After three week of riveting football action, some trends that are starting to take place. There have been surprises, like every other year, such as the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. The fact is that analysts really don’t know as much as they claim. So much happens on a week to week basis, making fantasy football so unpredictably awesome!
Winners:
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
In the eyes of all NY Giants fans, Daniel Jones is the hero and savior they needed. After a deflating start to the season with injuries and terrible play, Giants fans could only hope the 6th overall pick that they booed on draft night had some game. Thankfully for them, Jones looked poised and led the Giants on an 18-point 4th quarter come from behind victory, something Eli has never done in his career. Jones also did the majority of this without his best offensive weapon, Saquon Barkley.
Taylor Gabriel, WR, Chicago Bears
Gabriel stole the show on Monday Night, as he was on the receiving end of three Mitch Trubisky TD passes. Gabriel has been quiet up until week 3, only catching three passes combined in the first two weeks. In Matt Nagy’s offense there are tons of opportunities for quick slot receivers to make a difference. With Allen Robinson playing on the outside, it’s really a battle between Gabriel and Anthony Miller to become the clear #2 WR option. This was the first stand out performance for the Bears offense, so it might be smart to pump the brakes until some consistency develops.
Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos
After two mediocre performances, Denver RB Phillip Lindsay proved that his Pro-Bowl Rookie campaign was no fluke. As the first undrafted offensive player to make the Pro-Bowl in his rookie season, many still didn’t believe in his talents. Going up against an improved Green Bay defense, Lindsay went for over 100 yards and 2 TDs. The Broncos should really feature Lindsay more like they did last week, as Royce Freeman hasn’t shown the ability to consistently make plays.
Losers:
James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Starting the year, Conner was considered a borderline RB1 with tremendous upside on a week to week basis. With the loss of Ben Roethlisberger and a locker room going many different directions, Conner seems to be getting hit the hardest. With new QB Mason Rudolph, game flow has been forcing them to throw the ball too much, especially in the second half. Conner isn’t able to get any rhythm and it clearly shows in his numbers. He hasn’t totaled over 65 yards in any game so far and he has only reached the end zone once. Conner is no longer an RB1, for now.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings really devoted their off season to the run game. After being one of the most pass-heavy offenses in 2018, they are almost the complete opposite so far in 2019. This has really taken a toll on WR Stefon Diggs, who had over 1000 yards and 9 TDs last season. In week 3, he had a measly three receptions for 15 yards. If Diggs hadn’t connected on a 45 yard TD in Week 2, he might be one of the biggest busts so far this year.
Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams
After an amazing season in 2018, Robert Woods has had a slow start to the 2019 campaign. He is yet to top 75 yards in a game and still has not found the end zone. Although he appears here this week, Woods does have a QB and coaching staff that can maximize his talents throughout the year, so don’t worry too much.
Waiver Wire Pickups:
Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (85.6% Available)
As the KC backfield deals with some injuries, Darrel Williams is a great option to pick up, especially if you are a Damien Williams or Shady McCoy owner. Darrel Williams came in last week and produced over 100 yards and looked sharp. If the two starters were to miss anymore time, look no further than Williams.
DJ Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (41.1% Available)
The fact that DJ Chark is still available in only 40% of leagues is laughable! He is the clear #1 option for QB Gardner Minshew II, and his outstanding physicality makes him a force in the red zone. He has totaled over 15 fantasy points (0.5 PPR) and a TD in every week so far. Pick him up while you can.
Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants (46.5% Available)
The New York Giants lost their superstar RB Saquon Barkley to a high ankle sprain on Sunday. Barkley is expected to miss 4-8 weeks with the injury. For these weeks the Giants will be starting RB Wayne Gallman. Gallman isn’t anything too special, but his volume in the new Daniel Jones led offense will surely lead to at least FLEX production. Available is just less than 50% of leagues, scoop him up now, especially if you own Barkley!
Day 4 of the NBA regular season countdown continues with today’s edition of the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 teams list, and at number 27 for day 27, the Memphis Grizzlies make their appearance on the countdown.
The Grizzlies are another rebuilding team, and after their all-time franchise scoring leader set his sights for Utah in free agency this past summer, supporters of the Grizz now look to the new quarterback of the offense, 2019 second-overall pick Ja Morant out of Murray State. He labels himself as a “Point Gawd”, and unless you’ve yet to take note of the hype, you believe him. The Grizzlies only won 33 games last season, but in regards to where they are as a revamping franchise, they may not be in a rebuild that much longer.
