2014/2015 Suns Roster

[devilalum]

http://www.nba.com/suns/roster

OK, why are the Suns trying to sign Zoltan when they already have 9 guards on the roster? And why is Okafor listed?

Guess the players that will be on the opening day roster.
How many can you have these days???

Bledsoe - QO
Goran
Zoltan
Thomas
Kieff
Marcus
Plumlee
Shavlik
PJ
TJ
Toliver
Green
Goodwin
Ennis
Len

 

[Phrazbit]

You can have 15 on your roster. I think we will have all the above except Zoran/Zoltan/Zorbo/Marx Dragic.

 

[Mulli]

You can have 15 on your roster. I think we will have all the above except Zoran/Zoltan/Zorbo/Marx Dragic.

Forgot Chico

 

[Superbone]

OK, why are the Suns trying to sign Zoltan when they already have 9 guards on the roster?

How else are we going to start a 5 pg offense?

 

[BC867]

How else are we going to start a 5 pg offense?

Well, we'd need some PG's off the bench. Two if D'Antoni were still here, with his 7-players-or-less. 3 or 4 under Jeff.

I can see it now. Suns team stats average per game.

POINTS,.........80
ASSISTS........30
REBOUNDS......0
STEALS..........10
BLOCKS...........0

 

[Superbone]

Well, we'd need some PG's off the bench. Two if D'Antoni were still here, with his 7-players-or-less. 3 or 4 under Jeff.

I can see it now. Suns team stats average per game.

POINTS,.........80
ASSISTS........30
REBOUNDS......0
STEALS..........10
BLOCKS...........0

I'm glad you didn't include the BA (Blocks Against) stat.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well, we'd need some PG's off the bench. Two if D'Antoni were still here, with his 7-players-or-less. 3 or 4 under Jeff.

I can see it now. Suns team stats average per game.

POINTS,.........80
ASSISTS........30
REBOUNDS......0
STEALS..........10
BLOCKS...........0

My recollection DA could never find a decent backup PG behind Nash. Even Dragic had his woes. I've always been keen on having quality depth at PG.

 

[BC867]

My recollection DA could never find a decent backup PG behind Nash. Even Dragic had his woes. I've always been keen on having quality depth at PG.

That was because no one else could step in and run Steve's system. We are now back down to earth with a good, but not unique MVP, Point Guard.

I agree with you on depth. I have always felt that the best roster for the long haul of a season are two good Point Guards, two good Centers and strength in reserve for those positions at the end of the bench and in practice.

Then two Power Forwards, two Small Forwards and two Shooting Guards, all of which you can cover for short periods from the Center and Wing positions or run two positions with three players.

 

[JS22]

I still think this roster is going to look pretty different over the next few weeks or so.

 

[Mainstreet]

I still think this roster is going to look pretty different over the next few weeks or so.

How so? Are you thinking the Suns have a sign and trade lined up with Bledsoe.

 

[Hoop Head]

I still think this roster is going to look pretty different over the next few weeks or so.

I agree, McDonough didn't make moves until later in the summer for the most part last year. The Dudley/Bledsoe & Butler deal was made right about when the moratorium ended in early July but other than that he waited really. He made the Scola/Plumlee, Green, and 1st deal at the end of July. He moved Butler at the end of August for Ish. Gortat, Brown, and Marshall were traded to Washington after training camp and preseason, which is really surprising looking back that we gave up 2 rotation players right as the season was about to start and we came out of the gate much better than anyone predicted. It looked like that deal was throwing in the towel officially really.

I think one of McDonough's best qualities as a GM is he's very patient, at least it appears that way. He hasn't rushed anything yet, he waited a while on all the trades he made except the Bledsoe deal and stood pat at the the deadline rather than panicking for a rental player to make a postseason push, which turned out to be a good move in hindsight. The team even took their time dumping Beasley last offseason. I think part of the reason all of the trades the Suns made look like they ended up lopsided in the Suns favor is because he waited out other GM's. This offseason he has had a ton of cap space and hasn't made any quick, snap judgement, panic type moves. He's played the waiting game with Bledsoe also. I think that works well in negotiations he's had with other teams. I'm sure there has been trade talk going on, not just involving Bledsoe, that we aren't privy to. I'd be very surprised if the opening day roster was the same one being posted here today. I'm mainly referring to the roster involving actual rotation players, end of the bench guys that won't have an impact are just that and could be picked up or dropped really at any given time through the year.


Here is a link to last seasons transactions, look at the dates of the moves made. Everything was done late, in NBA terms at least. Maybe it will be a little longer this year, like when players signed this offseason can be moved which is December 15th I believe, but I expect moves to be made before the new year.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2014_transactions.html

 

[Phoenix219]

Yeah, the gortat trade came up late night the off season... I still think that a rejuvenated Gortat starting with Plumlee off the bench, we would easily have made the playoffs last year.

 

[Iceman]

Looking at that roster, Dragic and Bledsoe are probably the only 2 names that the average fan even knows. Maybe just Dragic. Hell, to the average fan they might not even know who Dragic is either. Then they would probably associate Lin as Jeremy Lin...

 

[Chaplin]

Looking at that roster, Dragic and Bledsoe are probably the only 2 names that the average fan even knows. Maybe just Dragic. Hell, to the average fan they might not even know who Dragic is either. Then they would probably associate Lin as Jeremy Lin...

