Hey Tim here from the Sun solar panel podcast. If you haven't heard about anchor get it is the easiest way to make a podcast. I want to explain. It's actually where we host our podcast at for one. It's free. There's a creation tool that allows you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or your computer if that's how you want to do it. That's not how we do it. But I suppose you could anchor will distribute your podcast for you. So it can be heard everywhere. That's Spotify. That's Apple podcast Stitcher many many more and you can make money. From your podcast with no minimum listenership. It's everything you need to make a podcast and one place. So go ahead and download the free anchor app or go to Anchor dot. F m-- to get started. And now for the sun solar panel podcast. Hey, it's a spool back to tell you about our friends at Spotify. That's right, you know Spotify for music, but now guess what you can find all your favorite podcast there as well. 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So now you can share what you're listening to on Spotify podcast included in Instagram, so, If you haven't done it already be sure to download the Spotify app search for Sun solar panel on Spotify or broad brows podcast in the your library tab. Also, make sure to follow me. So you never miss an episode of the sun solar panel. So again Spotify Go download the app. I love it for my podcast listening and my music and the best part about it. You can do it with the free account. And welcome to the beginning signs solar panel podcast. My name is Tim Tompkins joining us today. Mr. Dave King. Hello. And of course Greg Esposito. Oh, so Dave how is now that the signs are no longer matching the matching portion of a bright side night is over and done with how did that turn out for you? It turned out better for me than it did for the son to Mexico City. We we have already after only Ten days of donations and including last year. We got Sons matching for over a thousand of our tickets of the 3300 this year. We've had seven sons matching from the start and we are over 3,300 toll tickets between donations and matching already after only 10 game 10 days. So when the sons play the Kings on January 7th will have probably over 4,000. Tickets being handed out for that game on behalf of us from bright side and those kids. Hopefully we'll cheer like crazy for Suns win in against the kings in early January. I'm very excited. I'm very humbled by how quickly everybody acted this year. Thank you very much for your big donations. We had some big donors. We had some small donors. We're going to continue to have donors for another two weeks. I'm very excited about this. Thank you. So is it talked to me? So you're talking 4,000 kids, right? That's what I'm shooting for now. And I think we may even get a lot bigger than that, but I'm going to I'm going to start with 4,000. What is the organization of that? Come night of even look like? Well, luckily. I've got a really good partnership with the sun's group sales and Charities area where they deal with this all the time. They've been they bringing groups all the time A lot of times. It's The tickets bought by an organization and for their or the people in the organization and other times it's donated tickets where they will do some kind of community outreach and donate tickets themselves without matching, you know donations from someone else. We are the only ones actually who do the ticket drives this way where we collect, you know, most of the money and then the sons matched some are all of it so in and how does it come together? It's a pretty big deal. We have already reserved all the pregame mid-game postgame stuff that the sun's do to you know to attract people and give interactive fan experiences. So we're going to let these kids come in early right after five o'clock right after the doors open and come down to the lower level and watch the sun's players warm up for about an hour hour and a half or so until they go to get their seats. We're going to put T-shirts bright side night t-shirts on a big bunch of their chairs when they're with their seats are and give those out we have the the overall organization getting all those kids in the packs of tickets are going to be at a at a booth right inside the main entrance. So they'll come and they'll grab your tickets as they show up they'll know which sections are in and stuff like that beforehand, but they'll show up the night of the collect their tickets. They'll go grab their seats. It's just a really fun time and you know certain groups of kids will be invited to do some of the different interactive things throughout the night. So people can still consult donate can still nine dollars gets a kid to take it go to what son's.com / bright side, right and who knows we may actually get another another source of matching the ticket donations, but definitely your nine dollars gets a kid in and that's That's always been the case and will continue to be the case so we can we can sell as many tickets as we want and if they run out of seats for this January 7th game because we sold so many will give him will get him in the next game or the game after that. It's going to be it's really really worth it that you're changing kids lives through. This is all about changing kids lives. I was talking to a friend of mine just the other day. It was saying that what really really got his daughter into sports at 10 years old 12 years old. Old forget what AIDS when she was but when she went to an NFL game literally being in the stadium and this is just a different example of a kid going to a live game and then suddenly becoming a sports fan. Now she watches the sun's constantly now she watches the Cardinals constantly she watches that team because they were on the road they were in Tennessee. So they watch the Titans. So she watches that watches that team now, she's suddenly a big sports fan. She's playing sports. She's getting involved and she hadn't really done that before. Going to and Alive Pro game. That's what these kids are experiencing. The same thing happened to me. I became much more of a sports fan after going to a game and we need to build that next generation of sports fans. And that's this is contributing to that certainly especially after losing an entire decade of fans just because of not being one of the better teams in town. This is what one of the things that helps helps, you know build these kids enjoyment because Sometimes parents aren't going to take their kids. If it teams losing we have a very we're very farewell group and this gets kids in to experience what it's like to watch a watch a son's game and regardless of how teams playing or not to Dave's point when you go in person it changes it changes things. It's a very cool experience specially because these kids get even get to get really close in warm-ups and see these guys up. And see what it's like to be that close. They are ya like it there's a there's a sense of awe when when you get a go down there and I think I think it's something even and Dave you can attest to this you do it more often than me now, but even as adults when you even people that get to do it as often as people in the meat of their still that sense of wow, this is pretty cool when you when you step right near that Court during warmup Ups and and you look around you go. This is this is different. This is not something that that everybody experiences on a regular basis and that and just think about it from from a kid's perspective getting to do it it it has a big impact. So Dave congratulations on the effort so far. I hope that we surpassed that 4,000 