It may be just one game but the Suns looked good!

[Wilber85]

The positives:

Hopefully looking like they finally found a good coach
Jackson's jumper looks so much better
Having Ayton is huge for them offensively

The Negatives:
It was Dallas. Another rebuilding team
It is only one game

I definitely think PHX is going to take a nice step forward this year. But one game against Dallas doesnt really show you much about yourself.

Warriors Positive : They sign every all star, and walk into a ring! Yay! I cannot wait till that core is broken up! Bandwagon fan base for sure.

Strike 1 for trolling. This could count as a strike for your "build the wall" in your comment right before this too.

PockyCandy

[GeorgeMarcus]

The positives:

Hopefully looking like they finally found a good coach
Jackson's jumper looks so much better
Having Ayton is huge for them offensively

The Negatives:
It was Dallas. Another rebuilding team
It is only one game

I definitely think PHX is going to take a nice step forward this year. But one game against Dallas doesnt really show you much about yourself.

Warriors Positive : They sign every all star, and walk into a ring! Yay! I cannot wait till that core is broken up! Bandwagon fan base for sure.

What do the Warriors have to do with anything?

[Maze]

Booker was out of control amazing. But lets see if this was a fluke or not with him. Dallas has some upside but they're still not good.

Booker plays like that every other week.It's nothing new for him.

Hell, I think he once dropped 30 in a quarter against the Mavs.

Edit:

Watch on YouTube

That's from when he was 19.Back when it was obvious he should be

the star of the team despite the Suns trying to market Bledsoe & Brandon Knight

as such.

Not relevant to why he was better last night than what is normally is. if you think a highlight video is going to explain why booker looked better last night or it was his norm then you're missing why he looked better. Everyone knows Booker can score. Everyone knows he's a great iso scorer. Nothing with that really matters. Consistent play requires a player to have a better feel for the game, read the defense, and often slow down certain parts of the game (unless they're manu). Booker looked like a mature player last night in that 4th. It's a subtle difference but it is a huge one for him reaching that next level.

I disagree.Booker looked the same way last year.It's just that nobody saw it because the Suns never played on

National TV.And he's passing the ball to Deandre Ayton & Trevor Ariza instead of Dragan Bender & Marquese Chriss.

On top of that, he actually looked a lil rusty to me.His moves weren't as fast or crisp.He can do better because he's

that great of a talent.He's always been a good situational player.4th Q, big shots, he embraces those moments.

The casual fan wouldn't know it, tho.Nobody cares about watching the Suns.

[Duke4life831]

The positives:

Hopefully looking like they finally found a good coach
Jackson's jumper looks so much better
Having Ayton is huge for them offensively

The Negatives:
It was Dallas. Another rebuilding team
It is only one game

I definitely think PHX is going to take a nice step forward this year. But one game against Dallas doesnt really show you much about yourself.

Warriors Positive : They sign every all star, and walk into a ring! Yay! I cannot wait till that core is broken up! Bandwagon fan base for sure.

[clyde21]

The positives:

Hopefully looking like they finally found a good coach
Jackson's jumper looks so much better
Having Ayton is huge for them offensively

The Negatives:
It was Dallas. Another rebuilding team
It is only one game

I definitely think PHX is going to take a nice step forward this year. But one game against Dallas doesnt really show you much about yourself.

Warriors Positive : They sign every all star, and walk into a ring! Yay! I cannot wait till that core is broken up! Bandwagon fan base for sure.

dude complimented your team and this is what u have to offer?

[dhsilv2]

Booker plays like that every other week.It's nothing new for him.

Hell, I think he once dropped 30 in a quarter against the Mavs.

Edit:

Watch on YouTube

That's from when he was 19.Back when it was obvious he should be

the star of the team despite the Suns trying to market Bledsoe & Brandon Knight

as such.

Not relevant to why he was better last night than what is normally is. if you think a highlight video is going to explain why booker looked better last night or it was his norm then you're missing why he looked better. Everyone knows Booker can score. Everyone knows he's a great iso scorer. Nothing with that really matters. Consistent play requires a player to have a better feel for the game, read the defense, and often slow down certain parts of the game (unless they're manu). Booker looked like a mature player last night in that 4th. It's a subtle difference but it is a huge one for him reaching that next level.

I disagree.Booker looked the same way last year.It's just that nobody saw it because the Suns never played on

National TV.And he's passing the ball to Deandre Ayton & Trevor Ariza instead of Dragan Bender & Marquese Chriss.

On top of that, he actually looked a lil rusty to me.His moves weren't as fast or crisp.He can do better because he's

that great of a talent.He's always been a good situational player.4th Q, big shots, he embraces those moments.

The casual fan wouldn't know it, tho.Nobody cares about watching the Suns.

I get it you don't want to accept that people see things you don't.

[jason bourne]

Ayton is legit and the fave now for ROY. Can the Suns grab a playoff sport in the WC? It's still too early to say. They looked great in game #1. They may yet trade for a PG. How about Ricky Rubio? The Jazz have him playing off the ball now and that's not his game. TJ Warren + Davon Reed works.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine

[Kerrsed]

Nike's newest commercial.

