The TJ Warren Thread!

[Damkac]

In december Suns won 4 games in a row and 5 of 7 games with one of the loses being 3 OT game. In this time Warren had 30 and 28 points games and was scoring 20+ points in every games except one when he played bad and Suns lose by 8.

In february/march Suns had another 5 wins in 7 games. The reaction was calling Tyler Johnson and Kelly Oubre our Lords and Saviours and lots of talking about how it's time to trade Warren because he don't contribute to winning.

So am I missing something? Was the 1st streak worse than the 2nd? Or maybe people have bad memory? Or maybe they just don't like Warren for some reasons?

[Sunsfan76]

In december Suns won 4 games in a row and 5 of 7 games with one of the loses being 3 OT game. In this time Warren had 30 and 28 points games and was scoring 20+ points in every games except one when he played bad and Suns lose by 8.

In february/march Suns had another 5 wins in 7 games. The reaction was calling Tyler Johnson and Kelly Oubre our Lords and Saviours and lots of talking about how it's time to trade Warren because he don't contribute to winning.

So am I missing something? Was the 1st streak worse than the 2nd? Or maybe people have bad memory? Or maybe they just don't like Warren for some reasons?

Warren cannot effectively play power forward. He also cannot play defense, he cannot rebound nearly well enough, and he cannot pass. He also seems to have a problem coming off the bench.

There is no room for him on this team with Oubre and Bridges being better overall options at small forward.

He will be traded this offseason. It is all but a 100% done deal.

[Damkac]

Well at least you didn't listed Jackson as one of the better options.

[Saberestar]

In december Suns won 4 games in a row and 5 of 7 games with one of the loses being 3 OT game. In this time Warren had 30 and 28 points games and was scoring 20+ points in every games except one when he played bad and Suns lose by 8.

In february/march Suns had another 5 wins in 7 games. The reaction was calling Tyler Johnson and Kelly Oubre our Lords and Saviours and lots of talking about how it's time to trade Warren because he don't contribute to winning.

So am I missing something? Was the 1st streak worse than the 2nd? Or maybe people have bad memory? Or maybe they just don't like Warren for some reasons?

I really like Warren and I expect and hope that he is gonna be a Sun next season.

His biggest problem is his inability to stay healthy during a full season, but it is something that he can not control.

I would like to have on the roster Warren, Bridges and Oubre, all of them add something different to the table and there are gonna be minutes available for sure.

He has shown so many times that he is a valuable and reliable player and he is on a great contract entering his prime.

[Barkley6]

In december Suns won 4 games in a row and 5 of 7 games with one of the loses being 3 OT game. In this time Warren had 30 and 28 points games and was scoring 20+ points in every games except one when he played bad and Suns lose by 8.

In february/march Suns had another 5 wins in 7 games. The reaction was calling Tyler Johnson and Kelly Oubre our Lords and Saviours and lots of talking about how it's time to trade Warren because he don't contribute to winning.

So am I missing something? Was the 1st streak worse than the 2nd? Or maybe people have bad memory? Or maybe they just don't like Warren for some reasons?

I really like Warren and I expect and hope that he is gonna be a Sun next season.

His biggest problem is his inability to stay healthy during a full season, but it is something that he can not control.

I would like to have on the roster Warren, Bridges and Oubre, all of them add something different to the table and there are gonna be minutes available for sure.

He has shown so many times that he is a valuable and reliable player and he is on a great contract entering his prime.

The thing people underrate about TJ is he is the best shooter on the team this season. So many people are ready to ship him out for a worse shooter on a worse contract. I think Josh Jackson is the one you try to trade. He'll be entering his third season meaning it will be time to extend him soon, and with Oubre clearly already being the player we thought Jackson could be, he has the most redundant skill set.

[cberry78]

In december Suns won 4 games in a row and 5 of 7 games with one of the loses being 3 OT game. In this time Warren had 30 and 28 points games and was scoring 20+ points in every games except one when he played bad and Suns lose by 8.

In february/march Suns had another 5 wins in 7 games. The reaction was calling Tyler Johnson and Kelly Oubre our Lords and Saviours and lots of talking about how it's time to trade Warren because he don't contribute to winning.

