Are The Phoenix Suns Just A Few Seasons Away From Being The WORST TEAM In The NBA?

Are The Phoenix Suns Just A Few Seasons Away From Being The WORST TEAM In The NBA?

On today’s show, a look into the future projected by ESPN that wasn’t so friendly to the Phoenix Suns and more Jonathan Kaminga news. Just when we thought it was over, you reel us back in. Let’s talk about that and much more this edition of Locked On Phoenix Sun. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What is up? Welcome back into Locked on Phoenix Suns. My name is Benjar, host of the Ben Garcia Show Mornings on YouTube Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m. as well as a credentialed Suns media member. Thanks for making lockdown on Suns. Thanks for making Lockdown Suns your first listen here on this Tuesday night, Wednesday morning. Don’t forget Lockdown Suns free and available on all platforms including YouTube. So click that follow subscribe button to do what thousands, dare I say millions, trillions, even billions of Suns fans have already done. Become an everyday and get locked on the Phoenix Suns right here each and every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets use to use across the app. Download the game. Download the game time. Download the FanDuel app today. Joining me today, managing editor of Bright Side of the Sun and host of the Sun Champ Session podcast. What’s up, man? It’s a John Voya Wednesday. Uh, how are you, man? Dude, Ben, we are like almost a week away. We’re so close, dude. We’re so close from media day. I’m wrapping up I’m wrapping up some of my last narrative things like who’s the most important player this season. uh you know what what are the most important things we have to see this year. I’m gonna do a show maybe next week or or maybe late this week on if Devin Booker is actually the greatest son and and what he has to do to potentially pass someone else on that list. I’ll leave it at that. Maybe I’ll let you argue with me with that next next Wednesday. Um because I’m just I’m just not into giving guys titles. Like I think he’s going to win it at some point, but I think that there’s someone that I still think is higher than him right now. But that’s not what we’re talking about. There’s a lot of things we got to get into. You’ve made a lot. You You mean you’re still making content. You’re still working. It’s all busyness for us. Nothing stops here on Locked on Phoenix Suns. Um, so I thought this was interesting. ESPN Oh, okay. That’s cool. That’s not what I meant to do. ESPN made a uh if people are watching on on YouTube or maybe listening on audio, they don’t see it. But uh I uh who needs graphics? Yeah, I just completely botched my graphic there um on on locked on Phoenix Suns here, but I got it fixed. No worries. So uh the Phoenix Suns ranked 30th in ESPN’s annual NBA future power rankings. This is ESPN’s prediction of an of expected oncourt success for each team spanning in the next three seasons. And as you could see on the screen, they said it was only three years ago when Phoenix ranked third in the FPR and had a solid foundation of young players and future draft assets. That foundation no longer exists thanks largely to Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. You know the story there. Both players are no longer here. And though Phoenix isn’t in financial per financial purgatory anymore and still has all-star Devin Booker, its path back to relevancy, it remains unclear. The Suns have no tradable first in the next seven years and have 23 million in dead money on their books in the next 5 years. One posit that Phoenix has shifted away from building around multiple highric veterans to bring in former first round draft picks Mark Williams, Jaylen Green, and Kamal Malawatch. What was your thoughts when you saw that ranking John Voida? Well, I mean, first and foremost, like here we are like the annual ritual of rankings, right? The best players, the best teams. It is list season. It’s list season, you know, and Suns fans, be prepared. Like this is coming towards us is a title wave of lists and the the Suns aren’t going to carry much sunshine as you look at these lists. So, this is kind of the first one that we’re talking about. I know that we’ll continue to talk about other ones, you know, the ESPN top 100 and how, you know, I mean, we talked about it last week on the locked on top 100. So, definitely list season, but when I saw this, I I’ll start by acknowledging that, you know, ESPN, when are they ever right, okay? You know, and Bleacher Report, too. Like, I just they’re never right on anything and and nobody is, and they’re going to try to justify, and that’s fine. Um, but it really just kind of reminded me and and fortified within me that who cares. Like are are the Suns in the worst situation? Probably not. I’d say if I was to rank them based on their, you know, uh, categories because they have different categories on this, right? You know, they have the players and the money and