Sunday's News: Determination and focus measured in toothpicks

[SwingMan]

Hornets end Suns' run at 4 (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0105suns.html)

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/pics/0105sunscover.jpg
Leandro Barbosa objects to a call as the Hornets' Chrls Paul looks on. Paul had 28 points and 10 assists.

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 5, 2008 09:29 PM

This is NBA life in the West. One day, you are on top of the toughest conference. The next day, you are another team in a clump of .600-plus threats.

You know it is a different Western Conference when New Orleans is nipping at your heels. And you know it's not the same Hornets when they seamlessly come off a Friday win at Golden State and survive with star David West sitting out and co-star Chris Paul missing 10 consecutive shots.

After 20 wins, Phoenix dropped a game for the first time that it led entering the fourth quarter in a 118-113 home loss Saturday night to New Orleans. The Hornets moved to 2-0 against Phoenix with 14 fourth-quarter points from Paul, who played all 48 minutes and tallied 28 points and 10 assists.
http://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gifhttp://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gif

"I think this is our biggest win of the season," Paul said.

Phoenix is 1-6 against teams that are among the top eight in the Western Conference.

New Orleans (23-11) trailed most of the final three quarters but led for the final 3:05 after Paul made a 3-pointer and Phoenix failed to get big stops, including a Morris Peterson 3-point play that made it 117-111 with 1:10 to go when Leandro Barbosa fouled him.

Phoenix's four-game win streak in the West ended with the Hornets' sixth consecutive road win, a club best since moving to New Orleans. The Hornets hurt the Suns in the usual places, scoring off pick-and-rolls and getting 22 second-chance points to overcome Phoenix's 53 percent shooting.

"(The Hornets) just kept doing it and doing it and doing it until somebody got a little tired of running around," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Barbosa, playing 38 minutes because the flu sent Raja Bell home after 2:36 of play, led Phoenix with 28. Steve Nash added 23 points and 11 assists.

"It was getting away from the beginning. We should've come out a long stronger, a lot harder. Defensively, we should've …" Suns center Amaré Stoudemire said before a silent pause to rub his head. "We've got to just get it together. We've got to all get on the same page. We're a veteran team. We should know our strategies. We should know what we're doing."

New Orleans lost West, averaging 19.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, when he fell late in Friday's win and bruised his hip. Once the Suns lost Bell, the other Suns guards picked up the slack. Barbosa blew by Hornets twice for layups to set up a stream of jumpers in his 14-point first quarter. Even against the league's fourth-best defense, there was plenty of scoring with no stops for a three-minute stretch.

Stoudemire forced New Orleans center Tyson Chandler to miss five early shots, but the Hornets led 34-31 after the first quarter, two nights after Phoenix gave up 33 to Seattle in the first.

Guard Marcus Banks hit three 3-pointers to put the Suns ahead, and Phoenix kept rolling to a 68-point first half, its best since Dec. 4 and a 22-point improvement over its first loss to New Orleans.

Nash went from distributing in the first quarter (five assists) to scoring in the second quarter (14 points), and Phoenix led 68-57 at halftime.

Report

Cheers

Suns guard Leandro Barbosa scored 28 points after Raja Bell went home sick but missed two crucial shots in crunch time.

Jeers

Shawn Marion made 2 of 9 shots, scoring only on two second-half dunks. His six points were his lowest since scoring two in a Nov. 20 win at Sacramento.

Player of the game

New Orleans guard Chris Paul missed 10 shots in a row and still wound up a hero with 14 fourth-quarter points to rally his team.

View from press row

That is two consecutive games that Marcus Banks did not figure to play but wound up being a positive influence in the first half. Playing because of Leandro Barbosa's foul trouble Thursday, Banks helped snap Phoenix out of its 4-for-22 funk but did not return in the second half. Playing because Raja Bell went home with the flu after 2:36 of play Saturday, Banks hit three consecutive 3-pointers that moved Phoenix in front to stay and earned him a second-half stint. Banks rarely is used, but he is 7 of 13 on 3-pointers in the past two weeks.

- Paul Coro

[SwingMan]

(The latest from Paul Coro's blog, which seems to echo our fear of the Paper Tiger label)

It's not the 1 loss. It's the six losses. (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/13986)

This is when a 1-game losing streak seems worse than a 4-game winning streak seems good.

Beating the teams the Suns downed didn't matter if they could not apply it to a better team. Playing defense as well as they did in the victories will silence no critics if they let New Orleans score 118 points on the second night of a road back-to-back with potential All-Star David West sitting out.

When the nation wonders why Suns Nation panics over a 23-10 team, tell all those people this and they should then understand. . . The Suns are 1-6 against the West's current playoff seeds.

That's two losses to New Orleans, one without Peja Stojakovic and one without West (the Hornets scored 21 points more than their season average Saturday). That's two losses to the Lakers, both in embarrassing fashion. That's one loss to Golden State, which shredded Phoenix's defense again. That's one loss to Dallas, a palatable one coming after Phoenix won at San Antonio even though that one came qualified with Tony Parker sitting out. Work on all you need and want in the other games but these are the teams that will be land mines on the road to glory.
Amare Stoudemire showed a lot of frustration after the game, ending an interview with a punch into his hand. Maybe he wanted to stay on Tyson Chandler. Maybe he wanted the ball more.

Just as New Orleans tightened Phoenix's lead to 95-94, the Suns went to Stoudemire and got points on the next three trips while Steve Nash was resting. But from there, the Suns' 58.3 percent shooter and leading scorer had two more shots -- a driving take he missed against Tyson Chandler with 6:02 to go and a meaningless 3-point shot at the end.