Memphis had an excellent 2019 draft in landing both Morant and what many prophesize to be a steal in Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke. The Jaren Jackson Jr. experiment looks to be off to a strong start as the 7-footer showed flashes of a proficient post game and effectiveness from outside the three-point line, averaging 13.8 points and 50.6 percent from the field. Where Jackson shined was through his game-altering defense, whose reactions to offensive threats being savant-like at times.
Whether as a rim protector, in which he flexed his 7 1/2′ foot wingspan, or on the perimeter, holding down the fortress when switched on shiftiest of ball-handlers, the Plainfield, NJ native and former Michigan State Spartan let Grizzlies fans know they picked the right guy, who possessed the highest potential and upside at the moment.
The Grizzlies may not be in postseason contention talks just yet, but by following the model of putting out their core of young pieces and letting them learn the flow of nightly NBA action, the old adage of the Grindhouse could be making its way back into the fold of the saturated Western conference.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (26-56) – With The Grit N’ Grind Era At Its End, The Grizz Look To Their New Young Core
The duos of Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook and Jaren Jackson Jr./Ja Morant are, to poetically quote Maya Angelou, “more alike, than unalike”.
Think about it. In the first year of the roster reconstruction, you spend your first overall pick on a seven-footer that can send shots into the stands inside the paint, catapult long balls from downtown at an efficient percentage, be a nightmare to guard when switched onto them while holding their own when they have to defend the perimeter, and have an already technically-sound post scoring game, all at 19-going-on-20-years old?
And then the next year, you salvage some stock to acquire some extra picks, score another early pick from the draft lottery and use the pick on an explosive and electric point guard who would give you a triple-double on a command, equally dominating opposing defenses by displaying a bulldog mentality as a slasher, the mastermind of a floor general, the deadeye of a sniper anywhere on the floor, and the keen artistry of a pure shot creator?
That’s a Sam Presti-OKC-esque plan if I’ve ever seen one.
Looking at the numbers, Kevin Durant’s rookie season compared to Jackson’s isn’t that much off. Yes, the two put the ball in the basket in a bevy of different ways; Durant’s slim build not being quite effective to move bodies in the low post and Jackson not being that twitchy as a space creator to drill any look in the halfcourt, inside or outside. But in looking at the two’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER), which, if you’ve never heard of the advanced stat, ” sums up all a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns a per-minute rating of a player’s performance,” Durant’s (15.81) and Jackson’s (16.71) ratings are just around the same,with Jackson’s rookie PER being a little higher than KD’s.
And looking at the trajectory of KD’s career efficiency rating, and career path, since his 2008-09 rookie season, it’s safe to say things turned out pretty well for him. If Jaren Jackson Jr. lives up to his draft potential and takes the next step to superstardom in this league, as it looks like he’s already getting a headstart on that, I’ll have to use another quote: in the words of Draymond Green in the finals last year, “fun times are ahead” for the Grizz.
And then there’s the anticipation of the wait until Temetrius “Ja” Morant steps onto an NBA floor for the first time. And, no, we cannot wait that much longer for that to happen, either.
Ja possesses a dynamic, multifaceted skill set for a point guard at his age, and it’s quite startling how pro-ready he is after two years of collegiate ball in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morant averaged an astounding 24.5 points per game, 10 assists per game while collecting 5.7 rebounds per contest, Morant made it clear that putting his name on nationwide headlines was a necessity, especially with the number of his game-breaking highlights that went viral over the course of the 2018-19 college basketball season.
The attention was not given to Morant at the start of his freshman season in 2017-18, and scouts would not even fathom to turn their heads toward a 12 p.p.g. guard playing in a non-power-5 conference. Leading up to his breakout season with the Racers, Morant was projected to drop to a mid-first round selection had he left his Freshman season. But, after quickly became a household name due to those monstrous stats in his Sophomore season, he put on shows for the student sections of Racer Nation and was a staple on that late-night SportsCenter reruns.
He drove the vast majority of what Murray State did offensively last season, almost as if he carried the team on his back en route to the second round of the NCAA tournament. His accolades speak for themselves: A Naismith player of the year finalist, Ohio Valley Tournament champion, 2018-19 Bob Cousy Award (given to the nation’s top point guard), and he possessed the seventh-best scoring average in the nation while marking a new mark in the NCAA record book for the sixth-most assists in a season.
