Suns 2024-2025 Season Discussions

[taz02]

We have a new coach and new system. Things "could" change significantly for the better. Not likely championship level change but better than last season. I thought a lot of last year's issues were coaching, leadership and scheme.

For this team to compete for a championship they need 1. better coaching, w/leadership and scheme 2. stay healthy all season 3. one of the other guys, "Bol", new PG or draft picks will need to have a breakout season. Should be no problem.......

 

[JCSunsfan]

FVV is ok and I want KD gone but a deal with Houston needs to include some of their youth, not Van Vleet. Sengun would be the top of my wishlist. Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, or Amen Thompson would be others I'd like.

I don’t a deal with Houston for KD can be done without FVV. Can’t match salaries without him.

 

[Superbone]

Probably won’t be watching many Suns games I have a feeling this team is gonna really piss me off this season

No, that was last season.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He never scored 20 points in a game for 62 games with the wizards.

That is hardly an impact player.

Come on dude… you could have just realized that you initially looked at his stats wrong. I did that when I took a quick look at his stats and saw back to back seasons where he only averaged 5 ppg, and 2 assists, mistaking two separate stat lines for two separate seasons, when the reality is both of those bad stat lines came within ONE season on multiple teams in 2023-24. And then I saw his 2022-23 season was just as good as previous seasons. But instead you made up some argument with a rebuttal about him not being an “impact player”… even though NO ONE claimed that.

Morris had a down year last year, but the previous season was right in line with the rest of his career as a solid back up PG. It’s okay to just admit you’re wrong once in a while. I did it with the KD trade and it didn’t kill me.

 

[Superbone]

Last year’s team really pissed me off.

With the addition of a competent coach and the changes on the bench it’s unlikely I’ll be as pissed off this year especially with my much lower expectations

Yep, no way it's as bad as last season. Right? RIGHT?!

 

[Superbone]

Do you not realize the same top 7 players are back and likely to get 90 percent of the minutes?

It’s going to be basically the same team that pissed everyone off.

Expecting something different is just coping. Also KD was basically injury free, don’t expect that again.

That's the attitude!

 

[CardNots]

Yep, no way it's as bad as last season. Right? RIGHT?!

Lower expectations is a savior

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He never scored 20 points in a game for 62 games with the wizards.

That is hardly an impact player.

Lol. Your piss and vinegar is strong. He was widely considered one of the best backup pgs in the league and his numbers were great for a backup pg with the wizards. Like if he replicated them with the suns we’d be ecstatic. But dig as deep as you want into your narrative. It’s okay to admit you were wrong about the two year comment.

 

[Mainstreet]

Damion Lee returns to the Suns on a 1-year contract. Now, what about Okogie for the final roster spot?

I'd really prefer another big man or another player who can play point guard.

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[Chaplin]

Morris had a down year last year, but the previous season was right in line with the rest of his career as a solid back up PG. It’s okay to just admit you’re wrong once in a while. I did it with the KD trade and it didn’t kill me.

Not yet.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm probably missing something in this discussion, but Monte Morris had a 20 point game for the Wizards against Denver on 12-14-2022.

Wizards vs Nuggets, December 14, 2022 | Basketball-Reference.com

WAS (128) vs DEN (141). Get the box score, shot charts and play by play summary of the Wizards vs Nuggets, December 14, 2022.

www.basketball-reference.com

 

[Superbone]

Damion Lee returns to the Suns on a 1-year contract. Now, what about Okogie for the final roster spot?

I'd really prefer another big man or another player who can play point guard.

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I’m fine with Okogie. I think Bud will use him more effectively. I think we are going to be a much better defensive team next season.

 

[Covert Rain]

I’m fine with Okogie. I think Bud will use him more effectively. I think we are going to be a much better defensive team next season.

I really do believe Bud can turn things around defensively. That ALONE should make this a playoff team with all the offensive fire power we have provided we stay healthy. However, couple that with improvements in the ISO ISO ISO offensive we were running? I am more optimistic then some. I still think we fall short of being a legit title contender because we have too much wrapped up in 3 guys and the bench is going to be razor thin again. To me there is zero excuse for at a minimum this team being a playoff team IMO unless coaching wasn't an issue at all.

 

[Mainstreet]

I’m fine with Okogie. I think Bud will use him more effectively. I think we are going to be a much better defensive team next season.

It sounds like the Suns still have intentions of signing Okogie. I guess I was hoping for something more at the 4/5 or another guard that could distribute. Maybe the Suns feel they have the latter on their G-League team.

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[Mainstreet]

I really do believe Bud can turn things around defensively. That ALONE should make this a playoff team with all the offensive fire power we have provided we stay healthy. However, couple that with improvements in the ISO ISO ISO offensive we were running? I am more optimistic then some. I still think we fall short of being a legit title contender because we have too much wrapped up in 3 guys and the bench is going to be razor thing again. To me there is zero excuse for at a minimum this team being a playoff team IMO unless coaching wasn't an issue at all.

If hiring Frank Vogel as the Suns head coach was a mistake, that's another huge blunder by the Suns front office.

 

[Chaplin]

It sounds like the Suns still have intentions of signing Okogie. I guess I was hoping for something more at the 4/5 or another guard that could distribute. Maybe the Suns feel they have the latter on their G-League team.

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Damion Lee might be the perfect fit offensively in Bud's offense, which is predicated on shooting a lot of 3 pointers.

