Suns sign Heywood Highsmith

[Mainstreet]

I think this is meant to be Royce's replacement. Should be much better on defense, nearly as good shooting the 3.

It could be down the road, but I think the Suns wanted to improve their defense and depth with a 3-D player. Royce is under contract for two more seasons.

 

[Yuma]

Neat: another new Suns player with a catchphrase which writes itself. Hey, Heywood.

Seriously, I hope one gets to observe him extensively soon, and judge whether it's true that he's like Royce O'Neale with better defense. Let him replace one of the injury-battered players.

By this point, I have stopped wondering why the team doesn't even try to put a power forward on the court. I can only suppose they decided that their limited options, such as giving Fleming more time or calling up C.J. Huntley, are so bad as to be not worth trying. Ehh...at least they're not making three point-guard-sized players start like in 2015.

If you look at Hoops Hype and other stats, not a lot of PF's the Suns could get. It is probably the leanest position to find value at in the whole league. When people say they want us to trade for a PF, you go look at PF position and the salaries, and it would have to be a major trade, and most of the time with our players, it makes no sense for the team with the PF to trade with us.

 

[Mainstreet]

Is Haywood Highsmith hurt?


Highsmith is still recovering from right knee surgery he underwent in August to repair a torn meniscus and remains without a timetable for a return.

Highsmith has been playing 5 on 5 basketball and was set for return.

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[Yuma]

Highsmith has been playing 5 on 5 basketball and was set for return.

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We know how that has worked with Green, etc. Our training staff will hold him out for abundance of caution. We only have 27 games left. Seems like an almost too late of an add for this season. This guy looks like a heavier Ryan Dunn.

 

[Mainstreet]

We know how that has worked with Green, etc. Our training staff will hold him out for abundance of caution. We only have 27 games left. Seems like an almost too late of an add for this season. This guy looks like a heavier Ryan Dunn.

I think we'll see Highsmith this season, but he will need to practice with the team before he plays.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

vet minimum means homie looked at everybody and he chose the phoenix suns

i can't imagine he was promised a bunch of playing time - definitely wasn't the money - but we do know with ott it isn’t the size of the dawg in the fight - it's gotta be our culture right?

maybe heywood is a dawg - that's was watching games all season long deciding what squad he wanted to be on - or maybe he just doesn't like the snow - idk

 

[Hoop Head]

We know how that has worked with Green, etc. Our training staff will hold him out for abundance of caution. We only have 27 games left. Seems like an almost too late of an add for this season. This guy looks like a heavier Ryan Dunn.

He's built like Brooks or Jae Crowder. Crowder is a fair comparison. Both PF/SF from Miami. Not as loud as Crowder.

I don't have high hopes but could be a good signing for depth. Torrey Craig 2.0.

 

[Chaplin]

He's built like Brooks or Jae Crowder. Crowder is a fair comparison. Both PF/SF from Miami. Not as loud as Crowder.

I don't have high hopes but could be a good signing for depth. Torrey Craig 2.0.

I'm not sure there was much better we could have gotten on the buyout market. He does seem to be a better defender than Torrey, and Ott does get plus defenders to play really well in this system.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm not sure there was much better we could have gotten on the buyout market. He does seem to be a better defender than Torrey, and Ott does get plus defenders to play really well in this system.

I agree. I mentioned Torrey Craig for a best case sort of level of contribution. Craig was a nice addition when we first grabbed him. He had warts but was quality depth.

 

[angel_ofthe_south]

I agree. I mentioned Torrey Craig for a best case sort of level of contribution. Craig was a nice addition when we first grabbed him. He had warts but was quality depth.

Torrey Craig appears to have been another player whose defense people were divided on. I heard that he was a strong defender, but...I think I also heard the opposite.

 

[Hoop Head]

Torrey Craig appears to have been another player whose defense people were divided on. I heard that he was a strong defender, but...I think I also heard the opposite.

