Phoenix Suns Season Forecast, 2011-2012! Time To Rise!
by Alex Laugan on Dec 24, 2011 7:43 AM MST
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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Welcome to the final part of the Suns Preview Series for the 2011-2012 season! Previously, you reveled in riveting prose about the Suns' Wings (mmm...wings!), Forwards/Centers and Point Guards. Let's give these writers a round of applause! Tap the keys on your keyboard a few times with your fingertips and be "heard".
Interestingly, the longest conversation centered around the discussion of our Wings. Maybe that's because the Centers on the team are old news. At the least, people are running out of new things to say until watching Gortat, Lopez and Siler actually play this season. And maybe the Power Forwards are boring because they lack a story-maker like Amare, or even Hedo. At point guard, Nash is Nash. And his backup, <fill in the blank>, is a disaster. Yawn.
Whatever the reason, the preview on the Wings generated more comments than any story not called a 'gamethread' in the past 8 months. Why? Because wing positions are the Suns' biggest flaw. And quite possibly the reason the Suns won't make the playoffs this season.
Which is a nice segue into the focus of today's article...
How will the Suns do, in the shortened 2011-2012 season? And, will they be playing competitive basketball in May?
The Suns are an enigma - but only in the sense that there is no sure-fire reason the Suns will win many (or any) games on their schedule. In the old days, you could chalk up a couple dozen wins on superior talent alone. But alas, these are not the old days. No game is a "sure thing". Lose a key player or two, or simply fail to show enough emotion to carry the day, and BAM. You're looking at a loss, on any and every night.
But that's the Dark Side of the Moon. And that's NOT the name of this blog. Nor is it in the best interest of sane Suns fans to wallow in self(or team)-pity, especially on a holiday.
So hit the jump for some positivity, and a plethora of seasonal predictions from the BSotS staff!
Let's start with some assumptions. The key to any justifiable conclusion is to agree to your basic assumptions. That puts everyone on the same playing field, and only engenders discussion on those conclusions that the author made on their own.
ASSUMPTIONS:
Though I've hinted as much throughout the offseason, there's no value to predicting a long-term Nash or Hill injury. That's just bad karma. So I won't do it.
Assumption #1: Nash and Hill will stay relatively healthy this season!
Another woe-is-me mantra that provides no value - and only bad karma - before the season even starts is to predict zero improvement from our younger (ie. under-30) players. Sure it's possible that some will take a step backwards, or simply remain stagnant, but where does that leave us as fans to openly predict such heinous things? In the depths of self-pitying hell, that's where.
This is the Bright Side of the Sun, for darn sakes!
Lopez, Gortat, Siler, Frye, Warrick, Childress, Dudley... all guys who could improve with more comfort in the system, offseason training and/or better health. Gortat, Siler and Lopez each took pointers from Hakeem the Dream this offseason. Dudley worked tirelessly on his game skills in Vegas and San Diego. Warrick and Chilly... well, they know the system better.
Assumption #2: Some measurable level of growth from the under-30s!
Are there any other assumptions we need to make, as Bright Siders? How about effort? The first preseason game aside, we have to assume the team will play their butts off in every game. To assume otherwise, despite what we've seen in the two preseason games, is just more wallowing in the doom and gloom.
Assumption #3: Consistent Effort from everyone on the team!
Great, so now we have 3 basic assumptions built into my BSotS crystal ball.
(1) Health, (2) natural improvement and (3) effort
If the Suns keep their best players healthy, show incremental improvement in their individual games, and put out the necessary effort every single night, how many games will they win?
I'd say somewhere between 30 to 36 wins out of 66.
Why so low?
Talent. Or, lack thereof.
Sure there's enough talent to win games. Nash is still a borderline all-star who will be top-3 in assists. Gortat has a well-rounded game. Morris has potential, at least the preseason showings. Grant Hill is a BAMF. The Suns offense will still be more efficient than most of its peers.
But, the Suns don't boast a dangerous "go-to" 20-point scorer at any position. They don't boast a defensive system that can shut down opponents when their own offense sputters. And, they don't boast a "closer". Some say Nash is a closer, but I don't agree. He's a great passer, and will generate many open looks throughout the game, but he's not a closer who actually scores the ball when points are needed. He needs someone else to make the basket, be it an open 3-pointer or driving pick-and-roll finish.
