Tankathon Rankings

[slinslin]

http://www.tankathon.com/power_rankings

We are currently 4th!

 

[Absolute Zero]

So, would this be our guy here?
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/skal-labissiere

 

[sunsfan88]

So, would this be our guy here?
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/skal-labissiere

Yes especially when you consider the school that he goes to.

 

[Catlover]

http://www.tankathon.com/power_rankings

We are currently 4th!

Good news, sort of - we will likely go 1-24 over this upcoming stretch. Although 2 - 23 is possible if we can win at LAL at the end of our upcoming 4 game road trip.

 

[Catlover]

I just went through the rest of our schedule. Unless something major occurs, I honestly believe we are looking at the worst season since our inaugural campaign. 20 wins might be pushing it. Ouch.

By something major I mean Knight getting hot every game, Markieff playing better than he ever has (or being traded for a better player), Len taking another step forward in his development and Booker quickly adjusting to the NBA game. And even if all of those things happen I don't see us winning more than 30 games tops. We may not be the favorite but it looks like we are a legitimate contender for Simmons.

 

[Absolute Zero]

I have never been pro-tanking.

But with Bledsoe out, and the rest of the problems, we should be able to accomplish the "tanking" without really trying. Play Booker, play Len, play Warren, get them lots of experience. And let the chips fall where they may.

Would love to see us end up with a talented big man in the draft. These guys are so freakin' young, it would take years to develop one. But its way better than trying to trade for one and give up young talent in the process.

 

[Catlover]

I have never been pro-tanking.

But with Bledsoe out, and the rest of the problems, we should be able to accomplish the "tanking" without really trying. Play Booker, play Len, play Warren, get them lots of experience. And let the chips fall where they may.

Would love to see us end up with a talented big man in the draft. These guys are so freakin' young, it would take years to develop one. But its way better than trying to trade for one and give up young talent in the process.

I agree. Focus primarily on player development and ignore the wins and losses. It's what we should have done from the start of this season but that's easy to say when it's not your money riding on it. I don't really fault Sarver but it would be nice if he sold the franchise to a group that could better afford a long term approach.

 

[Phrazbit]

I have never been pro-tanking.

But with Bledsoe out, and the rest of the problems, we should be able to accomplish the "tanking" without really trying. Play Booker, play Len, play Warren, get them lots of experience. And let the chips fall where they may.

Would love to see us end up with a talented big man in the draft. These guys are so freakin' young, it would take years to develop one. But its way better than trying to trade for one and give up young talent in the process.

I don't agree with going into the season tanking, that is appalling and virtual defrauding of your ticket holders. But if you're nearly halfway into the year and your team is in shambles; you're literally playing for next year at that point. Go ahead... waive the white flag. Play young guys, ship off vets, blow it up.

 

[leclerc]

Push the button, Sarver!

Go Suns!

 

[crisper57]

Suns announce Bledsoe is out for the season after successful surgery. Injury worse than anticipated.

 

[TJ]

Sucks for Bledsoe but makes no sense to bring him back, especially since the goal should be collecting ping pong balls moving forward.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Wow.

 

[BC867]

Sucks for Bledsoe but makes no sense to bring him back, especially since the goal should be collecting ping pong balls moving forward.

Ironically, there are those of us who believe that Bledsoe missing the rest of the season will make the Suns a better team, as I alluded to in the Bledsoe injury thread.

 

[TJ]

Ironically, there are those of us who believe that Bledsoe missing the rest of the season will make the Suns a better team, as I alluded to in the Bledsoe injury thread.

Hogwash. You don't become a better team by losing your best player and only hope to represent in the ASG.

This team is in tank mode, which it should've been from day 1.

 

[slinslin]

The irony is that this year the #1 pick matters more than anything.

There is a considerable drop off in talent after Ben Simmons and no clear cut #2 or #3 picks.

That said Ivan Rabb or Henry Ellenson look like potential fits at PF.

Kris Dunn is a lot like Archie Goodwin.
Labissiere is a skinny raw project center.
Ingram and Brown are small forwards.

Ingram is probably the #2 pick and a better talent than Warren.

 

[overseascardfan]

The irony is that this year the #1 pick matters more than anything.

There is a considerable drop off in talent after Ben Simmons and no clear cut #2 or #3 picks.

That said Ivan Rabb or Henry Ellenson look like potential fits at PF.

Kris Dunn is a lot like Archie Goodwin.
Labissiere is a skinny raw project center.
Ingram and Brown are small forwards.

Ingram is probably the #2 pick and a better talent than Warren.

I would be fine with Rabb but from what Russ says, he likely will return for his sophomore year. Of course things can change but if PHX doesn't get Simmons then Rabb would be the next best thing.

