Phoenix Suns

A new era in Phoenix Suns history? via www.arizonasports.com We all know that the Suns have been tweaking their logos and wordmarks (as seen on the court). The rumors of purple being fazed out in favor for black and orange has been seen throughout the Suns' website and court. If you take a look at the leaked logos, you can tell that black and orange is the primary colors going into this new era. With the leaked logos, we see that the Suns have added beveling to the primary "Streaking Suns" logo and the secondary "Rising Phoenix" logo. There is new font that has been introduced prematurely in the center of the court this season. This is now implemented in the primary logo. There is another new secondary logo in the "Streaking S". Using the "S" seen in the new wordmark and the negative space of the "Streaking Sun" creates a new secondary that will probably be used on the lower parts of the court. The burnt orange that has been used on the logotype of the court is seen here. Personally I think that the new set is better than the previous set due to the elimination of gray. However, replacing purple with black makes me displeased especially with how creative our colors of the team has been. But, I will give the Suns a pass if the new uniforms knock it out of the park. If they update their 1993 Hardwood Classics jerseys that they wore in the 2012-2013 season with the new colors and wordmark, I would be pleased. But, right now their identity is a mess, in my honest opinion. Source: http://arizonasports.com/?sid=1643273&nid=41 A new era in Phoenix Suns history? via www.arizonasports.com We all know that the Suns have been tweaking their logos and wordmarks (as seen on the court). The rumors of purple being fazed out in favor for black and orange has been seen throughout the Suns' website and court. If you take a look at the leaked logos, you can tell that black and orange is the primary colors going into this new era. With the leaked logos, we see that the Suns have added beveling to the primary "Streaking Suns" logo and the secondary "Rising Phoenix" logo. There is new font that has been introduced prematurely in the center of the court this season. This is now implemented in the primary logo. There is another new secondary logo in the "Streaking S". Using the "S" seen in the new wordmark and the negative space of the "Streaking Sun" creates a new secondary that will probably be used on the lower parts of the court. The burnt orange that has been used on the logotype of the court is seen here. Personally I think that the new set is better than the previous set due to the elimination of gray. However, replacing purple with black makes me displeased especially with how creative our colors of the team has been. But, I will give the Suns a pass if the new uniforms knock it out of the park. If they update their 1993 Hardwood Classics jerseys that they wore in the 2012-2013 season with the new colors and wordmark, I would be pleased. But, right now their identity is a mess, in my honest opinion. Source: http://arizonasports.com/?sid=1643273&nid=41 Poll Do you like the new logos that have been leaked? Yes, bring on the new era of Suns Basketball No, they are hideous 3 votes | Results

The NBA game experience is like none other. I have been regularly attending Phoenix Suns games for going on nine years now and still get amazed with how much effort they put into Game Operations every night. From the national anthem to the final buzzer, there's rarely a quiet moment to be had. From constant music to the Suns Dancers to the emcee to the timeout games to the kiss cams to every other gimmick you can think of, NBA teams decided a long time ago that more is better. Why? Because no NBA team can keep today's ADHD fans constantly engaged non-stop for two to three hours because of the stops in play. Minds wander. Smart phones come out. Eyes downcast. Minds wander again. It's not like a movie, that goes non-stop the whole two hours. There's timeouts, fouls, free throws, halftime and on and on. All those breaks need filler. That's what Game Ops is all about. Music is the easiest filler. It plays non-stop. Some of the songs are oldies, some are new. All are meant to rile you up without offending the sensitive ones. The songs have reverberate with people in their 2 to 92 years old. The last couple of years, the Suns even employed an in-game DJ. They gave him a corner of the arena and let him spin his records during timeouts to try to rile the fans. And they have to be constant. It's not about putting on the 3-D glasses, sitting back and watching a ton of non-stop action in a comfy movie theater recliner. Pro games are about engagement. You have keep people engaged so that when the team is going on a run, or when they need an emotional boost, the fans are there for them. The term 6th man (in basketball) or 12th man (in football) are a real phenomenon. Fans DO make a difference. It's been two months now since I've been to a Suns game. So long that I even miss the music, the timeout games, the floor announcer (hey Kip!), Tom Zenner who would yell at people to get them excited for no good reason (I miss Ced Ceballos!). I miss it all almost all of it. For those who have attended, what's your favorite "filler" in an NBA game? Poll What's your favorite in-game entertainment? Suns Dancers Golden Grannies Dancing Dads Kiss Cam Stetchy forehead cam Entertainer (Tom Zenner) Other 5 votes | Results

