Remembering a friend through the shared love of the Phoenix Suns | PHNX Suns Live Show

Remembering a friend through the shared love of the Phoenix Suns | PHNX Suns Live Show

Al so it came to light earlier today uh on bright side of the sun.com that uh friend of the program uh Dave king passed away over the weekend of brain cancer and Dave obviously was a big part of this show uh without him its previous iteration wouldn’t have existed in the

Solar panel uh seven years ago actually next month uh Dave myself and Tim Tomkins started a little podcast from each of our houses on on Zoom at Saturday morning at 7 amm because I had a newborn in the house uh and spent the next uh four years talking son’s

Basketball uh every morning every Saturday morning with all of you and uh earlier this year at the Suns opener I uh I ran into Dave and you know we were in the media room and I said hi you doing he said I’m doing well ASO and

Kind of went on his business and I didn’t think much of it and we got up upstairs into the media seating and he pulls me in close uh during introductions and Dave and I weren’t Huggers let’s say that but he pulled me in close and I was

Like okay not quite sure what’s going on here and and he said into my ear I’m I’m I’m dying and and uh and he told me he had brain cancer and at first it it didn’t compute and uh and he he kept leaning he goes I don’t want anyone to know please

Don’t tell anyone around here and please don’t react right now uh I I don’t have time for petty grievances in life I just want to watch some good basketball with good friends and and that was the moment I I found out about what was going on with Dave and uh it

Really kind of reminded me about why we’re all here why we do this why you guys watch it’s because it’s a community it’s a chance to forget about some of the troubles and what’s going on and why it’s going on and just enjoy some great basketball and

And some bad basketball at times too but that we could all do it together as a community and it really hit home for me and uh hit hard in particular over the weekend I’m gonna bring in Saul who spent the final year of the solar panel with Dave and I and

Uh we got the opportunity to see Dave last week uh in hospice prior was p Ing and and just let him know that we’re going to continue his legacy and so I know Dave meant a lot to you uh and and to the community what were your your

Thoughts on all this you know it’s it’s it’s rare that you find somebody that is um so kind um complicated I think you know if if you know in the best way in the best way absolutely um uh and very thoughtful yes um and you know an example of that is

You know you know after we left solar panel and we came to do this you know uh you know Dave um wasn’t angry um but he you know he yeah he he he felt like you know maybe we were closing the door on something that maybe he didn’t want the

Door closed on and um he continued with solar panel which was great and um he came into this office about two months ago wanted to sit down with espo and I um and he looked me in the eye and he just said you know I’m sorry and I I

Said for what and he was just like you know I didn’t handle the transition very well you guys should have taken this opportunity it made all the sense in the world for you to take this opportunity and I don’t think I handled it the best way possible

And um and and before he and and just after that he had told me that he he was passing away or that he was he had stage four cancer and um and that he didn’t have time as you said for petty Grievances and that he wanted to to make

The things that he felt like he needed to make right um he needed to take that opportunity to do that and I appreciated that and all I could think of in this in that moment was you’re telling me that you’re dying and you’re still you’re still sorry for how our relationship unfolded and

How you you went about it and that just told me everything I need to know about Dave like he did not have to do that I was just some guy that that we hung hung around with him for about a year I hung around with him for about a year before

Doing this and he certainly didn’t have to take the time to do that but that’s just the kind of guy he is and that meant the world to me and so last week when we had the opportunity to see him in hospice um I’ll never forget that

Because he’s the first friend of mine that I’ve lost and um to sit there and know that he was understanding what we were saying and he squeezed our hand um never forget that yeah I think I’ve I’ve met a guy that had a a bigger heart than Dave brights side night was

Always something that meant so much to him and being able to help uh kids who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to see a son’s game uh I know that that’s what he wanted his legacy to be that was part of why he didn’t tell many people was

Because he wanted didn’t want the focus on him him and in the long run wanted to focus on some of the work that he did and uh as we told him when we saw him last week we’re gonna do everything we can to help support that and keep that

Going uh from the bottom of my heart I want to thank the ishbia family Matt and Justin they put out some very kind words about Dave earlier today through the team I know that they’re gonna and the whole organization is going to work to to honor Dave as well um I also

Think if it’s not if it wasn’t for Dave who knows if this exists if we’re doing this at all because maybe solar panel never starts maybe you know I never meet you and we I don’t jump on solar panel and then we don’t end up doing this and and

To a large degree Dave King was responsible for just about every single single podcast Sons related out there he had his he had his touches on if he didn’t have a touch on the show he touched somebody that had an association with that show um writers writers too

You know was always kind of Gerald helped Kellen get his start you know there’s there’s a lot of people in this community that that aren’t where they are uh if it weren’t for his efforts and I owe a great deaded GR attitude because you know during Co we’re in lockdown

We’re not talking to a lot of people or seeing people and that those Saturday mornings over Zoom getting the opportunity to do that and then the post games during the bubble were some of the things that helped me keep my sanity in in those times and I don’t know how do

You how do you encapsulate 15 years of of knowing somebody you know five of of being very close contact with them on a regular basis I I don’t know that there is a way to encapsulate that but uh the best way to do it is just a smile you know it’s

Hard but you know Dave he he wasn’t about he wasn’t about that he he wanted people to have joy doing what they wanted to do and he tried to do that in many different ways and I thank him to this day for that I’ll always remember him um and I think

