Suns Offseason Thread 2: The Hunt for a Blazer Continues!

[JDJ26]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheRocketGuy/status/616787520215322624[/tweet]

Womp womp.

I like how the guy seems confident it's a done deal, but ends by saying "if he signs".

Also, if that were the case, Aldridge would have a lot of explaining to do about leading other teams on and taking meetings if he's already decided. Gotta love those Twitter reporters.

Yeah if he was sold on the Spurs he would have already announced it. I wouldn't count the Suns out yet.

If the Spurs have traded Splitter and Baynes has agreed to sign with the Pistons, who is their starting center? We all know Duncan is considered a power forward and always plays next to a center. How can the Spurs possibly offer a center combination to Aldridge like the Suns can with Chandler and Len.

They can sign Koufos or Perkins.Easy peasy.

Koufos wants to start and Perkins isn't good.

[bigfoot]

OK, I just sent a couple of tweets to Aldridge. Hopefully I sealed the deal.

@aldridge_12 Suns fans want and need a player like you. Spurs are a great team but other than Leonard, the core guys are getting a bit old.

@aldridge_12 Create your own legacy in Phoenix...we need that face of the franchise who elevates us. In SA, the legacy is Duncan/Robinson.

Every Suns fan needs to send a "We Believe #PhxSuns" tweet to DMA

[saintEscaton]

This board and fans in general typically over value their own players I feel we have done the opposite with Kieff he can be a really good player and I think not playing with Marcus and living with Marcus is going to force him to grow as a person and as a player. I for one want Kieff as our starting PF if Aldridge signs with the Spurs which I think is inevitable. I am believe Kieff will be one of the top 10 pF in this league this year maybe top 5 if he is really focused.

Sorry but....

Kieff is a solid PF. There is no denying that.

Well Chief Kieff was third amongst all big men in mid-range shooting effeciency but thats not all you should look for in a PF. Unless he can also dominate in the paint/continue to consistently deliver in the clutch and average near 20 PPG he's a net negative because of his porous defense/lack of hustle/ lack rebounding ability. But I guess if we always have either Len or Chandler on the court next to him as a rim protector he wont be as exposed

[Frank Lee]

Wow.... away from this all day.... So down to one MoBro ? Hats off McDuh. Freed up some space and moved CussMo. I am surprised that Detroit would entertain the offer. Stan Van does like shooters though.

Perhaps Ryan will stand by his 'cultural' statement. And/Or perhaps Markief will do some fast growing up. Sometimes a knock down is the only way you can get up. Don't know if Keif has the stones for a PR rebuild. He should keep his tweeting hole shut for starters.


So it looks like we were/are in our standard FA ride. LMA has nice options... he can go to SA and have a very good shot at a ring for next yr.... or sign with us and have a better long term option. He'd be playing with the same group here for the next 3-4 yrs. They are all inked. Tough choice or it would have been made already.

[bwoolf2]

This board and fans in general typically over value their own players I feel we have done the opposite with Kieff he can be a really good player and I think not playing with Marcus and living with Marcus is going to force him to grow as a person and as a player. I for one want Kieff as our starting PF if Aldridge signs with the Spurs which I think is inevitable. I am believe Kieff will be one of the top 10 pF in this league this year maybe top 5 if he is really focused.

Sorry but....

Tell you what if Kieff ends up being our starting forward we can bet on it?

[bwgood77]

Sorry but....

Kieff is a solid PF. There is no denying that.

Well Chief Kieff was third amongst all big men in mid-range shooting effeciency but thats not all you should look for in a PF. Unless he can also dominate in the paint/continue to consistently deliver in the clutch and average near 19 PPG he's a net negative because of his porous defense/lack of hustle/ lack rebounding ability. But I guess if we always have either Len or Chandler on the court next to him as a rim protector he wont be as exposed

I'd rather have someone better but he is far from a scrub. He is a solid player and still young and works hard to get better. I feel much better about him with his brother gone. He can spend more time focusing on basketball, and after this offseason I think he will.

[letsgosuns]

If the Spurs have traded Splitter and Baynes has agreed to sign with the Pistons, who is their starting center? We all know Duncan is considered a power forward and always plays next to a center. How can the Spurs possibly offer a center combination to Aldridge like the Suns can with Chandler and Len.