The draft, free agency and trades. The triumvirate of roster building. The perfunctory answer of GMs across the league when posed the question, "How are you looking to improve the roster?" But is it really that simple? Isn't a team's ability to develop their young players of tantamount importance? Top 10 picks still bust with regularity while some teams are resourceful enough to find key components from less heralded prospects. Do these picks bust because they are landing with bad teams... which may suggest that organizational issues may be landsliding right from the top? This may explain why every player selected by the Charlotte Bobcats cringes when his name is called on draft day. Do teams that overachieve just scout better? That is certainly part of the equation, but I think player development is vital to maximizing roster potential through less obvious routes. For teams not in the sexier markets, who can just plunder teams for already developed players, a nurturing soil that is conducive to help young players realize their potential is a key cog to success. "How are you looking to improve the roster?" How about coaching up the talent that is already there. San Antonio Spurs: The perdurable core: Tim Duncan #1, Tony Parker #28, Manu Ginobili #57 Gary Neal signed as undrafted free agent Tiago Splitter #28 Danny Green (drafted #46 by the Cleveland Cavaliers where he played 115 minutes before being waived and joining the Spurs where he was waived again before sticking) Kawhi Leonard (drafted #15 by Indiana Pacers and acquired in draft day trade) Indiana Pacers: Paul George #10 Lance Stephenson #40 Tyler Hansbrough #13 Danny Granger #11 Roy Hibbert (drafted #17 by Toronto Raptors and traded to Pacers, which is the only team he has ever played for) Milwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova #36 Brandon Jennings #10 Larry Sanders #15 John Henson #14 Phoenix Suns: **crickets chirping** ---------- Judging by the pesky chirping crickets it appears that the Suns have fallen short of creating an environment that fosters positive growth. There has been a change in the culture, but it has been for the worse, which bottomed out as the team sunk to new depths last season. Not only has a somber pall shrouded the team, causing many pundits to predict multiple top five picks for the team in its bleak future, but to be blunt... the young talent on the team pretty much sucks. P.J. Tucker, basically a 27 year old rookie that the team pulled off the scrap pile, was better than any player on the roster under the age of 26. That was more of a scouting win, though, because it's difficult to make the argument that the Suns "developed" a 27 year old player who came right out of the gate swinging. Here are the Suns last 12 draft picks (newest to oldest): Kendall Marshall Markieff Morris Gani Lawal Dwayne Collins Earl Clark Taylor Griffin Emir Preldzic Robin Lopez Malik Hairston Rudy Fernandez Alondo Tucker D.J. Strawberry Robin Lopez is easily the best player on this list that the Suns developed. I would also concede that he's the best player on this list still in the league. The second best player? Rudy Fernandez, who was shipped out to the Portland Trail Blazers, when the Suns were still in the practice of selling draft picks for cash, before returning to Spain three years ago. That's a full roster of "talent" that could very well comprise the worst team fielded in the history of the NBA. Good job Suns. Now let's shift gears back to the lists of other teams I sampled. San Antonio Spurs: I know that a large contingent of Suns' fans despise this team, but the truth of the matter is that they are just flat out better than Phoenix. Sure, having a bona fide franchise player in Tim Duncan gift wrapped to the team helps, but from front office to coaching to scouting to drafting to player development to trades the Spurs have been consistently better than the Suns for the entirety of this cent

