Game Day: Kings @ Suns

[SwingMan]

We gonna get it right this time?

Dis∙cuss

[AmareIsGod]

I predict an easily decided win. We should be able to finally give our starters some good rest, so long as coach isn't a MORON and actually decides to use DJ, etc., to SOME extent. I'm really starting to get pissed that DJ can't see the light of day and yet Piatkowski gets burn (and goes 0-4). What the hell is coaches problem? UGH. Anyways, we should win this one by a good margin (10+) after letting the Kings back in the game last night. I think the Suns learned from it and won't let it happen again on this night.

[MTSunsFan]

Shawn makes up for his lack of offense last night in a big way tonight w/ 22 pts. to go along w/ 9 rebounds. Suns win going away in the 4th quarter...

[MTSunsFan]

Sacramento (4-7) at Phoenix (9-2)

Preview

Game Info: 9:00 pm EST Wed Nov 21, 2007
TV: CSNW, My45 Add to Calendar

By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA, STATS Senior Writer

Amare Stoudemire has looked strong since his three-game absence, and the Phoenix Suns have certainly benefited from his return. The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, continue to struggle even with Ron Artest back in the lineup.

The Suns go for their seventh straight win since Stoudemire's return as they host Artest and the Kings in the finale of a home-and-home series Wednesday night.

Stoudemire missed three games earlier this month due to soreness in his right knee, the last of which was Phoenix's 105-96 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 7. The Suns (9-2) haven't lost since, and their All-Star center is averaging 21.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in his last four contests.

Stoudemire, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 2, is beginning to look a lot closer to full strength and is coming off perhaps his best game of the season. He had 26 points and 13 rebounds as Phoenix held on for a 100-98 win at Sacramento (4-7) on Tuesday night.

With the game on the line, Stoudemire scored the Suns' final six points and blocked a John Salmons 3-point attempt with a second left. In his last nine games against the Kings, Stoudemire is averaging 26.4 points while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.

On Tuesday, Stoudemire helped the Suns improve to 9-0 when reaching 100 points, although they were also held to their third-lowest point total of the season. Phoenix had ridden 56.1 percent field-goal shooting to 110 points or more in its previous three games.

The Suns had a subpar game on offense despite facing a Kings team that is allowing 104.1 points a contest.

Sacramento has had Artest back the past four games after the defensive stopper served a seven-game suspension handed down by the NBA for pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge.

Artest had a season-high 33 points and 12 rebounds against Phoenix. He is averaging 23.5 points and 2.2 steals since returning, but Sacramento has won only two of those four games.

The veteran forward is averaging 24 points over his last four games against the Suns, but the Kings have dropped three of those contests.

Artest had to carry Sacramento on offense Tuesday with leading scorer Kevin Martin setting a season low in scoring for the second straight game. After managing 19 points in a win over Detroit on Sunday, Martin was held to 15 versus Phoenix.

"We tried to deny Martin the ball and make him take tough shots," Suns forward Shawn Marion said.

The fourth-year guard, averaging 26.2 points per game on the season, had a 43-point effort against New York before his current slump, during which he has shot just 34.4 percent (11-for-32) from the field.

Even with Martin struggling, Sacramento was able to keep the game close by outscoring Phoenix 24-14 in the fourth quarter. The Suns have been outscored in the final quarter in four of their last five games.

"One thing about the Suns is you are never out of the game," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "They will allow you to get back in it."

Updated on Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007 2:28 am, EST

Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Sacramento 4-7 4th Pacific / 11th West 99.0 104.1 Road 0-5 Lost 1 4-6
Phoenix 9-2 1st Pacific / 2nd West 106.4 100.2 Home 3-1 Won 6 8-2