His spirit will always live on because one of the things that I think we’ve all taken from this is that these small trivial things just do not matter and we don’t know how much time we have here on this Earth and it’s so ridiculous to to fight over some of

The smallest things you can imagine they’re insignificant the biggest thing is the relationships the friendships the family that you have that you build over the course of your lifetime and how much you mean to them and they mean to you because you built that relationship together and seeing the flood of Twitter

Comments social media comments of all the people that have nothing but the greatest things to say about this man that’s an example of somebody who lived their life to their fullest I will miss you my friend I will think of you every time we

Have a St on the show or anytime I’m at a game in that media row now I appreciate everything you did for me and this entire community and we will help in any way we can to continue your legacy and what you meant so stat me Dave I miss you and I always

Will love you Dude Hi everyone and welcome in to the phnx Suns podcast I’m Lindsay here with flex and Gerald we want to thank Saul and espo for the first segment of our show honoring Dave King and sharing um just some of their memories and moments that they’ve had in the past with Dave I

Think as they mentioned everybody here has had some special moment with Dave King he’s been a part of their lives in some capacity I know Dave was always so kind to me from the day that I started with the Suns up until the last time we

Saw each other he had always been so kind and welcoming and if you ever need anything let me know I got you if you if you need that you need this just let me know yeah when I first came into the media room back in 2015 I had no

Experience covering NBA basketball and there were three people in the media room that were exceptionally welcoming and making me feel comfortable and like I belonged and that was espo Paul cororo and Dave King and Dave and I used to sit next to each other for years at Suns

Games covering the team you know kind of laughing when they started to turn things around at how we had lived through the Dog Days the worst days we were the ogs who had seen it all on media row um and so when I was able to

See him a couple weeks ago he was at a game with his wife um and he was just he was so happy and smiling and I I hadn’t normally like he was a very happy person and a welcoming person but I’d never seen him quite that bubbly and I didn’t

Understand why but he was there just watching as a fan and he was so just proud and happy to be at the game as a fan with his wife and I was able to meet her and and I had met his daughters a few years before that um and I knew that

His family was very important to him so I’m I’m grieving with them I’m grieving the loss of someone who was instrumental and helping build Suns Twitter into the community that it is just the sun’s fandom with Brightside and his brights side nights and the impact that those

Had in in helping fans who might not have the opportunity to go see a Sun’s Game get that opportunity um his impact on this community and on me personally was was very profound and so I I will miss covering games with Dave I will miss his long-winded questions I will

Miss uh the time that he got to ask Kevin antic question at his opening presser and there was a section of suns fans that cheered when his name got announced um he had a lot of fans out there and uh he he will be missed for

Sure yeah this a tough one this is a tough one um I I don’t know if there’s not many people that know this but the first person to ever reach out to me and put me on a podcast was Dave king um and this was me just doing postgame shows

With John Bloom and I remember uh feeling like I was accepted for the first time in this community because he had the right last name like he was the king of son’s podcast he was the king of son’s Twitter he was the king of this son’s community

And I was an outsider from New Jersey who you know didn’t know left and right and I remember him embracing me and putting him putting me on the show giving me that opportunity and I remember building a relationship with him from afar um you know late night Texas during the off

Season hey Flex come on tell me what’s going on like you know and and just having those conversations um we had a relationship from from afar because I was in New Jersey but I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple times and I’ll never forget hugging him at the NBA Finals um

Damn yeah yeah that sucks man yeah um it’s a tough one because Dave was one of those guys who was you know I always say when we talk to people like who want to be in this industry whenever you make it make sure you throw the rope back over because there’s always

Somebody who’s helped you along in your career so make sure you do the same thing and I think Dave was one of those guys who constantly was throwing the Rope back over giving people the platform to get a start in a lot of this um in this space so that they could

Potentially get move on to to bigger and better things and grow their career and get that experience so um you’re not the only one that’s been impacted by Dave that’s for sure it’s love you brother it’s sad because and for me if you are looking to take anything from this or

Are feeling discontent and hurt by this and looking for something to do right now one if you go to Bright Side of the Sun you can donate now to their next bright side night in Lou of flowers the family is asking for people to do that

So you can help in that way and two just remember to tell people that you care about PE colleagues people that you respect in your life what you think of them now because that’s the part that hurts is I don’t know that I ever told

Dave that you know he had this impact on me when I was there that his kindness to me helped me feel welcome feel like I belonged in the sun’s media room that his bright side nights were kind of the first example that you can be an objective journalist and you can still

Find a way to make an impact in your community and help other people um so don’t wait until somebody’s gone to tell them how you feel about them tell them now where they can hear it and you know let people in your life feel that way because Dave did make people feel very

Welcome and appreciated in that way too yeah and um you know kudos to the sons too and Matt hbf for putting out a statement with Dave king um he like you guys we’ve talked about Dave was intricate to the sun’s Community online at the arena from the media center on

Down he was always um in the mix of it all so uh this was a very kind thing of them to do and I know Matt ishp even supported the bright side night when he first joined or first took over the Suns team and I know that meant a lot to um

Dave and like Gerald said if you have the means and the capacity and you would like to donate um just go go on over to Bright Side of the Sun and check that out but as espo mentioned at the top of the show Dave didn’t want to share what

Was going on with his life because he just wanted to enjoy Sons basketball like normal uh Dave loves Suns basketball he loved talking about Suns basketball and in that vein we will also talk about son’s basketball today um we’ll start with a new graphic and details as far as jersey sales across

