Game Day@ Jazz @ Suns

[SwingMan]

Let's try this again, shall we?

How far over 50 is Boozer gonna get tonight?

Dis∙cuss

[Uncle_Gene]

This is a true test against a team that beat the Suns 3-1 last season. Gotta crash the boards and execute tonight.

Jazz come in off a bad loss to Portland in their gym, they're playing the Suns tonight, and the game's on national television. So there's extra incentive for them to show up and try to dominate.

[DrSublime]

even tho the Jazz scare me i dont see them dropping 3 in a row. they should pull this one out.

[jed]

The first of a few games that will tell us a lot. And about the worst thing that could happen to us is to go 2-2. We almost need a great or poor showing to make us think about perfecting what we have or looking to make a move.

[Uncle_Gene]

Word. This is a tough stretch of games coming up. Jazz, Hornets, Spurs, Mavs, Raps, and Lakers.

I say the Suns go 4-2. I'd accept that.

[darrkin]

I think the biggest issue with our team right now is simply our ability to hit outside shots consistently. Lets face it we are not big or strong, so rebounding and solid defense are never gonna be that great with this team. We also need to play very energetic to be better at spacing and rebounding-that has also been missing last two games. I think, we were just a bit worn out because anyone that has seen last few games would have to say we looked way slower in losses than in the wins. I noticed at the end of both these games, when we were trying to come back the energy level picked up, we started to look better. Even Nash looked kinda slow until the end when he had that great pass. We need two or three guys taking it strong to the hoop at once to open things up. Barbs was off, I think he wasnt feeling great as he usually will run around more, rather than just settle for threes. I still think we need a small trade for another guard like a Ridnour type, also another big would be nice but not sure will happen. I also really feel that it would help give us more energy and speed to play Straw some, the guy is athletic as hell and gives us some youth and energy. May even be time to look at Banks for some minutes. I love Amare and kinda like Diaw, but I think they are kinda the weak links right now with their lack of hustle. I notice they dont seem to run floor like they used to consistently, which is reflected in rebounds. Oh by the way, we need a big win-----BAD!!

[ShelC]

Are u talking points or rebounds? I thikn skinner has to see at least 22 minutes tonight to keep Boozer and Milsapp in check. You cant go small against frontcourt players like them.

[darrkin]

Word. This is a tough stretch of games coming up. Jazz, Hornets, Spurs, Mavs, Raps, and Lakers.

I say the Suns go 4-2. I'd accept that.

We have to win the Lakers and Spurs game....If we lose those two people are gonna be jumping outta buildings. BTW, I hate to admit it but right now I think the Lakers look real tough, they got youth and good shooters all over the place...

[Mori_Chu]

Several Jazz players got banged up last night against the Blazers. Are any of them out for tonight's game?

Assuming that the Jazz are at full strength, I say they beat us. Jazz are big and strong and also athletic, and we seem like we're content not to be any of those things. We're reeling and not ready for the challenge we're about to face in these next several games. Hope I'm wrong.

[ShelC]

I think Okur may be out.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

Start Skinner

[Uncle_Gene]

Word.

[Superbone]

Suns will win tonight. I can feel it deep in my bones.

[Mori_Chu]

One of my favorite things Coach did all last season was when he briefly started James Jones. I loved it BECAUSE Jones clearly wasn't one of our best 5 players. I thought it was great to spread out our firepower that way so that as the game went on, especially when Nash went to the bench, we still had good players coming in to keep our momentum.

I am beginning to think that the Suns' best starting 5 would be:

Nash, Barbosa, Marion, Amare, Skinner

Then, off the bench you still have Raja's shooting, Hill's playmaking, and Diaw's ... whatever Diaw does. Try to minimize the time that Amare and Diaw are both out there. Throw in a DJ or Banks sighting with that and you have my ideal rotation.

[Spanky]

Utah is going to be on the run like Warren Jeffs tonight... LETS go boys.

[darrkin]

One of my favorite things Coach did all last season was when he briefly started James Jones. I loved it BECAUSE Jones clearly wasn't one of our best 5 players. I thought it was great to spread out our firepower that way so that as the game went on, especially when Nash went to the bench, we still had good players coming in to keep our momentum.

I am beginning to think that the Suns' best starting 5 would be:

Nash, Barbosa, Marion, Amare, Skinner

Then, off the bench you still have Raja's shooting, Hill's playmaking, and Diaw's ... whatever Diaw does. Try to minimize the time that Amare and Diaw are both out there. Throw in a DJ or Banks sighting with that and you have my ideal rotation.


I agree!! We need something thats for sure, whats most annoying is that you get the feeling the team isnt really trying that hard all the time. Hopefully its something as simple as hustle. Barbs has looked better as a starter recently, but not sure that willl happen. I notice when Raja hesitates with his shot we look bad. Let it fly baby, I also think we will win tonight, I'm gonna pretend the last two games didnt happen

[scosuns]

I really hope we can win. But to be honest, I'm not feeling so confident. I know the Jazz are on a losing streak, but this team is not showing confidence right now. I hope we can quiet the critics. I know the Jazz are struggling right now, but that still would be an impressive win. And maybe, maybe we can see some other bench players?

