The Moves
Bill Simmons sort of implies as if every move that was made over the last year was a wrong move.
Again though, context is everything:
Ayton over Luka
Let’s be honest here: in base stats, Luka Doncic had a better rookie year than Deandre Ayton.
However, as I illustrated here in depth (and unlike Bill Simmons, within the context of factual evidence), that opinion is very basic with very little depth of observation.
Through very little additional analysis and with more than just a SportsCenter highlight reel, Ayton had a truly spectacular rookie season all things considered and deserved to be Rookie of the Year.
Would Luka have made the Phoenix Suns a better team last season than Ayton did in 2018-19?
Of course!
But then again, Luka is a ball-handler and Ayton is not. Luka is able to control the game offensively in a way that Deandre cannot simply because Ayton must have the ball passed to him and no one was able to do that for him.
While I will openly contend that there is a good chance that Luka is the better player over the course of their careers, there is no guarantee. And while the Suns can help Ayton improve with a point guard (which they acquired in Ricky Rubio), Dallas has no one who can possibly match Ayton.
Only time will tell, though.
#16 + Miami 1st for Bridges
This is a really tough one to defend on the surface because Ryan McDonough gave up an unprotected first round pick for the right to move up six spots and not even acquire one of the big name players that Suns fans had hoped Phoenix would pair up with Ayton.
Mikal Bridges appears to be better than Zhaire Smith, so at least from a one-for-one player perspective, fans should be happy about the move.
Plus, while Bridges’ 3-point shooting left much to be desired last season (only 33.5%), he was a 40.0% career outside shooter in college and he didn’t have a solid point guard to set him up his rookie year.
If he does develop into a legit 3-and-D player this season, the trade will be a win – until we find out what happens with that Miami Heat pick. If that pick turns into a nobody, then no big deal.
That said, while it seems that that pick is the least wanted asset of all-time (originally Miami’s, it was traded to the Lakers, which was then traded to the Suns, then traded to Philadelphia, then traded back to Phoenix), it still is a future first round pick, and when you consider that the Suns could have had Zhaire (or someone else), and a second first round pick to use in 2020, all we can hope is that Bridges becomes a very good player – which honestly, is not a stretch at all.