Eric Bledsoe

[jcsunsfan]

Its pretty clear that the coach is not happy with this either. Dan Majerle was on the radio today and said he would have come unglued as a player if he had been a healthy shut down.

BTW, I don't blame Knight at all for this. They shut him down (a young player) and THEN decided to NOT shut him down when they shut down another player. That would enrage any player.

Again. Players don't like being shut down so the team can get a better shot at drafting their replacements--this would especially be true of Bledsoe.

[GMATCallahan]

Read on Twitter

We're making the right choice shutting him down, especially if he's really having knee soreness, although I'd prefer that to just be a cop out for management. We played the last 10 games pretty well with him, but now we have nothing to play for and wins can only hurt our future from here on. It's going to be really interesting to see what direction we go in the draft, Bledsoe and Warren have both played some good basketball at times this year and it's tough not to picture the players we draft having an effect on them when the top prospects are almost all PGs and SFs. It's definitely not common for players of Bled's caliber to be shut down, but considering his injury history and our current situation it was necessary. If he's part of our future, then we need him healthy all offseason working with the young guys too.

I doubt that Bledsoe is going to spend five months working out with his teammates this summer. NBA rosters generally disperse over the summer: Steve Nash famously spent his summers playing soccer in New York and not playing basketball outside of shooting practice; in the summer of 1995, Kevin Johnson tried to contact Charles Barkley to assess matters after another wrenching playoff loss to the Houston Rockets, but Barkley was golfing all over the country and Johnson never managed to reach him. (Back then, cellphones were far less commonplace and hardly anyone used email.)

At the most, you might have a handful of players hanging around and playing pickup together for a few weeks, especially in September as training camp approaches. A better bet would be to have Bledsoe actually playing with the Suns' young players now, in actual NBA games against serious competition. If he is experiencing some knee soreness or needs a little rest, then shut him down for a couple of games, or a week or so, and then bring him back once he is feeling better. But terminating his season this early strikes me as an extreme measure that could deprive the Suns—and Bledsoe—of continued growth and continuity while signaling the wrong message about the Phoenix Suns to veterans on the team and players around the NBA. With this logic, maybe the Suns should apply to become a D-League franchise instead.

[bwgood77]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

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[ATTL]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Its weird to think a near all star is only worth a mid first. Mudiay is barely in the rotation these days. I might do it if our scouts love frank.

[bwgood77]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Its weird to think a near all star is only worth a mid first. Mudiay is barely in the rotation these days. I might do it if our scouts love frank.

I've never heard Bledsoe even mentioned (other then here) of being in the all star conversation.

[ATTL]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Its weird to think a near all star is only worth a mid first. Mudiay is barely in the rotation these days. I might do it if our scouts love frank.

I've never heard Bledsoe even mentioned (other then here) of being in the all star conversation.

If we were winning I think he'd be very close to an all star selection.

[TOO]

Harris/Murray untouchble...? Jokic expendable..? You sir can have Bledsoe for him all day.

[GMATCallahan]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Who is that Benzo character? Just a random person? Anyone who feels that Jokic is expendable ...

Along with climate change and terrorism, the greatest threat to humanity and civilization may be social media ...

[GMATCallahan]

Harris/Murray untouchble...? Jokic expendable..? You sir can have Bledsoe for him all day.

Although I agree with your point about the label, I doubt that Denver will part with Harris or Murray anytime soon.

... just a point.

[GMATCallahan]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Unless NBA players are involved, I certainly would not trade Bledsoe for anything short of a top-ten pick.

Mudiay is intriguing, but frankly, I do not see why the Nuggets would want Bledsoe. The style that he has developed in Phoenix, along with his mediocre shooting ability, really do not fit with how Denver plays offensively. Bledsoe might be able to help the Nuggets defensively, but his defense has arguably gone from great to mediocre over his four seasons with Phoenix. That is the conclusion of Defensive Real-Plus Minus, and from the perspective of my visual observation, I would basically agree. (I do not feel that Bledsoe was ever a great man-to-man defender, at least not with the Suns, but he used to make a big impact in terms of help defense.)

[GMATCallahan]

Its pretty clear that the coach is not happy with this either. Dan Majerle was on the radio today and said he would have come unglued as a player if he had been a healthy shut down.

BTW, I don't blame Knight at all for this. They shut him down (a young player) and THEN decided to NOT shut him down when they shut down another player. That would enrage any player.

Again. Players don't like being shut down so the team can get a better shot at drafting their replacements--this would especially be true of Bledsoe.