[Wormwood]

Utah is not a team we match up well against (we were 1-3 aginst them last year). Tonight could be ugly... If it is, I'm not sure what the FO will do.

[AlanS]

Of course we focus on the Suns and their struggles. But this is the record for Western teams in their last 10 games, as of 12/11:

• Warriors 8-2
• Spurs 8-2
• Suns 6-4
• Rockets 5-5
• Jazz 5-5
• Nuggets 5-5
• Lakers 5-5
• Mavs 5-5
• Hornets 5-5
• Blazers 5-5
• Kings 4-6
• Grizzlies 3-7
• Sonics 3-7
• T-wolves 2-8
• Clippers 2-8

I imagine almost the entire Western Conf is in panic mode right now.

[scosuns]

Reading the interviews, it doesn't seem like they're freaked out over the 2 game losing streak at all. I don't know how much 3 games would change it, but, lets hope we don't have to face that question.

[AlanS]

I am beginning to think that the Suns' best starting 5 would be:

Nash, Barbosa, Marion, Amare, Skinner

Then, off the bench you still have Raja's shooting, Hill's playmaking, and Diaw's ... whatever Diaw does. Try to minimize the time that Amare and Diaw are both out there. Throw in a DJ or Banks sighting with that and you have my ideal rotation.

Since Skinner is a bench player, he can play with a lot of energy and not worry about fouls, because he knows his minutes will be short. It's an open question as to whether he could play starter minutes, ie, 25+ minutes. In his prior 9 seasons, he's never averaged 30+ minutes, and he's averaged more than 25 minutes just twice. And he is 31.

So... it remains to be seen if it's realistic to expect Brian to effectively play the kind of minutes you'd want from a guy who starts.

[sehan]

Despite all my complaints, here is some perspective.

Watching the Houston and Detroit game on ESPN and the score is 63 to 68 with about 5 min to go in the fourth. How painful is that.

[UOducks4life]

Our boys came to play tonight.

Anyone know which game the Suns be participating in NBA Heritage Week? I want to see some throwbacks circa '76 or '92.

[JackArse]

Despite all my complaints, here is some perspective.

Watching the Houston and Detroit game on ESPN and the score is 63 to 68 with about 5 min to go in the fourth. How painful is that.

you forgot to mention that at that time houston was 3 of 18 from the ft line

[triplethreat06]

Ugh, our bench just cannot score.

[JackArse]

aye, baskets aren't dropping, but that at least seem to be putting some effort out there. msot of those shots are ones they usually make.

i think we need a strength coach or something.. i see the jazz guys and everyone of them have these freakin guns.. and we have.. ropes.

[BORISDIAW4MVP]

I don't understand how D'Antoni can expect that lineup to score at all. It was a failure last game. We need at leas one of the big 3 out there at all times. Amare, Skinner, Diaw, Hill, Barbosa would be ideal, because then at least we could try to iso Amare if nothing else is working.
I am impressed so far with the stellar D being played. We're playing active D and coming up with a lot of deflections.

[triplethreat06]

Barbosa is passing up shots he normally takes and Diaw is taking shots he normally passes out of.

[BORISDIAW4MVP]

Boozer has incredible touch and that fadeaway is just about automatic. Imagine if he had stayed in Cleveland with Lebron. Scary.

[JackArse]

im' watching the espn feed instead of the fsnaz.. and van bundy mentioned one thing. the marion/amare lineup is the easist to guard. because they can't spread the floor..

[BORISDIAW4MVP]

Barbosa is passing up shots he normally takes and Diaw is taking shots he normally passes out of.

I'm actually liking what I'm seeing out of both of those guys tonight, although it's just awful to watch Barbosa try and create with his head down. Keep your eyes up.

[UOducks4life]

Nash really is Canadian.

[JackArse]

wow.. nash chipped his tooth on that last play. he started talking like he lost his two front teeth in the interview on the way back in.

[sehan]

im' watching the espn feed instead of the fsnaz.. and van bundy mentioned one thing. the marion/amare lineup is the easist to guard. because they can't spread the floor..

Actually he was talking about Marion/Skinner/Amare line up. But I like it. Keeps Amare off the other big man.. and we are clearing up the boards.

Of course Mike quickly goes away from it after possessions. UGH.

[AmareIsGod]

That was hilarious! Nash is one funny ass dude. ESPN had a PRICELESS interview with him at the half. WOW! Turn to ESPN for a recap!

[Suns_Dave]

Boozer smacked him in the teeth.

A few years ago, that would have been Malone and Nash would have needed 40 stitches to repair the damage! And that was one of the all-time classic interviews!

