Game Day: Nuggets @ Suns

[Superbone]

Will Amare get his touches? Will Marion bounce back? Is Marion still cheezed at Barbosa? Will this team come together for the greater good or will they move further apart? Stay tuned as this and many more questions will be answered tonight on... As the Stomach Turns.

Dis∙cuss

[Wormwood]

I predict another loss tonight. Nene, Martin, and Camby dominate the class, while Melo goes wild on the offensive end. Shawn continues to look lethargic, and Diaw ends up on kids poster all over South America as he is force fed a pressed Brazil nut sandwich when Nene elevates and dunks on him. As a result, management begins to re-think its stand pat approach.

Nuggets 122 Suns 111

[jed]

Denver's the same team we are. Tons of talent. Totally underperforming. So to predict a loss at their hands is a bit of a stretch to me.

[ShelC]

Whats the over/under on Skinners minutes? As far as im concerned, if Nene and Martin are on the floor with Camby, Skinner should be out there.

[INFORMER]

This should be a W. Get Amare the ball.

[jed]

This should be a W. Get Amare the ball.

Word and word.

[darrkin]

think we win this one....hopefully we can go back to what was working with Amare. Nash, Amare, and Skinner...everyone else can go if need be to get better, including Coach D. Maybe some adversity this early is good, maybe not, who knows. It seems last couple years we would be peaking now, which is maybe too early. Marion and Boris seem to be weak links now, as they just cant hit midrange jumpers or threes consistently enough. Teams are just zoning up and leaving these guys open. It used to be that Marion would cut to the basket more, now he doesnt move as much which kills our movement, at least he still boards though. We really get nothing from Boris, and not sure we ever will. I think he is decent player, and if we didnt play him so much could be valuable, but we are putting way too much on him. Lets play Banks more and give one of the rooks a shot at some time with starters. They are blowing up the D league, maybe we are just showing them off for trade bait. Also, I would love Andre Miller and or Dalembert, still would like Luke Ridnour, but also need another big or a slasher that can shoot the three ball

[Xcon]

This team feels like a bad relationship. It's like you get to a point where you just can't go back and ultimately you have this long drawn out break up. Hope I'm wrong, but with the bickering and subtle finger pointing going on nowadays, that's what it feels like.

[darrkin]

This team feels like a bad relationship. It's like you get to a point where you just can't go back and ultimately you have this long drawn out break up. Hope I'm wrong, but with the bickering and subtle finger pointing going on nowadays, that's what it feels like.

Yup..we used to be the feel good team. It seemed the players bought in to the small, fast, us against the world thing. Now maybe they are a bit older and getting sick of it. Maybe its time for a change at some level.
I honestly feel that we cannot beat the bigger teams in a playoff series right now. Lakers, Spurs, Detroit, Dallas, Boston. We could win a few games, but when we dont shot a real high percentage, its over as we cant rebound enough and give up too many second chance easy buckets. Also some of the teams like the Lakers are not only bigger, but also shoot better than us now. We have to play with more energy than all of these teams to have a chance and that will not happen every game.

[ShelC]

I dont know that Shawn or Amare ever bought into the small ball thing, but we were successful. Now its probably wearing on them.

[Spanky]

The guys need to stomp these mile high posers into the dirt. Let's see some coaching tonight, too. Preferably on our side this time? :D

[Mori_Chu]

I firmly believe that we are a better team than the Nuggets. So I will have to predict a win tonight. Hopefully we run the offense through Amare, play Banks, and play Skinner.

In some ways, a loss might actually be good for us, because it would force us to take a longer look at the team and how to get to where we want to be. But screw that; let's go out there and win! Go Suns!

[Xcon]

Only problem with a loss is that it would exacerbate the chemistry issue. You when they say winning cures all ills, it's really true. If we could get a decent win streak going, we might settle down some. However, I do think we need to see some coaching changes, namely get Amare going, start Barbosa and play Skinner more especially with Amare rather than in place of him in the line up.

[tbrkingofthesouth]

Suns win Stat hits 40 and 15

[fixxxer]

Must. Win.

However, the good guys seem a little emotionally drained right now, and I'm not sure the effort will be all the way there. If that's the case, we get destroyed on the boards, and lose a close one despite shooting 10% better than the Nuggs.

Hope I'm wrong, and they come out with stacks and stacks of chips on each of their respective shoulders.

[FurlanFufi]

Must win, but something etlls me that Camby will kill Amare.

