Game 58: Nets @ Suns

[AtheJ415]

I've got to make up for the fact that this doesn't even seem like a forum for Suns fans. People hate when we're good, hate when we're bad. It's even funnier seeing people long for the teams and players of the past, because during their run they were criticized to no end.

True. I am usually am optimist with my teams, but this year has been tough. And all things considered, for the long run, it would be good for us to be bad (tank) next year too, because that draft is stacked at the top. But as a Suns fan it is hard to be that interested when the team is THIS bad. I'm not sure what I hope for anymore. We first and foremost need to make a great pick(s), trade, and get a great coach.

I definitely agree that we should tank next year as well. Good post.

It'll happen. There's no way we'll win a ton given how young we are. If we do it'll be because of awesome development, so it's kind of a win win. But young teams just don't win in the NBA, and we'll be adding 4 more young players just between the draft and Bogdan, plus whoever we sign in FA, and I also wouldn't be surprised to see guys traded during the offseason like Chandler and Tucker.

[NaturalBuns]

Earl Hunter, Lindsey Watson, Earl Watson, Lindsey Hunter, Hunter Earl, Earl Lindsey...awe doesn't matter, they suck anyway you make it.

Lol this roster is depleted it's not the NFL next man up concept.
They are missing the teams 3 top scorers plus markieff gone.

Just looking forward to a restart next season

[Mulhollanddrive]

A restart of what though?

We've missed playoffs for 7 years with the same strategy for most years.

If we keep doing the same thing we'll get the same results.

[AtheJ415]

We just need to continue to build through the draft. We also need to buy into the full rebuild and trade the remaining vets if possible. Go through FA taking reasonable offers on young role players (don't spend a ton unless they're sure things), and hope you develop a star from the draft or get the opportunity to trade a few of your guys for Cousins or the like.

We should honestly bomb next year too, but depending on who all we keep, we should have a promising young player at every position, making that draft and our trade options wide open.

[Bogyo]

Haven't watched the game, but how did we end up with 23 FTAs to their 42 on our home court? :O

Not much else to add, the highlights pretty much tell the story... Missing shots all over the place, and turning the ball over.
Injured team, with not much talent or just too young guys. The tank rolls on. If we keep Knight out for the season we might just catch the Lakers, I think we have the 3rd place locked down with this loss. Has a 2nd place team ever picked worse than the 3rd spot?

[Damkac]

We aren't a playoff team, we should trade everyone except for Booker, Len, TJ and maybe Archie and just give them 30+ minutes a night. I'd rather suck and let the young guys develop.

Suns play young guys 30+ minutes a night.

OH MY GOD WE SUCK! TRADE THE YOUNG GUYS! THEY'RE AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, what the **** are you guys expecting? Insta-Championship?

Embarrassing finish to the half. You can tell even the Nets have much more talent than us.

You means that after loosing our 4 best scorers, with 19 years old kid and 3 guys that are bench players at best as starters we lose to a team that traded all their picks in this decade to win now? Yes, embarrassing.

[thamadkant]

Mirza is a FA.. Humphries is a team option...
Yet Watson is milking them with minutes.


My theory is...Suns will try to resign Mirza and still aim for playoffs next season... By having Teletovic have free reign and heaps of minutes. McD also just mentioned he thinks the Suns are NOT far off from contention.


The notion of signing of PGs with repeated 10 day contracts whilst Price has been back and Goodwin putting up 17/5 assists as a PG is also baffling.

Absolutely loved watching the Booker and Goodwin back court..getting 30 minutes together and having free reign to create... Suns only won 1 game but fun to watch.


Again... With this game... It really did felt Suns wanted to tank... Whilst developing Booker.
Goodwin starting and getting 30 minutes probably meant him scoring 20 plus and a win... Just likethe hawks game... Which hurt a bit with the chase for the Lakers bottom 2 spot....

But then again... You see Pressey, Price and Humphries get heaps of opportunities through shot attempts and usage.... None of these guys are in the youth movement plan... Very confusing lineups and intentions.

[letsgosuns]

There is a path for the Suns to become instantly relevant. It involves trading the Suns pick and probably another asset for Blake Griffin and then signing Kevin Durant. Do I think it is possible? I give it a less than one percent chance of happening. But that is the point. Unless the Suns are able to pull something like this scenario off, there is nothing they can do to become an immediate contender.

