Jonas_steven
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I can't wait for baseball season... Something new to complain about.
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Game Thread: Suns at Clippers
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SpartyNash13
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Wow what a train wreck this has become
Jonas_steven
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All of our starters are going to foul out by the end of the game
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Orange602
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At least challenge Griffin, Plumlee.
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Griffin has really improved his jumper. This is not good news for the rest of the NBA.
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Yay!
Jonas_steven
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Can we trade an entire team for griffin?
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ESPN INSIDER ARTICLE:
Last year, the Phoenix Suns were excruciatingly hard to watch. They were bad on both ends of the floor, and had an entire roster of what seemed like underachieving role players. There didn't seem to be a plan in place. After the season, owner Robert Sarver enticed former Celtics executive Ryan McDonough to the desert, and a total franchise makeover ensued. The Suns moved out the clutter, collected assets, hired first-time coach Jeff Hornacek and embarked what we thought was going to be a pointed lesson in the art of tanking.
The Suns have gleefully failed to meet our expectations. Instead of a tank-fest, Phoenix is solidly in playoff contention with five weeks remaining in the regular season. Hornacek has the Suns playing fast and smart, while McDonough has successfully stockpiled assets and opened up flexibility. Less than a year removed from being one of the league's moribund franchises, few organizations have a more hopeful outlook. Now how do they navigate the rest of the way to the Suns' first NBA championship?
Where do the Suns reside on the arc of contention?
The Suns are outside of the inner circle of championship contenders, but they do harbor non-zero odds of going on a title run, and the big-picture arrow is pointed in the right direction. The Suns currently are tied for eighth in the Western Conference with a 36-26 record. Their point differential tacks on another win to their expected baseline, and the Hollinger playoff odds give the Suns a 43.6 percent chance at the postseason, and a 0.3 percent chance to win it all.
Regression could be an issue for the Suns because they've so drastically outplayed their preseason forecast for around 61 losses and a last-place finish in the West. However, it feels as though the Suns' surprise season is more a product of improved design than a bunch of players performing over their heads. The weighted-minutes team age is 27.0, ranking 16th in the league, but the Suns have a cadre of young players on the rise. The two identifiable foundation players are Goran Dragic, who at 28 is in his prime, and Eric Bledsoe, who at 24 is just hitting his stride. The baseline is solid, and the trend line points up.
What do the moves they've made say about how management views Phoenix's place in the NBA pecking order?
In sending out Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat and Michael Beasley, the Suns acknowledged their low place on the NBA totem pole. Incoming players have been young, upside veterans like Bledsoe, draft picks or expiring contracts. That awareness has continued into the season despite the Suns' surprising record.
Rather than squander the assets he'd compiled for a playoff run, McDonough avoided a splashy deadline move, such as the rumored acquisition of Pau Gasol. Instead, he's made low-key additions in Leandro Barbosa and Shavlik Randolph that won't stand in the way of future flexibility. The Suns have established a style of play and a knack for overachievement under Hornacek, but McDonough has kept his focus on the big picture.
How does reality mesh with that vision of the organization?
The Suns' inactivity at the trade deadline despite having so many assets and some open cap space is a great sign for fans of an organization that has never been able to get over the hump. McDonough seems intent to follow his rebuilding plan, and Sarver seems content to let him carry it out. Besides, the Suns might get the best post-deadline upgrade of any team when Bledsoe comes back from his knee injury this week.
What key decisions lie ahead?
Barry Gossage/Getty Images
Retaining Eric Bledsoe this offseason will be a top priority.
Before being injured, Bledsoe looked like a foundation player, and a good fit next to Dragic. It's not a conventional tandem, but it's one that Hornacek has managed to maximize. Bledsoe hits restricted free agency this summer, and he'll have plenty of suitors sniffing around, though the Suns have vowed to match any offer.
Channing Frye has enjoyed a strong return after missing the 2012-13 season, and he's got a $6.8 million player option for next year. He's the kind of legit stretch-big that any contender would love to grab. If Frye opts-in, then the Suns have to decide whether to move him as a valuable trade chip, or slot him into next season's roster. If he opts out, then the Suns have to decide whether to eat into their long-term flexibility by trying to keep Frye in the fold.
Three-and-defense wing P.J. Tucker will be a restricted free agent and is worth keeping at the right price. Come late summer, both Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris will be looking for extensions to their rookie deals.
What are the team's chief assets?