In that time, the Suns lost the game. Mike D'Antoni tried to ride the bench's play for half of the fourth quarter but it backfired. Boris Diaw and Marcus Banks both contributed more but Diaw had two early fourth-quarter miscues, passing on a shot to let the shot clock expire on one. He also missed a 3-pointer (he had shot nine all season) when the game was tied. He did re-tie the game with a layup, when he drove and fell down and got back up wide open for a Nash feed.

Nash did try to go to Stoudemire on a roll with 1:50 to go and New Orleans leading 112-109 but Chris Paul played it beautifully for a steal. Then there was the killer stretch from Leandro Barbosa, fouling Morris Peterson on a jump shot for a 3-point play that put New Orleans ahead 117-111 with 1:10 to go and then missing a runner and a 3-pointer on the next two trips with the score sitting at the same numbers. People may want Barbosa to start but the Suns sure could have used Raja Bell for the finish Saturday

[Dustbuster]

Can anyone get a read on this team? Are we are a contender, or not? Are we an elite team, or is our record a combination of the play of a good team combined with some fortuitous scheduling and lucky breaks with key injuries to other teams?

Some nights you think the team has turned the corner, and then...

The Suns actually played pretty well last night. I would have accepted that loss if it didn't fall into such a predictable pattern.

Where was Marion last night? When is coach going to stop playing Raja and let him heal? What happened to Nash's FT shooting?

Diaw actually played a very nice game. Banks was just what we needed him to be. Barbosa was great, for the most part. Nash, Hill, and Skinner were about what we expect from them.

Raja doesn't count, but Marion was terrible and I thought Amare was subpar.

Last night was one of those very, very rare games where the Suns were up on the glass all night and still lost, but it was a matter of execution in the end. Disappointing.

[wpmiller42]

Despite the loss, one positive to take away that I thought the effort was there for most of the game on both ends of the floor. Guys were going for rebounds, but many of them were just being tipped to hornets. Plus, I think Banks did a good job out there. I reall think that, given consistent minutes, he could be a positive factor.

I do think Skinner should have played much more than he did. chandler was killing us on the boards, and we needed a stronger, taller player out there battling for some of those boards.

[Dammit]

Can anyone get a read on this team? Are we are a contender, or not? Are we an elite team, or is our record a combination of the play of a good team combined with some fortuitous scheduling and lucky breaks with key injuries to other teams?



For the first time in the new Nash era, I really don't feel like we are contenders this year. We don't have the right personnel. We don't have the group of deadly three point shooters like we need for D'antoni ball to work and we don't have the right players for half court basketball either (or a coach that has a clue about that style for that matter). Our record is really deceiving. If the playoffs were to start right now we'd be a second round exit team, if not first.

Furthermore, we don't have any guys that get really pumped up during a game like Eddie House or Q used to do. That kind of emotion is contagious. We have guys like Raja who gets pissed off but he doesn't get people pumped up. Amare might sneer after a dunk or something but that's about it. Shawn doesn't seem to care much this year (that's just the feeling I get from him). Guys like House, Q, Tim Thomas etc are critical ingredients to team chemistry in my opinion.

Maybe they'll turn it on down the stretch but I seriously doubt it. By January it's usually pretty clear what type of team we have so I think this is it. Hope I'm wrong.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

We could be in trouble if we meet NO or GS in the playoffs b/c Chris Paul and BD are winning every matchup against Nash Amare should be upset..He kept Chandler under 50% and had 5 blocks, but he only had 11 FGA? Get Stat his attempts we win if you do

[ShelC]

For the first time in the new Nash era, I really don't feel like we are contenders this year. We don't have the right personnel. We don't have the group of deadly three point shooters like we need for D'antoni ball to work and we don't have the right players for half court basketball either (or a coach that has a clue about that style for that matter). Our record is really deceiving. If the playoffs were to start right now we'd be a second round exit team, if not first.

I think we're more equipped for the playoffs personnel wise, we just dont take full advantage because we're still trying to run and gun for the entire game. We have Amare inside, we should move the offense towards him and work inside out, taking advantage of Stevie, Raja and Barbs' shooting. We have Hills ability to put the ball on the floor, hit the midrange or slash to the basket. We have shawns ability to move without the ball, cut and finish at the rim. But we still trying to jack up 3s, play pick and roll to get 3s, and make guys like Shawn, Hill and Boris 3pt shooters. Amare should be the sole focus of the offense ala Howard, Duncan, Yao. But that would require a big leap of faith.

Furthermore, we don't have any guys that get really pumped up during a game like Eddie House or Q used to do. That kind of emotion is contagious. We have guys like Raja who gets pissed off but he doesn't get people pumped up. Amare might sneer after a dunk or something but that's about it. Shawn doesn't seem to care much this year (that's just the feeling I get from him). Guys like House, Q, Tim Thomas etc are critical ingredients to team chemistry in my opinion.

That shits a tad overrated IMO. This isnt HS or college. These guys are getting paid to win games. Wheres that guy on the Spurs? The Pistons? Those are pros going to work every game. For all of Q and Eddies antics, it didnt help them individually or the suns collectively in the playoffs.

Our biggest problem, and it will continue to be as such until we fix it, is that we dont have reliable half court offense we can go to down the stretch when we need scores. We're still relying on pick and roll which is hit or miss, no pun intended. Is Diaw taking a corner 3 really the shot we want? Or Barbosa charging down the lane out of control? Or Amare taking a 3? Now we may make those shots, but theyre not high percentage shots nor are they reliable. When the rockets need a score, they go to Yao down low. And even if he cant score or doesnt have a shot hes still attracting the entire defense's attention, maybe even a double team and that opens something up outside. Same with the Spurs and Duncan. The pistons run and more importantly, execute, some of the best halfcourt sets in the league.

We dont need an overhaul offensively, just a different mentality.

