At the end of each season in professional sports, players and coaches will go in and meet with their bosses – most traditionally a general manager, for example – and discuss the past season, what to work on in the off-season, and other preparations for the following season.

I am not a general manager, nor am I worthy of holding any exit interview in professional sports. But I thought it would be a good idea to have exit interviews with some of the more prominent names within the #SunsTwitter community.

I am very grateful to the six I chose and that were willing to help out with this idea. All of them won Sunny awards, by the way (via @AZSportsZone). They are @_anthonynash, @ImPatBurke, @KrisHansonRCF, @ScottHoward42, @sreekyshooter, and @Suns_Reddit as well as my own (@bydamonallred) final takeaways. So without further ado…

How did the season compare with your initial expectations?

I’m pretty sure I was one of the very optimistic ones heading into this season, so it was definitely below expectations. Especially when it comes to roster makeup, I was almost certain the team would have figured out it’s PG problems by now, and I thought the older guys like Ariza/Anderson were going to be really helpful.

You mentioned Ariza. If you were in his shoes, how long would it have taken you to become disinterested in playing on this team and mentally check out?

I think the slump he was going through made it easier for him to check out but, it genuinely seemed like he was done by the first week or so. Ideally, I would have liked to see him at least try more.

Did you know at that point that it would be another long season?

They had a pretty rough start to the year, schedule wise, so I figured it wouldn’t be that incredible of a year. But yeah, right around November is when I realized they would probably be pretty bad again.

If you had to put the blame on one figure not named Robert Sarver, who would it be?

Whatever amalgamation is running the front office.

What was the best on-court moment of the season?

Probably the entire Lakers game. Basically eliminating them from the playoffs was hilarious.

On the other side of the coin, what was the darkest moment in your eyes for #SunsTwitter as a community?

Probably right after they started losing after that stretch where they won 4 out of 5 [starting with the Laker game].

How much credence did you give to each of the winning stretches?

I thought the first one was the start of something, but I wasn’t too hopeful about the second one.

How do you see Oubre’s role going forward including whether he stays or goes?

I honestly don’t know what to make of Oubre just yet. He obviously is doing a good job of trying to change the culture and had a mini career year in Phoenix, but I’m unsure how he’d do going forward.

Are there any things you would change about the people on #SunsTwitter as a whole?

Nope. I understand where every section of people is coming from. Everyone just wants the team to be good, and it can definitely get a little annoying when they aren’t. As long as you realize everyone is basically as frustrated as you, it makes discussing stuff a lot easier.

Is there anyone you’re extra passionate about the Suns retaining or acquiring this summer?

I just hope they actually do something to finally address the serious lack of PG. I wouldn’t say I’m passionate about any one player, since one guy isn’t necessarily going to help the team.

How did the season compare with your initial expectations?

I really thought this would be a season of improvement for the Suns. They just drafted Ayton at #1, they drafted a more NBA-ready rookie with Bridges, they signed Ariza, a solid vet, and it seemed like Ryan Anderson was a clear upgrade at PF over Bender and Chriss. Plus Igor felt like a smart hire, Jackson was coming off of his really good second half to his rookie season, and Booker was another year older. Additionally, I wasn’t expecting Warren to become an elite 3-point shooter, but he became one! I was fully expecting the Suns to win at least 20 games. 25 games felt safe. I was anywhere in the 25-35 win range going into the season but given all the individual successes between Booker, Ayton, Oubre, Warren, and Bridges, I would assume they’d get to 30+ wins. Clearly the lack of a good PG, PF, and bench dramatically held them back. I wasn’t expecting the Suns to wait until February to trade for someone who isn’t really even a point guard but sorta qualifies. And Bender is still their only PF. It’s been a disaster that was substantially worse than I could’ve really imagined.

Do you think there was anything that could’ve been done last summer to help hit that 20-win benchmark?

I have no clue what moves were ever available to the Suns, but I wouldn’t have used the majority of their cap space on a SF, especially one like Ariza. I wouldn’t have added 5 rookies. I don’t think I would’ve added beyond 2 rookies. And the only way I’m hiring Igor is if I plan to draft Doncic. That’s still just a baffling decision to me. I understand drafting Ayton #1 but hiring Igor before doesn’t make sense. I probably would’ve made sure to trade for a PG before the season at all costs. You can risk making a poor trade but I’m not sure how this season helped anyone’s development either. Sometimes panic trades are more beneficial than letting your players win less than 24 games for 4 straight years.

Would you have still made the Bridges for 2018 #16 + 2021 Miami pick deal knowing that the Gilgeous-Alexander for 2018 #16 + protected Milwaukee pick deal might’ve been on the table?