The Suns are loaded. It starts with the dynamic young braintrust of McDonough and Hornacek. There are several contributing players on their rookie contracts in the Morris twins, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and Miles Plumlee, plus the restricted rights to Bledsoe and Tucker. There are team-friendly deals in place for Dragic and Gerald Green through next season. Phoenix will likely have three picks in the 2014 first round, including their own, Washington's and Indiana's. It's possible but not likely Minnesota's could be added to the mix. If not, then the Suns get two more cracks at landing a T-Wolves first-rounder. The Lakers owe the Suns a first-rounder as well, and that's only top-five protected next season.
How does the team get from here to a championship?
The Suns will be hoping that Bledsoe can be retained at something along the lines of Ty Lawson's four-year, $48 million deal with the Nuggets. If the Bledsoe negotiations don't get out of hand, the Suns will have around $15.1 million projected cap space, possibly more depending on what happens with Frye's option.
Because the Morris twins may receive extensions, and Dragic and Green will be playing on what amounts to expiring contracts, the Suns' best chance to take advantage of that cap space might be this summer. Phoenix could be in play to take on either one big-salaried veteran or a couple of medium-salaried guys, by cashing in future assets in an exchange with a team looking to rebuild. That option offers more upside than simply signing a lower-tier veteran free agent such as Gasol.
Who is that trade target? One guy who jumps out is Minnesota's Kevin Love. Love would complete a dynamic big three with Dragic and Bledsoe, one surrounded by a lot of young athletes and shooters. If the Timberwolves cash in on Love while they can, few teams can offer as many good assets as the Suns. Miami's Chris Bosh is another enticing fit, as is Detroit's Greg Monroe.
While the Suns have an opportunity to make a major splash, they aren't necessarily compelled to do so. They're already good, exciting and rich in young players, both on the roster and through drafts to come. McDonough can afford to swing big on the free-agent and trade markets, because doing nothing is a viable option. If the Suns stand pat, they still have top-to-bottom valued assets to maneuver with in 2015. Suddenly a franchise that could do nothing right looks like an organization for which there are no wrong answers.
Last year, the Phoenix Suns were excruciatingly hard to watch. They were bad on both ends of the floor, and had an entire roster of what seemed like underachieving role players. There didn't seem to be a plan in place. After the season, owner Robert Sarver enticed former Celtics executive Ryan McDonough to the desert, and a total franchise makeover ensued. The Suns moved out the clutter, collected assets, hired first-time coach Jeff Hornacek and embarked what we thought was going to be a pointed lesson in the art of tanking.
The Suns have gleefully failed to meet our expectations. Instead of a tank-fest, Phoenix is solidly in playoff contention with five weeks remaining in the regular season. Hornacek has the Suns playing fast and smart, while McDonough has successfully stockpiled assets and opened up flexibility. Less than a year removed from being one of the league's moribund franchises, few organizations have a more hopeful outlook. Now how do they navigate the rest of the way to the Suns' first NBA championship?
Where do the Suns reside on the arc of contention?
The Suns are outside of the inner circle of championship contenders, but they do harbor non-zero odds of going on a title run, and the big-picture arrow is pointed in the right direction. The Suns currently are tied for eighth in the Western Conference with a 36-26 record. Their point differential tacks on another win to their expected baseline, and the Hollinger playoff odds give the Suns a 43.6 percent chance at the postseason, and a 0.3 percent chance to win it all.
Regression could be an issue for the Suns because they've so drastically outplayed their preseason forecast for around 61 losses and a last-place finish in the West. However, it feels as though the Suns' surprise season is more a product of improved design than a bunch of players performing over their heads. The weighted-minutes team age is 27.0, ranking 16th in the league, but the Suns have a cadre of young players on the rise. The two identifiable foundation players are Goran Dragic, who at 28 is in his prime, and Eric Bledsoe, who at 24 is just hitting his stride. The baseline is solid, and the trend line points up.
What do the moves they've made say about how management views Phoenix's place in the NBA pecking order?
In sending out Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat and Michael Beasley, the Suns acknowledged their low place on the NBA totem pole. Incoming players have been young, upside veterans like Bledsoe, draft picks or expiring contracts. That awareness has continued into the season despite the Suns' surprising record.
Rather than squander the assets he'd compiled for a playoff run, McDonough avoided a splashy deadline move, such as the rumored acquisition of Pau Gasol. Instead, he's made low-key additions in Leandro Barbosa and Shavlik Randolph that won't stand in the way of future flexibility. The Suns have established a style of play and a knack for overachievement under Hornacek, but McDonough has kept his focus on the big picture.
