While it’s common for NBA players who changed teams in the offseason to talk in the fall about how much they’re enjoying their new homes, Suns power forward Frank Kaminsky is particularly enthusiastic about his assessment of Phoenix so far, as Bob Young of The Athletic relays. The former No. 9 overall pick signed a two-year contract with the Suns in July after falling out of the rotation in Charlotte for much of the 2018/19 season.
“I can’t tell you how much different I feel just being here,” Kaminsky said. “I’m just so happy. It’s been a great transition, something I was kind of prepared for, something I really wanted to do, just to get a new opportunity, get a fresh start.”
While other newly-added veterans like Ricky Rubio and Aron Baynes figure to play important roles for the Suns in 2019/20, Kaminsky could be the team’s X-factor, according to Young, who points to the big man’s lottery pedigree as a reason for optimism. For his part, Kaminsky isn’t expecting a starring role, but believes he’s improving on defense and can be a reliable contributor.
“I just want to come in and have a role with this team. I’m not demanding anything,” Kaminsky said. “I know things go up and things go down, and it’s not always going to be perfect. But I will try to make the right plays.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- In a Q&A with Wosny Lambre of The Athletic, Danny Green discussed the Lakers‘ chemistry, his potential role this season, and why he decided to sign with the club as a free agent. “It’s the best city to thrive in career-wise. Continue to still win, have fun, and live your best type of lifestyle,” Green said. “And also was able to maximize on the contract. Signing with the Los Angeles Lakers covered all the bases for me.”
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Bobby Marks (Insider link) unveiled their annual “future power rankings” for NBA teams today, and the Clippers earned the No. 1 spot on that list after placing 21st a year ago. It’s the largest single-year jump in the decade-long history of the rankings, Pelton writes.
- Richaun Holmes is the sort of role player the Kings needed to add to complement their up-and-coming young stars, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Jones suggests that Holmes could be one of the team’s most important acquisitions of the summer since the big man knows his job is to be a “rim-runner, rim protector and energy man,” and won’t try to do more than that.
I can’t believe power rankings have only been a thing for 10 years. Feels like way longer.
Future Power Rankings, the next three years. I can believe it’s only 10 years old.
I don’t know why they were rated so low before last season.
They finished 42-40 two seasons ago, although they didn’t really have any star players like they do now. But a lot of their top players have had durability issues throughout their careers (like Kawhi, Paul George, and Patrick Beverley), so expectations should be tempered this season.
I wonder if they were rated low because they lost Chris Paul and Blake Griffin via trades and went young and rebuilt? Plus, then deAndre Jordan left.
21 to 1 does feel overcompensating. But a 3-years-out list will always be making an error somewhere! Not researching it.
Chris Paul was traded back in the summer of 2017. But they did trade Blake later during the 2017-18 season before Jordan left in free agency last summer. But are any of those three players really that good anymore? Even when they were together you could hardly call them an actual Big 3, they were constant underachievers.
Hornets had a roster loaded with players they would have liked to trade but only mentioned Kaminski openly, so if the Suns only avoid that, Kams will feel better in Phoenix.