They can sign Koufos or Perkins.Easy peasy.

Those guys do not compare to Chandler and Len though. Perkins is virtually done and Koufos is just a backup. Chandler is a premier center and Len is on his way to becoming a possible top 3 center in the league. This is strictly about talent. I look at all 30 teams and I do not see another team that has a center combination as good as the Suns have. At least on paper.

[saintEscaton]

This board and fans in general typically over value their own players I feel we have done the opposite with Kieff he can be a really good player and I think not playing with Marcus and living with Marcus is going to force him to grow as a person and as a player. I for one want Kieff as our starting PF if Aldridge signs with the Spurs which I think is inevitable. I am believe Kieff will be one of the top 10 pF in this league this year maybe top 5 if he is really focused.

Sorry but....

Tell you what if Kieff ends up being our starting forward we can bet on it?

I will most likely lose that bet given that it has the same odds of us landing LMA. But I can bet against him ever being a top 10 or 5 PF. Unless you go by some cherry picked advanced metrics that skews the picture

[bwoolf2]

Sorry but....

Tell you what if Kieff ends up being our starting forward we can bet on it?

I will most likely lose that bet. But I can bet against him ever being a top 10 or 5 PF. Unless you go by some cherry picked advanced metrics that skews the picture

Name me 10 better PF's in the league, go... Ill give you the first 4 Tim Duncan, although not sure about this year he is old as F, Love, Nowitski, Aldridge... Ill do you one better name me 5 better under age 30

[Moochthemonkey]

If the Spurs have traded Splitter and Baynes has agreed to sign with the Pistons, who is their starting center? We all know Duncan is considered a power forward and always plays next to a center. How can the Spurs possibly offer a center combination to Aldridge like the Suns can with Chandler and Len.

It's almost splitting (no pun intended) hairs, but Duncan is equally effective at the C spot. Ever since David Robinson left, the Spurs have had rather pedestrian centers. Tiago Splitter? Rasho Nesterovic? Francisco Oberto? Jeff Pendergraph? I do wish that was true, and even though Duncan is regarded as a power forward he played almost twice as minutes at C than PF last season, same in '14, and in '13 all of his minutes were at center (according to 82games.com). While he often may start alongside a Center, the bulk of Timmy's minutes are spent at the 5.

[bwgood77]

Well, SA fans are certainly tweeting...these are in response to my tweets...I'm sure more are to come.

@aldridge_12 Screw the suns aldridge. Learn to win championships with San Antonio.

I think if people are respectful if they tweet him with solid stuff it could help a little...don't be like the guy above. It likely won't make a difference, but if he thinks the Spurs fan EXPECT a championship and we just want someone to help us get there, I think that's a good thing.

[saintEscaton]

Well, SA fans are certainly tweeting...these are in response to my tweets...I'm sure more are to come.

@aldridge_12 Screw the suns aldridge. Learn to win championships with San Antonio.

I think if people are respectful if they tweet him with solid stuff it could help a little...don't be like the guy above. It likely won't make a difference, but if he thinks the Spurs fan EXPECT a championship and we just want someone to help us get there, I think that's a good thing.

I've met classy/knowledgeable Spurs fans who are students of the game and want us to relive our glory days and revive that great rivalry. Both most of them are pricks like the above

[Frank Lee]

Man.... some chunky paydays are in store for quite a few guys. I can't recall such a profitable flurry in signings. Wonder which agent/agency scored the most. There is some serious celebrating going on elsewhere

[saintEscaton]

Tell you what if Kieff ends up being our starting forward we can bet on it?

I will most likely lose that bet. But I can bet against him ever being a top 10 or 5 PF. Unless you go by some cherry picked advanced metrics that skews the picture

Name me 10 better PF's in the league, go... Ill give you the first 4 Tim Duncan, although not sure about this year he is old as F, Love, Nowitski, Aldridge... Ill do you one better name me 5 better under age 30

Kieff is 31st in ranking per Hollinger. In order of preferences young PFs 25 or under I'd take over him; 1) Anthony Davis 2) Blake Griffin 3) Serge Ibaka 4) Derrick Favors 5) Nikola Mirotic. Need I go on? Its not even close

[carey]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/daldridgetnt/status/616796915489972224[/tweet]

Obviously if we miss out on Aldridge, we could go for West, but I don't know if $7 million a year would be enough. Would you trade Tucker or Kieff to clear cap space? I think Tucker might be worth it to create over $12, but not Kieff, because West wouldn't be here for long. Or we could dump Goodwin, Leuer and McNeal and get close to $10 for him, but it shouldn't be that long of a deal if we do it.