For these reasons, I see the Suns going through ups and downs all year long. And, I see the Suns being able to count on at least 2 hands how many games they "coulda shoulda" won but didn't.
In other words, I see a happier team but hardly more success than last year. All we can hope is that health, growth and effort will produce slightly better than average results over the course of the season.
Final Alex Laugan prediction:
34 wins (against 32 losses) and an 8th seed in the playoffs, assuming (1) health, (2) growth and (3) effort.
Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris will be enforcers by the end of the season together, while JD and Grant Hill will ride the wings for the most part around Nash. The Suns' young players (Morris, Gortat, Lopez and Dudley) will provide a glimpse of hope to a future that includes aging Nash and Hill, along with a solid draft pick and a big-spending free agent period.
And now let's hear what a couple of newer BSotS writers have to say...
East Bay Ray's fearless prediction:
36-30 and 8th seed.
Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley will be solid in their first full season as starters, Markieff Morris will shut the silly "lesser brother" criticisms and the Suns will go as far as Steve Nash's back, legs and pubic area will take them. If Nash misses any significant amount of time, this win forecast adjusts way down, but with him the offense will still be above average. The Suns have some quality individual defenders who will mold into an improved defensive team as the season goes on. Gortat, Frye, Morris and Lopez make up a frontcourt that has a chance to be a real team strength. Steve Nash and Grant Hill won't go out with a whimper.
7footer's prediction of doom:
28-38, and out of the playoffs
This may seem a little pessimistic, and honestly I tried to look for reasons that we could win more games...But going through the schedule and looking at what teams we play against, and where we play them, this was my best guess. The two games against the Nuggets in preseason helped to further lend credence to a sneaking suspicion I've had going into the season...that the Suns would not far well against young, athletic teams, even those who are without legit stars to solidify them. Teams like the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Thunder, Clippers, Kings and even the Timbervolves are all the types of teams that I think we will struggle the most against. Oddly enough, I think we will actually fair better playing teams like the Lakers and the Spurs who are more our speed. That's a crazy thing to say for a team whose best legacy was the 7SOL...but we are no longer in that mold.
There you have it, folks. Wins ranging from 28-36 wins, and that's with a healthy team! Simply, the Suns don't seem to have the guns to be a contender, and will need a major team effort just to make the playoffs.
Let's just hope in March we're spending more time talking Suns playoff odds than lottery odds.
Merry Christmas!
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I agree with 7footer
Trying to find some optimism but those two preseason games, even if they are just preseason games, really killed any optimism I had. The Suns are going to struggle against a lot of athletic teams.
We have to hope Turner can get the defense improved quickly, but I’m not optimistic. It needs time, of which there is none, especially between games.
So do i
The west is a heck of division and the preseason games are not just preseason games, at least not this season, this team is effortless and mindless about defense, we need to get everyone going, however i gotta disagree with alex, if all of those asumptions come true we are very likely a 6th seed candidate.
Blind enough to believe on Pudgemonster.
I think we're all over exaggerating on those preseason games.
It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The Suns got murdered by the Nuggets last season too. In fact, counting those two preseason games we are now 0-4 blowouts against them since Marcin Gortat has joined. I don’t believe the Nuggets are a good measuring stick for us.
We were a below average team last season with both J-Rich and with Gortat. Hopefully, Morris and Lopez’s potential re-emergence will help improve that. As for our defense, that is going to take a lot of time.
The backup 1-3 is where our biggest weakness appears to be and we can’t afford that due to Hill and Nash’s age. Those guys (Price/Telfair, Chill, Brown, Warrick) are going to have to step up or at least 2 of those guys.
With that said, we do have a chance to be a little better this season and make the playoffs, but that will all come down to whether our bench can step up and we can learn to play decent, team defense by the time Nash and Hill start to break down.
I believe it will take at least 35-36 wins to make the playoffs this season. We should be shooting for 36 at the least. Aim High, miss low.
Don't trade Dudley!
