The Bright Side: 2010/2011

by rosewood on Apr 30, 2008 5:18 PM MDT

So losing sucks. That said, I think we still have a very good team. Our championship window is certainly narrowed, but I wouldn't say it is closed. Next year, we'll have a full year with Shaq and apparently a new more defensive-minded coach. Amare will continue to improve. It could be special. Likely, we're just a solid playoff team again, since no one will be able to compete with the Lakers, but that's better than being a Grizzlies fan, for instance. Two years from now? Well, considering the age of our players, that's more difficult to forecast

But in 2010/2011 (not next season or the next season after but the next one), we could be right back on top, because we're set up fabulously for that year.

Our assets

1) A solid trio of young players: Boris, Amare, and Leandro will all be 28 for that season. In other words, they will still be on the good side of their peak.

2) Cap space: Raja, Steve, and Shaq all come off the books that year, and there is no better time for them to do so. Players who will/might be available that year, depending on contract extensions:

Lebron, Bosh, DWade, Marvin Williams, Richard Hamilton, Mike Miller, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Josh Howard, Dirk, T-Mac, Joe Johnson, Manu, Okur, Andrew Bynum, Boozer, David Lee, Andrew Bogut, Tyson Chandler, and Danny Granger.

Now not all of these players will be there (almost certainly not Paul and Bynum), but that's still an impressive crop and the Suns, always a great free agent draw, will have the space to make their pick.

Of course, this all assumes that we're not going to trade away our cap space in 09/10. But even that may not be so bad if we're getting something valuable back in return.

Now we just have to hope that in the next couple of drafts, we can get at least two or three solid contributors (not even studs) on the cheap. We'll likely have to get our studs via free agency. But alll the good teams, including us, right now have key (or even star) players who were late first round/second round picks (Barbosa, Bell, Bowen, Howard, Boozer, Parker, Ginobili, Arenas, Rondo, Kirilenko, Prince, West not to mention Powe, Landry, Bass, Milsap, Maxiell and guys of that level). We need our gems as well.

So I guess now it's time to start talking about the draft. Woo!

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Problem is everyone is thinking that way

I hate hoping for the future… =(

Where doubting Thomases believe

by ZonaFlash on Apr 30, 2008 5:32 PM MDT reply actions

Same

I grow weary of wondering what the future will hold for us. Sure we’ll be in th playoffs, but who here even gives a damn about the playoffs. We all want he big W right now, we all want a ring. So all the future holds for the Suns now are “maybes” and “hopefully” and depending on those is nerve wracking and often painful.

On a brighter note though I do have hope for the future, assuming Diaw and LB really kick things up a notch in a starting role. Especially if we can land a nice free agent in those aforementioned years. Also does anyone know just how likely it will be for us to trade up in this draft, or add on another pick?

"Troops in desperate straights know no fear. Where there is no escape, they stand firm; When they have entered deep, they persist; When they see no hope, they fight." Sun Tzu The Art of War

by Turambar on Apr 30, 2008 6:31 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah, it's depressing right now

But it’s just a game.

It’s all fun. To lift your spirts, I’d advocate reading my FanPost about the Suns’ identity.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Apr 30, 2008 7:38 PM MDT up reply actions

Trading up

Well, I don’t know if we will trade up: but here’s what we have to trade if we wanted to:

Players (limited to players whom I think we would and could):

Boris, Leandro, DJ, Alando

Picks:
15th pick this year
1st Rounder in 2009; 2 possibly 3 2nd rounder in 2009
2nd rounder in 2010
1st round in 2011; 2nd rounder in 2011

Trade exception:

8 million dollars

So we could use these assets to trade up, but I’m not sure about the wisdom of that. There’s no way any one is letting us into the Top 5 or 6 with what we have, so what we’re talking about is moving up into the late-mid lottery. The only players I think worth trading for would be DeAndre Jordan or Gallinari if they slip to 10-12.

But really there’s a lot of talent that should/will hopefully be around at 15: Batum, McGee, Alexander, Budinger, CDR, Koufos, Donte Greene. It’s not Derrick Rose or Jerryd Bayless, but it’s what we got. So I think we would do well to hold on our assets (ideally we’ll find a way to trade back into the 2010 first round).

I wouldn’t mind seeing the Suns trade up in the 2nd round though, especially if we take a high-upside project type player (Batum; McGee) in the 1st. We could score a big banger possibly Milsap type guy such as Joey Dorsey or Nathan Jawai or Richard Hendrix if he falls a bit, and that would help.

Of course, we’ll probably just trade the pick for a 2M dollars and a twelve pack of MGD light, since we’re almost certainly over the LT threshold next year. Go Sarver.

You're not going to fall for the banana in the tail pipe?

by rosewood on Apr 30, 2008 8:45 PM MDT reply actions