Zion Williamson makes NBA restart worth watching
1 HR AGO - There's a reason six of New Orleans' first seven games in the NBA restart are on national Expand
1 HR AGO - There's a reason six of New Orleans' first seven games in the NBA restart are on national television. Zion Williamson is must-see TV. Collapse
Suns JAM Session Podcast: Campus Life
7 HRS AGO - Subscribe to the Bright Side Podcast network to get podcasts pushed to you from Suns JAM Session Expand
7 HRS AGO - Subscribe to the Bright Side Podcast network to get podcasts pushed to you from Suns JAM Session and Fanning the Flames. The Suns are back together again...well almost all of them...and enjoying each other’s company! They’re living the campus life.
Thoughts on Monty Williams’ post-practice presser?
How is the team handling the campus environment so far?
How is the food?
The NBA continues to give the players more freedom to express activism with personalized jersey names.
Besides the Suns, who are we excited to watch in the bubble?
Kelly to Golden State?
Dumb trade of the week!
Plus we answer questions from our listeners.
Hit up John (@DarthVoita), Matthew (@MatthewLissy), and the podcast (@SunsJAM) on Twitter.
Stop by the Suns JAM Session podcast page on Facebook. Follow the pod on Instagram (@SunsJAM).
The Suns JAM Session podcast is available through the Bright Side podcast network, right there in the same feed as Fanning the Flames, on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Collapse
Suns coach explains MagicBand, smart ring, proximity alarm functions inside Orlando bubble
18 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams breaks down the functions of the MagicBand, Oura smart ring and Expand
18 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams breaks down the functions of the MagicBand, Oura smart ring and proximity alarm those in the Orlando bubble are wearing.
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Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams breaks down wearing essential gadgets in Orlando bubble
19 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams breaks down wearing essential gadgets in Orlando Expand
19 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams breaks down wearing essential gadgets in Orlando bubble.
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Starting the Cam-Payne for a new Suns backup point guard
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
New Suns guard Cameron Payne calls it a ‘blessing’ to Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
New Suns guard Cameron Payne calls it a ‘blessing’ to get another chance in the NBA. When the Suns signed 2015 lottery pick Cameron Payne to their long-open 15th roster spot last week, not many could even place where Payne played this past year, because it wasn’t in the NBA.
In four short years, Payne went from hyped lottery talent — taken 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder five years ago — to completely out of the league, due to a combination of injuries and poor performance.
But that lottery-level talent is still inside in the 24-year-old Payne, ready for another chance in the NBA to play with the BubbleBoyz in Orlando and a make-good contract for next year too ($196K guaranteed).
After being released by the Bulls, Payne spent this past season playing in China and then the G-League, just waiting for another call-up to the NBA. Little did he know, that would come from his former assistant head coach, Monty Williams.
“It was huge to Collapse
Cam Payne, Monty Williams reunite with Suns, have ‘close’ relationship
1 DAY AGO - New Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne found the right spot to prove he belongs in the NBA in Expand
1 DAY AGO - New Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne found the right spot to prove he belongs in the NBA in reuniting with his former coach Monty Williams. Collapse
NBA bubble food in Orlando ‘not that bad’ according to Suns’ Williams
1 DAY AGO - The NBA bubble appears to have an issue with getting a certain level of quality food for its teams Expand
1 DAY AGO - The NBA bubble appears to have an issue with getting a certain level of quality food for its teams in Orlando. Monty Williams, though, said it's fine. Collapse
Phoenix Suns plan to experiment in NBA restart with winning main motivation
2 DAYS AGO - Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams talks about experimenting during the NBA restart as they open Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams talks about experimenting during the NBA restart as they open July 31 against Washington at Walt Disney World Resort.
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Backup point guard hunting: The case for overseas star Shane Larkin
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images
EuroLeague MVP Shane Larkin has turned some heads Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images
EuroLeague MVP Shane Larkin has turned some heads overseas, and Phoenix should be one of the first teams to inquire for his services this offseason. The Suns finally have their starting point guard in Ricky Rubio, and we saw the stability he offered by running the offense, getting others involved and taking pressure off Devin Booker.
The revolving door of point guards thankfully went from switching off as spot “starters”, to rotating off the bench. It’s now absolutely vital for Phoenix to bring that same stability to the bench unit that struggled mightily when Rubio and Booker were off the court.