that yet that you're even projecting it at now. It's great stuff that you do. So I hope your eye. We take great pride in it. I know that's not why you do it, but I hope it is something that you that you feel very good about. I know I give you a lot of hard time on this show, but this is one of those things that they never would because it's amazing what you Embrace that do here. Thank you very much and let me address the the winning team part thing because I get arguments about that all the time and you didn't say this just now Greg, so I'm not saying you did but a lot of guys would be like, I don't want to send the kids to watch a crappy tea. Team these last 10 years. It wasn't worth blah blah blah kids watching basketball. They don't care who won or lost. In fact, most of the most people I've talked to about their very first pro experience. They don't they don't remember the score. They don't remember who won or lost is remember people running around doing some incredible stuff that they never seen before that's what the kids are experiencing experiencing that hotdog. They're experiencing that coke. They're experiencing sitting in the seat amongst 20,000 other people there like you said down near the Or for the warm-ups, they're experiencing seeing people bigger than they've ever seen before. I mean my youngest when one of her first games he ever went to she got to stand neither Shack and she's like, oh my God, that guy is huge. And then even when you're just standing next to him in her daddy, and she was in awe of how big these guys are so kids don't care who wins or loses so it's really worth it to go and I don't like it when people say it's not worth donating tickets because the sun suck, you know in Prior years it was worth it and these kids it's changed their lives and has changed their outlook on Sports and I'm really proud of that. I do have a huge sense of Pride from doing this was the pride of creating experiences for people that wouldn't otherwise ever get that chance. So the sun's you guys want yeah, you want to talk about this the sun's losing to the refs last night in Mexico City speed over the group that gets no charity. It's I mean, oh my God, just let me tell you. I thought I was watching an old timey son Spurs game where the Spurs did every little tiny. Thing right the refs did every little tiny thing to help the Spurs and the sun's just made boneheaded play after boneheaded play and then follow it up with an incredible play to pull themselves back in it or up and then make another boneheaded play. I mean that last 8 seconds alone the Sun's made the some of the dumbest things. Okay mistake. Okay. Hold on Rubio was clearly grabbed on that end bound where it wasn't called the ball clearly. We went off of to rosen's leg and there's another angle it was the ball going that far. So yes, when you only watch the one angle that doesn't show de rosen's leg. It didn't go off his leg. But when you watch the full Angela clearly does the ball changes Direction after it hits his leg it hit it hit the top of bridges head. Yes, it does it does. This is what makes this is look Mikhail had a great he got 10 rebounds in that game. He really tried his butt off and we've heard before we're mikkel doesn't love banging in there in down in there amongst those trees because he's not the thickest dude in the world and he was he was fighting hard all night long. And the reason the sun's couldn't get rebound. Sometimes it's because LaMarcus Aldridge would just move people out of the way and and mykel would be one of those little Pinball's he he just bounced off of but what Is mikkel doing literally half a second after the ball hit the rim on that missed free. Throw Mikell is prone on the ground. You don't lose your balance like that. His head never should have been there for the ball to even come close to mounting off of it. Yeah, the whole fighting still have still a messed-up call though, and they don't all like spreading the only angle that's now going around. Whatever is the one that cuts off DeMar DeRozan and that part infuriates. Me, too. there is a second angle that shows it straight on you can seed erosions leg and you can see it actually hit Mikhail Bridges head and change directions not DeRozan Sneed that fats not that the the Rubio non-call is a bigger factor and Dave's right the Sun's made a lot of a lot of mistakes that cost them as much as the refs did it was just it was the case of Gregg Popovich's teams are always very Discipline in this son's team still learning how to be that and that was the difference in this one the rest just didn't do them. Any Ado the sun's any favors it. I'm not going to claim the rafts that that it's all their fault. The sons did plenty to put themselves in that position the big 8 point swing where we're Patty Mills made consecutive threes on possessions. That was that was those were bookends on the rest missing a an out of bounds off of the market. Aldridge that they didn't even take the time to review and you could even see it on Aldridge's face that he knew he was faking, you know his reaction pointing the other direction when the ball had clearly had gone off of him and then the sun's argued so badly they got themselves to technicals the including Devin Booker arguing in history clothes on the sidelines, but he walked out onto the court come on if there's any franchise in the freaking league and those don't step on the day in court. It should be that's on the Spurs. So Gregg Popovich. After the game said three words to somebody in the media and those three words were Phoenix got robbed and then he walked out of the room. Oh, no, I don't think that was like that was yesterday. I think I think Fox Sports Arizona thought it was yesterday, but I don't think it was I got to verify that the computer was saying that was him after a game a couple years ago. I gotta look at that look the strings. I don't think that was like yeah, I just I don't feel like they rob themselves as much as the rest Rob them and I love blaming the rest as much as anybody else. But there were there were little things that they did that they did wrong to like it. This is a team that sorry Tim I am wrong. I just looked it up. Somebody else had said it was a different day. He said more than three words, but he did finish with Phoenix got robbed absolute your walked out of the room hundred percent right? I know because it was a bad call. He knows it was a bad call everyone knows it was a bad call like you did that thing is I will never give the wraps a hard time about a bad call that isn't reviewed because they're humans and they make mistakes and there's a lot of things going on, but when you review something and you still make the wrong call Call yeah, that's that's when I get angry about it. Well, yeah that certainly frustrating case and I almost feel like when you go to that review, it should be somebody in the league office making that call not the group that that's sitting there that made the wrong call to begin with because sometimes self-preservation comes in and you don't want to necessarily admit that you were wrong. So you're biased towards the original decision. You made like We All Fall prey to that so I feel like it should probably be taking out of their hands at that point. So you remove that factor of it for sure. But man this team is still has an immense amount of heart to continue to battle in these games and in most cases battle back, even when they fall behind but they've got to learn how to close out and they just have not learned that that is that's Been a big part of a lot of these games this year, especially the close ones that