I agree
I think it will take between 35-37 games to make the playoffs at a minimum. If we finish around there then we will hopefully be in the playoffs.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
My major takeaway from the preseason games
was that the Nuggets are much much better than I originally thought they would be.
Voted most likely to say "I told you so"
I thought the same.
But, I wonder if it was the nuggets being good or the suns doing bad. It’s been so long since I watched nba games.
Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash. That is all.
by PhoenixSons on Dec 24, 2011 7:48 PM MST via iPhone app up reply actions
Nuggets are excellent
They have Plus NBA players across the board, the best O in the league last year, good D and young athletes at every position. All they don’t have is a “star” everyone recognises, but if they finish top 4 in the west, that may change.
At this moment My opinion is closer to 7footer.
Until now Frye, Childres, are big disappointment for me. Maybe they hide his form (nice strategy). It doesn’t look good.
Both Dudley and Frye got off to a slow start last season.
Don’t worry about them. Chill, yeah, worry about him.
Don't trade Dudley!
I'm worried that he doesn't have long before Scott gets to him...
The smell of burnt afro is not a pleasant thing,,,
STAT may be gone but the Suns will rise....! BTW, If positivity is a crime, I plead guilty by reason of T-Bird...!
Merry Christmas!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Dec 24, 2011 10:24 AM MST up reply actions
With Nash feeding him, Kieff turns into a monster and it's all the way to the WCF!
Gortat, Frye, and Dudz up their games just to keep ahead of the rook!
How about that for some freshly minted BrightSide!
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Dec 24, 2011 8:25 AM MST reply actions
yes!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Dec 24, 2011 10:24 AM MST up reply actions
What exactly will Nash be feeding him again...?
Remeber there is a substance abuse policy in the NBA. Plus we need him to turn into a PF not another monster…
Merry Christmas, SNQP :)
STAT may be gone but the Suns will rise....! BTW, If positivity is a crime, I plead guilty by reason of T-Bird...!
IDK, remember that one game where we played a frontcourt
of Amare’ and a live bear. That was effective.
Voted most likely to say "I told you so"
Remember, next year we have got a lot of money to spend, new PG and PF, Nash back up for 5ml :) Merry Christmas form Poland
Exactly, all i want for christmas is this
Blind enough to believe on Pudgemonster.
by Lino Canaan on Dec 24, 2011 9:56 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Hopefully these are the high and low
I think we will definitely end up somewhere between 28 and 36 wins, almost assured- even with an injury or two.
Personally, I think we’ll end up about .500, which will be good enough for an 8th seed, only because there will be so many crappy teams that will get beat up by the elite AND mediocre teams worse than us.
Still- happy to watch the suns and Nash play a season. And hope we make next offseason count big-time.
Grant Hill for prez.
by sun-arc on Dec 24, 2011 9:46 AM MST via mobile reply actions
just realized
that 2nd to last sentence wasn’t clear. What I meant was that elite and mediocre teams will beat up the crappier teams more than us (POR, GSW, HOU, MIN, UTA, SAC), so we’ll sneak into the playoffs by not sucking as much as them. Go not sucking SUNS!
Grant Hill for prez.
by sun-arc on Dec 24, 2011 9:50 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Merry Christmas to all, and great post as usual Alex...
I am as optimistic as it gets (except maybe Haremoor level of optimism..) but I have a harder time justifying more than 34 wins out of this squad. I agree with your assertion that there is some talent, but the lack of a big time go-t- guy combined with the fact that many of our players have glaring weaknesses, means that it will be hard for us to go on prolonged runs in the season.
This used to be our bread and butter in seasons past where we would just reel off 10-12 straight wins several times during a season. I think not having the explosive scores means that there will be a lot of games where we have to grind out wins. If our defensive was a little better, I say then we are okay, but our (proven) inability to make key stops will hinder us in more than a few games. Hopefully our defense will get better ande I can change my opinion, but right now, we just don’t have enough separation between offensive explosion and defensive toughness.
Who knows, I may be wrong, but in order for us to be better than 33-34 wins a few things must happen: 1) Price or Telfair must emerge as more than than just a bench-warmer. They must become a legitimate continuity of effort when Nash is out the game.