Sacramento Notes
Nov 21 F Ron Artest is putting up career numbers in his four games since returning from a seven-game suspension. Artest has made 56 percent (35-of-63) of his shots while averaging 24 points. ... F Kenny Thomas returned to the active roster Tuesday after missing the last three games with a right shin contusion. ... After failing to win the rebounding battle in their first nine games, the Kings have outrebounded their opponents in the last two (Detroit and Phoenix). ... Both C Brad Miller and F-C Mikki Moore fouled out against Phoenix Tuesday as they tried to slow down Suns C Amare Stoudemire, who finished with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Phoenix Notes
Nov 21 G Steve Nash shouldered a lot of the scoring load early in the season when C Amare Stoudemire missed time after offseason knee surgery and F Grant Hill was adjusting to his new teammates. But now Nash is back to being the great distributor, dishing out double-digit assists each of the last five games, averaging 13 in that span. ... The Suns have won five straight on the road and are 6-1 away this season. ... The Suns 100-98 win in Sacramento Tuesday marked the first time in five games that they failed to win by double-digits. ... G Leandro Barbosa has started in four the last five games, and has scored 20 or more in all five. ... G Raja Bell has missed four of the last five games with a right ankle sprain. He was scheduled to start in Sacramento but further tweaked the ankle in pregame warm-ups and did not play.

[LazarusLong]

Last two games for Stoudemire:

59 minutes, 47 pts on 17-22 FG, 13-18 FT, 26 rbs and 6 blocks.

or 29.5 minutes a game, average 23.5 pts on 77% shooting from the field and 72% from the line, 13 bds and 3 blocks per game.
Fouls are a bit high, and he had 7 TOs in one game.
But, for the most part, that's a solid impact in 2 1/2 quarters of play per game.

[Spanky]

Reggie Theus = Homer

[misteradiant]

Last two games for Stoudemire:

59 minutes, 47 pts on 17-22 FG, 13-18 FT, 26 rbs and 6 blocks.

or 29.5 minutes a game, average 23.5 pts on 77% shooting from the field and 72% from the line, 13 bds and 3 blocks per game.
Fouls are a bit high, and he had 7 TOs in one game.
But, for the most part, that's a solid impact in 2 1/2 quarters of play per game.

but i thought the team was smarter without him? shouldn't we bench him in favor of.... in favor of... um...

:cool:

[ShelC]

I gotta say i like the kings...not to win tonight of course, just in general. I like a whole lot of their players and think they could be onto something if they committed to Artest at the 4 spot and played around him. I think the uncertainty with Bibby and Artest is a huge load on the kings and kind of takes some of the wind out of their sails. Maybe theyd play better and more together if they felt theyd stay together. I'd definitely give that team a chance.

Say what you want about Artest (and i have), but the guy has turned into a hell of a ball player. It looks like hes actualyl worked on his jumper during his suspensions as opposed to just relaxing and resting on his defensive abilities. Hes still not the go-to superstar he thinks he is, but he can make plays with the ball. The problem is that im not sure he makes his teammates better. But if im Theus, im putting Artest on the block against smaller players and letting him create off the dribble against bigger, slower players. The kings could be a more athletic, more defensive version of us if they get everyone healthy and on the same page. But those are some big IFs.

[LazarusLong]

Artest is strong as an ox, yet quick and agile. He has a nice mid-range game, is fearless taking it to the rim, and can (occasionally) hit from the arc.
And ... he's a tough man-on defender.
If he just keep his personal life a bit tidier and channel his emotions constructively, consistently.

[LazarusLong]

but i thought the team was smarter without him? shouldn't we bench him in favor of.... in favor of... um...

Play Stoudemire 30 minutes a game, and Skinner 18 minutes a game at the 5. That's a winning combo, kids.

[misteradiant]

too many minutes for amare! he just looks so stupid out there!

[MTSunsFan]

Artest is strong as an ox, yet quick and agile. He has a nice mid-range game, is fearless taking it to the rim, and can (occasionally) hit from the arc.
And ... he's a tough man-on defender.
If he just keep his personal life a bit tidier and channel his emotions constructively, consistently.

Agreed, LL (& Shel). Ron Ron is or could be quite the all-around ball player. But that's a big IF...

[AZSportsFan]

Reggie Theus = Homer
If any of you were watching the Sacto feed on League Pass, you heard Theus yell at the ref when he thought that a travel should have been called on Boris. "He is not that good! He doesn't have that move!" :lol: :o :(

[LazarusLong]

too many minutes for amare! he just looks so stupid out there!

I'm discerning an ongoing theme, here ....

[duck44]

too many minutes for amare! he just looks so stupid out there!

I'm discerning an ongoing theme, here ....

And he is totally correct bringing this up.

[misteradiant]

um... maybe my extreme sarcasm missed it's point? it's been known to happen before. like the time i suggested alberto gonzales as attorney general during that lunch with bush.