This is hard for me because Mikal has been very good and we have no clue what the 2021 Miami pick will turn into, but it’s very possible that SGA turns into just as good or a better player than Mikal, and if that’s the case, the 2021 pick was a hell of an asset to give up. With how good Milwaukee is now, getting rid of the pick ASAP was going to get the most value for it. Mikal is good so I can’t complain, but I wonder if the Suns could’ve got more value for all their picks than they did. They probably could’ve.

What deals would make sense for the team to bring back upcoming free agents Oubre, Holmes, Bender, Daniels, and Crawford?

I always struggle with this stuff but I think Oubre is worth around 4/48. Holmes is good but it’s hard to promise him 20+ MPG and decent money when he’s playing behind Ayton. Bender would be interesting on a small, $3-5M/yr deal. I don’t think teams will outbid that. Daniels isn’t worth paying if the Suns are going to rarely play him. I can’t say he’s worth re-signing because I don’t see the Suns playing him consistently if they aren’t doing that now. I’d hope Crawford would try to reunite with an old team for his last season. He shouldn’t be on the team next year unless he’s not actually playing.

What was the best on-court moment of the season for this team?

It was easily the opening game against the Mavs. Booker was electric, Ariza looked great, Jackson was FANTASTIC, Ayton put up 18/10/6, and Warren was nailing 3s. That was the only brief moment in the regular season where we all thought there was a chance that the Suns might be pretty good. The 2 days that followed that game were incredible.

On the flip side, what do you think was the worst moment for #SunsTwitter as a community?

It’s difficult to remember what felt like the lowest moment but I think it was probably after the 4th game of the year vs the Lakers. The Suns got blown out 3 games in a row and Booker got injured. Then things just spiraled from there. I was personally at my lowest by late February. Like, very low. Booker looked not great. Ayton was regressing, and winning felt impossible. I’m really happy they had that early March stretch and Booker went nuts to end the season. Kept things from being even worse.

As a fan, at what point is this waiting period for the playoffs no longer worth it? When do you lose patience?

I’ve already lost patience but I’m a Suns fan that isn’t going anywhere. My interest might potentially wane but I’m always going to watch on most nights. At least for the foreseeable future.

What would you change about #SunsTwitter if you could change anything?

I don’t think I’d change anything. It’s a community with a lot of different opinions and people. We get along with some more than others but it’s a big enough community that there’s always good conversations. Sometimes we all spiral but we’re also victims of this team, so it’s understandable. I guess if I could change one thing, I’d wish we could all engage with each other while the Suns are good.

If it was up to you, what would this upcoming summer look like in terms of filling out the front office (assuming Bower isn’t final yet), roster construction, and any coaching changes, etc.?

I’d want them to hire an established GM who isn’t Sarver’s puppet. Sarver is a horrific decision maker and by all accounts, he’s extremely influential in the team’s decision making process. They aren’t going to get better until he’s hands off on the roster. They need to sort out their wing situation. I’d prefer if at least Warren or Jackson are gone. Ideally both can be packed in deals. They *need* an actual starting point guard and probably a good starting PF as well. I really hope their answer to those isn’t a rookie, unless they somehow draft Zion. Igor should probably stay for the sake of continuity. Whether he’ll be the next coach of a good Suns team remains to be seen. They’re definitely re-signing Oubre for a lot of money. Let’s hope it pays off!

Do you think the team will ever unblock you?

I really doubt it. If they haven’t unblocked me yet, I doubt they’re ever going to.

How did the season compare with your initial expectations?

I thought 30 wins would have been a “good” season and that was my hope. I think it was hard to predict that Ryan Anderson could no longer shoot and Ariza would hate it here. In hindsight maybe that shouldn’t have been so hard to predict. So overall it was below my expectations, but Ayton, Booker, and Bridges all individually exceeded my expectations this season.

Between the two first round rookies, which do you think will have a better career in the league?

Ayton definitely. His offensive ceiling is very high. It’s not just his efficiency but his ability to see and read defenses has been really impressive for his age and experience. I think he a playoff team could run an offense through him at this peak. And that is what a star is.

What do you think will be the most important aspect of his summer?

DEFENSE. There’s 3 aspects to becoming better at defense. Strength, repetition, and the mental aspect. For the mental part he just has to watch film and understand, as close as you can get to instinctively, every coverage for pick and rolls and when to use them. For the repetition, that’s just working with coaches to walk through those coverages and create that muscle memory as much as possible. Strength is the easiest one. He’ll get stronger because he clearly lives in the gym. He’s 20 and looks like David Robinson after 4 years in the Navy.

Will Ayton be the best player on a Suns’ championship team, or will it be Booker, or someone not yet on the team?

As good as I believe Ayton can be, I still believe Booker’s ceiling is higher. I think Booker at his peak can be the best player on a contender. If that were to happen the team would have to be perfectly built around him, but it’s possible. I still wouldn’t bet on a championship. The best version of a contender is that somebody joins the team that is even better than both guys on it. That’s what makes Zion so enticing. If he’s as good as people believe he can be, he’s better at his ceiling than both those guys.

