The Brandon Knight Dilemma

[ColdPickleNachos]

I am not a Brandon Knight fan. I think he works as a Jamal Crawford-type combo guard to provide scoring off the bench, but that he doesn't have the size to be a starting 2 or the basketball IQ to be a starting point on a really good team. Also, his defense is awful.

If we were to luck into Ben Simmons and he developed into a true point-forward, then maybe Knight works at the 1 because his shooting would be more valuable to the team, but I still don't like him as an option over Bledsoe or Booker.

So, in other words, I like him as a reserve, but only if he is a happy and willing reserve.

Cut to this tweet by Paul Coro:

Brandon Knight on Suns guard mix: "I see my role being exactly the same."
Bench not an option? "Like I said, I see my role being the same."

I am officially on the Trade Brandon Knight Committee.

 

[gmabel830]

And what quality asset that we have are you ok with throwing in to dump his salary?

 

[Mainstreet]

This quote by Knight puts pressure on the Suns to trade him. I guess this is where Watson got the idea of perhaps starting three guards (Bledsoe, Booker and Knight). Clearly the Suns are not going to bring Booker off the bench. The other options would be to start Booker at SF or trade Bledsoe.

I don't think the Suns are going to play Booker at SF except for small ball situations or to close games. Knight is not going to start at PG unless Bledsoe should prove to be unhealthy. Also the Suns want to bring Bogdan over next season. Archie Goodwin is also in the mix.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

And what quality asset that we have are you ok with throwing in to dump his salary?

I'm not an NBA GM, so I'm guessing here, but I would say he should have at the very least neutral value. I mean, the Suns gave up a highly prized asset for him barely a year ago. He's made his weaknesses a little more obvious since then, but he's still 24. If we didn't have Bledsoe and Booker in front of him, I wouldn't be quite as eager to trade him.

I also think some GMs might see the way Thomas (traded for similar seasons) worked out and think Knight could work out for them. And his salary, I would bet, will look a lot better once free agency starts and middling players everywhere start making 8 figure-per-year salaries.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yeah, I don't think we'd have to pair him with an asset to dump him. Guys of his ilk will be making 20 mil a year. He isn't valuable but he isn't worthless either.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am officially on the Trade Brandon Knight Committee.

And I'm Chairman of the Oversight Committee with principal responsibility for determining viability of other committees. Your Committee is hereby dissolved. It will be reinstated once Brandon Knight has returned to full health and restored some of his trade value.

Whether we can trade him right now or not, we're not going to be getting full value out of him until he can play much better than he has so far in a Suns uniform. Hopefully he'll have a stellar first 3 months of the 16-17 season and we'll find multiple suitors bidding for his services next February. If he fails to rebuild his image by then we may have to consider forming a Panic Trade Committee shortly after that deadline.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not an NBA GM, so I'm guessing here, but I would say he should have at the very least neutral value. I mean, the Suns gave up a highly prized asset for him barely a year ago. He's made his weaknesses a little more obvious since then, but he's still 24. If we didn't have Bledsoe and Booker in front of him, I wouldn't be quite as eager to trade him.

I also think some GMs might see the way Thomas (traded for similar seasons) worked out and think Knight could work out for them. And his salary, I would bet, will look a lot better once free agency starts and middling players everywhere start making 8 figure-per-year salaries.

I agree with your last paragraph, however, I think this takes away from the fact that Knight is a quality NBA player who is only 24. He just does not fit with the Suns if he wants to start at either guard position. The Suns have too much talent there. Obtaining Knight was a knee jerk reaction by McDonough after Dragic demanded a trade.

 

[Phrazbit]

And I'm Chairman of the Oversight Committee with principal responsibility for determining viability of other committees. Your Committee is hereby dissolved. It will be reinstated once Brandon Knight has returned to full health and restored some of his trade value.

Whether we can trade him right now or not, we're not going to be getting full value out of him until he can play much better than he has so far in a Suns uniform. Hopefully he'll have a stellar first 3 months of the 16-17 season and we'll find multiple suitors bidding for his services next February. If he fails to rebuild his image by then we may have to consider forming a Panic Trade Committee shortly after that deadline.