[JackArse]

i really hate scoop jackson.. who the fuck is he blackmailing that he has a job?

spurs can't win the championship because they're not a back to back champion.. ok..
the jazz are formidable..
denver is formidable.. WHAT?
suns can't win because they don't play defense..

and denver does?? melo and ai are two of the worst defenders in the league.

oh well.. he's retarded.. i should consider the source.

[AlanS]

So far, this is a fun, competitive game to watch. As a basketball fan I love it. Still remains to be seen who wins.

People keep complining about the defense of both the Suns AND Jazz, but both teams are really at it defensively. Suns have 5 steals and 7 blocks AT HALFTIME. Also they are holding the Jazz, who lead the NBA in FG% with 49.5% shooting to 44.4% shooting in the first half.

Meanwhile the Jazz are holding the Suns to 43.2% shooting. The Suns are ranked 2nd in the NBA in shooting, at 49.4%. Hill is 0/6, Amare is 3/7... can the Suns win if that kind of shooting continues? (Amare is working on making a living at the line; he's 5/5 so far on FTs.)

Once again, the Suns 3PT shooting woes continue. So far, Suns are 3/9 from the arc.

One highlight is, Suns and Jazz are even in offensive rebounds, at 7 each. Anytime the Suns can stay even on the boards, it's news.

So... it's a defensive minded game featuring two of the NBA's premier offensive teams. But it has been fun.

> Shawn has blown 2 layups. Wassup with that?

[darrkin]

Good defense by Amare but where is his explosive offense...tough game we need to get this grind out game

[Xcon]

> Shawn has blown 2 layups. Wassup with that?

Father Time?

[sunsdotcom]

1/4 shooting for barbosa?

[SwingMan]

Amare's playing at half-speed - good for record re-mastering, shitty for basketball.

Diaw? He needs a foot broken off in his ass.....

[darrkin]

we need Raja and Barbs and Grant to hit shots...WTF why cant these great shooters , shoot??

[JackArse]

so far..
nash 22 pt/9 ast/6 rb
amare 11 pt/5 rb/5 blk
marion 17 pt/10 rb/4 blk

[ShelC]

That play by Boris tells you its not about heart or him dogging it. He just needs to stay aggressive every minute hes out there. Thats the conundrum for us.

[Squeege63]

That play by Boris tells you its not about heart or him dogging it. He just needs to stay aggressive every minute hes out there. Thats the conundrum for us.

yeah

and there is another play for diaw being aggressive. we need that.

And I agree about our shooters. WTF

[ShelC]

Wow....this is the boris we know and love people!


I love that we're attacking and be aggressive going to the basket rather than settling for long jumpers, which is our tendency when Stevies leaves the game.

[JackArse]

someone must've pissed him off. there's always some play that someone pisses him off, then he just starts going nuts. just like in the lakers series 2 years ago, when kwame stood over him, something clicked.

[JackArse]

now see.. i hate this, you let them play physical the whole game, then in the last 6 minutes, you start calling this ticky tack shit. call the game the same.. for both teams.. the whole way.

[darrkin]

The Amare of old would thrown that down over Kirelinko, thanks Marion for getting it in anyway!

[darrkin]

Great win, finally......we still dont look right, but if guys like Raja and Barbs can ever make shots we will be much better. If this keeps up we have to get another hired gun, Eddie House or "Q" type....

[SwingMan]

The Amare of old would thrown that down over Kirelinko, thanks Marion for getting it in anyway!

Amare got blocked from the side, darrk.....

Fugly, but a win, no thanks to Raja and Babs.

[darrkin]

Ive been on the sauce pretty hard tonight, so maybe i missed that, but i remember in the summer tournament Amare was looking real explosive, hopefully he can get that back, as right now hes off. Good game though, we needed and got a big win. We will need to hit shots though, and all our horses will need to be on to get SA in on monday in their crib.

[y2jjedipimp]

The streak is over!!!!

Marion is looking like an MVP.

Nash what a priceless interview.

Doris he had 2 good plays all game...and ill sound like a broken record when i say "whay can't he do that more?" That just shows you how lazy he really is. They aught to make him wear a pink jersey.

Babs you been hanging out with Doris 2 much youre game is in the shitter right now

Mike D what the hell are you thinking? I'll never understand him. I like him as a coach but hes starting to get under my skin with his sub patterns. SKinner 9 mins? Raja 35 mins with 2 pts?

Don't get me wrong I love winning games but a win liek this doesnt make our team better in the long run. No subs...no subs no subs. Raja doesnt need to play 35 mins when hes playing bad. I know hes a good defender but so i s DJ and hes only a rookie.

also Bill Walton just mentioned the Suns have had the 2nd easiest schedule so far...

...food 4 thought. Go Suns

[sehan]

And whats with Mike D calling every single play down the stretch.... wonder what that meeting was all about.