I know what you're thinking. Actually I don't, but if I ever become telepathic I'll give you a heads up. Back to what I was alluding to... What the hell is Sergio Rodriguez doing gracing the cover of the podcast episode? Well.... Rodriguez is the last player the Suns selected with the #27 pick (2006 draft). 27. Hopefully the Suns fare better when they draft #30 (at least likely) next week. Sergio was sold to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft day (Remember the good old days when the Suns were firesaling all their draft picks? Good times.) and left the NBA after the 2009-10 season for Spainier pastures. ----------- I want to thank Kris Habbas for letting me back on the show this week after my vacation. I always have a level of trepidation when I step away from something I'm embarrassingly underqualified to do. The worry -- that somebody will step in and reveal my gross incompetence. Bad thing for you... you're stuck tolerating me for at least one more week. :) I also want to thank Paul "PLR" Richardson from the Sports Kave for covering my ass filling in during my absence. ---------- Phoenix Suns Podcast Episode 27

Today, the NBA announced the schedule for the 2013 Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. 22 teams will be participating over the 11 day session (July 12-22), including your Phoenix Suns. This year's Summer League will be debuting a tournament style schedule to crown the first ever NBA Summer League Champion. The schedule will include each team playing three preliminary games from July 12-16, after which they will be seeded accordingly in a tournament that will feature the last two teams standing in a championship game on July 22. Each team will play at least five games, with the additional games dependent on its success in the tournament. The Suns will make their Summer League debut on July 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers. This game will also mark the debut of new Suns Head Coach Jeff Hornacek, who has revealed that he will be leading the Suns' Summer League sqaud. This makes sense for the rookie Head Coach, as five current Suns - Diante Garrett, Kendall Marshall, PJ Tucker, and Marcus and Markieff Morris - will be playing in Summer League, as well as all the rookies the Suns will draft in a little over a week. With what could be most of the Suns' 2013-2014 roster competing in the Summer League, Coach Hornacek will get an early start in trying to handle this Suns roster. Most of the games will be televised on NBA TV, (the complete broadcast schedule will be released at a later time). Check out the complete schedule of matchups here. For Suns fans aching to see some on-court action, the Summer League will offer a great precursor to the upcoming season. Here's wishing Coach Hornacek and the Suns Summer League roster the best of luck in their efforts.

Strengths As far as point guards go, Michigan’s Trey Burke is the most-polished floor general heading into the 2013 NBA Draft. While he might not have the same upside as a Michael Carter-Williams or... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

NBA Releases 2013 Summer League Schedule

Mock drafts are always fun. They're even more fun when YOU get to choose what the teams do. We've been getting a lot of response to the SBNation Blogger Mock Draft, with you guys having a lot to say about the draft choices Dave (and the rest of the Bright Side Front Office) has been making. Well, here's your chance to run things your own way. Taking a page from Fear the Sword (check out their Community Mock Draft sign-up here), we have decided to give BSotS users a chance to participate in an interactive mock draft. In the comments section of this post, sign up for one of the 30 teams. The teams will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so whoever requests a team first will get assigned that particular team. I will be the Suns so pick anyone but them, please. Hehe sorry. The actual draft will happen live on Monday, June 24th at 10 pm EST/7 pm PT. We will do the draft on a live thread, which I will be updating as people make their respective teams' picks. Here are some rules: We are only drafting the first round. On draft day, you will have 5 minutes to make your pick once your team is up (like the real draft). If you fail to make your pick within those 5 minutes, I (or another moderator) will make your pick for you. To make your official pick, either post a comment (on the mock draft thread, not this one) with your pick in the subject line or email me a list of your top picks you think might be available at your spot ahead of time. TRADES ARE ALLOWED. However, I need to make sure they're valid so when you and another user agree to a trade, one of you needs to email me (sjasthi13@gmail.com) so I can approve them. If you can't be here on Monday night but still want to participate, you will need to email me your pick ahead of time. Please email me a few options of players you think will be available when you're picking, ranked in your order of preference. Pick your team in the comments section below (once again - first-come, first-served). You can/should also use comments to discuss trades with other users (you may also choose to provide your email address so others can contact you about possible trades). Feel free to ask any questions about something I may have forgotten to mention. Here is the order of the 2013 NBA draft. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers 2. Orlando Magic3. Washington Wizards4. Charlotte Bobcats5. Phoenix Suns - Richard6. New Orleans Pelicans7. Sacramento Kings8. Detroit Pistons9. Minnesota Timberwolves10. Portland Trail Blazers11. Philadelphia 76ers12. Oklahoma City Thunder13. Dallas Mavericks14. Utah Jazz15. Milwaukee Bucks16. Boston Celtics17. Atlanta Hawks18. Atlanta Hawks19. Cleveland Cavaliers20. Chicago Bulls21. Utah Jazz22. Brooklyn Nets23. Indiana Pacers24. New York Knicks25. Los Angeles Clippers26. Minnesota Timberwolves27. Denver Nuggets28. San Antonio Spurs29. Oklahoma City Thunder30. Phoenix Suns - Richard