the draft and the market and the management. I kind of feel like the Suns are 28th. I feel like Sacramento and the New Orleans Pelicans are probably in worse situations than the Suns. And what ultimately tanked the Suns all the way to 30 was the fact that we don’t have control of our draft picks for the next seven years because we’re ranked tw uh 30th in that. Our management’s at 28th because of obviously the fact that we’ve had we had to buy up Bradley Beal. Our general manager has never generally managed. Our head coach has never been a head coach, you know. So, from that standpoint, it makes sense that we’d be around the bottom of the league. And actually, the only other teams that had worse management per the ESPN list were the Sacramento Kings were the New Orleans Pelicans. So, when I take a look at it, you know, I I I go, did they get it right? Probably not. Does it matter? No, it doesn’t. Uh, and there’s only one way to go up for for the Suns now. I mean, if we we were third what, six years ago, three years ago, we were 19th last year. We’re 30th this year. Next year, we’ll be on the way up. So, you know, take it with a grain of salt and ultimately it doesn’t matter. Um, you said a lot of the same things I was going to say. What I think is what I think is really unfair though is the fact that I think the Suns roster is better than ESPN is giving it credit for. They list the Suns at 26. Man, last year you could have argued the Suns roster was 26. If you took out just one of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, and sure you want to leave Brad Deil in there. He’s probably not playing anyway. some, you know, just stubbed his toe getting out of the shower. But, uh, I mean, that roster was abysmal. Like, Taius Jones was the what, third best player at times. Ryan Dunn, I mean, was the third best player at times. It was Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, massive drop off, 50 feet of crap, Taius Jones. Like, that’s where the Phoenix Suns were. And so, I thought that that was a little unfair when it talked about the Suns players because maybe we’re projecting too much with the young guys of this team. and Rashier and Malawatch and and to some people Jaylen Green who I keep getting so much flack on and uh Mark Williams, but like this team I think’s roster is better than it was last season. Am I wrong? Uh yeah, you’re wrong. I mean cuz you’re you’re forgetting about Bradley Beal. Like as much as we couldn’t stand Bradley Beal for his price for value paid and his availability from a talent standpoint, he’s talented. He’s more talented than everybody on our current roster outside of Devin Booker. It’s just a fact. It sucks, but it’s a fact. Uh and yes, Brian Dunn made the jump. You know, we do our Suns rank up Bright Side and he started the season at 11th last year and he ended fourth, which goes to show you that at the end of the season, you’re somewhat correct. But at the beginning of the season when they were doing this same exercise last season, there’s a reason why the Suns were 19th is because they recognized that you had Devin Booker, you had Kevin Durant, you had Bradley Beiel, who would most likely be limited, which, you know, true to form, that’s what he was. Uh, and then you had Yousef Nerk, you had, you know, as you mentioned, Tyus Jones, and a bunch of death depth pieces, especially at the center position, that weren’t useful. Now, all that being said, I the fact that the Suns are ranked 26 in the players portion of this ESPN article, uh, and this is all and everything that you read earlier was written by Bobby Marks, uh, it gives me pause because when I scan some of the other rosters in this league, I see less talent than what Phoenix has in place. Like, make no mistake, like there is talent here. Devin Booker is an all-star caliber player. Jaylen Green has upside that’s waiting to pop. And Dylan Brooks is a building block that you can win with. And Mark Williams is a quality center. And the youth movement can surprise teams on any given night. And I think that that’s something to be valued and something that was dismissed in this list. And had it been taken a little bit more into account even if it, you know, they’re the you say they have the 22nd best roster, which is kind of where I landed. Uh because one thing that I’ve been doing is I I put together a a a bunch of graphics for the Suns Jam Session podcast because we’re going to be going through division previews and I like to go team by team and take a look at all the moves that they made and what their projected starting five is. And after I saw that list, I went through I’m like I like our team better than that one, that one, that one, that one. So yes, because the Eastern Conference does exist, right? Like we’re not if we wish it didn’t, but it does. Do you think that there just the top 16 teams should go to the playoffs? Yeah, we can talk about that. No, I mean I mean the the issue with that is travel and that’s why that they’re never