The NBA this year I am pleasantly surprised every time one of these pops up where Devin Booker sits on this KD is kind of a given I think at this point in his career we know Kevin Durant should be top 10 on these lists all the time

But it’s great to see Devon in here Devon is seventh and KD is eighth anybody surprised by this not necessarily it’s it doesn’t connect with All-Star voting and I know spending 110 130 bucks on a jersey is different than voting someone into the All-Star game but it’s crazy that he’s seven he’s

Ahead of Kevin Durant in Suns jersey sales and we still can’t get him high enough in Allstar voting something the math isn’t mathing for me on that is not mathing it’s not no yeah no um yeah no I mean Devin Devon’s a popular guy and it just this

Tells you the fans this is this is to me one of the more intriguing list that comes out because we constantly talk about how the allstar game is an exhibition game and it’s for the fans right so the main thing is to put the players that the fans want to see and

This list always means a lot when I look at it because it tells me who the fans really want to see who they care about they’re buying these jerseys and so um I wish it a way to make this part of it because I think you get a good snapshot

Of who the fans want in this game more than anything when you look at that list and it’s it’s cool to see Devin and Kevin uh sitting there seven and eight yeah and I hope they’re both there in Indie in a couple weeks you know what kind of surprises me about these lists

Though is that guys like Steph and LeBron Giannis even Luca to an extent maybe not Luca so much but Steph LeBron for sure they’ve been around for so long you would think that everybody already had their jerseys by now like are we just buying like the the new the younger

Kids jerseys is that where it’s coming from like who doesn’t already have a steper LeBron Jersey that is a fan I think it’s the new generation it’s got to be right like it’s the new kids that are just learning basketball and they’re like Dad I want a LeBron Jersey I want a

Steph Jersey just like you know we we all been through the school years right you got Juniors and seniors you move on so I think the new class that’s coming in Young it’s got to be it’s that and the the size of those fan bases like

Being in La being in San Fran like those are massive markets and you’re they’re still two of the most popular players ever but like yeah I think that’s probably why maybe KD is only eight on the list even though he has a massive following because he’s changed teams a

Couple of times so maybe maybe his fans are like man I got like three KD jerseys already I can’t afford another one just yet I gota wait see hello and uh Zach also brought up a good point that I completely spaced on it’s because they keep creating New Jersey that’s true

That makes a lot of sense now that you guys say it out loud I don’t know why I completely didn’t need like not a single thought in this brain about the fact that it’s because there’s new jerseys that’s not how it used to be though it

Didn’t used to be like a New Jersey or three new jerseys every year I will say this growing up uh when I was growing up playing ball and I was in my jersey phase I had literally and I’m I’m not exaggerating when I say this I think I

Have 15 different Allen Iverson jerseys like for real that was my favorite guy growing up and there was so many they made they had a bunch of Throwbacks and different chain so yeah it’s you know they every time they changed it I was I was right in the store give me that Ai

No and that does make a lot of sense because everyone I know who is a jersey person and either wears them on a regular basis or collects them always wants a New Jersey every year it’s like that’s what I want for Christmas that’s what I would like for my birthday please

And thank you so you guys are absolutely right about that one just saying though if we can buy the jerseys we got to get this guy up further up the list on the we definitely need to do that before we dive more into uh the allstar situation

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Save on snacks there’s always coupons on there so take advantage of that and download the app today terms and conditions apply at participating locations visit Circle k.com for details so the math clearly isn’t mathing when it comes to the amount of Jersey sales book has to the amount of votes that he

Got in the All-Star game um I’m gonna call it a conspiracy I’m GNA go with that even though that’s probably not the truth I’m rolling with it the league is is keeping boo down because they’re haters just like Charles Barkley um go ahead I know I know setting you up for

Phil you you’re like you’re an idiot please stop I know I you know how I feel about conspiracy theories but low key I feel like it’s just the fact that you have to sign up and like register to vote for an Allstar that’s what it is that’s exactly what it is apparently

We’re the lazier fan base that doesn’t want to do it but it is what it is I mean listen as much as I would like to say we need to be better I also fully understand because I I am one of those people that’s like wait you want my

Register yeah I don’t want to do this cuz you uncheck the box to say I don’t want to get your email but going getem and then you unsubscribe from the emails and you still get said emails and you’re like what are we doing what are we doing

Here that should be illegal I I agree come on I mean I will say this you gotta you want to talk conspiracy theories oh no no I just want I just want to throw this out there just want to throw this out there you got the 24th signature

Athlete in Nike history you got a prime time sponsor in Nike with the NBA and there’s an allstar game in a couple weeks with a new pair you know shiny new pair of book ones that are coming out so I mean if I were Nike yeah

Right and I was yeah I’d be I’d be like hey man perfect opportunity get some dbook commercials out there some some chapter ones out there and and to add on to that if I were the NBA a and one of my good friends was Nike I would want to

Make sure that they’re just as successful as I am that’s right with our endeavors that’s right because so what are you thinking like a campaign or just having Nike employees straight up log in and start voting for what do we what are we gun for listen if there’s one thing

We know Nike’s gonna do it’s going to be fumble whatever they’re supposed to do over all start weekend so I don’t think they’re going to do it all I’m saying is Nike has completely botched this shoe release the least they can do is make sure book get into the allar game

Right that’s all I’m saying not that he needs Nike to be that person because he clearly deserves it and we’re going to go through that here as well but in the event that somebody pulls a dummy card or whatever and they leave him off their