2) Our Front line of Lopez, Gortat, Frye, and, Morris? must become a little nastier and tougher in the post. Not thugs, but make people think twice about these numerous forays into the lane we have gotten so accustomed to seeing from opponents. In addition, our whole defensive effort must become better and more consistent.
3) We need a scoring threat to emerge. I know Dudz can do a lot of things, but I am not sure if becoming the main go to guy on offense is best for the Suns…No it has to be one other guy if he can figure this thing out…That’s right, Shannon Brown has to get his head out out his backside and figure this out real quick. I am not sure this will happen though.
4) We need a hungry team each and every night. The Suns won’t be more talented than most other teasm..But with Steve Nash, Grant Hill and a burning desire to compete each and every night, I think that it will keep the Suns in games they might otherwise not be in. This may enable us to “steal” a few wins here and there…
Enough of this rambling, and everybody enjoy their Holidays..>!
STAT may be gone but the Suns will rise....! BTW, If positivity is a crime, I plead guilty by reason of T-Bird...!
nice post, Sun God. Happy Holidays
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Dec 24, 2011 11:14 AM MST up reply actions
positive predictions for this season:
1. There will be at least a few games this year where Grant Hill’s defense makes an NBA superstar look amazingly average, causing the pundits scratch their heads and say things like, “Hmmm…Kevin Durant seems to be a little off tonight.”
2. By the end of the season, Kieff will have emerged as one of the NBA’s most promising young big men. A decade-long trend of the Suns misfiring on draft picks (either by drafting the wrong guy or trading the rights to the right guy) will be reversed.
3. Steve Nash will make at least 2-3 plays per game that remind the world why he’s a two-time MVP.
4. Night in and night out, Jared Dudley will be a guy that opposing fans look at and say, “Man, I wish we had a guy like that on our team.”
5. A healthy Gortat will average a double-double, and become our first reliable center since Alvin Adams (sorry, Mark West and Joe Kleine)
6. For all of his myriad flaws, every now and then Hak will make a dunk that causes the game thread to explode.
Merry Christmas. God bless us, every-Sun
Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."
~Jack Burton, "Big Trouble in Little China"
by u_must_chill on Dec 24, 2011 11:11 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
rec for u, u_m_c! on all points!
And a double-rec for:
Merry Christmas. God bless us, every-Sun
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Dec 24, 2011 1:13 PM MST up reply actions
thanks :-)
Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."
~Jack Burton, "Big Trouble in Little China"
by u_must_chill on Dec 24, 2011 2:10 PM MST up reply actions
Merry Christmas to everyone
God I hope Santa gives me the #1 pick in this coming draft.
Women were the reason I became a monk - and, ah, the reason I switched back... -Morte, Planescape Torment
But on the bright side of things...
I still think we are capable of being a good team this season. The record of 28-38 was my best guess going down the line, game by game, and putting either a “W” or a “L” next to each one. There were plenty of games that I could see going either way, so even I believe we could realistically end up with a record as good as Ray’s prediction.
There are certainly some things to like about our team…We have one of the best point guards to ever play the game, a certified stud at SF, and a potential all-star at center (and dare I say another who could have a big bounce-back season). Add to that an all around awesome SG, and a 3-point shooting machine at PF (with a promising young rookie behind him), and we have the potential to make some noise this year.
I think a lot will depend on whether or not we can depend on either Price or Telfair to come in off the bench and lead the second unit. They don’t have to be (and won’t be) as good as Nash, but if we can just get some quality minutes each night so that we don’t have to depend on Steve so heavily, I think we could definitely make the playoffs.
Merry Christmas everyone!
PLAYOFFS PLAYOFFS
last 2 times the suns have not made the playoffs the following year we were western conference finalists, but this year 8th seed will be the maximum we can get and i hope.
MERRY XMAS BRIGHTSIDERS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS
"SIR ALEX FERGUSON" Greatest Manager of all time
I personally prefer not making the playoffs and getting a high draft pick, but tanking the seasonis clearly not the way to go with both Nash and Hill still signed on for another year.
The best we can hope for is an eight seed, but even that seems a bit far fetched. The Clippers are profoundly better, the Grizzlies will have Gay back, and the Kings have a lot of young, studly talent. But that is why teams play the games and playoff standings are not based off of predictions.