going to change that because you don’t want the Suns playing a you know the Suns versus the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. Like the travel would be absolutely gnarly. Is it is it though like 2025? You know it’s like what a three-hour trip like it’s like 5 hours of a straight flight. Even then like whatever. Yeah. Five hours on a luxury plane. Like I mean I mean listen, you’re not taking buses. I could you imagine as soon as the game ended they’d be on the bus headed to New York. I got to go back to Phoenix. I mean six days Doritos and I’m uncomfortable. The Suns every time they played a Eastern Conference team would just win the series because the opposing team would just forfeit. Um Heather, I don’t want to go back. It’s June. Yeah, and I I didn’t mention this and shame on me, but just so people are aware, the Suns were ranked last in this list. Like they were ranked 30th. I’m not not sure people know how many teams there are in the NBA because oftent times, you know, like in in the I think in the MLB there’s 30, but in the NFL there’s definitely 32. Um and so it’s just a little different. How many are there in the MLB? 30. Are you sure? Yeah, there’s definitely 30 teams in the MLB. I just I don’t like the MLB because it’s not even, is it not? How many teams are in the AOS? There’s four and then the NL Central has like six. That’s okay. That’s correct. This is not locked on Mo, but I’m going to challenge the Rangers. The A’s. Mariners. Mariners. Did I miss one? The Sacramento A’s. Okay. Sorry, I diver. I have ADD. We’ll get to that later. We’ll get to that in a in a special edition of Locked On Suns miscellaneous sports projects everywhere else. What What This is irritating. The Suns will never be the 30th ranked team ever on any list in in um in it should be 30th on any list in NBA history. Here’s why. Because teams like the Pelicans, Bulls, Nets, Wizards, Kings, and Jazz and Hornets, they exist. They exist. Like those ones exist. I’m just going to stop there because people are gonna Oh, the Utah J. Who cares? No. Utah has never won anything because Utah has been more or less a a pretty poorly run organization at least over the last couple of seasons. And yes, Carl Malone, Stockton had their time and then they lost Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobear after they couldn’t make it out of the second round. Like and it’s just like when you see those organizations, the Suns will always be better. The Brooklyn Nets rank on here money number one. I can’t tell you a more pointless thing to have in the NBA now because you just resigned your own players. But again, I digress. The Suns will always be better than those two. I’ll say two things. One, I was wrong. It is even in MLB. So, those in the chat who are like, “Come on, man. You forgot about Seattle or something.” Uh, yeah, it’s totally even. I guess I haven’t really paid attention that much for quite some time. Uh, and two, remember the premise of this list is what organiz essentially it’s what organization do you want to be three years from now? And the Suns because of their draft lack of draft capital, because of their piss poor management, uh because they’re players, I guess, uh in three years, they’re not an ideal situation. But to your point, the Brooklyn Nets exist, the Charlotte Hornets exist. The Chicago Bulls exist. a team that is mired in mediocrity, doesn’t ever make moves, doesn’t ever spend money, and is consistently like a nine seed in the Eastern Conference. They exist. The playin is now is is the uh Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls invitation every time. My one question on this list, I want to get your thoughts on this is again we 30th overall and then they have the subcategories that kind of drive the result, right? The data drives the end result. We have the sixth best market. Do you agree with that? Oh, they had us as sixth. Give me a second. Give me a second. Let’s go to break. We’ll get to that. We’ll talk about if we agree with this list, if the Suns can beat that narrative, but we’ll get to that. We’ll get to that. We’ll do it next. First, today’s show is brought to you by my wonderful friends over at FanDuel. The NFL season is here, and FanDuel is making sure you’re ready for a kickoff with a can’tmiss offer. for right now. New customers can bet just $5. If your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Uh listen, we’ve been talking about the Arizona Cardinals line over the last couple weeks. You know, the first week it was six and a half. I told you, listen, if I’m getting you betting advice there, I like the Saints ability to cover that on the road. Week one is weird. And you know, we we missed there. The Cardinals won by seven, but I was close. and maybe you don’t want to take those kind of uh uh uh risks where this week Cardinals plus one and a half on the road in San Francisco. I would probably stay away from that game, but find a team that you know is probably going to annihilate. Might