[darrkin]

And whats with Mike D calling every single play down the stretch.... wonder what that meeting was all about.


Kerr and Sarver said Coach, you need to win the next 4 games in a row or we kill your family...somethin like that anyway

[AZSportsFan]

The fans are as disinterested in the season as the team seems to be. Three years ago and this thread would be ten pages long. This was the Jazz. Hated enemy. Hard-fought but poor-shooting game.

[Superbone]

Boozer has incredible touch and that fadeaway is just about automatic. Imagine if he had stayed in Cleveland with Lebron. Scary.

Don't ever forget that Boozer is not a man of his word.

[SpecialSauce]

I was at the game tonight....but I couldn't cheer because I'm sick and have no voice :( Sucks when you wanna root them on but all you can do is clap (However I did fit in quite nicely with all the jerkoffs that sit on their hands). Fun game, Boris played GREAT!!!!!!!! Amare looked like he didn't have any lift at all.....ALL of his shots fell short and he just didn't have the explosiveness...I'm sure he'll get more consistent as the season goes on. He had some nice blocks, and some blocks that were called fouls that SHOULDN'T have been. LB.................TRADE HIM for the love of God. He just....eugh. I just don't like him touching the ball unless it's a wide open three or to finish a fastbreak really. I don't even like his penetration, too often it's wild and out of control. And what is with him taking people out on defense running around like a headless chicken?

BTW this is Saucy officially known now as SpecialSauce (Credit goes to!?!?? I can't remember who on this board always calls me that....swing? will the real owner of "special sauce" please stand up!)

[Superbone]

That play by Boris tells you its not about heart or him dogging it. He just needs to stay aggressive every minute hes out there. Thats the conundrum for us.

I think what really got him going tonight was having Harpring on him. Harpring just pisses you off when he guards you. Boris plays much better when he's angry.

[Shabazz]

i really hate scoop jackson.. who the fuck is he blackmailing that he has a job?

spurs can't win the championship because they're not a back to back champion.. ok..
the jazz are formidable..
denver is formidable.. WHAT?
suns can't win because they don't play defense..

and denver does?? melo and ai are two of the worst defenders in the league.

oh well.. he's retarded.. i should consider the source.

I think you mean Screamin A' Smith and I couldn't agree more. The guy is the definition of the word "blowhard." He thinks if he yells at you he's making a good point. Whoever made the decision to put him and Walton on the same halftime show should be fired. I'd rather watch "2 girls 1 cup" on a 15 minute loop than listen to those two match "wits."

[SwingMan]

BTW this is Saucy officially known now as SpecialSauce (Credit goes to!?!?? I can't remember who on this board always calls me that....swing? will the real owner of "special sauce" please stand up!)

Tom Leander, Saucy. You sure you wanna be forever linked with a Leanderism?

[ShelC]

Harpring also wasnt being smart by playing up so close. If anything give Boris the jump shot. I wont complain tho. Boris was doing everything right, and got that whip baseline pass off twice the same way.

[AlanS]

[1] I feel bad for the Jazz. They played their hearts out - as did the Suns - but they self destructed at the foul line. Just 7/13 from the foul line in the 4th qtr? You're not gonna win a close game with lousy foul shooting like that.

[2] Boris Diaw reminds me of a joke that Charles Barkley made about a teammate: "I call him Sports Illustrated, because he only shows up once a week." In the second half, Boris played as well as I've seen him play. Finally, he goes to the basket, accepts the contact, and finishes the play. Plus he scores on a tough offensive rebound.

But like they say: If it happens once it's an accident; if it happens twice, it's a coincidence; if it happens 3 times it's a trend. Until Boris can put together a string of good games, I will consider this game a fluke. But yeah: for a brief and shining moment, he was great.

[3] Shawn Marion had a huge game, no question. Nuff said.

[4] Suns, 29 rebs, 15 off. Jazz, 32 rebs, 17 off. I can live with that. The Suns were even enough on the boards that it didn't kill us this game.

[5] Suns won, but this was not a great game. 4/17 from the arc... yuck. Amare 6/18, Bell 1/8, Hill 4/14... yuck. Suns committing 15 turnovers... yuck. Suns needing Jazz to miss 10 of 27 FTs in order to win... yuck. This was not a pretty win. But a W is a W.

[6] While the offense was not great, you have to give credit to the defensive effort. 9 steals, 15 blocks... wow. I do wonder, though: playing defense like that takes a lot of energy. I had the impression that the players on both sides were battling fatigue at the end. I think that was a factor in Amare missing some shots at the end.

If the Suns are going play hard on 'D' and 'O', it's crucial that the bench guys produce. Today's bench contributions were OK, but we'll need to see more of this, a lot more. We'll see how this plays out.

[ShelC]

Marion didnt play like a 20mil player tonight, but he definitely played like a 16mil player tonight. He was literally everywhere at once. He was in true Matrix form.