 

[Proximo]

Ok, let me make this more clear. I am fine with the signing of Morris, it's actually an above average signing for the minimum.

What I am really upset about is everyone acting like he is some major missing piece - the missing PG!

It's laughable. This team lives or dies on what we get from Beal and KD, both of which looked far from their usual selves last season and now they are one year older.

I am pissed at people still acting like this team can compete for the title with some insignificant roster moves and a coaching change. It's basically the same team as last year and that team was MILES away from a top tier team.

I understand most fans don't want to admit their team sucks, but I have a major problem that Ishbia and company can't and won't admit it and I am just spewing that anger here.

 

[Mainstreet]

Damion Lee might be the perfect fit offensively in Bud's offense, which is predicated on shooting a lot of 3 pointers.

This could well be, but after the Suns were so secretive about the extent of his injury last season, it has me wondering if there could be something more.

 

[Chaplin]

This could well be, but after the Suns were so secretive about the extent of his injury last season, it has me wondering if there could be something more.

If the injury was more, why sign him again? I just don't buy the conspiracy theory stuff. James Jones is always tight-lipped about everything. If there is more to his injury then they said, then I won't be surprised. However, if his injury was career-threatening, we wouldn't have resigned him today.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ok, let me make this more clear. I am fine with the signing of Morris, it's actually an above average signing for the minimum.

What I am really upset about is everyone acting like he is some major missing piece - the missing PG!

It's laughable. This team lives or dies on what we get from Beal and KD, both of which looked far from their usual selves last season and now they are one year older.

I am pissed at people still acting like this team can compete for the title with some insignificant roster moves and a coaching change. It's basically the same team as last year and that team was MILES away from a top tier team.

I understand most fans don't want to admit their team sucks, but I have a major problem that Ishbia and company can't and won't admit it and I am just spewing that anger here.

Well, Morris is the missing point guard, although I would have welcomed another. I wanted a rotation point guard to help rest Booker especially in the 4th quarter. Also, I'm still concerned about depth at center because of concern for injury and lack of athleticism there.

However, contending for a title is another subject. That's a reach unless the Suns make a trade down the road or a rookie unexpectedly blossoms.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Ok, let me make this more clear. I am fine with the signing of Morris, it's actually an above average signing for the minimum.

What I am really upset about is everyone acting like he is some major missing piece - the missing PG!

Jesus… now you’re creating ANOTHER fake argument to rant against. No one is saying he’s sone MAJOR MISSING PIECE. Everyone is saying he’s a good backup PG and the best we could hope for given the money.

I am pissed at people still acting like this team can compete for the title with some insignificant roster moves and a coaching change.

ANOTHER fake argument of your creation. Almost NO ONE here thinks we can compete for a title. You’re tilting at windmills.

I understand most fans don't want to admit their team sucks, but I have a major problem that Ishbia and company can't and won't admit it and I am just spewing that anger here.
[/QUOTE]

Fine. Spew at Ishbia, but knock off spewing it at other posters, whose narratives you keep completely mangling.

 

[Chaplin]

I really do believe Bud can turn things around defensively. That ALONE should make this a playoff team with all the offensive fire power we have provided we stay healthy. However, couple that with improvements in the ISO ISO ISO offensive we were running? I am more optimistic then some. I still think we fall short of being a legit title contender because we have too much wrapped up in 3 guys and the bench is going to be razor thin again. To me there is zero excuse for at a minimum this team being a playoff team IMO unless coaching wasn't an issue at all.

When we shot more the 35-40 3 point shots (shot, not made), we won most of those games. There were two main problems with this team -- one, like you said, the ISO problem. That was the achilles heel of our 4th quarter problems. The other is that we didn't shoot enough 3 pointers. And that was with Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon, who should have in theory been high volume 3 point shooters.

Bud is a more modern NBA coach than Vogel was, in that he requires his offense to have a lot of 3-point shots. If we can get just that and reduce the ISO garbage, then we are looking at a contender. Most people on this board have written them off, but the proof is in the pudding and I refuse to completely write them off, even with similar personnel to last year.

The fact of the matter is that Vogel could not coach our 3 stars. Now whether they CAN be coached on the same team is another question, but Bud did coach Giannis, Middleton and Jrue on the same team and they won the chip, so you can't write us off yet.

 

[Mainstreet]

If the injury was more, why sign him again? I just don't buy the conspiracy theory stuff. James Jones is always tight-lipped about everything. If there is more to his injury then they said, then I won't be surprised. However, if his injury was career-threatening, we wouldn't have resigned him today.

Hopefully, if injury was a concern with Lee, they wouldn't have signed him again. What concerns me is the Suns were not totally upfront with Lee's injury last season until right before the playoffs. Also, they signed a token point guard in Isaiah Thomas who wasn't expected to contribute.

Personally, there is a growing trust factor for me with the Suns front office such as the handling of the 2020 draft, the trade for Durant and the hire of Frank Vogel.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Not yet.

Eh… I think at the very least, it was a ridiculous overpay, which I argued against. Just my opinion.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yep, no way it's as bad as last season. Right? RIGHT?!

Actually, I think the Suns were fortunate to lock up the 6th spot in the Western Conference to avoid the play-in teams last season. That was a high water mark. I'd settle for that again this season, but I hope for something more.

It's the playoffs where the Suns showed their true identity.