I suggest the Buffalo Bills this week against the Miami Dolphins. Bet $5 on that game. Bet the Bills to win and you’re going to win yourself $300 in bonus bets if the Bills win that game. So, are you ready to play? Download the FanDuel app now by visiting fanduel.com to get started. That’s fanduel.com to place your first $5 bet. All right, heading over to the second part of the show and we’re going to we’re going to start with that question that you had right there. I was going to leave this out of it because it’s it’s just yes market size. Sure. LA, New York one and two. Phoenix when well I’m saying in just in terms of market size. So Chicago yes like that’s a big market. Uh uh Dallas that’s a really big market. Um Atlanta massive market. This is the NBA. Let’s contextualize this just a little bit. Phoenix is a top three top two. I’ll give LA number one. But Phoenix, I think, is number two in a league or in a maybe Dallas is up there as well. Maybe Houston, maybe the Suns are top three, but they’re top three for sure. In a league that is a winter sport and you and and you are in Phoenix where the weather is great and you’re not shoveling your your your driveway every day just to back out and get to practice as well as low state tax. I know uh Texas has no state tax, so maybe that’s maybe you’d want to deal with that as well. But the Phoenix Suns are one of the better markets in the NBA. So six, I’m not upset about it. But come on now. Like New York, if we’re talking about the NBA, yes, it’s a big market. Do you want to shovel out your driveway every day just to get to practice and not be able to walk to a Cinnabon because you’re going to get stopped every five seconds, Jaylen Brunson? So there’s my point there. Uh New York’s number two. I mean, it’s just the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden. And other than DeAndre, who’s actually there who who Yeah. But it’s not about titles there, right? It’s about the scene, the nightife. You’re 22 years old. You want to live in New York or do you want to live in Phoenix? Phoenix isn’t a bad place. You have Scottsdale and people do like it. And to your point, it’s a great place to live during the wintertime, but it’s not New York City. You know, I’ve never been to New York, so I can’t Oh, man. There’s something about it, man. It’s a vibe. It’s definitely And I was there. I I flew out Christmas Day from Phoenix to New York. So, I was there from Christmas Day to like uh New Year’s and it was literally like the coldest week that they’ve had. It was 11 degrees the whole time I was there. It was miserable. But I still went did stuff. And And did you have to hold on to your wallet the entire time, too? No, I was layered, man. It was It was on the third layer deep. I was good, man. I know what I’m doing. But like using the subway system, uh I went It’s just there’s something about it. And I And I went with like my family. This isn’t like me as a 22-y old kid who’s a millionaire being like, hm, I’m going to go live in New York. So, I I think that we are definitely I I thought we were like top five because I think that LA, Miami LA. Yeah, Miami is a good one. One place that that players love uh and I think would be miserable is Toronto, especially in the winter time. It’s horrible. The players don’t love Toronto. You get taxed out the taxed out the you know what to be in Toronto. Care about the tax. They’re at the club, man. There’s a good time. I just thought everyone hung out. And they’re super nice to you when you walk in. Never been. No interest in going to going to Canada. Why would I want to go to a second tier country? I’m just I’m just I’m sorry, Raptors fans. I’m just That’s why That’s why US How dare you offend the raster the one Raptor fan who watches this. There’s zero Raptors fans. So, hey, let’s move it to this then. Is this a fair assessment? And is it correct? And will it stand true for the Phoenix Suns three years from now? No. The answer is like no. And and also, sorry, continue. I was going to throw out the Deon Booker aspect, but Well, but I just think that kind of across the board, it’s it’s taking a look at the Phoenix Suns situation at this day and time and putting it into a box. And we know more than anything how fluid this league is and how quickly things can change. And yes, the draft pick situation is dire, but that’s not to say that the Suns can’t start to recoup draft picks. They had practically no draft capital coming into this draft. And we walked away with the number 10 pick with uh, you know, moved up to get Rashir Fleming. We got Kobe Brea. I mean, that’s not obviously we’re not trading out of Kevin Durant next offseason, but you just you just don’t know what’s going to happen. And so I think that given the fact that the Phoenix Suns are out of some of of Kappal, right? Is it ideal to be playing to be paying $23 million to players who aren’t playing for you? No, it’s not. But you now have flexibility. You’re in the process of building out a vision