[MTSunsFan]

um... maybe my extreme sarcasm missed it's point? it's been known to happen before. like the time i suggested alberto gonzales as attorney general during that lunch with bush.

Now I finally know who to blame that idea on...

[SunsRIt]

I predict the Suns win 100-98...oh wait, that was last night.

Suns win going away tonight.

[JackArse]

Reggie Theus = Homer
If any of you were watching the Sacto feed on League Pass, you heard Theus yell at the ref when he thought that a travel should have been called on Boris. "He is not that good! He doesn't have that move!" :lol: :o :(

theus might want to watch game tape.. course, he might have to look at the 2005 game film to see it, but he's got the moves.

[JackArse]

Artest is strong as an ox, yet quick and agile. He has a nice mid-range game, is fearless taking it to the rim, and can (occasionally) hit from the arc.
And ... he's a tough man-on defender.
If he just keep his personal life a bit tidier and channel his emotions constructively, consistently.

speaking of..

artest will not be playing tonight to attend family matters at home.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1121artestout.html

[cap]

Artest is strong as an ox, yet quick and agile. He has a nice mid-range game, is fearless taking it to the rim, and can (occasionally) hit from the arc.
And ... he's a tough man-on defender.
If he just keep his personal life a bit tidier and channel his emotions constructively, consistently.

speaking of..

artest will not be playing tonight to attend family matters at home.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1121artestout.html

And Udrih is out too, not to mention Bibby, who has been out for a while. The schedule breaks continue...

[ShelC]

Gotta watch out for Salmons. He was ballin' before Artest came back. Hes best with the ball in his hands and fills up the boxscore. He and Garcia could give Stevie some problems defensively. Just get the ball to Amare.

[Wormwood]

OK, with all these injuries and players out, we will beat the Kings handily. One thing that has not been written so far is what a great job LB did containing him.

What hurt us last night was not matching up well. If we used Marion on Artest, that left Hill on Moore or Miller. Hill was over-matched while guarding the much more physical Artest.

Artest would be a great player if he stopped beating the hell out of his wife, the fans, his teammates in practice, opponents on the court, complete strangers in bars....

Am I detecting a pattern here?

[desertcoast]

artest will not be playing tonight to attend family matters at home.

house arrest?

[UOducks4life]

What the hell is up with League Pass? They're showing Charlotte vs. Washington on the channel that says Suns vs. Kings. I don't care about those teams. This is bullshit.

[UOducks4life]

Of course Charlotte and Washington have to go to overtime so that pathetic game can carry on even longer. This is bullshit.

[Immortal]

Fucking League Pass. I hate the NBA, they won't let the Suns broadcast on a local Tucson station, so I'm forced to buy the damn package that preempts the game.

[FurlanFufi]

I'm watching on the broadband league pass...

[Split_T's]

Everyone must be speechless after that 80 pt half. All i can say is wow. That was fun to watch. Lets do it again and go for 160.

[Wormwood]

Weird...

I have Direct TV league pass and no problems tonight.... other than the Sacto announcers.

On another note, this is the best half of Suns basketball this season. Hell, even Banks looks good. He's having trouble covering John Salmons, but he looked like an honest to God basketball player out there. Of course, that's mostly in comparison to Pike....

[desertcoast]

I'm quickly becoming a Brian Skinner fan....

[JackArse]

man.. this team sucks.. how the hell do we only score 30 in that period??

/sets mode -sarcasm

btw.. i hate the sound on channel 9 ..

[Catharsis]

Tucker and DJ are impressing with the 4th quarter call. There's a good possibility the Suns could have 9 players in double figures.

[Catharsis]

Banks looks very comfortable pushing the ball tonight. Every time he gets it he's just sprinting down court.

Only 5 TOs for the Suns tonight.

[Wormwood]

Great game tonight for everyone except Marks.... and DJ. Marks definitely is beyond hopeless on defense. My gut tells me he was the primary culprit in the second unit going -14 in the 4th. DJ really hurt his case for minutes by missing on a lot of easy looks.... though he did have a highlight reel "and one".

[SunsRIt]

That was fun to watch. Total domination.

Skinner is really earning a spot in the rotation.

[SpecialSauce]

Gotta give Banks props, he played great.