Ballot Nike needs to be like no no no that was typo that’s Devon’s name there not so and so’s name there fix that please and thank you I mean he deserves it for sure yes but but it it would make a lot of business sense to capitalize on

This opportunity if I were Nike so hey we’ll see what happens on Thursday fingers cross yeah so Thursday is when we will find out um about the reserves for the All-Star game so two guards three front Court players and two wild cards um on the east side of things the

Starters are Joel embi Jason Tatum Tyrese halberton and Damen Lillard on the west side of things it’s Kevin Durant Nicole yic Luka donic and sheay Gil just Alexander how are you guys feeling conspiracy theories aside like legitimately here now um the fun is over how are you feeling about books odds of

Actually um being in this year’s All-Star game he should 1,00% be in yeah it’s I think he’s got a better shot than he has in recent Seasons but I still thought in those recent Seasons he absolutely should have been in and he wasn’t and had to wait to be an injury

Replacement or just missed the All-Star Game altogether so I mean Flex let let’s get your opinion before we run through who he’s probably gonna have to be competing against for one of those last few spots yeah I mean 100% I mean he’s I I don’t think he should even be on the

Bubble I I think he should be one of the guys that has nothing to worry about going into Thursday night I think the coaches should if the coaches do their job Devin gets in no problem um I do see that you know there’s an argument for

Other players did you know you I know you’re going to get into the names but you got got guys like dearon Fox you got the Kyrie Irving of the world you got the Paul George’s I mean it’s an argument to be made for all of them but

I I just think what book is doing if you’re looking at the game of basketball right now and you don’t think that guy is an NBA Allstar with the efficiency and what he’s doing statistically and now that the team is actually playing better and and in Striking Distance to move up to

Standings this is one of those years where I think if you snub book this year it’s it’s a Monumental set there’s an agenda or something gota be but it is so the head coaches vote on the All-Star reserves and that voting I’m pretty sure has already been done we were unable to

Figure out when exactly those votes need to be in by from the All-Star coaches which makes a difference considering the terror that Devon Booker has been on over the last two weeks um so hopefully it was you know this past week or this week even but like let let’s run through

The potential options in those first two guard slots we can we’ll get into some of the rest but pretty safe to say Steph Curry’s going to be a lock because he’s Steph Curry even though as we go through these list of guards when you look at the

Numbers and the team record Curry should probably be the guy that doesn’t make the allstar game this year but he will never miss the All-Star but that’s the hard part about allar is like at one point in time you have to honor the guys who’ve been doing it for so long right

But then there comes that time where it’s like okay yeah you were really freaking awesome for a long time but you are now on the downward yes curve here I I’ll never forget at some point in time we have to be like this is your last one we got to put you out

All do your last dance whatever it may be because next year we need to make space for some new guys who are going to be the future faces of this league they did that one year with I think it was the last year that Dirk and Dwayne Wade

Were going to be playing in the league they gave him like an extra honorary allar spot I kind of like that because back in 2013 I think it was when Goran dragic was having the best season of his career was all NBA missed the All-Star game because we decided to vote Tony

Parker into the All-Star game that was crazy to me um but I yeah Steph Curry’s kind of especially this season I think he he still got a lot left in the tank we’re not saying he’s Washed by any means but if you look at the numbers and

If you look at the team record they’re 19 and 24 they’re 12th in the west like normally a guy with his numbers compared to the other guy would be the one left out but he’s Steph Curry so he’s not going anywhere Anthony Edwards He’s a lock averaging 26 points a game five and

Five um on the best team in the west right now 33 and 14 he’s definitely in and he’s a guy that everybody loves so he’s those two guard spots are locked down I just got a question by Anthony before I’m sorry I didn’t want to cut the Anthony Edwards thing is intriguing

I love your opin on this is it the 265 and five or is it that they’re top of the West it’s both it’s he’s the best player on the best team in the west you’re not gonna leave him off no no no and I I I think he’s in I I’m just

Wondering if he were doing 255 and five and they were 11th oh yeah well it would be different team success definitely plays in but 255 and five you would still be in content because like if it was Booker we’ve argued for book to be in the allstar game when he was

255 on like you know a 13th ranked team so yeah it’s it’s all of those factors kind of lumped into one but yes being on the number one team in the west being the best player on that team you’re definitely an Allstar then we get to the

Three front Court spots I’ve got Anthony Davis Damonte sabonis and kawh Leonard in there yeah Clippers have been on a tear kawh is their best player damont sabonis is putting up 2013 and eight he’s top he’s leading the league in rebounds and Ninth in assists as a big

Man he’s in then Kings need an All-Star at least one um and then Anthony Davis arguably having a better season than LeBron who’s a starter it feels weird putting the Lakers with two Allstars when they’re not that good I think they’re 500 but Anthony Davis is GNA get

In he’s and he deserves it like he’s been phenomenal on both ends so that leaves you with two wild card spots I think all those five guys are probably locks that leaves you with two wild card spots that could go to any position I’ve got book in one of those he’s fifth in

The league in scoring at 28 points per game I think that really help helps his case to be able to say book is a top five scorer and then he’s also putting up seven assists which is 12th in the NBA um and he’s doing it on 50 38

Shooting splits like career I pretty close to a career high for him from three and the sun’s climbing to six in the west really helps his case I think he’s got it but he’s G to be competing with Paul George and dearen fox for probably that those last two wild card

