The MLB Thread

[transformers2]

The Suns have a roster full of guys that aimlessly chuck up 3's, so Ayton's inability to shot from beyond the arc is actually a blessing for them. Regardless, if they hit on their high draft pick next year and bring in a legit veteran point guard in free agency, they should be in decent shape.

I'm not nearly as optimistic about the Cardinals. Rosen has serious potential, but he's essentially playing with 1 arm tied behind his back right now. Their offensive line is an abomination, they have no playmakers outside of David Johnson (Christian Kirk could end being decent, but I'm not sold on him yet), and while he was thrown to the lions with that largely talentless roster, Steve Wilks has done a pretty terrible job in his 1st year at the helm. I fully expect them to deal Patrick Peterson for a couple of draft picks in the offseason so they can free up some cap space and try to jump start their rebuild.

[Buscemi2]

I feel that the Suns won't be competitive (of course, the West is bedlam right now and the Suns are the only team that's not in it) until Sarver sells the team. He's right up there with the DeVos family and James Dolan for worst NBA owner (I've also read negative things about the Kings' owner and who knows what the Hawks ownership will do with them).

I don't follow any NBA teams (I'll follow players and their progress though) but I secretly want to see the Clippers win it all. Of course, they won't but I can wish.

[W]

The Suns have a roster full of guys that aimlessly chuck up 3's, so Ayton's inability to shot from beyond the arc is actually a blessing for them.

Yeah, but most of those guys won't be there during Ayton's prime years, which is what you should really be looking at. In about three years they'll put another guy or two with him and build around that. It's 50/50 whether Booker will even be there then. The last great big man coming out with an Ayton-ish skill set was Duncan over 20 years ago, maybe Yao 15 years ago, possibly Dwight? The way the game is played now has pretty much killed that style. They hide big guys at the end of games. That's the only thing you can have against Ayton now.

[Buscemi2]

No way Booker will stay in Phoenix. Guys who score 70 in a game aren't going to languish in a go-nowhere environment forever.

[transformers2]

Booker signed a 5-year max extension last offseason, so he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

As for Ayton, he shot 34% from beyond the arc in college, so there's a good chance that he'll be able to blossom into an Joel Embiid-type player who has the post skills and presence of a traditional center, but also has the versatility to stretch the floor and make 3's within the next few years.

[Shrykespeare]

One can only hope. I was a full-on Suns fanatic during the Tom Chambers-Kevin Johnson era and all the way through the Charles Barkley era, but we haven't had a championship caliber team since then. And we haven't made the playoffs in eight seasons. They are depressing to watch, which really shrivels my heart. I know Booker is a wunderkind, but my God, what is it going to take for them to start winning?

P.S. Funny that we're talking about the Suns on the baseball thread. Oh wells.

[Buscemi2]

This run has been the worst series of baseball I've personally encountered since the last months of Matheny. Everyone is hurt, guys only seem to show up for one inning, the double A guys and career relievers getting starts are walking everyone or allowing home runs to the guys they should be walking, and Carpenter is still getting at-bats. I'm also beginning to regret the Arenado trade as it was pitching they needed, not another power bat that's not going to hit as well in a park built for pitchers. And speaking of pitchers, Carlos Martinez should have been released after he got arrested in the offseason. If they bring up Liberatore way before he's ready just to fill a roster spot, I'm done with this season and hope they get an outsider to replace Schildt. The Cardinal Way is not the right way when you're getting swept at home by the Reds.

[W]

The Cards are three games back in a what will probably end up being a pretty weak division. Not long ago there was talk of the Cubs needing to blow their team up and now they're in first. There's exactly 100 games left and a deadline deal or two for an starter with an expiring contract could fix everything wrong right now.

This last weekend I went to Pittsburgh and caught a game. It's a pretty nice park. The game went 12 and was won on a walkoff single. I went over there with my brother and another guy to take advantage of Pennsylvania's sports betting bonuses and whatnot and we had a good time and came out good on it. It was well worth the long drive. I think our next one will either be Michigan or New York/New Jersey when New York legalizes. Maybe see Yankee Stadium.

[Buscemi2]

Yankee Stadium's not too far from the airports. Citi Field's even closer. If you wanted to, you could fly over on Wednesday or Thursday, go to both during the week and maybe stick around to visit Manhattan or Brooklyn.

But back to the Cardinals, I feel the Cubs are going to be too tough to catch while the Brewers seem to play better when Yelich is hurt. I don't feel that with the Cardinals. A lot of the guys who aren't fill-ins just seem to be motivated solely by the paycheck, much like it was before Matheny got fired. As for trades, either they've got guys who are off-limits or have no value. They're just no fight in them.

[W]

Thanks for the info. It got me looking at a map. I didn't realize Yankee Stadium was that close to Jersey. It'll make what we do super easy.

[Buscemi2]

It doesn't matter if they win or lose, Charlie Morton is the World Series MVP in my eyes. He might be MLB's Greg Jennings.