they just they can't close out in the end real well, and that's that's the next Evolution this team needs to take if this is truly like everybody wants to wants to think this is a 40 plus one team in a playoff team. They've got to figure out how to win a game like that even if the refs are making bad calls. They've got to figure out ways to not foul on on a drive to Tie the game at the end to play better defense on the final shot to all these little things that it takes to be a winning team and they just they have not they have not closed out. Well yet and and granted on Saturday. They were playing without DeAndre Jordan and they were playing without Devin Booker but the Spurs are in a very good team either like that's just the reality of where the Spurs are this year so they should have been able to close. Close out with against that group and they just did not do little things that that it takes to win any NBA when it's a close game. There's been some people saying that the sun's need to trade for a new backup point guard instead of try to groom one of the ones they have or keep expecting things from Tyler Johnson and one of the names being thrown out there lately has been Patty Mills. Hey, the swords are not going to trade Patty Mills. They're not going to give up on the season, but but be holy crap. Patty Mills actually prove what a much better back up. He would be than Tyler Johnson Patty Mills took 14 three-pointers. He made he scored 26 points in the game. He wasn't very efficient at 23 total shots when he six points, but he was relentless on helping the Spurs win that game and how to tell the Johnson do and he was over. Well, that's the difference with the Patty Mills to is you saw it at the end of both regulation and overtime. This is a guy that just gets things done. You know that that's that's it. That's what he manages to do. Even in crunch time. He just has that ability to close out so So I want to get a couple of ctas out of the way first off. I want to thank a listener for being a supporter of the show Benny Campion copying. Excuse me. Thank you so much. We really do appreciate it. If you feel like you get a lot out of the solar panel podcast or the YouTube version of this and you want to become a monthly supporter hit the support the show button. There is a 1 5 or $10 option. If you do the $10 $10 option, I will personally send you some sun. Schwag we I really do appreciate your support there. If you want to support the show, you're watching on YouTube right now biggest thing you can do is hit that thumbs up button. It really does help with the YouTube's algorithms anything should we hold them should we call them podcasting supporters? Borders and no nobody jump to that one. I'm going to do it anyway, so let's talk about where the sun's all right now Sons now sit with a record of 11 and 14 as of the time of recording. This podcast is YouTube show which is on Sunday, December 15th. They're three and seven over their last ten. However over the last seven. I think that the three and four the sons and now sit in the eighth spot tied, The Kings and OKC With The Wolves Blazers and Spurs all within a couple of games essentially you have five teams right now that are all time that are all trying for those final two playoff spots seventh and eighth seed. I want to talk about some of the records of how some of those other teams. I've been performing over the last 10 games because I do think that this is interesting the Kings over their last ten or four and six, like I said, the sons are three and seven the Thunder are six and four. For the wolves are two and eight. They're losing every damn game that they can right now and the Spurs are five and five and the Trailblazers are also five point five. So the Spurs have had four straight overtime games in their three in one in those over times. I actually don't actually don't think the Spurs little little mini run is sustainable as it is. They may continue getting better because they have good veterans on that team, but this little run is a little bit. It's going to come back down to earth form unless they start playing better as a team. And Son should have beat him on Saturday. Look the the Blazers are the team that I think we all know. I think we all know are going to make make a run here. They've got too much star power on that roster to to not actually better than they're playing right now. But of the rest of those teams, I don't see one that stands out. Out as being significantly better than the sun's specially when you get eight and back in this fold, I don't think that there's anybody that's going to run away with that spot to the point where the sun's can't keep up but they need to find their rhythm again. They need to find what made them a darling in the first ten games of this season, and it was just that willingness to Pastor people on defense. And and really get people annoyed with them and Aron Baynes needs to reach happened to what he had there. And I think he will as he shifts back to that backup role one Satan gets back because it's less minutes, but he can expend more energy in that time. I think we'll we'll see some of that but they just need to find a rhythm. I still believe in this group. I think that this stretch reminds them. That they can't Overlook anybody that it's going to take an immense amount of effort to win but a game like Saturday night remind you this isn't the same team we've seen because in the past if last season even if aten and Booker out last season, they lose by 40 like there's just there's no doubt about it, you know. Are you currently paying off student debt? I know I am interested in improving your financial literacy or looking for new ways to earn income in today's ever-changing digital landscape. Well on talk money with mesh lock any podcast mesh will follow Paper Trails chat with experts and break down complex ideas to bring Clarity to the mystical Financial phenomenon. Each episode will be filled with compelling stories covering a broad range of subjects from buying Bitcoin dealing with student debt and everything in between listen. Talk money with mesh lock any on Spotify or where every listen to your favorite podcast and learn how to spend invest and earn for today's economy. Yeah, you know, the team is really really interesting to me. Just because what do you expect is is the Oklahoma City Thunder how the heck are they? All right there at 11 and 14, they're being competitive and yet every single player on that team is expecting to be traded in the next two months, but they're somehow putting that aside and just winning games. Anyway, they're probably not going to make the playoffs. They're probably going to end up making trades. They're going to send Chris Paul somewhere. They're going to send Steven Adams somewhere. They're going to basically rebuild because they have 5,000 draft picks coming in the next few years and they want to develop Shake Gilda's Alexander and they're just so fascinating to watch. But yeah, you'd have to you kind of have to rule them out. At least I do the Timberwolves. I rule out as Greg said the Spurs. I just don't see it. I just don't. With the Spurs they may find that magic juice that and it could be, you know, the rafts that are the magic juice for them, but I just don't see it within the Blazers. They're relying on mellow and is really mellow the answer to making a playoff run anymore in his career are not really sure not so long term but I mean there's still you still got McCollum. You still got Lillard of the group. That one has the star power utak? Expect to be able to lift you out of out of a slump Mellows Mellows a nice