[JustWinBaby]

We could be in trouble if we meet NO or GS in the playoffs b/c Chris Paul and BD are winning every matchup against Nash Amare should be upset..He kept Chandler under 50% and had 5 blocks, but he only had 11 FGA? Get Stat his attempts we win if you do

I agree on the Amare more shots issues. Why it is not mandated is just insane.

The thing that is really troubling is that in the past we always seemed to have five players on the court that were a legitimate threat to score.

This year it has changed.

1. Marion has basically become only a legitimate threat on fast breaks and Ally oops.
2. Boris has regressed badly
3. Raja has been banged up
4. LB takes ill advised shots due to others unwilling or incapable of making anything happen on his shift.

The newcomers Hill and Skinner seem to understand how we play better than some of the old timers. Hill takes good shots and presses the issue in the flow of the offense. Skinner is not afraid to shoot when he is open and plays hard all the time.

Hopefully they figure it all out come April, because at this point the really appear to be very vulnerable in any match up come playoff time.

[ShelC]

We could be in trouble if we meet NO or GS in the playoffs b/c Chris Paul and BD are winning every matchup against Nash Amare should be upset

If any good comes out of some of our losses, its that we can rely on Banks to guard these guys. He effectively locked down BD in one of the final games last year and showed his worth last night.

BTW, i didnt see the entire game but did we ever try shawn on Paul last night? Hes usually our go-to guy defensively against smaller, quicker guards. I didnt see Shawn guard CP once, so that was either a blunder strategically, or MikeD didnt want to show his hand to the Hornets and let them prepare for it next time.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

We could be in trouble if we meet NO or GS in the playoffs b/c Chris Paul and BD are winning every matchup against Nash Amare should be upset..He kept Chandler under 50% and had 5 blocks, but he only had 11 FGA? Get Stat his attempts we win if you do

I agree on the Amare more shots issues. Why it is not mandated is just insane.

The thing that is really troubling is that in the past we always seemed to have five players on the court that were a legitimate threat to score.

This year it has changed.

1. Marion has basically become only a legitimate threat on fast breaks and Ally oops.
2. Boris has regressed badly
3. Raja has been banged up
4. LB takes ill advised shots due to others unwilling or incapable of making anything happen on his shift.

The newcomers Hill and Skinner seem to understand how we play better than some of the old timers. Hill takes good shots and presses the issue in the flow of the offense. Skinner is not afraid to shoot when he is open and plays hard all the time.

Hopefully they figure it all out come April, because at this point the really appear to be very vulnerable in any match up come playoff time.

Very true on Hill and Skinner...They understand our strengths better than most of the guys who have been here

[JustWinBaby]

{BTW, i didnt see the entire game but did we ever try shawn on Paul last night? Hes usually our go-to guy defensively against smaller, quicker guards. I didnt see Shawn guard CP once, so that was either a blunder strategically, or MikeD didnt want to show his hand to the Hornets and let them prepare for it next time.}

Generally Marion was guarding Chandler, I suppose to try to keep Amare out of foul trouble. This left Amare to roam around like Shawn, he ain't Shawn, he is Amare. Basically the only person Amare was capable of guarding was Chandler. The other players on the court shoot from the perimeter and are too quick for Amare.

IMO we should have left Amare on Chandler, he actually did a pretty good job on him we given the opportunity.

The most disconcerting thing was all of the WIDE OPEN shots we gave to NO and the uncontested rebounds while 3 or 4 Suns would race to the offensive end prior to securing the defensive rebound. This philoshophy may continue to make us the number one scoring team in the league, but will not win us a Championship anytime soon.

[JustWinBaby]

THE WORD IS OUT ON BORIS - HE STINKS ..........................

Home / Sports / Basketball / Celtics Basketball notes

Better than a lottery hit
Celtics came up with winning combination
Email|Print| Text size – + By Peter May
January 6, 2008


Page 5 of 5 --Sun down
You may have missed the second half of the TNT doubleheader last Thursday (Seattle at Phoenix) but commentator Reggie Miller came up with a beauty. Watching the Sonics' Jeff Green move to double-team the Suns' Boris Diaw, Miller cracked, "That's a rookie mistake on Green. Doesn't he look at the box score? Boris Diaw hasn't played in a year and a half. Why would anyone need to double him?" Unfortunately for the Suns, Miller is right. Diaw has been a big disappointment basically since he signed his contract extension ($45 million over five years, starting this year) after his stellar 2005-06 season saw him win Most Improved Player. His numbers that year: 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. This year? 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He's also shooting 41 percent from the field. Diaw also took a lot of heat back home in France for his underwhelming play in last summer's European Championships.

[FrontRowSun]

They had almost 20 more shots than us but somehow we out-rebounded them. 13 TO's really inst horrible either.

That loss sucked. Those are the kind of games WE usually win.

[ShelC]

The most disconcerting thing was all of the WIDE OPEN shots we gave to NO and the uncontested rebounds while 3 or 4 Suns would race to the offensive end prior to securing the defensive rebound. This philoshophy may continue to make us the number one scoring team in the league, but will not win us a Championship anytime soon.

I think that may have been a product of Raja being out. He probably understands rotations better than either Marcus or Barbs. Also, barbs played close to 40, so he may have been tired and not able to rotate as quickly.

Basically the only person Amare was capable of guarding was Chandler.

I know Hilton Armstrong was out there and had that offensive rebound and putback after Amare blocked a shot, maybe chandlers? If Armstrong and Chandler were out there as the 4/5s, theres no reason to matchup and put Skinner out there with amare.

[desertcoast]

THE WORD IS OUT ON BORIS - HE STINKS ..........................