Spots yeah so we’ll go ahead and put up what the guy over uh NBA on TNT had to say about their West reserves and that’s kind of where so they all have Paul George in there yes in the front Court spot and then for their two wild card

Spots they’ve got book sabonis and dear and fox are the three names that were tossed in there so from the conversation of let’s just say Paul George book sabonis dearon Fox who are you guys kind of what are you leaning to outside of book of course outside of book or why

Would you make the case for book over one of the others like for me book over dear and fox simply because the games Miss argument I don’t think is as valid as a lot of people want to say because it’s two games books miss Nine Daren fox

Has missed seven when you look at the stats book is better than him in every single one of them except for Darren fox has the slight Edge over him in three point percentage five% like the slightest of edges now I understand that the Kings at least have been doing better than the

Suns at times this season but I still think you got to give it to book over Fox that’s my personal opinion I I think so like he’s got him in points per game assists per game team record the kings are above the Suns but it’s by like one

Game and it’s not as drastic now as it was maybe three weeks ago or whatever it was so I would give the edge to Paul George and Devon Booker in those last two slots I think the clip ERS deserve two All Stars especially because Paul George and kawhai have stayed healthy

It’s Fox is a tough Omission don’t get me wrong because he’s still putting up 275 and four something like that on a top five team in the west that’s hard to leave him off I get it but like Devon Booker is Devon Booker at this point he

Needs to be in the All-Star Game he’s got the numbers got the team success the team is significantly worse in the games that he’s missed like the dudes in allar yeah you here’s my problem is that and and forgive me if I go on a little bit of a

Rant with this but my problem is we just talked about why a guy like Steph Curry gets in when his team is six five six games under 500 he’s Steph Curry he’s earned the right to not have to be judged based on his record anymore he’s

Steph Curry he’s one of the best in the world he’s still got a lot of basketball left so I got no problem with Steph getting in um at what point are we going to start recognizing what Deon is already done M at what point are we going to start recognizing how many

All-Star games he’s actually made at what point are we going to start recognizing that of the people we’re talking about he was first team all NBA most recently right to went to an NBA Finals did multiple things that I think are starting to get kind of B like it’s

Getting it’s getting old to have selective Amnesia with Devin Booker like he’s been doing it for long enough and to me he gets to nod over dearion Fox because of all things we said he’s been to an NBA Finals he’s carried his team farther he’s an all NBA Talent he’s an

Olympic gold medalist like what do we talking about like Devin I I know people still look at Devon as a young player but I’m saying for the time he’s been in the league he’s done a hell of a lot more than some of the guys that sometimes get these nods and I think

That’s we gotta we got to get to the point where Devon’s not we shouldn’t be having bubble talk with Devon anymore like he’s just that good of a basketball player and so yeah I I think dearion should get bumped he has All-Star numbers but until dearion does something like what I just

Mentioned I mean what are we talking about and and it’s tough because next it’s tough because I feel like we’re at the point in the league where either the all-star rosters need to expand because of the talent that we have in this league compared to at any point in NBA

History or we need to stop doing the thing where guys get in on reputation or like past accomplishments and just focus on this season because book is at the point where he deserves to get in just for this season if you look at just his accomplishments and he deserves to

Get get in by like you’re talking about by building what he’s built over these last couple years building this profile of yes that guy is a certified Allstar like some of these other guys um so either way you want to judge it book deserves to be in but with as much

Talent as there is in the NBA like we’ve either got to expand the rosters to 15 or we’ve got to just focus on this season and nothing else and and that’s impossible to do though it’s impossible because most of it is fan voting yeah and and that’s the thing is like the fan

Votes Booker is way down in like ninth or whatever it is but in the media votes he was fifth in the player votes he was Fifth and the head coaches regard him highly as well because they they’re the ones that got a game plan for this dude

Every time they face him correct so I gotta believe that is GNA hold some bearing when we get these head coaches votes and hopefully we don’t have to have another situation where book only gets in as some injury replacement when he’s fully deserving of an actual spot

How many spots on the NBA roster right now active 15 yeah yeah I I mean I’ve been I’ve been actually saying this for a couple years I’m like we have a 15 man roster in the NBA now we’re not at 12 anymore yeah we’re at 15 I I just don’t

Understand why the allstar game hasn’t picked up on that and said okay we’re going to that solves a lot of problems for me G I think if you do 15 you you’re going to get 15 really good players and then you know we’re not gonna when you

Get to that 16th and 17th guy you already know what I’m gonna say it’s like yo bro you’re 16 17 like stop tripping right but yeah I mean I think in a world where they added three more spots on each side then you get dearion Fox you get Paul George and you get

Devon Booker problem solved I mean so I don’t know what what they’re waiting for but I think that’s the that’s the Quick Fix You that or it would be nice if there was some sort of like I know it’s already kind of a weighted vote as far as fans are what 25% 25%

25% media 25 and then players 25 okay yeah um I don’t know if maybe there’s like another way that you can make that a little bit better or or if the voting can be split not necessarily on the fan side of things but where you can look at team record versus individual performance

Because there’s so many comments in the chat about the team record versus individual performance like even you pointed out the Lakers having two but their team record isn’t that great this year Steph team record-wise and then you look at Deen fox or Damon sabonis and the and book and you’re like but the

Kings have the edge over the Suns and we’re like how how do you really like fairly judge yeah these two things you know what I mean it’s like a weird combination of power popularity individual stats team success like it’s all of these things lumped into one and some people weigh it