[Superbone]

Must win, but something tells me that Camby will kill Amare.

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Surprise/surprised-013.GIF

This isn't soccer (football), FF!

[jed]

Must win, but something etlls me that Camby will kill Amare.

He will if Amare is never passed the ball.

[Doctor_G]

I've NEVE EVER been much for "Team" only meetings. But I think our team needs one really bad. They need to figure out how to get on the same page in the worst of ways. Does Nash call it? How about Grant? Somebody needs to friggin take charge. Especially when all we get from D'Antonio is, well... basically nothing. Which is realy pathetic, considering he's supossed to be the guy in charge.

As far as tonights game goes, if we don't share the ball whilst being a little selfish with finding Amare...we have no chance in winning tonight. Share the wealth, while getting Amare more of the touches, and we'll give ourselves a good chance at winning.

Just a reminder:

Jordan DEMANDED the ball, so did Bird, Akeem, and so many other greats. Amare's our superstar, and he needs to be fed plain n simple.

[gladiator]

46-point first term .. nice

[ShelC]

I sincerely hope everyones watching this game. This is Suns basketball. We set the tone physically, got Amare the ball and jumped out to a big lead. Everyones in a rhythm, the 2nd unit is playing its best game of the year. Marcus Banks....WOW! Locking down on AI and hustling his ass off while still hitting 3s. Boris is playing very well overall, Hill is knocking down everything he looks at. The 2nd unit of Banks, Barbs, Hill, Boris and SKinner has to stick and get legit minutes when the starters come out. No IFs, ANDs, or BUTs about it!

[Doctor_G]

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT ShelC! I don't know if they did some soul searching, talked amongsts themselves, or just plain pulled their heads out of thier asses...but this so far has been the Suns team we've hoping to see all damn year! Let's just not fall asleep. in the 2nd half.

[Immortal]

Great 1st half by the team. Everyone has looked productive in their minutes.

[ShelC]

We need more Marcus Banks in the 2nd half on AI. Barbosa just cant guard him, hes on ice skates out there trying to stay in front on AI. Banks really locked down.

The offensive rebounds are bothering me and could bite us in the ass in the 2nd half. We need to really get a body on these guys, 'Melo especially, and box out them out hard, even if it means sacrificing a fast break opportunity here and there.

I dont know if we can keep up the shooting, so defense is going to be key because the Nuggets will make a least a few pushes in the 2nd half. We need to set the tone early in the 2nd half just as we did in the 1st half. Get the ball to Amare and work from there.

[AlanS]

Shawn Marion with 5/7 from the arc... wow! It's his game of the ages. He was shooting 40% from the arc in his last 10 games, so he has been heating up lately on his 3s... but this is just amazing.

But darn... it seems like once a game, every game, Marion blows a point blank layout. His average could be 1-2 pts higher if he could make some more of these easy shots.

Suns are ahead by 19 pts at the half, despite Amare being limited to 8 minutes due to fouls. Fortunately, the Suns have other ways to score than just going to Amare.

Well, you know the Nuggets are going to make a run. The game is far from over. But that was an inspired 1st half.

[BORISDIAW4MVP]

Marcus Banks with 6 treys? I guess he has been working on his shot. Hopefully D'Antoni will get the hint and actually start playing him on a regular basis.

[ShelC]

Absolutely unbelievable!

[SunsFan4Life]

whos that guy in the orange headband that kicks draining 3's, playing tough D, and hustling his ass off....

Its a bird...
Its a Plane...
Its....MARCUS BANKS!

[ShelC]

The really encouraging thing about Marcus tonight is that hes still got his head in the game. Just because he started knocking down shots, he stayed under control. He didnt try and "get his" because he was feeling it, didnt force anything, didnt try to prove anything to the coaching staff or show them up. He controlled the game, took what the defense gave, knew when to shoot and when to pass it back out. Even after his makes, he didnt celebrate and let it go to his head or take a play off; instead he got right back into AI or Anthony Carters chest on defense. Career night for him.

[Philbert]

is banks finally becoming what we signed him to be... pesky defender with an eddie house-like confidence with his shot? he finally had one of the "on" games!

[misteradiant]

props to mike d for going to banks early and for playing him again later to reward him. seems marcus said "thanks."

[ShelC]

I never thought Banks would be an outside threat like this. As much as ive defended him, i never envisioned him as any kind of shooter, but more a breakdown scorer.