a nice boost there. But that's the one I look at I think Oklahoma City. It just comes down to there's not much else to do in Oklahoma City. So you might as well at least try to be good at basketball if you're stuck there, but but yeah, you're right that's going to be a roster looks drastically different over the next two months and not one that trying to win necessarily so I think I think it's going to probably come down to the Suns and Kings looking at it. I think I think that probably where we're going to land out here at the end and I feel pretty good about the son's chances being better than the Kings. That is that is wild. So the sun's do have a really hard schedule coming up part of this hard schedule those worth noting and an addition that is very much going to be welcomed at this point in the season. So they have the Blazer and some of these games are they need to win these games too. So they have the the Blazers on Monday. You have eight and coming back on Tuesday. First the Clippers you have the thunder on Friday, then you have the Rockets the nuggets. Warriors the sun's desperately need to win at least two or three of those games. But especially they need to they need to get that W against the Blazers and they need to get that W against the Thunder but we do have eight and coming back first the Clippers on Tuesday. What kind of impact is is realistically should we expect for it to make this team? Well, I don't think you should expect much in game 1. I hope you see an immense amount of energy in a This from DeAndre eating but he's going to be rusty. I mean anybody that sits out 25 games whether he was practicing or not is going to wind up being Rusty so I don't I don't expect him to look like and all-nba player and game one. I expect them to be efficient. But I think it's going to take a few games from to find that Rhythm. But what we need to see is a guy playing with purpose a guy playing with a chip on his shoulder because He's embarrassed and he's upset and that's what the sun's need. They need an Engaged DeAndre and they need him to prove that he is evolved past what he was last year, which was very good. And we don't deny that on this show. We're not one of the groups that say, ah DeAndre and sucks. Yeah. No, he's a very very skilled big man, but he needs to take that next step and that I want to see that that energy that passion night. In night out and needs to be consistent, which is what was what was lacking in year one with him. So hopefully this this entire Saga has changed that mindset for him. That's the only positive that could come out of this is that he comes out more focused and playing harder than we've seen from him. Now. My biggest question is does Monte actually want him to stretch out that jumper and take threes. Not not an aggressive. Mmm. Not a huge amount but is he going to take three pointers at all? As he comes back? That'll be an interesting question for me. I expect his impact and in a week or so after he comes back to be very significant because it's going to change what they can do offensively Ricky Rubio now has a partner that he can lob to in this group. It makes the bench that much significantly stronger right because you've got Aron Baynes that shifts back to back. Up Center and put Frank Kaminsky back at his natural backup power forward position. So all of a sudden this bench is stronger than we've seen as well and we get to understand what that full vision that James Jones had for this roster when he put it together was now how Monty Williams at handles rotations will be interesting to watch to because this will obviously change minutes and how you're going to have to handle it with this group, but It means that basically your biggest question now becomes who was your backup point guard. It's not it's not how do you make the center position work? It's not how does Frank Kaminsky do out of position it simply becomes okay, everybody else lots and where we expected them to be. Now, how does backup point guard come but eaten should have a fairly significant impact. Even if I was just going to say that even a 8 and that is not quite at a hundred percent ready or polish at this point would still be a welcome addition. Of course. Yeah. Yeah on Saturday. We actually got the first game that I can remember where Frank Kaminsky and Dario sword both had good games at the same time. Usually they they trade off who's Have a good game. And one of them is just awful and Saturday. I know the reason I'm really disappointed. The sons lost is both those guys really played. Well da Richard said it had 17 rebounds and 19 points and Frank had over 20. It was a really really good really good game for both of those guys. But having said that aten will make things better. Aiden will provide a lot more size in the middle. He can get those rebound see that what there were the sons are still struggling? Is actually reaching up higher than anybody else to get rebounds and if they don't box out guys know I charge and Frank have done a pretty good job of boxing out so that the sons aren't getting killed. They were only outrebounded by 3:00 on Saturday against the Spurs. And so that's can now that the sun's will be a better rebounding team with Aiden. They'll be a better more efficient team on getting scores down near the basket when they need to have some quick scores so they don't have to have perfect ball movement every time. Or Booker going off or somebody making a bunch of Threes they can they can score the edge that you know in different ways when a man gets back. We'll the sun's be any better. Well, yeah, I mean they'll have they'll have a better chance to have a 7 to 10 point lead going into the last few minutes, but I don't you can't count on 8 and being the guy who's going to not make those boneheaded plays on like the sons did on Saturday Ricky Rubio made some boneheaded plays so and Aron Baynes even made a couple of things. Couple plays that could have been better. It's expecting Aiden to suddenly make the Suns win. These close games is top but expecting Aiden to help get the Suns in better winning positions. So the games aren't as close to the end. Absolutely. He's always been a winning type player in terms of doing all the stuff during a game to help you get closer in the score or take that lead. He's just still the two youngest guy on it. Let's remember he's still there. Very by far the youngest guy on the team. He just turned 21 this past summer. Whereas the rest of the team is 22 23, 24 25. There's a couple of guys over 25 and that's it. It's a really disappointing that Tyler Johnson can't be another vet that settles this team down this year. So right now all they have is Ricky Rubio and Aron Baynes being the settlers basically in calming guys down and making smart plays. Its we cannot expect the sons of Get smarter with eaten just because he's 21 years old, but we can expect them to be better and get it being better position to win on a nightly basis going into that fourth quarter. Look what you expect is. You don't expect him to change how mentally they played you're right, but what you hope in a game like it Saturday is against the Spurs is you're not in a position where it's that close to the end where those those mistakes become as catastrophic as they are because Eating should be able to help you put distance between you and teams that are significantly inferior and at full strength. I think the Spurs are significantly inferior to the sun's roster. The fact was they just weren't at full strength. So that's what you hope DeAndre and does to your point is is gives you a larger cushion. So you have a larger margin for