Sunsdeuce wrote:After watching this team again last night, I think the emphasis needs to be fire. If this team makes a trade, it need to be for a player with fire.
As soon as Anthony Edwards started showing fire and passion, Minny took control because we have no player with the same fire and passion at his level.
You can’t teach desire and fire. I’m not sure at their point, we can even trade for it. Booker and/or KD has to go.
I’m not tied to Booker like some of you are here. Some of you think we owe him something, or that he’s a blessing to the state. I mean he does a few things here and there for AZ but he isn’t and was never invested in Phx like Larry Fitzgerald or Dan Majerle. Again, I’m cool with giving him a tribute video when he’s traded but he ain’t on my list of all time favorite Suns. He’s just stat stuffing points at this point and I don’t care about stats. I want wins!
I agree about fire, but thinking about it lately, you even look back at that team from a few years ago, led by Paul, with Bridges, Cam, Ayton. They loved playing together the year they went to the finals and the next regular season. They had chemistry, joy, were having fun, and they thrived playing together.
I think this team was actually doing ok when Beal came back from his back last year. They were still finding their groove all year but once he came back they were 33-18.
This year we started off hot, even if mostly pulling out close wins
But thinking about that recent report that something changed for Jimmy when the Suns went to Brooklyn, like there was a backdoor "come play with us" and suddenly KD/Book or whoever may have been in on that (assuming it happened), the rumors start to fly, and any chemistry, joy, etc, and all that just drains out of a room when you know players are talking to players on other teams and your front office is shopping you. I don't know that it bothers Beal a ton but with Nurkic it certainly does. But regardless, it impacts things. Then Grayson Allen, a career year from 3, plays fewer minutes...rumors about him being traded.
When one star is going behind the scenes (or 2), but I think a bit more of KD because he did it in Brooklyn convincing them to get rid of quality people like Kenny Atkinson, Jarrett Allen to get his buddy Deandre Jordan there, etc, and then he later wanted Nash gone after wanting him over Atkinson. Atkinson and Allen now looking pretty damn good in Cleveland.
I think a team really has to play together, like playing together, etc, to be really successful. It's possible without it, but i think it's a lot harder than a team not being on the same page, or wondering if they are getting traded or if their teammates want them gone, etc, are. I think most of the best basketball people know this. I think KD tries to go put together super teams after his GS experience behind the scenes and GM his own team as much as he can...with those Cleveland moves, then forcing his way to Phx, then him and Book calling and convincing Beal to come, getting rid of Paul, etc. And Book seems to worship KD for some reason, so he just follows along, not realizing that what made that finals team and team next year great was the chemistry and joy playing together (aside from Paul's great leadership, clutchness and intangibles).
I wish we had a strong owner/GM who would not bow to the will of players and simply wouldn't have players who put themselves above the organization and team.