Ray McCallum
- Thread starter King Baller
- Start date
Oh I am not assuming that Ben is more ready than Nik. In fact I believe the exact opposite. I think they should start Nik. But that does not appear to be the consensus of the coaching staff. They appear ready to start Ben and bring Nik along like any rookie slowly. I think in today's NBA your 1st round picks need to be ready to start.
Not quite so sure that they have as much of an identity as you think they do. Last year, Bledsoe's injuries for a lot of the season sort of forced them into being a Goran Dragic-driven, run and gun team with a scrappy guy inside (Plumlee) and a bunch of perimeter dudes outside, regardless of size (Frye, Tucker, Green, Marcus Morris).
Now obviously quite a few of those shooters are on the team again this year but now Bledsoe is (temporarily) healthy and they added IT to the backcourt. Now, while both those guys are not horrid perimeter shooters by any means, they're far more ball dominant than, say, Channing Frye, who would just sit around behind the arc and wait for someone to pass him the ball. Now you could obviously ask IT and Bledsoe to be change their games to fit last year's schemes but that would mean essentially taking away what made these guys good NBA talents and turning them into just-okay level guys. Which, given how much money is being invested in that backcourt, isn't ideal.
I'm not saying they're going to flop or anything. Just saying that it may not be quite as clear-cut as you seem to be characterizing it. (Also, IT took more shots per game than both Dragic and Bledsoe did last season so that'll be fun to watch)
Now obviously quite a few of those shooters are on the team again this year but now Bledsoe is (temporarily) healthy and they added IT to the backcourt. Now, while both those guys are not horrid perimeter shooters by any means, they're far more ball dominant than, say, Channing Frye, who would just sit around behind the arc and wait for someone to pass him the ball. Now you could obviously ask IT and Bledsoe to be change their games to fit last year's schemes but that would mean essentially taking away what made these guys good NBA talents and turning them into just-okay level guys. Which, given how much money is being invested in that backcourt, isn't ideal.
I'm not saying they're going to flop or anything. Just saying that it may not be quite as clear-cut as you seem to be characterizing it. (Also, IT took more shots per game than both Dragic and Bledsoe did last season so that'll be fun to watch)
All three of those guys are elite dribble penetrators, and top finishers at the rim for the PG position, Dragic is a very good 3 pt shooter, IT is solid 3 point shooter, and Bledsoe is capable but more of mini Lebron type. Suns are going all in with dribble penetration by PG's and kicking to spot shooters, you just aren't going to stop those guys from getting in the paint, you will either have to live with giving up the 3pt shot to roleplayers/spot shooters, or those guards will get theirs. I think they will be very good, will definetly check them out on league pass, fun watch for sure. Of course the west is so deep they could be the odd man out again, but in the East they would easily be the 3rd best team.
That's just the Suns schtick, in the same way the Rockets always get great centers dating back to Moses, Sampson, Olajuwon, Yao, Dwight, or Denver is always duck n chuck, or Portland always drafts elite centers with ruined legs. 
With Phoenix its ben 25 straight years of great PGs from KJ to Kidd to Marbury to Nash to the current group. Its funny how patterns become so embedded in some franchises.
With Phoenix its ben 25 straight years of great PGs from KJ to Kidd to Marbury to Nash to the current group. Its funny how patterns become so embedded in some franchises.
Ben's improvement defensively is fairly dramatic. I really disagree with this you either have it or don't position people take all the time.
He's inexperienced. That doesn't mean he'll never get it. He's progressing. He's not close to avg still, but he is progressing, on one side of the ball. That doesn't mean he's any good, but it does show he can get better. Whether he will progress to being a solid contributor is anyone's guess. But if he does, this team might be pretty good.
He's inexperienced. That doesn't mean he'll never get it. He's progressing. He's not close to avg still, but he is progressing, on one side of the ball. That doesn't mean he's any good, but it does show he can get better. Whether he will progress to being a solid contributor is anyone's guess. But if he does, this team might be pretty good.