and a structure and a culture and you have assets that are going to become desirable next offseason. Jaylen Green, Royce O’Neal, Grayson Allen, and TR trading those players could garner back flexibility, talent, a bunch of different options. So, and and again, holistically, as we mentioned, Charlotte still exists. Yep. Brooklyn still exists. Chicago still exists. Hey, guess what? For how bad the Suns are supposed to be next year and the and the Wizards have the chance to, you know, swap some picks, I will make any bet you want that the Suns will be better than the Wizards next year. and they’re not going to be swapping those picks. I think you’re correct. It’s stupid, man. It’s just it’s nauseating. And this idea, well, the Suns don’t have draft picks. You want to know who’s had draft picks the last like 10 seasons in a row? The Wizards, the Hornets/Bats, the Pelicans, and what has all happened? No team ever makes the playoffs. And and when the Pelicans do, they get swept in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. And that’s what’s so important right now, Ben. So stupid. Like we feel like do you feel we had a good draft? Great. Best. I think I think best draft in the in the league. And that’s why Dallas. Well, yeah, but they lucked into it. But that’s why because when you look at Charlotte and you look at Chicago and you look at Brooklyn who just drafted five guys in the first round, they literally just flooded the market like one of these guys got to hit. That’s what the Suns are in the process of doing is re as I mentioned as they as they do this reset. You have Brian Gregory who’s coming in here and he’s big on development and they’re going to try to get him draft picks and if these draft picks work out when we’re sitting here this time next year and we have our assessments on how Malawatch and Fleming and Brea all performed that is the foundation of a franchise. The reason the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of this list is and the reason why the Boston Celtics are so high is because they got Brad Stevens, you know, and they got the guy in Oklahoma City who I completely forget his name right now. Sam Prey. Sam Prey. And that’s the found that’s what that’s what gives hope and future and direction. So, do the Suns have that right now? We don’t know. And we’ll find out over this season and the next three seasons. But I guarantee you when we’re sitting here this time next year and when ESPN publishes this list again, the Suns will not be 30th again. I’m sorry. I just I think that 28th is probably where we should have landed based on some of the factors that they provided. But even then, it’s there’s too many other teams out there that I feel just mismanage their franchises consistently. Not to say that the Suns have done a great job managing the franchise, but at least we’re trying to correct the tide, whereas they just kind of run on the hamster wheel over and over and over again. Well, no, man. It’s It’s actually really difficult. You don’t understand because uh when the Suns drafted Devin Booker, they did it with a top five pick. Yeah. Uh-huh. Exactly. What about Steve Nash? They also did that with its second overall pick in the draft. For those of you that don’t know your son’s history, that’s not the case. What about Shawn Marian? Shawn Marian was later. Uh I don’t remember where Amari was was drafted. Well, I just know I just know Amari won rookie of the year, too. So, exactly. The the Yao Ming year. Was that the Was that the Yeah, yoing was draft number one overall that draft. It was a uh uh just the point is everyone clings on to these draft picks. It’s why when they’re like, “We need to trade Deon Booker.” Why? Why? You because you want to develop another Deon Booker. Take the time doing that. You’re Oh, you’re just going to try to figure out how to find the next Deon Booker. I get when Booker’s 31 and he’s still like kind of in his prime, but you know it’s going to end sometime soon that you should move on from him. I get that and he’ll still have as much trade value then as long as he doesn’t tear an ACL and I’m not going to live up my life in fear. Um and so like it’s just dumb, man. Like you the the worst of the worst in the NBA has been drafting at the top for a very long time and they were still terrible. The Suns for 10 straight seasons didn’t make the playoffs. We’re drafting in the in the top every year. Josh Jackson sucked. Mary’s Chris suck. Dragon Bender made me swear off Europeans as a whole and it cost us Luca Donuch for goodness sakes. So like, dude, that he really did. Dragon Bender was the sole reason I was like, I’m not drafting any more European players after this cuz I thought this guy was going to be the truth. The point is, you know, Eric Spolstra and the Heat, they never draft very high every year. Somehow they’re always really good because good teams allow other bad teams to be bad teams and mess up and those good teams take advantage. So, with that being said, like