While I do not want the Suns to fire Ryan McDonough (he has done a good enough job with the draft to keep seeing the process through), I do sometimes wish that Phoenix featured a general manager who had played in the NBA or possessed a feel for the experience of NBA players. The Suns certainly needed to reallocate minutes away from veterans and toward young players (really young players) in the season's second half, but I am not sure that the reallocation needed to be as stark or extreme as it has been. If I were a player somewhere else in the league, I might think twice about joining the Phoenix Suns in the future.

[bwgood77]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Who is that Benzo character? Just a random person? Anyone who feels that Jokic is expendable ...

Along with climate change and terrorism, the greatest threat to humanity and civilization may be social media ...

I'm sure he's not thinking of Jokic, and is probably not a Denver fan. I'd probably trade him for the pick, Mudiay and Barton.

[bwgood77]

Say French Frank drops, to mid first round (and we take SF with our pick), or even if he doesn't, would you trade Bledsoe for Denver's pick, which will be a mid first rounder? What if we also took back Mudiay to also give a shot for a couple years to see if he improves?

Read on Twitter

Unless NBA players are involved, I certainly would not trade Bledsoe for anything short of a top-ten pick.

Mudiay is intriguing, but frankly, I do not see why the Nuggets would want Bledsoe. The style that he has developed in Phoenix, along with his mediocre shooting ability, really do not fit with how Denver plays offensively. Bledsoe might be able to help the Nuggets defensively, but his defense has arguably gone from great to mediocre over his four seasons with Phoenix. That is the conclusion of Defensive Real-Plus Minus, and from the perspective of my visual observation, I would basically agree. (I do not feel that Bledsoe was ever a great man-to-man defender, at least not with the Suns, but he used to make a big impact in terms of help defense.)

Are they not starting Jameer Nelson and have kind of given up on Mudiay or maybe he is hurt. They have all sorts of players, including solid vets (Wilson Chandler, Gallinari, and to a lesser degree, Faried) and then young guys like Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. Then they have Jokic and Mason Plumlee. I think with a solid PG, and they seem to have a solid coach and mix of players, they could be tough.

And a top 15 pick in this draft might be as good as a top 10 in another draft. Teams are MUCH less likely to trade picks with the salaries they have to pay vets these days. Rookie contracts are huge...I doubt a team who is rebuilding (those in top 10) would want Bledsoe over one of the PGs in this draft.

[GMATCallahan]

I'm sure he's not thinking of Jokic, and is probably not a Denver fan. I'd probably trade him for the pick, Mudiay and Barton.

Bledsoe, you mean?

I would agree. I have liked Barton for a couple of years now—although he can be inconsistent, he is a very athletic player with a nice range of abilities. He also brings energy, which is something that young teams should possess yet is not always abundant in Phoenix. Mudiay is a wild card, but if he develops, his upside could be high. He has a great body, he combines ranginess and athleticism, and he would complement Ulis in the sense that Mudiay is a big scoring point guard whereas Ulis is a small (tiny) playmaker. Thus the Suns could alternate between different looks at point guard depending on the situation, and Muiday could also serve as a backup shooting guard.

But I doubt that Denver would make that trade. For that team, I am skeptical that Barton by himself would be worth the acquisition of Bledsoe. Indeed, Jameer Nelson fits the Nuggets better than Bledsoe right now because of his shooting ability, which offers a better complement to Jokic's passing skill and the slashing or driving versatility of Barton, Chandler, Gallinari, Harris, and Murray.

Derrick Rose will be a free agent this summer and probably is not long for New York. How about trying to reunite Hornacek and Bledsoe or even (dare I say it) Knight?

[bwgood77]

I'm sure he's not thinking of Jokic, and is probably not a Denver fan. I'd probably trade him for the pick, Mudiay and Barton.

Bledsoe, you mean?

I would agree. I have liked Barton for a couple of years now—although he can be inconsistent, he is a very athletic player with a nice range of abilities. He also brings energy, which is something that young teams should possess yet is not always abundant in Phoenix. Mudiay is a wild card, but if he develops, his upside could be high. He has a great body, he combines ranginess and athleticism, and he would complement Ulis in the sense that Mudiay is a big scoring point guard whereas Ulis is a small (tiny) playmaker. Thus the Suns could alternate between different looks at point guard depending on the situation, and Muiday could also serve as a backup shooting guard.

But I doubt that Denver would make that trade. For that team, I am skeptical that Barton by himself would be worth the acquisition of Bledsoe. Indeed, Jameer Nelson fits the Nuggets better than Bledsoe right now because of his shooting ability, which offers a better complement to Jokic's passing skill.