Serious question: Is Markieff not just as good as David West at this point in his career?

[letsgosuns]

If the Spurs have traded Splitter and Baynes has agreed to sign with the Pistons, who is their starting center? We all know Duncan is considered a power forward and always plays next to a center. How can the Spurs possibly offer a center combination to Aldridge like the Suns can with Chandler and Len.

It's almost splitting (no pun intended) hairs, but Duncan is equally effective at the C spot. Ever since David Robinson left, the Spurs have had rather pedestrian centers. Tiago Splitter? Rasho Nesterovic? Francisco Oberto? Jeff Pendergraph? I do wish that was true, and even though Duncan is regarded as a power forward he played almost twice as minutes at C than PF last season, same in '14, and in '13 all of his minutes were at center (according to 82games.com). While he often may start alongside a Center, the bulk of Timmy's minutes are spent at the 5.

Yes I understand. But Duncan is 39 years old. The Spurs give him rest randomly and save him for the playoffs. How many minutes is he going to play. How many more years is he going to play. It has been widely reported that Aldridge is adamantly against playing center. Well Tyson Chandler is locked up for four years and is still only 32 as of now. Alex Len is on his rookie contract and the Suns can potentially control him for at least the next seven seasons if they choose. Everybody says oh it is the Spurs, they always find good players. Well it is not that easy. The nucleus of their team is Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker. When Duncan and Ginobili are gone, possibly by next year, it will not be the same. You do not lose a player like Duncan and still stay as good as you were with him. It is not possible. He is the greatest power forward of all time and arguably a top five player in NBA history. What can the Spurs say to Aldridge when it comes to longevity after next season? Duncan is going to play until he is 50? That seems totally unrealistic imo.

[bwoolf2]

I will most likely lose that bet. But I can bet against him ever being a top 10 or 5 PF. Unless you go by some cherry picked advanced metrics that skews the picture

Name me 10 better PF's in the league, go... Ill give you the first 4 Tim Duncan, although not sure about this year he is old as F, Love, Nowitski, Aldridge... Ill do you one better name me 5 better under age 30

Kieff is 31st in ranking per Hollinger. In order of preferences young PFs 25 or under I'd take over him; 1) Anthony Davis 2) Blake Griffin 3) Serge Ibaka 4) Derrick Favors 5) Nikola Mirotic. Need I go on? Its not even close

We will agree to disagree, I dont think Ibaka, Favors, and especially Mirotic have shown more, time will tell... Kieff could turn into a told headcase and flop out or he could get his **** together, he has the talent.

[Safety Pickle]

Tell you what if Kieff ends up being our starting forward we can bet on it?

I will most likely lose that bet. But I can bet against him ever being a top 10 or 5 PF. Unless you go by some cherry picked advanced metrics that skews the picture

Name me 10 better PF's in the league, go... Ill give you the first 4 Tim Duncan, although not sure about this year he is old as F, Love, Nowitski, Aldridge... Ill do you one better name me 5 better under age 30

Millsapp, Gasol, Dirk, D Green, Griffin, ZBO, Bosh, Davis, Ibaka, Aldridge, Duncan, Favors, J Parker/Randle/Noel (not as good but I'd still take them over Kieff), Love. Monroe, Harris, Melo/Bron (both play the 4 quite a bit), Galo, Horford

Under 30: Millsapp (30), Green, Griffin, Monroe, Randle/Parker/Noel, Davis, Ibaka, Harris, Galo, Horford

That's not even looking at rookies

[bwgood77]

answer to carey...I've tried quoting and posting but for some reason it is not posting..

Yes, I think he is, but for more vet guidance and depth, if we could sign him to a short contract, it would be good. Has ties with Warren too and might help him out.

[starbosa10]

Woj was just on foxsports live and said we're above the lakers and possibly shoulder to shoulder with the spurs. trust woj over some rockets reporter