Home / Sports / Basketball / Celtics Basketball notes

Better than a lottery hit
Celtics came up with winning combination
Email|Print| Text size – + By Peter May
January 6, 2008


Page 5 of 5 --Sun down
You may have missed the second half of the TNT doubleheader last Thursday (Seattle at Phoenix) but commentator Reggie Miller came up with a beauty. Watching the Sonics' Jeff Green move to double-team the Suns' Boris Diaw, Miller cracked, "That's a rookie mistake on Green. Doesn't he look at the box score? Boris Diaw hasn't played in a year and a half. Why would anyone need to double him?" Unfortunately for the Suns, Miller is right. Diaw has been a big disappointment basically since he signed his contract extension ($45 million over five years, starting this year) after his stellar 2005-06 season saw him win Most Improved Player. His numbers that year: 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. This year? 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He's also shooting 41 percent from the field. Diaw also took a lot of heat back home in France for his underwhelming play in last summer's European Championships.


<collective Duh from Phoenix, Arizona>

[ShelC]

His numbers that year: 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. This year? 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.

:roll: With about 10 less mpg and coming off the bench in a reserve role. His numbers are about where they should be given the minutes. His contract just makes him a huge target. Great surface reporting tho, from Boston nonetheless. I guess theyre finally experts on everyone now that they have a team thats worth mentioning.

[Mori_Chu]

JWB, are you really saying this loss was Boris Diaw's fault? This game came down to so much more than Diaw. He wasn't even in the game during the crucial crunch time minutes when we blew the game and let NO take the win. Why you insist on taking every single opportunity to bash one of our players is beyond me.

[Nodack]

I really enjoyed the game up until the end when we lost.

You can pick somebody to blame the lost on. It was D'Antoni. No it was Diaw. No it was because Bell was out. No it was Marion not scoring.No it was because Skinner didn't play enough. No it was Barbosa running around all crazy. No it was Amare not getting the ball enough. Yada, yada, yada.

It was the biggest win of the season for N.O. according to Paul. They executed down the stretch and pulled out the win. My hat goes off to them. They aren't a pansy team any more.

The Suns record of 1-6 against good western teams is a little alarming, but I get the feeling that the regular season means more to teams like N.O. than the Suns this year.

Disappointing loss, yes. Will I lose any sleep over it, no.

[JediSkywalker]

I really enjoyed the game up until the end when we lost.

You can pick somebody to blame the lost on. It was D'Antoni. No it was Diaw. No it was because Bell was out. No it was Marion not scoring.No it was because Skinner didn't play enough. No it was Barbosa running around all crazy. No it was Amare not getting the ball enough. Yada, yada, yada.

It was the biggest win of the season for N.O. according to Paul. They executed down the stretch and pulled out the win. My hat goes off to them. They aren't a pansy team any more.

The Suns record of 1-6 against good western teams is a little alarming, but I get the feeling that the regular season means more to teams like N.O. than the Suns this year.

Disappointing loss, yes. Will I lose any sleep over it, no.

There have been too many losses this season to lose sleep over a loss.

The regular season SHOULD matter. It needs to be a learning experience but this team has not learned anything so far. I don't believe they are planning to turn it on come playoff time.

[Miamisun]

This team has grown stale. Same stories about the players, same coaching messages. I don't even bother getting worked up anymore.

[Superbone]

I really enjoyed the game up until the end when we lost.

You can pick somebody to blame the lost on. It was D'Antoni. No it was Diaw. No it was because Bell was out. No it was Marion not scoring.No it was because Skinner didn't play enough. No it was Barbosa running around all crazy. No it was Amare not getting the ball enough. Yada, yada, yada.

It was the biggest win of the season for N.O. according to Paul. They executed down the stretch and pulled out the win. My hat goes off to them. They aren't a pansy team any more.

The Suns record of 1-6 against good western teams is a little alarming, but I get the feeling that the regular season means more to teams like N.O. than the Suns this year.

Disappointing loss, yes. Will I lose any sleep over it, no.

Good post, 'Dack. The game last night definitely meant more to the Hornets. They didn't worry one iota about minute distribution. I mean, Paul played every minute of the game.

[Dustbuster]

This team has grown stale. Same stories about the players, same coaching messages. I don't even bother getting worked up anymore.

That's a good point, but do you know what the disappointing side effect of that is (at least for me)? I also don't care about this team quite as much as I have about any Suns team in the last six years. And I look towards the future and see a high potential for teams that I care even less about. Teams with no youth, no flexibility, and no chance - not much to get excited about. If the Suns don't win this year, when will they win?

[ShelC]

They didn't worry one iota about minute distribution.

They dont have to. Theyre out to prove themselves to the league, to see where they stand against the elite. Theyre young and hungry, not necessarily playing for a title this year, but trying to take that next step as a franchise. We have higher expectations and have to take minutes into account with an older team that has legit expectations 5 months from now. Thats why the loss doesnt bother me as much. It would be nice for us to show a killer instinct and treat the game with as much intensity and importance as they did. It would be nice for us to hold them down and say, "Youre good, but not ready for primetime yet, young'ns". But we've never had that kind of mentality once we reached "elite" status, why would last night be any different?

[wpmiller42]

Did anyone else see that DJ dropped 39 points in the DLeague last night? Pretty impressive. Hopefully the potential our rookies have shown in the DLeague is going to translate well to the NBA when they get the chance.

[SunsFan4Life]

I thnk it Was a Big Loss. For the record, I'm not to worried about the Hornets I acually rtaher play them then say a Golden State or maybe even the Lakers in the 1st rd. Chris Paul is amazing, he is the 2nd best PG in this league right now, but it doesnt matter i dont think we stopped them once in the final 4mins it was pathetic. I'm not quite sure why Shawn Guarded Chandler, Amare guarded himin half 1 and only picked up 1 foul. I'm also not quite sure why B Skinner wasnt in when Amare went out. We went with some sort of hybrid...Trix,Diaw,Hill frontcourt that got beat up inside.