Differently than others and that’s it’s you’re never going to have perfect system to evaluate and I think the goal post mve so much ly I mean there was a time where Devin couldn’t make the All-Star game because he had a poor record right and then there was a time

Where he was still getting being an injury replacement when he had the numbers and the team had a good record so it was like it it constantly moves and I think that’s what drives the fans crazy is that you you can’t shift the goal post every season um how do you

Come to that conclusion of making it consistent yeah I don’t know I mean is it what’s the voting again is it 50 25 25 50 fan 25 media 25 players but that’s just for the starters that’s for the Stars res when reses is he coaches okay

Yeah um yeah I mean I I think maybe that’s just the work around right there is the coaching stuff yeah I mean I’d love to get to a place where it’s all equal at 25 if you can do players coaches media and fans all 25

Across the board um that to me makes the most sense but again I think the NBA wants the fans to have that feeling that they have a little bit more control right over things so they always GNA the yeah I mean they cutting the checks yeah they cutting the checks so it’s never

Going to be an exact and I will say as much as I hate the fan vote at least they reserve it for the starters cuz the starters most times are pretty cut and dry like you know who deserves to start even if LeBron doesn’t deserve to start

This year he’s still LeBron James so in some sense he deserves to start the only egregious example was when Andrew Wiggins got voted in starter ter that was awful but other than that you remember the Z pulia days okay but that was that he didn’t get there though he

Almost got there he almost got there but he didn’t get there he was close he had the whole was it Georgia na of Georgia behind him and I remember also like see I would rather that and that was the year where he like smacked his hip like

Ride the pony that I mean that was funny like he went viral for that so you love an Underdog Story I remember there was a year I think four Atlanta Hawks got in do you remember that yes cuz they CU trash and they were like 60 wins right

They were the the East was trash and they happened to be number one in the east at the allstar break and full Atlanta the Hawks got in but they weren’t starters thankfully they weren’t starters but yeah it’s like come on guys even even then I was I was mind blown G

I was like yo four for I mean I I can’t remember it’s way back but I think maybe one of them was actually worthy or maybe I think it was Al Horford and Jeff Teague Paul okay there you go there you go so yeah all right uh last thing on this

Topic we do have a little bit of a bone to pick with our guy Charles Barkley goodness gracious cuz he left book off his list the graphic we showed a little bit earlier um but we’re not the only ones who disagreed with him here’s a snippet of the conversation between the

TNT guys and Booker’s only missed nine games out of the 44 it’s not like a double digit thing we have a couple of guys on here whove missed 15 14 games that I couldn’t they didn’t put on they didn’t make my list I just said hey you missed 10 games I I

And that’s only reason I love Deon book he missed not so he’s obviously you don’t love him yeah I I think I mean he’s too good a player to not allar he definitely he was definitely considered not allar cut it allar he’s an Allstar without I say that was a tough

Call I absolutely love Shaq in this one Charles Barkley will be here like I love doin Booker and Shaq’s like well obviously you don’t yeah call him out Shaq do it yeah yeah I mean like you said the difference between nine games missed for book and what is it seven for

Fox not that great Tyrese hurn has missed 13 and I know it’s like a voting thing but still like again at what point are we nitpicking to the nth degree here yeah like two extra games is what what we’re going with what about the stats in

His defense it’s close I I would still obviously take Booker over fox or sabonis I the Kings need to have one Allstar I think squeezing in both of them if that happens book is probably in trouble but like there’s a lot of guys that are that have cases but aren’t

Going to seriously be cons like Rudy goar because let’s be honest defense is not something we care about in the All-Star game I don’t want to see him in the All-Star game but he is the second best player this season on the number one team in the west he’s got a case you

Know you could talk about Lori marinan you could talk about like cat you could talk about a bunch of different guys but at the end of the day I think it’s going to come down to Fox Paul George and Deon Booker for those last two spots you know

What Lind and and I I’m I was thinking I was thinking about this the other day and I can’t help but think this is part of the media machine that I I’m I wasn’t offended when I saw that I laughed at it I said there we go it’s not it’s not

Entertaining if they all pick the same dude that’s true you know Charles is that guy that stirs things up and that’s why he’s making $20 million a year at TNT and uh Charles is the one that’ll be cool being the odd ball saying yeah I’m going against my guy in Phoenix who I

Play golf with Devon Booker right so I mean that’s just it I I I think this is a this is just a machine that is Charles Barkley and uh I I think it was good for TV and good that we’re talking about it but I think I’m telling you if you give

Charles Barkley TR serum I don’t think he believes one damn word that came out of his mouth that day I I hope so because but here’s the thing while I understand exactly what you’re saying and I do agree that you have to have some sort of a because you have to have

Some difference of opinion because if they did put up the exact same graphic as all four of them had the exact same picks it’s like okay cool moving on you know what I mean but at some point in time it’s got to be somebody not named

Charles barley when it comes to the sun specifically because it’s getting to the point where even if it is for the reasons that you stated it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming too often that it feels like he’s salty towards the next generation of Phoenix Sons that’s the problem is that it’s

Teetering on old man yells at Sky it it might be the KD effect a little bit there it might be honestly I don’t know that he puts a ton of thought into these No but somebody somebody in his Corner somebody at TNT should maybe tell him

Like hey why don’t we have somebody else be the the son’s hater for a few years or for at least this one time why does it always have to be you again I don’t know if this is an instance of him hating but yes I think there have been a