[jed]

That is true, Shel. If we see more games like this from Marion, then fans like me will be happy to shut up about lackluster play, trades or whatever. As long as that is happening and all is well in the locker room, we'll be in great shape.

[Shabazz]

I thought it was one of our best efforts all season. Our energy made up for the fact that the shots weren't falling.
It seems while Amare is rounding into shape he only has the energy to go balls-out on either the offensive or defensive end, not both. Tonight he was very active defensively and his offensive suffered a little as a result.
I actually thought Skinner played an appropriate amount tonight. It wasn't the best game for his skill-set. We did give Millsap a few too many O-rebs, but we got a bunch of our own too.
Barbosa had another off night shooting, but at least he wasn't forcing. I think he'll snap out of his funk soon. Majerle made the good point last game that his first shot each game should come on a drive so he can get a good feel for things.

[SpecialSauce]

Tom Leander, Saucy. You sure you wanna be forever linked with a Leanderism?

Shit!! You're kidding me!!!!!!! OMG great. Well, looks like I'm stuck with this. I don't wanna bother Sose with it again so just deal with it. It is now a requirement to shout a leanderism any time and every time you quote any of my statements.

[LU]

im' watching the espn feed instead of the fsnaz.. and van bundy mentioned one thing. the marion/amare lineup is the easist to guard. because they can't spread the floor..
Yeah, right... in fact when he coached Houston, his team made an excellent job at guarding the suns....

[Mori_Chu]

Great win! Marion, Nash, Amare, and (gasp!) Diaw made me proud. Hill and Raja were a little off, but Grant did have a few good drives to the basket. LB still isn't quite right; not sure why.

Diaw really got me excited with those strong drives to the basket. That's what I'm talking about! I hope he has more of that in store for us in the future.

Despite everyone's comments about Amare being a step slow, I love what he's doing for our defense. He is rejecting shots, bothering other shots, helping out on D, and just generally doing good things on that end of the floor. I'm actually very pleased with his play on defense lately. As long as he keeps the fouls down, he's a great asset on that end. It's especially fun to watch him with Skinner, swallowing up every board and making every inside shot a nightmare.

Steve Nash, what a warrior. Gets a tooth knocked out, keeps right on playing, and comes up with a huge scoring night. And Shawn Marion was playing with fire in his veins. Loved it.

What a team! I really don't think we should be making any panic trades of our core players right now. When we're on, we're really on. Now if we could just find one more rotation guy... :-)

[SwingMan]

Shit!! You're kidding me!!!!!!! OMG great. Well, looks like I'm stuck with this. I don't wanna bother Sose with it again so just deal with it. It is now a requirement to shout a leanderism any time and every time you quote any of my statements.

As God is my witness Saucy, I'm not kidding.

Leander applies the "special sauce" phrase every time a Sun makes a funky lay-up - i.e. "And there's NASH with the special sauce up and in".

I'd think up another moniker and talk to Sose again - I think he'll understand, considering the circumstances.....

[JustWinBaby]

{Diaw? He needs a foot broken off in his ass.....}

Swing said it all.

By the way I still ain't impressed by a couple of three point plays and a couple of passes and one tough rebound. I need a whole lot more to believe that Doris isn't the worst contract in the league.

It is really unfortunate that he cannot see his problems himself, he is in denial. I assume that he watches game film with the team and coaching staff. I would quite frankly be embarassed at my horrible passive play for the most part since I can't remember when. It started in Atlanta went away for a short time to get a contract and has reappeared for the most part since then.

I still think Doris needs to be moved if it all possible. A few good minutes proves nothing in my book.

If you were on this team and watching game film with Doris - my bet is that most of you would already have broken your foot off in his ass.

Unforutnately Doris probably would like it.

[JustWinBaby]

Shooting guards that can't shoot:

This has been one of the worse stretches for Raja and LB that I can remember except for the playoffs.

Both Raja and LB just can't seem to get it going. Historically they have been very good shooters for our team. I don't know what is wrong, they are getting good looks their shots are just not going down.

If they would have just had a bad shooting night last night against the Jazz we would have blown them out. When we get 7 for 28 from Bell, LB and Hill we are going to struggle. Virtually all of those 7 made shots were at the rim. The only consistent jump shooter all night was Nash.

The good news is everyone played hard but without tremendous games from both Nash and Shawn we lose, by a lot.

Since we are basically in no position to make a trade, our legit tradeable assets are required for our team to succeed, we have to go with what we have.

Mori suggested that we start LB and put Raja on the bench. I think that could be a possible solution, to get LB going. However LB is playing the back up PG role and is substituted mid way in the first quarter to get in the flow of the game for Nash's rest time.

Thus I believe it is up to both Boris and LB to step up their game, that is the answer.