One under-the-radar option that would offer Phoenix a much needed scoring punch and burst of energy off the bench would be 27-year-old former NBA guard Shane Larkin. You might be wondering what he’s been up to these days, and well, he’s just casually breaking scoring records in Europe taking the EuroLeague by storm.
The Best Player in Collapse
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NBA mock draft: Suns pick LaMelo Ball after moving up in 2020 NBA draft lottery simulation
2 HRS AGO - The odds overwhelmingly favor the Suns landing the No. 10 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but one Expand
2 HRS AGO - The odds overwhelmingly favor the Suns landing the No. 10 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but one site's latest projection has them picking much earlier.
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Frank Kaminsky’s career could be riding on how things play out for the Suns in Orlando
8 HRS AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Will a healthy Kaminsky get a chance in the Suns’ Expand
8 HRS AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Will a healthy Kaminsky get a chance in the Suns’ rotation, and can he earn his $5.7 million team option for next season? Many NBA players are getting a surprise second act to finish out the 2019-20 season after they believed injuries had wrested away the end of the year. Many will impact the playoff picture, including Ben Simmons and Jonathan Isaac. Others’ stories are much more personal — the chance to breathe life into a career or get one last chance at winning.
From a Suns perspective, there are several such players, but chief among them is Frank Kaminsky, the former ninth overall pick who tried to fight through knee pain before ultimately sitting out 33 games heading into the NBA hiatus. Playing through what was eventually diagnosed as a stress fracture in his right patella clearly worsened the injury, but Kaminsky was able to recuperate during the hiatus and appears ready to contribute over eight games (and three scrimmages) in Collapse
Phoenix Suns showing excitement in NBA restart preparations
18 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns completed Day 2 of practice Friday at ESPN Wide World of Sports for the NBA Expand
18 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns completed Day 2 of practice Friday at ESPN Wide World of Sports for the NBA restart.
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As Suns players reconnect, Monty Williams wants to ‘listen and learn’ in new Orlando reality
1 DAY AGO - Williams spoke with media after the Suns’ first practice in Orlando on Thursday evening. Expand
1 DAY AGO - Williams spoke with media after the Suns’ first practice in Orlando on Thursday evening. Basketball is a “get-to, not a got-to,” Monty Williams said as he addressed media for the first time from the NBA’s Orlando bubble on Thursday evening. It’s his way of looking at the relative risk and reward of what is certainly a strange endeavor on the part of the league at the Wide World of Sports complex.
The pleasure of competing as one of 400 or 500 of the best basketball players in the world can tether NBAers back to reality, and Williams saw the thrill of getting to be a team again and reconnect, even in the team’s first practice.
“It’s not weird when we get into the gym,” Williams said. “The guys were talking to each other, we’re probably just a bit more aware than we were before as it relates to the virus, but everybody is doing everything they can to stay safe.
“It’s going to take some time to get used to being together again.”
To that end, Williams said he was a bit more tentative in Collapse
Phoenix Suns adapting to Orlando bubble life
1 DAY AGO - Phoenix Suns are navigating their way through the first days of being in the Orlando bubble for Expand
1 DAY AGO - Phoenix Suns are navigating their way through the first days of being in the Orlando bubble for the 2019-20 NBA season resumption at Walt Disney World Resort.
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Suns’ plan weeks in making underway as practice starts at NBA bubble
1 DAY AGO - The Phoenix Suns held their first practice since the NBA season was put on pause in mid-March but Expand
1 DAY AGO - The Phoenix Suns held their first practice since the NBA season was put on pause in mid-March but they wouldn't comment on who was and wasn't there. Collapse
Young & Hungry
1 DAY AGO - The odds are stacked against them, the margin for error is small, but the young Suns are prepared Expand
1 DAY AGO - The odds are stacked against them, the margin for error is small, but the young Suns are prepared for the challenge. The team is coming together with an us-against-the-[Disney]-world mentality as they enter the bubble with one goal: win. Collapse
James Jones: “We want to maximize what we can do in that short window.”
2 DAYS AGO - Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Suns GM James Jones does not expect his team to travel to Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Suns GM James Jones does not expect his team to travel to Orlando and roll over for the opposition. This is an opportunity to grow. The wheels have hit the tarmac. The team (for the most part) is officially in Orlando, Florida. The Phoenix Suns have checked into the Yacht Club Resort, the four walls and roof that they will call “home” for the next month. Players like Deandre Ayton are trying to make it feel like homey as much as possible.
