From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Team Preview: Wizards
By Sam Gray



The Wizards snuck into the playoffs last season and lost to the hated Celtics yet again; it represented the end of a miserable season filled with discontent in the locker room between John Wall and multiple teammates.

Over the summer, the Wizards spent the free agency period appeasing their star in John Wall, trading for his friend DeMarcus Cousins and shipping off Beal and Gortat. With Cousins on the roster now, the Wizards are making a play for the top of the conference. The addition of Jeff Green and Gerald Green (and Jeff making a lot of green with his contract), plus young Frank Jackson (acquired in the trade with NOLA), has the Wizards set up to contend for a high playoff spot.

The goal of the Wizards will be to make the playoffs and go deep into the postseason; with Cousins and Wall both on the roster, a second round berth is the minimum expectation the Wizards have especially considering the recent title win of the Capitols.

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Juan is Gone: Hernangomez Traded to Nets

By Sam Gray



Training camps open in four days time, but the Suns roster has already undergone another change in a summer of changes: Juan Hernangomez has been moved to the Nets for a second round pick and prospect Juwan Floyd.







Hernangomez had only been a part of the team for a matter of months and was told after the NBA draft that he would likely be moved before the start of the season, according to his agent Harold Bernstein. Bernstein went on to say that the Suns “kept us in the loop and we are thankful for the opportunity they provided Juan.”



Hernangomez was taken in the disaster draft by the Suns from the Nuggets, but after the drafting of rookie Brian Hammons (whom Phoenix traded up to get), it was only a matter of time before Phoenix flipped him to another team — with the Nets, Hernangomez will have a chance to get some minutes off the bench and potentially take the starting job next season if he gives the Nets what they think he will.

[georgiafan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

The poor blazers always stuck in the middle of the west nothing really that can be done to them to get them over the hump even if they are able to land a 3rd star.


Its the contract year for Klay and Green the year you would think one of the big 4 will have to go soon


I like the big 3 of the Wiz just man they have no depth

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

The poor blazers always stuck in the middle of the west nothing really that can be done to them to get them over the hump even if they are able to land a 3rd star.


Its the contract year for Klay and Green the year you would think one of the big 4 will have to go soon


I like the big 3 of the Wiz just man they have no depth

Yeah, the Wizards are highly dependent on good health -- if Wall or Boogie goes down, say goodbye to their playoff chances.



The Blazers are a tough team to get deep into the playoffs -- the West is just so brutal. May have to break them up next summer if they don't do something in the postseason.


The Warriors are likely to be different come next summer, the cap is gonna strangle them eventually -- Durant is likely to walk, especially if I expand the league again; he had such great success with Seattle in my previous dynasty, I think he can do it again.

[RMJH4]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Seeds are sown... ready to let that story grow now!!! Just reading Simmons book now, good so far!

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Gray’s Grab Bag: Training Camp Edition

By Sam Gray



Summer league is over, the free agents are signed, and it’s time for the beginning of one of my favorite things — the grab bag. Here, I’ll take questions from readers (like you) about the Suns and the league in general as we, the Phoenix faithful, begin another season of basketball.



Sam, how to do you evaluate the Suns new owner, Regina Culver? You’ve been awfully quiet in your coverage of her. — Jim



Well, Culver is interesting. On one hand, she’s not Sarver and has deep pockets — she’s ambitious, as is evidenced by her various business bets (which netted her the many dollars that allowed her to buy the Suns) but is also someone with a distinct viewpoint on her businesses; namely, they are there to fulfill “her vision.”



What is Culver’s vision? According to her, she’s here to build the organization into a competitive one, a contender. We’ve all heard that song and dance before … but we’ve never heard it from an owner in a situation like this. Count me as a cynic until she proves she’s really in this to win it — it’s easy to say that when so many players are on cheap deals. Let’s see what she feels like when contract extensions roll around in a few years.



What do you make of Omar Pope? Dude can ball, but he sure seems to think he’s on the way to be the greatest … I’m worried he’s got a big mouth and might lose focus like Sir Charles. — Freddy



Pope is quite the prospect, one of the best to come out in years. He dominated the college game in a way many imagine LeBron might have, had James gone to college. Pope’s only a teenager however, so he’s bound to run his mouth some.



The NBA is a grown man’s game and Pope will soon find that out — veterans, in particular, will look to put the rookie in his place during the season as Pope’s proclamation that he’s “gonna be an all-time great” is good PR but will put a bullseye on Pope’s back and that seems to suit the rookie fine.



