NAZ Suns

Post #21 » by **bwgood77** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 3:24 am

If you'd like to follow some of our D league starters on twitter....

Post #22 » by **bwgood77** » Thu Dec 1, 2016 11:58 pm

Prescott Valley is going to be spoiled on basketball if the Northern Arizona Suns keep up how their inaugural season has started.

Northern Arizona, dubbed “NAZ,” is the top team in the D-League’s Western Conference at 6-1 with a defensive brand that the parent club wants to see.

In a league where personal agendas can be rampant with players having NBA goals, first-year head coach Ty Ellis does not take his team’s buy-in of team goals and defensive emphasis lightly. He credits the leadership of point guard Askia Booker, a carryover from last season’s affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif., and former NBA players Elijah Millsap and Johnny O’Bryant for that.

“Everybody is all-in,” Ellis said. “It’s easier to do that when you see those guys buying in.”

The NAZ Suns are holding opponents to 41.1 percent shooting, the second-lowest clip in a 22-team league, and 28.0 percent 3-point shooting, a league-low. They have the best point differential (plus-12.6) of any team and the fewest turnovers after Tuesday night’s 103-78 victory at Salt Lake City.

Even toward the end of the game, Ellis called a timeout when the team’s play became loose and they responded.

RELATED: Booker embraces 'D' to be 2-way great

“I do my best coaching when they’re winning because they are more apt to listen,” Ellis said.

One of the team’s best listeners has been small forward Derrick Jones Jr., an undrafted Phoenix Suns rookie who is on his second assignment with NAZ. In five games with NAZ, Jones has averaged 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals with 42.4 percent shooting but the 19-year-old is there with a defensive purpose.

“Derrick knows what they want from him,” Ellis said. “(Suns coach) Earl (Watson) and the organization want him to be an elite defender because, with his athleticism, it’s possible. He allows me to get on him and his response is always, ‘Yes, sir,’ or ‘No, sir.’ "

Booker, the former Colorado star, has gone from working on being a point guard in a backup role last season to leading the team with 23.2 points and 5.6 assists per game this season. The 6-foot-1 guard is shooting 48.1 percent from 3-point range.

Before the season, Ellis said he believed he had the D-League’s top two point guards in Booker and former LSU player Josh Gray. When Booker missed a game Sunday for injury, Gray started and posted a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

NAZ returns home to face Reno on Saturday night at Prescott Valley Event Center, where their average home attendance is 1,655.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/11/30/d-league-club-northern-arizona-suns-off-6-1-start/94707818/

Post #23 » by **bwgood77** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 8:38 am

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NTB · Post #24 » by **NTB** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:19 pm

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/12/14/suns-sending-tyler-ulis-alan-williams-d-league/95421268/?hootPostID=330fa04368aa43e41185fd6cac50cc6f

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darealjuice · Post #25 » by **darealjuice** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:20 pm

NTB wrote:http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/12/14/suns-sending-tyler-ulis-alan-williams-d-league/95421268/?hootPostID=330fa04368aa43e41185fd6cac50cc6f

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Derrick Jones Jr is about to have so many dunks with Ulis running the show. Glad they're letting Ulis get some game time in, even if it's the D League. Unfortunately with Barbosa playing so well lately Ulis has caught the short end of the stick and got buried in the rotation, hopefully we move can find a new home for Knight by the deadline so he can work back in.

Zelaznyrules · Post #26 » by **Zelaznyrules** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:21 pm

It's about time. Ulis needs to play, same for Williams. I'd imagine this will be Tyler's only trip down, hopefully they're being recalled quickly to replace an outgoing player or two.

Post #27 » by **bwgood77** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:23 pm

darealjuice wrote:
NTB wrote:http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/12/14/suns-sending-tyler-ulis-alan-williams-d-league/95421268/?hootPostID=330fa04368aa43e41185fd6cac50cc6f

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Derrick Jones Jr is about to have so many dunks with Ulis running the show

Are these the games streaming on facebook? Or if not is there any way to watch them?

darealjuice · Post #28 » by **darealjuice** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:24 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
darealjuice wrote:
NTB wrote:http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/12/14/suns-sending-tyler-ulis-alan-williams-d-league/95421268/?hootPostID=330fa04368aa43e41185fd6cac50cc6f

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Derrick Jones Jr is about to have so many dunks with Ulis running the show

Are these the games streaming on facebook? Or if not is there any way to watch them?