Watch on YouTube

[Marcus]

I just loved the action they were running on offense and when i really looked at the starting five they threw out there i had to smile at the possibilities. They kept Ayton's area of impact at or near the elbow to the baseline and left him with simple reads. ball screen action up top which serves as a decoy depending on how the defense plays it which can then branch into so many other options. PnP, PnR, off ball picks to force big to small switches and with his versatility he either has a big on a perimeter island or he has a small on the block with nothing but shooting around him to prevent committed effective doubles.

It was beautiful to watch. I don't think playoffs are an out of the question stretch in a few years as he develops and these concepts grow with the youth they have there. Talented kids, smart role player vets that can still get things done within the system, and more depth than one would think. If the team defense catches up with the offensive action they have serious potential.

[RCM88x]

33-49

[Maze]

Not relevant to why he was better last night than what is normally is. if you think a highlight video is going to explain why booker looked better last night or it was his norm then you're missing why he looked better. Everyone knows Booker can score. Everyone knows he's a great iso scorer. Nothing with that really matters. Consistent play requires a player to have a better feel for the game, read the defense, and often slow down certain parts of the game (unless they're manu). Booker looked like a mature player last night in that 4th. It's a subtle difference but it is a huge one for him reaching that next level.

I disagree.Booker looked the same way last year.It's just that nobody saw it because the Suns never played on

National TV.And he's passing the ball to Deandre Ayton & Trevor Ariza instead of Dragan Bender & Marquese Chriss.

On top of that, he actually looked a lil rusty to me.His moves weren't as fast or crisp.He can do better because he's

that great of a talent.He's always been a good situational player.4th Q, big shots, he embraces those moments.

The casual fan wouldn't know it, tho.Nobody cares about watching the Suns.

I get it you don't want to accept that people see things you don't.

Well considering that I live in AZ and see damn near every Suns game, I just might be guilty of feeling

overqualified when it comes to this subject

[JB2]

33-49

this sounds bout right...

I don't know if I recall there ever being a time when there way so much stacked young talent in the NBA at one time.

Aside from Boston, Philly, Lakers, and Denver who are all playoff teams, there is bunch of young teams on the come up that will slowly climb their way back to playoff abilities soon: Phx, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc.

The league is going to be at an all time best in about 5-7 years.

[ProfessorJM]

It's amazing to think that at some point in the recent past they had Earl Watson and Booker and not all that much hope to now having Kokoskov and Ayton and maybe another good one in Jackson going forward. I'm glad for them, I can relate having a bad team for multiple years and seeing some hope and then further seeing it translate down the road. I hope they have a good year.

[spacemonkey]

The most exciting thing about the Suns is that Booker is just 21, and is younger than, say, Ben Simmons for example.

That seems nuts to me. It feels like he's been in the league for longer.

[Edrees]

OP isn't over reacting. This is a sensible take. Now, it's one I disagree with, but I do think they'll be leagues better than last year. I don't see that kind of turnaround in just one season because while Ayton is the real deal, he is a rookie and will have up an down games. I see them at 35 wins this year.

[infinite11285]

On pace for a historic 82-0 season.

[bwgood77]

Wow, people are really sleeping on G/F Josh Jackson because he started off slow last year, and Tatum looked better.

Jackson still looks like a very legit wing to me - a long term piece and potential star.

So with Booker-Jackson and Ayton, and a solid depth piece in TJ Warren, that's a nice core group. We'll see if Mikal Bridges adds anything - I was high on him going into the draft (floor of Danny Green type, ceiling if he developed more of a handle significantly higher) but he didn't look very good in pre-season - and the fit on the wing-heavy Suns is weird.

Will also see if Ellie Okobo has talent. But assuming both Bridges and Okobo aren't more then reserve types, Suns still have a nice future group to build on (and still need a point guard - but guys like Rozier, Tyus Jones and Milos T will be RFAs next year, with guys like Dinwiddie or lesser guys like Baldwin, TJ McConnell as UFA... not to mention bigger names like Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic [change in GM means reunion possible?] and Ricky Rubio)

Bridges was injured in the preseason, at least for all but one game or so. I think he will get some minutes this year but will learn from Ariza and basically kind of take over his minutes in the wing rotation next year.

[bwgood77]

Booker was out of control amazing. But lets see if this was a fluke or not with him. Dallas has some upside but they're still not good.

Booker plays like that every other week.It's nothing new for him.

Hell, I think he once dropped 30 in a quarter against the Mavs.

Edit:

Watch on YouTube

That's from when he was 19.Back when it was obvious he should be

the star of the team despite the Suns trying to market Bledsoe & Brandon Knight

as such.

Not relevant to why he was better last night than what is normally is. if you think a highlight video is going to explain why booker looked better last night or it was his norm then you're missing why he looked better. Everyone knows Booker can score. Everyone knows he's a great iso scorer. Nothing with that really matters. Consistent play requires a player to have a better feel for the game, read the defense, and often slow down certain parts of the game (unless they're manu). Booker looked like a mature player last night in that 4th. It's a subtle difference but it is a huge one for him reaching that next level.