Derrick Rose will be a free agent this summer and probably is not long for New York. How about trying to reunite Hornacek and Bledsoe or even (dare I say it) Knight?

For who? I don't know who they'd trade. Certainly not their pick.

[DirtyDez]

There's a trade on the board which is basically Bledsoe for the Knicks pick. Ridiculous to think that could happen based on New York's current standing at 4th worst in the league. That pick would need to be outside the top-7 for the Knicks to entertain that deal.

[GMATCallahan]

Bledsoe, you mean?

I would agree. I have liked Barton for a couple of years now—although he can be inconsistent, he is a very athletic player with a nice range of abilities. He also brings energy, which is something that young teams should possess yet is not always abundant in Phoenix. Mudiay is a wild card, but if he develops, his upside could be high. He has a great body, he combines ranginess and athleticism, and he would complement Ulis in the sense that Mudiay is a big scoring point guard whereas Ulis is a small (tiny) playmaker. Thus the Suns could alternate between different looks at point guard depending on the situation, and Muiday could also serve as a backup shooting guard.

But I doubt that Denver would make that trade. For that team, I am skeptical that Barton by himself would be worth the acquisition of Bledsoe. Indeed, Jameer Nelson fits the Nuggets better than Bledsoe right now because of his shooting ability, which offers a better complement to Jokic's passing skill.

Derrick Rose will be a free agent this summer and probably is not long for New York. How about trying to reunite Hornacek and Bledsoe or even (dare I say it) Knight?

For who? I don't know who they'd trade. Certainly not their pick.

... probably not, but if Phil Jackson is impatient or as clueless as he has appeared in his current position ...

How about for their 2018 pick?

[bwgood77]

Bledsoe, you mean?

I would agree. I have liked Barton for a couple of years now—although he can be inconsistent, he is a very athletic player with a nice range of abilities. He also brings energy, which is something that young teams should possess yet is not always abundant in Phoenix. Mudiay is a wild card, but if he develops, his upside could be high. He has a great body, he combines ranginess and athleticism, and he would complement Ulis in the sense that Mudiay is a big scoring point guard whereas Ulis is a small (tiny) playmaker. Thus the Suns could alternate between different looks at point guard depending on the situation, and Muiday could also serve as a backup shooting guard.

But I doubt that Denver would make that trade. For that team, I am skeptical that Barton by himself would be worth the acquisition of Bledsoe. Indeed, Jameer Nelson fits the Nuggets better than Bledsoe right now because of his shooting ability, which offers a better complement to Jokic's passing skill.

Derrick Rose will be a free agent this summer and probably is not long for New York. How about trying to reunite Hornacek and Bledsoe or even (dare I say it) Knight?

For who? I don't know who they'd trade. Certainly not their pick.

... probably not, but if Phil Jackson is impatient or as clueless as he has appeared in his current position ...

How about for their 2018 pick?

Well I visit the Knicks forum on occasion and am a mod on the general board along with two NY mods and they say Phil has never traded picks and has embraced the rebuild finally, and they would like to move on from Melo. I don't know if all this is true, but it makes sense.

[GMATCallahan]

Well I visit the Knicks forum on occasion and am a mod on the general board along with two NY mods and they say Phil has never traded picks and has embraced the rebuild finally, and they would like to move on from Melo. I don't know if all this is true, but it makes sense.

... it does, but how long is Phil Jackson going to hold this job? He is seventy-one and has two years remaining on his contract.

I always thought that Carmelo Anthony was antithetical to the triangle offense (not in his skills, which actually fit well, but his style), so when Jackson took that job, I imagined that he might just let Anthony leave in free agency. Then he inks the forward to a maximum contract instead ...

I thought that the Knicks could certainly make the playoffs this year, but I have also long felt that Anthony and Derrick Rose constituted two of the most overrated players of the twenty-first century and possibly of all time, so maybe I should have just gone with those feelings. I mean, putting those two guys together is video game stuff—the combination makes no sense in terms of winning basketball games in the real world.

If Jackson wanted to rebuild, he should have done so in the first place rather than re-signing Anthony, trading for Rose, inking an aging Noah, and so forth.

The Knicks and the Suns, man ... how these franchises have fallen off. At least Phoenix is in the better place right now.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Jackson has never needed a max PG, he's had BJ Armstrong, Ron Harper, Derek Fisher to win 11 championships.

I think the key to acquiring another top 10 pick this draft is to acquire a mid 1st (for Len / Chandler) to allow them to downgrade, hard to see a team outright trade it for a non-All Star player.