Deandre Ayton pulled up to Orlando with his monitor in hand @BRGaming pic.twitter.com/M9sH9kHYOe— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 8, 2020
Will their stay be a quick stint? Or will they surprise the world and put together a miraculous run to the playoffs? I would say stranger things have happened, but it’s 2020. Nothing has been as strange as this year. So, like the crappy McDonald’s McWorld campaign in 1994, hey, it could happen.
The psychological challenge lies ahead for a team with almost nothing Collapse
Here comes the Tsunami of Kelly Oubre Jr. trade suggestions
2 DAYS AGO - It would be surprising if the Phoenix Suns bit on a Kelly Oubre Jr. trade. But it's going to come Expand
2 DAYS AGO - It would be surprising if the Phoenix Suns bit on a Kelly Oubre Jr. trade. But it's going to come up as the NBA Draft nears soon after the NBA Finals. Collapse
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Safety in a Bubble: Monty describes the precautions provided by the NBA
2 HRS AGO - Suns head coach Monty WIlliams is providing insight to how things are going in the bubble, most Expand
2 HRS AGO - Suns head coach Monty WIlliams is providing insight to how things are going in the bubble, most notably from a safety and security perspective. No matter your occupation, work is weird right now. Whether you are working from home and have to be a part of Zoom meetings or you are working and wearing your mask out in the field, things are noticeably different. Cleaning and sanitation protocols, face covering requirements, and being cognizant of your distance from coworkers are all something that we have never faced.
Each day I arrive at work I have by temperature checked and am asked about COVID-19 symptoms. 6 months ago I would’ve thought you were joking; now I’d think you were joking if I didn’t get checked daily. It is the world we live in.
The NBA is no different.
The players, coaches, and staff members are following strict protocols to ensure their health, well being, and safety. Has it taken a couple days to get used to? Of course. Their arrival in Orlando this past week is the Collapse
Phoenix Suns excited, hungry for NBA restart
17 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric and head coachMonty Williams talk with media after second day of Expand
17 HRS AGO - Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric and head coachMonty Williams talk with media after second day of practice at Walt Disney World Resort.
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Suns’ Monty Williams impressed by NBA bubble after initial skepticism
18 HRS AGO - The safety of 22 NBA teams and others is in the league's hands, and that rightfully had Phoenix Expand
18 HRS AGO - The safety of 22 NBA teams and others is in the league's hands, and that rightfully had Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams a bit hesitant at first. Collapse
Suns Swag: Top 5 under 5
1 DAY AGO - Because anything over 5 doesn’t make sense in 2020. Do you have the necessary funds to purchase Expand
1 DAY AGO - Because anything over 5 doesn’t make sense in 2020. Do you have the necessary funds to purchase ANYTHING game used during the 1993 NBA Finals?
No. No you do not. People with money like that do not read blogs like this written by guys like me. That is the most basic of basic science.
Benjamins are out of the equation. Lincolns may not not be. MAY not be. Who knows these days?
If you are fortunate to have an extra fiver in your coin purse, here is some not totally useless crap on eBay that you could add to your collection.
1. Salem Sportswear Salesman Samples Prototypes Caricature Catalog T Shirt Photos
When I was growing up, I loved stuff like this. You did too. Unless you didn’t, in which case you are probably considerably younger than I am, and have much more life left to live.
From the seller:
“Up for sale is a HUGE selection of Salem Sportswear Caricature T Shirt Samples. These samples are photos that measure 3.5 x 5.5 Inches. These were samples used by Salem Collapse
Phoenix Suns start practice in Orlando
1 DAY AGO - Monty Williams talks about Phoenix's first practice in Expand
1 DAY AGO - Monty Williams talks about Phoenix's first practice in Orlando.
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What experiments Phoenix Suns may try in NBA restart
1 DAY AGO - Monty Williams plans to experiment during Phoenix's eight regular-season "seedings" games. Phoenix Expand
1 DAY AGO - Monty Williams plans to experiment during Phoenix's eight regular-season "seedings" games. Phoenix Suns Insider Duane Rankin has ideas of what they may try.
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Former Suns guard Jamal Crawford can give Nets more than buckets, crossover in NBA restart
2 DAYS AGO - The Arizona Republic confirm through league sources former Phoenix Suns guard Jamal Crawford Expand
2 DAYS AGO - The Arizona Republic confirm through league sources former Phoenix Suns guard Jamal Crawford joining the Brooklyn Nets, who are in the 22-team NBA season resumption in Orlando. Collapse
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