I'm Biwinning, I win here and I win there!
Merry Christmas and Hanukkah everyone. We'll be 7th seed
"Steve Nash is more valuable for the Suns than Kobe for the Lakers" - Jared Dudley
any way you cut it, we're going to be underdogs this season
it’s up to gentry and the lads to make sure that we’re SCRAPPY underdogs.
we’re not the biggest dog in the western conference. nor are we the fastest or most talented or the most athletic. or the most healthy. or the youngest. in fact, we’re sort of like the grizzled, flea-bitten mutt that’s missing an eye and a leg from so many battles with other dogs. the one thing that we DO have the chance to be is the fiercest and most tenacious dog in the fight. but, that’s a matter of will and determination more than anything. i’m just glad that steve and grant are our leaders.
Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."
~Jack Burton, "Big Trouble in Little China"
Merry Christmas everyone
I hope it brings joy to all! And let’s all hope that the Suns can harness the underdog role once again and make a surge into the playoffs. Nobody outside of Phoenix (well, I should say a Suns fan) will probably have us making the playoffs and I can see why they would say that. Time to see how this season unfolds starting (technically tomorrow) Monday!
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
by Airwave on Dec 24, 2011 4:03 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
The spread I gave in Jim's thread was 32-38,
and I’m sticking with that. We’ll be fighting for the 8th seed with DEN and HOU as our primary competition.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
*32-38 wins
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
I agree that Phoenix will be fighting for the eighth seed,
but I think that Portland will be the main competition.
I think that your idea of ranging the win total from 32-38 for a BEST CASE scenario sounds right.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Dec 24, 2011 4:52 PM MST up reply actions
I think Portland has a spot unless Aldridge goes down for an extended period of time. They are like the Nuggets, only better. Deep, with quality players at every spot.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
I don't see any way Portland misses the playoffs
Unless, like you said, Aldridge goes down. They were already a good team and now they added Crawford….
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Why does everyone think we got worse?
Taking last year’s 40-42 as our baseline (that is 33-33 in 66 games), we subtract VC, Pietrus and Brooks, and then add Brown, Morris and Telfair/Price, and factor in improvement/regression of returning players.
I think the players on the team are at worst as good/bad as last year, and more likely to improve (Lopez especially, and Frye should as well) or less likely to do bad as their minutes are reduced (Hak).
We didn’t have a 20 point scorer last year, and we did OK, and do you need such a player when Nash averages 20+ points in assists?
The biggest issue last year was defence, and if we can improve our defence, and we can maintain on offence, we will be right around .500 again, maybe a game or two above. I think that Morris adds to our defense, if only by taking minutes away from Hak, and Lopez playing a little less stiffly should help the D as well.
Brown, Dudley/Hill and Telfair/Price are the X Factors. Dudley is a good defender, but can he match up at 2, or will Hill take the better wing? Will Brown be able to guard bigger twos, and with a lot of short backups, will it matter? Can one of Telfair/Price undo the horrific numbers we had sans Nash on BOTH ends last year? Price is the better defender, but can he be productive enough on O to make his D worth playing?
If all those questions come back with solid answers, we will have a VERY good D (for us i.e. league average-ish) and be a solid playoff team. And even if those questions aren’t answered positively, I still think we will be better on D than last year.
I just don’t think we got worse so, short of Nash aging 10 years in a season, I’m super optimistic we can compete for a playoff spot, and I think we can finish as high as 6th.
I think everybody's still bumbed about losing Carter.
He was he heart and soul of this team. The shock over his departure will wear off eventually.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Dec 24, 2011 4:55 PM MST up reply actions
Yeah
His chats and smiles with the other team were used as psychological tactics Vince uses to dominate the mind of his opponents with niceness.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
The reasons I am worried are
I don’t know how our backup PG situation will be this season. This is magnified even further because the Suns have to play basically every other night and average almost 5 games a week. Our 2 best players are also our 2 oldest players and they are going to need their rest with a condensed season. I am not saying we will be worse but those are the 2 things that make me unsure what will happen.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
when you put it like this, I’m optimistic as well. It COULD all break well for the Suns. It just doesn’t feel right to predict it, though.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
The alternative
Is to predict that everyone gets worse.
