Game 50: Toronto Raptors @ Phoenix Suns - Debut of the Great Earl Watson

[jcsunsfan]

Remember when everyone wanted Frank Kaminsky over Booker? That would've been a nightmare. Remember this stuff for when we draft this year guys haha. Although hopefully there is no debate about who we should pick this year as Simmons will be the consensus (I can dream).

I'd pick Ingram over him and wouldn't even sweat it. Simmons hasn't shown that he is the consensus #1

I would be equally happy with either player. Having the second pick would probably be fine. It takes the pressure off. You just choose the one that falls to you.

Its a two player draft. Just like the Oden/Durant draft.

BTW. I think the biggest early risk is Bender. He has HUGE bust potential. I think Porzingis is going to have a "Dirk effect". After Dirk was drafted, teams stretched for Euro big men for several years hoping lightening would strike twice. I watch Bender play yet and its all potential. He is big and he is mobile, but there are a lot of holes in his game that may never fill out.

[saintEscaton]

Remember when everyone wanted Frank Kaminsky over Booker? That would've been a nightmare. Remember this stuff for when we draft this year guys haha. Although hopefully there is no debate about who we should pick this year as Simmons will be the consensus (I can dream).

I'd pick Ingram over him and wouldn't even sweat it. Simmons is far from being a unanimous #1

Yeah Simmons and Ingram are closer than you think. I think I might give the nod to Simmons just because of the potential he has to operate at the 4, with the league going small... And dominating matchups.

Ingram is more of a traditional 3, in the Durant mould.

Both are awesome prospects.

And from memory, it was a very small minority of people who wanted Kaminsky at 13....

Kaminsky is doing better than expected compared to other rookies.... But he is 3-4 years older (3-4 years more to improve and polish his game) than Booker/Turner/Winslow etc.... Which makes Charlotte look like fools.

I'm glady eating crow for doubting the Booker pick, he just didn't show much playing behind the Harrison Twins in a loaded Kentucky team. He has erased any concerns about his ability to create for himself off the bounce and ha proven that he can put the ball on the deck and finish through contact. I really wanted Myles Turner who is also looking like a late lotto steal. Absolutely did not want Frank the Tank and if we pick Ellenson in this draft the tank would been a waste

[Qwigglez]

Just for giggles here is Kieff's game highlights...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjtaYHiJok4[/youtube]


To be honest I miss this Kieff...

[saintEscaton]

Just for giggles here is Kieff's game highlights...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjtaYHiJok4[/youtube]

He's gunna average a triple double for the rest of the season and be our franchise PF

[SunsFanSSOL]

Remember when everyone wanted Frank Kaminsky over Booker? That would've been a nightmare. Remember this stuff for when we draft this year guys haha. Although hopefully there is no debate about who we should pick this year as Simmons will be the consensus (I can dream).

I'm sure we'll get the first pick and there will be some people campaigning for Dragan Bender...

[Qwigglez]

I wouldn't mind if Kieff averaged a trip dub every game, I'd happily eat crow, accept him for what he is and forgive his past mistakes.

[jcsunsfan]

I wouldn't mind if Kieff averaged a trip dub every game, I'd happily eat crow, accept him for what he is and forgive his past mistakes.

There is one main thing Kieff could do to win back Suns fans.

Pass the stinking ball to Book!!!!!!!

Honestly. If he develops some sort of special chemistry with Booker on the court, people might start thinking about wanting to keep him.

[Qwigglez]

I'd have to agree. Watching Kieff and Booker highlights both of them had like 4 assist to each other.

[Puff]

I was a doubter of Watson going in but I think he did a nice job last night. I also have suggested for months that we needed to get another coach on the bench prior to making another massive change in players. I was surprised at the Watson choice but he could turn out just fine. I liked his rotations last night and will be interested to see how he uses Knight when he is healthy.

Based on the AZ Central poll BW posted in another thread the majority of fans blame everyone but Hornacek for our troubles. While they could be correct, the two individuals in charge Sarver and McDonough are the ones making the ultimate decisions. It generally has been the rule in pro sports to fire the coach prior to the players. In that we had a massive turnover last year at the trade deadline and off season while keeping the coach they had to try another course of action this time. I believe they had no other choice but to fire Hornacek. They needed to have the Millions of dollars they have invested in this group led by a new voice prior to making another massive change in player personnel.

I have been on the band wagon to dump Markieff along with everyone else. However when it appeared that there were far more problems on this team than just Markieff I really believe the correct course of action is to keep him unless we get an offer that knocks our socks off.

If Kieff gets his head clear he is sill young enough to grow with this group. None of the suggested trades posters have made for his replacement in the trade thread get me excited and we cannot afford to lose the talent he posses for nothing. This franchise has done that far too often in recent years.

I am also interested to see how Knight performs under another coach prior to dumping him for a bag of beans. If Watson is able to make both Markieff and Knight important and productive parts of this team I expect it will be an easy choice as to who gets the head coaching job next season. I think he knows that.

Watson also mentioned that he needed to get both Chandler and Len going. He seems to have a good grip on our problems and is willing to try to fix them. I know it is early but I now can understand why he got the job.

[LukasBMW]

Even before the blow up with Hornacek and his brother, Keef would take some plays off. I think Coro called him out in an article back in 2014.

I've never NEVER seen him attack the rim like he did yesterday. He looked like old school Amare at times.