come on, Malawatch. I didn’t think Colin Murray Boils was going to go ninth overall. But that’s Canada for you. They just make mistakes. And so, with that being said, um let’s move on to the final segment. I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to bury the lead, but I guess we kind of are a little bit. Jonathan Kaminga, there’s more news. Let’s get over to him. Let’s talk about it. And uh John is going to explain to us why he’s stoked to potentially bring him in. All right. I thought we were done talking about Jonathan Kaminga and then Sham Shirani was like, “You know what, content guys? Uh here’s a little bit of a gift. Here’s something to talk about for a segment on the show. It’s probably a third segment spot, so the entire audience probably isn’t listening still. But here’s an update. Uh here’s the here’s the the gist of it. The Phoenix Suns, Dude, this trade offer is so funny. The Phoenix Suns have offered the Golden State Warriors Royce O’Neal multiple second round picks for Jonathan Gaminga. They have also offered a n a four-year $90 million contract extension to Jonathan Gaminga. Um, keep in mind the Golden State Warriors have also denied a trade offer for Jonathan Kamingo, which was Malik Monk and a first round pick. Um, Brent Seagull came on here and did the reporter thing and said 1% chance he comes to Phoenix, which means he’s not coming to Phoenix, but I’m going to cover myself just in case. Very good with his time. Super nice guy. Uh, but uh, what do you what do you think? What do you think about Jonathan? Oh man, I’m part of the Kaminga crew now. Oh, when’s he going to be here? Listen, 20 Okay. Does it change your let’s say that the Suns pulled this out because I’ve kind of started I was away from you and now I’m getting closer and closer and closer to you because part of it is although my my fan base I don’t have fans my listeners and my subscribers to Locked on Suns have you know told me that Jaylen Green’s just going to be awesome. Me and my listeners we know we just battle with that because I’m concerned about some of the things that I think are very valid. But you’re bringing Jaylen Green to the fold. You’re bringing a bunch of rookies into the fold. Do you really need to bring another player into this? Another player who can’t really score very efficiently besides of what the people on Twitter are trying to tell you that they can do. Um, you know, I I love getting told on Twitter, “Oh, Suns fans just must not like scores.” No, we just don’t like inefficient scores. Um, and uh, so does it change your mind? Like if it’s Royce O’Neal, two second round picks and $22 and half million dollars a year, or you just you giving him the bird, man? I just again I and perhaps I’m too entrenched in this camp and I’m not being as open to the the idea of it, but I really think that this is a season where what we have is adequate to put on the floor to assist in the development of young players and to ultimately put ourselves in a position so this time next season when a better player with more talent might be available that you can make the move then. Because if you’re gonna go and you’re gonna give Jonathan Kaminga four years and you’re gonna bend the knee to him because the last year will be a player option, not a team option because that’s what he’s fighting over with Golden State right now, right? Like I’ll sign if you let it be a player option. They’re like, “No, dude. Team option.” Like we we hold the leverage right here. All right. You we we want to see if you can actually play nice in the sandbox with others. And if not, we want to have the optionality. I’m just not buying into what Jonathan Kaminga could be. And it’s just me. I think that we have a log jam at kind of that that wing position, that small forward/power forward position. I think that it hinders the development of some players, i.e. Ryan Dunn, to put them in a position to be somebody who potentially could be as good as Jonathan Kaminga offensively and a way better defender. And I just don’t see why the Phoenix Suns should even explore that option and why they’re pursuing it as actively as they are. Now, I get it. are trying to garner back some value from Royce O’Neal. They’re trying to get Royce O’Neal, whose contract is for the next three years, you know, on the books. So, I I can see what they’re doing there, but I just don’t think that it fits in into the context of what this team is right now and who they want to be throughout the season as they prepare for what quite possibly could be a very busy offseason, next off seasonason. I think I have swung the pendulum the other direction when it comes to the Jonathan Kaminga stuff. I I I got lost in the sauce for a second. I s I saw him and I was like, “This guy’s flashy. He’s fun. I could get him for a nickel, but it’s not really a nickel. You’re going to have to pay him.” And god, he can’t shoot the three at all. And neither can Devin Booker and neither can Jaylen Green. Do I want to triple down on