I don't see it

[Cheesebeef]

Goes back to his passive ways??? Exactly when has he not been passive?

lol. that was my exact reaction above.

 

[Suns_fan69]

So at what point do we have to accept the fact that Ayton will never have the motor we want him to have? I was holding out hope that something would click for him but it's looking less and less likely. It's still too early, he's played only a handful of minutes with CP3, but I fear that a leopard never changes it's spots...

 

[mjb21aztd]

It's only preseason hope suns turn it on when real thi g begins

However would be nice to see ayton ball vs lakers tom...

I mean i like the paul trade but what is it with cards suns bringing in old players to urn it around ala emmit smith.... hope paul works out better

I'm keeping my expectations medium this yr just be nice to see booker ger a playoff birth in a suns uniform

 

[1Sun]

It's only preseason hope suns turn it on when real thi g begins

However would be nice to see ayton ball vs lakers tom...

I mean i like the paul trade but what is it with cards suns bringing in old players to urn it around ala emmit smoth.... hope paul works out better

I'm keeping my expectations medium this yr just be nice to see booker ger a playoff birth in a suns uniform

I am getting very concerned that the Suns' season is going to parallel the 2020 D'Backs season (high expectations, high profile past-his-prime Hall of Famer acquisition, promising young core, nice additional pieces acquired in the offseason, only to see the team fall flat on its face)...

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Oubre went to Orlando with the Suns. He was there.

He didn’t play a minute.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I am getting very concerned that the Suns' season is going to parallel the 2020 D'Backs season (high expectations, high profile past-his-prime Hall of Famer acquisition, promising young core, nice additional pieces acquired in the offseason, only to see the team fall flat on its face)...

there is always this possibility.

 

[1Sun]

If things fall apart both here and in Minnesota, Paul and Ayton for Towns and Rubio works under the cap. (So does Paul and Ayton for Towns and Russell, but that line up here would be atrocious defensively.)

 

[FB94]

On the fence about the Paul trade, but the one thing I want to see is Paul inject some of his attitude and drive into Ayton.

 

[overseascardfan]

Goes back to his passive ways??? Exactly when has he not been passive?

He showed flashes in Bubble, so I meant pre-Bubble Ayton passive.

 

[Covert Rain]

It's only two games against the same team but this is what I was worried about when people were gushing over this trade. I said this team tends to overvalue it's talent and even if CP3 improves this team we still needed more help. I said he wouldn't be enough. It's sure looking like that but let's see what happens over the next few.

 

[Cheesebeef]

For all of the teeth gnashing, in game 2 we sat Cam Johnson, Saric and Crowder. Game 1, no CP3, Saric and Crowder.

we’ve yet to see any semblance really of what the team is going to be. And with such a short preseason and training camp, my guess is we struggle out of the gate and it takes a while to get going (if we get going) like OKC.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

It's only two games against the same team but this is what I was worried about when people were gushing over this trade. I said this team tends to overvalue it's talent and even if CP3 improves this team we still needed more help. I said he wouldn't be enough. It's sure looking like that but let's see what happens over the next few.

We haven't even been playing all of our players. CP3 missed the first game, Cam the 2nd and Saric and Crowder haven't even played yet. We haven't been playing with even close to a full deck of cards so far.

 

[AzStevenCal]

We haven't even been playing all of our players. CP3 missed the first game, Cam the 2nd and Saric and Crowder haven't even played yet. We haven't been playing with even close to a full deck of cards so far.

Not to mention we're having to integrate 9 new players into the system. And we have to do it in a shortened training camp/preseason. We might not see what this team is capable until well into the season. I don't mean that as an excuse, we need to come out strong regardless of all the changes but I believe we should show more in-season improvement than the typical team.

 

[Mainstreet]

We haven't even been playing all of our players. CP3 missed the first game, Cam the 2nd and Saric and Crowder haven't even played yet. We haven't been playing with even close to a full deck of cards so far.

The Suns have been at a particular disadvantage against the Jazz since they have shown the Suns their best players except for Conley in the first game. Also they didn't make many changes in the off season except for adding Derrick Favors who played there previously.

What bothers me the most though is how poorly the Suns have executed although this can be explained with so many new players and players out. However, I'm not as forgiving towards Ayton because he plays like he is out of shape or I hope that is the reason.

 

[1Sun]

Not to mention we're having to integrate 9 new players into the system. And we have to do it in a shortened training camp/preseason. We might not see what this team is capable until well into the season. I don't mean that as an excuse, we need to come out strong regardless of all the changes but I believe we should show more in-season improvement than the typical team.

If that's the case, given the condensed season, this team misses the playoffs...again...and we might as well blow it up, because Booker is as good as gone...

 

[Covert Rain]

We haven't even been playing all of our players. CP3 missed the first game, Cam the 2nd and Saric and Crowder haven't even played yet. We haven't been playing with even close to a full deck of cards so far.

Which is why I pointed out it was only two games...against the same opponent and we should give it a few games. Having said that, it has given us a look at some of the other players.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If that's the case, given the condensed season, this team misses the playoffs...again...and we might as well blow it up, because Booker is as good as gone...