He was fine. I'd say slightly above average but the main issue he had here is he was used as a small Center, which made his defensive deficiencies stand out. He was a good as a SF and PF though, minus some rebounding issues.

Admittedly we're all old school NBA fans and modern PF's make us long for the days of Channing Frye at PF. Frye would dominate in today's league but left a lot to be desired 10-15 years back.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Basically, because there weren't any good power forwards to be had. Accepted.

I blame trends for making the pre-existing dearth of big men--both power forwards and centers--worse. Because people shape strategies more than strategies shape people. It started with there not being enough good big men; then strategies changed to accommodate smaller players; then players and coached shifted habits to accommodate the changes in strategy. The problems reinforced each other until it hardly mattered which caused which. Of course the traditional center position died out for the same reason. Alas.

Traditional big men morphed due to the pace & space strategies that took over the league. If you couldn't shoot (not necessarily 3s, but anything outside of the paint) and couldn't defend shooters on switches, you became less and less useful to teams.
Roy Hibbert is probably the most famous example. It's not like he stopped being a 'good' big man, it's that his particular brand of 'good' became more problematic for the Pacers as his lack of mobility and shooting became a liability on both ends of the floor. Teams devalued big men like this, ergo less of them being drafted.

They still exist (Adams, Kessler, etc), but usually they have some standout skill, usually offensive rebounding as the possession battle is the meta right now.

 

[angel_ofthe_south]

Traditional big men morphed due to the pace & space strategies that took over the league. If you couldn't shoot (not necessarily 3s, but anything outside of the paint) and couldn't defend shooters on switches, you became less and less useful to teams.
Roy Hibbert is probably the most famous example. It's not like he stopped being a 'good' big man, it's that his particular brand of 'good' became more problematic for the Pacers as his lack of mobility and shooting became a liability on both ends of the floor. Teams devalued big men like this, ergo less of them being drafted.

They still exist (Adams, Kessler, etc), but usually they have some standout skill, usually offensive rebounding as the possession battle is the meta right now.

Disagree somewhat. I maintain that before the strategies changed, there were fewer notably good big men. Olajuwon, O'Neal, Robinson, and Ewing got old and retired; and the next generation of centers weren't nearly as great. This allowed strategies to change, pushed along by general increases in shooting skill and by the best players being shorter than big man height. Then strategies had a foothold to discourage traditional center play. This is, of course, a chicken-or-egg debate. But I maintain that players mold strategy more than strategy molds players.

If the above mentioned big men were still playing, this wouldn't be happening, because their traditional center skills are too great to not use. If we ever again luck into a stretch of years like the 1980s where several generational centers with traditional big man skills are drafted, strategies and styles of play will tilt back toward them. But...I grant that it might never happen.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Disagree somewhat. I maintain that before the strategies changed, there were fewer notably good big men. Olajuwon, O'Neal, Robinson, and Ewing got old and retired; and the next generation of centers weren't nearly as great. This allowed strategies to change, pushed along by general increases in shooting skill and by the best players being shorter than big man height. Then strategies had a foothold to discourage traditional center play. This is, of course, a chicken-or-egg debate. But I maintain that players mold strategy more than strategy molds players.

If the above mentioned big men were still playing, this wouldn't be happening, because their traditional center skills are too great to not use. If we ever again luck into a stretch of years like the 1980s where several generational centers with traditional big man skills are drafted, strategies and styles of play will tilt back toward them. But...I grant that it might never happen.

Great conversation!

Those are definitely great big men you listed; they are all time greats. The bolded part has happened though, with Jokic, Embiid, Wembenyama, AD, and Giannis. I think more than anything the league has prioritized skill over size (to a point), whether that's been dictated by the players or the metagame is indeed a chicken-or-egg question.

 

[Proximo]

It could be down the road, but I think the Suns wanted to improve their defense and depth with a 3-D player. Royce is under contract for two more seasons.

