Suns News: Week 17 (2/10 - 2/16)

[Superbone]

[Cap]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

[specialsauce]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

Playing 10 mpg doesn't turn heads either

[Superbone]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

Playing 10 mpg doesn't turn heads either

Apparently, playing elite defense doesn't turn heads. And I agree that his minutes need to be upped. I'd double them.

[TOO]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

Playing 10 mpg doesn't turn heads either

Apparently, playing elite defense doesn't turn heads. And I agree that his minutes need to be upped. I'd double them.

Quadruple them.

[Split T]

He’s 11th in minutes played…and that’s dropping…that’s the obvious issue that is keeping him off the top 10 lists

[TOO]

I don't understand Buds distaste for him, but O'Neale can just suck butt and jack up as many 3s as he sees fit. Blarg.

[specialsauce]

I don't understand Buds distaste for him, but O'Neale can just suck butt and jack up as many 3s as he sees fit. Blarg.

Bud has a romance with Plumlee, Tyus and Royce

[Cap]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

Playing 10 mpg doesn't turn heads either

Apparently, playing elite defense doesn't turn heads. And I agree that his minutes need to be upped. I'd double them.

Quadruple them.

He should be playing all the minutes. 240 a game.

[TOO]

According to the Kia Rookie Ladder, Dunn is not a top-ten rook. Averages of 6/3/1 don't turn a lot of heads.

Playing 10 mpg doesn't turn heads either

Apparently, playing elite defense doesn't turn heads. And I agree that his minutes need to be upped. I'd double them.

Quadruple them.

He should be playing all the minutes. 240 a game.

You get it.

[Gladiator]

I don't understand Buds distaste for him, but O'Neale can just suck butt and jack up as many 3s as he sees fit. Blarg.

Royce is hitting 2.5 threes a game at 40% - like it or not, that’s the answer. If Dunn was hitting anything like that he would be playing massive minutes. I’m not saying I agree with Bud’s thinking, but pretty sure that’s why.

[Split T]

I don’t understand why people are confused why Royce plays. Sure he’s a touch small, but he’s the best wing rebounder we have. He fires away from 3 and is shooting 41%. Grayson is the only guy with a higher 3pt rate and the only guy with a higher 3pt%. He plays hard and of people playing somewhat regularly, only Dunn has a lower TO rate.

Royce is just inconsistent. He’ll go 0-5 from 3 and I think those games must be sticking in people’s heads. He also has a bunch where he goes 4-5.

[Mori Chu]

Royce is great. I don't know why folks hate on him so much. He occasionally has "off" games but overall is delivering great 3pt shooting, good defense and rebounding, and overall good effort. Given his contract and role, what's the problem? I look at this roster and feel like Royce O'Neale is the least of our problems. Given what is expected of him, he is delivering just fine.

[Superbone]

Royce is great. I don't know why folks hate on him so much. He occasionally has "off" games but overall is delivering great 3pt shooting, good defense and rebounding, and overall good effort. Given his contract and role, what's the problem? I look at this roster and feel like Royce O'Neale is the least of our problems. Given what is expected of him, he is delivering just fine.

I don't think anybody but one does hate on him. He's Saucy's target for this season.

[Kryptonic]

Royce is great. I don't know why folks hate on him so much. He occasionally has "off" games but overall is delivering great 3pt shooting, good defense and rebounding, and overall good effort. Given his contract and role, what's the problem? I look at this roster and feel like Royce O'Neale is the least of our problems. Given what is expected of him, he is delivering just fine.

I don't think anybody but one does hate on him. He's Saucy's target for this season.

In fairness…. Anyone and anything can be sauceys target. He’s an equal opportunity kind of guy when it comes to criticizing.

[specialsauce]

I ain't targeting no one that don't deserve it

Prove me wrong. Anyone that supports Royce is a box score monkey. Dude plays out of his role on offense and is lost on defensive rotations all the time. Not to mention he's another one of the non-fat plain yogurt eating, sugar free vanilla personalities this team has gathered around its mediocre 3 instead of looking for athleticism , smarts and toughness. Dude a one trick flat affect pony who is useless if his 3 ball ain't falling

[TOO]

I ain't targeting no one that don't deserve it

Prove me wrong. Anyone that supports Royce is a box score monkey. Dude plays out of his role on offense and is lost on defensive rotations all the time. Not to mention he's another one of the non-fat plain yogurt eating, sugar free vanilla personalities this team has gathered around its mediocre 3 instead of looking for athleticism , smarts and toughness. Dude a one trick flat affect pony who is useless if his 3 ball ain't falling

But Kevin Durant likes him.

[Carno]

He's got a really cool secret handshake with Durant. If that's not sugary personality, what is?

[Split T]

I ain't targeting no one that don't deserve it

Prove me wrong. Anyone that supports Royce is a box score monkey. Dude plays out of his role on offense and is lost on defensive rotations all the time. Not to mention he's another one of the non-fat plain yogurt eating, sugar free vanilla personalities this team has gathered around its mediocre 3 instead of looking for athleticism , smarts and toughness. Dude a one trick flat affect pony who is useless if his 3 ball ain't falling

How does he play out of his role on offense?

[Mori Chu]

Prove me wrong. Anyone that supports Royce is a box score monkey. Dude plays out of his role on offense and is lost on defensive rotations all the time. Not to mention he's another one of the non-fat plain yogurt eating, sugar free vanilla personalities this team has gathered around its mediocre 3 instead of looking for athleticism , smarts and toughness. Dude a one trick flat affect pony who is useless if his 3 ball ain't falling

There is some truth to most of these criticisms. But IMO these are mostly things I can forgive in a role player. He doesn't have a "strong personality" I guess, so he isn't a leader, but I don't need that from every role player. He sometimes gets beaten on defense, though he is strong and capable and generally plays defense to my satisfaction overall. I agree that he doesn't do much on offense other than 3s, but again I'm okay with that since I expected him to be a 3-and-D wing for the most part. He's doing that. Given his role, his salary, expectations, I think he's doing just fine.

The only sentence I don't agree with much is, "Dude plays out of his role on offense and is lost on defensive rotations all the time." I don't think he goes outside of his role much on offense; he mostly camps at the 3-point line as expected. And I don't think he is lost "all the time" on D; our defense is mostly a total mess, so I don't single out Royce in that regard.

I just don't see the point in focusing on Royce as a problem on a team that is full of holes like Swiss cheese. KD deserves more criticism because he's meant to be a leader, to carry our team, to make others better. Tyus Jones deserves criticism since he's our starting PG and is hurting us a ton, in a statistically measurable way, on both ends of the floor. Our bigs deserve more criticism since they're among the worst in the entire NBA. Royce is such a secondary or tertiary concern in all this.