The Ayton Plan

[elindholm]

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This guy can’t jump?

He runs and jumps very well. I don’t think anyone questions his athleticism his weight and fundamentals are what needs work but he’s a really good long athlete.

He was a project coming out and he’s clearly getting better. Is this up for debate?

He jumped on that play, surely, but my general impression is that he is usually pretty earth-bound.

On the other hand, you've said repeatedly that "no one" questions anything about him and that there's nothing to debate, so I guess the matter is resolved.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jeff Green headed towards the Suns locker room after the game but he was restrained.

Should had Ish meet him at the door.

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[Finito]

He jumped on that play, surely, but my general impression is that he is usually pretty earth-bound.

On the other hand, you've said repeatedly that "no one" questions anything about him and that there's nothing to debate, so I guess the matter is resolved.

Twisting words at its finest

 

[Hoop Head]

Twisting words at its finest

Really going to try claiming that after saying I called him lazy and said he no work ethic?

 

[Mainstreet]

He jumped on that play, surely, but my general impression is that he is usually pretty earth-bound.

On the other hand, you've said repeatedly that "no one" questions anything about him and that there's nothing to debate, so I guess the matter is resolved.

Jalen Smith is anything but earthbound. There is plenty of video out there to show that.

 

[Finito]

Really going to try claiming that after saying I called him lazy and said he no work ethic?

“Jones has limited resources and wanted guys willing to work for it rather than be handed it.”

So what does this mean then? You literally said he wasn’t willing to put in the work and expected things to be handed to him

Now what would you call a player like that? Hmmmm a hard worker?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Who in your mind expected us to be this good? Or at least average enough to give Stix meaningful minutes? He wouldn't have even gotten barely any had McGee and Ayton not gone down at the same time.

am I still missing something? I won't speak for anyone else, but I absolutely expected us to win or at least challenge for the title this year.

and I'm not sure what those guys going down has anything to do with what I'm talking about anyway. All I was saying was when he DID get a chance to produce here with regular minutes, he did, which I think counters the idea that what he's doing in Indy might not really represent someone who can make an impact.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That certainly tells you more about what James Jones thought of Jalen. Even to go so far as to sign Biz even after Jalen was doing so well.

well, yeah... but we literally had NO ONE else to play down low for a minute besides Jalen with both Ayton and McGee... and Crowder all out at once.

 

[elindholm]

am I still missing something? I won't speak for anyone else, but I absolutely expected us to win or at least challenge for the title this year.

My memory (which could be wrong) is that the Suns weren't among the top betting favorites for the title to start the year. Brooklyn, Milwaukee, the Lakers, and probably some other teams were ahead of them.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Stix? Who is Stix? Is that guy on our team?

We are one of the best teams in league history. We are 9 games ahead of the field. We have a chance to finish with the best road record in league history and we are talking longingly about a back up who is no longer on our team.

actually, we're talking about the future of the team. We can do that and incredibly enjoy the present at the same time.

I didn't realize that ALL we could do on this board now was whistle zippidy-doo-dah out our a-holes (which coincidentally I’ve been doing a ton all season as well).But Noted.

 

[Cheesebeef]

My memory (which could be wrong) is that the Suns weren't among the top betting favorites for the title to start the year. Brooklyn, Milwaukee, the Lakers, and probably some other teams were ahead of them.

I'm pretty sure we were 4th at worst as far as teams to contend and note, I never talked about the betting favorites. this team got no respect last season and still kept busting people's asses throughout the playoffs.

also, I think Chap said who here expected us to be this good? I might be living in a different universe, but prior to the season, almost this entire board thought we were not only as good as last year, but better with the McGee and Landry additions in the pre-season. Also, there were a lot here who thought that Lakers experiment was doomed from the start, if not really shaky.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He jumped on that play, surely, but my general impression is that he is usually pretty earth-bound.

okay... then there's not much to discuss here because we see him very differently.

 

[Hoop Head]

“Jones has limited resources and wanted guys willing to work for it rather than be handed it.”

So what does this mean then? You literally said he wasn’t willing to put in the work and expected things to be handed to him

Now what would you call a player like that? Hmmmm a hard worker?

Veterans willing to work for the betterment of the team and ultimately a championship rather than their own stats, playing time, and career. He wants guys who buy into the culture he's established here, not people that need their hands held and gifted playing time simply to develop them even if hurts the team to do so.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I don't know exactly what it was but yeah, there have been reports/rumors/statements that suggest he wasn't aware of how hard he needed to work. And that changed but it was after we chose to not extend him. It was still a mistake, he's not the first young player that needed to be taught how to work and improve.

Wha?!? I don’t ever recall hearing anything along those lines.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Wha?!? I don’t ever recall hearing anything along those lines.