 

[SirStefan32]

I am not a huge McD fan, but I think he is very good at drafting. As long as he stays away from a combo guard, I think the Suns will get a quality player in the draft.

 

[sunsfan88]

I am not a huge McD fan, but I think he is very good at drafting. As long as he stays away from a combo guard, I think the Suns will get a quality player in the draft.

The only two picks that looks to pan out is Warren and Booker. I'm not sure what the rest of the guys he drafted will amount to in the NBA (Ennis, Len, Goodwin).

 

[JCSunsfan]

The thing about McD in the draft is that he doesn't try to get too cute. They do a realistic evaluation of players, they do not get too excited about any individual player, and when draft day comes, they stick to their board.

 

[Phrazbit]

The only two picks that looks to pan out is Warren and Booker. I'm not sure what the rest of the guys he drafted will amount to in the NBA (Ennis, Len, Goodwin).

I hated the drafting of Len but given how wretched that draft class was he has turned out ahead of the curve. Goodwin is about what you'd expect from a guy taken his slot.

Ennis is the only real whiff thus far. Given where our picks have been McDonough has done very well. I also think he has done very very well in terms of value piece for piece in trades. The flaw so far is roster construction. Parts that have value but have not fit with each other.

IMO canning McDonough would be a serious mistake, he shows a lot of promise as a talent evaluator and trade negotiator. There are a lot of putrid GMs around the league and I think we could do much much worse and McD still has time to get a lot better.

 

[hcsilla]

The irony is that this year the #1 pick matters more than anything.

There is a considerable drop off in talent after Ben Simmons and no clear cut #2 or #3 picks.

No doubt about that.

That said Ivan Rabb or Henry Ellenson look like potential fits at PF.

I don't really see the NBA-talent in Rabb. He is tall and has a good bball-IQ but what are his NBA-skills?

Ellenson is an interesting prospect. He might become a point forward ala McRoberts or a sweet-shooting, versatile combo one ala Detlef Schrempf, while he is surprisingly quick with the ball as well.

Kris Dunn is a lot like Archie Goodwin.

I don't think so, Dunn is a big, athletic, pure PG with good passing skills and defense. His jumper needs work but he knows how to score. He reminds me of the young Jason Kidd without the flashy passes.

Labissiere is a skinny raw project center.

At this point I'm not even sure that Labissiere will declare despite the relatively weak draft class.

Ingram and Brown are small forwards.

Brown is also a disappointment, he seems a less effective version of Stanley Johnson.

After a slow start Ingram started to play much better, and now he looks like the #2 pick. I see a lot of Giannis Antetokounmpo in him.

 

[Joe Mama]

I have to be honest. I haven't watched any college basketball this season outside of about five minutes of ASU@Kentucky. This morning as I was working I was listening to this draft chat and it left me pretty frustrated. Of course the Phoenix Suns are finally bad enough to draft near the top. They had #5 in the terribly weak Alex Len draft, and now they are going to get to draft high in another year that is weak at the top. These guys did not even sound convinced that Simmons is the superstar other people think he is.

 

[BC867]

Hogwash. You don't become a better team by losing your best player and only hope to represent in the ASG.

You do if it puts a pure shooter into the starting lineup as Shooting Guard. Even a developing 20 year old is better than not.

And if it gives minutes to a pure Point Guard at backup, which is a step in the right direction.

You'll see! We already began to see it in the Cavs game.

And as far as the ASG, as much as I'd like to see a Sun participating, I am more concerned with building a winning team.

BTW, our 'best player' has not made the rest of the team better, which is crucial for a Point Guard. That goes for his co-Point Guard as well.

 

[Catlover]

You do if it puts a pure shooter into the starting lineup as Shooting Guard. Even a developing 20 year old is better than not.

And if it gives minutes to a pure Point Guard at backup, which is a step in the right direction.

You'll see! We already began to see it in the Cavs game.

And as far as the ASG, as much as I'd like to see a Sun participating, I am more concerned with building a winning team.

BTW, our 'best player' has not made the rest of the team better, which is crucial for a Point Guard. That goes for his co-Point Guard as well.

I think you're going to soon see just how wrong you are. Yes we looked better against a tired and struggling Cavs team but in the end we still lost. Watch what happens to this team over the next month without our best player and then tell us he didn't make the rest of the team better.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I think you're going to soon see just how wrong you are. Yes we looked better against a tired and struggling Cavs team but in the end we still lost. Watch what happens to this team over the next month without our best player and then tell us he didn't make the rest of the team better.

Honestly... you're right of course, but this is more of a statement on the patheticness of the balance of the team, than it is on the "bestness" of Bledsoe...