Game 35: Golden State Warriors (19-17) @ Phoenix Suns (23-11) l Thursday l 8:00pm l FSNAZ

[Slim Charless]

I'm worried about Paul handling quick guys like Dame but blazers have CJ too. Bridges would be on Dame preferably for me and put Paul on CJ in that scenario. Javon's size, speed and Pat Bev like annoyance is why I'd want him out there for the smaller guards.

Jevon would be getting more playing time if he weren't so horrible offensively this year. His shooting has been terrible which makes him almost unplayable on offense.

That said, I remember he lost his spot in the rotation last year as well before he got it back through sheer effort. So I'm hoping he works his way back into the rotation post the ASB. Like you said, he'd be very useful in even just 15 mins against the likes of Lillard, CJ, Curry, Morant etc.

I feel a lot better with any other guard on the floor. I would have rather given Carter's contract to Nader next year, though he may deserve a little more...not sure if he will have a market.

Carter's value was never really to be a spark off the bench, it was to be a plus defender while not being a complete hinderance on offense. If he can make life difficult for the many high level guards there are in the West, while not killing us on the other end then he earns his deal.

Nader and Payne meanwhile have more a similar role- carry the second unit and give us valuable scoring when Book/CP3 aren't in. If I'm choosing the best case scenario, I'd rather have "mini Pat Bev/Tony Allen" harassing Dame/CJ/Mitchell/Curry available for when Bridges is having an off night since I don't have faith in CP3 to be a monster defender anymore (at least against those types of players). We then would have to choose which of the 2 between Nader and Payne to resign (if it came to that).

We do need a REAL point to be able to take over for Paul for good whenever he retires so, in theory I'd want us to find that guy in the off-season via the draft and let Payne walk if it's too pricey while resigning Nader to a reasonable deal. That said, this is way early and neither should cost too much so Sarver should just resign both since he finally has a winning team of guys that play very well together.

I'd also be down to have Lonzo in the CP3 replacement line, but his play might've priced himself out of being a backup till whenever Chris is ready hang them up.

[bwgood77]

Jevon would be getting more playing time if he weren't so horrible offensively this year. His shooting has been terrible which makes him almost unplayable on offense.

That said, I remember he lost his spot in the rotation last year as well before he got it back through sheer effort. So I'm hoping he works his way back into the rotation post the ASB. Like you said, he'd be very useful in even just 15 mins against the likes of Lillard, CJ, Curry, Morant etc.

I feel a lot better with any other guard on the floor. I would have rather given Carter's contract to Nader next year, though he may deserve a little more...not sure if he will have a market.

Carter's value was never really to be a spark off the bench, it was to be a plus defender while not being a complete hinderance on offense. If he can make life difficult for the many high level guards there are in the West, while not killing us on the other end then he earns his deal.

Nader and Payne meanwhile have more a similar role- carry the second unit and give us valuable scoring when Book/CP3 aren't in. If I'm choosing the best case scenario, I'd rather have "mini Pat Bev/Tony Allen" harassing Dame/CJ/Mitchell/Curry available for when Bridges is having an off night since I don't have faith in CP3 to be a monster defender anymore (at least against those types of players). We then would have to choose which of the 2 between Nader and Payne to resign (if it came to that).

We do need a REAL point to be able to take over for Paul for good whenever he retires so, in theory I'd want us to find that guy in the off-season via the draft and let Payne walk if it's too pricey while resigning Nader to a reasonable deal. That said, this is way early and neither should cost too much so Sarver should just resign both since he finally has a winning team of guys that play very well together.

I'd also be down to have Lonzo in the CP3 replacement line, but his play might've priced himself out of being a backup till whenever Chris is ready hang them up.

I think Carter can be a surprising pest for about 5 minutes and maybe get a steal and deflection but then once the guard gets used to it, he can just deal with Carter, and he can't switch or guard anyone else but the PG....so any switches he gets taken advantage of immediately.

Then he can't really do much ball handling so he's only a plus player if he is ON FIRE from 3 like in the bubble, and that was against 3rd stringers and a lot of people had inflated #s, especially shooting in the bubble.