If his game can translate to the next level, we could have a potential all-star and All-NBA First Team selection in a few years at the Guard position, pending his health and proper development.
Alongside Jaren Jackson, Morant will complement and better the former 3rd overall pick, much like how Russell Westbrook was able to do so with Durant in Oklahoma City with his slashing, dishing and athletically-gifted scoring prowess.
As it goes for the rest of the young Grizzlies, well we may just have to see how their plan of teaching their young core the ropes of the nightly fight in the NBA, and what will be required of them, as contenders in the Western Conference. They dumped some big contracts of older pieces like Joakim Noah and will have to make some new cap space in the future, considering that between this coming summer and the summer of 2021, 14 of the 17 Grizzlies players will be on a new contract.
That includes the likes of Solomon Hill, Miles Plumlee, Jae Crowder, Josh Jackson (Team Option), Jaren Jackson Jr. (2-Year Team Option), Grayson Allen (2-Year Team Option), Andre Iguodala (who we all know is never going to play for the Grizzlies due to his buyout), Bruno Caboclo, Dillon Brooks, Ivan Rabb, and De’Anthony Melton.
That’s a lot, and it clearly shows the downside of relying on just the core of a young team. But it may be a necessary risk to take, and by spending some money now to keep that nucleus could benefit the Grizzlies in the long-run. Keep Jaren Jackson, Ja Morant, Josh Jackson, Brandon Clarke, and new Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones together will make the Grizzlies a formidable opponent in the Western Conference someday, but just not today.
Looking at the starting 5 of the Grizzlies next year, they’ll more than likely have Morant at the 1, third-year man out of Oregon Dillon Brooks at shooting guard, one of the newer Grizzlies in Small Forward Kyle Anderson (from the Spurs) Jaren Jackson at power forward and ex-Toronto Raptor Jonas Valunciunas at center.
Not bad, and their rotation looks promising, too. Adding a veteran piece like the 3-and D man Jae Crowder in their rotation is a big defensive addition for Memphis, as he also provides insight for the younger Grizzlies as to how to get to the postseason, considering he hasn’t missed out on one since 2013 as the Celtics, Cavaliers and Utah Jazz’s key small forward.
Another rotational piece, Josh Jackson comes over from the Suns after they traded him away, and he could provide more of the same on the defensive end, but not an offensive game.
His time in Phoenix was not good time, to put it euphemistically. But, this is his second, and probably last chance, to right his wrongs and assert himself as a worthy 2017 first-round selection. If he can right the ship, and improve his shooting percentages while cleaning up his image, it’s a low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Starting in his place is the veteran Kyle Anderson who could benefit the skill sets of his new teammates almost immediately. He has been known for his exceptional ball IQ and defensive intellect because well, Gregg Popovich was his coach before. Yet, we haven’t seen a full season out of Anderson in a Grizzlies uniform, since he only played 43 games last year because of a shoulder injury.
What will be interesting to observe is how their other first-round selection Brandon Clarke will fare in the NBA. Clarke was the second-most efficient player in college basketball (next to the phenom Zion Williamson, of course) and by sharing a frontcourt with new Wizards big man Rui Hachimura, the Gonzaga Bulldogs spent a lot of weeks holding that #1 spot on the AP Top 25 list last season, with the help of their esteemed senior leader, and Summer League MVP.
No, the Grizzlies will not be a playoff team this year, and will more than likely fall to the near-bottom of the stacked West. But, that’s not an entire cancellation of what Ja’s crew has to offer this year.
Think about this: the Thunder back in their inaugural season went 23-59 after drafting Russell Westbrook and in KD’s second year, back then with the opportunity to grow his chemistry with the UCLA guard, they both undertook the feel of pace of an NBA season, worked on their bodies and skillsets, and grew simultaneously to reach multiple conference finals, an NBA Finals appearance, all-star honors, and league MVPs.
Now, all of that success is not going to transpire right away for Jackson and Morant, but in following that model of trusting your youth’s evolution into prime NBA superstars over the course of a season or two, NBA history has told us a couple of positive tales about that model usually resulting in a lot of wins for your franchise in the future.