I believe they do stream on facebook, although I haven't gotten the chance to watch one yet so I can't say for sure.

kennydorglas · Post #29 » by **kennydorglas** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 7:56 pm

darealjuice wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
darealjuice wrote:
Derrick Jones Jr is about to have so many dunks with Ulis running the show

Are these the games streaming on facebook? Or if not is there any way to watch them?

I believe they do stream on facebook, although I haven't gotten the chance to watch one yet so I can't say for sure.

I watched one on facebook but then I tried to watch another game and couldnt find any stream.
Usually they give the link on twitter, but it's never 100% sure.

kennydorglas · Post #30 » by **kennydorglas** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 1:40 am

They're streaming their game here: https://www.facebook.com/nazsuns/

Post #31 » by **bwgood77** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 4:31 pm

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MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Having just earned the first NBA Development League Performer of the Week honors by a Northern Arizona Suns player in team history, Johnny O’Bryant had another great weekly outing at the Showcase in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Showcase was a chance for all players to play their best in front of NBA scouts and player personnel executives, with all 22 D-League teams gathered to play two games apiece at the Hershey Centre in Canada.

O’Bryant played so well that he earned an NBADLeague.com Honorable Mention.

The Louisiana State product was the lone Suns player honored with such an award at the Showcase.

O’Bryant absolutely shined in the Suns’ first game at the Showcase on Jan. 18 against the Oklahoma City Blue. Although the Suns lost a close one 103-98, O’Bryant led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also added nine rebounds, two assists and three steals.

He scored 20 points in the first half alone on 8-of-11 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds in the first 24 minutes of play. He set a new career-high with those three steals, and it was his third consecutive game scoring at least 20 points.

In the Suns’ next game on Jan. 20 against the Austin Spurs, O’Bryant scored 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from distance. He also tallied five rebounds and two blocks.

The Suns’ starting center was tied for sixth in the league for the week in three-point field goal percentage, and has hit multiple three-pointers in three straight games.

For the season, he is now averaging 18.4 points on 46.0 percent shooting and 8.6 rebounds.

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Post #32 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Jan 30, 2017 8:04 pm

We've got another Booker looking good in the D league...Askia Booker, who played on our summer league team...

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gaspar · Post #33 » by **gaspar** » Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:24 pm

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Post #34 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:06 am

gaspar wrote:

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Kind of odd he's in both dunk contests. On the same day are they not?

darealjuice · Post #35 » by **darealjuice** » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:53 am

bwgood77 wrote:
gaspar wrote:

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Kind of odd he's in both dunk contests. On the same day are they not?

Derek Cooke Jr =! Derrick Jones Jr lol

Post #36 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:06 am

darealjuice wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
gaspar wrote:

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Kind of odd he's in both dunk contests. On the same day are they not?

Derek Cooke Jr =! Derrick Jones Jr lol

Whoops....my bad. Not often you have two guys with the same first name followed by Jr, both participating in dunk contests on the same day. Hopefully it's a good day for the Jr's.

Post #37 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Mar 5, 2017 11:34 pm

NAZ Suns won, but Zeus had this nice dunk for OKC.

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gaspar · Post #38 » by **gaspar** » Tue Aug 8, 2017 12:34 pm

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DRK · Post #39 » by **DRK** » Tue Aug 8, 2017 3:17 pm

Derrick Cooke Jr signed with my Perth Wildcats in the NBL. We got some awesome talent on our team and looking to three-peat.
Out of imports, we have Devondrick Walker, Derrick Cooke Jr, and Bryce Cotton who went HAM last year in the championship game.

Cant wait for this upcoming seaosn

Post #40 » by **bwgood77** » Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:38 pm

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