Blazers @ Suns Tuesday NBA Play-In Game Thread, 4-14-2026

[Cheesebeef]

lol hate away

Look, I get why you’d respond like this instead of actually trying to debunk anything I said, but I’ll give you another opportunity to disprove my “hate.”

Please… tell me about the myriad team success Booker has led the Suns to in the playoffs during his entire career outside of the one year when CP3 was the clear alpha and still an ALL-NBA player.

You can talk about jersey sales, new shoes! Or dating a kardashian! But what I care about is conference titles, division titles, hell, 50 win seasons or I’d just settle for regularly getting his team IN the playoffs.

Sadly, Devin consistently hasn’t done that or lifted the team to be able to do any of that the overwhelming majority of his career, but has been overwhelming been paid consistently like someone who has.

 

[Mainstreet]

Since Devin Booker's rookie season, some pretty good Western Conference teams have stood in the Suns way to a Championship series yet the Suns made it once.

• 2015-16: Golden State Warriors
• 2016-17: Golden State Warriors
• 2017-18: Golden State Warriors
• 2018-19: Golden State Warriors
• 2019-20: Los Angeles Lakers
• 2020-21: Phoenix Suns
• 2021-22: Golden State Warriors
• 2022-23: Denver Nuggets
• 2023-24: Dallas Mavericks
• 2024-25: Oklahoma City Thunder

 

[Hoop Head]

No matter who wants to point fingers or which direction they go, still got 1 game to go. We weren't making it out of round 1 either way. We need a W on Friday.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Since Devin Booker's rookie season, some pretty good Western Conference teams have stood in the Suns way to a Championship series yet the Suns made it once.

• 2015-16: Golden State Warriors
• 2016-17: Golden State Warriors
• 2017-18: Golden State Warriors
• 2018-19: Golden State Warriors
• 2019-20: Los Angeles Lakers
• 2020-21: Phoenix Suns
• 2021-22: Golden State Warriors
• 2022-23: Denver Nuggets
• 2023-24: Dallas Mavericks
• 2024-25: Oklahoma City Thunder

But for the most part, those teams didn’t stand in the Suns way and I think it’s kinda specious argument to say so because I.T ignores a lot of context of how bad to terrible or pathetically underachieving the Suns were in all but ONE year of the above. For these teams to have “stood in the Suns way” that implies we continually couldn’t beat them in the playoffs when reality is we barely even played most of the teams in the playoffs, mostly because we were so bad the majority of Booker’s era that we’ve only MADE the playoffs in 4 out of the 12 years.

And the only year they did have success was the Finals year when Denver/Lakers all had major injuries and in GS case, the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. So it’s not like he led the team to some Herculean task overcoming all or even one of those teams.

But back to the original point, outside of that year, the Booker led Suns didn’t even make the playoffs in 7 of the other 11 years so it’s not like he kept making it and was getting beat back by great teams. His teams were mostly atrocious pre 2021 and never even got the chance to play those teams… and after 2021… his teams have significantly underachieved and either got humiliated by lesser teams (Dallas… not even GS in 2022) or went out like punks against the Wolves two years ago (who aren’t one of those teams) or didn’t make the playoffs at all (last year) and are threatening to make playoff choke artist history again by being the only 7 seed to never get in during the play-in era. And during ALL of those series, when it mattered most, Booker was at his least effectiveness… repeatedly.

The reason Book gets so much guff is specifically because it’s usually NOT the great teams that have stood in his way. It’s the 6, 7, 8 seeds he couldn’t even come close to lifting his team toward becoming pre-CP3. With CP3, it was him blowing a 2-0 lead to other perennial choke-artist Bucks for a title. Then being humiliated by the Mavs before they could ever get to GS.

And then everything after that has either ended in similarly awful fashion in one way or another.

 

[Carolinacacti]

No matter who wants to point fingers or which direction they go, still got 1 game to go. We weren't making it out of round 1 either way. We need a W on Friday.

