The big question

mybloodisorange · Post #1 » by **mybloodisorange** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 3:45 am

As amazingly deep as we are at guard we are just as thin at the center position. We have smaller guys like Morris that can play situationally but as far as legit bigs we only really have Len and Plumlee. As much as I like both guys neither are quite there yet....both need playing time. Len needs to see if he can get on a roll while staying injury free this season and Plumlee needs to stop overthinking and flow better.

Step one is finding which teams have big heavy rosters. Actually that's the hardest part since we have so many assets! We already know that Toronto covet Ennis so maybe a three team trade could be worked so that they finally get their man as well.

Do any teams currently have a big with potential that they don't need?

Revived · Post #2 » by **Revived** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 5:03 am

I don't think we would even use bigs if we actually even had good bigs.

Suns are all about 3pt shooting and Dragic/Bledsoe/Thomas driving. Live by the 3, die by the 3.

mybloodisorange · Post #3 » by **mybloodisorange** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 5:04 am

Does anyone else but me like young Steven Adams?

And I agree we don't need an all star center since we are a guard centric team. On the on the other hand Len is injury prone (at least so far) and Plumlee is just too inconsistent right now.

Am I the only thinking we are going to try to move Ennis before the allstar break in a package?

Revived · Post #4 » by **Revived** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 5:21 am

Ennis is unlikely to have any trade value due to lack of playing time to show anything. As for Adams, yes he's a beast and he plays like a man which would have been perfect for us inside.

Many Suns fans wanted him in that draft.

Post #5 » by **TASTIC** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:27 am

I like Tobias Harris.

Though he's another tweener F who is going to want to get paid. Orlando have some guys I'd like on our team - Vucevic would be a great C for this team - he's also got 3pt range but hasn't shown it off in the NBA yet.

Millsap's who I wanted originally, but with Kieff entrenched at PF, he isn't overly feasible now unless they play Kieff at the 5...which isn't THAT unbelievable is it?

Markieff
Millsap
Tucker
Bled
Drag

phrazbit · Post #6 » by **phrazbit** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:31 am

SF88 wrote:I don't think we would even use bigs if we actually even had good bigs.

Suns are all about 3pt shooting and Dragic/Bledsoe/Thomas driving. Live by the 3, die by the 3.

They play to their strengths, just like any team who knows what they're doing. For the majority of last season Plumlee was sub par and Alex Len was god awful, and despite they they combined for a lot of PT at center, especially down the stretch when we were pushing for the playoffs. If we're willing to play those guys I have no doubt Horny would make good use of a competent big.

mybloodisorange · Post #7 » by **mybloodisorange** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:33 am

Don't forget we lost Frye. Even if Tolliver can replace his outside shooting he is a bit small to defend centers IMO.
And yes I was one of the guys that wanted Adams...I figured we couldn't lose. Even if he sucked he still has cool NZ accent.

I really haven't had time to research each teams new roster which led me to make this thread. Does anyone have a short list of teams with an excess of big men?

And I don't think I was overvaluing Ennis...I just know Toronto really wanted him in the draft and he isn't going to get any minutes here. It just would seem like a win-win if we could finagle a three way landing us a big man.

Post #8 » by **Qwigglez** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:04 am

I was thinking of the same scenario, about being uncomfortable about our centers. Was wondering, if we replayed our draft last year and took Nerlen Noels. How comfortable would you guys be going into the season? We wouldn't even need to worry about him contributing offensively, we have plenty of other guys who could do that.
Anyway, I like Len, and I believe he has the potential to be similar to Pau Gasol's game, but it would be nice to have a defensive warrior in the paint

thamadkant · Post #9 » by **thamadkant** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:57 am

Steve Adams and Archie Goodwin were my 2 picks back in 2013 that I wanted the Suns to draft.

Adams was an obvious hustling big man who gets inside and bangs.

Thunder will not let him go... perfect next to Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka.

Len has a higher ceiling, but just need that mean streak and aggressiveness.... and minutes... he needs minutes.

Frank Lee · Post #10 » by **Frank Lee** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:53 pm

I think Jermaine ONeal would be a perfect addition. To my knowledge he is unsigned, likely just waiting for roster cuts and a good situation. Trouble is, we have a plus one on our roster limit right now.

I don't think we do anything at all this yr regarding trades unless one drops in our lap. We'll be cutting teeth this season, with a kaleidoscope of line ups. Who needs a center anyway? If the two we have don't cut it, we'll go small.

might as well accept it now

RunDogGun · Post #11 » by **RunDogGun** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 2:41 pm

TASTIC wrote:I like Tobias Harris.