With his shooting this year, he is not worth playing, especially with our depth. I'd much rather have Galloway or Moore out there. Obviously I'm a Moore fan like Zach Lowe and EJ, despite his struggles...but a lot of that is being put in tough positions..playing the 1 when he's a 2...he can do some ball handling but not a lot...same with Galloway...both can shoot outside and get inside for floaters and are vets with experience.

[TouchPassDario]

Carter can be pretty pesky at off-ball digs and swipes. I think he would be helpful against Portland’s duo when Carmelo sits.

[Slim Charless]

I feel a lot better with any other guard on the floor. I would have rather given Carter's contract to Nader next year, though he may deserve a little more...not sure if he will have a market.

Carter's value was never really to be a spark off the bench, it was to be a plus defender while not being a complete hinderance on offense. If he can make life difficult for the many high level guards there are in the West, while not killing us on the other end then he earns his deal.

Nader and Payne meanwhile have more a similar role- carry the second unit and give us valuable scoring when Book/CP3 aren't in. If I'm choosing the best case scenario, I'd rather have "mini Pat Bev/Tony Allen" harassing Dame/CJ/Mitchell/Curry available for when Bridges is having an off night since I don't have faith in CP3 to be a monster defender anymore (at least against those types of players). We then would have to choose which of the 2 between Nader and Payne to resign (if it came to that).

We do need a REAL point to be able to take over for Paul for good whenever he retires so, in theory I'd want us to find that guy in the off-season via the draft and let Payne walk if it's too pricey while resigning Nader to a reasonable deal. That said, this is way early and neither should cost too much so Sarver should just resign both since he finally has a winning team of guys that play very well together.

I'd also be down to have Lonzo in the CP3 replacement line, but his play might've priced himself out of being a backup till whenever Chris is ready hang them up.

I think Carter can be a surprising pest for about 5 minutes and maybe get a steal and deflection but then once the guard gets used to it, he can just deal with Carter, and he can't switch or guard anyone else but the PG....so any switches he gets taken advantage of immediately.

Then he can't really do much ball handling so he's only a plus player if he is ON FIRE from 3 like in the bubble, and that was against 3rd stringers and a lot of people had inflated #s, especially shooting in the bubble.

With his shooting this year, he is not worth playing, especially with our depth. I'd much rather have Galloway or Moore out there. Obviously I'm a Moore fan like Zach Lowe and EJ, despite his struggles...but a lot of that is being put in tough positions..playing the 1 when he's a 2...he can do some ball handling but not a lot...same with Galloway...both can shoot outside and get inside for floaters and are vets with experience.

Once again that plays into us possibly getting our true future PG in the draft this year. I wonder where GOK has been? I could use some write ups of some of the lesser known points, though I'm hoping that we can draft someone like Cooper or Nix. 2 very young, talented guards who can learn behind Paul for a couple years and take over when they're around 21/22 years old after getting a first class education from Prof Paul.

As to Carter, as was mentioned earlier even if he can give us 15 mins or so a night of hectic defense on the likes of the all pro guards we will be seeing in the playoffs. I'll take it. He's only costing us what 4 a year? That's more than worth it if he can effectively make life difficult for those guys. I'd hope he would know his role and fight over the screen to stick to the likes of a Curry or a Mitchell if it came to that. Portland has 2 all pro quality guards and Bridges can only handle one of them at a time so having another guy is very useful.

[bwgood77]

Carter's value was never really to be a spark off the bench, it was to be a plus defender while not being a complete hinderance on offense. If he can make life difficult for the many high level guards there are in the West, while not killing us on the other end then he earns his deal.

Nader and Payne meanwhile have more a similar role- carry the second unit and give us valuable scoring when Book/CP3 aren't in. If I'm choosing the best case scenario, I'd rather have "mini Pat Bev/Tony Allen" harassing Dame/CJ/Mitchell/Curry available for when Bridges is having an off night since I don't have faith in CP3 to be a monster defender anymore (at least against those types of players). We then would have to choose which of the 2 between Nader and Payne to resign (if it came to that).

We do need a REAL point to be able to take over for Paul for good whenever he retires so, in theory I'd want us to find that guy in the off-season via the draft and let Payne walk if it's too pricey while resigning Nader to a reasonable deal. That said, this is way early and neither should cost too much so Sarver should just resign both since he finally has a winning team of guys that play very well together.

