2023-24 Season Discussion and Speculation 3 - Post Free Agency Discussion

[Dzon Dilindzer]

Like that Nurk is slimmed down that should help some with his mobility and lift. He looks like he is in better shape than the past few years.

He's 280 and that's the weight he said he wants to play at

280 lbs is a lot and i dont think its gonna help his mobility and lift (thats if he can get back mobility and lift after leg break)

he should go down to 240-250 lbs ( yeah, he would lose strength, but would gain mobility and lift, again, if possible)

[SunsRback4Good]

Nurk has his own problems just like Ayton. No matter who we have at center you guys will continue to criticize their game. That’s what people do just criticize until that player is traded then move onto the next center. Rinse & repeat.

[Slim Charless]

I'm surprised Simmons was so negative on it. Only really need to listen to the first 4 minutes or so.

Watch on YouTube

Simmons is 100% right about everything he says about this trade. It will be a slow burn, but everyone here will eventually be on my vantage point about Mr. Nurkic.

Nurk isn't on Ayton's level and we should've just held out and seen if Vogel could've gotten more out of him. I think this crappy trade for Nurk would've still been available at the trade deadline.

If PDX/MIL/BOS demanded this go through now then cool, give us Timelord or Brogdon.

I think the bigger part was to just cut off the cancer... Its not about Ayton vs Nurk... Its about competing for a ring and not having this cloud around the suns all season.. We have a fresh start and not having the drama around ayton following us around... The team can focus on basketball not if or when or should we trade ayton.

Ayton is not a cancer. He's remarkably unselfish when considering the amount of plays Moronty ran for him.

You want the TRUE cancer on this team the past few years? He's currently coaching in Detroit.

[sasquatchBob]

Nurk has his own problems just like Ayton. No matter who we have at center you guys will continue to criticize their game. That’s what people do just criticize until that player is traded then move onto the next center. Rinse & repeat.

All I want to see is a center that looks like he cares and I'll be happy. Plus, isnt this what sports forums are all about?

[bwoolf2]

Jesus can the preseason just start already so we can talk basketball again it's like the bachelor around here think he might get the rose? He is such a bad person so selfish he isn't right for them, I sure hope ge doesn't.

And to be clear I think he had to go, but he gone...

[King4Day]

I'm happy to hear that one of the takes from the Suns media has been that the mood was much more upbeat this time around.

[BobbieL]

I'm happy to hear that one of the takes from the Suns media has been that the mood was much more upbeat this time around.

Excited about the season

Like the interviews with Ishbia yesterday - he was excited. Not afraid to think big and spend money. On the team, the TV antennaes for people, concessions - guy is a big thinker

As for the roster- the Nurk, Little Allen for Ayton trade I think will be a solid one

Too bad about Damion Lee - but if he is truly out 6 months - I think they have to release him since the NBA doesn't have an IR to place him - which is where he belongs actuallly

I think this will be a pretty darn good team. Might take awhile - there are going to be some head scratching losses through the Holidays I think but come 2024 - team will be in good shape

[SunsRback4Good]

Nurk has his own problems just like Ayton. No matter who we have at center you guys will continue to criticize their game. That’s what people do just criticize until that player is traded then move onto the next center. Rinse & repeat.

All I want to see is a center that looks like he cares and I'll be happy. Plus, isnt this what sports forums are all about?

So if Nurkic shoots 40% on 15 shots much worse than Ayton but hustles more you would totally be okay with that?

[handsome salary]

Nurk has his own problems just like Ayton. No matter who we have at center you guys will continue to criticize their game. That’s what people do just criticize until that player is traded then move onto the next center. Rinse & repeat.

All I want to see is a center that looks like he cares and I'll be happy. Plus, isnt this what sports forums are all about?

So if Nurkic shoots 40% on 15 shots much worse than Ayton but hustles more you would totally be okay with that?

I would and why is Nurkic taking 15 shots?

[SunsRback4Good]

All I want to see is a center that looks like he cares and I'll be happy. Plus, isnt this what sports forums are all about?

So if Nurkic shoots 40% on 15 shots much worse than Ayton but hustles more you would totally be okay with that?

I would and why is Nurkic taking 15 shots?

Hypothetically speaking…

[lonea]

So if Nurkic shoots 40% on 15 shots much worse than Ayton but hustles more you would totally be okay with that?

I would and why is Nurkic taking 15 shots?

Hypothetically speaking…

Hypothetically speaking if ayton can handle the ball and make plays meanwhile not having butterfingers mode on, i'd be ok keeping ayton... as well as 90% of the posters here.

but that isn't the case

the ship has sailed for ayton and he seal it, no point of talking "Hypothetically"

[Sunlight]

Nurk has his own problems just like Ayton. No matter who we have at center you guys will continue to criticize their game. That’s what people do just criticize until that player is traded then move onto the next center. Rinse & repeat.

Daniel Theis.

[Crives]

Let’s just stop the Ayton talk. Trade is over, time to move on

[enigmatics]

Oh gosh wait till Enegmatic gets a whiff of this. Everything is playing out exactly like we said it was and I’m loving every second of it. I’m like a pig in **** right now, bring me more scraps so I can wallow in my glorious filth.

DA is a low character guy and he continues to reinforce it with this kind of passive aggressive crap.

It has to sting that he was the franchise's first ever #1 draft pick and he'd look across at his teammate Booker - what he saw was the polar opposite. A guy who brought in night in and night out - even when things were bad. A man with ACTUAL heart.

Deandre sand bagged this org during a championship window. I do not wish him well at all and would love nothing more than to watch his career flame out. He'll prolly have a little bump there in the beginning for Portland but he is who he is at this point and will deviate back to his old ways because that's who he is at his core.