Go to any park around where you live or any gym where people are playing pick-up basketball. Notice anything? Players are no longer practicing high-flying and fancy dunks, they’re emulating step-back threes, fadeaway threes, long-range threes, and even just inside half-court threes. This is mostly in part due to one man – 2x NBA MVP Steph Curry. People and fans are going to pay attention to the best shooter on the planet and arguably the best shooter the game has ever seen. Additionally, fellow basketball players and consumers are going to pay attention to what is on Steph’s feet. Three-time NBA Champion Steph Curry has been with Under Armour since 2013 and he has since become the face of their basketball brand, both in the United States and around the world. Steph Curry is on the cusp of his 11th season in the league and his 7th year being partnered with UA. With fall now here, that means new signature sneakers for the league’s top-tier players are being unveiled. Steph Curry and Under Armour are set to release the new Curry 7, as Steph was just seen working out in the first colorway that will be available.
The first color scheme of the Under Armour Curry 7 that will be releasing is the “UNDRTD” colorway (pictured above). It looks as if Steph is sticking to the low-cut theme, the same style we’ve seen since the UA Curry 5’s. The shoe features an aggressively stanced midsole in what appears to house Micro G tooling. Look for this colorway to release at UA.com November 1st. A retail price is still unknown at this moment.
Steph also debuted a second colorway of his new Curry 7 in a mango-“ish” vibe. This color scheme is for sure to draw attention on court and looks great across the profile of the Curry 7. If the mango looking pair wasn’t eye-catching enough for you it looks like UA and Steph also have a “Sour Patch Kids” inspired colorway on the way as well. Release details for these two pairs are unknown at this point.
Steph Curry’s Under Armour signature line has come a long way since he joined the brand back in 2013. Due to Steph’s playing ability plus his immense individual and team success on the hardwood, he has young kids going to the sneaker stores asking, “Do you have any Curry’s?” This is something that was unfathomable during the first few years of Steph’s NBA career. Under Armour is sure glad they picked up Steph when they did and Curry seems to like being “the man” over at UA. Do you see yourself picking up a pair of the new Curry 7’s? Where do they rank among his other signature shoes with UA? Look below to see the evolution of the Curry line and decide for yourself.
It’s another day closer to NBA Basketball, so it is only right the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team countdown continues. We are now 28 days away from the stuff that will count, but we are a little over a week away from postseason hoops! Until then, keep updated on where your favorite team falls on the list.
This time up, day 28 features the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On the path of a youthful rebuild (just like a good half-quarter of the league), the Cleveland Cavaliers felt the brute effect of LeBron James’ departure for sunnier skies for the second time around and are routinely found in this spot of inoperability without their ace on the floor. Bron leaves Cleveland, again, and after he leaves, the Cavs post the worst record in the league, again.
In 2010-11, the Cavs transformed from surefire title contender to a surefire lottery pick team with a 19-63 record following the departure of Cleveland’s prodigal son as a free agent. In 2018-19, lightning struck twice. The Cavaliers, fresh off four straight NBA Finals appearances, dissolved to another 19-63 record after James packed up to go ball in Tinseltown.
Even with the media centered around the Cleveland Cavaliers’ next direction headed forward following former Cavs GM David Griffin’s exile to New Orleans, and lone all-star Kevin Love’s steadfastness in Northeast Ohio looming in the air, they failed in the offseason in attracting any of the major household names once the free agency period opened.
However, there is something remotely remarkable about the potential and talent of this young bunch, that Cavs fans and skeptics alike will see in the limelight someday. It is fair if you write off the Cavaliers right now, but there will be no excuse to fully write off these Cavaliers in a couple of years. The duo of Darius Garland and the defensively-gifted “Young Bull” Collin Sexton, and the addition of a pretty strong 2019 draft class could spell less gloomy days in The Land for years to come.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-60) – The Kyrie Irving Method, Abridged
These days, hope in Believeland is teetering. LeBron heads out West, and it’s like the whole city just crumbles to rubble, with only the belief in their Browns, sitting at 1-2 on the year swiftly dwindling. Then, there’s the Cleveland Indians, who are in a every-game-is-a-playoff-game scenario, with the slightest mishap costing them a spot in the wild card. Cleveland has, like it always has been, become a bleak, joy-inept town just waiting for what feels like unavoidable disappointment, again.
At least there is Ohio State Football, right?
And leave it to the team that, yes, snapped that 52-year championship drought back in 2016 when the Cavaliers completed the greatest come from behind series win in league history, beating the then “greatest team of all-time” Golden State Warriors in seven, down 3 games to 1 to give some optimism to those Clevelanders. Since then, its been anything but magical for Cleveland.
