Why are people so down on PHX?

[Alleyoopster]

People spoke trash about Toronto while they were winning 3 division titles in a row. So, I don't take much stock in what people say. Phoenix has some great shooters, play makers, plus Len and raw talent up front. They should be better than people expect.

[saltlover]

People spoke trash about Toronto while they were winning 3 division titles in a row. So, I don't take much stock in what people say. Phoenix has some great shooters, play makers, plus Len and raw talent up front. They should be better than people expect.

Better than people expect might be winning 30 games.  They had the fourth-worst record last season, and it wasn't an accident.  They return mostly the same team from last year, plus a couple of long-term development draft picks.  Maybe a coaching change will help.  Maybe a healthy Bledsoe will help.   But then again, maybe they won't.

[Beat LA]

With his well documented knee issues, I've never understood why Phoenix gave Bledsoe that ridiculous contract. 

[saltlover]

With his well documented knee issues, I've never understood why Phoenix gave Bledsoe that ridiculous contract.

I've never understood why there's a Bledsoe trade idea every month on these same forums.

[Beat LA]

With his well documented knee issues, I've never understood why Phoenix gave Bledsoe that ridiculous contract.

I've never understood why there's a Bledsoe trade idea every month on these same forums.

Maybe some people want to see another Bledsoe at quarterback in New England, lol?  No idea.

[colincb]

They sucked last year, did squat in FA, and drafted up some very long-term projects. They'll be good enough to have a better record than the Nets.

[crimson_stallion]

Bledsoe is a very good player, but he's injury prone.

Knight is a Jordan Crawford type of guy - inefficient volume shooter who doesn't do a while lot beyond shooting/scoring.

Booker is a solid prospect, but nothing about him screams "future star" to me.  I think he'll be a nice player, I just don't see the "golden goose" that others seem to see when they look at him.

Dudley is too old and is pretty much toast, Chandler is completely toast.

They should be better then Brooklyn (who I feel will be this year's 76ers) but I doubt they will finish any better then bottom 5, with a bottom three spot being most likely. 

I struggle to think of 4 teams off the top of my head who are worse then Phoenix right now. 

- Brooklyn
- Miami (loss of Wade, Deng, Johnson and maybe Bosh)
- Phoenix

I'm trying, but honestly I can't really think of any teams that I expect to be worse then those three. 

[PhoSita]

The biggest issue for Phoenix is that they have a great big hole on the wing in a league where it's increasingly difficult to get away with a lack of competent wing defenders.


If Bledsoe stays healthy, Booker can play some defense while continuing his offensive growth, and they get something out of their Bender / Chriss PF duo, they could fight toward 40 wins.


In reference to crimson's post, I think Miami will hew close to respectability with Dragic, Winslow, and Whiteside still on board.  Depth will obviously be a problem for them, though.  Injuries could sink them.

[Ilikesports17]

Bledsoe gets hurt all the time knight is just OK and everyone else is too raw and young or too old and useless.

[crimson_stallion]

The biggest issue for Phoenix is that they have a great big hole on the wing in a league where it's increasingly difficult to get away with a lack of competent wing defenders.


If Bledsoe stays healthy, Booker can play some defense while continuing his offensive growth, and they get something out of their Bender / Chriss PF duo, they could fight toward 40 wins.


In reference to crimson's post, I think Miami will hew close to respectability with Dragic, Winslow, and Whiteside still on board.  Depth will obviously be a problem for them, though.  Injuries could sink them.

I doubt it, to be honest.

Dragic is really nothing special at all - among starting point guards in this league right now, he's pretty average.

Whiteside has talent but has maturity problems and isnt the type of talent who can carry a team.

Winslow is really not that good.  He's pretty much a less athletic version of a young Trevor Ariza...or you could say he is a poor man's Jae Crowder.  He's solid, but he's far from a difference maker.

Comparing against last year's Nets...is Whiteside better then Brook Lopez?  Is Winslow better then Joe Johnson?  Is Dragic better then Thadeus Young? Is the Miami suppirtimg cast better them Brookln's once you go beyond the top 3 guys?

I don't think either of those is an obvious "yes".  If you look at Miami's top 3 guys, not one of those guys is good enough to he the best player on a playoff team.  Not one of them has anything resenbling leadership skills.

Im pretty confident that team is toast.

Cleveland: Lebron, Kyrie, Love
Boston: Thomas
Miami: Wade, Bosh
Detroit: Drummond
Atlanta: Horford, Millsap, Teague
Toronto: Lowry, Derozan
Indiana: George
Charlotte: Walker

Those are the 8 teams that made the east playoffs last season, along with their top players.  Dragic is probably Miami's top player and hes not even close to being on the level of those guys listed above.