Bulls @ Suns 3-18-19

[Hoop Head]

Sorry, nope, just can't do it. Can't root for the Suns to lose. I hope Booker goes off for another 40/12 with 4 or less TOs. I hope Bender cans 5 triples and continues to play solid defense. I hope Ayton realizes that actions speak louder than words and drops 25/15.

Intellectually I understand why they should lose this game, but I hope they still win.

Agree 100%! I'm done with rooting for losses. Players should always be playing to win. This year should have shown how hard it is to get them out of the losing mindset and they're not out of it yet. Chicago sucks, we should walk all over them. I'm fine with a competitive game considering who is going to be out but that's not a loss.

Its a necessary evil. If the alternative is securing a player that propels the franchise for 10 years, a few tank jobs are rendured meaningless.

Were the tank jobs last year worth getting Ayton for 10 years?

I hate rooting for them to lose but if we put the hoo-raw aside, its stupid not to

Id bet if Dbook was truthful, hed agree

That's a fair question, if we didn't tank for #1 then who do we get? Probably Doncic, as the safe bet. Some thought we'd take him #1 after hiring the coach of his national team. He's played like a legit star already this year and will win Rookie of the Year so was it worth it to tank for Ayton? I don't think that can be answered for another couple of years but did we even tank last year? Considering how this year started it's a legit question whether we did fully embrace the tank.

 

[BC867]

Its a necessary evil. If the alternative is securing a player that propels the franchise for 10 years, a few tank jobs are rendured meaningless.

Were the tank jobs last year worth getting Ayton for 10 years?

I hate rooting for them to lose but if we put the hoo-raw aside, its stupid not to

Id bet if Dbook was truthful, hed agree

Perhaps on a well run team. But, even then, not season after season.

The Suns approach has been to go for great young players . . . and teach them how to lose.

I don't believe that Devin Booker supports that on an ongoing basis. But then, he can think
for himself.

Fans don't have the right to give his opinions or question his "truthful"ness.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Perhaps on a well run team. But, even then, not season after season.

The Suns approach has been to go for great young players . . . and teach them how to lose.

I don't believe that Devin Booker supports that on an ongoing basis. But then, he can think
for himself.

Fans don't have the right to give his opinions or question his "truthful"ness.

no one's doing this.

y'all are looking for a fight where none exists.

 

[BC867]

no one's doing this.

y'all are looking for a fight where none exists.

NashDishesDimes' posted, "Id bet if Dbook was truthful, hed agree."

Looking for a fight? Hardly. I responded to his post. Word for word.

'Sorry, Cheese, responding with personal accusations is not my style.

 

[1Sun]

Its a necessary evil. If the alternative is securing a player that propels the franchise for 10 years, a few tank jobs are rendured meaningless.

Were the tank jobs last year worth getting Ayton for 10 years?

I hate rooting for them to lose but if we put the hoo-raw aside, its stupid not to

Id bet if Dbook was truthful, hed agree

Except we're at the point where the lottery odds do not change one bit, win or lose, particularly since there is only one player (Zion) worth drafting in this draft, and unless we basically win all of our remaining games, we are guaranteed to have the best shot possible to get him (along with two other teams).

If we are deliberately perpetuating a losing culture just to get the likes of Ja Morant, we might as well contract the franchise right now, because it is beyond hope.

As well as he turned out (which will 100% be better than Morant turns out), can you imagine the uproar, especially in Portland, if the Blazers spent a year intentionally losing so they could have the privilege of drafting Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum #2 overall?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Agree 100%! I'm done with rooting for losses. Players should always be playing to win. This year should have shown how hard it is to get them out of the losing mindset and they're not out of it yet. Chicago sucks, we should walk all over them. I'm fine with a competitive game considering who is going to be out but that's not a loss.




That's a fair question, if we didn't tank for #1 then who do we get? Probably Doncic, as the safe bet. Some thought we'd take him #1 after hiring the coach of his national team. He's played like a legit star already this year and will win Rookie of the Year so was it worth it to tank for Ayton? I don't think that can be answered for another couple of years but did we even tank last year? Considering how this year started it's a legit question whether we did fully embrace the tank.

Didn’t Atlanta jump the #2 team? So it’s possibke we wouldn’t have ended up with Doncic either.