Back-to-back-to-back finals losses to the grotesquely-buffed Warriors left LeBron with only one option in his final contract year with the Cavs: pack your bags and head to Tinseltown to salvage at least a couple more championship opportunities in the packed Western Conference.
What LeBron left behind was a roster tethered from his “decision 2.0”, though it was years in the making. Seemingly toxic relationships led to disagreements between players and upper management, forcing stars like Kyrie Irving to demand trades and staples like LeBron to grow untrustworthy of those running the organization. Inefficient coaching selections forced the Cavs to go in other directions, leading up to Tyronn Lue’s firing back in October following their 0-6 start in 2018 and Cleveland’s lack to retain Larry Drew’s as their head in command.
On top of all that, a severe, league-wide mistrust of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, left a huge blemish on Cleveland’s image that did nothing positive for being suitors for big-name free agents for the foreseeable future.
It is a new day and a fresh start in the land of the 2016 champs, and for good reason. New head coach coming from Michigan, or as Ohioans dub “that team up north” John Beilein is experiencing his first taste of NBA coaching after 37 years of instructing the collegiate level with gigs ranging from Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia, and 12 years at Michigan. Beilein never got around to winning a national title with the Wolverines, but visited a couple of Final Fours and won the Big Ten in consecutive seasons (2017, 18).
But the Cavaliers enter this year with uncertainty, and equal patience and pragmatism. It took the Cavs to trust an already developed pick and roll scorer and space creator to pick in Darius Garland, so that can only signify that they are willing to rebuild in the only way they know how to.
Hence, the Kyrie Irving method: rebuild the backcourt from the top down in the hopes that you can attract a max free agent someday, or have enough developed house tools
Garland’s game is eerily similar to that of Kyrie Irving. Only suiting up for six games as a Vanderbilt Commodore before a meniscus injury, Garland displayed skills that NBA scouts across the league drooled over. A marksman from deep, Garland shot 47.8 percent from 3 and averaged 16.2 points and 2.6 assists per game.
Garland was not afforded the chance to showcase his game in SEC play but displayed the jump shooting ability and offensive instincts that separated him from the pack as a High Schooler in his brief time under Commodores Head Coach Bryce Drew.
And also worth mentioning: his Dad, Winston Garland, played seven seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves. So, there is that extra voice of advice for Garland right at home when the regular season has its trials and tribulations we all know it to have on rookies.
Alongside the prospect will be Collin Sexton who, in his second year, will have more of a prominent role in the offense, even more than his rookie season. He had a good overall 2018, scoring 16.7 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Sexton ended his rookie season strongly as well, averaging 23.1 points and 3.4 assists per game on 43.8 percent shooting from deep and a 51.4 percent field goal percentage throughout Cleveland’s final 21 games.
The Cavs’ backfield could be a double-edged sword if the scoring ability of Garland lives up to all scouts’ expectations, considering that we already have a basis of understanding Sexton’s impact on the floor. It is directly similar to Neil Olshey’s procedure of building the fear-inducing Portland backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, where dual efficiency, ball-handling, space creation, heavy big man usage in pick and roll sets to open the floor, and nightly consistency reign supreme.
Current Cavs GM Koby Altman may be getting this, and possibly more, by throwing Garland into the starting lineup at season’s beginning, so that chemistry can be implemented right out of the gates.
But, just having offense only does so much, and though both are skilled at scoring the basketball, the Cavaliers finished dead last in the NBA in 2018-19 with a defensive rating of 116.8 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Another negative: Garland and Sexton are both under 6’5, so pairing two 6-foot-2 guys on the perimeter doesn’t seem to be an optimal way to get those numbers to look better. So if the Garland-Sexton duo is to perform optimally, they’ll have to start by essentially, being Lillard-McCollum version 2.0, and hope to get enough stops.
If you think about it, that’s possible, considering that both McCollum and Lillard are both 6’3 and have undoubtedly thrived in this small-ball era. Maybe we’ll see the same with the new young duo in the NBA.
The Cavaliers also picked up USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. and Belmont’s Dylan Windler at the 2019 draft, and they look to be etched into a rotation that is a decent blend of veterans and young, experienced pieces. The Cavs did not make a big splash in free agency and only picked up Jarell Martin from Memphis and Sindaris Thornwell from the Clippers, which are not meaningless acquisitions by the slightest.