This game has me scratching my head...This is a game I never ever felt we were gonna lose and N.O. was without there 2nd best player(West) and coming off a back to back in which they played GS.

We're 1-6 this season against Dallas,SA,NO,GS and the Lakers. Thats a horrible sign and everytime we lost because the last 5mins of the game we couldnt get a stop for shit.

[CharlesV]

Amare missed practice today because of personal reasons.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0106sunspractice-CR.html


Stoudemire, Bell miss practice

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 6, 2008 12:32 PM
Two Suns starters missed practice Sunday.

Guard Raja Bell was asked to stay home to recuperate from the flu, but center Amaré Stoudemire's absence was more of a surprise.

Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni only said that Stoudemire did not come Sunday for "personal reasons" and that Stoudemire had contacted Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson to inform him that he would not be at practice.

[FrontRowSun]

Amare missed practice today because of personal reasons.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0106sunspractice-CR.html


Stoudemire, Bell miss practice

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 6, 2008 12:32 PM
Two Suns starters missed practice Sunday.

Guard Raja Bell was asked to stay home to recuperate from the flu, but center Amaré Stoudemire's absence was more of a surprise.

Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni only said that Stoudemire did not come Sunday for "personal reasons" and that Stoudemire had contacted Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson to inform him that he would not be at practice.



Insert The "HOLY FLIPPIN SHIT BATMAN" post here.

Why in the flippin shit is he calling Aaron Nelson???

[ShelC]

Usually protocol to inform the head athletic trainer if youre missing practice i think.

[FrontRowSun]

Usually protocol to inform the head athletic trainer if youre missing practice i think.

I figured it was because of all the rehab they did together. Maybe they are pretty tight. You would think that Humphries, D. Dantoni, or Gentry would be the proper people to notify.

I used to work for the Roadrunners and the head trainer never had this type of pull/relationship with the players/coaching staff.

But... whatever. Atleast he called in, instead of just no-showing.

[jkalldaway]

If it was knee related he would have been in for treatment. Everyone settle down.

[ShelC]

Everyone settle down.

Maybe he couldnt even walk cuz his entire knee caved in!!!!

I figured it was because of all the rehab they did together. Maybe they are pretty tight. You would think that Humphries, D. Dantoni, or Gentry would be the proper people to notify.

I used to work for the Roadrunners and the head trainer never had this type of pull/relationship with the players/coaching staff.

It has nothing to do with the relationship/pull/being tight. Its protocol if its health related. If it were a family thing or playing situation, then he'd call the head coach or GM. Most likely hes sick so he called the head trainer.

[ShelC]

Havent seen this posted:



Amare a no-show at Suns Sunday practice
Jerry Brown, Tribune

The Suns told Raja Bell to stay home from Sunday’s practice as he continues to suffer from the flu. But Amare Stoudemire stayed home on his own Sunday, calling trainer Aaron Nelson to say he wouldn’t be showing up due to what Suns coach Mike D’Antoni would only say were “personal reasons.”

Sunday afternoon, Suns general manager Steve Kerr said from San Diego that he plans to return to the Valley Monday morning to speak with Stoudemire about the circumstances surrounding his absence. He would not comment on whether disciplinary action in the form of a fine or suspension was under consideration

”Amare didn’t come to practice. He did have an excuse. From there, the matter will be handled internally,” Kerr said.

For the second time since Christmas, Stoudemire – who was named one of the team captains before the season began — followed a Phoenix loss by showing his frustration in postgame interview after Saturday’s 118-113 loss to New Orleans.

Stoudemire, who had averaged 30.8 points and almost 18 shots a game during Phoenix’s four-game winning streak, took only 11 shots Saturday and produced 17 points – his fewest since taking 11 in a Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, where he called out his teammates in a postgame rant.

Saturday, Stoudemire didn’t attempt a field goal in the third quarter against the Hornets (two free throws) and had only two shots in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter – including a meaningless 3-pointer with three seconds left. Stoudemire’s comments were more reserved this time, but addressed the same issues – that in his mind, the Suns strayed from their winning formula and it cost them a win.

“We have to get it together. We’re a veteran team,” he said. “We should know our strategies; we should know what we’re doing and do it. Sometimes you mess up, but overall we should execute the majority of the time. If we do that and play hard, we can win almost every game.

“But if we don’t get smart about the game of basketball, then we can’t win.”

After Sunday’s workout, guard Steve Nash said he didn’t know the reason for Stoudemire’s absence or what to say about it. But on the generic subject of team chemistry, Nash said that inner squabbles can take down a team. “I don’t know if guys are pointing fingers, maybe sometimes I’m oblivious to that to some of that stuff to a fault,” he said. “But if that stuff is going on it needs to be stopped or else we can kiss it goodbye.

“You can’t win at this level if you don’t have great chemistry and you don’t pull for each other and if you’re worried about your shots or worried about yourself or making excuses or pointing fingers at other players. That’s for losers. We’ve been a winning ballclub here and if we want to take that next step that has to be a big part of our character.”

If Amare was a no-show because he was frustrated with his role in the offense against the Hornets, can you really blame him? He should be getting 20 shots a game consistently and being force fed the ball in the post, especially at the end of a game. If he was upset over the loss and just didnt feel like practicing, then thats inexcusable. I dont think Amare is a selfish player. I dont think hes just look for more shot attempts to the detriment of the team. I think he legitimately wants to win, feels like he can carry us, and isnt being given the opportunity to do so.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

I agree with Amare...Coach D and Nash need to brighten up and work this thing inside-out..Play smart and win or don't feed the best inside scorer in the NBA and lose.