 

[Hoop Head]

Perhaps on a well run team. But, even then, not season after season.

The Suns approach has been to go for great young players . . . and teach them how to lose.

I don't believe that Devin Booker supports that on an ongoing basis. But then, he can think
for himself.

Fans don't have the right to give his opinions or question his "truthful"ness.

YOU do this constantly in regards to what Igor is really doing or what Sarver it truly up to. When it's a player you'll draw the line though, that seems a bit preposterous. What puts one above the other? Or is it that you are uniquely qualified to do that because you live in Phoenix, like a true fan, so that's what allows you to speak for them.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Perhaps on a well run team. But, even then, not season after season.

The Suns approach has been to go for great young players . . . and teach them how to lose.

I don't believe that Devin Booker supports that on an ongoing basis. But then, he can think
for himself.

Fans don't have the right to give his opinions or question his "truthful"ness.

Jeebus BC fans absolutely have a right to give opinions or question the things public figures say or might think. It’s called conjecture. If we were all only allowed to comment on items that actually occurred or had to accept every comment at face value we’d have nothing to talk about.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

YOU do this constantly in regards to what Igor is really doing or what Sarver it truly up to. When it's a player you'll draw the line though, that seems a bit preposterous. What puts one above the other? Or is it that you are uniquely qualified to do that because you live in Phoenix, like a true fan, so that's what allows you to speak for them.

BC - Poop nailed you there.

 

[Proximo]

Except we're at the point where the lottery odds do not change one bit, win or lose, particularly since there is only one player (Zion) worth drafting in this draft, and unless we basically win all of our remaining games, we are guaranteed to have the best shot possible to get him (along with two other teams).

If we are deliberately perpetuating a losing culture just to get the likes of Ja Morant, we might as well contract the franchise right now, because it is beyond hope.

As well as he turned out (which will 100% be better than Morant turns out), can you imagine the uproar, especially in Portland, if the Blazers spent a year intentionally losing so they could have the privilege of drafting Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum #2 overall?

Actually no - this game is a swing between 1 game and 3 games back of Chicago. If we win tonight it is almost certain we will get the 4 spot, especially when you compare the schedules remaining for the two teams.

Losing just this game may do the the trick - unless the suns win 4 more games than Chicago in the last 10. So we don't need to full on tank - we just need to tank this one game.

 

[Hoop Head]

Didn’t Atlanta jump the #2 team? So it’s possibke we wouldn’t have ended up with Doncic either.

If we landed at #2 or #3 it's not known who would have been selected. I mentioned Doncic because his ties to Igor seemed to make him the only other option at #1 for us. I don't believe we would have selected Bagley if we had to choose between Doncic and Bagley with Ayton off the board. Of course that assumes whoever landed #1 decided to go Ayton themselves and I think most teams would have done the same as we did by selecting Ayton but I don't think it's a lock to say all teams would have. I could easily see Dallas going with Doncic if they had the #1 pick, for example. It's tough to say what would have happened.

I was trying to look at the idea of us tanking for Ayton being worth it and how that is determined. Considering Ayton is not the top rookie right now there is a debate that could be made that we tanked and selected the wrong player even though we had the benefit of selecting anyone from the class. It's too early to declare we made the wrong choice this early, IMO, because there is such a limited view of how those players are working out for the teams that selected them. Ayton hasn't helped the Suns improve as much as most would have liked, I think that's fair to say, but I don't think that's enough to say it was the wrong pick. There are too many variables at play when asked now if tanking for Ayton was right or not, that's what I was trying to say.

 

[Mainstreet]

Actually no - this game is a swing between 1 game and 3 games back of Chicago. If we win tonight it is almost certain we will get the 4 spot, especially when you compare the schedules remaining for the two teams.

Losing just this game may do the the trick - unless the suns win 4 more games than Chicago in the last 10. So we don't need to full on tank - we just need to tank this one game.

There is only 1.5% difference in drafting in the bottom 3 and drafting 4th.... 14% versus 12.5%.

 

[Cheesebeef]

NashDishesDimes' posted, "Id bet if Dbook was truthful, hed agree."

Looking for a fight? Hardly. I responded to his post. Word for word.

'Sorry, Cheese, responding with personal accusations is not my style.

telling fans what they can and can't do is looking for a fight, no matter how you slice it.

