2023-24 Season Discussion and Speculation 3 - Post Free Agency Discussion

[lilfishi22]

great teammate tho

Well, he may be a good teammate to everybody else and not to Booker and KD, the players with most competitive fire, who will usually make life harder for you. Like a boss in your job, who will push you to do extra work. Not everybody likes those.

Still need to have some respect though, so if he did that it looks pretty childish.

It's as simple as KD/Book/Cp3 isn't Ayton's kinda guys and DA isn't KD/Book/CP3's kinda guy either. Now that they no longer have a professional relationship, it's not surprising their lack of a personal relationship (even on a social media level) became more evident.

[lilfishi22]

Like that Nurk is slimmed down that should help some with his mobility and lift. He looks like he is in better shape than the past few years.

He's 280 and that's the weight he said he wants to play at

280 lbs is a lot and i dont think its gonna help his mobility and lift (thats if he can get back mobility and lift after leg break)

he should go down to 240-250 lbs ( yeah, he would lose strength, but would gain mobility and lift, again, if possible)

Looking at him, he doesn't look like he could slim back down like 40-50lbs from his original 290lb weight. At 280lb, he already looks better and slimmer than I've seen him recently so to drop another 40lbs is kinda nuts.

[lilfishi22]

I liked when he said "I'm going to show this team how hard it is to win in this league" toward the beginning. I agree, he'll be doing a lot of losing as the "man" in Portland.

he wont be 1st option in rip city, thats simons, then you have scoot, shae & grant, all of whom want their shots

i guess it depends on how they play and how many turnovers they have, less turnovers + fast tempo = more shots for everyone

as a portland fan, i want scoot & shae to shoot the most, they are two main pieces for the future, simons & ayton are not

Where does Grant figure into all of this? You have Scoot as the main guy I assume or would be by the end of the season, you have Shae who a lot of people are high on, and then you have the Simons and the Grants. I get you're out on Simons but where does Grant fit into all of this? I know he was kind of an awkward resigning given Dame asked for a trade soon after he was resigned so what is the plan with him?

[Blonde]

Just reading some Vogel quotes and hearing bits from his interviews yesterday… what a breath of fresh air. I’m really excited to see what he and his staff can do this year.

[lilfishi22]

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Really wish he could drop that whole DominAyton thing. Dude trying to be like Shaq and giving himself nicknames

[lilfishi22]

https://x.com/kellanolson/status/1709321725115343213

Kellen Olsen: “Bradley Beal said an early thing they caught onto through 5-on-5 today was guys being too passive. Everyone has an unselfish attitude on the floor and wants to share the ball but taking the best shot when it's there is key.”

I think this says a lot about the TJ McConnell rumors which has been around for a while now. I think we could still use a table setter when the offense becomes too iso heavy or too reliant on one of the stars to create opportunities. Obviously, a lot of teams would trade their (non-star) starting PG for one of our big 3 but there is merit to having a more traditional table setter as a complement to an offense run through a Big 3. In particular in the regular season

[Dzon Dilindzer]

Where does Grant figure into all of this? You have Scoot as the main guy I assume or would be by the end of the season, you have Shae who a lot of people are high on, and then you have the Simons and the Grants. I get you're out on Simons but where does Grant fit into all of this? I know he was kind of an awkward resigning given Dame asked for a trade soon after he was resigned so what is the plan with him?

my belief is that grant will get traded at some point this season (if there are any takers, which there should be), it makes no sense to keep him on the roster, were not trying to compete (see jrue holiday trade), organization is commited to the young guys and 1st round picks + young player(s) are always good to have, especially when youre rebuilding

simons shouldnt be in teams plans long term, scoot & shae are our backcourt of the future, but theres is possibility that they could use shae as small forward (they have used undersized players there in the past, like powell or hart) if simons becomes that good and personally, id like simons to improve his numbers and therefore increase his value and then trade him somewhere

many people say that ayton fits scoot & shae timeline, but i disagree, hes 5 & 6 years older than these guys and even if he plays great, scoot & sharpe would need to improve a lot and fast in order for three of them to lead the team and compete (that being said, hopefully ayton plays great, so we can either keep him long term or trade him, it would be a win-win scenario)

[kennydorglas]

"I Bring Dominance.
My name is DominAyton."

This will never stop being funny

[Dr Manute]

"I Bring Dominance.
My name is DominAyton."

This will never stop being funny

The other player dominates him.