It wouldn't be draft season without a bit of controversy. This week, that controversy surrounds leaks to the media about work ethic and maturity issues with the top 2 overall prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. You have to ask yourself why these leaks are out there. Who benefits? Well, it allows Cleveland to muddy the waters a bit more on who they take #1 overall. The inevitable backlash they'd receive over passing on Noel and/or McLemore would lessen if there were fresh, legitimate questions of character. It's a lot like a political race. Smear the one you don't like to make your favorite look a little cleaner by comparison. Nerlens Noel Since the early days of last college basketball season, Nerlens Noel has been the top prospect coming out of college. As an 18-year old freshman at Kentucky, Noel averaged nearly 10 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game. He showed a natural ability to defend the post, provide weak side defense and alter shots near the rim. Noel also showed a rudimentary offensive game limited to putbacks and rolls to the rim, but those limitations are skill-based which can be learned over time. He also needs to put on weight, which is true of any 18 year old. In fact, 7-foot 18 year olds who don't need to put on weight should have a red flag of their own, because it's just natural to gain weight in your 20s. But none of those deficiencies detracted from Noel's clear No. 1 status in this NBA Draft. No other player has the upside, the ceiling of Nerlens Noel. Yet when Noel tore up his leg (and yes, I realize the very first comment is going to be dudotski posting that disgusting gif or pic of Noel's injury because that's just what dudoski does), the fears of his wafer-thin legs' ability to stand up to the NBA rigors began to form. Add in some character questions - recent rumors of being "handled" to much by his handlers, refusing to visit teams outside the top 2, missing meetings and interviews - and you've got a full-blown chance controversy. Top it off with Cleveland's "need" to make the playoffs next season, we just might see an NBA Draft where the very best player is not taken No. 1 overall because he will miss a chunk of the season. If Noel drops out of No. 1, how far does he drop? Can Orlando, who love Vucevic and need a shooting guard, pass on him? Can Washington, who really need a small forward, pass on Noel? Washington has veterans on the front line and a need to make the playoffs just like Cleveland and a bigger hole at small forward (Otto Porter) than center. Or Charlotte, who need help in the pivot but really, really need an offensive force down there? Charlotte already boasts a developmental defensive whiz in Bismack Biyombo. What they really need is offense in the post. Could Noel drop into the Suns lap? If that happens, would the Suns blink twice before taking Noel? Suns GM Ryan McDonough said yesterday he doesn't anticipate drafting any player at 5 who hasn't visited the Valley before next week's draft, but could he really pass on Noel? Ben McLemore Like Noel, Ben McLemore has been stop the prospect charts all season long. He's got a sweet shooting stroke and the ability to fill it up offensively from the field, often being compared to a Ray Allen. McLemore is long (6'9" wingspan) and uber-athletic, possessing the talent to be an impact defender as well as scorer. Yet, McLemore was passive in college. He never demanded the ball, or took over games. Part of that is because he's not good at handling the ball. He's a shooter, not a passer. Like a Jamal Crawford, for example. And now, Chad Ford leaked that there are red flags with 19-year old McLemore. He's apparently been dogging it in workouts. We all know he's been refusing to compete against other top players (Porter has refused as well), and now Ford says he has sources who tell him McLemore was unimpressive in his Phoenix visit, having trouble keeping up in the drills designed by head coach Jeff Hornacek. Ford: McLemore remains i

It was Doug Collins, back when he was the best analyst in basketball at TNT, who once said that NBA teams should hire and fire coaches and general managers as a tandem. Collins, who stepped aside as coach of the 76ers after this past season, still feels the same way.