I'd also be down to have Lonzo in the CP3 replacement line, but his play might've priced himself out of being a backup till whenever Chris is ready hang them up.

I think Carter can be a surprising pest for about 5 minutes and maybe get a steal and deflection but then once the guard gets used to it, he can just deal with Carter, and he can't switch or guard anyone else but the PG....so any switches he gets taken advantage of immediately.

Then he can't really do much ball handling so he's only a plus player if he is ON FIRE from 3 like in the bubble, and that was against 3rd stringers and a lot of people had inflated #s, especially shooting in the bubble.

With his shooting this year, he is not worth playing, especially with our depth. I'd much rather have Galloway or Moore out there. Obviously I'm a Moore fan like Zach Lowe and EJ, despite his struggles...but a lot of that is being put in tough positions..playing the 1 when he's a 2...he can do some ball handling but not a lot...same with Galloway...both can shoot outside and get inside for floaters and are vets with experience.

Once again that plays into us possibly getting our true future PG in the draft this year. I wonder where GOK has been? I could use some write ups of some of the lesser known points, though I'm hoping that we can draft someone like Cooper or Nix. 2 very young, talented guards who can learn behind Paul for a couple years and take over when they're around 21/22 years old after getting a first class education from Prof Paul.

As to Carter, as was mentioned earlier even if he can give us 15 mins or so a night of hectic defense on the likes of the all pro guards we will be seeing in the playoffs. I'll take it. He's only costing us what 4 a year? That's more than worth it if he can effectively make life difficult for those guys. I'd hope he would know his role and fight over the screen to stick to the likes of a Curry or a Mitchell if it came to that. Portland has 2 all pro quality guards and Bridges can only handle one of them at a time so having another guy is very useful.

I would not play Carter against elite starting PGs. I would make sure to have Paul in when those guys play. 15 minutes against those guys? That might be almost half their time on the court. I'd rather have our starting lineup in there 95% of the time the other starters are in, particularly elite PGs.

Plus, I don't think he'd be that effective against Curry, Lillard, etc, and especially not bigger guys like Luka or LeBron as primary ball handlers.

[Slim Charless]

I think Carter can be a surprising pest for about 5 minutes and maybe get a steal and deflection but then once the guard gets used to it, he can just deal with Carter, and he can't switch or guard anyone else but the PG....so any switches he gets taken advantage of immediately.

Then he can't really do much ball handling so he's only a plus player if he is ON FIRE from 3 like in the bubble, and that was against 3rd stringers and a lot of people had inflated #s, especially shooting in the bubble.

With his shooting this year, he is not worth playing, especially with our depth. I'd much rather have Galloway or Moore out there. Obviously I'm a Moore fan like Zach Lowe and EJ, despite his struggles...but a lot of that is being put in tough positions..playing the 1 when he's a 2...he can do some ball handling but not a lot...same with Galloway...both can shoot outside and get inside for floaters and are vets with experience.

Once again that plays into us possibly getting our true future PG in the draft this year. I wonder where GOK has been? I could use some write ups of some of the lesser known points, though I'm hoping that we can draft someone like Cooper or Nix. 2 very young, talented guards who can learn behind Paul for a couple years and take over when they're around 21/22 years old after getting a first class education from Prof Paul.

As to Carter, as was mentioned earlier even if he can give us 15 mins or so a night of hectic defense on the likes of the all pro guards we will be seeing in the playoffs. I'll take it. He's only costing us what 4 a year? That's more than worth it if he can effectively make life difficult for those guys. I'd hope he would know his role and fight over the screen to stick to the likes of a Curry or a Mitchell if it came to that. Portland has 2 all pro quality guards and Bridges can only handle one of them at a time so having another guy is very useful.

I would not play Carter against elite starting PGs. I would make sure to have Paul in when those guys play. 15 minutes against those guys? That might be almost half their time on the court. I'd rather have our starting lineup in there 95% of the time the other starters are in, particularly elite PGs.

Plus, I don't think he'd be that effective against Curry, Lillard, etc, and especially not bigger guys like Luka or LeBron as primary ball handlers.