[lilfishi22]

Where does Grant figure into all of this? You have Scoot as the main guy I assume or would be by the end of the season, you have Shae who a lot of people are high on, and then you have the Simons and the Grants. I get you're out on Simons but where does Grant fit into all of this? I know he was kind of an awkward resigning given Dame asked for a trade soon after he was resigned so what is the plan with him?

my belief is that grant will get traded at some point this season (if there are any takers, which there should be), it makes no sense to keep him on the roster, were not trying to compete (see jrue holiday trade), organization is commited to the young guys and 1st round picks + young player(s) are always good to have, especially when youre rebuilding

simons shouldnt be in teams plans long term, scoot & shae are our backcourt of the future, but theres is possibility that they could use shae as small forward (they have used undersized players there in the past, like powell or hart) if simons becomes that good and personally, id like simons to improve his numbers and therefore increase his value and then trade him somewhere

many people say that ayton fits scoot & shae timeline, but i disagree, hes 5 & 6 years older than these guys and even if he plays great, scoot & sharpe would need to improve a lot and fast in order for three of them to lead the team and compete (that being said, hopefully ayton plays great, so we can either keep him long term or trade him, it would be a win-win scenario)

He may not fit the timeline perfectly, but I suppose he's closer to them than say Grant or Nurk. Ultimately, I don't think having a roster filled with early 20 players is a recipe for success. I think there is a role for a guy like DA who isn't in his early 20's anymore but has good experience on a high-level team and also has been on crappy teams too, is already acclimated to the NBA and what that brings and can be a "vet" presence that can actually grow with the team rather than that awkward token 30-something year old vet who's here and gone in a season because they are hungry to play on a contender.

I do agree that Grant is most likely gone, not sure who would take him but he's almost certainly going to be on the block because he just doesn't make sense for your team.

[bigfoot]

Lot a talk by the role players on media day about top defenders. Names mentioned the most are

Okogie
Goodwin
Keon Johnson
Saben Lee

All of the role players definitely talking about playing defense, hitting the open shot, and earning their spot.

[spanishninja]

Lot a talk by the role players on media day about top defenders. Names mentioned the most are

Okogie
Goodwin
Keon Johnson
Saben Lee

All of the role players definitely talking about playing defense, hitting the open shot, and earning their spot.

Grayson also talked extensively about doing the little things as well.

It's so refreshing to see this attitude, but I look forward to seeing how it translates to the court.

[sunskerr]

I do love watching rebuilding teams that have a clear plan and good management that is able to get a good return for their star players in a trade. It's just fun to watch all the potential. Like the prospects could be anywhere from scrub to elite so there's a certain amount of excitement, like opening a pack of trading cards when you were a kid. And then seeing how all the pieces fit together - who makes sense who doesn't, what do we need to add, etc..

I have always said there is no more team boring than being capped out with aging scrubs, even if you are a contender. Remember how boring the Lakers were even when they won in the bubble? I was relieved we brought in a ton of guys who can play this off season and a bunch of them are under 30 with role player potential (and of course can't wait to see Beal in action).

The past few years I've enjoyed watching the Thunder and Rockets quite a bit despite the constant losing.

So I think I will be checking out the Blazers a bit next year. Interesting to see how they use Ayton + Williams, and who gets first crack at the offensive lead guard with Simons, Sharpe, and Scoot. Head says Simons because he looks like a 25 ppg guy with a great 3 point shot. But it will be interesting to see. Like Simons could blow up this year and maybe they want him as insurance in case (god forbid) Scoot busts. Or maybe Simons blows up and they ship him for a big time return.

[sunsbum]

Any chance we can get back to basketball soon and stop discussing people's personality or who unfollowed who on social media it's getting weird feels like a bunch of teenagers on IG. This used to be a basketball forum

Yeah, who the F cares about who someone follows on social media? Christ almighty.

Well, you guys not even a month ago swore up and down that his social media presence has nothing to do with anything, yet here we are. It's right in front of your faces and you still deny it, kinda funny I guess. It's ok to be wrong.

[bwgood77]

Any chance we can get back to basketball soon and stop discussing people's personality or who unfollowed who on social media it's getting weird feels like a bunch of teenagers on IG. This used to be a basketball forum

Yeah, who the F cares about who someone follows on social media? Christ almighty.

Well, you guys not even a month ago swore up and down that his social media presence has nothing to do with anything, yet here we are. It's right in front of your faces and you still deny it, kinda funny I guess. It's ok to be wrong.

I'm saying the same thing here. Who gives a crap about what people do on social media, especially regarding who they follow.

Heck, I don't even know when someone unfollows me and I wouldn't care. I can imagine Ayton wants to put his Suns days behind him as he focuses on his next chapter.

No one would even know if you didn't have these social media tools checking on who everyone is following every day. People act like it 's a big deal or a statement or something when it was only publicized by fans or Leezus who craves followers of his own and is a bit ridiculous.

You guys keep making big deals about everything on social media. I am AGAIN saying who gives a crap. Who gives a crap who someone follows or unfollows. I decide to follow and unfollow people all the time. It all depends on what people want to see on their feed.

The ONE thing Ayton did on his feed that you could argue has relevance is his post thanking the Suns, his teammates and fans for the great times in the Valley or whatever, but something like that isn't mentioned, just other random stuff about who he hangs out with or who he follows or doesn't follow. Who gives a crap.

You guys all despise Ayton so much...why do you keep talking about him anyway? Especially who he follows on social media. It's a bit absurd...how obsessed some people are on here about tearing him down. Even on his thank you post fans had to tell him how soft he was.

[Slim Charless]

I do love watching rebuilding teams that have a clear plan and good management that is able to get a good return for their star players in a trade. It's just fun to watch all the potential. Like the prospects could be anywhere from scrub to elite so there's a certain amount of excitement, like opening a pack of trading cards when you were a kid. And then seeing how all the pieces fit together - who makes sense who doesn't, what do we need to add, etc..

