What is the plan?

[1tinsoldier]

there were only a few bad lemons and they've been either tossed or shelved in the freezer

besides. coaches are paid the big bucks to make lemon-aid

 

[AzStevenCal]

All this talk of food brings me to my new plan. We're making Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner tonight and finishing off our annual re-watch of Band of Brothers. If that doesn't improve this Suns team, I plan to have some quality restaurant shredded beef tacos for lunch tomorrow and start to re-watch either Stranger Things or Buffy the Vampire Slayer when we get home. I'm quite sure that will fix this team.

 

[1tinsoldier]

definitely Buffy the Vampire Slayer rather than Stranger Things
both literally and figuratively

 

[BC867]

McD and Sarver were responsible for delivering this season's team
(and, indeed, the fans and everyone here was excited about our prospects)
someone else was in charge of the performance
which is 9 and 32 at season's midpoint

Do you mean 3/5 of this season's team? Still no Point Guard. Still no Power Forward. After being overloaded (just not talented) at both positions.

With too many prospects and almost-over-the-hill players.

Everyone here was hardly excited about that.

Igor's demeanor and actions (or lack thereof) are a separate matter.

I've never seen a report card with all F's. But if there were one for Suns ownership/management, that would be the case.

"Hey, Dad, I got a perfect report card." "Great news, son ... hey, wait a minute."

 

[BC867]

All this talk of food brings me to my new plan. We're making Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner tonight and finishing off our annual re-watch of Band of Brothers. If that doesn't improve this Suns team, I plan to have some quality restaurant shredded beef tacos for lunch tomorrow and start to re-watch either Stranger Things or Buffy the Vampire Slayer when we get home. I'm quite sure that will fix this team.

Why don't invite Igor over to join you? And, sort of, lock him in the closet.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Why don't invite Igor over to join you? And, sort of, lock him in the closet.

It's homemade Chicken Tikka Masala, I'm not sharing that with any stranger. If he pays his way though he can meet us at Zapata's Mexican Restaurant tomorrow for the tacos.

 

[Mainstreet]

And I don’t agree with Steve. I want a championship even if it means 5 more years of this yuck verses becoming a perennial 50 and fade team. Regular season is just that, an appetizer. I just can’t get full on appetizers . . . at least I don’t want to.

I can't leave this unchallenged.

Yuck stuff doesn't guarantee Championships. The way the lottery is set up it takes luck to get the first pick or even a top three pick.

I've linked the lottery odds below.

When he Suns weren't drafting early, Amare was drafted at #9, Shawn Marion also at #9, Joe Johnson #10 (trade via Boston) and Steve Nash at #15. This seemed to turn out quite well.

This should have been enough for the Suns to win a Championship (if everything came together) but unfortunately it didn't.

I didn't even put Devin Booker in there at #13.

Personally I would prefer the Suns concentrate on running a stable franchise with a good GM and coach rather than leave the Suns fate to luck.

http://www.tankathon.com/

 

[sdscard4]

Like I said before Thibs was 19 -21 and just fired. That record looks sooooo good to me! I'll take that any day over the crap we have now.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Like I said before Thibs was 19 -21 and just fired. That record looks sooooo good to me! I'll take that any day over the crap we have now.

So, hire the guy who can't even take a 50-ish win roster to .500 and put him in charge of the worst roster in the NBA. Take a coach famous for driving a wedge between players and the front office and put him in charge of a group of kids that don't know jack about the league? Hire a head coach that has driven the fans from the stands in Minnesota for the brand of ball he coaches? Hire a coach that designed a defensive style that the NBA has pretty much eliminated through rules changes?

In case it isn't clear, I think hiring Thibs as the Head Coach is a very bad idea. Even if we were foolish enough to give up on our current coach this early in the season, I would hope we wouldn't be quite this foolish.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I can't leave this unchallenged.

Yuck stuff doesn't guarantee Championships. The way the lottery is set up it takes luck to get the first pick or even a top three pick.

I've linked the lottery odds below.

When he Suns weren't drafting early, Amare was drafted at #9, Shawn Marion also at #9, Joe Johnson #10 (trade via Boston) and Steve Nash at #15. This seemed to turn out quite well.

This should have been enough for the Suns to win a Championship (if everything came together) but unfortunately it didn't.

I didn't even put Devin Booker in there at #13.

