2022-23 Season Discussion and Review - the Blockbuster trade and playoff downfall

[sunsbg]

Melton most impressive ex-Sun in that PHI BKN deciding game.

[sunsbum]

Well, I don't think KD would be scoring 11 points in a close out game, no disrespect to Mikal.

[sunsbg]

Well, I don't think KD would be scoring 11 points in a close out game, no disrespect to Mikal.

17 with those two garbage time 3s.

But yeah, that was the point of KD trade, you know what you are getting when it matters the most. Well, at least when he's healthy.

[sunskerr]

Melton most impressive ex-Sun in that PHI BKN deciding game.

Just one more name in a long list of players and picks given away for free by James Jones

[lonea]

One Sam Presti please

wait.. you want the suns to forever be the nba's farm team ?

Farm team?

Thunder have the most talent of any team in the league. Along with picks you can make the case that no team in NBA history has built a better collection of assests.

haha, that's what they are... "collection of assets"

Other than they fleeced clippers out of SGA with PG, Presti haven't done **** with the team. You still remember the Thunder once had Durant, Harden and Westbrook?

Cmon man, draft picks don't really matter in the NBA unless its the top1-5.

[Slim Charless]

wait.. you want the suns to forever be the nba's farm team ?

Farm team?

Thunder have the most talent of any team in the league. Along with picks you can make the case that no team in NBA history has built a better collection of assests.

haha, that's what they are... "collection of assets"

Other than they fleeced clippers out of SGA with PG, Presti haven't done **** with the team. You still remember the Thunder once had Durant, Harden and Westbrook?

Cmon man, draft picks don't really matter in the NBA unless its the top1-5.

What are you talking about? They can TRADE those assets for other players. Virtually any player that becomes available they can outbid other teams for. Plus, they just made the playoffs/in without even having their #1 pick available all season. SGA is (way) better than Booker and almost as good as KD....so yeah. OKC is fine.

Oh yeah, they have a winning record vs us this season. LMAO

[lonea]

SGA is (way) better than Booker and almost as good as KD....so yeah. OKC is fine.

I'll just leave this here.

[Jdiddy701]

SGA is (way) better than Booker and almost as good as KD....so yeah. OKC is fine.

I'll just leave this here.

Slim still talking wild?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SunZel]

How shameless would Ayton have to be to ask for the max with how he is playing. I would be too embarrassed if i was him.

[TeamTragic]

Read on Twitter

[bwgood77]

KD and Paul defending Westbrook against his critics:

After the game, Durant defended his old Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and took aim at Westbrook's critics.

"People going to always criticize when you're successful and doing your thing for this long," Durant said of his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate. "Russ has been resilient his whole life. He comes to work, doesn't say much. Just come hoop."

Durant believes that people will not truly appreciate Westbrook until he is done playing.

"When he retires, people are going to really tell the truth about his game," Durant said. "Right now, the fun thing to do is to make a joke out of Russ. But the way he's been playing since he got with the Clippers is showing everybody who he really is."

With Kawhi Leonard (right knee sprain) and Paul George (right knee sprain) both out and their return in doubt, the Clippers' hopes of keeping their season alive rest on Westbrook's shoulders heading into Game 5.

It was only a couple of months ago when Westbrook was looking for a new home after the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to Utah, which bought the point guard out of his contract. Westbrook was often criticized during his season and a half with the Lakers as LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook were a poor fit.

Before the Clippers signed Westbrook during the All-Star break, team management talked to Leonard, George and head coach Ty Lue about the benefits of adding the former MVP to a roster that was just beginning to mesh alongside new pieces acquired at the trade deadline.

Westbrook, though, has far exceeded all expectations the Clippers had. He's gone from being another playmaker who could play off Leonard and George under the right conditions to becoming an indispensable piece trying to carry the Clippers in the first round against Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul due to the injuries to his star teammates.

"Obviously with PG and Kawhi down, (it) changes rotation, changes guys in and out of the lineup," Westbrook said of the Clippers trying to cope with the crushing injuries. "But we make no excuses around here. Next-man-up mentality, and we've just got to make sure we rally around each other, keep competing and leave it on the floor, and that's all you can do."

Westbrook has been sensational for much of this series. Even when he shot just 3-for-19 and scored only nine points in Game 1, he delivered several game-winning plays like crucial offensive rebounds, hitting critical free throws and coming up with a clutch defensive stop on Booker in the fourth quarter to help the Clippers take Game 1.

And since that poor shooting game, Westbrook has found his offense, averaging 31.6 points in the last three games.

Westbrook made 17-of-29 shots, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc, in Game 4, playing freely and looking a lot more like he did before his Lakers tenure.

Paul came to Westbrook's defense and took exception with the point guard's critics.

"I feel like the only people who do (criticize Westbrook) are people who don't really know basketball and what it means to compete," Paul said. "Russ is one of my closest friends. People who do that and talk crazy [about him] probably wish they were in that situation."

Westbrook's focus is on trying to keep the Clippers' season alive. He said he was going to watch film after the game to see how he can top his performance in Game 4.

"I'm so hard on myself of figuring out ways to be better," Westbrook said. "Not just being more efficient, taking care of the ball, defending better, not giving up on plays.

"I'm a guy that I really strive on doing everything at an elite level. So when I watch tonight, maybe I could have done something better. Give guys more shots; make the game easy for them so they don't have to work so hard with my abilities. Find ways to do more as much as I can to try to get us a win."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36267178/resilient-westbrook-impresses-suns-clippers-drop-game-4

[Slim Charless]

I'd happily sign this Westbrook to a contract in the summer. I doubt he can keep this up all series though, much less for an entire season.