[mmpetric]

I hate Sean Marks. I hope he doesn't see another meaningful minute this season. But to say he was the primary culprit for the poor play in the 4th quarter is ridiculous. How about the missed jumpshots and open layups by our guards and wingmen? How about us not getting calls when driving it to the hoop? The reason we got outscored by 12 in the quarter was because our offense only managed 17 points and Boris Diaw was nonexistent.

Overall, great game by the Suns. Strawberry's shots weren't falling, but he still looked pretty good. Both he and Tucker know how to take it to the rack.

[Catharsis]

I hate Sean Marks. I hope he doesn't see another meaningful minute this season. But to say he was the primary culprit for the poor play in the 4th quarter is ridiculous. How about the missed jumpshots and open layups by our guards and wingmen? How about us not getting calls when driving it to the hoop? The reason we got outscored by 12 in the quarter was because our offense only managed 17 points and Boris Diaw was nonexistent.


Whoa, let's not blow things out of proportion. They were only out scored by 10 in the 4th. :lol:

Seriously, though, Marks was 1-2 with only one less rebound than Marion in a less than a 1/3rd of the minutes. He also had more steals than Marion. I don't think he can shoulder the blame for some of those missed shots. And if you want to blame his defense, well the Kings were already on a pace for 109 points after three quarters.

[Nodack]

Fun game, 80 pts in the first half, wow! It was to a banged up inferior team, but they definitely took care of business though.


I'm quickly becoming a Brian Skinner fan....

My biggest doubt about this season was our ability to defend the big men in the post and losing KT really hurt in that department. I have to say that I am very encouraged by Skinner's play. He seems to fit the Suns system better than KT just by being quicker and more athletic. I doubt he can stop the Shaq's and Duncan's of the world, burt then nobody does. He also seems to always be in the right place at the right time.


Great game tonight for everyone except Marks.... and DJ. Marks definitely is beyond hopeless on defense. My gut tells me he was the primary culprit in the second unit going -14 in the 4th.

Your gut told you that?

The fourth quarter was garbage time and I think that was a lot of the reason they were a -14. The team that is way up almost always loses ground in those situations. Tucker, Strawberry and Banks shot the majority of the shots in the fourth and they weren't falling like they were for the starters. They should share some of the blame if we are going to assign blame.


The reason we got outscored by 12 in the quarter was because our offense only managed 17 points and Boris Diaw was nonexistent.

Everybody but Boris got to sit on the bench in the fourth. I don't think he was trying to score. he only attempted 2 shots all night 2-2. It was the rookies time to show what they can do and Boris just stayed out of the way. I'm not saying it is a good or bad thing, just that it might have been by design.

[Split_T's]

ya, lets not get all worked up about how the team performed during garbage time. Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime. That is pretty remarkable.

[Ish]

Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime.

wait a minute.... you're not really 5 years old right?

[SunsFan4Life]

WOW. Banks played very well tonight.

I loved How in the 4thQ he was looking for Alando and DJ on almost every play to. He's come a long way cause usually he would jack up every shot when he was in. Great game by him.

Skinner Baby. Defense and hey his jumper isn't that bad!

Nash and Marion were nasty...I'll take 10-2

[SunsFan4Life]

BTW, Everyone talks about HOW Skinner doesn't have the Jumper KT does which is very true but he is so much more athletic. I noticed on 1 play where him and Amare were battling in there for a board skinner wound up getting an and 1.

I am gonna be really really curious to see the 1st time we play SA How the Skinner,Amare with marion being the help defender does against there lineup.

[desertcoast]

Gotta give Banks props, he played great.

yeah.. good court vision and quicker decision making from Banks tonight. Encouraging...

I had no idea Tucker could jump over small buildings :shock:

[AlanS]

Suns 129, Kings 111

PHOENIX, Nov. 21 (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire sat at his stool in the Phoenix Suns' locker room and smiled broadly.

He had good reason to be happy.

"Beautiful, just beautiful,'' Stoudemire said when asked how it felt to sit out the fourth period of the Suns' 127-111 victory over the short-handed Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. "I appreciate that. It allowed us (the starters) to get ready for the Clippers (Friday night).''

Stoudemire was not in foul trouble, but with Phoenix ahead 110-82 entering the fourth quarter, coach Mike D'Antoni let his little-used subs complete the Suns' seventh straight victory.

