ImNotMcDiSwear wrote:Holiday looked great. I think he's worth his QO. I hope and expect we'll re-sign him. He's a better candidate to succeed CP3 than Payne due to his strength and versatility on defense.
I've been on the Max Ayton train since, like, the beginning of last season, long before it was cool. But doubts have sunk in over the last few weeks. $30 million is a lot, and I've come around to the view that Bridges is the more valuable player. Cam may be more valuable as well. Maxing Ayton puts a huge strain on our ability to pay for this squad not only over the course of CP3's contract, but indefinitely - especially if Book makes an All-NBA Team and qualifies for the Supermax. I have no idea what will happen this summer, but I'm almost certain that Ayton will get a max offer from someone. I'm sure we would rather S&T him for a TPE than let him walk for nothing, but I'd like to think we would receive draft compensation as well. We could still match, but he has to have another monster postseason to make it worth our while. At this point, he just doesn't look like a critical piece for this team.
Best "Point Book" performance ever. 3:1 A/TO ratio, six steals. I don't expect this experiment to be so successful every night, but if it is... maybe Book really is the successor to CP3? Way way way way too early to make that call. It's one good performance. I would need to see much more to have any confidence in going that direction.
... Are Book, Bridges and Cam Jo our "real" core? Even with great role players around them, that's not enough to contend post-CP3. If Ayton's not our second superstar, we need to think about who that might be post-CP3. If Point Book is real, our second star could play almost any position, given the versatility of that trio. Doesn't have to be a young player, either.
Agree about Holiday looking great and definitely worth picking up his QO. Not sure of value yet...too early. Way too early for me to decide on Payne.
I haven't been on a max Ayton train but I would have liked to have seen some negotiation. Anyhow, I am curious if he would/will prefer to stay in Phx for a lesser amount or sign a max sheet elsewhere and go to a bad team. I really think he'd prefer to stay with this group. I know you are one of Cam's biggest fans but not sure how he can possibly be more valuable to Ayton.
Anyway, why the either/or? Are you hoping we don't pay any tax?
And to S&T him for an exception? Do you really see us being a contender without Ayton? I am unsure who we could get but probably not someone even close to the talent level. Not someone who can score as efficiently, have the gravity or the defensive versatility. I know there was talk about Sabonis but remember they gave up Haliburton and Hield for him. We'd have to certainly trade some great players for a player of even Sabonis' or Allen's level, but they likely are not even available....I mean Cam certainly doesn't have Haliburton level value, or would he have HIeld's if they made the same (though Hield is overpaid so it's probably close in trade value).
I suppose maybe I could see Sac deciding to S&T Sabonis for Ayton though, which would save some money, though I don't think we'd be nearly as good defensively with Sabonis, or possibly offensively with the gravity he pulls.
His play overall in the last 3 weeks until last night has been solid, and often after a break his conditioning and play is a little off. As good as Mikal's been the last few weeks offensively, in the last 7 games before last night, Ayton had scored more points on higher efficiency. Anyway, his last 3 weeks:
Anyhow, I know you are very high on Cam and he has been great shooting this year, but there are a ton of players like him in the league and not really any like Ayton, or many. Not that I want to pay him $30 million increasing, but he certainly has a ton of value to the team. I've always viewed Mikal as very important but the pure core should be Booker, Mikal and Ayton. Cam should be there too, but doesn't have even close to the impact.
Heck, the players voted Ayton higher than Towns as an all star. 6th in the frontcourt and I think 2 of the guys ahead of him were injured. Players think he's damn good. That's probably why they double him or often don't try and score against him after he stays in front of them, forcing them to pass back out if not put up a bad shot.
Anyway, I think Sarver may feel as many of you do regarding him and feel he is probably replacable since we play well with McGee as well, with only the very short term in mind and not taking the long view. Jones and Monty probably higher but Sarver has to sign off and he seems to think once we are good, key players are interchangeable, and doesn't seem to learn from past mistakes.
