LeBron to Phoenix

[wood20ks]

I know most will not agree but I would not want lebron. It would be a cheap way to win a championship!

As a bulls fan,I would not want him in chicago..................i really could not stand him say:

"not 1,not 2,not 3" party.

I think i`d shoot myself if he came there..

LeBron,leave the league..............You suck!

 

[BPNAZ]

im sorry, but this is gonna turn into the Peyton Manning/Cards crap all over again

anyone else remember when it was pretty much a "done deal" that he was signing here?

not saying this Lebron talk is close to that, but ill believe it when I see it

 

[SpartyNash13]

I would be beyond shocked if this happens, but the people saying "I wouldn't want LeBron" are psychotic. I would take him right now in a heartbeat any price no questions asked. I want a run at a damn title and I don't give a shit if we signed someone to help do it.

I can see the view on Carmelo however. I'm not sure if I would want us to sign him to a big deal because I don't think he is worth it. Scores a lot sure, but a complete ballhog, not a real team player, not sure if that's who you want to build a contender around, if you even could.

 

[SpartyNash13]

As a bulls fan,I would not want him in chicago..................i really could not stand him say:

"not 1,not 2,not 3" party.

I think i`d shoot myself if he came there..

LeBron,leave the league..............You suck!

No doubt he is arrogant and I can't stand the guy, but you are a liar if you are telling me you would be pissed if LeBron went to Chicago. Any team he would go to could be a contender, especially in the weak East.

 

[tlance]

Mike Davis knows his stuff. He is not saying he would not want LeBron and Melo. That would work great. What would not work is LeBron, Bledsoe, Dragic and 0 bigs. All 3 need the ball and don't play particularly well off of it.

You guys are talking about Melo, that is not the piece that would not fit.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Mike Davis knows his stuff. He is not saying he would not want LeBron and Melo. That would work great. What would not work is LeBron, Bledsoe, Dragic and 0 bigs. All 3 need the ball and don't play particularly well off of it.

You guys are talking about Melo, that is not the piece that would not fit.

If LeBron and Melo come and that was our biggest problem then I would be perfectly OK with that. Dragic would then become expendable and could be traded for a big if necessary. But I think you're underrating Plumlee and Markieff Morris. Considering Miami won a title with Joel Anthony as a starting center that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[trojanfan12]

You're lying to yourself if you'd honestly turn this down. Especially as a Suns fan... after all the bullshit we've been through, we deserve a title and I don't care how it comes.

I agree that the Suns deserve a title. In fact, if there is one team other than the Lakers that I'd like to see get a title, it's the Suns.

Davis is right though, the Suns as currently constructed, wouldn't get you any more than the Suns have already achieved in the past. You would need to make another move or two and get a serviceable big and a 2 guard.

 

[GMATCa]

I don't think you understand how terrible that team would be. Who is Melo going guard? This team would score 110 ppg & give up 111 ppg. The amount of iso plays & poor possessions would break all know records. This would be a 2nd round team at best. This lineup should be filed in the redundant redundancy file.

... for a team that is currently a non-playoff club and that certainly is not guaranteed, in its present form, to make the postseason next year, either. The Suns have reached the second round of the playoffs just once in the last seven seasons.

Anthony is a defensive liability, but a lineup with James, Bledsoe, and Dragic would offer a lot of defensive range, speed, closing ability, and ability to generate steals and run-outs. Add Plumlee's defense at center, and I don't see that lineup as proving "terrible." It may be a little ill-fitting, but the sheer talent alone would be worth the chance. Aside from his pure scoring ability, I have never thought much of Anthony as an NBA star, but accepting him would be worth the addition of James. The Suns could see what happens with that lineup for a year or two, and then if trading Anthony eventually makes sense, Phoenix could always opt for that route.

 

[GMATCa]

It's a league that requires stars to win championships. Plain and simple. Melo wouldn't be a great fit, but LeBron as a stretch four would be wonderful. Hornacek would find a way to make it work.