[Spanky]

If Amare was a no-show because he was frustrated with his role in the offense against the Hornets, can you really blame him? He should be getting 20 shots a game consistently and being force fed the ball in the post, especially at the end of a game. If he was upset over the loss and just didnt feel like practicing, then thats inexcusable. I dont think Amare is a selfish player. I dont think hes just look for more shot attempts to the detriment of the team. I think he legitimately wants to win, feels like he can carry us, and isnt being given the opportunity to do so.

The wheels are slowly coming off. Steve's comments really speak loudly about how things are going in the locker room. This team needs to make a move.

[ShelC]

The only move that needs to be made has to come from the ball, from the 3pt line to the low block. We have the personnel, we need the inside-out philosophy. We're not firing the coach, we're not trading any core guys. What good is trading shawn for Dalembert (not that its ever happening btw, trust me) if we're still playing outside-in and shooting 3s or allowing Barbs to take 20 shots? What good is adding another 3pt shooter like MikeMiller?

If Kerr is going to talk to anyone, it better be MikeD.

What actually scares me is that this thing could turn against Amare and we could use these kinds of incidents as an excuse to trade him, spinning it (as the organization has become excellent at in recent years) to make it seem like Amare is selfish and just wants shots, not willing to play the team game.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

Havent seen this posted:



Amare a no-show at Suns Sunday practice
Jerry Brown, Tribune

The Suns told Raja Bell to stay home from Sunday’s practice as he continues to suffer from the flu. But Amare Stoudemire stayed home on his own Sunday, calling trainer Aaron Nelson to say he wouldn’t be showing up due to what Suns coach Mike D’Antoni would only say were “personal reasons.”

Sunday afternoon, Suns general manager Steve Kerr said from San Diego that he plans to return to the Valley Monday morning to speak with Stoudemire about the circumstances surrounding his absence. He would not comment on whether disciplinary action in the form of a fine or suspension was under consideration

”Amare didn’t come to practice. He did have an excuse. From there, the matter will be handled internally,” Kerr said.

For the second time since Christmas, Stoudemire – who was named one of the team captains before the season began — followed a Phoenix loss by showing his frustration in postgame interview after Saturday’s 118-113 loss to New Orleans.

Stoudemire, who had averaged 30.8 points and almost 18 shots a game during Phoenix’s four-game winning streak, took only 11 shots Saturday and produced 17 points – his fewest since taking 11 in a Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, where he called out his teammates in a postgame rant.

Saturday, Stoudemire didn’t attempt a field goal in the third quarter against the Hornets (two free throws) and had only two shots in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter – including a meaningless 3-pointer with three seconds left. Stoudemire’s comments were more reserved this time, but addressed the same issues – that in his mind, the Suns strayed from their winning formula and it cost them a win.

“We have to get it together. We’re a veteran team,” he said. “We should know our strategies; we should know what we’re doing and do it. Sometimes you mess up, but overall we should execute the majority of the time. If we do that and play hard, we can win almost every game.

“But if we don’t get smart about the game of basketball, then we can’t win.”

After Sunday’s workout, guard Steve Nash said he didn’t know the reason for Stoudemire’s absence or what to say about it. But on the generic subject of team chemistry, Nash said that inner squabbles can take down a team. “I don’t know if guys are pointing fingers, maybe sometimes I’m oblivious to that to some of that stuff to a fault,” he said. “But if that stuff is going on it needs to be stopped or else we can kiss it goodbye.

“You can’t win at this level if you don’t have great chemistry and you don’t pull for each other and if you’re worried about your shots or worried about yourself or making excuses or pointing fingers at other players. That’s for losers. We’ve been a winning ballclub here and if we want to take that next step that has to be a big part of our character.”

If Amare was a no-show because he was frustrated with his role in the offense against the Hornets, can you really blame him? He should be getting 20 shots a game consistently and being force fed the ball in the post, especially at the end of a game. If he was upset over the loss and just didnt feel like practicing, then thats inexcusable. I dont think Amare is a selfish player. I dont think hes just look for more shot attempts to the detriment of the team. I think he legitimately wants to win, feels like he can carry us, and isnt being given the opportunity to do so.

Right on Shel C

[Spanky]

The only move that needs to be made has to come from the ball, from the 3pt line to the low block. We have the personnel, we need the inside-out philosophy. We're not firing the coach, we're not trading any core guys. What good is trading shawn for Dalembert (not that its ever happening btw, trust me) if we're still playing outside-in and shooting 3s or allowing Barbs to take 20 shots? What good is adding another 3pt shooter like MikeMiller?

If Kerr is going to talk to anyone, it better be MikeD.

Good points, I never said I knew what kind of move. They just need to do something to get stuff straightened out. The fans can tell there are problems, you can see it in their play, their faces and the comments. It's time to slap someone around. :mrgreen:

[SunsDevils]

I would love to know the reason why Amare did not show up. I will reserve my judgment until then.

[JediSkywalker]

Havent seen this posted:



Amare a no-show at Suns Sunday practice
Jerry Brown, Tribune

The Suns told Raja Bell to stay home from Sunday’s practice as he continues to suffer from the flu. But Amare Stoudemire stayed home on his own Sunday, calling trainer Aaron Nelson to say he wouldn’t be showing up due to what Suns coach Mike D’Antoni would only say were “personal reasons.”

Sunday afternoon, Suns general manager Steve Kerr said from San Diego that he plans to return to the Valley Monday morning to speak with Stoudemire about the circumstances surrounding his absence. He would not comment on whether disciplinary action in the form of a fine or suspension was under consideration

”Amare didn’t come to practice. He did have an excuse. From there, the matter will be handled internally,” Kerr said.

For the second time since Christmas, Stoudemire – who was named one of the team captains before the season began — followed a Phoenix loss by showing his frustration in postgame interview after Saturday’s 118-113 loss to New Orleans.

