The season that was

The Phoenix suns took out the second seed in the Western Conference, which is a terrific achievement. Totalling 55 wins, the third best total in the league, the Suns entered the playoffs with optimism and expectation.

The Suns had as much turnover of personnel as any team in the league, and their form line prior to the playoffs was around .500. They no longer had Kawhi Leonard to lean on, but had a lot more depth and talent in Jimmy Butler, Clint Capela and Chris Paul.

They came up against the Warriors in the first round, with the upstart team from Golden State stepping on the throat of Phoenix, putting them in a 1-3 hole. However, in steps OG GM laddas to make some tweaks, inspire his chargers and save the day, clinching the exciting and dramatic series in seven games.

In the second round they would face the Kings, and just couldn’t not slow down LeBron and the Bronettes. Despite having Jimmy Butler, who is suited as well as anyone to stop LeBron, he is just too good and too much of a mismatch. The Suns put up a fight but ended up losing the series in six.




Cue the laddas trade madness!

Best player

Rewind a year, this team traded Ja Morant and pieces for Kawhi Leonard. At one stage, they had Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler and Clint Capela. Plenty of talent have put on the stylish orange and purple threads, but not many have stayed long.

Now? Hmmm… it’s ridiculous to say, but it’s probably Bol Bol, which is incredible in both positive and negative connotations. Bol Bol, without playing a game, fresh off his first contract and likely to snap and fall over in a strong wind, is the future of the Phoenix Suns.

Bol Bol, future of Phoenix.




*Panic sets in, fans leave in droves, team folds, Bol Bol is caught in an updraft never to be seen again, the state of Phoenix becomes a wasteland, tumbleweeds roll by, Bol Bol lands, 14 years later*


Breakout candidate

Lonnie Walker

The man Laddas coveted all off-season, now in a Suns uniform. Suns management and fans alike are thrilled to secure Lonnie Walker, and this team will give Lonnie the keys and all the chances to recognise some potential as a big impact player. He has all the attributes to be a terrific 2k wing and he just needs to put some miles on the odometer.




A difference maker

Sekou Doumboya

He was a player who was targeted by Laddas as being underrated, with the second-year player barely 20 years old. Doumboya has all the physical tools and versatility of a prototypical forward in modern basketball, and he will be given every chance to succeed in Phoenix and play big minutes. His NBA counterpart might have an easier role to minutes this upcoming season, and this role uptick is crucial in any potential ratings boosts.


Draft recap

As mentioned earlier, I am guilty of not paying any attention to drafts. Here is a draft take from a smarter person than I:

Pick 11: Tyrese Haliburton
Pick 22: Jaden McDaniels
Pick 49: Elijah Hughes
Pick 59: Paul Eboua

Tyrse Haliburton’s potential has people clamoring, but for me there’s a reason he slipped to 12 in the NBA and I’m not sure where he overcomes some of those knocks. So he’s definitely a high upside pick at 11 and you can’t knock it, but there’s definitely risk. McDaniels I think at 22 is too high. He has some tantelising upside for sure, but he’s got a black hole mentality, he’s erratic and his frame is one that draws questions too. His fluidity is intriguing though.

Hughes looks legit likely to stick in a reserve role in the NBA so is good value at 49. He’s going to be a player. Eboua looks like a nice upside guy that was aimed at being a stash, but he’s shown enough to the NBA Miami Heat to have earned an exhibit 10 contract, which would ruin some stash dreams if it pays off.

Salary situation

After dumping Chris Paul, they slashed their salary cap and boast arguably as much cap relief, space and flexibility of any team. This could be the Suns’ greatest asset, and if utilised correctly, they could scoop up expensive vets for cheap and start to add wins and value to the portfolio. As the 2020-21 season draws closer, the Suns currently have just 58M of salary guaranteed and boast almost 50M in cap space. In a league where many teams financials are bursting at the seams, these clever monetary manoeuvrings could pay dividends.

Get excited, Suns fans – CAP SPACE!




What do they need to do next?

A prayer. A miracle. Time. Luck.

You name it, they need it. The Phoenix Boneyard needs more TLC than many rosters that have come before it. They have no tried and tested players, average amount of picks. However, they will be armed with cap space in the future, and Laddas is in a position to exploit the talents that he does have to the fullest extent. He has acumen for quick. successful and fruitful rebuilds, and as a competitive man, he won’t want to collect Ls for too long.

But, boy oh boy, at first glance, it reads like a G-league team.

Win/loss predictions

On paper, the Suns look like they might not win more than 15 games, but Laddas, armed with his intent to win, no incentive to lose and his 2k savvy, might push it into the 20s. However, unless the world inverts, this team won’t be any good. They might be really bad, in fact. Time will tell, and Boston fans will be hoping that the Suns burn out.

GM synopsis

Laddas is one of the most respected, endearing GMs in the NSL and he plays a pivotal roll in developing the NSL community, working behind the scenes and being a visible leader. He was crucial in encouraging the initial breakaway from the lesser league and helping develop the incredible league and conditions we now find ourselves enjoying. Laddas is as trigger happy as any GM when it comes to trades and rebuilds on a dime, which is impressive and equally terrifying. His current Suns look like a ‘boneyard’, coined by the man himself, and he has to hope that he finds something other than skeletons and corpses. However, one has to wonder how a team with Kawhi Leonard now boasts Bol Bol as the best asset.

I am sure my stinging words will spur on Laddas to prove everyone wrong, and I hope for him and Suns fans, that’s true.