No. His skillset is not handling the likes of Luka and Bron. I like him for his role: handling the smaller, quicker points that populate the West. Not for the entire game, but to give another look to them. I still expect Bridges to have the lions share of the mins against them, but when he sits and to mix it up on those guys so they can't get as comfortable.

[bwoolf2]

Gerald Bourguet on Twitter: "NBA says Mike Conley will be the injury replacement for Devin Booker, who was an injury replacement.

And this is why you don't continue to play someone that is clearly hurting, it turns into an injury

[Mulhollanddrive]

Monty lets Booker and Paul do their thing but sometimes he's got to be the coach making the hard decision, whether it be timeouts, challenges, plays, health etc as it will matter even more in playoffs.

Also Kent Bazemore is a dumbass and would have been my no.1 pick to run into the star players knee.

[pj0tr]

Gerald Bourguet on Twitter: "NBA says Mike Conley will be the injury replacement for Devin Booker, who was an injury replacement.

And this is why you don't continue to play someone that is clearly hurting, it turns into an injury

He got hit by Bazemore in the upper knee/thigh area.

Its likely the training staff looked at it and decided he couldn't make it worse by playing, so it was really moreso a pain tolerance thing.

Those things can linger for a few days, but Booker should be ready to go for the first game back against Portland.

Honestly, with the COVID health and safety protocols, is it the worst thing that Booker is missing the ASG?

[bwgood77]

Gerald Bourguet on Twitter: "NBA says Mike Conley will be the injury replacement for Devin Booker, who was an injury replacement.

And this is why you don't continue to play someone that is clearly hurting, it turns into an injury

He got hit by Bazemore in the upper knee/thigh area.

Its likely the training staff looked at it and decided he couldn't make it worse by playing, so it was really moreso a pain tolerance thing.

Those things can linger for a few days, but Booker should be ready to go for the first game back against Portland.

Honestly, with the COVID health and safety protocols, is it the worst thing that Booker is missing the ASG?

Honestly I'm really surprised if it's not that bad, that he's missing it. If it was really minor I would at least expect him to try and compete in the 3 pt contest and maybe just be on the bench on not play much in the game...though maybe he wouldn't want to appear to not get many minutes.

I'm glad he's not playing if he's hurt, especially if it is minor. It shows he has his priorities straight. Being an all star is a pretty big deal. Playing in the actual game isn't.

[Cutter]

Booker at this point in his career is a young veteran in the NBA. I don't think Suns will look for a CP3 replacement through the draft due to Booker being a vet, but will maybe sign a star point guard either in FA or possibly someone forcing themselves out of a losing situation and being willing to come to Phoenix. I'm not sure however who would be available in 1-2 years, or who might be disgruntled and willing to force a trade.

[TouchPassDario]

I think Carter can be a surprising pest for about 5 minutes and maybe get a steal and deflection but then once the guard gets used to it, he can just deal with Carter, and he can't switch or guard anyone else but the PG....so any switches he gets taken advantage of immediately.

Then he can't really do much ball handling so he's only a plus player if he is ON FIRE from 3 like in the bubble, and that was against 3rd stringers and a lot of people had inflated #s, especially shooting in the bubble.

With his shooting this year, he is not worth playing, especially with our depth. I'd much rather have Galloway or Moore out there. Obviously I'm a Moore fan like Zach Lowe and EJ, despite his struggles...but a lot of that is being put in tough positions..playing the 1 when he's a 2...he can do some ball handling but not a lot...same with Galloway...both can shoot outside and get inside for floaters and are vets with experience.

Once again that plays into us possibly getting our true future PG in the draft this year. I wonder where GOK has been? I could use some write ups of some of the lesser known points, though I'm hoping that we can draft someone like Cooper or Nix. 2 very young, talented guards who can learn behind Paul for a couple years and take over when they're around 21/22 years old after getting a first class education from Prof Paul.

As to Carter, as was mentioned earlier even if he can give us 15 mins or so a night of hectic defense on the likes of the all pro guards we will be seeing in the playoffs. I'll take it. He's only costing us what 4 a year? That's more than worth it if he can effectively make life difficult for those guys. I'd hope he would know his role and fight over the screen to stick to the likes of a Curry or a Mitchell if it came to that. Portland has 2 all pro quality guards and Bridges can only handle one of them at a time so having another guy is very useful.