I have always said there is no more team boring than being capped out with aging scrubs, even if you are a contender. Remember how boring the Lakers were even when they won in the bubble? I was relieved we brought in a ton of guys who can play this off season and a bunch of them are under 30 with role player potential (and of course can't wait to see Beal in action).

The past few years I've enjoyed watching the Thunder and Rockets quite a bit despite the constant losing.

So I think I will be checking out the Blazers a bit next year. Interesting to see how they use Ayton + Williams, and who gets first crack at the offensive lead guard with Simons, Sharpe, and Scoot. Head says Simons because he looks like a 25 ppg guy with a great 3 point shot. But it will be interesting to see. Like Simons could blow up this year and maybe they want him as insurance in case (god forbid) Scoot busts. Or maybe Simons blows up and they ship him for a big time return.

I've always thought that a shot blocking big partner is perfect for Ayton. Someone to clean up inside while he's out on the perimeter with the wings/guards.

Ironically I would've been all over an Ayton trade for Boston. Him and Timelord would been awesome as a twin tower combo, then you have Smart(White) locking down perimeter. Just unstoppable when you add the firepower of Tatum and Brown. Too bad that never happened.

[bwgood77]

I do love watching rebuilding teams that have a clear plan and good management that is able to get a good return for their star players in a trade. It's just fun to watch all the potential. Like the prospects could be anywhere from scrub to elite so there's a certain amount of excitement, like opening a pack of trading cards when you were a kid. And then seeing how all the pieces fit together - who makes sense who doesn't, what do we need to add, etc..

I have always said there is no more team boring than being capped out with aging scrubs, even if you are a contender. Remember how boring the Lakers were even when they won in the bubble? I was relieved we brought in a ton of guys who can play this off season and a bunch of them are under 30 with role player potential (and of course can't wait to see Beal in action).

The past few years I've enjoyed watching the Thunder and Rockets quite a bit despite the constant losing.

So I think I will be checking out the Blazers a bit next year. Interesting to see how they use Ayton + Williams, and who gets first crack at the offensive lead guard with Simons, Sharpe, and Scoot. Head says Simons because he looks like a 25 ppg guy with a great 3 point shot. But it will be interesting to see. Like Simons could blow up this year and maybe they want him as insurance in case (god forbid) Scoot busts. Or maybe Simons blows up and they ship him for a big time return.

Yeah, I think they will be interesting with some interesting young players. Not sure about Scoot though. He shot 27% in the G league. I am interested in the Nets as well given I have been and am a big fan of Bridges, and always felt he had more potential than he was given credit for. I was kind of hoping Dame went there.

[Fo-Real]

Whiney people make this place ****.

[sunskerr]

I've always thought that a shot blocking big partner is perfect for Ayton. Someone to clean up inside while he's out on the perimeter with the wings/guards.

Ironically I would've been all over an Ayton trade for Boston. Him and Timelord would been awesome as a twin tower combo, then you have Smart(White) locking down perimeter. Just unstoppable when you add the firepower of Tatum and Brown. Too bad that never happened.

Yeah I can see them doing that for spurts particularly because the rest of the team is really bad at the backup 3 and 4 spots. Like really bad. So they will definitely have the opportunity to try that lineup out. Spacing is of course a concern so that limits the total amount of minutes they can theoretically play together against teams with lots of shooting. But going big against a team like the Lakers (with LeBron and AD) for big minutes is definitely a sustainable option.

Yeah, I think they will be interesting with some interesting young players. Not sure about Scoot though. He shot 27% in the G league. I am interested in the Nets as well given I have been and am a big fan of Bridges, and always felt he had more potential than he was given credit for. I was kind of hoping Dame went there.

To me Simons at 1 and Sharpe at 2 makes most sense given what we saw from those two guys already just from a basketball standpoint. I hope they don't try to force Scoot starting at 1. Would be kind of cheesy from the start of the season - its more of a late season move when you sit Simons and Sharpe to stop them winning you games randomly.

But yeah from the outside looking in, your #3 pick coming off the bench on a rebuilding team also looks pretty bad from a development standpoint. Oof. Good luck, not my problem. Guess you can go Scoot/Simons/Sharpe but I feel like that's just asking for Simons to cannibalize Scoot's PG duties.

And I also like the Nets!! Lots of fun to watch them particularly because the entire roster is just 6'8" solid players But the whole question of how they all fit still intrigues.

[matt131]

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Mike Vigil: “Brian Windhorst on his podcast mentioned the Suns were looking for point guards in the Ayton trade and added “I think they’re still looking for point guards…””

Then why did we trade Cam Payne? I guess we want someone more traditional than him?

If we want a point guard to be the table setter for the big three, you probably want him working with them as early as possible.

I forget what PG free agents were out there, but we sure didn’t seem to make a run at anyone other than TJ McConnell via trade.

Edit: we have a trade exception, yeah? Can we trade second round picks for a point guard and absorb them into our TPE? I don’t know how much we have or who is out there right now.