Lets just hope he and MikeD dont strike another deal, otherwise we wont see Marcus for another 2 months ;)

Its only really been 2 games, but even the haters and pessimists have to be encouraged by his play of late.

[INFORMER]

The really encouraging thing about Marcus tonight is that hes still got his head in the game. Just because he started knocking down shots, he stayed under control. He didnt try and "get his" because he was feeling it, didnt force anything, didnt try to prove anything to the coaching staff or show them up. He controlled the game, took what the defense gave, knew when to shoot and when to pass it back out. Even after his makes, he didnt celebrate and let it go to his head or take a play off; instead he got right back into AI or Anthony Carters chest on defense. Career night for him.

That is great to hear, Shel.

Q: Do we have to root for guys to get into foul trouble in order for Skinner and Banks to get PT?

Here's hoping D'Antoni keeps to playing Skinner and Banks on a regular basis. Also, the true test will be if Banks will still get playing after one subpar game. Will D'Antoni continue to keep him on a short leash?

[ShelC]

Also, the true test will be if Banks will still get playing after one subpar game.

That my biggest concern right now. I think you absolutely have to build on this and keep his confidence up. You cant yo-yo him if he makes some mistakes or reverts back to the old Marcus.
That doesnt mean you dont coach him or correct him if he messes up or just starts jacking. But lengthen the leash, let him know he doesnt have to worry about always playing the perfect game. We're a much more dangerous team with him in the mix because of his ability to defend the smaller, quicker guards. Even if hes just a matchup guy who we play against certain teams, not unlike Skinner in certain situations. We've seen two games in a row now against Paul and AI how effective he can be defensively against those types.

[Sunny_Kid]

I think Banks should get his PT whether or not he shoot well. He guards small and quicker guards very good. We must use his defense. If he can shoot well, it's a big bonus on our side.

[wpmiller42]

Man, if this game doesn't get Banks some minutes, I don't know what will!

[FrontRowSun]

Nice game tonight.... The blocked shot disparity was fun to watch since this was the Nuggets.

I wish Marion played like that every night.

Other than that, I am hoping to see us do this a few more times against the good teams in the west. As always, when we hit our shots, we can make some good teams look bad.

And when Banks, Marion, & Skinner hit three's...... They must have spiked the kool-aid in the locker room. We may not see this again this year.

[Philbert]

speaking of blocks, the box score says shawn had 6?! i didn't have access to this game on tv, were any of these of the pure rejection of a layup/dunk attempt? or more of the getting a hand on a jumpshop variety? either way, that's a pretty remarkable stat for a guy 6'7

amare continues the undefeated streak with 20 and 10 on the nose.

unfortunately for banks, it's going to be hard to replicate this performance. 23 points on 8 field goal attempts.

with a 22 point margin of victory, i hope it was just an odd coincidence that Skinner managed a -10 for the game (aside from Pike's -1, the only "minus" guy on the team).

[sehan]

with a 22 point margin of victory, i hope it was just an odd coincidence that Skinner managed a -10 for the game (aside from Pike's -1, the only "minus" guy on the team).


ugh.... no offense, but don't you think this +/- stat is completely useless on individual games? After all you are just one player out of 10 on the court. I think this stat is nice for a sample size of 25 games or so where the variety of your team mates you are playing with and the opposition talent on the court is normalized.

Don't mean to jump on your post, just seen this stat being quoted for single game one too many time in my opinion.

[SpecialSauce]

I was at the game tonight, and the energy level was awesome. Marcus got more than one standing ovation in the first half for his hustle, and the crowd was loving his hustle. Gotta love it.

[SunsDevils]

I predict another loss tonight. Nene, Martin, and Camby dominate the class, while Melo goes wild on the offensive end. Shawn continues to look lethargic, and Diaw ends up on kids poster all over South America as he is force fed a pressed Brazil nut sandwich when Nene elevates and dunks on him. As a result, management begins to re-think its stand pat approach.

Nuggets 122 Suns 111

This is yet ANOTHER example that this team is waiting for the playoffs. I know that I will get a lot of heat for saying this but when this team is focused, they are pretty scary. They lose the first quarter to Seattle by 20, then focus and come back to win the game. Same thing in Dallas, lose the first qt by 17 and then turn on to another gear for the rest of the game. Played well against NO for almost 3 quarters, fell asleep and lost the game. They all got pissed about it and played the best game of the year tonight for all 48 minutes. This team NEEDS loses like to NO to wake up. Wasn't it ironic that were 1-7 before tonight against the playoff teams and the only team we beat was SA? Just imagine if we were 7-1 with a loss to SA? What would the press say? Expectations are very high and that's the way it should be, but please let's not trade the whole team yet. You will get your wish at the end of season, whether we win the championship or not...