Lot of instances that when they pile up on top of each other you’re like what’s your problem man why do you hate us somebody else yeah but and I did want to clarify in the chat when I was talking about book and Anthony Edwards I wasn’t talking about like deserving versus each

Other I was talking more about what’s going to happen like Anthony Edwards is a lock because if you look at where he was in fan voting if you look at where the Timberwolves are in the standings if you look at his numbers like he’s a lock

For one of those guard spots so that’s what I was speaking to yeah I I agree too when I asked you about Anthony Edwards it was more about the agenda of people moving to Gold post right but in no way shape or form do I think Anthony Edwards is a clearcut superstar that

Needs to be in this game for a long time and so yeah he’s well deserving and when you when you’re that high in the in the conference uh you need to be in there so yeah and one one person in the chat yo don’t talk to me about James Harden

Please don’t don’t throw James I don’t know where you are you were in there but yeah James ha’s not an allar you having 16 points a game not allar he’s been great and the Clippers have been great since they’ve turned things around with his arrival but three Clippers is a lot

I think it’s pretty safe to say he’s not going to be in that there yeah I don’t know but I think the B MGM sports book app should do an over under at the beginning it’s like the Futures bets um Charles Barkley Jabs Phoenix Suns and I

And I think we should have that what would you guys think it would be said per episode oh just for the whole season oh boy well how many games do they do 82 82 manying how many Jabs Charles Barkley Tak I I say I say

20.5 oh I’m going way over I’m going way over yeah I’m gonna say I’m gonna say plus 50 easily he throws Jabs at the sons and then follows up by saying my sons my sons I’m like you can’t call them my sons and then rip them to sh what would be Chuck’s biggest

Hating team though is it San Antonio that’s his biggest hating City I think yeah yeah but that’s two totally different things City hating I actually think his biggest hating team is the son I I think so it might be I’m sure there’s multiple fan bases that feel regularly disrespected by Chuck it might

Just be because that’s how Chuck is he’s he’s just he’s just a little sassy I don’t know but our friends over at bmgm need to make that happen because I would absolutely put some money down on that and right now if you guys sign up for

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Casino and Hotel visit bgm.com for terms this promotional offer is not available in New York Ontario or Puerto Rico Flex what are you doing for dinner tonight y’all tricking me yall tricking me I don’t know how to answer that no I’m generally asking what you pork chops

Pork chops white rice pork chops beans but I no this is going sowhere we going if you don’t because I know you live way far away so if you don’t want to drive all the way home and maybe just take a shorter trip to Temp you can go to

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To lunch at illegal pizza every Tuesday and enjoy buy one get one free Entre so we’ve already missed lunch for this Tuesday but next Tuesday if you work in healthcare or education go get that deal and of course they have happy hour every day 3: to 800 PM that’s a long happy

Hour we love that we love a long happy hour I got to go there go absolutely I mean it’s your goatee spot for burritos buddies and beers so what are you missing out on all the good stuff Lex we’ll I have a bone to pick with you

About tacos but we’ll do that off the show okay so that they they don’t they don’t need to see that they don’t need to see that okay um but it makes me need an OG’s that’s for certain like is it that drastic it’s that drastic it’s so

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Guys can check them out and learn more about OG’s and their gummies and where you can find them at OG’s brands.com all right guys we’re going to round out Today’s Show talking about the Suns bench and their contributions as of L obviously last night was a big

Performance for them they had a season High 48 bench points and EG led the way with 23 of them how are you feeling about where the sun’s bench is at because I know it doesn’t seem like it was too long ago that we were talking about bench points and needing a little

Bit more from those guys yeah I mean I like what I saw yesterday today um but it was the highest bench performance All Season M and so I I I still don’t know if that’s uh something we can depend on quite yet um I’d like to see how they

Respond tomorrow but the problem is Eric gor’s probably not GNA be on the bench tomorrow he’ll probably be a starter and so that’s going to sway those points and I think to Saul’s point and and we talked about I think even you mentioned it on the post game I think we got to

Start getting to the point where you got the big three they get a specific amount of points whether that’s 65 or 70 points and then you got to try to get 35 40 points from everybody else um but I I did like what I saw yesterday and if

That can continue wow but you know fingers cross okay but that is the question like what are the odds that that came to and be semic consistent not the scoring part the scoring part like Eric Gordon’s not going to have 23 Point performances Off the Bench Drew EU Banks

Is not going to be like perfect from the field most nights but they have been trending in a better Direction I feel like like we we pay attention to things like is Josh aogi hitting threes or you know is Eric Gordon going off but in reality they don’t need the bench to

Score that much they need Eric Gordon to maybe have double figures Off the Bench that would be a huge help they need J to do the little things and just finish some of the layups that he gets because my biggest thing with J is he’ll get steals he’ll get offensive rebounds and

Then he’ll go to the basket and he’ll miss some that are tough athletic finishes around the rim but ones you have to finish that’s my biggest thing with him and then if you get you know three to five points from guys like kbd or metu or whoever’s in on that given

Night like you’re in a good spot especially on the nights when Gordon does go off like he did the other night um but I do want to shout out Gordon and Drew Eubanks because over these last couple games they’ve been really good Drew Eubanks over the last six is

Putting up 6.3 points 4.7 rebounds in 18 minutes per game doesn’t sound like much but he is 17 for 18 from the field over his last six games he’s missed one shot 17 of 18 over the last six over the last six games and he is a plus he’s a plus

42 and 109 minutes which is second on the team over that span so like Dre EU Banks has been coming in and giving us solid minutes not always you know big minutes a couple of those games he only played you know like eight or 11 or