Is that an issue? Does it really matter if average fans know anyone on the team or not?

The people who buy season tickets are either ones that aren't average, or will buy tickets regardless of who's on the team.

 

[BC867]

Looking at that roster, Dragic and Bledsoe are probably the only 2 names that the average fan even knows. Maybe just Dragic. Hell, to the average fan they might not even know who Dragic is either.

'Sorry, but that is a ridiculous thing to say.

The average fan certainly knows of most of the players on the team.

Even the average resident knows more than what you are assuming.

Only those who make it a point to not be aware of the Suns might fit your description. Plus those who are under the age of 6.

 

[elindholm]

Even the average resident knows more than what you are assuming.

Do you really think that more than half of the population in the greater Phoenix area knows who Goran Dragic is?

 

[BC867]

Do you really think that more than half of the population in the greater Phoenix area knows who Goran Dragic is?

Those who follow current news, yes. I do not follow football, but I know who Larry Fitzgerald is. And what is going on with Jonathan Dwyer.

You are a Suns fan, but I would guess you have a peripheral knowledge of players on the various L.A. teams. Just from exposure and spending time online.

 

[Phrazbit]

Do you really think that more than half of the population in the greater Phoenix area knows who Goran Dragic is?

Yes. Without a doubt. Would they recognize him if he passed them on the street? Dubious. But I think a heavy majority of the residents (like 90% of the English speaking ones) would know he is a point guard on the Suns.

 

[elindholm]

You are a Suns fan, but I would guess you have a peripheral knowledge of players on the various L.A. teams. Just from exposure and spending time online.

Yes, but I'm a moderately serious sports fan. I know lots of people who couldn't care less about athletics. Are you talking about average sports fans, or average people in general?

Heck, even for me, I live in the Los Angeles area and am a Dodgers fan, but off the top of my head I can think of only two players on the Angels, Trout and Weaver. Oh, and Pujols. They have Pujols, right? I'd have to look it up to be sure. Do I think the average person in this area knows more about the Angels than I do? Hell no, even though I know very little.

Los Angeles doesn't have an NFL team, but a lot of people around here follow the Raiders or 49ers. Yet I can't name a single player on either of those teams.

 

[Chaplin]

Something nobody is talking about is the minimum threshold for the salary cap this season.

According to this site: http://www.spotrac.com/cap-tracker/nba/2014/, we are well underneath the minimum salary structure for 2014-2015. Looks like we are around 44m for the season.

From the CBA FAQ:

15. Is there a minimum amount each team must pay its players?

There is a minimum team salary (see question number 14), which for this purpose includes the salaries of players who were amnestied (see question number 69) or suffered a career-ending injury or illness (see question number 63), and excludes all cap holds. The team salary must be at or above a defined percentage of the salary cap on the date of the team's last regular season game:

Season Minimum Amount
2011-12 80% of the cap $46.435 million
2012-13 85% of the cap $49.337 million
2013-14 90% of the cap $52.811 million
2014-15 90% of the cap $56.759 million
2015-16 90% of the cap
2016-17 90% of the cap
2017-18 90% of the cap
2018-19 90% of the cap
2019-20 90% of the cap
2020-21 90% of the cap
Teams with a team salary below the minimum are surcharged for their shortfall, with the money distributed among the players on that team.

Amounts paid as buyouts to international teams (see question number 77) do not count toward the minimum team payroll.

It looks like it is allowed, but it rewards the players because they get what is essentially a bonus equal to the amount below we are divided between the players.

 

[Phrazbit]

It grants us a ton of flexibility to pull a mid-season trade.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yes. Without a doubt. Would they recognize him if he passed them on the street? Dubious. But I think a heavy majority of the residents (like 90% of the English speaking ones) would know he is a point guard on the Suns.

No way. You are assuming way more people follow the NBA than actually do. And there are many who say they do who have no clue. I would bet that 30% of the men do not know who he is and 70% of the women do not know.

 

[Hoop Head]

Think about how tall all the Suns players are, Dragic is what 6'3-6'4? He would be a lot taller than pretty much everyone walking around a mall or something. Height alone would cause him to catch people's attention. Think of the Morris twins walking around Scottsdale Fashion Square, I'm sure they would be recognized considered they play for the Suns and most people in the valley have been exposed to the Suns enough through nightly news to recognize players especially when they see 2 identical twins who are 6'9 walking around together in a high end area of the valley.

 

[BC867]

Think about how tall all the Suns players are, Dragic is what 6'3-6'4? He would be a lot taller than pretty much everyone walking around a mall or something. Height alone would cause him to catch people's attention. Think of the Morris twins walking around Scottsdale Fashion Square, I'm sure they would be recognized considered they play for the Suns and most people in the valley have been exposed to the Suns enough through nightly news to recognize players especially when they see 2 identical twins who are 6'9 walking around together in a high end area of the valley.

You should have seen, back in the day, Oliver Miller and his entourage walking through Paradise Valley Mall dressed like inflated 12-year olds.

If you were approaching from the opposite direction, there wasn't much room to get by.

 

[elindholm]

Think about how tall all the Suns players are, Dragic is what 6'3-6'4? He would be a lot taller than pretty much everyone walking around a mall or something. Height alone would cause him to catch people's attention.

I know plenty of people who are 6' 3" or 6' 4", and their height alone does not attract attention. Sure, they look tall, but it's not that far out of the normal range.