It all comes down to Nash, and to a lesser extent Hill. If Nash plays well, we’ll be around .500. If he can’t hack so many games, or plays his age, good night playoffs.
Everything else is pretty much irrelevant.
If our D can improve and Nash can stay in the ballpark of his previous offensive genius, we’re gonna be good.
Given your assumptions,
I will go ahead and use the 37-29 mark (7th seed) I came up with by going through the schedule.
I think that is a realistic ceiling record for this squad.
This might turn out to be a difficult season to predict. Trades, health, depth, and cohesiveness might all have exaggerated effects.
I really think that Gentry might want to consider picking about 6 games prior to the season that Nash and Hill will sit out of. Maybe he can make them different games so the team isn’t without both of them. I’m really worried about those two guys surviving the season. In the long run, it might be worth losing a battle or two to win the war. Playing them both could result in a Pyrrhic victory situation.
Other teams will be dealing with the same brutal schedule, so the games that Nash and Hill come back fresh after nights off could make up for it. Most catchers don’t play very game in baseball so they don’t wear out, why not apply the same logic to the Suns key components.
Even if I wasn’t going for the ceiling, I still think the Suns can sneak in to the 8th spot. I don’t think that teams like Portland, Minny, and Houston are superior to the Suns, but all these teams seem pretty close. It could come down to some good or bad breaks for teams.
There’s also nothing saying that the Suns (or other teams in the chase) can’t make a move before the deadline to improve their chances.
Go Suns! We’re coming for your ass on Monday New Orleans! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
I guess I’m stuck in the 2000s, but I just can’t imagine the Wolves winning a bunch more games than usual this season. They need a real veteran presence to win the close ones.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I feel the same way. I like the coaching change more than the player changes actually, but I still don’t think they are ready.
by BringBackBarkley17 on Dec 25, 2011 9:50 PM MST up reply actions
Pietrus...
so…Boston is very excited about this signing…WHY IS THAT?
Because they only have 6 players on their roster
and the most important one is hurt.
Voted most likely to say "I told you so"
Haven't they been trying to get him for a while now?
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Yup were were trying to work a trade
But because his knee magically couldn’t get better they get him for free and he’ll get 2 pay checks
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 7:44 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
because teams are always excited about the new guy. Especially when the new guy, on paper, profiles like Posey who really helped them win that title. Good defense, good 3-pt shooting, and an attitude.
It will take half a season for them to realize what they ACTUALLY got is a guy that Golden State, Orlando and Phoenix (all teams who need that exact profile of player) gave away as soon as they reasonably could.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Since we're keeping it positive in this thread
I’d like to take the opportunity to renounce my status as Warrick’s biggest hater.
In the pre-season he showed that he has corrected his shooting form and is now a consistent midrange thread.
Plus, moved to SF instead of PF, he isn’t a liability at rebounding.
I think he should be Grant’s backup this year. And a Nash/Warrick pick n roll is probably the best play in our playbook.
Voted most likely to say "I told you so"
While I do like warrick as the backup 3
What happens when grant leaves?
Does he becone the starting 3. I hope not
Naybe wheb grabt goes our dudley will go the SF and shannon will start at 2
Nash
Brown
Dudz
Frye
Gortat
Thats a high powered offensive lineup as long as dudz can hold down the other teams best wing.
Then when dudz comes out warrick will still be the back up 3
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 6:24 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
What happens when grant leaves?
Free agency.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
Bad wording
I meant when he sits out games
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 6:35 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
don’t renounce your hatred over a couple of games of fallaway jumpers finding their mark. You’ll regret it.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Oh no, we suck again!
"What's with today, today?" - Lucas
by Walter ChronKite on Dec 24, 2011 6:16 PM MST reply actions
as of this moment,
vince carter is the mavericks’ starting shooting guard. this fact makes me giggle. enjoy him, mavs fans! he’s great!
Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."
~Jack Burton, "Big Trouble in Little China"
Hell probably do good
He doesnt have to be the go to guy. They have dirk for that.
Vince carter.plays best when the game doesnt rest on his hands. Thats why his playoff appearenves are unmemorable because he cant lead a team when he manages to get there.