[Mori_Chu]

MARCUS FREAKING BANKS! YES SIR, MOTHERF***ERS!!!

That's what I'm talkin' bout! Listen to the avatar, biatches!

I have only one thing to say about this game: If Mike D'Antoni does not make Marcus Banks a PERMANENT part of the rotation FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON, I am calling for his freaking head. You cannot have played a more phenomenal game than Marcus just played for us. I am telling you, he solves 2 out of our 3 biggest team needs when he's on:

- He's the backup to Steve Nash we've been looking for. Yes, he can't distribute quite like Nash can, but at least with him on the floor at least we have a backup PG.

- He's the additional 3-point shooter we have been lacking. See how dangerous this team is when people are hitting their 3s? It didn't hurt that Marion was nailing his as well. But the game ball tonight goes to The Avatar.

I LOVED hearing the standing O for the guy, and seeing everybody on the bench mob him when he came out. They want him to succeed. I hope he takes confidence from this performance and builds on this for the next games.

[desertcoast]

I was at the game tonight, and the energy level was awesome. Marcus got more than one standing ovation in the first half for his hustle, and the crowd was loving his hustle. Gotta love it.

I was too, Sauce.
I wasn't sure what to expect with all the bad mojo that's been tossed around the last few days....but the place was wired.

I've read that players never read the press or watch local sports coverage, but I don't buy it. These guys came out with an attitude tonight...They seemed pissed; like they had something to prove. Whatever it was..it worked :wink:

[AlanS]

Suns just miss NBA record for 3s in a game with 20 3-pointers
Nuggets 115, Suns 137

1 2 3 4 T
DEN (21-13) 34 25 31 25 115
PHO (24-10) 46 32 28 31 137

PHOENIX (AP) -- So much for the Phoenix Suns' chemistry woes.

General manager Steve Kerr had a little talk with the team before Monday's shootaround. What followed was a 3-point barrage that an old sharpshooter like Kerr surely appreciated.

With 10 assists and two 3-pointers made against the Nuggets, Steve Nash has recorded at least 10 assists and made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 10 games, tying Magic Johnson for the second-longest such streak in NBA history.

Shawn Marion scored a season-high 27 points, had six blocked shots, and hit five of Phoenix's 20 3-pointers to lead the Suns to a 137-115 romp over the Denver Nuggets in a division leaders' matchup that quickly became a mismatch.

"A good day at the office, I guess you could say," Marion said.

Marcus Banks, who has played his way back into the Suns' rotation, made a career-high seven 3s -- in eight attempts -- en route to a season-best 23 points. The 20 3-pointers matched a franchise record and were one shy of the NBA record set by Toronto on March 13, 2005.

Steve Nash said Kerr told the players "he just believes in us and wants us to believe in one another and give ourselves our best possible chance."

Nash said that he hopes the talk had an influence on the game. "But you can't expect Steve to make a Knute Rockne everyday," Nash said. "Hopefully, we're capable of being professional."

Kerr downplayed the talk, saying it was something that happens on teams a few times in a season.

After four games in five nights, the Nuggets were in no shape to match the highly motivated Suns. "They got happy and they got cocky and they rubbed our faces in the game a little bit," Denver coach George Karl said. "It will be fun the next time we play them."

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said too much has been made of the team's perceived chemistry problems, and he blamed himself for "over-exaggerating." "It's a matter of everybody just going after it," he said. "Let's get after it. Let's go win rather than 'Woe is me, I hope we don't lose.'"

The Suns jumped out to a 17-6 lead, were up by 23 in the second quarter and 25 in the third in their best offensive showings of the season after a disappointing 118-113 home loss to New Orleans on Saturday.

Marion made 11-of-15 shots and grabbed 14 rebounds before leaving with 4:23 to play. The five 3-pointers, all of which came in the first half, matched a career-high. He equaled his career high with the six blocks. It was the fifth time Marion has had five 3s or six blocks.

Banks, who has fallen out of favor with D'Antoni on numerous occasions, has earned his way into the rotation with his play in the last three games. "What he needs to do, and he's doing it, is learn how not to foul in crucial times, how not to turn it over, how not to jack one up and be a real team guy," D'Antoni said, "and he's trying."