error going into those final few minutes. He's definitely not going to make you smarter in those and those file minute. Or to any guy think are to expect him to I know people who don't fit no. No, he's a kid. He's not going to be the one who makes those game-changing smart plays. He might make some game changing athletic plays, but they won't be they won't be the veteran while he's smart boys. That's it. I hear you're a hundred percent right? It's it he's still a kid and that's acceptable. There's a lot he has left to learn but hopefully that that athletic impact earlier in the game gives you that that Better margin for can I talk for a second about the schedule not being anyone's anyone's friend right now. So Tim you talked about the upcoming games. They have Monday at home against Portland. That's after flying 6 hours 6 hours each way probably or minimum for even if it was a straight through to to Mexico City and back over the last three days getting constantly hounded by media all weekend almost like an All-Star Weekend kind of event where there is no downtime for these players. Is all weekend and then coming back and playing at home Monday night against the Trailblazers and then immediately the next night being in LA to play the Clippers on the road. And you know, how many as they have two sons play the Clippers not on a back-to-back in the last 50 years. It feels like every single Clippers game is of the on the back end of a back-to-back. You didn't even bring up the worst part of this right the sons of been in Mexico City dealing with all that the flight everything. I'm pretty sure the Blazers have been here since it since Friday. Yeah, the Blazers have not played since Thursday nights. Yeah, they and they were they showed video from the sun's practice facility yesterday that they were they were here chilling and Phoenix practicing and the sons are schlepping their their butts back and forth from Mexico City. So that doesn't exactly seem like the most Fair way to schedule something you do you think after the sun's do the league of solid and go to Mexico City To do this sacrifice a home game to go down there. These schedule makers wouldn't screw them over by having them play a team that's been sitting in their home City for four days and hasn't had to play since Thursday you well, you know, you know, you know it would help with this is what Bill Simmons has been calling for for a while, which is getting a 72 game schedule. I mean, honestly 82 games are just too many. There's always going to be unfair points and I agreed that this was not great by the schedule makers but every Team is just going to have a crap like this happen and if they could just get it everyone else had a look I get it. I get it that it happens. But the sun's literally did the Liga solid by going down there right that this was this is all about expanding the game. Yeah, they just is all about this is all about expanding the game. I understand that you're just going to get screwed sometimes in the schedule, but that does not seem like the time that the league should give a big F you You to a team in terms of that you would think you know, I get it randomly, but that's the one case that you would think they'd go. You know, what we're going to ensure that this isn't a potential schedule loss on Monday because of because of the fact is that the other team, you know, you're right. They should they should bring out somebody from the East, you know, actually the East has been pretty damn good this year. I just want to make one final point before we move on to talking about Trip potential trade is now that trade season has officially started. Is it with eight back in the lineup? The sons are going to have somebody that Ricky Rubio can actually pass the ball to roll to the basket. Which Aaron bands. I love him as a player. He's not a very good role man. I think that'll be amazing. Also just getting DeAndre Aiden to have the ability to get some putbacks, which is something that the sun's do not really have almost a use. We see like one a game, you know, you can count on two or three from DeAndre Aiden. Over the course of a game that's between four and six points, which is the margin and a lot of these games come the end of it. Anyway well and that the the cutting in the basket the lobs that's going to wind up opening up things for some of these shooters just the threat of that after after he gets back in the Rhythm and his passing. I think people under rate that but he's pretty damn good at even if he cuts gets the ball. He's very good at taking it back out to find the open man. So this Should make their shooting better as well. At least the looks that they're getting. I won't say it helps anybody else make them but it should give them better looks so all these little things should add up to a big impact moving forward. Yeah, I gotta get more integrated with the team now having said he won't be you know, he's got a reactivated himself after being out for so long. I mean he had a pretty darn good opening night and the first game of the preseason as well after having you know that these are these are each new experiences this year. He'll be good on his first night. What I want to see from him is consistency and consistent effort game to game. He was puts out effort. But I mean, I mean higher end. Brittany's given in the past. I mean you can he can roll out 16 and 10 on a night with a block I'd like to and I don't necessarily want to look accounting stats to be a deciding factor for him. I just think consistent effort is is important and should be expected. So trade season has officially started players that were signed over the summer can now be traded pretty exciting. We spend a lot of time talking about the sun's need for a power forward. I do think that that might change given the fact that we're going to have eight and back which means that a point that Greg brought up earlier. We're going to have Kaminsky as the backup power forward. I also think there's some opportunity for Monty Williams to play Aidan dare. I say at powerful Next to Aron Baynes. So to me that position isn't quite as important. I do want to jump ahead to my stat of the week really quickly because I want you guys to take this into account for discussing what the sun's need the most so my staff of the week the sun's also in the course of December the only two negative net rating 5 man lineups that they had in December the played any amount of meaningful minutes. Anyway, that wasn't garbage time both included tie Jerome at point guard and this is Godless of Devin Booker being on the court with him at the end of those quarters to close out games When Ty Jerome is the point guard for the sons their offensive rating drops u89. They have an effective field goal percentage of 39 percent a true shooting percentage of 41 percent and the page drops to a hundred and five down from a hundred twelve. So not only is he is slow player when he's running the point when he's running the point the senses aren't getting good shots, right individually tie. Jerome is offensive rating is a 76 which is That being said the Suns have a lot of backup point guards on the roster right now. None of which are playing very well, but there is also I think an argument for perhaps the sun's going after a solid backup to when Devin Booker isn't on the court and we've also spent a lot of time talking about the power forward position now that we're heading into trade season. What is the biggest need for this team right now? I still think it's a true backup point guard is Tyler Johnson isn't really a backup point guard. Elliot Kobo really isn't a backup for