I would not play Carter against elite starting PGs. I would make sure to have Paul in when those guys play. 15 minutes against those guys? That might be almost half their time on the court. I'd rather have our starting lineup in there 95% of the time the other starters are in, particularly elite PGs.

Plus, I don't think he'd be that effective against Curry, Lillard, etc, and especially not bigger guys like Luka or LeBron as primary ball handlers.

Nader had an incredible play/block on Schroeder drive. I would think maybe Carter could try him for a spell in the playoffs, but if Nader is hitting shots he’s >>>.

[TouchPassDario]

Booker at this point in his career is a young veteran in the NBA. I don't think Suns will look for a CP3 replacement through the draft due to Booker being a vet, but will maybe sign a star point guard either in FA or possibly someone forcing themselves out of a losing situation and being willing to come to Phoenix. I'm not sure however who would be available in 1-2 years, or who might be disgruntled and willing to force a trade.

George Hill is the name that gets bandied about the most.

2021 FA PGs
1. Jrue Holiday (has a PO, only really an option if Paul opts out and leaves, which seems really unlikely now)

2. Kyle Lowry (no PO, but same basic deal)

3. Spencer Dinwiddie (PO, possibly a realistic option if Paul opts out and extends on a lower cap hit)

4. Dennis Schroeder (doubtful he’s an option, but there is the CP connection)

5. Lonzo Ball (RFA, and hard to imagine Nola doesn’t match whatever we can afford)

6. Mike Conley (extremely unlikely for a variety of reasons, but would be the best possible option)

7. Patty Mills and
8. TJ McConnell

These last two I think are the most reasonable options and I would be happy to nab either one of them. I think both can run Monty’s offense and make it work.

[Barkley6]

Once again that plays into us possibly getting our true future PG in the draft this year. I wonder where GOK has been? I could use some write ups of some of the lesser known points, though I'm hoping that we can draft someone like Cooper or Nix. 2 very young, talented guards who can learn behind Paul for a couple years and take over when they're around 21/22 years old after getting a first class education from Prof Paul.

As to Carter, as was mentioned earlier even if he can give us 15 mins or so a night of hectic defense on the likes of the all pro guards we will be seeing in the playoffs. I'll take it. He's only costing us what 4 a year? That's more than worth it if he can effectively make life difficult for those guys. I'd hope he would know his role and fight over the screen to stick to the likes of a Curry or a Mitchell if it came to that. Portland has 2 all pro quality guards and Bridges can only handle one of them at a time so having another guy is very useful.

I would not play Carter against elite starting PGs. I would make sure to have Paul in when those guys play. 15 minutes against those guys? That might be almost half their time on the court. I'd rather have our starting lineup in there 95% of the time the other starters are in, particularly elite PGs.

Plus, I don't think he'd be that effective against Curry, Lillard, etc, and especially not bigger guys like Luka or LeBron as primary ball handlers.

Nader had an incredible play/block on Schroeder drive. I would think maybe Carter could try him for a spell in the playoffs, but if Nader is hitting shots he’s >>>.

Nader on the floor with guys like Mikal and CamJo make us impossibly tough on defense because all three of those guys can switch and be effective against most anyone on the court. I mean, truly, if you played Payne/CP3 with Nader, Mikal, Johnson and Crowder....who does a speedy ball handling guard target for a switch?

[TouchPassDario]

I would not play Carter against elite starting PGs. I would make sure to have Paul in when those guys play. 15 minutes against those guys? That might be almost half their time on the court. I'd rather have our starting lineup in there 95% of the time the other starters are in, particularly elite PGs.

Plus, I don't think he'd be that effective against Curry, Lillard, etc, and especially not bigger guys like Luka or LeBron as primary ball handlers.

Nader had an incredible play/block on Schroeder drive. I would think maybe Carter could try him for a spell in the playoffs, but if Nader is hitting shots he’s >>>.

Nader on the floor with guys like Mikal and CamJo make us impossibly tough on defense because all three of those guys can switch and be effective against most anyone on the court. I mean, truly, if you played Payne/CP3 with Nader, Mikal, Johnson and Crowder....who does a speedy ball handling guard target for a switch?