Maybe. I was one of the few here that was strongly against the trade in the first place and one of my concerns was roster turnover. We've had a lack of continuity every year during this horrible stretch of seasons and the losing is no coincidence.

If we'd kept the roster intact, we'd have still had a young roster with a lot of talent that was a few years from it's peak. I understood the move, I just believed (and still do) that it was risky to try and jump start this development by making wholesale changes.

Supposedly, keeping Booker here was a big part of why we did it, and yes, that could backfire. But not doing so, keeping the roster intact, could have backfired too and not just by losing. It might have been enough to convince Devin he could never win here and an unhappy Booker could have killed the season almost as quickly as an injured Paul will.

We've taken steps that could easily explode but if they don't, this really should be a successful season. So rushing to judgement solely on what little we've seen thus far is illogical. It would be like tossing your dinner every day two minutes into the cooking process because it doesn't smell like a meal yet. Give it time.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Which is why I pointed out it was only two games...against the same opponent and we should give it a few games. Having said that, it has given us a look at some of the other players.

I'm not trying to be dramatic but are you suggesting the season is basically over after we lose our next two games against the Lakers? Regardless, I think it may well take more than just 4 preseason games to bring this group together.

 

[95pro]

I'm not concerned as much about the roster turnover, its going to take time to integrate all these new pieces as i said earlier in the thread.

Our main core is still here: Booker, Ayton, Bridges
Main supporting cast: Saric, Cam

We added to bonified starters.

What i am concerned about is the back up guard play. We had Carter and Payne, but looks like we could see instead Moore and Galloway this year. Thats going to be the most interesting to watch.

 

[1Sun]

Maybe. I was one of the few here that was strongly against the trade in the first place and one of my concerns was roster turnover. We've had a lack of continuity every year during this horrible stretch of seasons and the losing is no coincidence.

If we'd kept the roster intact, we'd have still had a young roster with a lot of talent that was a few years from it's peak. I understood the move, I just believed (and still do) that it was risky to try and jump start this development by making wholesale changes.

Supposedly, keeping Booker here was a big part of why we did it, and yes, that could backfire. But not doing so, keeping the roster intact, could have backfired too and not just by losing. It might have been enough to convince Devin he could never win here and an unhappy Booker could have killed the season almost as quickly as an injured Paul will.

We've taken steps that could easily explode but if they don't, this really should be a successful season. So rushing to judgement solely on what little we've seen thus far is illogical. It would be like tossing your dinner every day two minutes into the cooking process because it doesn't smell like a meal yet. Give it time.

Please note that my statement is contingent on your statement that the team struggles out of the gate in the regular season and doesn't get things together until later in the season. Because this season is shortened and condensed, it will be impossible to overcome that in time.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm not concerned as much about the roster turnover, its going to take time to integrate all these new pieces as i said earlier in the thread.

Our main core is still here: Booker, Ayton, Bridges
Main supporting cast: Saric, Cam

We added to bonified starters.

What i am concerned about is the back up guard play. We had Carter and Payne, but looks like we could see instead Moore and Galloway this year. Thats going to be the most interesting to watch.

Yes and in a shortened preseason it's even more problematic. And we have no idea what the roster turnover effect will be on team chemistry. But my point about all that wasn't that, oh we're doomed, it's just that those were some of the risks we absorbed when we chose to go this direction and now we have to be patient to see how it all works. Anyone in favor of the trade before it happened should still be just as positive.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I think the whole roster turnover thing is a bit overblown. All we have essentially done is add to our bubble rotation.

In the bubble we played an eight man rotation and seven of those eight players are returning.

We have simply swapped Rubio for Paul and added some more depth to the rotation. I don’t think we will see much of Nader, Motley or Jones during the regular season barring injury.

We will see mostly our seven players returning from the bubble along with Paul, Crowder, Moore and Galloway.

To be fair that is more turnover than some teams (Utah being a good example), but it’s not a huge amount of turnover.

Edit: Add Smith to the new guys who will see some playing time.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would say a number of NBA teams have had significant roster turnover, it's not just the Suns. As I noted previously, the Jazz are an exception. However, the Suns can't use this as an alibi because excuses never end. The issue is not the Suns have lost their first two preseason games, it's that they have not played well doing it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Please note that my statement is contingent on your statement that the team struggles out of the gate in the regular season and doesn't get things together until later in the season. Because this season is shortened and condensed, it will be impossible to overcome that in time.

Okay but my post wasn't suggesting that we'll be horrible for any length of time, just that it might take a little longer for us to get on the same page. And we won't be the only team that's dealing with issues related to the short preseason (and short post-playoff turnaround). So again, if you liked taking the gamble for Paul prior to the trade, there's no reason to turn on it yet.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I would say a number of NBA teams have had significant roster turnover, it's not just the Suns. As I noted previously, the Jazz are an exception. However, the Suns can't use this as an alibi because excuses never end. The issue is not the Suns have lost their first two preseason games, it's that they have not played well doing it.

Depends how you look at it. In game 2 with the exception of just not having threes falling the starters seemed to do a pretty solid job against the Jazz starters. When the starters were off the floor they were replaced by a few guys that won’t see much minutes this year.