[lilfishi22]

Laughed my butt off when I saw this post on the Raptors forum in the Nurse fired thread

viewtopic.php?p=105553195#p105553195

This guy isn’t being sarcastic either.

I don't think this is either....

Step 1: Fire Nick Nurse
Step 2: get rid of FVV
Step 3: Hire Earl

Maybe I'm out of the loop but where is this Watson redemption arc coming from?

[bwgood77]

I'd happily sign this Westbrook to a contract in the summer. I doubt he can keep this up all series though, much less for an entire season.

He's going to get a lot more money than the tax MLE, given the way he is playing.

It is interesting I brought up during the season Paul for Westbrook, not that I wanted to do it but I thought the Lakers were the one team that would trade for Paul, especially the way things were going with Westbrook.

I didn't think I'd do it but thought it might be interesting because I think we'd play better with a faster pace (though this was before our trade) and that we could maybe keep Westbrook if he played well.

I wonder how we'd look with this version of Westbrook on our team. I like Paul but he has been very inconsistent as of late even though he had a great game today.

I'd rather have Paul now but going forward, not sure. Not even sure we'll keep Paul. I kind of think we won't just cut him though, especially since we'd have to pay him $15 million anyway for nothing. He could have some trade value next year as an expiring though, since the last year has a team option (though in some cases when there is a team option the player has to approve the trade..though that may just be in 1+1 team option deals).

[Revived]

Laughed my butt off when I saw this post on the Raptors forum in the Nurse fired thread

viewtopic.php?p=105553195#p105553195

This guy isn’t being sarcastic either.

I don't think this is either....

Step 1: Fire Nick Nurse
Step 2: get rid of FVV
Step 3: Hire Earl

Maybe I'm out of the loop but where is this Watson redemption arc coming from?

Probably one of those things where they think he learned from being an assistant and can do a good job now? Same logic Mavs fans used on Kidd after Bucks fans kept saying he’d be terrible.

Only time this logic panned out (or at least the only instance coming to my mind now) is Mike Brown with the Kings. I think being assistant on the Warriors helped him be a lot better. But at the same time, being assistant on Warriors didn’t do much for Alvin Gentry so eh. Interestingly enough, Gentry is on the Kings front office staff now.

[Revived]

Is there any chance Shamet’s team option for next season gets picked up? No chance right?

[Qwigglez]

Is there any chance Shamet’s team option for next season gets picked up? No chance right?

Unfortunately he is with the Suns for 2023-24 season, however in 2024-25 season his contract is not guaranteed. He will make for a good expiring contract to trade to another team, maybe along with CP3.

[Revived]

Is there any chance Shamet’s team option for next season gets picked up? No chance right?

Unfortunately he is with the Suns for 2023-24 season, however in 2024-25 season his contract is not guaranteed. He will make for a good expiring contract to trade to another team, maybe along with CP3.

Ah damn you’re right. If anything, I’d be down to trade him to Wolves for Kyle Anderson. Wolves may be looking to get rid of Anderson after the Gobert incident. Gobert isn’t as easy to move.

Anderson reminds me of Boris Diaw a little bit and even Grant Hill made that comparison the other day when commentating one of the Wolves/Nuggets games. Solid basketbll Iq from his time with the spurs as well.

He’s not anything special but still would be more useful than Shamet I think.

[Qwigglez]

Is there any chance Shamet’s team option for next season gets picked up? No chance right?

Unfortunately he is with the Suns for 2023-24 season, however in 2024-25 season his contract is not guaranteed. He will make for a good expiring contract to trade to another team, maybe along with CP3.

Ah damn you’re right. If anything, I’d be down to trade him to Wolves for Kyle Anderson. Wolves may be looking to get rid of Anderson after the Gobert incident. Gobert isn’t as easy to move.

Anderson reminds me of Boris Diaw a little bit and even Grant Hill made that comparison the other day when commentating one of the Wolves/Nuggets games. Solid basketbll Iq from his time with the spurs as well.

He’s not anything special but still would be more useful than Shamet I think.

I'll take a sack of potatoes for Shamet. Kyle Anderson would be great.
I mentioned earlier in this thread I believe, if the Suns do not win a championship this year, I believe Ayton might get traded, and to make some situations work I think Suns would have to include Shamet.

[lilfishi22]

Unfortunately he is with the Suns for 2023-24 season, however in 2024-25 season his contract is not guaranteed. He will make for a good expiring contract to trade to another team, maybe along with CP3.

Ah damn you’re right. If anything, I’d be down to trade him to Wolves for Kyle Anderson. Wolves may be looking to get rid of Anderson after the Gobert incident. Gobert isn’t as easy to move.

Anderson reminds me of Boris Diaw a little bit and even Grant Hill made that comparison the other day when commentating one of the Wolves/Nuggets games. Solid basketbll Iq from his time with the spurs as well.

He’s not anything special but still would be more useful than Shamet I think.

I'll take a sack of potatoes for Shamet. Kyle Anderson would be great.
I mentioned earlier in this thread I believe, if the Suns do not win a championship this year, I believe Ayton might get traded, and to make some situations work I think Suns would have to include Shamet.

If you could get Slo Mo for Shamet, you STFU, step out the door and then run as fast as you can before anyone realises you've robbed them in broad daylight