Why the hell did the Suns trade for Turner and Ibaka? They make more than the rest of the team combined! They’re cap-cloggin losers their teams didn’t want, what a waste of a roster spot! — Aisha



It’s true, the contracts of Ibaka and Turner (definitely Turner) are egregious, but Ibaka and Turner share an important quality: they are respected, good locker-room influences and both can still contribute. Ibaka is the veteran starter that the Suns wanted in their starting five, and Turner will be a valuable veteran on the bench.

Don’t expect either to be re-signed for anywhere near their current contracts, but Ibaka — if early reports are to be believed — has established himself as a valuable mentor to the bigs on the Suns roster and could easily be up for a new contract at the end of his current deal.

[georgiafan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

I didn't realize Turners overall had dipped so low it had got to 72 that is a brutal contract. I like the move though for you to get that 1st back

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

I didn't realize Turners overall had dipped so low it had got to 72 that is a brutal contract. I like the move though for you to get that 1st back

It is a brutal deal, but it had to be to get that pick. My window for rebuilding is the next 2-3 years and I'm fine with absorbing garbage deals for picks at this juncture -- between Pope, my roll of the dice for Exum, Hezonja, and Noel, I'm feeling confident I can construct a good team ... or at the very least flip some of those guys for more assets to grab a big-time player.



Game 1 of the new season happens tonight -- gonna be fun.

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale



Ch. 2

The NBA schedule makers had done the Suns dirty — at least they had in Omar’s mind. After everything Phoenix had been through, after all the heartache, the NBA had set the Suns against the newest power out West and a familiar foe: The Lakers.



LA. LeBron. Kawhi. Hell yeah.



Those were his thoughts as he wrapped his feet in the locker room, the arena outside it — the stage where some of the greatest in the game of basketball had performed before some of the most star-studded crowds in the history of sports — was growing louder by the second. The Lakers fans were hyped for this game and why wouldn’t they be? The premier of LeBron and Kawhi was enough to make anyone salivate, even him and he was playing against them.



But he was also playing to beat them. You can’t be the greatest unless you take down the greatest, he repeated to himself in his head as listened to the jams of Earth, Wind, and Fire; specifically Shining Star. He had inherited his father’s taste in music … sure, he liked a bit of the classic rap, but he was about soul. Something loud, something funky, something special … he loved their music.



In his mind, his game was represented by their music.



He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw the smiling face of Brian Hammons. Omar popped off his earbuds and the two exchanged a quick fist-bump. “HAM, you ready?”



Brian flashed a wider smile — naturally a happy guy, he was the happiest playing basketball. The two had come in as freshmen together at Arizona and had been assigned as roommates by their coach.



“He’ll mellow you out and you’ll get him to take things a bit more serious,” their coach had told them both. It was hard to find two more different people on that team. Brian was a tall white boy who had baby-blue eyes, charm, and was the friendliest guy in the room; Omar was a tall black kid who was chocolate through and through, was perfectly fine being alone, and was impatient with people he didn’t know. Brian listened to classic rock, Omar listened to soul music, funk, and a bit of rap. Brian didn’t care how many points he scored or shots he missed, he just played and let the game come to him; Omar cared a lot about scoring, about shooting well, and being know as one of the best at the end of the day.



The two were opposites in a lot of ways, but their games completed one another and so did their personalities.



“I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be,” Brian said with a smirk. “I’m just glad my *ss ain’t out there about to get roasted by LeBron.”



Omar rolled his eyes. “He’s not a spring chicken anymore, HAM. You watch, I’m gonna get a step on him and he’s not going to see me. I bet I score more than him.”



“I bet you won’t,” Brian countered.



“Then bet.”



Brian held out his hand and the two shook on it. “If I win, you have to listen to a full album of Skynard. You ready for some Southern rock?”



Omar feigned a shudder. “*hit, that’s torture, man … pretty sure that’s banned. But, cool, you can have that little fantasy about you winning. If I win — and I will — you will be my practice dummy tomorrow morning, bright and early at five.”



“Five? As in the morning five? That’s torture.” Brian shook his head. “I thought Pope’s were supposed to be merciful?”



Omar flashed a smile. “Only when we want to be.”

[RMJH4]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Don't back down young blood!! Good to see Pope is up for it! Big big game ahead!