Personally I would prefer the Suns concentrate on running a stable franchise with a good GM and coach rather than leave the Suns fate to luck.

http://www.tankathon.com/

You’re ignoring the fact that we aren’t a stable well run franchise. Keep ignoring that, I’m sure the constant disappointment is good for your health.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I can't leave this unchallenged.

Yuck stuff doesn't guarantee Championships. The way the lottery is set up it takes luck to get the first pick or even a top three pick.

I've linked the lottery odds below.

When he Suns weren't drafting early, Amare was drafted at #9, Shawn Marion also at #9, Joe Johnson #10 (trade via Boston) and Steve Nash at #15. This seemed to turn out quite well.

This should have been enough for the Suns to win a Championship (if everything came together) but unfortunately it didn't.

I didn't even put Devin Booker in there at #13.

Personally I would prefer the Suns concentrate on running a stable franchise with a good GM and coach rather than leave the Suns fate to luck.

http://www.tankathon.com/

And btw, “should’ve beens” aren’t real. They didn’t win a championship. It was bitter. But we all have to live with that. Know who did? The team that yanked to get the best odds to get the number pick, selected Tim Duncan and won lots and lots of championships.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

So, hire the guy who can't even take a 50-ish win roster to .500 and put him in charge of the worst roster in the NBA. Take a coach famous for driving a wedge between players and the front office and put him in charge of a group of kids that don't know jack about the league? Hire a head coach that has driven the fans from the stands in Minnesota for the brand of ball he coaches? Hire a coach that designed a defensive style that the NBA has pretty much eliminated through rules changes?

In case it isn't clear, I think hiring Thibs as the Head Coach is a very bad idea. Even if we were foolish enough to give up on our current coach this early in the season, I would hope we wouldn't be quite this foolish.

Are the wolves really a 50ish win roster? Their two best players seem to be (a) enormous disappointments (Wiggins); or (b) what is quickly becoming a stat padding nonimpact guy (KAT). Butlers a headcase but his frustration with the team not playing hard seemed to be at least somewhat a confirmation of these, no?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Are the wolves really a 50ish win roster? Their two best players seem to be (a) enormous disappointments (Wiggins); or (b) what is quickly becoming a stat padding nonimpact guy (KAT). Butlers a headcase but his frustration with the team not playing hard seemed to be at least somewhat a confirmation of these, no?

Yeah, I would think so. Towns and Wiggins looked like budding superstars not too long ago and were virtually untouchable. And for more than a few years now all the experts have been picking this team to take that big jump forward. So yeah, I think Towns, Wiggins, Saric, Covington, Teague, Tyus Jones, Dieng, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose ought to be a 50 plus win team. I don't know if there's a coach in the NBA that could have made Wiggins look like such a bust.

 

[Mainstreet]

You’re ignoring the fact that we aren’t a stable well run franchise. Keep ignoring that, I’m sure the constant disappointment is good for your health.

The Suns are a mess for sure. However, I don't think being terrible for the next five years and hoping to get lucky is a plan either.

 

[Mainstreet]

And btw, “should’ve beens” aren’t real. They didn’t win a championship. It was bitter. But we all have to live with that. Know who did? The team that yanked to get the best odds to get the number pick, selected Tim Duncan and won lots and lots of championships.

The talent the Suns accumulated was real enough.

Let's hope Ayton turns out what we all hope he will be at the #1 slot.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The Suns are a mess for sure. However, I don't think being terrible for the next five years and hoping to get lucky is a plan either.

Hopefully it doesn’t take five years. Maybe we get lucky with draft pick? We should still try for impact FAs.

 

[slinslin]

1. TJ Warren for Aaron Gordon swap of some sort. Another options albeit much worse would be Kevin Love who brings little defense but at least rebounding.

We need someone more closely resembling a PF.

I think this is potentially more pressing than getting a PG even.

2. Get a talented PG.
- Dennis Smith, Markelle Fultz, Derrick Rose - no idea who else could potentially fit this bill and be available somehow.

Heck Derrick Rose would be great even. In the past I thought we needed a PG who is 3&D but now I think even more important is that the PG can get to the rim and draws fouls. None of those role player types can give us what we need imo and would all suck.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hopefully it doesn’t take five years. Maybe we get lucky with draft pick? We should still try for impact FAs.

