Devin Booker

[MathiasPW]

I cannot see how Brandon Knight should start again unless there is an injury to Booker or Bled.

Surely it is early and Knight is injured but Watson has not included Knight in any of his conversations.

I am not so sure about your statement but I think that unless Knight can establish his worth in these final games he will probably be moved this summer. If Watson can get Knight to play the right way then we will have to make a decision between Knight and Bledsoe or we could keep both. These final 33 games are more important than people think for our future.

Watson also mentioned that he wants to get both Chandler and Len more involved. IMO their poor play has been our biggest problem this year. Len has not shown me anything except on a rare occasion. He is just too passive for my taste and I see that problem with Chandler as well. I like my bigs to be aggressive almost to the point of being dirty. They have to go after every rebound and contest every penetration to the hoop. We have had a couple of matadors in the paint all year. They make Amare look like a HOF defender. We can give them all the excuses we want but they both have sucked.

If Len does not show consistent aggression, in these final 33 games, I would show him the door. At this point he is a bust and a wasted pick in the draft. If we could package him for another big at the deadline I would not be depressed. I am really getting tired of watching him struggle night after night with little of no emotion.

As much as fans, including me, have berated Markieff all year I do not think you move him unless you get good return.

Early on I wanted to see the following lineup but Jeff refused to try it.

Chandler
Markieff
Booker
Knight
Bledsoe

Those are the five best players on our roster, IMO. With a connected Markieff it would give Bledsoe and Knight really good options to pass the ball to. Unfortunately this season Markieff was distracted and Booker was never really given consistent playing until after Bledsoe and Price went down.

If PJ Tucker is in the starting line up next year I will throw up.

I guess I am a sucker. I do not think we are as far away from being a good team as some would suggest. With a couple of good personnel moves, a good draft and a good coach I think we could be in the playoffs next year.

C-c-c-combo breaker!!!

[jcsunsfan]

I cannot see how Brandon Knight should start again unless there is an injury to Booker or Bled.

Surely it is early and Knight is injured but Watson has not included Knight in any of his conversations.

I am not so sure about your statement but I think that unless Knight can establish his worth in these final games he will probably be moved this summer. If Watson can get Knight to play the right way then we will have to make a decision between Knight and Bledsoe or we could keep both. These final 33 games are more important than people think for our future.

Watson also mentioned that he wants to get both Chandler and Len more involved. IMO their poor play has been our biggest problem this year. Len has not shown me anything except on a rare occasion. He is just too passive for my taste and I see that problem with Chandler as well. I like my bigs to be aggressive almost to the point of being dirty. They have to go after every rebound and contest every penetration to the hoop. We have had a couple of matadors in the paint all year. They make Amare look like a HOF defender. We can give them all the excuses we want but they both have sucked.

If Len does not show consistent aggression, in these final 33 games, I would show him the door. At this point he is a bust and a wasted pick in the draft. If we could package him for another big at the deadline I would not be depressed. I am really getting tired of watching him struggle night after night with little of no emotion.

As much as fans, including me, have berated Markieff all year I do not think you move him unless you get good return.

Early on I wanted to see the following lineup but Jeff refused to try it.

Chandler
Markieff
Booker
Knight
Bledsoe

Those are the five best players on our roster, IMO. With a connected Markieff it would give Bledsoe and Knight really good options to pass the ball to. Unfortunately this season Markieff was distracted and Booker was never really given consistent playing until after Bledsoe and Price went down.

If PJ Tucker is in the starting line up next year I will throw up.

I guess I am a sucker. I do not think we are as far away from being a good team as some would suggest. With a couple of good personnel moves, a good draft and a good coach I think we could be in the playoffs next year.

C-c-c-combo breaker!!!

He hasnt included Bledsoe in any discussion either. I think he is just focusing on the players at hand. I expect Knight to be out with an "injury" for a long time.

[oddity]

Can we just call this the koolaid thread.

When Devin Booker does push-ups he doesn't push himself up, he pushes the world down.

When Devin Booker has a $5 bill and you have a $5 bill, Booker has more money than you.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Jesus can walk on water, but Devin Booker can swim through land.

[Puff]

Surely it is early and Knight is injured but Watson has not included Knight in any of his conversations.

I am not so sure about your statement but I think that unless Knight can establish his worth in these final games he will probably be moved this summer. If Watson can get Knight to play the right way then we will have to make a decision between Knight and Bledsoe or we could keep both. These final 33 games are more important than people think for our future.

Watson also mentioned that he wants to get both Chandler and Len more involved. IMO their poor play has been our biggest problem this year. Len has not shown me anything except on a rare occasion. He is just too passive for my taste and I see that problem with Chandler as well. I like my bigs to be aggressive almost to the point of being dirty. They have to go after every rebound and contest every penetration to the hoop. We have had a couple of matadors in the paint all year. They make Amare look like a HOF defender. We can give them all the excuses we want but they both have sucked.

If Len does not show consistent aggression, in these final 33 games, I would show him the door. At this point he is a bust and a wasted pick in the draft. If we could package him for another big at the deadline I would not be depressed. I am really getting tired of watching him struggle night after night with little of no emotion.