If the opportunity presents itself for this to come to fruition then there's no way in hell I'd pass up on something like this. Not a chance.

I would see Anthony as more of the "stretch four," and I think that the 2014 Spurs and the 2004 Pistons have proved that you don't necessarily need big stars to win championships.

But I agree with you; one would need to take this chance. The current Suns are not nearly the 2014 Spurs and need much more.

 

[GMATCa]

Mike Davis knows his stuff. He is not saying he would not want LeBron and Melo. That would work great. What would not work is LeBron, Bledsoe, Dragic and 0 bigs. All 3 need the ball and don't play particularly well off of it.

You guys are talking about Melo, that is not the piece that would not fit.

Dragic can play off the ball decently; last season, he enjoyed quite a bit of success cutting off down-screens and finishing at the basket, exploiting his combination of speed and length. Even Bledsoe showed that he can function effectively in an open-court game without constantly possessing the basketball. With that lineup, the Suns could play even more of a fastbreak game, where you just need to run and let the ball find whoever is open.

 

[GMATCa]

I agree that the Suns deserve a title. In fact, if there is one team other than the Lakers that I'd like to see get a title, it's the Suns.

Davis is right though, the Suns as currently constructed, wouldn't get you any more than the Suns have already achieved in the past. You would need to make another move or two and get a serviceable big and a 2 guard.

With Bledsoe and Dragic, Phoenix does not need a conventional "2 guard." Moreover, Gerald Green can always slot into that spot.

Also, the Suns have only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in the last seven seasons; reaching the conference semifinals would actually constitute a huge step forward for this franchise.

 

[GMATCa]

If LeBron and Melo come and that was our biggest problem then I would be perfectly OK with that. Dragic would then become expendable and could be traded for a big if necessary. But I think you're underrating Plumlee and Markieff Morris. Considering Miami won a title with Joel Anthony as a starting center that shouldn't be a problem.

Well, Miami really won that championship by changing its lineup during the playoffs, starting Chris Bosh at center, and featuring a small lineup with Anthony virtually out of the mix.

But I would not see Plumlee as a problem.

 

[tlance]

Dragic can play off the ball decently; last season, he enjoyed quite a bit of success cutting off down-screens and finishing at the basket, exploiting his combination of speed and length. Even Bledsoe showed that he can function effectively in an open-court game without constantly possessing the basketball. With that lineup, the Suns could play even more of a fastbreak game, where you just need to run and let the ball find whoever is open.

Bledsoe is the odd man out here. The fast break is nice, but you need to be able to efficiently score in the half court to win in the playoffs. LeBron needs shooters around him and this group, while talented, is not a better fit than what he has in MIA, so why would he leave? This team would have a better shot than any Suns team since Barkley, but only because LeBron would be on it.

Secondly, how exactly are the Suns going to sign two max players and still somehow be able to resign Bledsoe?

 

[tlance]

If LeBron and Melo come and that was our biggest problem then I would be perfectly OK with that. Dragic would then become expendable and could be traded for a big if necessary. But I think you're underrating Plumlee and Markieff Morris. Considering Miami won a title with Joel Anthony as a starting center that shouldn't be a problem.

I don't think it is necessary to have a strong 5 if you are strong enough elsewhere, but this team is not. Also, Morris is a good player, but he is a stretch 4. If he, Melo and LeBron are playing 3,4,5 then your interior defense is going to be pretty awful.

The Heat were able to make it work because they had tons of shooters and some great perimeter defenders. I just don't see that in this group.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Bledsoe is the odd man out here. The fast break is nice, but you need to be able to efficiently score in the half court to win in the playoffs. LeBron needs shooters around him and this group, while talented, is not a better fit than what he has in MIA, so why would he leave? This team would have a better shot than any Suns team since Barkley, but only because LeBron would be on it.

Secondly, how exactly are the Suns going to sign two max players and still somehow be able to resign Bledsoe?

