Suns updates and discussion for the 2019-20 season

[AzStevenCal]

I believe we gave up on bender and jJ too early. I’d be shocked if Chriss ever becomes even serviceable.

Chriss has the shortest distance to travel to get there IMO but he's the one least mentally equipped to make that happen.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Maybe. We certainly turned it into that kind of problem. But I'm not convinced that it couldn't have been handled much better if we'd added a couple of good player development coaches and didn't fill out our bench with players that weren't good enough to help at the moment and were unlikely to be part of our future. If a team learned anything from our recent past, I'd hope it was that even rebuilding teams still need quality veterans and if you're going to draft several "projects", you need extra coaches to develop them.

You also just cannot choose to be a bad team for the picks. You will not get quality vets as a result. At some point, you have to choose which young player you are going to develop and commit. James Jones has done that.

He chose Bridges and Oubre over TJ and JJ.
He chose Saric and Kaminsky over Bender and Chriss.

Personally, I would have loved to keep Bender, but if I have to choose between Bender and Saric, Saric has shown more. Not sure how that one will pan out in the end.

JJ is another matter. I loved JJ. He always seems like a player that is going to figure it out in the end. But good grief, he cost us a lot of games last year with his horrible play.

 

[Mainstreet]

I absolutely don't expect it to happen but wouldn't it be something if Chriss, Bender and Jackson all became good NBA players, or even stars?

While I don't usually care about players that fail here and then succeed elsewhere, if this actually happened it would probably sting for quite awhile given that they were supposed to be not just our future but our payment for putting up with some horrendous basketball. McD probably has his fingers crossed hoping those 3 will turn things around thereby resurrecting his career. Something like that might even earn him another chance at a key position in an NBA front office (something other than GM I would think).

Yeah, you point out the dangers of drafting young players based upon the hope they will develop for the team that drafted them. It wouldn't be shocking if all three players developed elsewhere.

If one looks at their age, Bender is still only 21 while Chriss and Jackson are both only 22. Few young players blossom right away. Although we do not know how it will turn out with James Jones as the GM, he may have something in drafting older and more developed players.

In regard to McDonough, it shows the perils of drafting youth. Unless the players develop quickly, the GM may be on the outside looking for a new job.

 

[Chaplin]

You also just cannot choose to be a bad team for the picks. You will not get quality vets as a result. At some point, you have to choose which young player you are going to develop and commit. James Jones has done that.

He chose Bridges and Oubre over TJ and JJ.
He chose Saric and Kaminsky over Bender and Chriss.

Personally, I would have loved to keep Bender, but if I have to choose between Bender and Saric, Saric has shown more. Not sure how that one will pan out in the end.

JJ is another matter. I loved JJ. He always seems like a player that is going to figure it out in the end. But good grief, he cost us a lot of games last year with his horrible play.

Comparing Bender to Saric is like comparing a Pinto to a BMW. Saric is far and away the better choice. Hell, Kaminsky is the better choice over Bender, but the difference is much more negligible.

 

[SirStefan32]

I do hope Bender figures it out. He seems like a really good kid who never showed the issues JJ and Chris had (attitude and general dumbassery).

 

[Ronin]

David Kramer’s 48-hour international travel whirlwind leads to Suns deal
PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns rookie David Kramer was like plenty of young basketball players in Europe, starving for a consistent role and a greater opportunity.

At the end of his fourth season with a professional team based out of Ulm, Germany, that opportunity came, just at a level far beyond the one he was playing at.

Kramer had NBA and basketball aspirations that came right away. He was surrounded by the game immediately via his dad, who played professionally in Slovakia, Germany and Austria.

https://arizonasports.com/story/211...national-travel-whirlwind-leads-to-suns-deal/

 

[Ronin]

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[AzStevenCal]

"I'm so thankful and blessed to get to do this."

That's great to hear but it would be even better to hear it a few years from now.

 

[Mainstreet]

I believe we gave up on bender and jJ too early. I’d be shocked if Chriss ever becomes even serviceable.

Josh Jackson almost forced his way out by his behavior off the court but I would have liked to have kept Dragan Bender. That said, I can see why it was best for the Suns to move on.

I do not regret the Suns from moving on from Chriss either.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Josh Jackson almost forced his way out by his behavior off the court but I would have liked to have kept Dragan Bender. That said, I can see why it was best for the Suns to move on.

I do not regret the Suns from moving on from Chriss either.

I understand the reasoning but at 22 and 21 I think those decisions were a bit shortsighted.

 

[Mainstreet]

I understand the reasoning but at 22 and 21 I think those decisions were a bit shortsighted.

I'm especially disappointed the Suns decided not to keep Bender over a player like Kaminsky.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'm especially disappointed the Suns decided not to keep Bender over a player like Kaminsky.

Kaminsky is a better bet than Bender IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kaminsky is a better bet than Bender IMO.

Frank played like it tonight against the Wolves.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Mainstreet]

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Suns fans are going to hear a lot about .5 going forward.

And we thought SSOL was fast.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kellan Olson talks about .5 on Burns and Gambo as well.

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[Ronin]

Suns fans are going to hear a lot about .5 going forward.

And we thought SSOL was fast.

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[Mainstreet]

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Yup. That was quicker than .5 but can he play basketball.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I like the concept of .5. It is a very simple philosphy, but will make for some fast play and likely some pretty ball movement.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I like the concept of .5. It is a very simple philosphy, but will make for some fast play and likely some pretty ball movement.

Yup it will hopefully eliminate pounding the rock that regularly gets booker in trouble.