I'd rather not flush another season, playing guys who are not part of the plan, who don't like their role and by extension don't want to be here. Get the best deal you can this Summer.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd rather not flush another season, playing guys who are not part of the plan, who don't like their role and by extension don't want to be here. Get the best deal you can this Summer.

We learned this with the Markieff trade.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd rather not flush another season, playing guys who are not part of the plan, who don't like their role and by extension don't want to be here. Get the best deal you can this Summer.

I understand the reasoning but I don't see him as a problem person. Also, Bledsoe will just be coming back from injury/surgery and I think rushing into a trade puts us at greater risk than keeping Knight would.

Booker needs his minutes but I have no problem bringing him off the bench for the first half of the season if Knight outplays him. And despite what people think of each of them I think it's quite probable that a healthy Knight WILL outplay Booker, for a year or two at least. The dynamic with Knight, Bledsoe and Booker should be less tension-filled as there won't be a pivotal contract looming.

 

[AzStevenCal]

We learned this with the Markieff trade.

But it's nothing like the Markieff scenario. Maybe it will reach that point but that possibility exists throughout the league. If Knight demands a trade that's one thing but as long as he's playing good soldier, we have time to do what's best for us in the long run.

 

[leclerc]

Yeah get him out of here. I mean come on with the role being the same crap. If he can't acknowledge Book passing him and getting the starting two, and admit he has to prepare for coming off the bench and just help the team the best he can then I don't want him.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I understand the reasoning but I don't see him as a problem person. Also, Bledsoe will just be coming back from injury/surgery and I think rushing into a trade puts us at greater risk than keeping Knight would.

Booker needs his minutes but I have no problem bringing him off the bench for the first half of the season if Knight outplays him. And despite what people think of each of them I think it's quite probable that a healthy Knight WILL outplay Booker, for a year or two at least. The dynamic with Knight, Bledsoe and Booker should be less tension-filled as there won't be a pivotal contract looming.

Bringing Booker off the bench would make me a very sad Suns fan, and I don't think I would be in the minority there. For reasons discussed above, Knight should not be a part of the Suns future, and Booker is (hopefully) a huge part of it. Booker has already grabbed a leading role. Taking a step back with him would be a bad idea imho.

 

[az jam]

The coach will decide who starts and who comes off the bench. Not the player.

Of course if your LeBron James that is different.

 

[leclerc]

I agree. This is Booker's team now. We build around him. We don't bench him and keep up with Knight dribbling around looking at the floor and chucking bad shots.

 

[Mainstreet]

But it's nothing like the Markieff scenario. Maybe it will reach that point but that possibility exists throughout the league. If Knight demands a trade that's one thing but as long as he's playing good soldier, we have time to do what's best for us in the long run.

Maybe, maybe not. I'm only going by Knight's comment. Maybe he will soften his stance. However, the 2015 season is still fresh in my memory when the Suns traded Dragic and Thomas because of the conflict, who is the starter.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Bringing Booker off the bench would make me a very sad Suns fan, and I don't think I would be in the minority there. For reasons discussed above, Knight should not be a part of the Suns future, and Booker is (hopefully) a huge part of it. Booker has already grabbed a leading role. Taking a step back with him would be a bad idea imho.

Kobe started 7 games his first 2 seasons and Booker is no more ready than Bryant was. I don't really care who starts but Booker was forced into that leading role solely due to who was missing, it was not because of his play. You're right about there being some disappointment here but I'm in favor of whatever helps us in the long run, I could care less about a little fan or even player grumbling if that's what's needed.

As for Knight being part of our future, I agree, it's highly doubtful. But that doesn't mean I want to sell him at a discount, we have far too few assets to start selling them at half price. If we can trade him this offseason for roughly what he cost us I'm all for it. I just don't think that's happening.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Kobe started 7 games his first 2 seasons and Booker is no more ready than Bryant was. I don't really care who starts but Booker was forced into that leading role solely due to who was missing, it was not because of his play. You're right about there being some disappointment here but I'm in favor of whatever helps us in the long run, I could care less about a little fan or even player grumbling if that's what's needed.

come on Steve... simply saying this about Kobe completely ignores two facts that make Booker and Kobe's situations completely different.

