2021 Playoff and Offseason Speculation - the playoffs. PLAYOFFS????

[Barkley6]

I fully expect Paul to get more rest during games next season. The chemistry is currently there and if we can draft a PG who has high upside, you go for that and hope we can develop him.

Now, if we win the title this season, while I don't think Paul leaves, you can talk about your options.
But, more likely, he'll re-sign for the 3 years (total) and ride this out to see if he can nab another title or 2. He knows he may never find another group of players like this who he seems to get along great with (along with competing at least)

If we win it all this year, 100% CP3 stays. We become the top FA destination in the league. Phoenix is ALREADY an attractive spot to most NBA free agents, then you add defending champs to that resume? We'll be replacing Kaminsky and Galloway with Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.

Javale McGee perhaps to replace Frank K for the veteran minimum

Could see that. McGee looked pretty decent in his minutes for Denver in Game 4.

[Qwigglez]

Just want to say I'm extremely proud of our team this year. A lot of folks even on this very forum wrote the Suns off as perhaps at best a play-in team and hopefully the young Suns get some valuable playoff experience while taking the first round exit. This team has exceeded many people's expectations and while I had the Suns pegged as potentially making a Western Conference Finals appearance and a top 3 seed I didn't foresee the possibility of making the NBA Finals. Suns still have a tough road ahead but man... this is one of my favorite Suns teams and I'm happy to be along for the ride. Shoutout to everyone on the forum that's been here, even if only for this season, it's been quite a journey.

[Barkley6]

Just want to say I'm extremely proud of our team this year. A lot of folks even on this very forum wrote the Suns off as perhaps at best a play-in team and hopefully the young Suns get some valuable playoff experience while taking the first round exit. This team has exceeded many people's expectations and while I had the Suns pegged as potentially making a Western Conference Finals appearance and a top 3 seed I didn't foresee the possibility of making the NBA Finals. Suns still have a tough road ahead but man... this is one of my favorite Suns teams and I'm happy to be along for the ride. Shoutout to everyone on the forum that's been here, even if only for this season, it's been quite a journey.

Feeling similarly. I thought the ceiling for this team was a 4 seed and likely a second round exit. But we've bounced the defending champs and the reigning MVP and are 8-2 in the playoffs so far.

I don't want to speak too boldly, but in many ways we are changing the way teams play basketball. The midrange game was all but dead, and we are showing that when you have guys that can do it effectively you can be an incredibly difficult team to beat. We can switch on defense 1-4, and 1-5 at times. We give so many different looks out of the pick n roll. I think a lot of teams will be studying the Phoenix blueprint and trying to duplicate what we've been able to do.

I have to give a TON of credit to Monty Williams. This is probably the best coached Suns team I've ever seen. And I mean that as no disrespect to D'Antoni, Cotton or Westphal. But this team just does everything right. Even when we do make mistakes, we do a great job of fixing them. We play with poise and discipline, and everyone is truly bought into us being a team, there are no egos whatsoever, which is very different than previous successful Suns teams.

[Barkley6]

Something worth noting, that I was thinking about this morning in terms of the offseason.

The way this Suns team operates is going to be very attractive to free agents, particularly veterans who are looking to compete. We're a team without egos, no one HAS TO be the star or the MAN, for us to function. Book is totally content scoring 18 a night on 10 shots if we win. Paul is happy to have 10 and 12 if we win. Ayton doesn't demand the ball, and will do the dirty work on defense and the glass even when he isn't getting a ton of offensive touches.

That means a lot to veteran guys because it means everyone's contribution is valued. It means that everyone here is a pro and it's all about winning. The ball moves freely and guys like Crowder, Saric, Johnson, Payne, Craig and Bridges have had plenty of games to shine because the ball continues to find them. Even more so I think than having Nash as our PG back in the SSOL era, we are an attractive spot because EVERYONE on the team is an above average passer of the ball, and our play shows that.

I have a feeling that a lot of guys are going to try to hop onto this, they're going to see that Chris Paul and Jae Crowder were absolutely right about Phoenix being the place to be right now, and having two guys that are as widely respected league wide telling you "this is the spot" is going to go a long way with free agents.

You add into that how incredible the fans have been during the playoffs, the fact we're a warm weather city, we have a GM and coach that are widely respected league wide....I think we might end up with more FAs looking to come here than we know what to do with.

[bwgood77]

You know a lot of us Suns fans were joking in the season that it would suck if it came down to the Suns vs Nets in the finals. And now that it could actually happen, you realize that it really would suck. Nash is Nash - he is ALWAYS gonna be perhaps the most beloved figure in Suns history (unless this team wins a ring).