If he averages 15ppg and some ast/reb dallas will be happy.
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 6:38 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
be that as it may...
I still don’t see vince ceasing to launch up off-balance threes or suddenly playing good defense
Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."
~Jack Burton, "Big Trouble in Little China"
by u_must_chill on Dec 24, 2011 9:10 PM MST up reply actions
He will if he wants to play
Dallas coach>our coach. Remember how gentry would keep VC in the game even when he was suckong it up.
You think their coach will stand for that mess when hes got Jason “the jet” terry coming off the bench.
Dallas is probablly the best team to get use out of VC. But time will tell. I just know hell have more motivation playing for the nba champion than he did us.
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 9:31 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
VC
he’s probably going to do well not being their “go-to scorer” as he was sort of expected to be on the Suns. The Mavs are probably going to finish being a top 3 seed and the Suns are going no where.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
Well,
previous starting SGs for Dallas include Antoine Wright and DeShawn Stevenson soo…
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
me too. He’s like Pietrus. Looks good on paper, looks terrible once you actually see a body of work.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I predict that I will spend a lot less time on the bench this season
Hey- Don't Blame ME
Wow im dumb
I never made the connection of Bright side of the Sun and dark side of the moon till now. I thought it was called brightside only because of optimism and such. This site just got 5000 times cooler
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 24, 2011 7:13 PM MST via Android app reply actions
Wishing all bright siders
A merry christmas, Happy holidays and a great nba season!
"BALL"- Turkish poet Hedo Turkeyglue
by stevedavis_ on Dec 24, 2011 9:31 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
What was in the egg nog I drank before writing that?
Did Sun God sneak some of his T-Bird in there? Obviously, the 36 wins is best case scenario and the range between 7footer and me will probably be about where the win total ends up. Can’t wait to get this season started to find out.
Merry Christmas, everybody!
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Dec 24, 2011 10:33 PM MST via Android app reply actions 1 recs
!Update!
Markieff may start ahead of Frye via Paul Coro. According to staements from gebtry if morris starts ahead of frye it would be because of morris’s impressiveness in camp not fryes lack of shooting.
I could see morris bringing better rebounding ,D, and toughness to the starting line up while still keeping the floor spacing that channing frye brought. Frye coming off the bench would be the offensive spark our second unit would need. warrick frye and Rolo arent the best defensive frontcourt but theyll be going up against other backups and will score when combined with Brown and price.
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 25, 2011 12:19 AM MST via Android app reply actions
Sorry for the spelling
Its the phone which is also the reason I didnt post this as a fanshot with the paul coro article.
Its on the tuscon citizen “Marcin Gortat says hell be ready for season opener”
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 25, 2011 12:21 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
Wow really???
If that is true that is really good news. If we had 4 legit options in our frontcourt (assuming Robin plays better and Frye goes to the bench) we would be doing very well for ourselves. The bench could really use Frye, that is for sure. Anyways, it is just nice hear something like from Gentry because I definitely think we need quality minutes from someone outside Frye for PF…..
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Yea is morris can play solid at the Pf(15ppg 8-10reb) he will be more effective as a starter(25-30mins)
Frye will still get alot of minutes especially with morris being foul prone but his presence on the 2nd unit will bring a scoring threat and open up the floor for guys like price, brown, and even up to get to the rim.
Jason terry comes off the bench even though hes a starter in this league. If Frye can be that scoring edge for us well be in decent shape
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 25, 2011 1:30 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
Jeeez
15-10 would probably give him a go at the Rookie of the year…
IMO a 12-7 showing would be amazing.
LOL – channing’s numbers were just around those figures.
Kinda high expectations for a guy picked outside top10 in this year’s thin draft…
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on Dec 25, 2011 5:58 AM MST up reply actions
well, I’m thinking 10 and 5 is a reasonably optimistic expectation (with some big games in there, offset by some 5 foul/4 pt outings). he will be productive per minute, I’m sure.
Having written that, I am also optimistic that Morris has a nice future in the league. Shooting range, defense, toughness, attitude, rebounding, productivity, fearlessness… all will serve him well in the league.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
saw that too, and got a little excited. But Morris’ problem will remain what it was in the preseason. Foul trouble. Gotta figure out how not to foul so often.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
there ARE some interesting dynamics with Morris.