1) The Lakers were a title contender in Kobe's first year, so they were in a place of winning now, thus, there was no reason to put Kobe on the court unless he could help. We are not going to be anything NEAR that level, so putting our future on the bench, like the Lakers did doesn't make sense.

2) They had a 2-time ALL-STAR at SG during Kobe's first two years in the league with Eddie Jones. Brandon Knight isn't anything close to an All-Star the way Jones was.

The Lakers weren't in development mode and already had an All-Star at Kobe's position. The idea that Booker goes back to the bench for a guy who within a year, will probably have washed out of his third team in five years makes zero sense.

 

[AzStevenCal]

come on Steve... simply saying this about Kobe completely ignores two facts that make Booker and Kobe's situations completely different.

1) The Lakers were a title contender in Kobe's first year, so they were in a place of winning now, thus, there was no reason to put Kobe on the court unless he could help. We are not going to be anything NEAR that level, so putting our future on the bench, like the Lakers did doesn't make sense.

2) They had a 2-time ALL-STAR at SG during Kobe's first two years in the league with Eddie Jones. Brandon Knight isn't anything close to an All-Star the way Jones was.

The Lakers weren't in development mode and already had an All-Star at Kobe's position. The idea that Booker goes back to the bench for a guy who within a year, will probably have washed out of his third team in five years makes zero sense.

Yeah, those are good points. I didn't follow the Lakers at all so I was just parroting what I've heard from others about Kobe. So okay, don't use Bryant as an example but there are many others.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

With rare exceptions, the NBA is about stars. If you want to win a championship you need two, or more likely three, stars. Those are, by far, the hardest pieces to get, whether you sign them, trade for them, or develop them.

When you're bad like the Suns, I think the primary focus needs to be on getting those stars. Developing Booker is, by far, our best path right now. If we luck out in the draft, maybe we are on the path to two stars. And then, if we got extremely lucky, Len or Warren develop into a capable #3 or Bledsoe becomes a consistent paragon of health.

But really, Booker is the only option where I don't have to sip the Kool-Aid to convince myself. So anything that compromises his development should not be an option. The Suns need to build the team around players who complement Booker, not guys who want to start over him and play hero-ball.

The secondary focus needs to be on developing a better culture around the team. That also could be compromised by keeping Knight around. Is he going to sulk like Kieff? I doubt it. But he's not good enough for me to want to find out.

 

[AzStevenCal]

With rare exceptions, the NBA is about stars. If you want to win a championship you need two, or more likely three, stars. Those are, by far, the hardest pieces to get, whether you sign them, trade for them, or develop them.

When you're bad like the Suns, I think the primary focus needs to be on getting those stars. Developing Booker is, by far, our best path right now. If we luck out in the draft, maybe we are on the path to two stars. And then, if we got extremely lucky, Len or Warren develop into a capable #3 or Bledsoe becomes a consistent paragon of health.

But really, Booker is the only option where I don't have to sip the Kool-Aid to convince myself. So anything that compromises his development should not be an option. The Suns need to build the team around players who complement Booker, not guys who want to start over him and play hero-ball.

The secondary focus needs to be on developing a better culture around the team. That also could be compromised by keeping Knight around. Is he going to sulk like Kieff? I doubt it. But he's not good enough for me to want to find out.

Not to confuse the issue but if Booker outplays Knight, I'd start him. Knight was horrible this season but he played injured for most of it. Booker was even worse and by quite a bit. We understand why, he's 19 years old and inexperienced. What do you do with inexperienced players? Do you throw them into the starting lineup or do you let them earn their time? It depends on the player and the situation. But are you developing a better culture by starting someone that doesn't earn his time?

No matter who starts, we have plenty of minutes for Booker, Knight and Bledsoe even without playing the 3 together. We'll see what happens. But if Ryan can trade Knight for decent value this offseason he'll get my useless vote for GM of the year. Most of you have decided that Knight is trash, if you're right we might as well admit our screw-up and trade him at a loss. But don't expect other teams to think they're about to sign a bargain if that's the case. And I heard this same argument here when we got rid of Thomas.