Shawn Marion and Steve Nash led a dazzling 47-point first quarter for the surging Suns. Marion, who finished with a season-high 25 points, scored 13 points in the opening period, while Nash, who wound up with 18 points and 15 assists, had 12 points and six assists as the Suns built a 47-38 lead and never relinquished it.

Both Marion and Nash hit their first five field goal attempts. The Suns made 18 of their first 21 shots in their highest-scoring period of the season.

"We came out with a lot of energy and intensity,'' Stoudemire said. "We wanted to set the tone early.''

That they did, setting an NBA season high for points in a quarter.

"The first quarter was unbelievable, just the way we shot and moved the ball,'' D'Antoni said.

Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, while Grant Hill had 15 and Stoudemire 13.

Francisco Garcia led Sacramento with a career-high 31 points, John Salmons had 21 and Kevin Martin 19.

Phoenix increased its advantage to as many as 20 points midway through the second quarter before settling for an 80-63 halftime bulge. By intermission, Nash already had a double-double with 14 points and 12 assists.

"That was crazy,'' Marion said of the 80 first-half points. "We were definitely clicking. Our first passes led to great shots.''

The Suns continued to pour it on in the third quarter, twice building leads of 30 points. They reached the 100-point mark with 4:10 remaining in the period on a 23-foot jumper by Marion.

The Kings played without two starters. Forward Ron Artest, who scored 33 points in the Kings' 100-98 loss to the Suns Tuesday night, made the trip to Phoenix but returned home to be with his ailing daughter. Guard Beno Udrih was sidelined with an injured right knee.

Also absent from the Kings' roster was star guard Mike Bibby. He underwent surgery on his left thumb in October and won't be back until at least late December.

"This was tough, to say the least,'' Kings first-year coach Reggie Theus said. "We played them tough last night, but without Beno and Ron, it made a big difference in the morale of the team.''

Garcia agreed with his coach.

"Ron is a big part of our team ... we missed him tonight,'' he said.

"They were just making everything. They had a great shooting night ... they didn't miss. I don't care about the 31 points. It's about what the team did.''

The Suns also were missing a starting guard, Raja Bell, out with back spasms.

This was the second time in Suns' history they swept a two-day, back-to-back, home-and-home series. The other time was Dec. 26-27, 1994, against the Dallas Mavericks. They also won a back-to-back, home-and home series against Golden State in the 2001-02 season, but the games were two days apart.

Notes: The Suns' 47 first-period points were an NBA season high and tied a U.S. Airlines Center record set by Phoenix against the Miami Heat on Jan. 6, 2006. They also were the most points in a quarter in the NBA since that Phoenix-Miami game. ... The 80 halftime points were an NBA season high and the most by the Suns since scoring 81 at Washington on March 9, 1994. That also was the most in the NBA since Feb. 29, 1996, when Dallas scored 81 at Denver. ... Nash's 12 assists in the first half were more than the entire Sacramento team, which had nine.

With that win, the Suns now lead the NBA in scoring:
o Suns 108.1 ppg
o Nuggets 107.7
o Jazz 106.7
o Lakers 106.6

[SpecialSauce]

I hate Sean Marks. I hope he doesn't see another meaningful minute this season. But to say he was the primary culprit for the poor play in the 4th quarter is ridiculous. How about the missed jumpshots and open layups by our guards and wingmen? How about us not getting calls when driving it to the hoop? The reason we got outscored by 12 in the quarter was because our offense only managed 17 points and Boris Diaw was nonexistent.

Overall, great game by the Suns. Strawberry's shots weren't falling, but he still looked pretty good. Both he and Tucker know how to take it to the rack.

I understand thinking Sean Marks sucks, but how could you hate one of the nicest guys in the NBA? You're kidding me.

[ShelC]

DJ sucks! He cant play in the league, his +/- and = are terrible, he cant shoot and cant run the point. We need to buy his ass out and get him off the team and give all his minutes to Banks now.

[OrlandoGardener]

That was FUN.






ya, lets not get all worked up about how the team performed during garbage time. Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime. That is pretty remarkable.

I would just like to tell you, young man, that you have wonderful grammar and comprehension for a boy of your age and if you just keep on plugging away, why then, you will have a very bright future indeed.