So am I missing something? Was the 1st streak worse than the 2nd? Or maybe people have bad memory? Or maybe they just don't like Warren for some reasons?

Warren cannot effectively play power forward. He also cannot play defense, he cannot rebound nearly well enough, and he cannot pass. He also seems to have a problem coming off the bench.

There is no room for him on this team with Oubre and Bridges being better overall options at small forward.

He will be traded this offseason. It is all but a 100% done deal.

I'm gonna have to say that you are pretty much wrong on all of your takes here.

While TJ may not be an ideal starting 4 he's not terrible, and he's better suited to come off the bench where he can play anything from a BIG 2 with his shooting to a small ball 4 with his combination of size and speed.

His one-on-one defense has never been terrible, without looking at the numbers I'd call his defense (in a vacuum - any defensive numbers on this team are terrible, see Bridges) average, and his team defense above average.

With a rebounding big like Ayton in the middle TJ doesn't need to be a tremendous rebounder, he just needs to learn to box out (like pretty much the rest of the team) and clear space for Ayton to grab the majority of the boards and then fight for the scraps.

TJ Warren is a finisher, and one of the most efficient finishers in the league, he's never been asked to pass or be a distributor. If he was really a bad passer he would either take a lot of bad shots (which he doesn't), or would have an extremely high TO rate (which again, he doesn't).

His future role should be 6th man, first player off the bench. There is room for him as the 3rd SF with Bridges and Oubre, leaving Jackson as the odd man out. If we end up in a position come draft day where we end up with Barret and/or Clarke, that could change.

[jcsunsfan]

Who is TJ Warren? Do we have someone on our team by that name?

[bwgood77]

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[Saberestar]

Read on Twitter

It would be great if he can play the last four games of the season.

[Saberestar]

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[bwgood77]

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Good article...good to read a lot of things in that article...

Speculations aside, Warren is excited about Phoenix’s potential next season.

"We’ve got the talent," Warren said. "We’ve got the players. All it’s about is coming together. Building together. Growing together. Josh (Jackson), Kelly (Oubre Jr.) Book (Devin Booker), Tyler (Johnson) D.A. (Deandre Ayton). We have the nucleus to really make some things happen. It’s going to be a big offseason for everybody. Hopefully everybody is going to work, which I know they are."

And Warren plans to do everything he can this summer to avoid another injured-filled one. “It’s frustrating,” said Warren, who had a right foot fracture in February 2016 which required surgery and cut his second NBA season short as he only played in 47 games. “It’s part of the league. You can’t predict injuries when they happen, but you’ve just got to take it and try to make sure in preparing your body that it doesn’t happen again. That’s my mindset going into (next) season. Try to have an injury-free season. It’s been tough, but it’s part of it.”

The Suns certainly could’ve used their second-leading scorer who has the ability to drop 30 points at any moment as they finished with their second-worst record ever, but his teammates weren’t pressuring Warren to return.

"I’ll take him, but that’s a decision he has to make, depending on his health," said Booker after Phoenix’s win April 1 over Cleveland. "That’s the most important thing, but him being back on the floor would be a great addition for our team. The games he played, he shot the ball at a very high clip this year and he has that natural scoring ability that takes a lot of pressure off me."

He excelled at catch-and-shoot 3s in Kokoskov’s offense after diligently working on his 3-ball last summer. Prior to that, he primarily got his points on the drive and lived at the line (193-of-255) last season.

“One thing about me, I can always adapt to anything,” Warren said. “Anything thrown my way, I can rise about it. They needed me to play the four. I showed I can play the four and be effective at it. I can play point guard if needed. My mindset is, I’m too confident in myself not to think that way. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to be out there.”

Crawford found out firsthand how deeply invested Warren is in basketball.

“He watches basketball all the time,” Crawford said. “He’s a hoops junkie. He studies the game. I’m was shocked by that with him because he’s looked at as just a scorer, but he knows how to make plays. He knows (the) right reads. He knows what makes teams tick. Things of that nature. That was one of the pleasant surprises for me was getting a relationship with him.”

hHaving Crawford around was a ray of hope in what was a tough season. "It was a blessing in disguise," Warren said with a smile. “He’s like a big brother to me. I look up to him. Any advice, anything. I’m glad I was able to be teammates with him. Hopefully, we’re teammates next year.”