 

[JCSunsfan]

There is only 1.5% difference in drafting in the bottom 3 and drafting 4th.... 14% versus 12.5%.

Yes, but the the third team can fall as low as 7th, while the 4th team can fall as low as 8th. That is where the big deal comes in, especially between the top two picks.

 

[Superbone]

telling fans what they can and can't do is looking for a fight, no matter how you slice it.

Or telling them how valid their fandom is.

 

[Proximo]

There is only 1.5% difference in drafting in the bottom 3 and drafting 4th.... 14% versus 12.5%.

I am aware

But - it is also the difference between the 8th pick and the 7th pick worst case if we do not have our ping pong ball selected for the first 4 picks.

And we are talking about Zion - 1.5% better chance for a superstar is worth losing one meaningless game.

In fact I bet if you asked the players they would even support this one game tank.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am aware

But - it is also the difference between the 8th pick and the 7th pick worst case if we do not have our ping pong ball selected for the first 4 picks.

And we are talking about Zion - 1.5% better chance for a superstar is worth losing one meaningless game.

In fact I bet if you asked the players they would even support this one game tank.

Not me, can't support the tank. But with Oubre out I think it's the perfect game to give Ayton and Booker the night off for load management. And then go out there and do your damnedest to win guys!

 

[Mainstreet]

Yes, but the the third team can fall as low as 7th, while the 4th team can fall as low as 8th. That is where the big deal comes in, especially between the top two picks.

I am aware

But - it is also the difference between the 8th pick and the 7th pick worst case if we do not have our ping pong ball selected for the first 4 picks.

And we are talking about Zion - 1.5% better chance for a superstar is worth losing one meaningless game.

In fact I bet if you asked the players they would even support this one game tank.

It's hard to get overly excited about the draft if the Suns don't land one of the top two picks because I suspect they will trade it.

 

[Hoop Head]

It's hard to get overly excited about the draft if the Suns don't land one of the top two picks because I suspect they will trade it.

You saying we'll trade it almost ensures we'll keep it. If it was anyone else making that prediction I could see it going either way but it seems like the Suns have done the opposite of what you predicted all season long when it came to trades. Not trying to pick on you, I would think you noticed that also. All of the deals they made seemed like smaller moves to allow a bigger move to be made but that second part never happened. I felt similar during most deals but gave up trying to figure out what they'd do next pretty early on because it almost seemed like they deliberately went against what the board would predict.

 

[Mainstreet]

You saying we'll trade it almost ensures we'll keep it. If it was anyone else making that prediction I could see it going either way but it seems like the Suns have done the opposite of what you predicted all season long when it came to trades. Not trying to pick on you, I would think you noticed that also. All of the deals they made seemed like smaller moves to allow a bigger move to be made but that second part never happened. I felt similar during most deals but gave up trying to figure out what they'd do next pretty early on because it almost seemed like they deliberately went against what the board would predict.

The Suns did upgrade the point guard position with Tyler Johnson as I had predicted.

 

[Hoop Head]

The Suns did upgrade the point guard position with Tyler Johnson as I had predicted.

That was a weird one since Johnson isn't a true PG. He has performed well in that role for us though. I wonder if that should be attributed to our scouting department. It's odd how he clearly wasn't a PG in Miami but we acquired him to be our PG and it's worked as well as it has. So credit to Jones, Igor, or our scouting on that move. You as well for getting it right. Forgot about that one.

 

[Mainstreet]

Shaq Harrison will start at shooting guard tonight for the Bulls.

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[AzStevenCal]

That was a weird one since Johnson isn't a true PG. He has performed well in that role for us though. I wonder if that should be attributed to our scouting department. It's odd how he clearly wasn't a PG in Miami but we acquired him to be our PG and it's worked as well as it has. So credit to Jones, Igor, or our scouting on that move. You as well for getting it right. Forgot about that one.

I didn't watch the Heat often but it seemed to me that he played better as the lead guard than as the 2.

 

[Mainstreet]

Bridges will start tonight.

He is number 5 among total steal leaders.

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[Hoop Head]

Shaq Harrison will start at shooting guard tonight for the Bulls.

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They must be desperate for backcourt help. Never a good idea to start a shooting guard that can't shoot.