Despite the odds being officially 14%, what’s your confidence level the Suns can land #1?

I’m 14% confident. I’ve found no reason to believe Adam Silver rigs anything the way Stern used to.

What’s the lowest pick you’d accept before it becomes “must-trade”?

So much of that depends on the rest of the team building this offseason. In a vacuum there’s three players. Zion, RJ, and Ja. Those guys have star potential. Beyond that it’s role player hunting and if we add talent to the team and can find a worthy role player to develop around it, then it’s worthwhile. I do think the pick is a huge asset IF a trade is made though, I just don’t think it’s that linear in reality.

What do you think was the best moment of the season?

Is it terrible to say the first game of the season? Ayton posting up Doncic on the first play and playing great throughout the game combined with Booker taking over late gave me the best feeling of hope I’ve had in years.

How much credence did you give either of the winning stretches?

They both matter because the guys that are part of the future of this team were playing well. If Ayton and Booker were great in the original streak, then Booker, Ayton, and Oubre in the second stretch then I feel ok because at least I’ve seen them be good and I know it’s possible if and when they become consistent in the future.

What were your biggest takeaways from the first season of doing the podcast?

Weirdly every week Sam and I were worried about not having enough to talk about and yet almost every episode we ended up not covering everything we wanted to get to. So much happens to this team and there’s so much great coverage now, that there’s a lot of minutia that we can cover in depth thanks to the state of social media and how much information is filtered down to non-reporters like us. I think it’s really great how many people have embraced us and I have so many ideas for what we can do as long as there’s support to keep doing it in the future.

What does your ideal off-season look like?

Ideal? Zion and D’Angelo Russell, but I’m less than 14% confident in that.

What was the best on-court moment of the season?

First game by far. It really seemed like they had something for one night and this might be a fun season. But then uh…..nope

What’s been the most stupid take you’ve seen from this past season?

Wasn’t there a time where people thought Isaiah Canaan was the answer at point guard? If I’m making that up then I choose the people who after every game where Josh Jackson wasn’t atrocious who would jump up and down about all the haters who were gonna feel stupid when Josh Jackson got really good.

What were your impressions of Oubre?

He’s as hot a player as the Suns have ever had, he wants to be here, he brings and energy to the franchise few have been capable of bringing.

Is the most attractive player on the next Suns contender already on the roster or is he yet to be acquired?

He might not even be born yet. I won’t believe the next Suns contender exists until they’ve clinched a top 3 playoff seed.

What does the ideal off-season look like to you?

Suns get the first pick in the draft and find a way to acquire an NBA point guard.

Is Devin Booker good?

Yes. He’s very good.

What was the best on-court moment of the season?

Unfortunately the best on-court moment of the season was also the first on-court moment of the season: the opener against Dallas.

What were your impressions of Oubre and at what number would you realistically want to bring him back at?

Oubre surpassed my expectations. He brought defensive intensity, offensive creation (even though it wasn’t very efficient), a culture-setting mindset, and a beautiful face. I’d bring him back at $13-14M but I think he’s going to ask for and get more from the Suns. Realistically, I’m ok with $15M but anything over that I wouldn’t love.

What does an ideal off-season look like to you?

Ideal: getting at least an above-average starting point guard OR power forward. Pipe dream: Getting both of those, with one being a veteran star like Jrue Holiday and the other being Zion.

Would making the playoffs next season be as satisfying as trolling ESPN?

Honestly, it would be more satisfying. The ESPN thing was fun, but I never set out to troll them so as hilarious as that shit was, I wouldn’t really call it satisfying.

What does it mean to you to win the Sunny’s MVP?

It truly means the world to me. I will cherish it with almost the same level of pride and respect that I view Robert Sarver’s goats with.

If Sarver was in disguise among us on #SunsTwitter, which account would he be commandeering?

Definitely @ ScottHoward42.

What was your biggest takeaway from your first season running this account?

That there’s a complete lack of positivity and light-heartedness in the Suns online community. Especially among those who have sizable followings. I knew it already, and I get that the team has been worse than bad for like a decade, but I cannot fathom why people continue to log in every day just to curl up under each other’s soaking wet blankets. We could be having way more fun. Also, more technically, Reddit has exploded and Twitter’s Bookmarks feature is super glitchy. So I’ve done a way worse job than I thought I would at keeping up with sharing people’s hits… which was always a primary goal.

Are there any accounts that never fail to make you smile?