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Read on Twitter

Good article...good to read a lot of things in that article...

Agreed! Beat me to it. I've bolded my favorite parts. Great to finally gets some TJ quotes.

Speculations aside, Warren is excited about Phoenix’s potential next season.

"We’ve got the talent," Warren said. "We’ve got the players. All it’s about is coming together. Building together. Growing together. Josh (Jackson), Kelly (Oubre Jr.) Book (Devin Booker), Tyler (Johnson) D.A. (Deandre Ayton). We have the nucleus to really make some things happen. It’s going to be a big offseason for everybody. Hopefully everybody is going to work, which I know they are."

And Warren plans to do everything he can this summer to avoid another injured-filled one. “It’s frustrating,” said Warren, who had a right foot fracture in February 2016 which required surgery and cut his second NBA season short as he only played in 47 games. “It’s part of the league. You can’t predict injuries when they happen, but you’ve just got to take it and try to make sure in preparing your body that it doesn’t happen again. That’s my mindset going into (next) season. Try to have an injury-free season. It’s been tough, but it’s part of it.”

The Suns certainly could’ve used their second-leading scorer who has the ability to drop 30 points at any moment as they finished with their second-worst record ever, but his teammates weren’t pressuring Warren to return.

"I’ll take him, but that’s a decision he has to make, depending on his health," said Booker after Phoenix’s win April 1 over Cleveland. "That’s the most important thing, but him being back on the floor would be a great addition for our team. The games he played, he shot the ball at a very high clip this year and he has that natural scoring ability that takes a lot of pressure off me."

He excelled at catch-and-shoot 3s in Kokoskov’s offense after diligently working on his 3-ball last summer. Prior to that, he primarily got his points on the drive and lived at the line (193-of-255) last season.

“One thing about me, I can always adapt to anything,” Warren said. “Anything thrown my way, I can rise about it. They needed me to play the four. I showed I can play the four and be effective at it. I can play point guard if needed. My mindset is, I’m too confident in myself not to think that way. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to be out there.”

Crawford found out firsthand how deeply invested Warren is in basketball.

“He watches basketball all the time,” Crawford said. “He’s a hoops junkie. He studies the game. I’m was shocked by that with him because he’s looked at as just a scorer, but he knows how to make plays. He knows (the) right reads. He knows what makes teams tick. Things of that nature. That was one of the pleasant surprises for me was getting a relationship with him.”

hHaving Crawford around was a ray of hope in what was a tough season. "It was a blessing in disguise," Warren said with a smile. “He’s like a big brother to me. I look up to him. Any advice, anything. I’m glad I was able to be teammates with him. Hopefully, we’re teammates next year.”

"The Nucleus" by TJ Warren
Tyler
Booker/Jackson
Oubre
Warren
Ayton

[MathiasPW]

Read on Twitter

Good article...good to read a lot of things in that article...

Agreed! Beat me to it. I've bolded my favorite parts. Great to finally gets some TJ quotes.

Speculations aside, Warren is excited about Phoenix’s potential next season.

"We’ve got the talent," Warren said. "We’ve got the players. All it’s about is coming together. Building together. Growing together. Josh (Jackson), Kelly (Oubre Jr.) Book (Devin Booker), Tyler (Johnson) D.A. (Deandre Ayton). We have the nucleus to really make some things happen. It’s going to be a big offseason for everybody. Hopefully everybody is going to work, which I know they are."

And Warren plans to do everything he can this summer to avoid another injured-filled one. “It’s frustrating,” said Warren, who had a right foot fracture in February 2016 which required surgery and cut his second NBA season short as he only played in 47 games. “It’s part of the league. You can’t predict injuries when they happen, but you’ve just got to take it and try to make sure in preparing your body that it doesn’t happen again. That’s my mindset going into (next) season. Try to have an injury-free season. It’s been tough, but it’s part of it.”

The Suns certainly could’ve used their second-leading scorer who has the ability to drop 30 points at any moment as they finished with their second-worst record ever, but his teammates weren’t pressuring Warren to return.

"I’ll take him, but that’s a decision he has to make, depending on his health," said Booker after Phoenix’s win April 1 over Cleveland. "That’s the most important thing, but him being back on the floor would be a great addition for our team. The games he played, he shot the ball at a very high clip this year and he has that natural scoring ability that takes a lot of pressure off me."