Both of them have been in the same role since the return of STAT last year, you would think they would have gotten it by now. Boris needs to be more agressive and LB has to be a pass first shoot 2nd player, when Nash is on the bench. He does not have to be Nash, he just must keep the ball moving. We have been far too easy to guard with the ball stuck in his hands far too long and having him take virtually every shot.

Oh, and when Raja, LB and Hill make the shots they should, life will be just fine.

Go Suns

[darrkin]

Shooting guards that can't shoot:

This has been one of the worse stretches for Raja and LB that I can remember except for the playoffs.

Both Raja and LB just can't seem to get it going. Historically they have been very good shooters for our team. I don't know what is wrong, they are getting good looks their shots are just not going down.

If they would have just had a bad shooting night last night against the Jazz we would have blown them out. When we get 7 for 28 from Bell, LB and Hill we are going to struggle. Virtually all of those 7 made shots were at the rim. The only consistent jump shooter all night was Nash.

The good news is everyone played hard but without tremendous games from both Nash and Shawn we lose, by a lot.

Since we are basically in no position to make a trade, our legit tradeable assets are required for our team to succeed, we have to go with what we have.

Mori suggested that we start LB and put Raja on the bench. I think that could be a possible solution, to get LB going. However LB is playing the back up PG role and is substituted mid way in the first quarter to get in the flow of the game for Nash's rest time.

Thus I believe it is up to both Boris and LB to step up their game, that is the answer.

Both of them have been in the same role since the return of STAT last year, you would think they would have gotten it by now. Boris needs to be more agressive and LB has to be a pass first shoot 2nd player, when Nash is on the bench. He does not have to be Nash, he just must keep the ball moving. We have been far too easy to guard with the ball stuck in his hands far too long and having him take virtually every shot.

Oh, and when Raja, LB and Hill make the shots they should, life will be just fine.

Go Suns

Pretty much all true! We still need another x factor player though, and Eddie House or Q to add to our arsenal. Even announcers mentioned that we are a little then in the shooting dept now.

[Dustbuster]

The saddest thing about Diaw is that he is pretty much impossible to guard...except for most of the time he doesn't really need to be guarded because he will limit himself just fine. When he has a mind to, he has a unique combination of skill, speed, strength (weird, I know), and fundamentals that few people can stay in front of. All that limits him is his own passivity. Remember the story of how Diaw beat everyone on the team in the vertical competition - that goes to show he's got the athleticism, he just doesn't use it consistently.

I, for one, am glad to hear D'Antoni getting on him a bit. Boris has gotten a free pass from D'Antoni most of the time. We get that he is the kind of skilled player that the coach likes...but that shouldn't exclude him from criticism when he is not playing up to his potential.

Glad to see the Suns pull off the win. Hopefully they will take a little confidence into the next stretch of games.

[JustWinBaby]

Pretty much all true! We still need another x factor player though, and Eddie House or Q to add to our arsenal. Even announcers mentioned that we are a little then in the shooting dept now.

The problem is who can we get, without trading someone called Shawn, Amare, Nash, LB or Raja.

Other than them we have no trading leverage at all, and we need most of those players.

One move, which is probably pie in the sky, I would try to make is.

Diaw for Andre Miller.( It can be done even though Boris is a BYC player, by using the Thomas Trade exception from Seattle)

I would then sign PJ Brown.

Unfortunately I doubt PHillie would cooperate and Sarver is willing to pay more LT. If he really wants a title, he will have to.

While Andre is not a shooter, I have always respected his play and is agressive. Our shooters Raja, and LB will get more shots which is a good thing. The best thing is I will no longer have to watch LB running this team. Rather I will just watch him score, which is what he does best.

By dumping Boris we would free up minutes to play both Skinner and PJ, which is a very good thing. We would rebound and play better defense - isn't that what everyone tells us we need to do.

OH well - I had a dream

Go Suns

[darrkin]

If we could get another pg like Andre Miller, would be awesome......

[MTSunsFan]

This from the ESPN recap game notes:


Phoenix improved to 10-1 against teams with a .500 or better record.

Awesome. And how about Amare w/ 6 (!) blocks last night?!

[OE]

If we make a move, we need to make a move for a center. It's that simple. One strong rebounder/shotblocker off the bench (or hell, in the starting line-up) would shore up a lot of our defensive deficiencies.

Unfortunately, even those centers who are underperforming are still performing better than Boris. If, for example, we offered Diaw for Samuel Dalembert, we'd be laughed off. We'd have to throw in ATL's pick before we could even begin the conversation. Brendan Haywood would be ideal as well. Or Dampier. (Or Camby, of course) Or Sheed. Or Zo. Or Bogut. Or Chandler. Or Brad Miller. But I just listed a bunch of names we could not possibly get back in trade unless we gave up one of our main guys - which would be a mistake.

One guy in our theoretical price range is Dan Gadzuric, but the Bucks would not want Diaw in exchange when they have Jianlian and Villanueva (two similar players) already in their rotation.