I can't actually picture him as the enemy. Sports is sports so nobody is ever truly an "enemy", even your most hated rival (ok, Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry cross that line). If we win against the Nets I'd obviously be as happy as beating any other team, but I won't lie that when I saw Kyrie go down (my own favorite player, to be honest), I was somewhat relieved (even though you should never say that in such a context) that there is a chance that we don't have to face the Nets in the finals. It also helps a little that the Nets when healthy are just insanely good, so it increases our own chances of winning. Again, I apologize for that, but that's just how I feel about it.

So if the worst best case scenario happens and we have to play the Nets and win, I would feel amazed that the Suns finally won a ring and yet shattered for Nash at the same time. If we lost, it would be more bitter sweet, as I'd be super happy for Nash and D'Antoni to finally get a ring but at the expense of this team that I've watched suck for so long.

Well, better for Nash to finally get to the finals instead of bowing out earlier and losing to Philly, Milwaukee or Atlanta. And I'm guessing they'd rather lose to the Suns (at least D'Antoni, Nash and Amare) than any other team....of course Harden, Blake and DJ wouldn't like it, but I don't care for any of those guys.

[spanishninja]

all-defense teams announced. Mikal didn't make it but was actually only 4 points behind Kawhi

Can't really argue these though. competitive field

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[wheezy]

He should have been on there instead of Thybulle though. That guy doesn't play more than 20 mpg.

[WeekapaugGroove]

He should have been on there instead of Thybulle though. That guy doesn't play more than 20 mpg.

I agree. While Thybulle is a tremendous defender I do think minutes should come into play for this award. Bridges was 9th in whole league in minutes played this year and guarded the other teams best wing most of those minutes. So to me his impact on the suns D (which was good) is far greater than a reserve or even a guy like Kawhi who missed a lot of games.

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[ATTL]

Ayton with 0 votes. Maybe after these playoffs voters will pay attention next year.

[King4Day]

Hawks making it tough on Philly. Big comeback and now up 2

[King4Day]

The only positive for Bridges not being on 1st/2nd defensive, is it MIGHT help prevent him from demanding more than we hope to pay.
But realistically, we know that's prob not gonna make a difference.

[King4Day]

Hawks by 3
50 seconds left.
Such an exciting finish.

[bwgood77]

Ayton with 0 votes. Maybe after these playoffs voters will pay attention next year.

I didn't expect for him to get votes. Gobert and Embiid were going to get the lions share of C votes. And then I guess Bam pulled a few from Embiid or was thought of as a PF for some.

It will be tough for Ayton to get past those two, but I think by next season you can place him firmly in 3rd.

However, when you consider being able to guard on the perimeter, switch better, etc, in many ways he is more valuable, if not quite the rim protector as those two. He should get at least some votes next year.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Matt Petersen (@TheMattPetersen) Tweeted:
Phoenix Suns making the NBA's final four without a coach of the year, all-rookie, all-defense, top-3 MVP, top-3 most improved, top-3 DPOY, top-3 Sixth Man, and possibly only one All-NBA guy...

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?s=20

Just straight typical BS!

But this is still funny!

Steven Knickmeyer (@MrAZsportsFan12) Tweeted:
@TheMattPetersen @Burnsy987 But we have Suns in 4 guy and nobody can take that away from us. #Sunsin4 https://t.co/2bZ1w5sZjC

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?s=20

[spanishninja]

Well, hell Booker is almost 25. Why stop there, let's get ahead of that one too and trade him while he still has value. The Rockets have a ton of picks maybe they'll give some up to get Book on their team....amiright?

come on we almost lost to the lakers when CP just out of no where injured his shoulder from the most benign little bump and you want to invest that much money on an old injury prone player like him? with old players we never know decline can come real fast, jim jackson was a dragon for us at 34 few months later he sucked azz. selling high, sign and trade CP to NY see what we can get back is the right move, now we know we have a good team with a good point guard we go find that pg that will be around for years to come.

Paul scored 37 points on 14-for-19 shooting in the Game 4 closeout, capping off a series nothing short of magnificent. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer finished the series averaging 25.5 points on 61.8% shooting, 58% from 3, 100% from the free throw line, plus an absurd 41-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31628353/chris-paul-leads-phoenix-suns-first-playoff-sweep-career-western-conference-finals?platform=amp

Love all my fellow fans but I hope we're still not trying to trade him.

Yeah that was a pretty bad take from the other guy about CP3's age. At no point in his career did he have the kind of chronic back problems that Nash did. didn't you guys remember watching in the SSOL days? During almost every timeout Nash would be laying down resting his back. CP3 is taking care of his body way better than Nash did his.