Whatever it is but if he’s efficient if he can be on the floor and be a plus for you that’s all you need out of your backup center this is this is the version of Drew Eubanks that we tampered for and lost the second round pick this

Is the one that we want to see and then Eric Gordon over the last three 15 points per game he’s 17 for 31 which is about 55% and he’s shooting 40% from three okay that’s terrific that’s what you want out of your six man yeah I mean

I I didn’t know Drew only missed one shot in six games I realize that either good for dusi B when was the kurer fuffle when was I don’t remember it at this uh that was yeah that was against the Bulls was that that was started it or

Did it come before that no I think it was the Pacers game okay okay yeah who’ he missed the shot against which shot he missed one shot the shot that he missed one miss what game was that I would need to look all don’t worry about it I’ll

Look at it later I’m now I got to dig that up because this guy that’s pretty impressive but no I mean to Gerald’s point he’s given us what we’re asking of from the backup center position um again with with with Grayson potentially being out and Gordon potentially going to the

Front of the line now to start lineup uh who’s going to be that guy like that’s what we’re looking for I’m more interested in the kbds the chi metus like what are those guys going to bring to the table especially short-handed so um I go ahead that’s the question right

Like we’re we got trade deadline just around the corner everybody is dropping a different name in the chat and has for some time now what happened to youah why isn’t met met to get this what’s going on with little who do you think who do you think needs a little bit more run

Ahead of the trade deadline either to maybe find a role within this squad or let the coaching staff in front office know that like this guy just isn’t it I think it’s kbd to be honest with you and I would like to see some UDA minutes mixed in as well just to see

If he can get something going but UDA has really not looked good for the most part and to be fair to him early in the season he didn’t have the luxury of playing with the big three and I think he’s one of those guys that would really

Benefit with the open looks he’d get but he wasn’t making a ton of open looks so I think that’s why he got pulled and when he’s been put in sporadically he hasn’t been able to show much but I do think kbd his defense is gonna allow him

To be a part of the playoff rotation because if he just knocks down like one three a game and pump fake drive a couple of times for a layup we’ve seen him do that in spurts and I think that’s something he’s a guy that you probably

Want to reach your ceiling you want him to be part of the rotation I I agree with you with kbd and it’s funny when we were watching that game against Miami yesterday he hit his first three from the corner and I immediately looked at my son and I’m saying uh we’re gonna win

Tonight no you know what I’m saying it’s one of those things like yeah we winning tonight I don’t know if that’s encouraging that he’s like the human Victory Cigar like hey kbd hit a three we can’t lose the same way about when Josh shakobe hits a three a three yeah

Because I know what you I know feeling yes 100% because this team is so Dynamic offensively whenever they get anything from kbd or or or Ki yeah I mean it really stands out and so I’m interested to look at what their son’s record is when kbd actually hits the three in the

Game you know um because you know it’s they they’re vital and it doesn’t need to be much G like it could be six points that goes a long way if if it’s a couple of them chipping in five six points so yeah uh I would like to see more kbd

Before the deadline okay well we will potentially get an opportunity to see more of some of these guys tomorrow we did get an injury update Bradley Beal is available for tomorrow’s game but who is questionable so B has been upgraded to questionable with the right foot spring

Question watch out and then we have uh Grayson Allen who is also questionable with the right ankle spring that’s that’s encourag that is encouraging yeah so hopefully it’s not one of those that’s questionable for like three straight games and it misses but the fact that he’s not already ruled out is

A hopeful sign yeah so we’ll see if Grayson Allen plays tomorrow or if buo plays tomorrow um but it’ll be one of those things to keep an eye out on and we will be here for you guys uh before we get out of here we do have a super

Chat that we want to get to Freddy thank you Freddy for sending us a Super Chat they said Rest in paradise Dave king um also I do want to remind you guys that tomorrow we are having a watch party out at the bad MGM sports book at he uh

State Farm Stadium come hang out with us we’ll be hanging out um before the game tips off we’ll have our pregame show out there and then we will also do our postgame show from out there as well but there will be food and drinks specials giveaways and a mystery deposit match in

The bmgm Sportsbook app as well so it’s always a good time we get to hang out out there so come on by hang out with us watch the Suns with us it was the blast uh at the putting World sure this one will be just as fun okay thanks for

Hanging out with us we’ll see you guys tomorrow for our pregame show 30 minutes before tip off and until then you can give the show a follow on social at phnx corons you can follow me at linday Smith a you can follow Flex at Flex from Jersey and of course you can follow

Gerald Gerald BG Gerald like I said off the top of the show go donate to Bright Side night if you can and tell the people that you care about that you love them rest in peace Dave we all sitting like the mayor

The Phoenix Suns media and community lost a legend this weekend with the passing of Dave King. Dave loved the Suns with a passion and today on the PHNX Suns Podcast we’ll share some of our thoughts and feelings about Dave and discuss his favorite basketball team, the Suns. We’ll also discuss Devin Booker and the 2024 NBA All-Star game, the Suns bench unit and more! Join us for the latest around the team and don’t forget to follow the show on social @PHNX_Suns.

0:00 Intro
0:30 Honoring Dave King’s legacy
18:30 Kevin Durant & Devin Booker in top 10 jersey sales
24:00 Things are not adding up with lack of Devin Booker all-star love, he should be a reserve without a doubt.
53:00 Checking in on the Suns bench squad

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