Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray or the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 – who has more on the line next season?

Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray or the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 – who has more on the line next season?

yeah it’s kind of a it’s interesting how this is going to play out um I think we all would say even as as high as we are on Kyler Murray and we’ll get back into that in a little bit in the show it’s a big year for him you know now now now things are in place but he’s he’s got a lot to prove this season you know can you can you play 17 games or you know at least I don’t know 15 games and can you be a Difference Maker for this team in addition to being everything he’s evolved into off the field so prove it season for Kyler pretty big season for the big three coming up now too Kell I I don’t even know what to think of um the direction of this team if if next season is the same as this season I don’t I don’t even I shutter to think about where you go after that so I guess that’s that’s sort of the question here right I mean the you’ve got you’ve got the big three collectively and you’ve got Kyler Murray with a lot to prove next season who do you who do you have more confidence in who has more to prove I think uh in terms of what’s on the line I think the big three it’s pretty indisputable if they don’t at least make the Conference finals next year it’s a gigantic failure I still think it’s a gigantic failure if they don’t win a title because I’m not losing sight on the reason why they did all these moves and the reason why we’re here which was to win a championship and that shouldn’t change despite where their current standing is as a team and where the rest of the NBA has leaped ahead of them in certain ways but but I think from an individual perspective it might be Kyler actually if we break it down to individuals because Kyler if Kyler looks like 2022 pre-injury and then post injury 2023 Kyler which I know isn’t completely fair to include that time don’t get me wrong I understand if he looks like that guy and like back half 2021 Kyler as opposed to there’s different versions of Kyler we could see if he underperforms we are going to be talking about quarterback trades endlessly next offseason and it’s going to be a legitimate discussion for the Cardinals themselves if this is the time to move on with Kyler because this is the time they have to identify who their quarterback is because everything else around them is seemingly on the up and up but quarterback is the big thing I don’t think we’re going to be looking at a situation going into next year where we say if Devon Booker underperforms again they need to trade him maybe with KD just because it comes up naturally with him more so Beal they can’t trade so I think that Kyler himself in terms of what he has to prove and what is on the line for him indiv on the line yeah has more but as a collective and then with like the actual thing Kyler if he wins eight games it’s going to be a successful year yeah and it’s it’s weird too it’s it’s really weird to say this because the big three has Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in it but as we sit here right now on May 31st I I have more confidence and Kyler to get it done relative to what he needs to get done next year because you’re right nobody’s expecting the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl the goal for the Suns was win the title if you told me right now one of these things happens Kyler has a good year and the Cardinals make the playoffs or the Suns make the NBA finals next year I’m I’m taking Kyler in the playoffs probably um and I’m guessing I’m not alone in that I know Maloney has him in the playoffs I’m guessing by the look on your face you might lean that way too because it is a lower bar to clear and because I’ve seen Kyler Murray play really good in the NFL like I I have now obviously Kevin Durant’s one of the best ever and Devin Booker I’ve seen him play and I’ve seen Bradley Beal look really good too but this maybe it’s recency bias with the way this season went but I I think when you weigh everything the path to where the Suns need to get to in the western conference is going to be really difficult whereas Kyler just being really good and the Cardinals being a playoff Contender is I’ve seen it before I’ve seen him take them to the playoffs before and he’s better now I honestly go the other way and just because I think that that step for the Cardinals would be a gigantic step forward and obviously it would be for the Suns but the Suns have the proven track record of getting to those stages at least Durant and Booker do certainly and I think that the big three the chemistry the cohesion picking up it the way I phrased it a lot is last year was so bad that how can you not be optimistic about next season because there’s no way it’s going to go that bad again there’s no way that was a worst case scenario when they still managed to make the playoffs and make the playoffs I guess is the only way to really end it there but I think those guys were still able to have pretty good Collective or individual Seasons excuse me but I would go finals and and I disagree on the West Point just because I think there is no big bad wolf out in the west is the West loaded and does it have a lot of really great teams it does but there is no final boss kind of been waiting right now now if Dallas wins the title Luke average is 37 a game in the