Banks said he hoped for more playing time. "All I can do is sit over there and wait until my name's called," he said. "When it comes, I'm going to go 110 percent and give them my all and just take care of business out there."

Grant Hill added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Amare Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds as six Suns reached double figures.

Allen Iverson scored 32 for the Nuggets, 17 in the first quarter when his team fell behind 46-34. Carmelo Anthony added 20 points in Denver's second loss in eight games.

Down by 25 early in the third quarter, the Nuggets used an 11-2 run to cut it to 101-90 on Camby's three-point play with 25.6 seconds left in the third. But Stoudemire sank a 16-footer, Iverson missed two free throws and Leandro Barbosa made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to boost Phoenix's lead to 106-90 entering the fourth.

Denver, coming off a home victory over Philadelphia on Sunday, closed to 112-99 on Nene's fastbreak layup with 6:48 remaining, but Banks ended any comeback hopes with a pair of 3s.

The first half ended after Brian Skinner drew an offensive foul on Kenyon Martin, then made -- what else? -- a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 78-59. It was Skinner's second career 3-pointer. His first, from about 40 feet, came earlier this year at the halftime buzzer against Sacramento.

Phoenix made 11-of-15 3s in their second-highest-scoring half of the season. The Suns shot 60 percent in the first half and were led by Marion with 21 points. Phoenix made nine of its first 10 shots en route to a 46-point first quarter.

Game notes

Phoenix raced to its big first-half lead despite foul trouble. Boris Diaw had four and Marion, Stoudemire and Hill three apiece. ... Stoudemire missed practice on Tuesday, saying he needed to stay home with his ill son. ... Iverson entered the contest scoring 21.8 points per game against the Suns, his lowest average against any NBA team.

[AlanS]

The Spurs lost in OT vs the Warriors. Suns now lead the West, at least for a minute or two.

[AlanS]

Some game notes:
• LB seemed to make an effort to share the ball. He actually passed the ball on a fast break tonight! In all, he had 6 assists.

•*Banks had zero assists in 20 minutes. Is he a PG or another under-sized SG?

• For the second game in a row, the Suns shot 53% from the field. This is awesome.

• Diaw's shooting slump continues. Going into this game, he was shooting 36% from the field in his last 10 games. Tonight, he was 2/8 from the field, with 1 reb and 6 assts in 28 minutes.

[AlanS]

I've read that players never read the press or watch local sports coverage, but I don't buy it. These guys came out with an attitude tonight...They seemed pissed; like they had something to prove. Whatever it was..it worked :wink:

Perhaps they weren't trying to prove anything to the media or fans... but rather, to themselves.

[fixxxer]

Some game notes:
Diaw's shooting slump continues. Going into this game, he was shooting 36% from the field in his last 10 games. Tonight, he was 2/8 from the field, with 1 reb and 6 assts in 28 minutes.I know, I've been harping on this for some time now, but Diaw needs to rebound... especially since we play him at a big man slot. Him hitting the boards, and hitting 'em hard, just *could* be the difference between making the Finals and, um, not. I'm not even overly concerned about the shooting slump... hella season left and offensive adjustments prompting Diaw to take shots closer to the basket will be made.

Viva la Banks! If Banks can continue to show consistency with his outside shot, play smart offense and hustle on defense, he'll be a permanent fixture in the rotation, and we get to fill two HUGE role-holes: Nash's primary backup and additional outside shooter. We essentially GAIN that 8th man we've been sorely lacking.

Now if only Sean Marks can develop into the defensive monster most of us predicted he'd be... :wink:

[fixxxer]

The Spurs lost in OT vs the Warriors. Suns now lead the West, at least for a minute or two.Nice. Was tracking that game online, and once the Spurs started to rally in the 3rd/4th I just assumed they'd take the game. Good on BDiddy and his heretic crew.

[JustWinBaby]

It surely was a great win and fun to watch. Lots of people had very good games.
The rebounding disparity is still troublesome. We get outrebounded by double digits and win by 20 go figure.

We are no always going to shoot 64% from behind the arc.

Denver got virtually everyone virtually guarding the paint in foul trouble. Skinner still needs more minutes, and those that say Boris can defend bigs is out of their mind.

Boris had his moments, but still is not what we really need - we need another big that can defend an rebound.

