2022-23 Season Discussion and Speculation 5 - The KD era begins

[enigmatics]

Do y’all haters about the trade realize how deep we are now ! I am actually shocked !

Cp3 Payne
Booker Shamet lee
Okogie Craig Ross
Durant Warren Bazley
Ayton Biyombo

Ross was still averaging 22mins a game this year off the bench, so I don't think the depth chart will be as cut and dry as you've stated it. I could even see him getting run at the 2 spot. He's also a better all-around player than Shamet/Lee.

The best part is his head is likely going to be more in it playing with these guys, which wasn't the case wasting away in Orlando.

[lilfishi22]

One thing about Okogie starting over Craig, on paper it looks good, but that also means Craig would roll with the second unit. I’d rather have the weaker player with our big 4 than further weakening our second unit.

Ideally, I’d like to see Bazley get some minutes with CP3 before the playoffs start to see if Chris can unlock some more of his potential. Maybe have him be our dark horse 5th starter. His rawness and shortcomings would be overshadowed by the fact that we have CP3, Book, KD, and Ayton on the floor with him.

There's gonna be a role for the Craig because he's just that versatile and has just enough skills to play well on different line ups. The main thing with Okogie starting is for his POA defense. Craig is a solid defender, solid team defender but he's not the calibre of defender Okogie is and I think you need that kinda dawg out there with our starters who can take on the tough assignments because half our starters are a bit fragile physically. Similar to PJ Tucker's role

[lilfishi22]

Read on Twitter

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Kind of surprised the suns are second to last in transition chances this season considering how much CP has been out.

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our defense had been mediocre for much of the season. if we give up baskets, it makes it hard to go to transition frequently.

More the other way around

Our defense has been fine but our offense has stunk which is what you expect when you have stretches of DWJr/Lee running point.

There's obviously some adjustment since Book/CP3 has been back but we're still #22 in points per game while we're 5th in the league in points allowed. From an ORTG perspective, we're a poor 17th in the league but our defensive rating is 9th. Our pace is #22 so we're just not pushing the pace and I think a large part of that is indecisiveness and inexperience from our rotation of guards running the show with CP3/Payne out for so long.

[suns12345]

One thing about Okogie starting over Craig, on paper it looks good, but that also means Craig would roll with the second unit. I’d rather have the weaker player with our big 4 than further weakening our second unit.

Ideally, I’d like to see Bazley get some minutes with CP3 before the playoffs start to see if Chris can unlock some more of his potential. Maybe have him be our dark horse 5th starter. His rawness and shortcomings would be overshadowed by the fact that we have CP3, Book, KD, and Ayton on the floor with him.

There's gonna be a role for the Craig because he's just that versatile and has just enough skills to play well on different line ups. The main thing with Okogie starting is for his POA defense. Craig is a solid defender, solid team defender but he's not the calibre of defender Okogie is and I think you need that kinda dawg out there with our starters who can take on the tough assignments because half our starters are a bit fragile physically. Similar to PJ Tucker's role

Its good with our old/fragile team of all stars we have the physical guys like Craig, Okogie and maybe even Wainright to throw out there and wreak havoc on the boards and defend.

[lilfishi22]

Read on Twitter

Mike vigil briefly discusses how Josh Okogie not only has been earning his spot as a 5th starter, But also takes a brief look at how his evolution as a potential ballhandler/initiator is present too.

I didn't consciously think about this until I think one of the last possessions in the Kings game where it was Craig and Okogie in the back court taking the ball up and Craig gave the ball up to Okogie just to dribble up like 10ft across the halfway mark. Craig could've easily done that given there was no defensive pressure at all but it clearly was part of the instructions to have Okogie take the ball up.

[Preacher162a]

I got tickets to the Milwaukee game on the 26th. I'm hoping that Durant makes his debut or plays that day. Well worth it.

[matt131]

lol looks like we gave up KD to get KD. Bridges going insane against the Heat tonight

[garrick]

lol looks like we gave up KD to get KD. Bridges going insane against the Heat tonight

Thanks for the reminder.

Just as I signed in he made a nice And 1 play

[phx#7]

lol looks like we gave up KD to get KD. Bridges going insane against the Heat tonight

Looks like Cam and Bridges are having to do more self creation with a lack of shot creators. Thomas is the only guy they are showing any help on.

[matt131]

so um i think we should have gotten more back in that blockbuster Mikal Bridges trade lol

[bwgood77]

lol looks like we gave up KD to get KD. Bridges going insane against the Heat tonight

Well not KD, but he's solid. Cam has looked good overall but shot hasn't been falling as much as usual. Then of course 4 1sts, a swap and 5 2nds, so definitely not a paltry return for the 34 year old star.

[Qwigglez]

We unlocked Bridges potential the last month forcing him to be a primary scorer. He started gaining the confidence and realized he is fluid enough to be better than what he’s been accustomed to. It is unfortunate that we had to trade him for KD. It is what it is.

[bigfoot]

We unlocked Bridges potential the last month forcing him to be a primary scorer. He started gaining the confidence and realized he is fluid enough to be better than what he’s been accustomed to. It is unfortunate that we had to trade him for KD. It is what it is.

It will be interesting to see how the national media write 2018 redraft articles in the future. Bridges already considered top-5 in the class. Gotta wonder if he would move ahead of SGA, Trae, and/or Ayton. Unlikely to surpass Doncic.

[sunskerr]

We unlocked Bridges potential the last month forcing him to be a primary scorer. He started gaining the confidence and realized he is fluid enough to be better than what he’s been accustomed to. It is unfortunate that we had to trade him for KD. It is what it is.

It will be interesting to see how the national media write 2018 redraft articles in the future. Bridges already considered top-5 in the class. Gotta wonder if he would move ahead of SGA, Trae, and/or Ayton. Unlikely to surpass Doncic.

Do you...know how good SGA is?

Mikal is probably our KD replacement in 2026

[Sunlight]

Terrence Ross scored once 51 points. Even role players can score 40pts nowadays.

[lilfishi22]

Love what I'm seeing from Mikal. This is who we hoped he would become. Not necessarily a 45pt guy but more of a consistent low 20ppg scorer who has potential to put up 40 on random nights.

[Gorilla Warfare]

So happy for Mikal.

[Revived]

We unlocked Bridges potential the last month forcing him to be a primary scorer. He started gaining the confidence and realized he is fluid enough to be better than what he’s been accustomed to. It is unfortunate that we had to trade him for KD. It is what it is.

It will be interesting to see how the national media write 2018 redraft articles in the future. Bridges already considered top-5 in the class. Gotta wonder if he would move ahead of SGA, Trae, and/or Ayton. Unlikely to surpass Doncic.

Do you...know how good SGA is?

Mikal is probably our KD replacement in 2026

Brooklyn can offer him more $$ than any other team can. He loves Phoenix but idk if he loves it enough to turn down that much $ to come here.

[lilfishi22]

It is kind of funny that as soon as Kyrie/KD is no longer a Net, they have a bunch of 40pt games from non-all-stars like Mikal and Cam

[Revived]

Dropping 45 on insane efficiency while playing fantastic defense on the other end as well…all in just his 3rd game with the Nets man. Wow.

That too against a pretty damn good Heat team.