Though he's another tweener F who is going to want to get paid. Orlando have some guys I'd like on our team - Vucevic would be a great C for this team - he's also got 3pt range but hasn't shown it off in the NBA yet.

Millsap's who I wanted originally, but with Kieff entrenched at PF, he isn't overly feasible now unless they play Kieff at the 5...which isn't THAT unbelievable is it?

Markieff
Millsap
Tucker
Bled
Drag

I was thinking Orlando as well, but I'm going back to my wish of nabbing Kyle O'Quinn. I don't think it would take too much. Maybe two second rounders and maybe Shav? Then we could release Earl.

RunDogGun · Post #12 » by **RunDogGun** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 2:46 pm

Watching the Nets/Celts game yesterday, I thought J Sullinger and J Jordan looked really good. The latter looked like he really worked on his game, but with the injury still to Brook, I don't see them letting him go right now.

Post #13 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:25 pm

I can't really see any centers hitting the market unless they are someone REALLY under the radar...and perhaps the Suns have someone in mind they will target that they see more potential in than that player's current team.

The most obvious guys that may become available for trade are guys that could leave their teams in next summer's free agency, especially if the teams think they will lose them for nothing (Millsap, Thaddeus Young). These guys have been discussed and many here believe Millsap isn't much of an upgrade over Kieff.

I really like Millsap, but with the twins under contract for 5 years, I can't really see us going for a guy like Millsap (or Young for that matter) unless we are trading the twins in the transaction which seems improbable.

Many talk about Horford, who obviously I'd love if he was healthy, but I'll be surprised if he becomes available (despite what many seem to feel) unless they feel he can't stay healthy in which it could be risky anyway.

I love Steven Adams too, but OKC isn't going to trade him. They have a diamond in the rough to take over for Perkins.

Guys on rookie contracts that show a ton of promise have too much value for teams to trade them. Then you have other guys teams would probably trade (like Pekovic) who are overpaid and/or can't protect the rim anyway, which is our primary need...rim protection and rebounds.

Saberestar · Post #14 » by **Saberestar** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 11:23 pm

If I have to trade for an "obtainable" center, I would trade for Gorgui Dieng. He is all that we need at that position, and we can have our core intact and get him.
We'd can "eat" Budinger's contract ($10M/2 years) and give them Tyler Ennis, Plumlee and a first round pick.

Revived · Post #15 » by **Revived** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 11:56 pm

Would love Dieng here. But I feel like T-Wolves are gonna try to trade Pekovic to some contender needing a C and then build around a core of Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins, Young, Bennett and Dieng.

A very young and exciting core of players who will be lethal once developed.

Post #16 » by **Miklo** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:39 am

What about Hasheem Thabeet?

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/235267/Pistons-Waive-Hasheem-Thabeet-Brian-Cook-Lorenzo-Brown-Josh-Bostic

Very unproven, but he has some insane height at 7'3" and some blocking skill. The main reason to sign him would just be to light a fire under PlumLen, but then he could fill in if the two of them were sucking/injured for some semi-serviceable minutes. Pistons have so much big man depth that I don't read too far into them cutting him from camp.

To the main point though, I think we'll be going small a *lot* - but yes, it does make sense to have non-horrible options for legitimate bigs. Certain matchups would just kill us every time without that.

phrazbit · Post #17 » by **phrazbit** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:52 am

I'm not sure if I'd call Thabeet unproven. Len is unproven, he might turn into something, he might be awful. Thabeet has "proven" himself to be a dreadful player.

Frank Lee · Post #18 » by **Frank Lee** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:00 am

Miklo wrote:....... Certain matchups would just kill us every time without that.

Certain match ups will just kill us, period. Its going to be a who flinches first scenario.... do we force them to go small, or do they make us go big???

spanishninja · Post #19 » by **spanishninja** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:57 am

RunDogGun wrote:Watching the Nets/Celts game yesterday, I thought J Sullinger and J Jordan looked really good. The latter looked like he really worked on his game, but with the injury still to Brook, I don't see them letting him go right now.

Sullinger is looking more and more like a poor man's Kevin Love. Like him a lot.

RunDogGun · Post #20 » by **RunDogGun** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:25 am

spanishninja wrote:
RunDogGun wrote:Watching the Nets/Celts game yesterday, I thought J Sullinger and J Jordan looked really good. The latter looked like he really worked on his game, but with the injury still to Brook, I don't see them letting him go right now.

Sullinger is looking more and more like a poor man's Kevin Love. Like him a lot.

Imagine if he lost 30 lb or turned it into muscle.

19 rbds in any NBA game is pretty huge.