I remember that early in the season Eddie Johnson (who knows inside info but can't always come out and say it) mentioned in one broadcast that the Suns "wanted Keef to attack the rim and be aggressive this year." Of course, all he did was shoot jumpers.

This game was obviously a big F-U to Hornacek and the organization.

It will be interesting to see if it carries over into the next few games.

Even if it does, I want him gone. Get him to play well, hopefully he wraps up the assault charge, and then move him.

Between this game and the infamous Kevin Love domination game last year, Keef has proven he can play at an allstar level yet chooses not to. Keef = Derrick Coleman. (remember him?)

[LukasBMW]

Conspiracy theory:

- Keef has big game against Cavs last year
- Keef almost gets traded to the Cavs with IT for Kevin Love
- All is not well in Cleveland
- Cleveland may need a new head coach...a head coach who has played
- The Suns promote Earl Watson to head coach and he signs Rich Paul as his agent
- Earl Watson gets Keef to look like an allstar
Next steps
- Cavs lose in ECF or Finals
- Keef beats assault charge
- Keef signs with Rich Paul
- Cavs offer big deal to Earl Watson
- Earl Watson, D-bag Lebron, and moron Rich Paul trade Love for Keef and someone else

It really makes sense. Lebron wants a former player he respects as coach. Lebron likes playing with "Klutz" spots guys. Kevin Love and Lebron aren't getting along. Keef was shorted on his last contact and probably wants Rich Paul type negotiation next time. The Suns front office hates keef and has been wanting Love for some time now.

I hope Watson takes Keef with him to the Cavs at the end of the season.

I'd also gladly swap Bledsoe for Kyrie if GM Lebron wants that.

[RunDogGun]

All this game shows is that with effort, Morris can be good. And it also proves that Morris has purposely not given the effort this season. We already knew this.

[Jarlaxle0204]

Now let's see if Markieff will go back to dogging it after giving Hornacek the big middle finger or if the new "old" Keiff is here to stay and play.

[TeamTragic]

Conspiracy theory:

- Keef has big game against Cavs last year
- Keef almost gets traded to the Cavs with IT for Kevin Love
- All is not well in Cleveland
- Cleveland may need a new head coach...a head coach who has played
- The Suns promote Earl Watson to head coach and he signs Rich Paul as his agent
- Earl Watson gets Keef to look like an allstar
Next steps
- Cavs lose in ECF or Finals
- Keef beats assault charge
- Keef signs with Rich Paul
- Cavs offer big deal to Earl Watson
- Earl Watson, D-bag Lebron, and moron Rich Paul trade Love for Keef and someone else

It really makes sense. Lebron wants a former player he respects as coach. Lebron likes playing with "Klutz" spots guys. Kevin Love and Lebron aren't getting along. Keef was shorted on his last contract and probably wants Rich Paul type negotiation next time. The Suns front office hates keef and has been wanting Love for some time now.

I hope Watson takes Keef with him to the Cavs at the end of the season.

I'd also gladly swap Bledsoe for Kyrie if GM Lebron wants that.

Definitely not farfetched. Cleveland doesn't look as though they will win the championship this year and LBJ gets what we he wants right?

[Donald_Trade]

Remember when everyone wanted Frank Kaminsky over Booker? That would've been a nightmare. Remember this stuff for when we draft this year guys haha. Although hopefully there is no debate about who we should pick this year as Simmons will be the consensus (I can dream).

I'm sure we'll get the first pick and there will be some people campaigning for Dragan Bender...

Only after suggesting to trade it for Kevin Love.

[letsgosuns]

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 59m59 minutes ago
Paul Coro Retweeted Andrew Joseph
Morris had 3 dunks. Asked about his better spring, he said, "I wasn't tired like that one when I got rim-blocked."

[AtheJ415]

Lol. Watson is a genius. Gets Markieff to buy in by asking him to lead the team. Stark contrast from Jeff, who wanted the players to sort out who was the leader. Watson tells them their roles. If Kieff keeps it up will anybody forgive him? I'm not sure I could at this point. But it would be nice to be able to get something good for him (please draft picks or please Terrence Jones).

Didn't Jeff ask both Morris to take on a leadership role last season? They responded with a large amount of techs and a felony assault case. Oh, and yelling at the coach on national tv. Jeff was positive with Morris up until it was obvious that Morris was dogging it.

Right, and that negative reinforcement caused things to get worse. Let's say your boss has always managed you with positive reinforcement. What happens when he suddenly becomes negative and stops involving you? Kieff is a moron who is hard to deal with, but Watson is handling it better. For Watson to do this despite and after all of the troubles probably means a lot to Kieff. He probably feels like he has a 2nd chance. It goes back to handling and managing people. We'll see with Watson, but he's certainly handling Kieff better in the 1 game he coached.

[AtheJ415]

All this game shows is that with effort, Morris can be good. And it also proves that Morris has purposely not given the effort this season. We already knew this.

I could say that about our hole team though. I hate Kieff, but let's not pretend like he was the only one out there not playing hard. The team had quit on Jeff. Everyone was demotivated.

[jcsunsfan]

I think McD is working Cleveland and Toronto against each other right now. Kieff is in play and maybe Tucker. Toronto needs both to face LeBron and Love and Cleveland doesn't want Toronto to get them.

[Damkac]

Great game. Booker and Goodwin played fantastic, Kieff raised his value (still want to trade him) and we still lose so it doesn't hurt our tanking.