As much as fans, including me, have berated Markieff all year I do not think you move him unless you get good return.

Early on I wanted to see the following lineup but Jeff refused to try it.

Chandler
Markieff
Booker
Knight
Bledsoe

Those are the five best players on our roster, IMO. With a connected Markieff it would give Bledsoe and Knight really good options to pass the ball to. Unfortunately this season Markieff was distracted and Booker was never really given consistent playing until after Bledsoe and Price went down.

If PJ Tucker is in the starting line up next year I will throw up.

I guess I am a sucker. I do not think we are as far away from being a good team as some would suggest. With a couple of good personnel moves, a good draft and a good coach I think we could be in the playoffs next year.

C-c-c-combo breaker!!!

He hasnt included Bledsoe in any discussion either. I think he is just focusing on the players at hand. I expect Knight to be out with an "injury" for a long time.

I hope you are wrong. We need to find out what we have, with different coaching, prior to dumping him.

[JMac1]

Food for thought. McD said Knight would be featured once he returned.

[Puff]

Food for thought. McD said Knight would be featured once he returned.

I certainly hope it is as our Point guard and not at shooting guard.

If we see a Price / Knight backcourt there should an outright boycott and a demonstration in front of the arena.

I for one will not watch that crap.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Food for thought. McD said Knight would be featured once he returned.

I certainly hope it is as our Point guard and not at shooting guard.

If we see a Price / Knight backcourt there should an outright boycott and a demonstration in front of the arena.

I for one will not watch that crap.

Archie has earned 25 MPG. Price can play spot minutes, but I think we should see a Knight/Booker/Archie rotation in the backcourt going forward. I'm curious as to whether Watson's "point five" system will reduce Knight's turnovers and, perhaps, improve his efficiency.

[mirv]

Looks like Booker will be in the 3 point shoot out.

[GMATCallahan]

So last 8 games he's averaged 20.8pts 2.8reb 3.4ast 3.0x3pt 44% from the field and 87% (on 4.7 FTA!) a night.

This kid is special and won't be able to buy beer UNTIL THE START OF THE 2017-18 SEASON.

That is absurd.

He's basically putting up Klay Thompson's stats as a 19yr old.

Trade Knight for a young big, bring Bogdanovic over next season and mold him as that Ginobili 6th man type guy and let Booker get 16-18 shots every night.

... of course, he is also doing it for a team that, after the injuries, probably possesses the worst roster in the NBA and virtually cannot win a game. Tyrone Corbin, for example, averaged 8.2 points, and 11.1 points in 30 starts, for the '88-'89 Suns who posted the second-best record in the Western Conference. When Phoenix left him unprotected in the 1989 expansion draft and Minnesota selected Corbin, he averaged 16.3 points over the next two seasons, including 18.0 points per game in '90-'91—playing for a 29-win team. (And the sad part is that compared to this Phoenix club since Bledsoe went down, those first and second-year expansion Minnesota squads look like playoff clubs and maybe even championship contenders.) There are many players who could post a certain level of statistical performance if given the opportunity—we have even seen that from Archie Goodwin, to some extent, recently. The question, though, is whether those statistics are more a sign of a roster's state and whether they can correlate with winning. If Klay Thompson were playing for the Suns, he might be averaging 30 points per game right now, because he would be receiving so many opportunities.

All that said, yes, Booker can certainly play at this level and he does profile as the Suns' shooting guard of the future. Although I do not want to feed the hype too much given the context in which he is performing, Booker reminds me of Ray Allen in certain respects and could at least become a poor man's version of Allen moving forward.

Booker's emergence may render Knight expendable, but I would not trade him for that reason alone (not that you are necessarily advocating a trade for the sake of a trade). Knight might fit best as a Sixth Man and a third guard—perhaps as a new version of Jason Terry. To be sure, Terry proved more efficient, but Knight's basic "combo guard" abilities profile similarly and may function more efficiently when facing more second-line players. Bogdanovic may provide useful depth, but the Suns cannot assume that he could become a Ginobili-type of player. Remember that when Ginobili debuted in the NBA, he was twenty-five and had nearly led Argentina to a FIBA World Championship (in 2002).

Then there is the concern about Bledsoe's knees. If his history with his right knee provides any indication, he may need yet another meniscus surgery two seasons from now on his left knee.

Bledsoe had the meniscus in his left knee repaired in a Dec. 29 surgery that was similar to when he had the meniscus in his right knee repaired while with the Clippers in 2011. A repair is better for the long-term health of his knee but it could need to be addressed again, as it did when he had his right knee meniscus removed two years ago.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/01/19/suns-eric-bledsoe-focused-coming-back-dominate/79034960/

Frankly, the fact that Bledsoe had already undergone two knee surgeries by the time that he was twenty-four constituted one reason why signing Isaiah Thomas made sense and why keeping him would have made sense, too.

[GMATCallahan]

Food for thought. McD said Knight would be featured once he returned.

I certainly hope it is as our Point guard and not at shooting guard.