The most disconcerting thing were some of D'Antoni post game comments about playing time. He seems more concerned with getting the first 7 their minutes than playing the guys that are making the biggest contributions. Basically that means Bell and Barbosa will continue to get minutes when Banks may deserve them more and Boris will get minutes when Skinner deserves them more. That is not the right direction to go IMO.

From a few comments it appears most of the quote on quote chemistry problems are related to Marion not STAT. That is just a guess, but it does make sense. His numbers have been down and he could be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he opts out.

Whatever the problems are, this was a good win. However we stil need another big to rebound and play defense, we will not make 20 3 pointers in any playoff game.

[JediSkywalker]

I was at the game and it's pretty late now, so I have not read the earlier posts.

It was great fun to be there when the Suns had the hot hand, and they basically cruised. No nail biting anxiety or come back in the final two minutes. That does not happen very often. They have a nasty habit of relaxing too much when they have a big lead. Not tonight. They kept coming back with big baskets. It was a well deserved win. I was very happy for Marcus Banks. He has worked very hard and he was finally rewarded with a big shooting night (7 out of 8 three pointers! WOW!). What impressed me was that he harrassed Iverson and took him out of his rhythm. AI still scored 32 points because he is AI, but he was not able to make a big comeback for Denver or to dominate the game.

Marion and Banks were unbelievable, but almost everyone contributed tonight in some way. I was wondering -watching Grant Hill- if he was injured, from the way he was walking. He just seemed a bit slow or different. However, come game time he made some great plays, and quickly amassed 20 points, even though he picked up 5 fouls.

Nash and Amare did what they do well.

Boris did not play well, even though what we saw was an improvement over last year. He seemed hesitant with the ball, and when he shot, most of the time he missed. He did have 6 assists but he really needs to score points, or at least grab more rebounds. The Suns were way behind in the offensive rebounds. The 12 blocks were great though.

I could not figure out why so many fouls were called on the Suns. Amare, Boris, Hill had 5 fouls each. It was nit-picky. The Nuggets went to the FT line 40 times; the Suns only 18. The good news was the Suns missed just 1 FT; this season they have really struggled at the FT line, but not tonight.

However, we cannot expect the Suns to have that kind of a night in their next game. They will come down to earth and they will still need to find a way to win games on their off nights. I hope this win is a start of something good.

[JediSkywalker]

P.S. to my previous post:

I noticed that several Suns players seemed hesitant to take 3-point shots in the first Q. Later the 3's started raining, but initially I wondered if the players were afraid of making mistakes, and that's why they were passing up some shots. That did not last very long, however. Denver did not shoot as well as I had expected, but I think the Suns played good defense, esp. in the first half.

[SwingMan]

I never thought Banks would be an outside threat like this. As much as ive defended him, i never envisioned him as any kind of shooter, but more a breakdown scorer.

Lets just hope he and MikeD dont strike another deal, otherwise we wont see Marcus for another 2 months ;)

Its only really been 2 games, but even the haters and pessimists have to be encouraged by his play of late.

Missed tonight's game due to work, but in the NO game (1st half, anyways), his floor game was as solid as I've ever seen - here or elsewhere. I can only hope that he's FINALLY realizing he can have a place here if he keeps working on his fucking game.

At about 11 p.m., I'd heard that Banks had sunk SEVEN 3's - I sat down for about 10 full minutes, looking up to see if Hell's Outhouse had indeed frozen over..... :cool:

[SwingMan]

MARCUS FREAKING BANKS! YES SIR, MOTHERF***ERS!!!

That's what I'm talkin' bout! Listen to the avatar, biatches!

I have only one thing to say about this game: If Mike D'Antoni does not make Marcus Banks a PERMANENT part of the rotation FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON, I am calling for his freaking head. You cannot have played a more phenomenal game than Marcus just played for us. I am telling you, he solves 2 out of our 3 biggest team needs when he's on:

- He's the backup to Steve Nash we've been looking for. Yes, he can't distribute quite like Nash can, but at least with him on the floor at least we have a backup PG.

- He's the additional 3-point shooter we have been lacking. See how dangerous this team is when people are hitting their 3s? It didn't hurt that Marion was nailing his as well. But the game ball tonight goes to The Avatar.

I LOVED hearing the standing O for the guy, and seeing everybody on the bench mob him when he came out. They want him to succeed. I hope he takes confidence from this performance and builds on this for the next games.