[OrlandoGardener]

Honestly, ya'll take a deep breath. The Suns just won one of the most fun games to watch (for a fan) in about a year, and the thread is full of bitching and bitching about bitching. And now there's going to be a post bitching about bitching and bitching about bitching. See how confusing, meaningless, and redundant it's all becoming? Where's the enjoyment? Where's the celebration?

I'll start.


w00t!

[Split_T's]

Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime.

wait a minute.... you're not really 5 years old right?


I would just like to tell you, young man, that you have wonderful grammar and comprehension for a boy of your age and if you just keep on plugging away, why then, you will have a very bright future indeed.



My bad, half my lifetime would have been the correct phrase.

[desertcoast]

I would just like to tell you, young man, that you have wonderful grammar and comprehension for a boy of your age and if you just keep on plugging away, why then, you will have a very bright future indeed.

Split Ts watches a lot of The Wiggles, and they have awesome grammar!

[Wormwood]

Great game tonight for everyone except Marks.... and DJ. Marks definitely is beyond hopeless on defense. My gut tells me he was the primary culprit in the second unit going -14 in the 4th.

Your gut told you that?

The fourth quarter was garbage time and I think that was a lot of the reason they were a -14. The team that is way up almost always loses ground in those situations. Tucker, Strawberry and Banks shot the majority of the shots in the fourth and they weren't falling like they were for the starters. They should share some of the blame if we are going to assign blame.



Nodack,

I agree that DJ and Tucker should share some of the blame, but we never could seem to get a stop against the Kings in the 4th. DJ's defense was fine, he made his men hit extremely difficult shots from 15 feet plus. That's exactly what he supposed to do. Yes, sometimes his guy made those shots, but you can live with that.

Banks got burned a couple of times, and still can't seem to guide his man into the help defense, but the help defense wasn't very good at getting into position either (Marks). Overall though, I'd say he did an adequate job on guys bigger than him.

Marks however.... whoever he was guarding ended up with easy shots inside of ten feet, every time. We also gave up a ton of offensive rebounds. I have to wonder if we'd had Skinner out there if it would have made a difference.

edit: I went and reviewed the game, and Marks defensive screw ups were worth 17 points to the Kings.

8:07 Marks foul results in 2 FTs
7:32 Marks assignment scores for 2 from 10
3:55 Marks blows his assignment, resulting a foul and in 2 FTs made
2:45 Marks assignment gets the Offensive rebound, resulting in a immediate put back score
2:27 Marks gives up another offensive rebound to his man, and another 2 points immediately result from 5 feet
1:31 Marks assignment scores from 11 feet
1:01 Marks assignment scores from 13 feet
0:12 Marks fouls in the act of shooting, resulting in a 3 point play.

OK, there, I quantified my "gut feeling". I sucked all the intuition out of it. Happy? :D

[Nodack]

You did go to a lot of trouble to make your point so without going back and rewiewing the tape myself I'll take your word for it.

[Wormwood]

If we had left Skinner in, I think we probably would have only been -6 or so in the period. It's not all Mark's fault, I grant you, because other people were missing shots. But on the defensive end... I think he earns the lions share of the blame.

[SwingMan]

After FINALLY watching the game DVD last night, I concur with Worm's assesment. Marks and defense should NEVER - under ANY circumstance - be mentioned in the same sentence.

That said, Diaw sure as hell didn't help matters being a big fat zero in his 30 minutes. How can 6' 8" 240 pounds instantly disappear? Ask Boris.....

[misteradiant]

Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime.

you're less than five and a half years old?
calling mister spock.
"remarkable."
thank you mister spock. angie will have your check. angie, please show mister spock our refreshments and lyre museum.



Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime.

wait a minute.... you're not really 5 years old right?

damn. i don't like responding to posts before i read the entire thread sometimes. but what the hell. day off. the world shopping by my window. taking my time. when i get up early in the morning, lift my head, i'm still yawning. when i'm in the middle of a dream, stay in bed, float up stream. lying there and staring at the ceiling, waiting for a sleepy feeling.

ladies and gentlemen.... the beatles.


WOW. Banks played very well tonight.

yes. i predicted he'd never play for the suns again after his previous performance. i was happy to be wrong wednesday night. the fucker.

tucker looked great. dj, not so much.