Booker was a good iso player last year but will improve with less defensive attention, but he is great as a catch and shoot guy. Scoring from all three levels and play making he's up there with the best ever for his age, and that was playing with poor teammates. He will likely quickly become one of the better scorers in the league. I expect him to really improve his efficiency in this Kokoskov offensive system and better teammates.

As far as how good he is at catch and shoot...

Booker’s efficiency is through the roof when he’s set up in catch-and-shoot or cutting situations, but greatly tails off the longer he pounds the ball:

0 dribbles: 53-of-90 from 2-PT (58.9%), 75-of-182 from 3-PT (41.2%)
1 dribble: 50-of-83 from 2-PT (60.2%), 15-of-40 from 3-PT (37.5%)
2 dribbles: 49-of-86 from 2-PT (57.0%), 13-of-33 from 3-PT (39.4%)
3–6 dribbles: 89-of-203 from 2-PT (43.8%), 25-of-70 from 3-PT (35.7%)
7+ dribbles: 67-of-151 from 2-PT (44.4%), 19-of-55 from 3-PT (34.5%)
That’s typical of almost all scorers, but it highlights why the Suns really need to figure out what to do about their point guard slot. New head coach Igor Kokoškov may want Booker to run the offense a lot more, but it’s imperative to put your star and №1 option in a system that suits his strengths.

https://medium.com/@shaneyoungnba/2018-19-western-conference-win-projections-f7b90f2b1cc0

But to be a BIG difference maker overall he drastically needs to improve his defense.

[dhsilv2]

Booker plays like that every other week.It's nothing new for him.

Hell, I think he once dropped 30 in a quarter against the Mavs.

Edit:

Watch on YouTube

That's from when he was 19.Back when it was obvious he should be

the star of the team despite the Suns trying to market Bledsoe & Brandon Knight

as such.

Not relevant to why he was better last night than what is normally is. if you think a highlight video is going to explain why booker looked better last night or it was his norm then you're missing why he looked better. Everyone knows Booker can score. Everyone knows he's a great iso scorer. Nothing with that really matters. Consistent play requires a player to have a better feel for the game, read the defense, and often slow down certain parts of the game (unless they're manu). Booker looked like a mature player last night in that 4th. It's a subtle difference but it is a huge one for him reaching that next level.

Booker was a good iso player last year but will improve with less defensive attention, but he is great as a catch and shoot guy. Scoring from all three levels and play making he's up there with the best ever for his age, and that was playing with poor teammates. He will likely quickly become one of the better scorers in the league. I expect him to really improve his efficiency in this Kokoskov offensive system and better teammates.

As far as how good he is at catch and shoot...

Booker’s efficiency is through the roof when he’s set up in catch-and-shoot or cutting situations, but greatly tails off the longer he pounds the ball:

0 dribbles: 53-of-90 from 2-PT (58.9%), 75-of-182 from 3-PT (41.2%)
1 dribble: 50-of-83 from 2-PT (60.2%), 15-of-40 from 3-PT (37.5%)
2 dribbles: 49-of-86 from 2-PT (57.0%), 13-of-33 from 3-PT (39.4%)
3–6 dribbles: 89-of-203 from 2-PT (43.8%), 25-of-70 from 3-PT (35.7%)
7+ dribbles: 67-of-151 from 2-PT (44.4%), 19-of-55 from 3-PT (34.5%)
That’s typical of almost all scorers, but it highlights why the Suns really need to figure out what to do about their point guard slot. New head coach Igor Kokoškov may want Booker to run the offense a lot more, but it’s imperative to put your star and №1 option in a system that suits his strengths.

https://medium.com/@shaneyoungnba/2018-19-western-conference-win-projections-f7b90f2b1cc0

But to be a BIG difference maker overall he drastically needs to improve his defense.

The thing with booker is he's got a fairly complete skillset offensively (we won't get into defense). As a result he can kinda do anything he wants and get away with it. His development isn't like most players who need to get stronger, shoot better, improve their left, add whatever. Instead for Booker he has to learn when to use which move which is a luxery that most players frankly will never reach the level to have. That isn't to say he's perfect or can't get better on skills, but the next level is all about decision making and being able in the moment to slow the game down. Last night in that 4th booker was making the same plays he's made in the past, but at least to me it looked like he'd taken the next step in slowing down the game. it was subtle, it wasn't massive, but if what I saw is true and it wasn't just he was getting lucky making the right call. That's a good sign. That's something I really HOPE we see happen with Simmons as well this year (mind you his job is more complex as pass first players have to be smarter and he's younger so he's still picking up even some kinda basic nba skills).

[whocurrz]

Only saw part of the game but from how people here describe the differences and what I heard I. Some podcasts, coaching is the biggest difference. There’s talent there and whether it be established (Booker), a work in progress (JJ) or a rookie (Ayton) the coaching helped put everyone in advantageous situations that should held bring that talent out and hopefully maximize it. If the new coach can lift everyone up then they will be in good shape even if they don’t shoot hot like they did last night