Skinner's good. I like Skinner. But we really do need a 5 who is not actually a 4. We really do. We're not the fastest, most high-flying team in the league any more. Not by a long shot. We still have overwhelming talent, but if we're easy to exploit on defense, it won't matter.

God I love Shawn Marion!

[Dustbuster]

This team seems to need shooters as much as anything right now. When our shooters are on - we are unstoppable. When they are off, we need a heroic effort in other areas just to stay competitive. I agree that we need more depth at the big spots, but there is some question as to how much they are going to get played. D'Antoni would play shooters.

The question is: why did the Suns draft two players that are marginal shooters? I actually like both of our rookies, but if they were more pure shooters I think they actually might get some burn.

[Velo]

we need joe johnson.

what about diaw / barbosa / hawks #1 to atlanta for jj?

[Velo]

oh, and what about shawn FREAKING marion last night? that was some great hustle.

[ShelC]

that hawks pcik is goin to be useless, just like some of us said it would be when we made the deal 3 years ago.

[Dustbuster]

that hawks pcik is goin to be useless, just like some of us said it would be when we made the deal 3 years ago.

I'm afraid you are right, Shel. It is going to be just like the Bulls pick. I envision a pick somewhere around #14, which is unlikely to provide us a strong impact player, which means D'Antoni won't play him. It also means the chances of using the pick as a way of ditching a salary or "staying within financial restraints" by selling the pick goes even higher.

Revisionist history, I know, but I wish things had worked out differently with JJ. I always thought that JJ/Amare would be a great tandem to build a different kind of team for the future around after Nash is gone.

[Nate]

Shooting guards that can't shoot:

This has been one of the worse stretches for Raja and LB that I can remember except for the playoffs.

Both Raja and LB just can't seem to get it going . Historically they have been very good shooters for our team. I don't know what is wrong, they are getting good looks their shots are just not going down.

If they would have just had a bad shooting night last night against the Jazz we would have blown them out. When we get 7 for 28 from Bell, LB and Hill we are going to struggle. Virtually all of those 7 made shots were at the rim. The only consistent jump shooter all night was Nash.

The good news is everyone played hard but without tremendous games from both Nash and Shawn we lose, by a lot.

Since we are basically in no position to make a trade, our legit tradeable assets are required for our team to succeed, we have to go with what we have.

Mori suggested that we start LB and put Raja on the bench. I think that could be a possible solution, to get LB going. However LB is playing the back up PG role and is substituted mid way in the first quarter to get in the flow of the game for Nash's rest time.

Thus I believe it is up to both Boris and LB to step up their game, that is the answer.

Both of them have been in the same role since the return of STAT last year, you would think they would have gotten it by now. Boris needs to be more agressive and LB has to be a pass first shoot 2nd player, when Nash is on the bench. He does not have to be Nash, he just must keep the ball moving. We have been far too easy to guard with the ball stuck in his hands far too long and having him take virtually every shot.

Oh, and when Raja, LB and Hill make the shots they should, life will be just fine.

Go Suns


Reality check:

Raja Bell, last 10 games: 13.5 pts; 43.7 fg%; 41.4 3pt%; 100% ft%

These are actually pretty good percentages for somebody whose shots are mostly long jump shots. What you wrote is true for Barbosa, though.

Edit: Everybody has stretches of two or three games, so we have to look at at least a few more games to spot shooting trends. So if Raja had two or three off games in that stretch, his performance in the other six or seven games must have been formidable.

[INFORMER]

That was an amazing game. The Suns played great, and Marion was incredible. Very nice win.

[Billyjoejimbob]

also Bill Walton just mentioned the Suns have had the 2nd easiest schedule so far...

...food 4 thought. Go Suns

He also mentioned that watching the Houston and Detroit game and then watching the Suns against Utah was like watching two different sports. I actually laughed at that, Walton usually causes me to mute the TV.

[Superbone]

that hawks pcik is goin to be useless, just like some of us said it would be when we made the deal 3 years ago.

Oh, c'mon! You know we were this close to getting pick no. 4 last year in one of the deepest drafts ever.

[scosuns]

Good win last night. Close game, but we still pulled it out. And Nash looked freaking awesome with that chipped tooth. He looked mean.

[ShelC]

Yea well, we were this close to winning a chip the past 3 years. As a suns fan, ive learned not to rely on chance when it comes to this franchise.

[Shabazz]

that hawks pcik is goin to be useless, just like some of us said it would be when we made the deal 3 years ago.

How dare you knock the franchise's most prized asset. The one that allows us to trade every other draft pick from 3 years ago until 2014 because "we still have the Atlanta pick"


.....Fast forward 8 months to the draft party.....

Sarver: "With the 19th pick in the 2008 NBA draft the Phoenix Suns select AMARE STOUDEMIRE.......and $3 million which will help us keep our core together for one more year."