 

[Mainstreet]

Paul Coro at azcentral writes a good article today which addresses the Suns guard dilemma with quotes from all three guards, Knight, Bledsoe and Booker. Here are some of the quotes from the article although not in exact order.

I recommend reading the entire article at the link below.

Knight:

“I don’t see my role changing,” said Knight, who came off the bench twice this season – once as a Hornacek experiment and once in return from injury. “We’ll see what happens next year as far as a role, but I see my role being exactly the same.”

Starting or coming off the bench?

“I see my role being the same,” Knight said.

So a bench role is not an option?

“Like I said, I see my role being the same,” Knight said. “Whatever I did this year, I plan on being better next year.”

Bledsoe:

“I love Brandon like a little brother to me,” said Bledsoe, 26, who said he is nearly cleared for full basketball activity after Dec. 29 left knee surgery. “I enjoy every minute we were out there together. Even in practice and off the court, he is unbelievable. I’m looking forward to being part of something special next year.

“I’ve been playing with a lot of guards in my career. It’s pretty much the same.”

“We just got to sacrifice,” Bledsoe said. “It’s up to the coach to play who’s playing their butt off that night. It’s up to Coach. We can control coming out in the summertime to put the work in and to where we’re jelling as a team.”

Booker:

“I’m sure it won’t be as large of a role as I had post-All-Star break,” said Booker, who averaged 35.4 minutes after his Rising Stars Challenge appearance. “No one really has that role (at 20, his age next season), unless it’s like Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James). I know it won’t be that big of a role next year, especially with Eric and Brandon there. We’ll all be able to play off each other, so it’ll be really good.”

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...l-wtih-backcourt-trio-dynamic-again/83057448/

It sounds like Booker might be the most amenable to coming off the bench if push come to shove.

 

[SirStefan32]

It sounds like Booker might be the most amenable to coming off the bench if push come to shove.

Yes, and that's precisely why he should start. He is more mature at the age of 19 than Knight.

To me, the situation is really simple. This is Booker's team now. Knight and Bledsoe need to come to terms with that. Both of the are replaceable, and Knight more so than Bledsoe. Knight does not look anything like a point guard. Bledsoe isn't ideal either, but he at least looks like something that resembles a point guard. While I think Bledsoe's defense is grossly overrated on this board, he is at least a competent defender, and while I love Booker, he is really not a good defender at this stage of his career, so it is very important to have good defenders at other positions.

Booker, Warren, and Len need to start next year, with the top-two rookies needing to get some playing time. McD sounds like he really wants to bring Bogdanovic in this summer, so it's fairly obvious Knight is going bye-bye this summer. Problem with Knight is that he sucks as a point guard, and is not particularly effective as a shooting guard either. He is very inefficient, and he just doesn't fit.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yes, and that's precisely why he should start. He is more mature at the age of 19 than Knight.

To me, the situation is really simple. This is Booker's team now. Knight and Bledsoe need to come to terms with that. Both of the are replaceable, and Knight more so than Bledsoe. Knight does not look anything like a point guard. Bledsoe isn't ideal either, but he at least looks like something that resembles a point guard. While I think Bledsoe's defense is grossly overrated on this board, he is at least a competent defender, and while I love Booker, he is really not a good defender at this stage of his career, so it is very important to have good defenders at other positions.

Booker, Warren, and Len need to start next year, with the top-two rookies needing to get some playing time. McD sounds like he really wants to bring Bogdanovic in this summer, so it's fairly obvious Knight is going bye-bye this summer. Problem with Knight is that he sucks as a point guard, and is not particularly effective as a shooting guard either. He is very inefficient, and he just doesn't fit.

The only reason I would start Knight (assuming he's currently the better player) is if he's not part of our future. If he is part of our future, I think it makes more sense to use him off the bench backing up the 2 mostly with occasional work at the 1. If he's not part of our future than I want to do everything we can reasonably do to maximize his trade value and that probably means we'll need to start him.

But if Ryan can move Knight for value without him having to show the league anything, I'm all for it. I'd certainly much rather watch Booker play the game than Brandon Knight.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Knight would be a great fit in Philly. And they have too many bigs.