Sure, but between Amir Coffey, Highsmith, Dunn and Fleming all making very little money - they no longer need him or his 10 million+ salary.

I am saying he will be traded for cap relief in the off season.

 

[Proximo]

There had to have been a perfectly good reason why the Suns did not want this Jeremy Sochan forward. Perhaps he didn't want to play here. Perhaps he didn't seem to fit the new culture. Perhaps he wanted mo' money than the Suns offered.

Perhaps his inability to shoot was a dealbreaker. It is very clear Ott wants the floor spaced, there is only one dunker spot which our center is already occupying.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sure, but between Amir Coffey, Highsmith, Dunn and Fleming all making very little money - they no longer need him or his 10 million+ salary.

I am saying he will be traded for cap relief in the off season.

To add on, $10 million dollar contracts are not so easily moved anymore. Richards was slated to make only $5 million this season and he was a tough sell at the trade deadline.

 

[Germz249]

I think we'll see Highsmith this season, but he will need to practice with the team before he plays.

I am glad you like the signing. I had to sell him on our culture here to get him to sign.

I saw Torrey Craig’s name come up again.. always thought he was a decent player..

 

[Hoop Head]

I am glad you like the signing. I had to sell him on our culture here to get him to sign.

I saw Torrey Craig’s name come up again.. always thought he was a decent player..

I've heard Torrey Craig was the sort of guy who would always pick up the tab at Waffle House.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am glad you like the signing. I had to sell him on our culture here to get him to sign.

I saw Torrey Craig’s name come up again.. always thought he was a decent player..

Highsmith is the better signing. Nostalgia only goes so far.

Great job Germz!

Is there a 4/5 you like... that might become available?

 

[Germz249]

Highsmith is the better signing. Nostalgia only goes so far.

Great job Germz!

Is there a 4/5 you like... that might become available?

I am working on a few but can’t leak names at the moment. Matty Ish said he was impress with Tacko Fall and Jermey Lin from the celeb game. I personally had to shut that down.

Lol seriously.. what are some good 4/5 out there? I think we have a good team but not good enough to get deep in the playoffs.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

I am working on a few but can’t leak names at the moment. Matty Ish said he was impress with Tacko Fall and Jermey Lin from the celeb game. I personally had to shut that down.

Lol seriously.. what are some good 4/5 out there? I think we have a good team but not good enough to get deep in the playoffs.

i think if we were to get a real pf it would further backlog fleming who is almost there

 

[Mainstreet]

I am working on a few but can’t leak names at the moment. Matty Ish said he was impress with Tacko Fall and Jermey Lin from the celeb game. I personally had to shut that down.

Lol seriously.. what are some good 4/5 out there? I think we have a good team but not good enough to get deep in the playoffs.

In regard to the part in bold, I think the Suns front office had the same mindset going into their most recent Finals appearance.

The thing is, one doesn't really know until it happens, so bolstering the roster is the smart thing to do. There are so many variables.

 

[Yuma]

Basically, because there weren't any good power forwards to be had. Accepted.

I blame trends for making the pre-existing dearth of big men--both power forwards and centers--worse. Because people shape strategies more than strategies shape people. It started with there not being enough good big men; then strategies changed to accommodate smaller players; then players and coached shifted habits to accommodate the changes in strategy. The problems reinforced each other until it hardly mattered which caused which. Of course the traditional center position died out for the same reason. Alas.

Three point line had something to do with it, too. Now you can't have a 1970's Center built like a Giant in the Hobbit, roaming the paint and slapping away any shot they get near. You have to have mobile centers that can switch and guard the three point line, while getting off some threes themselves.

 

[Yuma]

I'm not sure there was much better we could have gotten on the buyout market. He does seem to be a better defender than Torrey, and Ott does get plus defenders to play really well in this system.

I was thinking we would use the open roster spot to convert one of our two way guys.