Yeah there've been a couple of hints/rumors about it for awhile but nothing had as much credibility as a comment Ayton made in a post game conference a couple months ago (after a strong Stix showing). Hopefully someone here has the video or a quote but he basically said that "his first year Jalen had no idea how hard he needed to work but the players had all helped him with it".

 

[Chaplin]

actually, we're talking about the future of the team. We can do that and incredibly enjoy the present at the same time.

I didn't realize that ALL we could do on this board now was whistle zippidy-doo-dah out our a-holes (which coincidentally I’ve been doing a ton all season as well).But Noted.

I know you’re being snarky, but Stix is no longer part of the future. And he really never was as soon as his option was declined. Was it a mistake? Probably. But is it a franchise defining mistake that will have repercussions down the road? Absolutely not.

 

[elindholm]

also, I think Chap said who here expected us to be this good? I might be living in a different universe, but prior to the season, almost this entire board thought we were not only as good as last year, but better with the McGee and Landry additions in the pre-season. Also, there were a lot here who thought that Lakers experiment was doomed from the start, if not really shaky.

I thought he was talking about the general NBA universe, not posters here, but forget it.

 

[Yuma]

Well one observation I have, is we all knew that Cam Johnson, Bridges, and most likely Ayton would have to raise their games for us to win a title. Most likely one of the three would have to break out. I think ALL three have raised their games, and arguably have had break out seasons. That makes it much more likely we can win the title. Last year we had too few bigs to play Milwaukee. This year that has been addressed, too. I am feeling confident this team is in a way better place than last year's team.

 

[Finito]

I know you’re being snarky, but Stix is no longer part of the future. And he really never was as soon as his option was declined. Was it a mistake? Probably. But is it a franchise defining mistake that will have repercussions down the road? Absolutely not.

This is what he keeps trying to point out and you keep ignoring.

You can’t say right now it won’t have repercussions down the road because the possibility it might is looking at us right in the face

Aytons contract, McGee and Biz are both free agents at the end of the year. We could def be hurting at C next year

 

[Chaplin]

This is what he keeps trying to point out and you keep ignoring.

You can’t say right now it won’t have repercussions down the road because the possibility it might is looking at us right in the face

Aytons contract, McGee and Biz are both free agents at the end of the year. We could def be hurting at C next year

It won’t. Period. You can pine for Jalen Smith all you want. It won’t change.

 

[Finito]

It won’t. Period. You can pine for Jalen Smith all you want. It won’t change.

I just pointed out how it could

And your response is pretty much NA UH.

Again that’s all people are trying to tell you is that it could but your so dug in you can’t even bring yourself to agree when it’s right in your face

 

[Hoop Head]

It won’t. Period. You can pine for Jalen Smith all you want. It won’t change.

You really can't say that. You don't know how this off-season will play out. You can hope it won't and think it won't but to be so dismissive of the possibility displays a real homeristic POV.

 

[Chaplin]

You really can't say that. You don't know how this off-season will play out. You can hope it won't and think it won't but to be so dismissive of the possibility displays a real homeristic POV.

Homeristic, as in treating a former player like what he is, a former player? And bringing up the fact that he is a former role player at that?

We spent months with Haliburton love bursting in almost every thread, now we're seeing it with Jalen. If you think in 5 years he would have been a star with us, that's great, but it means absolutely nothing in the current scheme of things.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I know you’re being snarky, but Stix is no longer part of the future. And he really never was as soon as his option was declined. Was it a mistake? Probably. But is it a franchise defining mistake that will have repercussions down the road? Absolutely not.

I’m actually not being snarky. The decision made with him could impact the future of the team because we could have had a good cheap backup big at C (at worst) at a time when next season we’ll probably be close to or over the luxury tax so money will be tight to try and add or retain our current depth.

And Jesus Chap… that last question you posed. Seriously? I NEVER said it was a franchise defining mistake. Nor did I come close to implying that. With or without Stix, this team is going contend for years. That is a patently ridiculous thing to inject into an otherwise docile discussion.

 

[Chaplin]

I’m actually not being snarky. The decision made with him could impact the future of the team because we could have had a good cheap backup big at C (at worst) at a time when next season we’ll probably be close to or over the luxury tax so money will be tight to try and add or retain our current depth.

And Jesus Chap… that last question you posed. Seriously? I NEVER said it was a franchise defining mistake. Nor did I come close to implying that. With or without Stix, this team is going contend for years. That is a patently ridiculous thing to inject into an otherwise docile discussion.

There are many here that have been pushing this narrative far more than you. Why do you have to take things so personally?

Bitching about Jalen Smith has become the current fad for people that are so used to the losing they spend energy complaining about a traded role player. Nobody thought Jalen was with anything for a year and a half until he had a good stretch of 2 weeks This year. Now he’s a lost integral piece of our future? You’d think we have no hope moving forward.