Okay, swingin' dick - chill out. ;)

Even I gave Banks props for his vastly improved play - there's your gold star right there. :cool:

[fixxxer]

MARCUS FREAKING BANKS! YES SIR, MOTHERF***ERS!!!
.
.
.
But the game ball tonight goes to The Avatar.Heil Mori Chu! If Banks rolls out a few more of these, I pledge to call him nothing other than 'The Avatar' within these hallowed halls. :mrgreen:

[sunsdotcom]

i wish somebody would put a torrent of this game. banks' best game!

[OE]

•*Banks had zero assists in 20 minutes. Is he a PG or another under-sized SG?

Not really the Avatar's fault. Barbs played point when the Avatar was out there, and whenever he got the ball (aside from a TO to end a quarter), he quickly sank a three. We could ask for no more. We don't really need dribble penetration or distribution. We need rain.

THIRSTY FOR THREES BABY!!!

...

On a side note, I think that if Kerr, who is as traditional as they come and who advocates inside-out basketball and strong interior defense, believes this group can win it all, then I'm with him. If he thinks a trade will not benefit, I'll trust him. Of course, it's much easier to say that after we put that kind of thumping on Denver. I vow to shut up with the trade talk til next summer at earliest.

GO SUNS!

[fixxxer]

On a side note, I think that if Kerr, who is as traditional as they come and who advocates inside-out basketball and strong interior defense, believes this group can win it all, then I'm with him. If he thinks a trade will not benefit, I'll trust him. Of course, it's much easier to say that after we put that kind of thumping on Denver. I vow to shut up with the trade talk til next summer at earliest.

GO SUNS!While I was NEVER on board for trading one of the team's core members (no, not even B'Doris) this year, I'm always open to the concept of adding another cheap defensive big man via one of our trade exceptions.

(Runs for cover in anticipation of copious amounts of thou-shalt-not-talk-trade-fire-and-brimstone spewage from MR. :mrgreen:)

[sunsdotcom]

i wish somebody would put a torrent of this game. banks' best game!

http://bt.davka.info/torrents/maverick41/08.01.08-Nuggets%20at%20Suns.asf.torrent

[Wormwood]

My thoughts on the game:

* Boy was I glad to be totally wrong with my prediction.

* We can't shoot like that every night. But when we do, we're unstoppable.

* Skinner! Holy crap, turning into a 3 point threat! :)

* Banks is the big story, and I watched him closely. I've said many times in the past he could be usefull to us as an Eddie House who actually tries on defense. Well, he's tried too hard on D in the past, crowding his man and picking up dumb fouls or getting blown by because he's too tight and can't stay between his man and the basket.

Last night was sort of the perfect storm for him. Banks still struggles with guarding the pick and roll, even last night. However, Iverson typically shuns the P&R because he has a tough time seeing over and around it. Usually he tries to break people down one on one. Banks, to his credit, played an arms length away, preventing Iverson from driving. If Marcus had done his usual job of staying to close, AI would have torched him.

Banks is way too small to guard most 2's, but he can do well against smaller ones like Terry, and definitely PGs. All he has to do is keep using his head.

As for his offense, if his 3 point shot is for real (i.e. he can hit 45% consistently), he's going to get more minutes. The smartest thing he can do on offense is drive it if he's got a wide open lane to the hoop, shoot it if he's open, and pass it immediately if he's not open when he cathes the ball. Leave the distributing to Hill and maybe Diaw. Barbosa was far more guilty of pounding the ball last night than Banks.

Has Banks turned a corner here? No idea. He's had some atrocious habits in the past, and I'm not sure he's overcome them.

[Philbert]

with a 22 point margin of victory, i hope it was just an odd coincidence that Skinner managed a -10 for the game (aside from Pike's -1, the only "minus" guy on the team).


ugh.... no offense, but don't you think this +/- stat is completely useless on individual games? After all you are just one player out of 10 on the court. I think this stat is nice for a sample size of 25 games or so where the variety of your team mates you are playing with and the opposition talent on the court is normalized.

Don't mean to jump on your post, just seen this stat being quoted for single game one too many time in my opinion.


none taken, you're right. for non-starters, one could argue the +/- is pretty much worthless in general. in this case, i just noticed that nearly the entire team had a + (much like most/all of denver had a -) which is to be expected with such a large margin of victory that was built and sustained throughout the game. and then you have one guy with a big (-) standing out...

[ShelC]

Forget +/-. I want to see the page differential between a Gameday thread when we win and when we lose.