Gortat should be able to relate to Morris’ toughness and bravado. Warrick could feel more comfortable and aggressive with another Philly native on the roster reminding him about toughness and aggressiveness. And Lopez might appreciate that Morris is a “lesser twin” trying to break the mold and be his own player.
Karma just might play a big role in this team. (cuz the Suns can’t bank on talent, you gotta go with intangibles!)
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Intangibles ftw
When all else fails
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 25, 2011 9:20 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
Centers average almost 6 fouls per game
And most weeks Morris won’t play a team as athletic as the Nuggets are from 1-10. If Morris can play Hak’s minutes – which was ONLY 17.7 BTW – he’ll add value – MASSIVE value.
Morris is going to be a solid draft pick if can play 18-20 minutes a game, and get 8pg, 5 rpg, 1 block, 1 steal. Anything above that, and man, how good will we be? We’ll have 3 NBA quality bigs, and I can’t remember the last time we could say that!
If frye continues to struggle
Could you see morris starting? Like of we go 11 games and are 3-8 or 2-9 and fryes production is a factor? If we are lottery bou.d early on I definitely see morris getting mintues to prep him for next year. He has pontential to be a better all round PF than frye
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Dec 25, 2011 3:39 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
Starting doesn't matter IMHO
Finishing the game does. Too many people get excited about starts over finishes, and Frye is a finisher.
I think Morris might start because It makes more sense for two reasons:
1. How many teams have a great, large backup? Most teams have two good bigs, but rarely three or four, especially in the 7’ range. Most backups are guys that have some plus skills, and some weaknesses, like Frye, who is a great offensive player, but a below average defender and woeful rebounder.
2. It keeps Frye fresher. Making him bang against Boozer is a tad pointless.
Frye matches up really well with backups, where we can hide his shortcomings and keep him fresh for the finish, and Morris matches up well with starters. It would really help our bench play on O, as Frye on the pick and pop is a very dangerous offensive weapon.
My $0.02 anyway.
This
It is not the biggest deal in the world regarding who starts. It is all about who gets most of the minutes and who is in the game for the final stretch. It is basically what we did with Robin his rookie season when he was starting but not really playing starter minutes. It is all about maximizing what you can get out of who is on the court together.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
THIS
and EXACTLY this. I want Morris to start for those exact reasons, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
by iwasneveryoung on Dec 26, 2011 3:32 AM MST up reply actions
I can
08- Amar’e, Shaq, Diaw, Skinner
07- Amar’e, Thomas, Diaw
2010- Amar’e, Lopez, Frye, Lou
All of those guys were quality bigs. It’s just that Shaq didn’t fit, Lopez couldn’t stay healthy and Diaw couldn’t stay motivated.
Yeah, Diaw may be a tweener, but I’d categorize him as a big because most of his game was in the paint and he had a big butt.
Don't trade Dudley!
In all those seasons, we had good 4s, but rarely a good 5. Our best year was 07-08 bigs, but the 08-09 with the same bigs were bad.
I think this year’s bigs can be very good, and more position specific than ever before. If Frye plays 4 and Lopez has a pulse, we’ll have 2 legit 4s and 2 legit 5s. Rebounding wise, we may even be – heaven forbid – AVERAGE.
yeah Shaq and Lopez were the only real 5s in that group
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Dec 25, 2011 10:04 PM MST up reply actions
If you don't fit, can't stay healthy or can't stay motivated, are you a quality NBA big?
Amare and Frye were consistently good.
The rest:
Shaq was a hundred years over the hill when we got him. The beginning of the end of our presence in the NBA elite.
Diaw had a great season once. Lou had a good season once. Lopez had a good half a season once. This resulted in them being overrated.
Thomas was a stopgap and all I remember about Skinner was his rainbow beard.
I'm Michael Beasley's imaginary friend.
by suns68 on Dec 26, 2011 8:38 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
28 to 30 wins
Thats it.
I’m just going by what I see on our roster
by forget on Dec 25, 2011 8:25 PM MST via mobile reply actions
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