[Slim Charless]

come on we almost lost to the lakers when CP just out of no where injured his shoulder from the most benign little bump and you want to invest that much money on an old injury prone player like him? with old players we never know decline can come real fast, jim jackson was a dragon for us at 34 few months later he sucked azz. selling high, sign and trade CP to NY see what we can get back is the right move, now we know we have a good team with a good point guard we go find that pg that will be around for years to come.

Paul scored 37 points on 14-for-19 shooting in the Game 4 closeout, capping off a series nothing short of magnificent. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer finished the series averaging 25.5 points on 61.8% shooting, 58% from 3, 100% from the free throw line, plus an absurd 41-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31628353/chris-paul-leads-phoenix-suns-first-playoff-sweep-career-western-conference-finals?platform=amp

Love all my fellow fans but I hope we're still not trying to trade him.

Yeah that was a pretty bad take from the other guy about CP3's age. At no point in his career did he have the kind of chronic back problems that Nash did. didn't you guys remember watching in the SSOL days? During almost every timeout Nash would be laying down resting his back. CP3 is taking care of his body way better than Nash did his.

If they did the vote now, he'd be the league MVP.

I'm fine with getting a young guy in the draft to learn under him, but ya.... trading Chris Paul is gonna be a hard no from me...

[lilfishi22]

Matt Petersen (@TheMattPetersen) Tweeted:
Phoenix Suns making the NBA's final four without a coach of the year, all-rookie, all-defense, top-3 MVP, top-3 most improved, top-3 DPOY, top-3 Sixth Man, and possibly only one All-NBA guy...

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Just straight typical BS!

But this is still funny!

Steven Knickmeyer (@MrAZsportsFan12) Tweeted:
@TheMattPetersen @Burnsy987 But we have Suns in 4 guy and nobody can take that away from us. #Sunsin4 https://t.co/2bZ1w5sZjC

Read on Twitter

?s=20

I bet Jones doesn't even win Exec of the Year either with Sean Marks taking it

[Bogyo]

Ayton with 0 votes. Maybe after these playoffs voters will pay attention next year.

I didn't expect for him to get votes. Gobert and Embiid were going to get the lions share of C votes. And then I guess Bam pulled a few from Embiid or was thought of as a PF for some.

It will be tough for Ayton to get past those two, but I think by next season you can place him firmly in 3rd.

However, when you consider being able to guard on the perimeter, switch better, etc, in many ways he is more valuable, if not quite the rim protector as those two. He should get at least some votes next year.

Yeah, not surprised as well. Those guys are much more established, and these playoffs are Aytons coming out party.
Also this is a whole year award - and to be fair Ayton had his ups and downs until the end of march.

[lilfishi22]

Ayton with 0 votes. Maybe after these playoffs voters will pay attention next year.

I didn't expect for him to get votes. Gobert and Embiid were going to get the lions share of C votes. And then I guess Bam pulled a few from Embiid or was thought of as a PF for some.

It will be tough for Ayton to get past those two, but I think by next season you can place him firmly in 3rd.

However, when you consider being able to guard on the perimeter, switch better, etc, in many ways he is more valuable, if not quite the rim protector as those two. He should get at least some votes next year.

Yeah, not surprised as well. Those guys are much more established, and these playoffs are Aytons coming out party.
Also this is a whole year award - and to be fair Ayton had his ups and downs until the end of march.

Not surprised guys like Gobert/Embiid getting the lion share of the C votes but Ayton getting no votes while Noel and Capela getting votes is confusing to me. Capela I understand but Noel?

I suppose it's that same rouge NY voter who voted for Rose for MVP lol

[Bogyo]

I didn't expect for him to get votes. Gobert and Embiid were going to get the lions share of C votes. And then I guess Bam pulled a few from Embiid or was thought of as a PF for some.

It will be tough for Ayton to get past those two, but I think by next season you can place him firmly in 3rd.

However, when you consider being able to guard on the perimeter, switch better, etc, in many ways he is more valuable, if not quite the rim protector as those two. He should get at least some votes next year.

Yeah, not surprised as well. Those guys are much more established, and these playoffs are Aytons coming out party.
Also this is a whole year award - and to be fair Ayton had his ups and downs until the end of march.

Not surprised guys like Gobert/Embiid getting the lion share of the C votes but Ayton getting no votes while Noel and Capela getting votes is confusing to me. Capela I understand but Noel?

I suppose it's that same rouge NY voter who voted for Rose for MVP lol

Yeah. Just disregard the idio ts. Good rule of thumb for basketball writers, forums and real life as well. Will save you a lot of time and frustration.