Stoudemire, who had averaged 30.8 points and almost 18 shots a game during Phoenix’s four-game winning streak, took only 11 shots Saturday and produced 17 points – his fewest since taking 11 in a Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, where he called out his teammates in a postgame rant.

Saturday, Stoudemire didn’t attempt a field goal in the third quarter against the Hornets (two free throws) and had only two shots in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter – including a meaningless 3-pointer with three seconds left. Stoudemire’s comments were more reserved this time, but addressed the same issues – that in his mind, the Suns strayed from their winning formula and it cost them a win.

“We have to get it together. We’re a veteran team,” he said. “We should know our strategies; we should know what we’re doing and do it. Sometimes you mess up, but overall we should execute the majority of the time. If we do that and play hard, we can win almost every game.

“But if we don’t get smart about the game of basketball, then we can’t win.”

After Sunday’s workout, guard Steve Nash said he didn’t know the reason for Stoudemire’s absence or what to say about it. But on the generic subject of team chemistry, Nash said that inner squabbles can take down a team. “I don’t know if guys are pointing fingers, maybe sometimes I’m oblivious to that to some of that stuff to a fault,” he said. “But if that stuff is going on it needs to be stopped or else we can kiss it goodbye.

“You can’t win at this level if you don’t have great chemistry and you don’t pull for each other and if you’re worried about your shots or worried about yourself or making excuses or pointing fingers at other players. That’s for losers. We’ve been a winning ballclub here and if we want to take that next step that has to be a big part of our character.”

If Amare was a no-show because he was frustrated with his role in the offense against the Hornets, can you really blame him? He should be getting 20 shots a game consistently and being force fed the ball in the post, especially at the end of a game. If he was upset over the loss and just didnt feel like practicing, then thats inexcusable. I dont think Amare is a selfish player. I dont think hes just look for more shot attempts to the detriment of the team. I think he legitimately wants to win, feels like he can carry us, and isnt being given the opportunity to do so.


If he was a no show because he was frustrated about the loss, it does NOT excuse him, IMO. No matter how he feels about it, as a professional he needs to show up for 'work'. If there are problems in the locker room, he is not going to solve them by not showing up for practice.

If it's a health issue, yes, it is excusable.

[JediSkywalker]

I would love to know the reason why Amare did not show up. I will reserve my judgment until then.


The Suns may never disclose the REAL reason for Amare's no show. They may simply say that he had an excuse but not tell what it was. They will hush the matter.

To me, Amare still appears like he has some growing up to do. He is 25 now; no longer a kid who just entered the NBA from high school. Not showing up for practice after a loss is just another example. Last season when the team met after the season was over, Amare did not show up. In my eyes talent alone is never enough, but in the pro sports the very talented ones get special treatment. If he had less talent, probably the team would have disciplined him, but because they need him, I doubt that any action will be taken against him, even if it was his fault (in all probability we will never know if it was or not).

The most important thing for the Suns right now is to find that team chemistry and get on the winning track, so I hope that's what they will focus on, and not create more waves.

[JustWinBaby]

So you guys are going to bash Amare - how dare you.

We need to support all of our players, for better or worse.

If management ever has a brain fart and trades him, my new favorite team will be wherever he lands, even if it is the Lakers.

[OE]

So you guys are going to bash Amare - how dare you.

We need to support all of our players, for better or worse.

If management ever has a brain fart and trades him, my new favorite team will be wherever he lands, even if it is the Lakers.

Ditto. I've been a fan for 16 years, but I can't be loyal to idiots. In this situation, I'd be tempted to follow Amare to a new franchise. Hopefully, that team won't be one to sell its draft picks to the lowest bidder every year.

[CharlesV]

The eloquent words spoken by Allen Ezail Iverson sums this situation up.


Its easy to talk about, its easy to sum it up when you just talk about practice. We sittin' in here, I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talkin' about practice.

I mean listen, we talkin bout practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We talkin bout practice. Not a game, not a, not a, not the game that I go out there and die for, and play every game like its my last. Not the game. We talkin' bout practice, man. I mean how silly is that?

We talkin' bout practice. I know I'm supposed to be there, I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that, and I'm not shovin' it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know its important, I do. I honestly do. But we talkin' bout practice, man. What are we talkin' bout? Practice? We talkin' bout practice man. We talk... We talkin' bout practice. We talkin' bout practice. We ain't talkin' bout the game, we talkin' bout practice, man.

When you come into the arena, and you see me play, you see me play, don't you? You see me give everything I got, right? But we talkin' bout practice right now. We talkin' bout practice.

Man look, I hear you, its funny to me too. I mean, its strange, its strange to me too. But we talkin' bout practice man. We not even talkin' bout the game, the actual game, when it matters. We talkin' bout practice.

In short, we talkin bout practice.

[EDC]

It isn't like the Suns actually practice anyways. What did he do miss the shooting practice and film study all followed up by a pep talk from the coach. "We just need to run faster guys" "If we make a few more shots we could win this"

Either way Amare should be at practice most likely he has a reason. It isn't like he doesn't work hard. He always works hard on his game in the off season.

JWB, I see what you are saying but come on man. Have you been drinking tonight? The Lakers? SAY IT ISN"T SO! :P

[Suns_Dave]

Can anyone get a read on this team? Are we are a contender, or not?

Just as many of us believed last summer, the team seems to have slipped this year.

I felt going into the '06-07 season that the championship was ours so long as we could avoid being hit by a string of bad luck at the the worst time (which unfortunately happened).

In contrast, I feel this year will require a string of extraordinarily good luck at just the right time if we have any hope of competing for a trophy this June. Fortunately, we've seen this happen recently with a mediocre Miami team suddenly getting hot just as a powerful Dallas squad decides to implode in the finals. It was a true comedy of errors that befell the rest of the league to allow Miami to waltz home with the Larry O'Brien. Major props to the Riley and the Heat for striking when the coals were hot.

