Big win sends Mercury to WNBA Finals

Possibly the greatest season in WNBA history just got one step closer to becoming a reality, as the Mercury finish off the Minnesota Lynx in a decisive game three, 96-78, to win the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix used a late surge to top the defending champions, outscoring them 29-11 after being tied at 67-67 with 1:25 left to play in the 3rd quarter.

The Mercury will be heading to the franchise’s 4th WNBA Finals, in search of their 3rd championship. Similar to all three title runs, Diana Taurasi is leading the team once again. She led the charge tonight, scoring 31 points on 12-17 shooting from the floor.

Taurasi got some much needed help from her teammates, tonight, as it was an all-around team effort to take down the four-time repeating Western Conference Champion Minnesota Lynx. Brittney Griner was on her game as well, scoring 22 points on 9-12 shooting, and adding six rebounds and four assists. Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner added 14 points each, and Penny Taylor added 10 of her own. 

Mercury to take on Lynx in Western Conference Finals

After a big 93-68 win over the Sparks to finish the 2-0 sweep, the Phoenix Mercury are headed to the Western Conference Finals. The Mercury will be taking on their toughest opponent, the Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-three series, with the winner heading to the WNBA Finals.

With the Mercury turning in their historic season, going 29-5 and winning the most games in league history, these teams are clearly the two best in the WNBA.

Led by league MVP, Maya Moore, the Lynx turned in an impressive season, going 25-9. The Mercury have had the upper hand on Minnesota this season, winning three of four meetings. It was exciting to watch the two teams battle on the court this season, as most of the games went down to the wire with three games being decided by single digits. The Western Conference Finals should be no different, as both teams are vying for a spot in the championship. 

Phoenix: Appealing destination for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony

It has been well known that the Suns are desperately trying to add a superstar this offseason, and with $33.5 million in cap space, Phoenix has found not one, but two targets: LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. James and Anthony both recently opted out of the final year of their contract to pursue free agency.

Hypothetically speaking, with the addition of James and Anthony, the Suns would be set up for sustained success into the future. At point guard would be Goran Dragic, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award after averaging 20.8 points per game, while dishing out 5.9 assists per game. Off the bench at point guard would be the recently-drafted Tyler Ennis. At shooting guard would be Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points per game and 5.5 assists, pairing with Dragic to be one of the most – if not the most – lethal backcourts in the NBA.

Gerald Green who averaged 15.8 points in a breakout year would backup Bledsoe, and also probably see time at the small forward position as well. LeBron would play small forward, where he would be a perennial MVP candidate, as he always is. Behind James at small forward would be TJ Warren, the Suns’ No. 14 overall pick in this year’s draft. Carmelo Anthony could then play power forward. Melo averaged 27.8 points, while snagging 8.1 rebounds per game this past season.

Warren, Ennis, headline Suns draft picks

The Phoenix Suns have had since the buzzer went off in their final game of the season on April 16th to think about what they were going to do with their three first-round picks. Finally, tonight, all of that work in the offseason was put into motion. With picks at No. 14, 18, and 27, the Suns selections will shape their future.

No. 14 – SF T.J. Warren (NC State)
Pictured above, Warren is a very good pick for the Suns at No. 14. He’s a 6’8″ small forward out of N.C. State. Warren was this year’s ACC Player of the Year, after averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Wolfpack. This pick fits the Suns well. While Green and Tucker play the small forward position well, Green is more of a scorer and Tucker is more of a defender and rebounder, so it is helpful that Warren translates to be able to do all three. “TJ is an elite scorer,” said Suns’ GM, Ryan McDonough. “One of the best in the country.”

No. 18 – PG Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)
Four picks later, the Suns selected point guard, Tyler Ennis, out of Syracuse. He is a solid point guard, who is a good passer and playmaker, along with a decent jumpshot. At 6’2″, Ennis is a little bit undersized, but is savvy enough to become a good player. At 19-years old, he could be the point guard of the future, pairing well with 20-year old shooting guard, Archie Goodwin. 