The starting 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers is questionable, to say it nicely. And it may get worse, considering Kevin Love’s almost impending self-removal from Cleveland. He is 31 years old, entering his 11th season while coming off a toe injury that sidelined him for the rest of the 2018 season. With three years and $91.5 million still remaining on the four-year, $120 million extension he signed last summer, It is not a matter of if the Cavs are retaining Love, but rather when and where he will be dealt.
It could either be by the February trade deadline, or earlier, depending on how aggressive contenders want to sign the stretch big that averaged a double-double as a solid rebounder in just 23 games last year, even though he posted the second-worst overall shooting percentage of his career at 38.5 percent.
Looking at the Cavaliers roster, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love look to fill the frontcourt roles Beilein needs to run the offense. Thompson’s defensive ratings have been just short of adequate in recurring seasons, and his productivity that has dropped in the past couple of years is something to certainly monitor.
But, the development of projects in Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic, and the extensive versatility of Larry Nance Jr., is paramount to a healthy future for the Cavs’ frontcourt epidemic and maybe a little more important than keeping Thompson’s contract.
The best-case scenario for the 2019-20 Cleveland Cavaliers? John Beilein’s young Cavs – composed of Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, Kevin Porter Jr., and Ante Zizic – are healthy in April and their development will be witnessed for Cleveland fans to see as a result of their year-long process of growing together and offensively complimenting each other while significantly improving their 2018 defensive rating.
Garland and Sexton will put the NBA world on notice that the McCollum-Lillard stronghold of the East is a real and viable threat, and the Cavs will have pride in their homegrown talent, regardless if Kevin Love bounces.
The raw prospect of Kevin Porter will prove his doubters wrong, show his maturity to the world and prove to scouts he shouldn’t have slipped to the second round of the draft. Dylan Windler will keep his hot hand from college and be a knockdown role player who will develop into getting a bigger role in 2020 and beyond. And head coach John Beilein will transition into the fast-paced environment of an NBA head coach with simplicity just like he was able to at Michigan.
If things don’t turn out that way, the Cavs could be in an even deeper hole than they are now. We’d find out quickly that Darius Garland should have stayed in school, and Collin Sexton’s inefficiency on both ends of the ball could cause the Cavs to look elsewhere for a starting 2 guard. Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman may not be worth the hype going into their third years, veterans will ask their agents to direct them to the nearest exit out of Ohio as if they are the Miami Dolphins, and Beilein may find himself back coaching college basketball as the Cavs lose even more games than in 2018.
If we know a thing or two about the bleak history of Cleveland sports, it’s more often than not the latter is the most undergone. Yet in the past decade, optimism has placed its warm cloak on the “factory of sadness” in bunches with the success of the Indians, and a little bit with the Browns. Maybe fun times can be ahead in Quicken Loans Arena, and this time, with the production of a skilled backcourt, and without the help of that kid from Akron.
We are back with another edition of the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team analyses, and since we are 29 days left from the start of the regular season, why not continue the countdown until the new season? Coming in at No. 29, we have the Phoenix Suns.
A team that’s missed the playoffs every year since 2010, the Suns have been perceived as the league’s laughing stock, a pit stop of sorts when staggering squads need to get back on the winning track during a road trip. But will a new GM with championship experience, new coach and revitalized system shows promise and brighter days upon the valley, or more of the same, mundane tank show that Suns Basketball has become over the course of a decade?
29. Phoenix Suns (19-63) – Some Good Pieces, But Not Competitive As A Unit Just Yet
The Suns are intriguing.
One one hand, a team awash with first-round talent, veteran-filled frontcourt rotations, and a scoring maestro at the 2 (who you could make a case as being top 3 at his position in the entire league) just look like long nights to be had if you have a road game at Talking Stick Resort Arena, on paper.
But more often than not, the harsh reality is almost always on the hand you don’t want it to be on. Giving Devin Booker that $158 Million extension in the July of 2018 sounded like a good idea, because well, let’s face it, what superstar of that magnitude would want to stick around all that failure for their entire career without the compensation to boot? The Suns were obligated to bring the brinks truck just to have him stick around for what is continuing to be a decade-long rebuild.
And conceivably so, the Suns are entering a ninth consecutive year out of the postseason and have finished among the bottom-five teams in the NBA for four straight seasons.