that in a league that consistently tells you you need to shoot the three at a at a efficient clip? Bingo. And dude, he shoots 45% from the field. Uh he’s he is a worse version of Jaylen Green. Like I believe in Jaylen Green more than I believe in Jonathan Kaminga. And Jonathan Kaminga, if I believe that, I shouldn’t just get him because I I use the same logic my wife does when she buys 10 shampoos and is because she got the 10th one for a dollar off. I shouldn’t just buy two Jaylen Greens because well, the second one was cheap. So like with that being the case, I I would probably agree with you. Um well, and I’ll and I’ll say this like I understand where people are coming from because because Jonathan Kaminga can generate his own shot. That’s where a lot of people are coming from. He can create his own shot. We don’t have a lot of players who can create their own shot. But at the same time, if it’s not an efficient possession, it’s somewhat pointless. And if it’s somebody who comes in, and again, a lot of this is being played out in the media, so we don’t know how much merit there is actually to it. But if there’s somebody who’s coming in, let’s just say grumpy, somebody’s coming in scorned, okay? Yeah. He might be one of those players like I’m going to prove them wrong. Or he’s one of those players who hasn’t played well in the sandbox before and as we’re trying to develop this culture, why are we bringing in somebody who doesn’t play well in the sandbox with people? Again, that’s purely speculation, my point of view, my thoughts on it. But if it’s something that’s if it’s a headache that’s avoidable, it’s like if you’re hiring somebody, if you’re hiring somebody who you know has a reputation of being somebody who doesn’t play well in the sandbox and people be like, “Yeah, but man, he’s like he can be really good at his job sometimes.” It’s like, “Yeah, you know what? I’ll test the market a little bit later. I don’t need to bring that in right now. I my team I need to see who and what they are and and I like what I have. I don’t need to add drama into a situation that’s been full of drama for the past two seasons. Well, I don’t like when you make sense. It kind of pisses me off. It’d be it would just be fun, you know, honestly. I think it’d just be fun for media day a few segments on Locked on Suns and just to see him on the roster. I don’t know if it’d be very fun watching the game. I don’t Yeah, I know. I don’t think it’d be very fun watching the game, but it does piss me off when people are like, “Dude, some people think they know basketball and they go on social media and like I’m not talking about the loyal listeners of Locked on Phoenix Suns. The Locked On Phoenix Suns listeners are some of the smartest people I know. It’s why when they tell me I’m those Suns Jam Session listeners, man, I’m telling you, they’re idiots.” No, I’m just kidding. No, I love every one of them. The comment se I was going to say something mean. I was It’s a totally different vibe over on Suns Jam. Love I love the vibe. I read the comments on Locked On and man, people are harsh, dude. I love it. Oh god, I love Just so we’re clear because I always make I always make I make fun of the people on on Twitter who despite all facts are trying to tell you that you’re wrong when it comes to someone like Jonathan Kaminga and saying some people just like the debate. The Suns hate scorers and I’m like what do you know we you know Yeah, we we’re trying to score the least amount of points. No, if you can’t do it efficiently then why would I want you? But I do, dude. I sometimes like when they when the listeners and and comments come after me, I’m like, “God, I love it.” The fact that they don’t because my whole thing is we’re going to hold the Suns accountable here. And on my other show, I’m going to hold my all the teams accountable in Phoenix here. But like, and so I’m so if I’m like if if if I’m going to hold the Suns accountable, someone’s got to hold me accountable. And that’s not your job, John Voya. That’s the That’s the the loyal listeners and my and the subscribers, the great people of Locked on Phoenix Suns who I absolutely freaking love. Well, and I love it because it generates quality conversation about basketball. And the other key is it’s okay to be wrong. And I want everyone to hear that because I’m I’m telling you right now, you’ve heard me say things, you’ve read me write things, and I have opinions on things on how they’re going to go and what I think and what my perception is, and yours might be different, and that’s okay. But if I if it turns out that I’m wrong, I will happily admit I have no issue eating Crow. I I don’t I’m like, “Wow, really missed on that one, you know, just like you taking the the the Cardinals not scoring over six and a half against the the Saints.” I’m like, “Bang that over, man. It’s the Saints. It’s the It’s uh Yeah. The last thing I’ll say is like I Yeah, because yesterday I was a little I was a little mean on Jaylen