In reality, I think there are only three teams who are title contenders. The Warriors, Spurs, and Cavaliers. The rest of the league has no chance.

This is a serious problem that the league created themselves. It has led to bad basketball among the majority of teams. The most recent CBA screwed up the free agency process so much that players have zero incentive to go to small market teams. Since the max contract rules changed to four years instead of six years, and the hometown max changed from seven years to five, plus the sign and trade of a hometown max is no longer allowed, teams cannot outbid each other anymore.

Every team has the identical offer besides the hometown team. If the Suns could have offered Aldridge more money and years than the Spurs, would that have changed things? Possibly.

If hypothetically the Knicks offer Durant the same contract that the Wolves offer, which do you think he will pick. But what if the Wolves could offer him an extra 2 years and 60 million more if the free agency rules were different. That is a massive difference obviously.

But there is nothing that can be done. The NBA screwed itself with this ridiculous CBA agreement that supposedly was made to level the playing field for teams and it did the opposite. The free agency rules need to change dramatically if the league wants more parody.

[Saberestar]

What a horrible game...OMG.
Well, at least we lost and we are one game closer to the drat lottery day with more ping pong balls than the Nets (Boston).

Tanking really hard.

[katil29]

MT3

[saintEscaton]

But there is nothing that can be done. The NBA screwed itself with this ridiculous CBA agreement that supposedly was made to level the playing field for teams and it did the opposite. The free agency rules need to change dramatically if the league wants more parody.

We already have enough parody what we need is more parity

[phnart]

U-G-L-Y..you don't need no alibi.

It is so weird rooting for them to lose. Goes against every fiber of my being, but I know it is for the best. When they do well, I get a little excited and then remember, we need to lose to NJ. This is so hard to watch, though. Definitely the darkest days of my Suns fandom. I was saddened greatly by the drug scandal as Sweet D was my favorite player as a youngster. That was during my high school years or just shortly after, so I was too busy having fun to care much about the Suns anyway. This time, though. This sucks. Sarver needs to step up and hire BASKETBALL people to run the basketball operations. Ryan McD may be able to do the job, but he certainly hasn't gotten much help from those above him, if at all. We need some leaders with credibility to re-establish what was once a classy organization.

Back to work.

[Gorilla Warfare]

Look at those stars.....and Tele.

[AtheJ415]

Mirza is a FA.. Humphries is a team option...
Yet Watson is milking them with minutes.


My theory is...Suns will try to resign Mirza and still aim for playoffs next season... By having Teletovic have free reign and heaps of minutes. McD also just mentioned he thinks the Suns are NOT far off from contention.


The notion of signing of PGs with repeated 10 day contracts whilst Price has been back and Goodwin putting up 17/5 assists as a PG is also baffling.

Absolutely loved watching the Booker and Goodwin back court..getting 30 minutes together and having free reign to create... Suns only won 1 game but fun to watch.


Again... With this game... It really did felt Suns wanted to tank... Whilst developing Booker.
Goodwin starting and getting 30 minutes probably meant him scoring 20 plus and a win... Just likethe hawks game... Which hurt a bit with the chase for the Lakers bottom 2 spot....

But then again... You see Pressey, Price and Humphries get heaps of opportunities through shot attempts and usage.... None of these guys are in the youth movement plan... Very confusing lineups and intentions.

Yeah. I have no idea why the role switch with Goodwin has happened, as well as Leuer's departure of minutes. Humphries is much worse. It seems obvious to me. I guess we figure that we're going to miss so many shots that having the better rebounder is important.

[RunSunRun]

Mirza probably loves this, raising up that value for a hopeful decent contract in the offseason.

Sucks watching us suck, but the probability of a star coming here is so low that drafting is basically the only option we have. Hopefully we won't have to endure this next year

[NaturalBuns]

A restart of what though?

We've missed playoffs for 7 years with the same strategy for most years.

If we keep doing the same thing we'll get the same results.

They have low key been drafting well if they draft well again this year with addition of bogdan they are still heading in the right direction.

The FA moves have been lackluster I'll give you that.