How does reality mesh with that vision of the organization?
The Suns' inactivity at the trade deadline despite having so many assets and some open cap space is a great sign for fans of an organization that has never been able to get over the hump. McDonough seems intent to follow his rebuilding plan, and Sarver seems content to let him carry it out. Besides, the Suns might get the best post-deadline upgrade of any team when Bledsoe comes back from his knee injury this week.
What key decisions lie ahead?
Barry Gossage/Getty Images
Retaining Eric Bledsoe this offseason will be a top priority.
Before being injured, Bledsoe looked like a foundation player, and a good fit next to Dragic. It's not a conventional tandem, but it's one that Hornacek has managed to maximize. Bledsoe hits restricted free agency this summer, and he'll have plenty of suitors sniffing around, though the Suns have vowed to match any offer.
Channing Frye has enjoyed a strong return after missing the 2012-13 season, and he's got a $6.8 million player option for next year. He's the kind of legit stretch-big that any contender would love to grab. If Frye opts-in, then the Suns have to decide whether to move him as a valuable trade chip, or slot him into next season's roster. If he opts out, then the Suns have to decide whether to eat into their long-term flexibility by trying to keep Frye in the fold.
Three-and-defense wing P.J. Tucker will be a restricted free agent and is worth keeping at the right price. Come late summer, both Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris will be looking for extensions to their rookie deals.
What are the team's chief assets?
The Suns are loaded. It starts with the dynamic young braintrust of McDonough and Hornacek. There are several contributing players on their rookie contracts in the Morris twins, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and Miles Plumlee, plus the restricted rights to Bledsoe and Tucker. There are team-friendly deals in place for Dragic and Gerald Green through next season. Phoenix will likely have three picks in the 2014 first round, including their own, Washington's and Indiana's. It's possible but not likely Minnesota's could be added to the mix. If not, then the Suns get two more cracks at landing a T-Wolves first-rounder. The Lakers owe the Suns a first-rounder as well, and that's only top-five protected next season.
How does the team get from here to a championship?
The Suns will be hoping that Bledsoe can be retained at something along the lines of Ty Lawson's four-year, $48 million deal with the Nuggets. If the Bledsoe negotiations don't get out of hand, the Suns will have around $15.1 million projected cap space, possibly more depending on what happens with Frye's option.
Because the Morris twins may receive extensions, and Dragic and Green will be playing on what amounts to expiring contracts, the Suns' best chance to take advantage of that cap space might be this summer. Phoenix could be in play to take on either one big-salaried veteran or a couple of medium-salaried guys, by cashing in future assets in an exchange with a team looking to rebuild. That option offers more upside than simply signing a lower-tier veteran free agent such as Gasol.
Who is that trade target? One guy who jumps out is Minnesota's Kevin Love. Love would complete a dynamic big three with Dragic and Bledsoe, one surrounded by a lot of young athletes and shooters. If the Timberwolves cash in on Love while they can, few teams can offer as many good assets as the Suns. Miami's Chris Bosh is another enticing fit, as is Detroit's Greg Monroe.
While the Suns have an opportunity to make a major splash, they aren't necessarily compelled to do so. They're already good, exciting and rich in young players, both on the roster and through drafts to come. McDonough can afford to swing big on the free-agent and trade markets, because doing nothing is a viable option. If the Suns stand pat, they still have top-to-bottom valued assets to maneuver with in 2015. Suddenly a franchise that could do nothing right looks like an organization for which there are no wrong answers.
Jonas_steven
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Don't worry, love will save us!
Jonas_steven
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Smart play by drago!
Jonas_steven
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We are fucked if tucker is handling the ball!
Jonas_steven
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I hate you so much tucker!
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Orange602
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Why is Smith taking the last shot? Fuck.
PhilliesRamsSuns
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Is it just me or are the Clippers getting away with a lot of excessive pushing and shoving?
Arizona_Sting
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Not just you at all.
Jonas_steven
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Tom chambers looked so sad!
Jonas_steven
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Fuck Los Angeles! I am so glad I don't live there anymore!
Jonas_steven
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Fuck Jim from APS! He is such a douche nozzle to senior citizens!
Arizona_Sting
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I like the cut of your Jim
AZ Sun
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This is ugly, luckily Dallas plays at GS tomorrow so we won't drop too much.