point guard. And Ty Jerome is a rookie who's coming off a serious injury that kept him out for the first five weeks of his rookie year, so you can't expect him to automatically step in and be exactly what you need. I think long-term he's got the passing ability to provide you with what you need, but I think you need to find a solid veteran backup point guard if if playoffs. What you're shooting for this year if that is if that is the goal if that's the the serious push that you want to make I think that is the most glaring hole you can you can survive with Frank Kaminsky playing hot and cold right? I mean you can you can survive there with him as your backup power forward. Now your backup center position is set you can deal with with Devin Booker's back up being some time. Times a Mikhail bridge is playing out of position or one of these small forward playing minutes. They're like but Backup backup point guard it grind your offense to a halt when you have a guy like Tyler Johnson out there or even Elliott Cobo whose offensive aggressiveness has been better from his own standpoint, but he's not getting his teammates involved and that's what you need. So I think backup point guard is is the The biggest need that isn't going to cost you a lot long term. It's finding that that that long-term answer it starting power forward but short term if you're looking at what can you fix it a cost that probably more palatable. It's backup point guard. Yeah. I like the I love the idea of a Patty Mills, of course after watching him score 16 or 26 felt like 62 points 26 points on Saturday and making In all the big shots, man that guy he is a fireplug. That's for sure. He'd be fun to have on the team someone like a JJ Redick to run around screens and and make more even more shots. But I really think the player needs to be a have a defensive skill set to him. And so because really that's where the suns are struggling. I mean, they're still sixth in the league and offense. They're doing fine on offense, especially with eight and coming back. They're going to be even more than fine on offense. Were you got to have some better skill is on defense and in the sun's whoever they acquire can't just be simply an offensive player. They got plenty of those. So I would rule out a JJ Redick for that reason but there's got to be somebody out there. They can acquire that that for a wing, you know guard position. Someone who can back up Rubio and also play, you know, next table hooker in Rubio has some size can shoot and Can-can. Least put out, you know maximum effort on defense. That would be really fun to see Ty Jerome as you pointed out Tim. He's just been god-awful and he's just not ready. The NBA is too fast for him right now doesn't mean he's not going to turn into a really good NBA player. It just means that in this moment. He has not been very good. He's been he's been he's been bad real bad really bad not seeing that. He died your own did not play a minute on Saturday. And it was Elia Kobo as the backup, but Kobo did not have a great game. So unfortunately for a Kobo he didn't set the world on fire and Tyler Johnson got minutes without without Devin Booker in the lineup. Mikal Bridges started and that was good. I really thought that was a good plan to start mikkel Bridges. So you have more defense out there throughout the game, but Tyler Johnson got some run and it was bad. And so those guys had a chance. Us to step up and say this is my position. Neither of them. Did it Monty might give them seems like he gives three or four game runs two guys. So we might see the Kobo Tyler Johnson combo for another week or so and see how that goes. I don't know what happened to Heather Johnson. He's he's just not very effective right now in this in this offense inhabitants here. So what's your prediction then regarding the trade trade season trade season? I think it's going Be a perimeter player guard size two can back up Rubio in spots kind of like and not necessarily different than Tyler Johnson where he's not really an assist guy, but he can run a team and not make boneheaded mistakes. So that's I think they'll probably end up doing that. That's my prediction. Yeah. I mean, that's what it comes down to you. Just you need a guy that can keep the offense column cannot turn over. The ball can can keep guys involved. Moved and just keep a consistency when Rubio is off the floor. What what intrigues me and I'm going to play pie-in-the-sky, you know, let's let's go. Hey, what's the ideal situation? If Minnesota keeps losing like this at what point does karl-anthony towns, just pull the I'm done with this right? I mean you're sitting up there. It's winter in Minnesota. You literally have to walk through glass to Walkways to get anywhere in the city because it's too cold to actually be outside and you're losing like this it what point does he just go I'm done with this crap. And if you're the sons, that's when you go. All right. Now it's time to consider acquiring one of Devin Booker friends because that's the guy that of the group that you would really want. Right? Like absolutely that's pie-in-the-sky if everything were to work out that guy becomes available. That's the most interesting. Freaking thing to me this trade season. I don't think it happens before the trade deadline. I have a feeling if it's going to happen. It's probably the offseason when he pushes for something like that, but man that's sitting there knowing they're two and eight in their last ten. Just you look at it and you go. I really hope that happens. Yeah, that's why that's why I become even more hesitant on the Kevin Love thing as I think more about it is okay sure, you could you could put some assets. Of that and get a guy that could potentially be an answer at power forward for short term. But if you make that move and then Karl Anthony towns becomes available, even if it's for five months later, how pissed off are you at that point? Like that's that that's the guy that you've been waiting for to push all your chips in. Absolutely. I think if you had a chance to acquire karl-anthony towns, I think you do whatever it takes. I really do. I think he is who we want Aiden to be what if what if what if they require Devin Booker and return? No, no. No, then you tell him to take a long walk off a short pier and you hope that eight and becomes that guy's just swapping one who needs a second to for another who needs a second guy. So now pissed with both of them be to oh my gosh, I'm going to Phoenix. Wait Devon's going back going back to Minnesota like them. Yeah, I would do and some people can remember this and call me on it later. But I would definitely obviously do Aidan because you don't you know, that is the swap that Minnesota be interested in and I would include a mikal bridges in that because karl-anthony towns has has that star power and has reached that that where you want to eat and to be and the two of them with Booker and towns with a Rubio. And a sharp edge and guys like that around them to be smart players. I think that can really push you right into solidifying perennial playoff contention. Yeah, and look. I'm a True Believer and at some point you were going to have to make a major move because this is no matter the Devin Booker is he's getting better and getting more clout with with players around the league at some point. You're going to have to acquire somebody via trade to bring them bring them in here because The chances that you're going to land the big fish and free agency your gambling there, right? The only thing you can truly control is is trading for a guy and I think it's some point that's that's the move. The