[georgiafan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

good intro will be a heck of a test

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Suns Streak Past Lakers in Fourth; Pope Sets New Record
By Sam Gray








The LA Lakers were having a coronation for their new king, LeBron James, and the return of Lakers exceptionalism; the league had sent them a sacrifice to honor their triumphant offseason and the legacy of the purple and gold.


Someone forgot to tell Omar Pope to just sit there and take it.



In his first regular season NBA game, at the young age of 18 and three quarters, Pope took control of the game early and established himself as the presumptive favorite for ROY; OP channeled his inner-Kobe and came out firing, scoring his first basket on a pull-up mid-range jumper as King James looked on.


Pope would finish with an astounding 43 points, 6 boards, and 8 dimes, breaking the record for youngest player to ever score 40+ points in a game, held previously by one LeBron James.


"He played extremely well, he was very impressive," said James after the game. "He's got a good career ahead of him."


James can be credited with at least making the rookie work for it, as Pope went only 2-6 in the opening minutes of the game. But the missed shots didn't get the rookie down on himself.



"I think of the first ten shots as kind of warm up shots ... I just needed to get moving to get my groove on," said Pope.



Behind James and Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers squeaked out a two-point lead heading into the second, but the Suns rolled out a new lineup to start the quarter with Rozier, Exum, Hezonja, Pope, and Marjanovic on the floor -- that group crushed the Lakers mixture of starters and bench players, and that helped the Suns cruise into halftime with a six-point lead.









"We knew we could play with them and the first half proved it, but we obviously had a let-down at the start of the third," said Kidd when speaking about the beginning of the second half.


A letdown is an understatement. The Lakers came out playing bold, going on an 8-0 run as the Suns bricked shot after shot, the moment seemingly too large for their young players. The charge was led by Kawhi Leonard, who locked down Hezonja at the two and proceeded to roast "Super Mario" repeatedly on drives, pull-ups, and triples.


Phoenix withstood the barrage after that thanks in large part to Pope and Dante Exum, who ignited in the third scoring 10 of his 15 points and slowing the bleeding down enough for the Suns to limp into the fourth down only four.





In the final frame, Phoenix rolled its starters back onto the court and Terry Rozier came alive -- as the Lakers keyed off on Pope (who had 35 points at the beginning of the fourth), Rozier, Ibaka, and Noel especially took advantage of the extra attention generated by the rookie.


"He was flinging passes like he was a point guard," said Rozier. "He can play the one if he wants."


Rozier's passing was not too shabby either as he tallied the bulk of his points, assists, and rebounds in the final frame.



Noel was the big beneficiary of the extra defensive attention paid as he had spent most of the game enforcing his will on defense -- especially on closeouts against Laker Kyle Kuzma.


"He got the better of me today, that's it," said Kuzma.


Noel got the better of the Lakers' interior as well during the fourth, finishing with 18 points, 11 boards, and 3 dimes in a performance that made people around the league take notice.


"Nerlens NOEL making the Process look good," tweeted fellow center and former teammate Joel Embiid.



The Lakers were unable to corral Pope enough to take away the rookie's passing and rebounding, resulting in them losing the final frame and the game as the Suns rallied and won.


Phoenix returns home in two days to take on the defending champion Golden State Warriors.






Around the League

1. Noel wasn't the only former 76er center who had a good night -- so did Jahill Okafor. Given the start for the Clippers, Okafor destroyed the Spurs with 26 points and 11 boards in a convincing win by LAC.



2. The Wizards may be in trouble -- Washington lost in embarrassing fashion 118-99 against the Pistons as Wall and Boogie were bested by the duo of Griffin and Drummond; neither Wall or Boogie eclipsed 20 points in the concerning loss.


3. The Bulls and Hawks played an ugly game from the late 1970s as neither team scored more than 88 points in the Bulls 88-82 win, their highest scoring player being Zach Lavine with 19 points and 7 dimes. Their second best player was Dwight Howard with 16 points and 14 boards in an efficient, if plodding, performance.

[RMJH4]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

The Lord almighty is here! Insane performance by Pope! Love that win. Not the worlds biggest LeBron fan so love to see the Sun's whoop ***!

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

The Lord almighty is here! Insane performance by Pope! Love that win. Not the worlds biggest LeBron fan so love to see the Sun's whoop ***!

It was a fun game and the next one was even more fun (and tense). Recap of that to come later.