[Mori_Chu]

I don't think a pick in the 11-15 range is useless at all. There are plenty of interesting players usually around in that range if you draft intelligently. I'm still happy to have it, and I bet we can find a useful player to bolster our rotation with it.

[ShelC]

Its not useless but MikeD tends to think picks in that range cant have the impact a championship caliber team needs.

[JackArse]

Reality check:

Raja Bell, last 10 games: 13.5 pts; 43.7 fg%; 41.4 3pt%; 100% ft%

These are actually pretty good percentages for somebody whose shots are mostly long jump shots. What you wrote is true for Barbosa, though.

Edit: Everybody has stretches of two or three games, so we have to look at at least a few more games to spot shooting trends. So if Raja had two or three off games in that stretch, his performance in the other six or seven games must have been formidable.

also, they did mention that barbosa is the 2nd leading scorer among bench scorers.
he's going ot have his slumps, would rather see it now than later. and raja started to find his range, just a little off. no skeries for me right now.. let me know at game 60.

[ShelC]

Raja still needs to shoot more when hes open rather than head faking and dribbling in. Let it fly!

[JediSkywalker]

I was at the game last night. It was an entertaining game, with the outcome undecided with 15 sec left. Only after the Suns got 5 point lead, I relaxed. The Suns played with more energy than I have seen him this season. Nash and Marion were GREAT! The Suns blocked 13 shots! Who says they can't play defense? Last night they could not play offense, except for Nash and Marion, or this would have been an easy win for the Suns (not that I would mind it but that would have created false hopes).

Raja, Grant, LB all had subpar games. Boris created some excitement with a couple of great plays (2+1 pointers). Even when he was not scoring- in the first half- he was taking the shots. I hope this stays. Amare and Shawn both missed some easy layups. Grant made one sensational play- he actually went down on the court and the shot fell in the basket. There were many really good plays last night, from both sides. Nash seemed determined not to lose this time, and the Suns did not. They could not have pulled it off without Marion's defense, however. I hope he is feeling appreciated.

[jed]

that hawks pcik is goin to be useless, just like some of us said it would be when we made the deal 3 years ago.


I don't know, man. Maybe I'm pollyanna (or just far too aware of Hawks history) but I think it will still be decent. Lottery. Not a top pick, though. Shame, that.

[Uncle_Gene]

If we make a move, we need to make a move for a center. It's that simple. One strong rebounder/shotblocker off the bench (or hell, in the starting line-up) would shore up a lot of our defensive deficiencies.

My thoughts exactly !

[Phoenix219]

What would help our team out more (keepnig in mind that no matter how much we want him to change, Coach is going to be stubborn and stick to his philosophy), so really, what is more useful at this point? A big that won't play? Or a 3 point shooter to spread the floor and open things up for the bigs that we do have?

[Wormwood]

Or a 3 point shooter to spread the floor and open things up for the bigs that we do have?

Oh, you mean like Eric Piatkowski?

I've been saying since the pre-season that with the team getting older, we're better off running a 3-big rotation, with a two-headed center-monster like Oberto and Elson on the Spurs. I really think we'd do better playing a little more conventionally when teams are just beating the hell out of us on the inside. Also, I'd love to see how TD does when he's being tag teamed all game by guys like Skinner and KT.

Alas.

[Mori_Chu]

I'd rather have another shooter than another big, right now. Not that I wouldn't take both. But I just don't think we'd play that big very much, given our system and how Coach likes to play.

I was a little jealous that the Heat picked up Luke Jackson for peanuts. Sounds like he may help with their guard rotation and shooting. There have got to be several sharpshooting 2s in the DL or out there as FAs, right?

[OE]

Oh I see. We finally win a game, and you whiners can only manage 7 pages of posts on the game day thread? There's always like 5 billion pages when we lose! And you call yourselves fans! Haters!

:wink:

Seriously, now. Seriously.

[misteradiant]

I've been saying since the pre-season that with the team getting older, we're better off running a 3-big rotation, with a two-headed center-monster like Oberto and Elson on the Spurs. I really think we'd do better playing a little more conventionally when teams are just beating the hell out of us on the inside. Also, I'd love to see how TD does when he's being tag teamed all game by guys like Skinner and KT.

Alas.

you must have meant skinner and amare or boris, right? 'cause kt isn't on the team any more, wormwood my friend. do you need me to send a doctor over to see to your health? this happened last summer. it's okay. we're still a great team. but skinner has replaced kt. shhhh.... i know. i know....

nodding his head solemly, he pats wormwood on the back.

i like the idea of running teams of amare and skinner as well as skinner and boris. i like brian's athleticism a hell of a lot. blocked shots are fun. they are aprt of what makes being a suns fan a blessing. who's got blocked shots stats? i bet the suns are top five in the league.

we need to play grant hill, steve nash and shawn marion together as often as possible.