I'm totally with you there. The Suns persistent losing over four seasons is taking it's toll.

Hopefully the Suns keep their 2019 first round pick because I think they can fill at least one of their needs (point guard or power forward) through the draft. Then come back in free agency and fill remaining holes through free agency.

 

[taz02]

If we spend the next 5 seasons or even 2 seasons winning 20 games Booker will want out and Ayton will jump ship at the first chance he gets. Isn't that what happened with Bledsoe? Like him or not he is light years ahead of any PG currently on the team.

If the "yuck" cycle lasts to long we will find ourselves drafting players to replace the ones we are losing.

The suns do not need to draft another project that takes 2-3 years to develop. The time to move is now, unless we don't think Ayton and Booker are capable of anchoring a championship team.

 

[Mainstreet]

If we spend the next 5 seasons or even 2 seasons winning 20 games Booker will want out and Ayton will jump ship at the first chance he gets. Isn't that what happened with Bledsoe? Like him or not he is light years ahead of any PG currently on the team.

If the "yuck" cycle lasts to long we will find ourselves drafting players to replace the ones we are losing.

The suns do not need to draft another project that takes 2-3 years to develop. The time to move is now, unless we don't think Ayton and Booker are capable of anchoring a championship team.

I do not want to dramatize it but if the Suns do not put the pieces in place to move forward by this summer (point guard and power forward) it's inevitable players are going to become disgruntled. I believe I said something similar last season but the situation has worsened and the problems have festered.

 

[SirStefan32]

I do not want to dramatize it but if the Suns do not put the pieces in place to move forward by this summer (point guard and power forward) it's inevitable players are going to become disgruntled. I believe I said something similar last season but the situation has worsened and the problems have festered.

I agree with you. They failed miserably last summer, and now there are no decent point guards available. I tend to not be a dramatic alarmist, but they are in deep trouble if they don't add a starting-level point guard. I understand that they failed last summer, they may not be able to find a solution before the trade deadline, the person responsible got fired, so I am good with giving Jones some time, but that end when the summer comes.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If we spend the next 5 seasons or even 2 seasons winning 20 games Booker will want out and Ayton will jump ship at the first chance he gets. Isn't that what happened with Bledsoe? Like him or not he is light years ahead of any PG currently on the team.

If the "yuck" cycle lasts to long we will find ourselves drafting players to replace the ones we are losing.

The suns do not need to draft another project that takes 2-3 years to develop. The time to move is now, unless we don't think Ayton and Booker are capable of anchoring a championship team.

Not exactly. This is the way I believe it went down based on reports and leaks at the time. We were semi-tanking and Bledsoe was mostly mailing it in and then complained a few times about a sore knee. So McD sat him for the rest of the season. Bledsoe wasn't thrilled with sitting but publicly he seemed to take it okay. Then, during the offseason, his agent demanded an agreement on his next contract ahead of schedule. The Suns told him they would rather wait. Bledsoe then, likely under direction from his agent, shut himself off from the organization. He refused all contact with anyone from the team and the front office.

Once the season started, he actively sabotaged the team by playing at about half speed. After a miserable start and the firing of the Head Coach, he tweeted that he didn't want to be here. When called on it, he lied and said he was at the barber shop and didn't want to be there. Ryan had had enough, so he gave him away for peanuts to the Bucks. Unfortunately, peanuts was likely all we were ever going to get for him. He is now playing his butt off for a new contract.

But to your other point, yes, Bledsoe is a very flawed PG but he is better than anyone we've had since we traded him. All things considered, he'd probably still be our best player if he were here. We'd still be near the bottom of the league though, IMO.

 

[elindholm]

I agree with you. They failed miserably last summer, and now there are no decent point guards available. I tend to not be a dramatic alarmist, but they are in deep trouble if they don't add a starting-level point guard. I understand that they failed last summer

And don't forget that they traded away their best future asset in order to draft another SF, when there were solid PG prospects on the board.

 

[Chaplin]

And don't forget that they traded away their best future asset in order to draft another SF, when there were solid PG prospects on the board.

Really? Like who? Okobo?

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Really? Like who? Okobo?

Shai Gilgeous Alexander would be my first guess. However, I don't know how much a rookie like him would be helping our current situation.

Also the concept that Shai was still available when we got Bridges is a bit misleading because the trade didn't happen until our 16th pick was on the clock.