I hate Sean Marks.

I understand thinking Sean Marks sucks, but how could you hate one of the nicest guys in the NBA? You're kidding me.

"hate is such a hateful word." - homer simpson

hate is reserved for special players in the nba. only a very few hold that title in any given season. past players to hate have included karl malone and stoney mcelbows. bruce bowen is the only current player i can say i hate. i don't even hate kobe anymore. he seems neutered by his trade demand outburst and i think it's ironic justice. see you in the playoops, mister definition of unprofessionalism.

which brings us to shawn marion. he's pissed because he thinks his extension is worth sixty million dollars. too bad he is more of a "fantasy" player than we bargained for. it's one thing to be ranked with kevin garnett on yahoo fantasy and another to go to the celtics and make them an instant contender. you had the opportunity to be that, and you turned it down. in phoenix, you're not the savior of our franchise. you're #3 or 4 in PHX. #3 or 4 isn't worth 20 million a year. you rock hard, but you're living in a fantasy world. get some perspective, dude. if that perspective tells you that you are undervalued here, then please play hard for us through next year and maybe we'll win a championship and we'll see how that sixty million demand goes for ya.

maybe we'll meet the celtics in the finals this spring. how cool would that be?

anyway, what was i writing about? oh yeah. fudge. fudge with almonds. and a cold glass of milk. i love the holidays.


DJ sucks! He cant play in the league, his +/- and = are terrible, he cant shoot and cant run the point. We need to buy his ass out and get him off the team and give all his minutes to Banks now.

you owe me sixty bucks for my broken hypoerbole meter.



ya, lets not get all worked up about how the team performed during garbage time. Do we realize that the suns were the first team in 11 years to score 80 in a half. That's over twice my lifetime. That is pretty remarkable.

I would just like to tell you, young man, that you have wonderful grammar and comprehension for a boy of your age and if you just keep on plugging away, why then, you will have a very bright future indeed.

oh man, split t's is getting hammered here. hey, why don't all of you try smoking that whole damn spliff and try posting on the message board. see? didn't think so. and he didn't even misspell. good for you, t's. time is an amazing and incomprehensible thing. just read einstein or any quantum theory primer.

POLL:
misteradiant was being sarcastic and i don't get it
misteradiant was being sarcastic and i get it
misteradiant is sticking up for split t's
misteradiant eats cheese with a pitchfork made from the cross and the spear of the centurian
misteradiant is the one smoking the spliff

click here to activate this pole.

yes, OG. woo.

Worm, marks sucks maggot-drilled donkey schlong. he got the one slam, which was cool, but it sure doesn't look like his defensive stance resulted in a plus points-wise. i suggest that we feed him to the sharks, i mean fans, so they can get their bloodlust out of their system early this year. mostly because stephon marbury is a dusty husk of dried-up dreams dead from what was once blossoming green enthusiasm. rumor is he's a vampire now and he definitely isn't providing the food we need to feast upon. let's offer a geeky white boy and see if the monstergod gags on him. if he doesn't, then that's all we have to offer instead of jj's face, raja's calf or amare's desire to stand up when his mate is hit. feed the monstern marks!

there. got the hyperbole meter working again. too bad it's made in japan.

[Wormwood]

let's offer a geeky white boy and see if the monstergod gags on him.

What? Are we fresh out of virgins and volcano's? :D

Seriously though, I don't hate Marks per se... I just really don't want to see him on the court with a lead of lesst than 30 points and more then 3 minutes left in the 4th. Nodack challenged why I thought he was the reason for the team giving up a lot of the lead in the 4th, so I tried to justify my answer. He really isn't able to play defense.

[cap]

edit: I went and reviewed the game, and Marks defensive screw ups were worth 17 points to the Kings.

8:07 Marks foul results in 2 FTs
7:32 Marks assignment scores for 2 from 10
3:55 Marks blows his assignment, resulting a foul and in 2 FTs made
2:45 Marks assignment gets the Offensive rebound, resulting in a immediate put back score
2:27 Marks gives up another offensive rebound to his man, and another 2 points immediately result from 5 feet
1:31 Marks assignment scores from 11 feet
1:01 Marks assignment scores from 13 feet
0:12 Marks fouls in the act of shooting, resulting in a 3 point play.

