much better he gets, and his propensity to disappear on BOTH ends of the floor in big games in the second half of the season isnt a great predictor of future success.

go look at his splits for this year. It’s a disturbing downward trend for a third year guy who should be ascending at this point.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Monty has already explained that Bridges has no plays run for him. Any scoring that happens is just through his effort. His primary responsibility is to guard the opposing teams best offensive player.

As far as efficiency, Bridges is 3.6 win shares on offense and 2.2 win shares on defense. His true shooting is 64.4%, well above league average of 57%.

He is just an all around good player

 

[Chris_Sanders]

This is a team that we need to keep together. Let the market determine his value and match. There is a core that needs to remain. CP3, Booker, Mikal, Cam, DA. There is another group that you really want to keep but might have to let one or two go depending on the circumstances: Crowder, Dario, CamP, Frank, Jevon.

I do not want to end up like OKC when they traded away Harden.

This lineup is by far their most dominant lineup statistically.

 

[JCSunsfan]

this is absolutely insanity.

Totally correct. Bridges is one of those rare players who can have a huge impact on a game without scoring a point. In every game those yellow shoes are everywhere doing something good.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I know you've been pretty critical of his current play as of late, but do you think, if we extended him, that we'd be extending THIS Mikal, or the Mikal Bridges that was tearing it up pre-all star break? If you are going to base your opinion on him on his offense (his defense is pretty consistent), then which Mikal do you think is the true Mikal?

I'll be honest, I think the guy in the middle is probably who he is and I don't know how much better he can get. I think his ceiling is the guy who shot out of the gate. And that guy was very good. But if you look at his splits by month, pre-All Star break his numbers had already started falling. He had a GREAT burst out of the gates this year in his first five weeks. It's the steady decline since then that troubles me. Not overall as a player. I do think he's an ELITE role player. And those are hard to come by. But it's the negotiating price for an elite role player that scares me where you're thinking you're spending money on your third main piece, when I believe he's the fourth banana on a title team and I don't want our cap choked by contracts for guys when that money needs to be spent elsewhere.

someone else (not you) said they don't want another James Harden situation... which I don't think really applies in any way shape or form. Harden had just turned 23 while Bridges is nearing 25 and Harden had shown the ability to dominate games off the bench. Bridges at two years older hasn't shown any of that kind of game, IMO.

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Hoop Head]

One thing I'm surprised hasn't been added to Bridges pro's list of sorts here is how he's an absolute iron man. He's played in every game possible since becoming a Sun. That is huge in today's NBA and you don't see guys consistently hit 82 games year after year. I guess with Covid screwing up last season so the full 82 weren't played, and they won't be this either, its easy to look past that when looking at Mikal's stats.

I read before that he didn't miss a game in college either so this isn't something new for him. I'm not sure how many games teams play in college anymore so I didn't double check that stat but I believe it was the AZ Republics Suns writer who mentioned that, Duane Rankin, and I don't normally fact check what he puts out.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

One thing I'm surprised hasn't been added to Bridges pro's list of sorts here is how he's an absolute iron man. He's played in every game possible since becoming a Sun. That is huge in today's NBA and you don't see guys consistently hit 82 games year after year. I guess with Covid screwing up last season so the full 82 weren't played, and they won't be this either, its easy to look past that when looking at Mikal's stats.

I read before that he didn't miss a game in college either so this isn't something new for him. I'm not sure how many games teams play in college anymore so I didn't double check that stat but I believe it was the AZ Republics Suns writer who mentioned that, Duane Rankin, and I don't normally fact check what he puts out.

:knock on wood:

 

[Cheesebeef]

:knock on wood:

especially in a season where guys are dropping like the flies.

 

[Phrazbit]

We're 40 and 15...

Forty... and fifteen... It's mind blowing.

We have the 5th most efficient offense and the 5th most efficient defense in the league. This isn't the best Suns team ever but I gotta think that it is the most well rounded.

If all players are healthy, I think we can beat anyone except the Lakers in a 7 game series.

 

[Phrazbit]

Bridges has way too many games in which he completely disappears. like, 0-3 point games. He’s a solid role player for this team, but the way fans adore him makes him vastly overrated. If I’m JJ, I don’t make much of an effort to re-sign him

I couldn't disagree more. This is the kind of thinking that led us to trading Marion for Shaq. Bridges is tremendously valuable. While he doesn't show up in the offense stats every game, defensively he causes problems for the opposition all the time. He also isn't selfish, he does not take stupid shots, he doesn't make bad passes, he doesn't need touches. He is one of the best 3 and D players in the entire league. Given where salaries are, if we could keep him for 15 million a year it is a bargain.

I am far more comfortable throwing Bridges 15-20 mil over 3 or 4 years than I am with giving Ayton the max contract that he is going to command... and I am one of Ayton's defenders here.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Bridges will be in this league a long time like Rondo long. It would be nice if he was a Sun for a long time.

 

[Mainstreet]

@Hoop Head

Are you able to watch the Suns games live?

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Chaplin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Geez Duane couldn’t you have cleaned that up? Reads like something my 5-year old would say.