[trekfan]

Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

Suns Shock Warriors in OT; Pope Goes for 40 Again
By Sam Gray





Early in the first quarter Mario Hezonja and Omar Pope would hook up for an alley-oop that electrified the crowd and let the Warriors know that this Suns team -- at least for this night -- was coming at the defending champs with no fear.


Playing in front of the homecrowd, dressed in white and black, the Suns and Warriors both watched as a black banner was raised to the rafters with the names of each and every member of the Suns team that perished in the tragedy that occurred at the end of last season.



It was a silent ceremony as family members of those who were lost looked on, as the Phoenix faithful quietly held their tongues, and as the Suns current players -- those tasked with stepping into the situation and winning basketball games while having to acknowledge the deaths of those that came before them -- looked on with a mixture of sadness and stoicism.


The beginning of the game was subdued. The Warriors jumped out to an 8-0 lead behind two Steph Curry bombs and a putback from Draymond Green -- it appeared that the Suns would mark this solemn night with a loss that few, in any, would remember.


But Hezonja and Pope changed that with a thunderous alley-oop off a Nerlens Noel steal and suddenly the mood flipped.




"When they put down that oop, that whole sequence ... it took my breath away," said head coach Jason Kidd. "We weren't in the game until then. That play woke us up."


The Suns proceeded to go on a 12-4 run, their defense against the Warriors growing stronger with each possession. With the increase in defense, the Warriors -- usually a team that took the right shots -- had to take some poor ones and that worked to the Suns advantage as Serge Ibaka got involved on the boards.






The Phoenix faithful found their voice and the arena became raucous as the Suns pummeled the Warriors bench players and took a 32-24 lead into the second.




But Steve Kerr was not content to let the Suns win the game in one quarter. Kerr, the former Suns GM, quickly subbed Curry back into the game and Steph directed the offense, passing the ball around and getting his teammates involved.



But while Curry passed off shots, Pope took his when he got them; if the ball touched his hands, he'd find a way to score or get to the line, showing off an impressive amount of body control in the lane and taking enough of a beating for the refs to award him multiple free throws.



By halftime, Pope was well on his way to another big night as the Suns led.





But, much like the Lakers game, the Suns came out of the break flat and the Warriors jumped all over them -- again launching triples to quickly flip the score and going on a 9-0 run on threes alone as the Suns struggled to stop them. Curry, passive in the first half, exerted his will at the start of the second and didn't stop as he launched three after three.


The Warriors won the quarter 31-24 and led going into the fourth -- they increased that lead in that quarter as Kevin Durant came alive and sunk some truly impossible shots to flummox the young Suns.


With less than 13 seconds to go and the ball in Phoenix's hands, the Suns were down 118-115.



"We knew we had to get a good shot and we knew we had to go against what the Warriors were expecting," said Pope. "I had something like thirty points at that time, so, yeah, they were expecting the ball to go to me."


The Suns did not pass the ball to Pope; instead, the inbound play was a misdirect by Kidd, who set up action on the far side of the floor and stuck Pope in a corner on the nearside.



The action drew the Warriors' attention enough for the ball to go to Hezonja, who took two steps forward and drilled a three-pointer right in Klay Thompson's face.






BANG. 118 all. The Suns crowd went crazy as the Warriors called a timeout -- they got off a decent shot at the top of the arc from Curry, but the ball went wide and Noel came down with the rebound as time expired.



Welcome to overtime.



Both sides were fighting exhaustion as the five minute OT period began and Coach Kidd subbed out Noel for Boban, who lost the tip but managed to recover a rebound and get a putback bucket to keep the Suns tied with the Warriors.



With 3:34 to go Noel came back in, fresher than his opponents, and the rest showed up in the box score as he pulled down another six boards in the OT period.



The Warriors were missing shots and getting outrebounded. The Suns took those missed shots back on the break and were getting to the foul line, especially Pope. The whistles were not favoring the defending champs and Durant let the referees know his displeasure.








Ultimately, thanks to another timely three from Hezonja, a triple from Rozier, Pope's continued excellence from the foul line, and the glass cleaning of Noel (with a career high 23 boards), the Suns pulled out a four-point victory over the defending champs and assured that this night -- a night that started out somber -- would be one that would be remembered for a victory, not a defeat.


"It was important we came out here and played our hardest, our best, to honor those that came before us," said Pope. "I wanted to win, bad. I wanted to win for a lot of reasons, but the biggest was for the families, the friends, the guys this community lost ... I'm happy we got this one. If we don't win another one this year, we got this one and that's what matters."