OK, there, I quantified my "gut feeling". I sucked all the intuition out of it. Happy? :D

Good post.

[Andy_S]

If we had left Skinner in, I think we probably would have only been -6 or so in the period. It's not all Mark's fault, I grant you, because other people were missing shots. But on the defensive end... I think he earns the lions share of the blame.

What blame? Is someone blaming Marks for something? He's not great, but honestly, are we blaming him for anything? We won the game decisively and Marks did not put our lead in jeopardy at any point. What is it that you are blaming him for?


Good post.

Yeah, brilliant. I now know that the last guy on our bench sucks when given big minutes. Call the press!

[Wormwood]

Andy,

Perhaps blame isn't precise enough. How about responsibility? You are right though, it's not big news that the 12th man blows. What is of interest is how more intriguing players like Tucker and DJ did. The purpose of my post on Marks was that I thought he had more to do with the 12 point differential in the 4th than the rookies.

[SwingMan]

I think I can help sort this out, Worm:

Pike, Banks and Marks are known quantities - they suck.

Give the rooks a chance, Mike.

[JustWinBaby]

Pike, Banks and Marks are known quantities - they suck.

Give the rooks a chance, Mike.

That is pretty clear to me and everyone else that watches.

[Mori_Chu]

Pike, Banks and Marks are known quantities - they suck.

I don't think Banks sucks. I think he's ineffective if he isn't used well. Also, he's enough of a veteran that he can't play consistently without a clear role. He hasn't been given even close to a clear role on this team to date.

Pike and Marks have a bit of talent, but I agree that compared to the rest of our roster, they suck. Mostly this is because neither of them can defend worth a lick. I actually like Marks's offensive game quite a bit; he attacks the rim and can shoot a mid-range jumper. But as Worm points out, he lets his man get right by him.

As for the rooks, I still have the unpopular belief that Tucker is the real keeper of the two. I think he's a guy we could throw out there in the 2nd and 4th quarters for some punch offense off the bench.

[Mori_Chu]

I think that if Coach wanted to get anything at all out of Banks, he'd go up to him and say, "Look, I don't care if you ever score another point again in your life. All I want from you is assists. I'll put you in while Nash is out, at the end of the odd-numbered quarters. You'll get about 12-15 minutes a night for now. Your job is to keep your eyes open and find the open man. The more assists you get, the more playing time I will give you. That is your role."

I think Banks would respond if Coach gave him a role like this and was true to his word.

[Wormwood]

I think that if Coach wanted to get anything at all out of Banks, he'd go up to him and say, "Look, I don't care if you ever score another point again in your life. All I want from you is assists. I'll put you in while Nash is out, at the end of the odd-numbered quarters. You'll get about 12-15 minutes a night for now. Your job is to keep your eyes open and find the open man. The more assists you get, the more playing time I will give you. That is your role."

I think Banks would respond if Coach gave him a role like this and was true to his word.

Assists and court awareness aren't exactly Banks' strong suit. We'd settle for Eddie House style gunner who can get hot and shoot us right back into any game. Right now, that's the best we can hope for out of Banks, because he has not done well as a distributor, and he's every bit the matador House was on defense.

[Andy_S]

Andy,

Perhaps blame isn't precise enough. How about responsibility? You are right though, it's not big news that the 12th man blows. What is of interest is how more intriguing players like Tucker and DJ did. The purpose of my post on Marks was that I thought he had more to do with the 12 point differential in the 4th than the rookies.

But again, I don't even understand why we're assigning responsibility for losing the 4th quarter. The outcome of the game was never in question. Yes, we would have won by more points if we had not had Marks in there, but so what? This is a non-issue of epic proportions, if such an uninteresting epic is even possible.

[cap]

Andy,

Perhaps blame isn't precise enough. How about responsibility? You are right though, it's not big news that the 12th man blows. What is of interest is how more intriguing players like Tucker and DJ did. The purpose of my post on Marks was that I thought he had more to do with the 12 point differential in the 4th than the rookies.

But again, I don't even understand why we're assigning responsibility for losing the 4th quarter.

He’s trying to make the case that the -12 differential is not a reflection of the rookies. Is it really that hard to follow?

[Nodack]

I don't think so. I get what he was trying to say.

The Rookies going 6-18 had nothing at all to do with the -12.