[desertcoast]

* Banks is the big story, and I watched him closely. I've said many times in the past he could be usefull to us as an Eddie House who actually tries on defense.

i was with the sports620KTAR crew at last night's game, and everyone in the box began yelling out Marcus House! each time he hit.
If he could turn into a legit 3pt threat who defends, that would be a huge boost to this team. 1 game doesn't make it so, but it's a nice thought.

For all the Banks trashing that has gone on , it seems like fans really are pulling for the guy.

Maybe he'll start realizing that the fans actually want him to succeed here as opposed to watching for his every mistake. No one really wants a $4Mill per year mistake on the roster.

[INFORMER]

No one really wants a $4Mill per year mistake on the roster.

Exactly.

[Mori_Chu]

I just loved the play where Marcus was guarding Iverson, who was clearly frustrated, and Allen was outside the 3pt line, when he suddenly realizes that there are only 2 seconds left on the shot clock, so he's forced to throw up a 3PT HOOK SHOT (LMAO) that caroms hard off the backboard. Owned!

[ShelC]

I think Banks poked away the ball as he was going up for that 3 initially. Thats when AI had to reach back towards the sideline to recover the ball. At that point the shotclock was at 2 or 3 and he had to throw it up to avoid the violation.

I think the shot actually hit the back of the rim. It was closer than you wouldve thought. I know i held my breathe, and Al said as much as well.

[jed]

Great game. Exactly what the team -- and Banks, specifically -- needed. Let's hope that whatever chemistry ills we once experienced are now behind us.

'Cause if they aren't, this isn't a championship team.

[misteradiant]

OE, i'm glad to see that you're deciding to chill on the trade speculation after what kerr did with the team sunday and monday. i am darned happy with what steve kerr said to nash when nash said kerr told him he believes in the team and wants the team to believe in one another and give themselves the best possible chance to win. the suns looked like they believed in each other last night. they rushed to help up downed teammates and they cheered for them, too. i did not notice a lot of smiles to start the game, but caught a few as it became apparent they knew they would not relent. anyway, props to kerr for what seems was the spark that bound the team together as evidenced by the visible camaraderie they expressed last night. props to OE for the recognition of it.

coach karl infers that the nuggets are going to want their pound of flesh when we meet them next for the suns perceived cockiness and for "rubbing" their "faces in the game." a lot can happen in a month in the nba and we don't meet them again until march 5 in denver. they may also be a playoff opponent next spring. we may be forging a new rivalry like we've done with the lakers and spurs. guess we'll find out more in march.

coach mike is right. the suns are good enough to simply say that "it's a matter of everybody just going after it." that "going after it" is the same thing as focus or being always engaged in the game. it's the same as never taking a play off. steve did it once last night, but it was in the middle of the 4th if i recall and we were up by 19 or 20. i did not see anybody take a play off. when the suns do that, good things happen.


No one really wants a $4Mill per year mistake on the roster.

i thought boris made 9 mill ;).

i'm happy for banks lately, but i want to give props to the coaching staff because i think they are working with him and it's showing. that might be influenced by coach jay humphries. i can only guess but it's a fair assumption. don't you agree? iavoroni is gone and his replacement is giving us a better marcus banks. iavoroni didn't get a fire under boris's ass last year so i'll take the same boris but a better banks any day. 7 3's? wow. there's our 3-point threat, as others have pointed out. it makes us run-n-gun again. even though all those blocked shots and points in the paint made us slash-n-burn. looks like we really were a phoenix last night, with so much fire in so many places, consuming an opponent that still scored 115.

we lured them to run with us and we kicked ass. now to do that to golden state.

we held denver to 43% shooting, which is the percentage i've said for a year that the suns need to keep an opponent at or under to win consistently. skinner had a half-assed game though by no lack of effort. he gets a pass for drawing the offensive foul and ending the half with a swished 3 at the buzzer on the next play. diaw? we're used to it by now. his 6 assists are nice, but everything else blew half-digested, sticky, smelly food chunks all over my television. there's your "spewage," fixxxer. raja did the invisible defensive things admirably for over 24 minutes. if coach uses skinner and banks at least 10 minutes a game, we're a legit 9 deep.

great news is how we handled our foul trouble. everybody stepped up. it really was a nice game. too bad it wasn't against the lakers.

if they were proving it to themselves, alan and jed, then i predict we are in the nba finals this year.