On the bright side, we wouldn't require quite as miraculous a series of events to win this year as Miami did in '06.

[Spanky]

This team has no identity. Period. It's not a fast, run and gun team. It's not a 3 point threat. It's not a low post threat. It's not a defensive threat. It has no idea who it is. Kind of makes me sick, really.

[ShelC]

That about sums it up.

[Ish]

Wasn't last time Amare missed a practice (or was it a game?) for "personal reasons" because his mom got arrested? I think you guys are being too hard on him. Yes, he is a professional and he shouldn't just take days off but haven't one of you ever taken a day off from work for personal reasons? I think we should hold off on judgment until the truth is revealed.

As for the team, Spanky's post is spot on. No Identity. ShelC has discussed this at length before -- basically has to do with how the two different teams of 04-05 and 05-06 operated and how they've never really figured out how to combine those two philosophies. This lack of identity is also what is causing the chemistry problems because different people have different ideas about how the team should be operating.

We have the personnel and the talent to be a championship team, but it requires discipline and a common goal that everyone buys into. It requires people knowing their roles, trusting each other and playing together (especially on defense). This means if Shawn has 0 points at the half so be it, he can help in other ways like grab rebounds and shut down the other team's best perimeter player. It means maybe Leandro should stop being the one man show every time he is on the court. It means maybe Coach D should realize he has a potent post weapon in Diaw and play to his strengths instead of trying to turn Diaw into a three point shooter.

Ultimately it falls on the leadership of the team to get everyone on the same page. In this respect, D'Antoni, Kerr, Sarver, Nash -- whoever you want to blame is failing. If we don't win the championship this year fail it will be because of the symptoms that are clearly evident after the first third of the season, not because of a lack of talent. The only area where our team is physically lacking talentwise is in the rebounding department, but we have proven in the past we can overcome this deficiency as long as everybody buys into a common goal and plays together on both ends of the court.

[AlanS]

This team has no identity. Period. It's not a fast, run and gun team. It's not a 3 point threat. It's not a low post threat. It's not a defensive threat. It has no idea who it is. Kind of makes me sick, really.

This team knows exactly what it is, and so does everybody else. It IS a fast-paced offensive team, as shown by its high scoring average and high FG shooting percentage. Indeed, the Suns are currently #1 in the NBA for both scoring average and FG%.

It is sub-mediocre defensive team and a horrible rebounding team.

It is not a great 3pt threatening team, because 2 guys who were great on 3s last season (Bell and Barbosa) are not doing well from the arc. But the Suns as a team are 7th in 3PTFG percentage... that is not great, but it's not bad, and it does qualify them (in my thinking) as one of the NBA's better 3PT shooting teams.

Meanwhile, Amare Stoudemire IS a legetimate low post threat. Let's look at the current top 11 in NBA scoring:
1 LeBron 28.9ppg / 39.7 mpg
2 Kobe 26.7 / 36.5
3 Iverson 26.6 / 41.3
4 Anthony 25.4 / 37.1
5 Wade 24.9 38.6
6 Jefferson 24.5 / 39.6
7 Boozer 23.5 / 35.4 / 55.1%
8 Redd 23.4 / 38.1
9 Dwight Howard 22.4 / 38.9 / 60.2% FG
10 Brian Davis 22.1 / 39.4
11 Amare 22.1 / 31.6 / 58.3%

There are only 3 big men in the top 11, Boozer, Howard, and Amare. But notice that, Amare is under 32 minutes per game. That's less than Boozer's 35.4 mpg, and much less than Howard's 38.9 mpg. Also of note is that Amare is either #6 or #8 in FG%, depending on the source you look at.

If that doesn't qualify Amare as a big time inside threat, then what does? Who qualifies as a better inside threat than Amare right now? I know people have this idea that Amare is not getting a lot of touches, but when you look at his output per minutes played, he is obviously way up there... for him to be number 11 in scoring at just 31.6 minutes per game, he is obviously seeing the ball a whole lot.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

So you guys are going to bash Amare - how dare you.

We need to support all of our players, for better or worse.

If management ever has a brain fart and trades him, my new favorite team will be wherever he lands, even if it is the Lakers.

Ditto. I've been a fan for 16 years, but I can't be loyal to idiots. In this situation, I'd be tempted to follow Amare to a new franchise. Hopefully, that team won't be one to sell its draft picks to the lowest bidder every year.


ME 2

[Andy_S]

This team has no identity. Period. It's not a fast, run and gun team. It's not a 3 point threat. It's not a low post threat. It's not a defensive threat. It has no idea who it is. Kind of makes me sick, really.

This team makes you sick?

That's sad. And not because the team is letting you down.

[Spanky]

This team makes you sick?

That's sad. And not because the team is letting you down.

You know what I mean. The potential of the team is being wasted. It turns my stomach a bit. I'll take some tums. :-o

[desertcoast]

So you guys are going to bash Amare - how dare you.

We need to support all of our players, for better or worse.

If management ever has a brain fart and trades him, my new favorite team will be wherever he lands, even if it is the Lakers.

Ditto. I've been a fan for 16 years, but I can't be loyal to idiots. In this situation, I'd be tempted to follow Amare to a new franchise. Hopefully, that team won't be one to sell its draft picks to the lowest bidder every year.

ME 2

Yet I have this sinking feeling that management is seeing Amare as the cancer and the cure...and they're at a crossroads where a decision has to be made.
If Amare has other factors that weigh against him ( the knees, the bravado, etc..), I think they'll look to trade him.

I believe the best way to proceed this season is to shift focus to Amare and deal with the bigger picture in the offseason... but I can see them swinging the other direction :?