sons are going to have to do the question is how long do you wait and what guy are you do you wait for so you arranged? Which was at least a third of the league if not half a leak. There has not been a trade in the NBA since July and this is the first time the NBA has gone this many days in an eligible trade period without having a trade be recorded as the first time ever. So there will be trades. We just haven't seen them yet. And I'm just curious to see how different this league is going to look in a month or two months. I would I would either you be willing to bet a mortgage payment or in your case a rent payment Dave on the sun's making a trade before the deadline. Yes. I will bet Dave's a rent payment on now. I think I think they will make a move. I don't know that it's going to be a big move, but I think they will make a move. I won't make any bets. There's there's quite add there's quite a chance that they won't. Don't know enough Jane Jones already said he wants to wait a month one Satan's back. If Booker's out for a significant amount of that time. He's going to want to wait even longer. I don't I don't think you might see a little tinkering around the edges, but that will have to be a great Tinker opportunity. That doesn't really hurt the team in any possible way. It won't be a bit. I'm not going to get anything on a big trade there might be a small trade. I don't think aten and then that whole Went to James Jones make impacts trying to find a backup point guard. I think that was more in reference of we're not going to make some some move to acquire some big-name power forward or something like that till we understand what we have with Aiden and that group once we understand that rotation. I think it has very little impact. If you're looking at backup point guards, I would be surprised if they have an expiring 19 million dollar contract that they Just let expire. And a guy that's not that's clearly not contributing to any sort of when's for the team. It's not like I would just I would be pretty surprised third position. They're in is they can't actually use that 19 if they let expire because they're over the camper other reasons next summer. So right there is a little bit of incentive to try to do something about it. But having said that they'd probably just have to acquire another 19 million dollar contract or something like that. Again, Jeff Teague peoples are not Jeff Teague name, that would be interesting as a veteran backup point guard. He's also about the same salary and expiring I believe so that would be that would be more like a type of move where where James Jones didn't last year swapping Ryan in or since big contract with without a rotation spot for Tyler Johnson. Now a year later, maybe Tyler Johnson without a rotation spot for somebody who could be in the rotation for about that that contract so that's that's kind of the kind of thing that that James has done in season before so that kind of trade would not surprise me, but then you go back to that and I think you're going to have to if you're looking at that you're going to have to gamble on a guy that's a question mark and and some way right which leads me back to Kevin Love if they're going to if they're an example is Big contracts for guys who may or may not end up in the He is a good swamp. Yeah, that guy from a Minnesota wouldn't do it. I mean if you throw in like a second round pick, I mean they're otherwise not going to get anything for Teague. Right but they don't think it's only like literally does they aren't starting a point guard right now, like it really need a point guard and and if they have any sort of playoffs hopes, it's not going to be and believe me. They have play a playoff aspirations because the town's this is this is exactly what people should be thinking about right Tim. They're not even starting T. That's how bad he's been in. And they need a point guard. Right? So it's not going to be it's not going to be for Tyler Johnson. You know, they're going to say hold on. Give us you were give us a worse backup point guard because we're really going to just blow this season knowing that Karl Anthony towns really wants to make the playoffs like that unless the Sun so in like a first-round pick, I just I don't see it working become Bridges and I don't think the sun's wanna trade Mikhail Bridges and kill Bridges. It is very valuable. You want to get crazy. Plenty of the sons acquired Jeff Teague as their trade with Minnesota this year. That would only be if Minnesota is punting and they sent kitty cat somewhere else that would be disciplined. How about you want to get crazy if Portland continues their slide and one of those guards become available, do you get you get crazy? Do you consider getting crazy and picking up one of those guys? Look if we're going to play if we're going to do what it what I advise against and let friends Use ESPN trade machine like it does something like that Intrigue you. Do you go? Hey a little early McCullum, I mean is casually throw out one of those guys when one of them is Damian Lillard, I'm just saying at some point Portland got to look at that and go. Alright, we've got what we cook it in a Damian Lillard. I don't know but the question is do you do you mess with the chemistry of what's going on here and you can get Damian Lillard if you can get them out. We think we're really talking about CJ. Column, right? Yeah, probably. Yeah, I highly doubt they're going to move Damien not going anywhere McCollum CJ McCollum. Is that dude real I can do you really want to do that? Because he's making vulgar money, you know, and he's not going to be your starting point guard next to Booker. So he would be your guy off the bench and you don't want to pay your guy your third guard 2530 million dollars and Sons could go crazy and start Rubio Booker and McCollum. Hey look, Let's let's be honest here. They're already paying their third guard 19 million dollars right now, you know, you don't want to commit to that for the next several years. That's that's fair. Let's just say so. All right, you guys want to do suppose the donkey Lord? We got a good one this week. We need we need something for this. I need you to make a real award that we can email. These people are something but but this week I struggled there were two that. We're well deserving of it. The honorable mention was Valley of the sun's for did you see this tweet yesterday. They see a clip of DeAndre and practicing right from the sun's account and somebody over there decides to tweet about how looking at this makes me makes me think this isn't it in all a very athletic all-time athletic kind of guy. There's all sorts of concerns. It was literally like a 30 second clip of DeAndre and running a drill there was nothing to To it. It's just asinine but this week's donkey goes to and to remind you. This is this award was named after the late. Great Nate Duncan who has blocked every Suns fan because well he's an ass. So and these this award honors tweets that make you go. What the hell were they thinking this week? It goes to Dana Scott over at AZ sent through tweeted out a Dwayne Rankin piece that said quote. Could Monty Williams eventually become the New York Knicks prodigal son returning to where? Began his NBA career as a player. It's being silly Pete white writer, Dwayne Rankin analyzes this as well as other top story lines. Okay, I don't this is no disrespect to Dwayne because I actually understand the position. He's in he's being told generate clicks at all cost because that's what you're being judged on and have you painted new york-based. Yeah, like so to me, I don't blame Dwayne I