Green. I’ll definitely admit I was a little mean. I tried to recover from it later in the segment, but fans are like, “You’re a hater.” I’m like, “Do you understand? If Jaylen Green is awesome, I make more money. More people watch the show. My life is easier. I don’t have to work another job. There is no one rooting harder for Jaylen Green than Jaylen Green. Just know that’s how I always You’re getting my opinion.” Yeah. I always wanted Aiden to be more than he was. And people would get frustrated because like, well, you’re just hating on him. Like, no, I’m just saying the facts that I’m saying how I see it. I want him to be great. I need him to be great. I’m frustrated that he’s not. And that’s how I feel with Jaylen Green. I really hope he’s amazing, man. I really do. A young athletic electric guard with his athleticism, he could be really amazing. I really hope it works out for him. I have my doubts, but man, I’m I hope he does. And that’s what’s going to make this year so much fun, Ben. It’s going to be watching him and seeing how it goes. It’s going to be hell of a good year. It’s going to be a good year. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be No pressure, dude. Literally no. Yes. That’s the nice thing. We get to enjoy basketball, developmental basketball. You know what sucks about being championship or bust? You’re probably gonna bust. Like you’re you’re probably going to bust. Like there’s a 90% chance you’re going to bust. And it makes everything that much more difficult. Losing a game in February that you probably should have won is going to piss you off. If we if there’s a game that the Suns like play really close with the Thunder and they lose by three, you’re like, damn. Yeah, Brian Dunn was really good tonight. when you when you when you have when you have those expectations, you don’t have silver linings. And we’re going to have a lot of silver linings during games this season where yeah, it might be a loss where they lost by five points, you know, to the Spurs because WBY had a great fourth quarter or something, but we’re going to find something within the context of that game that was positive and and gravitate more towards that. At least I hope we do gravitate more towards that than the end result. Because last season it was all about the end result and how the process was broken getting there versus appreciation appreciating aspects of the game. And that’s why I tried as much as I could last year in my writing and in my podcasting to go, you know what, this season sucks, but at least we’re watching Kevin Durant because he is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play this game. And we get to watch and cover him every night. This is fun because I remember when Brandy Johnson was on the Dimebacks all those years ago, watching him pitch every fifth day, like that was a treat as just a fan of sport. And so, you have to appreciate those small things, but it was really hard to do. This year, the silver linings are going to outweigh uh so much of the negative things that potentially could be discussed. At least I hope. Last year was annoying to me because, you know, got in several debates or arguments with Kevin Durant and I was just like, can you just Can we just win games? I don’t want to argue with you anymore. Anyways, with that being said, John Voida, uh, managing editor of Bright Side of the Sun, as well as a host of the Suns Jam Session podcast. They’re about to start doing some previews over there. Go check out everything John Voit is doing. Hell of a writer, hell of a podcast host. Love watching the guy. Um, do me a favor, hit the like, share, subscribe button here, follow me on all social media platforms at Ben Garcia Show, follow John Voit at DarthVoida. Uh, with that being said, guys, stay safe. Um, for everyone in the chat listening, that’s John. I’m Benjamin. We’ll talk to you guys uh or I will talk to you guys tomorrow.

ESPN’s Future Power Rankings have the Phoenix Suns dead last? That’s a bold claim for a team with championship aspirations.

Benjamin Garcia and John Voita (@SunsJAM ) breakdown the controversial ranking, dissecting the Suns’ roster, financial situation, and future prospects. They tackle recent Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors, weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of adding the young forward to the mix. The hosts also explore shifting expectations for the upcoming season and the value of fan engagement in basketball discussions.

Tune in for a deep dive into the Suns’ future, trade possibilities, and what it means to be “championship or bust” in today’s NBA.

0:00 ESPN’s future power rankings for Suns
5:42 Analyzing Suns’ roster and market ranking
11:07 Debating Suns’ position in league rankings
22:19 Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors and analysis
28:05 Reconsidering Kuminga’s fit with the Suns
33:40 Expectations and silver linings for upcoming season

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