If we see a Price / Knight backcourt there should an outright boycott and a demonstration in front of the arena.

I for one will not watch that crap.

Archie has earned 25 MPG. Price can play spot minutes, but I think we should see a Knight/Booker/Archie rotation in the backcourt going forward. I'm curious as to whether Watson's "point five" system will reduce Knight's turnovers and, perhaps, improve his efficiency.

I would actually like to see the Suns try Goodwin as a small forward often enough, especially with Warren out ...

Because let us face reality: even with his 12 assists the other night, Goodwin really does not profile as a starting point guard, and he does not profile as a starting shooting guard, either. As a guard, I feel that his ceiling is as a backup—the question is whether that would be a second-string backup or a third-string backup.

[nevetsov]

^Yup, when BK comes back, you have to try:

Knight
Goodwin
Booker
Markieff
Chandler

Best 5 available players and a good way of continuing to showcase/ stat pad the vets while playing the young guys in key roles.

[Damkac]

The NBA has set its field for the 2016 Three-Point Contest, headlined by defending champion Stephen Curry.

*Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Solid competitors.

Imagine the madness here if Booker beats Curry

[GMATCallahan]

If Len does not show consistent aggression, in these final 33 games, I would show him the door. At this point he is a bust and a wasted pick in the draft. If we could package him for another big at the deadline I would not be depressed. I am really getting tired of watching him struggle night after night with little of no emotion.

I would be more patient with Len. He is still very young (twenty-two), and true centers often take awhile to develop—see Robin Lopez, and I feel that Len possesses a lot more game than Lopez. I have observed improvement from Len in a number of areas over the last two seasons, but the problem is a lack of consistency, which also manifests itself in a lack of efficiency.

What also hurts Len is that the Suns have never been a good passing team since he joined the club—this flaw now hurts Chandler as well. A center such as Mark West, for example, was very limited offensively, but when playing with Kevin Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, and Dan Majerle, he could receive great looks and easy opportunities that allowed him to complement, rather than detract from, the team's offensive efficiency.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199011100PHO.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199011130LAL.html

Video for that last box score:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAg8Ob4oeBM[/youtube]

(See the possession from 12:13-12:24 in particular.)

Now, I know that you are also talking about defense and aggressiveness and so forth, but Len would be a better player if he could play with better passers, and a lack of effective passing has unfortunately constituted a hallmark of McDonough's tenure.

I guess I am a sucker. I do not think we are as far away from being a good team as some would suggest. With a couple of good personnel moves, a good draft and a good coach I think we could be in the playoffs next year.

Maybe so, but that is still a lot of "ifs" ...

My sense of the roster is that there are some pieces and assets floating around, but not much that makes for a coherent vision or structure. And with no superstar to play off of or outstanding passer to facilitate, floating pieces and assets are of marginal value in terms of winning games.

[jcsunsfan]

If Len does not show consistent aggression, in these final 33 games, I would show him the door. At this point he is a bust and a wasted pick in the draft. If we could package him for another big at the deadline I would not be depressed. I am really getting tired of watching him struggle night after night with little of no emotion.

I would be more patient with Len. He is still very young (twenty-two), and true centers often take awhile to develop—see Robin Lopez, and I feel that Len possesses a lot more game than Lopez. I have observed improvement from Len in a number of areas over the last two seasons, but the problem is a lack of consistency, which also manifests itself in a lack of efficiency.

What also hurts Len is that the Suns have never been a good passing team since he joined the club—this flaw now hurts Chandler as well. A center such as Mark West, for example, was very limited offensively, but when playing with Kevin Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, and Dan Majerle, he could receive great looks and easy opportunities that allowed him to complement, rather than detract from, the team's offensive efficiency.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199011100PHO.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199011130LAL.html

Video for that last box score:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAg8Ob4oeBM[/youtube]

(See the possession from 12:13-12:24 in particular.)

Now, I know that you are also talking about defense and aggressiveness and so forth, but Len would be a better player if he could play with better passers, and a lack of effective passing has unfortunately constituted a hallmark of McDonough's tenure.

I guess I am a sucker. I do not think we are as far away from being a good team as some would suggest. With a couple of good personnel moves, a good draft and a good coach I think we could be in the playoffs next year.

Maybe so, but that is still a lot of "ifs" ...

My sense of the roster is that there are some pieces and assets floating around, but not much that makes for a coherent vision or structure. And with no superstar to play off of or outstanding passer to facilitate, floating pieces and assets are of marginal value in terms of winning games.

The offensive production for a big guy is often out of his control. Rebounding is not.

[GMATCallahan]

The offensive production for a big guy is often out of his control. Rebounding is not.

That is a good way of looking at it. Len has certainly shown flashes of strong rebounding, especially in the last game. The key, again, will be consistency.

[Damkac]

I remember how Suns was passing the ball to Plumlee a lot at the beginnings of the games to fire him up. I don't understand why they never do the same with Len.

[starbosa10]

devin booker is my shining light

[Sunsss]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/697893388432048128[/tweet]

[MathiasPW]

More than deserved

[Damkac]

I'm sorry for Noel but this is great news