I have said this before, and usually get killed for it, but perhaps our best closing playoff line-up in certain contexts has Booker on the bench.

Paul
Bridges
Two of Cam/Nader/Jae
Ayton

If Paul is cooking and Ayton has gas, and the shooters are on, is probably better than a lot of Book line-ups. Giving up less on defense than taking away on offense imo.

[Barkley6]

Booker at this point in his career is a young veteran in the NBA. I don't think Suns will look for a CP3 replacement through the draft due to Booker being a vet, but will maybe sign a star point guard either in FA or possibly someone forcing themselves out of a losing situation and being willing to come to Phoenix. I'm not sure however who would be available in 1-2 years, or who might be disgruntled and willing to force a trade.

George Hill is the name that gets bandied about the most.

2021 FA PGs
1. Jrue Holiday (has a PO, only really an option if Paul opts out and leaves, which seems really unlikely now)

2. Kyle Lowry (no PO, but same basic deal)

3. Spencer Dinwiddie (PO, possibly a realistic option if Paul opts out and extends on a lower cap hit)

4. Dennis Schroeder (doubtful he’s an option, but there is the CP connection)

5. Lonzo Ball (RFA, and hard to imagine Nola doesn’t match whatever we can afford)

6. Mike Conley (extremely unlikely for a variety of reasons, but would be the best possible option)

7. Patty Mills and
8. TJ McConnell

These last two I think are the most reasonable options and I would be happy to nab either one of them. I think both can run Monty’s offense and make it work.

If you look at the 2022 list it gets a LITTLE more interesting, since the expectation is we will have a good amount of cap space.

There are some really good RFAs like Collin Sexton, Trae Young, and SGA, but how available any of them are...who knows? But they might decide that they want to win rather than stick around for the projects that are Cleveland, Atlanta and OKC respectively (Obviously a lot can change between now and then).

Some guys with PO like Kemba and Kyrie.

And then some UFA's like Rozier, Rubio, and Dinwiddie.

There are some definite options in that group, and that doesn't rule out something like a trade for one either.

[Barkley6]

Nader had an incredible play/block on Schroeder drive. I would think maybe Carter could try him for a spell in the playoffs, but if Nader is hitting shots he’s >>>.

Nader on the floor with guys like Mikal and CamJo make us impossibly tough on defense because all three of those guys can switch and be effective against most anyone on the court. I mean, truly, if you played Payne/CP3 with Nader, Mikal, Johnson and Crowder....who does a speedy ball handling guard target for a switch?

I have said this before, and usually get killed for it, but perhaps our best closing playoff line-up in certain contexts has Booker on the bench.

Paul
Bridges
Two of Cam/Nader/Jae
Ayton

If Paul is cooking and Ayton has gas, and the shooters are on, is probably better than a lot of Book line-ups. Giving up less on defense than taking away on offense imo.

I think that's a great group for when we have a lead less than double digits and are trying to hold onto it. If you're up 8 with 2 minutes left, that's an awesome group on the floor.

But any closer than that and you need Book. He's inconsistent in clutch moments for sure, but he's the guy I have the most confidence in to get us a bucket when we desperately need one.

[TouchPassDario]

I agree with those parameters. Book is playing 34mpg for the #3 ranked defense, so it’s not like he’s a negative defender, but I worry Monty might not even do easy stuff like offense/defense subs for Booker in late game situations in the playoffs.

[TouchPassDario]

I recall Booker occasionally taking a top guard assignment and expressing consternation over why Monty would allow that. Some of the responses were akin to Book’s just a competitive guy and wants to guard the other team’s best option at times. I get it, and that makes some sense.

But I also wonder if against certain opponents that like to run pick and roll it might be better to have Book be the primary POA defender to take those teams out of their PnR. Obviously Mikal is great at PnR defense, but sometimes he gets eliminated by the pick which stinks because he’s out best perimeter defender and the pick renders him out of the play. If Book gets picked it’s like okay, fine, not a big deal. If they want to go right at him, that may better than allowing the PnR offense to be able to run its action in the first place.