My favorites tend to be the smaller ones… like regular people who are consistently funny in the mentions. Always a breath of fresh air. Recently I was thinking about tweeting a “Top 5 favorite Suns accounts under 300 followers?” prompt until I realized I couldn’t even make my own list because there were too many. My favorite larger account right now is @ AZSportsZone. That dude absolutely kills it.

What were your favorite moments from the team this season?

The opener vs. Dallas was crazy. We looked so good. Everyone thought life was gonna be different after that one. It was the last time we were all simultaneously happy. Coming home tipsy at like 3 AM and catching up on the Memphis trade was amazing. I knew from my notifications that it fell apart spectacularly but made the wise decision to scroll back to the beginning and experience it in order. Took me well over an hour but the result was flawless. I’ll miss these weekly public humiliations when they’re finally gone.

Would you have still been happy with a trade centered around giving up Ariza for Dillon Brooks?

Wouldn’t have been the best, but he’s alright. Still young. Any time you can swap a dead body for a living body it’s almost always a win. In the end… we won huge. Getting Oubre for nothing was one of those loophole moves that sets you up for the long term. All contending teams seem to manage one or two of those while they’re coming up. It was a good year for trades. Tsunami’s gonna help bring us back.

What number do you think he gets brought back at realistically?

So tough. I’m no genius when it comes to contracts, and the market is unpredictable year-to-year. Hopefully he’s happy with $15Mish? $20M would be problematic but I can’t see how we don’t give it to him should he demand it. He’s been meticulous with his takeover of the city. It’s been a true masterclass.

Would him using that as leverage taint your opinion of him at all?

No way. He’s good, we love him, and, unbelievably, he wants to be here. He only gets one career. Cash the hell out.

What are the off-season moves you want to see this summer?

If we don’t get Zion at #1, then it’s Trae D. Pick for me. Nothing against Ja but we’re no longer at the point of being able to wait around. I’d see if anyone is willing to take on Tyler’s deal to move up in the Draft, then use whatever lower pick we end up with to grab Lonzo as the Lakers immediately flip it for Anthony Davis. And if you follow the account, you already know what I’m thinking at PF. Kevin Durant is coming.

Are there any long term plans or goals for the account to build the brand going forward?

Just to keep it fun, entertaining, and casual, and do a decent job of mixing in other people’s stuff as both networks continue to explode. I want it to be known as the laid-back spot for regular people engagement and optimistic, reasonable takes. Kind of an escape from the normal doom and gloom. How well of a job I do really depends on what else I have going on. Not always thrilled with the day’s feed, but growth has been fast and I get random encouraging DMs from time to time. So that’s nice enough.

As for my own takeaways from the season, I think some apologies are in order. I was way too harsh on some of the guys at different points in the season, and I slandered them way too much. From calling out “trade Booker” to “Ayton is a bust” to slandering head coach Igor Kokoskov clear out of town, I said some things throughout this season that are really dumb in retrospect.

My favorite moments during the season was the home game against the Lakers at the beginning of March. I had the pleasure of being at this game with a co-worker and we were trash talking a Lakers fan all game, so that only enhanced the experience. The idea of Ayton being a “unicorn-stopper” is really appealing to me.

That said, all of those guys still have a lot of work to do. Many of the all-time big’s from the league’s past have already said they want to work with Ayton, so it will be interesting to see how much of that happens this summer. He has the potential to benefit greatly from his summers. Additionally, it’s been well-documented how much Ayton needs to work on his pick-and-roll defense, though we’re not even approaching panic-mode.

Lack of defense is a common thread with Devin Booker. However, Booker showed much better defensive effort during the more competitive stretches of the season, like in that Lakers game and in the following Bucks game and Warriors game. I also think Booker should shore up his passing and decision making, especially if his usage is going to stay high.

In my ideal off-season, the Suns get the first pick and draft Zion Williamson, though I don’t feel nearly as confident in their chances as the 14% implies. As for the point guard issue, I think the best fit for Booker is to have another combo guard who is a plus-defender, like Jrue Holiday from New Orleans – someone who can help carry the play-making load, but also defer to Booker in the right moments.

Coach Kokoskov (or KoCoachkov, as my older brother prefers) did enough to earn more run the way I see it. Toward the end of the season, it seemed like he started to connect with the players and earn their trust, and they seem to play hard for him. These are all traits that Suns coaches usually don’t get in relation with their team, so he’s been a breath of fresh air.

It’s impossible to talk about the future of the Phoenix Suns without mentioning Mikal Bridges, and I’d really like to see his role expanded on the offensive end. There’s a good chance there won’t be a place for Bridges in the starting lineup next season, so maybe he’ll get to utilize his play-making abilities with the second unit.

Though the Suns won two fewer games than last year, this felt like a much more progressive effort in 2018-19. When their final roster was healthy and all playing, they really looked like a team capable of beating anybody on any given night, and I can’t wait to see if they can build upon that this summer and going forward.