Btw I saw in another post over on the mains that dude already had 150 hours of NBA 2k24 after only 3 weeks his new gamer tag being visible. That's what he was doing to get prepped for this upcoming year when he and his Tesla battery were going to prove all the haters wrong lol. He's not serious about his chosen profession.

[handsome salary]

So if Nurkic shoots 40% on 15 shots much worse than Ayton but hustles more you would totally be okay with that?

I would and why is Nurkic taking 15 shots?

Hypothetically speaking…

Hypothetically, Ayton keeps falling in a 2018 redraft. Now he's at number 7 behind JJJ, Brunson and Bridges.

[grumpysaddle]

I liked when he said "I'm going to show this team how hard it is to win in this league" toward the beginning. I agree, he'll be doing a lot of losing as the "man" in Portland.

he wont be 1st option in rip city, thats simons, then you have scoot, shae & grant, all of whom want their shots

i guess it depends on how they play and how many turnovers they have, less turnovers + fast tempo = more shots for everyone

as a portland fan, i want scoot & shae to shoot the most, they are two main pieces for the future, simons & ayton are not

Ayton isn't going to be happy being 4th fiddle again. I just thought it was funny how he phrased that.

[matt131]

Ayton is not a bad guy.

He is not a low character guy.

He obviously cares and I imagine he wants to win.

He is not perfect, but he is a totally fine center.

This trade was done for one reason: Ayton is immature.

He is a child playing with no nonsense adults, and those two things do not coexist well on a contending team.

KD and Book have very distinct attitudes toward basketball. Ayton’s attitude and demeanor does not jive with that. After 5 years of playing together, I’m sure Booker is a little tired of it. Ayton seemed like he didn’t like that environment and possibly asked out and/or the team decided he didn’t fit with the group.

We wanted an adult in the room at center. We got someone who understands basketball very well despite his athletic or other shortcomings. Someone KD and Booker probably both have their blessing to the front office about.

James jones came right out and said it yesterday: Nurkic is someone they feel won’t ‘complain’ about playing his role as a big man.

In any other circumstance would you give up on Ayton and trade him away? Probably not. If your window for title contention is the next 2 years, you kind of don’t have time to continue the experiment. You need the guys in the room that buy in immediately and who the stars trust.

Is that the best way to go about things? Doesn’t matter. That’s where we are now. All we can do is cheer on our team and hope for the best.

Go Suns

[bwoolf2]

Ayton is not a bad guy.

He is not a low character guy.

He obviously cares and I imagine he wants to win.

He is not perfect, but he is a totally fine center.

This trade was done for one reason: Ayton is immature.

He is a child playing with no nonsense adults, and those two things do not coexist well on a contending team.

KD and Book have very distinct attitudes toward basketball. Ayton’s attitude and demeanor does not jive with that. After 5 years of playing together, I’m sure Booker is a little tired of it. Ayton seemed like he didn’t like that environment and possibly asked out and/or the team decided he didn’t fit with the group.

We wanted an adult in the room at center. We got someone who understands basketball very well despite his athletic or other shortcomings. Someone KD and Booker probably both have their blessing to the front office about.

James jones came right out and said it yesterday: Nurkic is someone they feel won’t ‘complain’ about playing his role as a big man.

In any other circumstance would you give up on Ayton and trade him away? Probably not. If your window for title contention is the next 2 years, you kind of don’t have time to continue the experiment. You need the guys in the room that buy in immediately and who the stars trust.

Is that the best way to go about things? Doesn’t matter. That’s where we are now. All we can do is cheer on our team and hope for the best.

Go Suns

Well said, but Jones didnt say that it was actually Tom Chambers that said it in an interview with Jones.

[matt131]

https://youtu.be/akbTLUXtFvc?si=JxSC1rFi0pa562pk

KD: “The balance is important. Too much laughter can be detrimental to your group. When you take things too serious it can be the same way”

[matt131]

Ayton is not a bad guy.

He is not a low character guy.

He obviously cares and I imagine he wants to win.

He is not perfect, but he is a totally fine center.

This trade was done for one reason: Ayton is immature.

He is a child playing with no nonsense adults, and those two things do not coexist well on a contending team.

KD and Book have very distinct attitudes toward basketball. Ayton’s attitude and demeanor does not jive with that. After 5 years of playing together, I’m sure Booker is a little tired of it. Ayton seemed like he didn’t like that environment and possibly asked out and/or the team decided he didn’t fit with the group.

We wanted an adult in the room at center. We got someone who understands basketball very well despite his athletic or other shortcomings. Someone KD and Booker probably both have their blessing to the front office about.

James jones came right out and said it yesterday: Nurkic is someone they feel won’t ‘complain’ about playing his role as a big man.

In any other circumstance would you give up on Ayton and trade him away? Probably not. If your window for title contention is the next 2 years, you kind of don’t have time to continue the experiment. You need the guys in the room that buy in immediately and who the stars trust.

Is that the best way to go about things? Doesn’t matter. That’s where we are now. All we can do is cheer on our team and hope for the best.

Go Suns

Well said, but Jones didnt say that it was actually Tom Chambers that said it in an interview with Jones.

https://www.youtube.com/live/cXhl9wjAU3o?si=UmYlgKj2fHDDtT_e

1:09:39

James Jones: “but more importantly, he doesn’t complain and he embraces it.” When talking about what Nurkic brings to the team and playing his role as big man.

Edit: I tried to clip that part: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxAU5rIjL742hDd54JcT0ZcuKRg6o_eJKu?si=5iymFCypfLPPOMzh