finals maybe Dallas turns into the final boss all of a sudden but I don’t think that there is any sort of how are you going to beat that team in in in a postseason in in a in a playoff series you’re right because at the end of last season it felt like yeah everybody else in the west whatever like the Suns can beat them but can they beat Denver that’s what it felt like last year was like okay well now they’ve added Bradley Beal Durant’s goingon to have a full year they can take anybody else but can they get past Denver whereas now it’s like Denver’s beatable because they just got beaten but I just don’t I don’t love how I don’t know how you can love the Suns matching up with Minnesota the way things just went now things could be different next year I certainly don’t love the way that the Suns match up with Dallas because they just they seem to have a hard time with Dallas and Dallas might be the team now to beat Denver’s still tough um the thing I’ll say with the Suns though is like like if it works it’s going to really take off you know like I I don’t know that there’s a scenario where it’s like hey you know what Mike buen Holzer came in he unlocked the big three and and here we go like this is right and they made it to the second round it does sort of feel like they’re either going to flame out in the first round again or they’re going to be in the finals doesn’t it like it just doesn’t feel like there’s a whole lot of middle ground with this like either buen holer is going to be a key and they’re going to he’s going to be able to Max the pieces he has on this roster and they’re going to they’re just going to start running through teams or we’re going to see more of what we saw last year to be clear Vegas doesn’t think it’s close FanDuel has plus 270 for the Cardinals to make the playoffs next year I’m guessing the odds of the Suns making the finals is at least plus a thousand if not higher yeah for them going into the year so I I think it is with the with that spe with with Kyler I I think again I go back to like what’s on the line for him individually but in terms of the aspirations I I don’t think the Cardinals are going into this thinking like they have to get to the playoffs this year they’re just looking to build up the year two of their program and then next year is really when the huge step is going to happen and if they can shock some people this year that’s great but I don’t think it’s something like when um we were in training camp going into the 2021 season and Javon Carter was asked like what are your goals for the team this year and he was like to win a championship and then everyone was like did he just say that that’s they were talking about it in training camp that they had the tools to win win a championship that year I don’t think that the Cardinals are looking at their roster like that specifically um but they’re still in a position to succeed for sure I’ve got NBA championship odds for 25 I believe Maybe not maybe this is saying 25 but it’s actually no this is okay this is for next year and they have the Suns I don’t even see the Suns that’s a problem that was the main team you were looking for and that’s an issue yeah I don’t yeah I don’t even they’re plus 2,000 oh they were just that far down you couldn’t find him no I had to keep scrolling down it makes sense um I I just don’t see it in the west I don’t see anyone really leaping out we’ll see the offseason can change a lot um there’s some intriguing players that could be moving around but the second April thing is going to be weird because a lot of teams are in this position like the suns are now so we’ll see yeah going back to Kyler for a second I the the fact that I have seen him I haven’t seen the complete Kyler yet and I and I to me the biggest thing is can he stay on the field this season which I think is a fair you know obviously it’s a fair thing if he doesn’t then they’re not going anywhere but um we’ve seen him play really well not be not you know again he’s never been momes I get that but we’ve seen him play really well he did do that the first half of 2021 now that was three years ago and he has played worse since then and been hurt since then but I’m I I’ve now seen the other side where his teammates love him and he’s got a good relationship with this coaching staff and they seem poised to bring out the best in him it just it it’s a combination of what the bar is that he has to clear this year he doesn’t have to win the Super Bowl and the fact that I’ve I’ve seen him be a good quarterback and now I’m seeing him be a good teammate it’s just can you put it all together schedule’s not super easy for the Cardinals though like when you go game by game like what you were saying earlier about that match up with the Bears how are they going to cover those three receivers it’s get to week nine or 10 right that’s the point whenever that first Seattle game is that’s when it’s okay if you can get here and be an surved okay spot you can take advantage thanks for watching wolf and Luke tap to see more and click the button in the middle to subscribe to Arizona Sports

Luke Lapinski and guest host Kellan Olson consider the state of Arizona sports and debate who has more on the line next season – Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray or the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal?

Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports
Photos: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports; Getty Images

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