blame the system that Dwayne has to work within right not even I don't even blame. I don't know Dana Scott. I don't even I don't even blame that person. Tweet. I blame the system that they find themselves in the fact that journalist now writers like this or required to generate paid views at all costs. That's what's trying to keep these these Publications afloat and in turn its sacrifices all quality and credibility because you've got to do anything to get people to click in a world that's full of just ridiculous noise. We've seen it with si in their new ownership with Maven where they fired pretty much anybody with credibility to base. Ali click create a click farm, right? It's all about clickbait right now and it's ridiculous. You should not be basing this stuff on how many people click it should be all about who's consuming at a large rate for a long period of time. It's about time on site and it's asinine that these guys are put and these and these women as well are put in this situation where all that matters is how many clicks can you generate because it creates a lot of crap. It does not create interesting compelling storylines are unique. He nians it creates crap entire sites of crap for that matter. So for that Dana Scott and really more the management at AZ Central you win the donkey award this week. I think I was pretty good at word, right? Thank you. Yeah, obviously Dwayne rank in the last thing he's sitting up at night thinking about is whether money William should end up in the Nixon two or three or four years or five years after his contract is up. That's a last thing Dwayne wants to worry about right now. I put some in a crappy position because then you know Monty Williams sees that I'm sure he does and then it's just this awkward thing. It makes it it makes issues with probably with Dwayne and the organization was like, why are you bringing this up during during a run? And the answer is simple, he's got bosses that are pushing him to direction that you never should be pushed. Yeah, good one Greg. All right. Well, that was it was good. I liked it. It was good. Your your praise is is all I live for Tim. All right, especially that especially that enthusiastic praise that you just provided there. So, oh my gosh, okay. So we get 8 back this week the Suns have really tough schedule. They're tied with the whole bunch of teams for 8 in the west should be pretty telling hopefully we're going to be back this this Wednesday. I guess it just kind of depends on whether or not They're playing that night and I dare not play Monday Tuesday so we can dissect what DeAndre and dozen his first game back against the Clippers on Wednesday. So which by the way, I guess I'll point out to anybody that for whatever reason it takes time out of their schedule to make sure that they can watch us on Wednesday nights. We have internally seem to figure out on accident that it be sons are playing that evening. We are not going to record an episode. So just an FYI if the suns are playing on Wednesday, we will not be live during that game unless it's some weird. East Coast game where we can go live right after it finishes, but we figure you're all watching the sun's and not watching three guys sitting in their homes talking about the sun's when they're playing. So without it watching the game is currently on. Yeah. We we have a good feeling that that's the way that would net out. So let's we want to watch the game and sometimes Dave's actually at it so depends on who they're playing sometimes I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, so but this Wednesday, they're not playing. It all that I am I am Brody in the tattoo said Espio is the Charlemagne of the solar panel. I'm not really up on my history. Does anybody get the Charlemagne reference? You're probably just a mass murderer. I mean, I think that shortly I'm just I'm just saying people left and right. Is that what we're going for? They're all right Charlamagne. Hi Charlamagne. Tha God known American radio presenter title. I think that's what I don't think that's where they were going. I love I am Brody went to Dennis Miller Charlemagne baby. Like he is a co host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club with DJ Envy. So you are I haven't spent a lot of Dino of the show, but I haven't spent a lot of time. Whatever I didn't get the reference as well. I'm Not Cool is what I'm trying to let you all know and I don't think that comes comes off as a a surprise for Betty people trade season thing. I posted a poll just a few minutes ago and we've gotten a hundred one votes in 20 minutes of yo Sons fans. What position is most in need of a betrayed in the next two months. I had power forward back up shooting guard and back. Backup point guard. Which one do you think one? Don't look at Twitter Backup backup point guard. Actually what's winning is power forward with 47% of the vote two votes actually a hundred ninety two votes 47% of the vote goes to power forward man. People just don't appreciate Dario storage and that guy that guy is killing it lately. It's that haircut job. Yeah. Okay. So stop looking at his face and his hair and all that stuff. But man, that guy has been balling out. It is averaging a double-double over the past couple of weeks. He's getting those rebounds of the sun's need so badly. He's playing positional defense. He's boxing out. He's doing everything he possibly can and people just don't appreciate him. I'm disappointed in Sons fans on Twitter, but they say, he's one of replace. Did you just call him that Jared Dudley of power for didn't Jared Dudley the Jared Dudley of power forward Jared Dudley is masquerading as a pelican. You know, he's a wing he just grew out of it. But by the way Brody confirms that Tim is right. So mark it down Tim's finally right on the show. Yeah. I was right earlier. When you go tried to call me out on that Gregg Popovich. That was Dave. I did not happen on that. Well, it really was it's so confusing but that is the case. It was January 29 3 said Son Rob so that's two straight Seasons where the sun's got robbed in Spurs game. I really feel that Gregg Popovich. Just trolling Sons fans. I don't think that's great pop of is really feeling like the sun's got robbed. So so probably him and he tweeted last January. That's why it's taking off by the way. I'd like to let everybody know as we're talking trade. We did attempt to trade Dave to every other Sons podcast. Nobody will Nobody bet so he's here for the long run a Johnson of NBA podcast. Yes, we try to trade to every other podcast except for uh, seven seconds or less. We didn't we didn't submit carried off of there. They would write me too. We just offered to give them we offered to give them Dave with nothing in return and still no that was that would have been a salary. On Wednesday Arizona time. We will see you guys then. Enjoy DeAndre and return everybody.
With just days until Deandre Ayton re-joins the Phoenix Suns, there are many many questions that remain about the team. Plus, the Suns have an immensely difficult schedule over the next week. What will it take to stay in the playoff race? And don't forget trade season has officially begun so what position should the Suns be looking to fill. That, the Dunc-y Award and Tim's Stat of the Week on this edition of the Suns Solar Panel. Support The Show Solar Panel Shirts Watch on Youtube  Add us on Twitter @SunsSolarPanel  https://www.Twitter.com/DaveKingNBA https://www.Twitter.com/Espo https://www.Twitter.com/RadioTimNBA  We’re happily supported by Bright Side Of The Sun- www.Brightsideofthesun.com  ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 