Keeping Booker had no risk-averse effects on the Suns’ cap situation. They desperately needed a point guard and were able to get one, but not the most complimentary piece for Devin Booker, at least not right now. They spent a hefty sum on now ex-Jazz guard Ricky Rubio, getting the 3-year, $52 million deal done back in June, and schematically, it does not provide any major upside for the Suns’ guard situation.
The Jazz moved in a different direction when they traded for Mike Conley before the draft, leaving Rubio to hit the open market. Phoenix took him in, with the hopes that he will play in a less-restrictive system with the Suns, who will, more than likely, attempt to run more pick-and-roll plays, and occasionally feed Devin Booker off drive-kick sets.
Rubio’s inconsistency has been the biggest red flag, dating back to when he suited up for the Timberwolves, but what he is not is a liability. Through his incremental adjustments to improve his shooting, however, he finished 2018 averaging 12.1 points per game, off 40.4 percent shooting and 30.1 percent from downtown. Not awful, but not terrible either. What shouldn’t be left out is the fact that he has never finished a season in his career averaging less than 7.3 assists per game.
We all know the Suns as a backcourt-producing franchise, with some of the most legendary names to ever grace a hardwood floor donning the Orange and purple. And the Suns, nearly since the beginning of the century, have not had a hyped backcourt in quite some time.
Great guard factions in Phoenix, such as Penny Hardaway/Jason Kidd (remember that?) and Kevin Johnson/Dan Majerle shined and made a bunch of prognosticators believe the hype, and not predictably prophesizing that the pair of Rubio and Booker will immediately live up to those iconic names, but you never know how much chemistry the two will have once they hit the floor together for the first time.
The Suns actually have a favorable bench when it comes to guard play as well. Their 2019 first-round draft selections in North Carolina’s Cameron Johnson (who amazingly shot 45.7 percent from deep in 2018-19!) and Ty Jerome, who was almost Devin Booker-esque in displaying his shot-creating skill as a high-IQ ball-handler during his four years at Virginia, show a bunch of promise being added to a bench that, with the experience, is correctly building to compete in the west someday.
As a result of last year’s mid-season trade to dump Trevor Ariza’s contract, Kelly Oubre Jr., came over from the Wizards and signed a two-year, $30 million deal to remain in Phoenix. Oubre should look to be aggressive in his first full year in a Suns uniform and in the new system, Suns coach Monty Williams should expect Oubre and Booker to be consistent playmakers and contribute to an already guard-heavy offense.
And then, you cannot forget to mention DeAndre Ayton’s sophomore season in the NBA. The first overall pick a little over a year ago posted up some solid numbers as the primary big in Igor Kokoskov’s system last year. In 30 minutes a night, Ayton scored 16.3 points per game while posting nightly double-doubles. The 7-footer has certain intangibles you just cannot teach and those were definitely magnified, and partially displayed, during Phoenix’s dismal 2018 campaign.
Yet, it was increasingly evident that Ayton was mismanaged in his usage last year by playing the center position, instead of playing the power forward role in which he was most comfortable playing at since his Arizona days. As the center, Ayton rarely got to display his outside shooting strengths, something Suns GM James Jones urges the second-year big to do next year.
It is a topic of relevance to continue to develop Ayton’s inside game, but taking the training wheels is a must if they want their prized possession of a big man to grow into an eventual superstar to take some attention off of Booker.
Speaking of the Suns’ big man depth, the team made some impressive strides to acquire rim protection and pick n’ rollers who can create some mismatches down low. Some key additions: Center Aron Baynes (trade with Boston), Power Forwards Dario Saric (trade with Minnesota), Frank Kaminsky (free agent, was with Charlotte), and Cheick Diallo (free agent, was with New Orleans).
But at the cost of picking up these pieces, the Suns had to shed a couple of projects in former 3rd overall pick Josh Jackson (trade to Memphis) and Dragan Bender (signed with Milwaukee). What’s worse, was that they traded developing two-way forward T.J. Warren and the 32nd pick to the Pacers just to clear cap space. Hopefully, the third-year Villanova man Mikal Bridges will fill in for the first-rounder and match, or exceed his production as a former two-time national champion with the Wildcats.
There is a new identity for the Suns, and possibly brighter days ahead in a couple of years. But for the 2019 season, expect the same old hoopla of a rebuilding organization. It is not like the Suns have a bad team. They are reconstructing in the correct, healthy way while placing enough pieces on the floor to show some fight.
It’s just that, the entire NBA, and more specifically the Western Conference, now packed with even more competition than ever before, has gotten that good.