They have enough cap space to sign all three and could even pursue Ray Allen or Mike Miller after doing so. They'd just need to get rid of a couple contracts to clear up some space. Green, Marcus or Len could end up the odd man out to clear the necessary space.

 

[tlance]

They have enough cap space to sign all three and could even pursue Ray Allen or Mike Miller after doing so. They'd just need to get rid of a couple contracts to clear up some space. Green, Marcus or Len could end up the odd man out to clear the necessary space.

Green would actually fit a lot better than Bledsoe.

 

[GMATCa]

Bledsoe is the odd man out here. The fast break is nice, but you need to be able to efficiently score in the half court to win in the playoffs.

In a half-court setting with James, Bledsoe could function as a slightly smaller version of Dwyane Wade.

LeBron needs shooters around him and this group, while talented, is not a better fit than what he has in MIA, so why would he leave?

I have always doubted that he would leave Miami, but theoretically, at least, the idea would be that the Suns offer greater youth, speed, and upside. With the Heat, Wade is clearly past his prime and Chris Bosh is not the scorer that he used to be in Toronto. Ray Allen will be thirty-nine next season, and Shane Battier is retiring. Without significant new additions, that team's best days are over, even if the Heat remain the conference championship favorite due to the weakness of that conference.

And with Dragic and Anthony, you would still possess sufficient shooting around James.

This team would have a better shot than any Suns team since Barkley, but only because LeBron would be on it.

Right, that's why it would be worth the shot.

Secondly, how exactly are the Suns going to sign two max players and still somehow be able to resign Bledsoe?

Well, from that report, I guess that they would just clear the books around those players. Phoenix does not currently possess much in the way of expensive players.

 

[GMATCa]

I don't think it is necessary to have a strong 5 if you are strong enough elsewhere, but this team is not. Also, Morris is a good player, but he is a stretch 4. If he, Melo and LeBron are playing 3,4,5 then your interior defense is going to be pretty awful.

The Heat were able to make it work because they had tons of shooters and some great perimeter defenders. I just don't see that in this group.

With James and Bledsoe, and even Dragic, the Suns could make things happen defensively on the perimeter with traps and rotations. Morris would only serve as a center in "small ball" lineups and favorable matchups. Plumlee isn't much of an offensive player, but the Suns wouldn't need much offense at center with James and Anthony on board.

 

[OregonDucks]

I don't think LeBron wants to live in Phoenix..

 

[tlance]

In a half-court setting with James, Bledsoe could function as a slightly smaller version of Dwyane Wade.

I have always doubted that he would leave Miami, but theoretically, at least, the idea would be that the Suns offer greater youth, speed, and upside. With the Heat, Wade is clearly past his prime and Chris Bosh is not the scorer that he used to be in Toronto. Ray Allen will be thirty-nine next season, and Shane Battier is retiring. Without significant new additions, that team's best days are over, even if the Heat remain the conference championship favorite due to the weakness of that conference.

And with Dragic and Anthony, you would still possess sufficient shooting around James.



Right, that's why it would be worth the shot.



Well, from that report, I guess that they would just clear the books around those players. Phoenix does not currently possess much in the way of expensive players.

Wade and LeBron don't complement each other very well at all. They have been a championship team because they have been among the best defensively in the NBA, not because of their offensive chemistry. LeBron needs catch and shoot players around him so that the defense has to leave shooters in order to help. It is pretty easy to leave guys like Wade, Bledsoe and Plumlee. You need more than 2 shooters to put around LeBron if your group is going to be this weak defensively.

Also, Dragic can make shots, but he is hardly the type of catch and shoot player who thrives playing off of Lebron. As Mike stated, all 3 of these guys (LeBron, Dragic, Bledsoe) are best with the ball in their hands. Bledsoe and Dragic struggled playing together at times last year and now you want to add 2 more players who like to work in isolation. This does not look like a basis for a good offensive flow.

The Suns would definitely be better with this group than they are now, but this is not a realistic scenario because there are other situations that make better fits for LeBron.