He excelled at catch-and-shoot 3s in Kokoskov’s offense after diligently working on his 3-ball last summer. Prior to that, he primarily got his points on the drive and lived at the line (193-of-255) last season.

“One thing about me, I can always adapt to anything,” Warren said. “Anything thrown my way, I can rise about it. They needed me to play the four. I showed I can play the four and be effective at it. I can play point guard if needed. My mindset is, I’m too confident in myself not to think that way. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to be out there.”

Crawford found out firsthand how deeply invested Warren is in basketball.

“He watches basketball all the time,” Crawford said. “He’s a hoops junkie. He studies the game. I’m was shocked by that with him because he’s looked at as just a scorer, but he knows how to make plays. He knows (the) right reads. He knows what makes teams tick. Things of that nature. That was one of the pleasant surprises for me was getting a relationship with him.”

hHaving Crawford around was a ray of hope in what was a tough season. "It was a blessing in disguise," Warren said with a smile. “He’s like a big brother to me. I look up to him. Any advice, anything. I’m glad I was able to be teammates with him. Hopefully, we’re teammates next year.”

"The Nucleus" by TJ Warren
Tyler
Booker/Jackson
Oubre
Warren
Ayton

He is scared of Bridges

[Damkac]

I'll give a Nobel Prize to anybody who explain me the logic of the Warren trade.

They did it to clear capspace? So they waste most of it by taking Baynes?
They had too many SF? So they draft another one?
The wanted to replace him with other players with skills that fit the team needs more? So they trade their best shooter with bad defense and all the new players they bring are shooters with bad defense?

Please explain me JJ's genious plan.

[Saberestar]

I'll give a Nobel Prize to anybody who explain me the logic of the Warren trade.

They did it to clear capspace? So they waste most of it by taking Baynes?
They had too many SF? So they draft another one?
The wanted to replace him with other players with skills that fit the team needs more? So they trade their best shooter with bad defense and all the new players they bring are shooters with bad defense?

Please explain me JJ's genious plan.

Basically... I think James Jones did not like Warren or at least he prefers Oubre over him.

So with that in mind he prefers to invest in Oubre as a sixth man (or Bridges) and balance the roster with more PGs and PFs.

Cam Johnson is an SF, but that is not a big deal...he is not gonna play a lot. He will not have the importance that Warren had on the rotation.
Probably even out of the rotation at the beginning of the season.

So that is my explanation. James Jones prefers Oubre to Warren and they would not not play him again at PF.

[Damkac]

Cam Johnson is an SF, but that is not a big deal...he is not gonna play a lot. He will not have the importance that Warren had on the rotation.
Probably even out of the rotation at the beginning of the season.

And that's the player Suns tanked for?

Thanks God I stopped giving a F about this team and only posting here for entertainment or my sanity would be in serious danger now.

[Saberestar]

Cam Johnson is an SF, but that is not a big deal...he is not gonna play a lot. He will not have the importance that Warren had on the rotation.
Probably even out of the rotation at the beginning of the season.

And that's the player Suns tanked for?

Thanks God I stopped giving a F about this team and only posting here for entertainment or my sanity would be in serious danger now.

Well, they got Saric too.

Saric is a good player. Very good if he is motivated and has an important role on the team.

I do not like the trade of Warren, but it is what it is. He was with the team for five years, and I enjoyed his game for the Suns...but it is in NBA's nature to trade/change players all the time.

I think he is gonna be great on the Pacers, but we need to move on. Saric/Cam Johnson can be great for us too...we do not know yet.

It is difficult to be a fan when your team trades a player that you really love to watch, but if we survived to trading Steve Nash to LA....we will survive to losing Warren.

[Damkac]

If Suns were trading Nash now Lakers would get picks from them.

[sunsbg]

Ultimately it was a choice between Oubre and Warren based on salaries and position on the floor.

Indeed, surprised they could not get a late first rounder in return, but had to include the 2nd. Looks like bad business to me.

[handsome salary]

Never enjoyed watching the guy play. Sour puss look constantly and he fell to the floor almost time he drove to the basket.

Still though a better than average player on an even better contract who really helped get the few wins the Suns had the past couple of years.