Channing Frye opts out of deal with Suns

Channing Frye has officially opted out of the final year of his contract with the Suns. He was set to make $6.8 million next season, but chose to test the free agency market instead. The Suns big-man started in all 82 games this year, after missing the entire 2012-13 season with a heart condition. Frye, a Phoenix-native, is a fan-favorite to the hometown faithful, especially after playing his college ball at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

It has been rumored that the Suns will go after the center upon reaching free agency, to try to bring him back. However, the Suns won’t be alone in trying to acquire Frye. At age-31, Frye is looking for a long-term deal. It has been rumored that Golden State and Cleveland could be possible fits for him next season.

Frye is a valuable piece because of his ability to stretch out defenses with his sharpshooting from beyond the 3-point line. Along with his offensive capabilities, Frye is a solid defender. He averaged 11.1 points, and 5.1 rebounds per game with the Suns this past season.  

Suns reportedly in on Kevin Love sweepstakes

It has been rumored that the Suns have entered themselves into the Kevin Love sweepstakes. The Suns are very interested in adding a superstar player this offseason, and they are apparently willing to part ways with Dragic, Bledsoe, and at least one or two, perhaps even all three of their first-round draft picks. But is this a good idea for the Suns?

If the Suns end up trading Dragic and Bledsoe for Love, I think that they will just end up like the T-Wolves, in the sense that they wouldn’t have enough around love to make them competitive. However, I don’t think they would trade both Dragic and Bledsoe, because it would then leave Minnesota with three starting point guards, as the Suns’ backcourt would join T-Wolves’ point guard, Ricky Rubio. The trade would not fit quite right for either side.

A deal that does make more sense for both teams, though, is Bledsoe and picks for Love. I believe that Dragic is a more pure point guard, and Bledsoe, while he does have point guard capability, translates a bit better to the shooting guard position. Besides, the Suns have a good shooting guard prospect in 19-yr old Archie Goodwin.. I think Dragic at point guard is the best fit for the future of the Suns. With that, I think that Bledsoe at shooting guard is also the best fit for the Timberwolves. Dragic and Love would be a very solid combo for Phoenix, especially if G/F Gerald Green can continue to develop his game and become a steady contributor. Minnesota would be very well off with Rubio and Bledsoe in the backcourt. They would be a very young team, as Rubio is 23, and Bledsoe is 24. Add some draft picks, and the Timberwolves could be a scary team in a couple of years. 

Waiting vs. Trading (or Signing)

May 29 — After a successful 2013-14 campaign, the Phoenix Suns remain one of the more youthful teams in the NBA. That youthfulness gives GM Ryan McDonough plenty of flexibility for making improvements this offseason. With all of the possible acquisitions, it sounds as if Phoenix will either make a big trade, or a free agent signing to make sure the Suns don’t miss out on the playoffs next season.

Suns’ potential NBA Draft plans

May 21 — The 2014 NBA Draft lottery was held last night, and with no luck of the draw, the Suns did not move up, keeping pick No. 14. The Suns have four picks in this upcoming draft, including three first-round picks. Phoenix owns picks No. 14, No. 18 (from Washington), No. 27 (from Indiana), and No. 50.

Speculation of what the Suns will do with the abundance of draft picks has begun. When I, a casual NBA fan and not an expert whatsoever, assess the Suns’ roster (assuming they return RFAs), I see no huge needs. Certainly, there is room for improvement. Phoenix’s backcourt is among the best in the league, with the likes of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. At the small forward position, the Suns have P.J. Tucker, who plays a big role with his defense and rebounding, and Gerald Green, who had a very solid breakout year. At power forward, the Suns have the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus. Phoenix could stand to improve at this position, but it would not be with the help of anyone selected in the 2014 NBA draft. At center is Miles Plumlee, Channing Frye, and prospect Alex Len. This is a position that needs improving, and I believe it will as Len improves, which could be a few years down the road. For now though, Plumlee and Frye aren’t exactly going to get the job done, if the Suns want to compete for a championship.

GM Ryan McDonough has made it clear that he will be doing some wheeling and dealing with his first-round picks come draft day. “It’s unlikely we’d draft three guys and bring them to the Suns,” said McDonough. “The options are packaging them in a trade for a veteran player, packaging them to move up.” He didn’t stop listing options there, as he said that Phoenix could draft a couple of European players, or trade for future picks.