I don't even want to watch them if Collin and Grayson can't hit a three. Green is a least exciting and the young ones. Young guns will not play

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't even want to watch them if Collin and Grayson can't hit a three. Green is a least exciting and the young ones. Young guns will not play

I'm done with Grayson. I think we'll need less size against either the Warriors or Clips, looking like Clips now. They're both smaller and play a similar style to us.

 

[Mainstreet]

But for the most part, those teams didn’t stand in the Suns way and I think it’s kinda specious argument to say so because I.T ignores a lot of context of how bad to terrible or pathetically underachieving the Suns were in all but ONE year of the above. For these teams to have “stood in the Suns way” that implies we continually couldn’t beat them in the playoffs when reality is we barely even played most of the teams in the playoffs, mostly because we were so bad the majority of Booker’s era that we’ve only MADE the playoffs in 4 out of the 12 years.

And the only year they did have success was the Finals year when Denver/Lakers all had major injuries and in GS case, the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. So it’s not like he led the team to some Herculean task overcoming all or even one of those teams.

But back to the original point, outside of that year, the Booker led Suns didn’t even make the playoffs in 7 of the other 11 years so it’s not like he kept making it and was getting beat back by great teams. His teams were mostly atrocious pre 2021 and never even got the chance to play those teams… and after 2021… his teams have significantly underachieved and either got humiliated by lesser teams (Dallas… not even GS in 2022) or went out like punks against the Wolves two years ago (who aren’t one of those teams) or didn’t make the playoffs at all (last year) and are threatening to make playoff choke artist history again by being the only 7 seed to never get in during the play-in era. And during ALL of those series, when it mattered most, Booker was at his least effectiveness… repeatedly.

You already know how bad the Suns were in Booker's early years under Robert Sarver.

I'm pointing out the quality of teams in the Western Conference in those years before James Jones put a competitive team around him.

Btw, let's not forget, Chris Paul came to Phoenix because of Devin Booker.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You already know how bad the Suns were in Booker's early years under Robert Sarver.

I'm pointing out the quality of teams in the Western Conference in those years before James Jones put a competitive team around him.

Btw, let's not forget, Chris Paul came to Phoenix because of Devin Booker.

Let’s also remember that outside of the one year CP3 was great and the leader of that team, Booker’s never had really much success in the playoffs, if he made it there at all and when he did, every single time, those pathetic short-lived playoff appearances ended in humiliating fashion, at home no less, while he even more, he consistently played his worst.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You already know how bad the Suns were in Booker's early years under Robert Sarver.

I'm pointing out the quality of teams in the Western Conference in those years before James Jones put a competitive team around him.

Then why did you say they stood in his way? Odd figure of speech to use for someone who was in no way shape or form even close to any of those teams’ paths because his team couldn’t even find the road most years.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

Look, I get why you’d respond like this instead of actually trying to debunk anything I said, but I’ll give you another opportunity to disprove my “hate.”

Please… tell me about the myriad team success Booker has led the Suns to in the playoffs during his entire career outside of the one year when CP3 was the clear alpha and still an ALL-NBA player.

You can talk about jersey sales, new shoes! Or dating a kardashian! But what I care about is conference titles, division titles, hell, 50 win seasons or I’d just settle for regularly getting his team IN the playoffs.

Sadly, Devin consistently hasn’t done that or lifted the team to be able to do any of that the overwhelming majority of his career, but has been overwhelming been paid consistently like someone who has.

lol

 

[Cheesebeef]

lol

Lol indeed… I’ll let sleeping former dawgs lie since it’s clear you don’t really want to talk about this.

 

[Chaplin]

What is your goal here, Cheese? I'm confused why you are arguing so much about this.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

Lol indeed… I guess this is better than when you used to tell people you were gonna kick their ass when someone would disagree with you.

are we still talking about devin booker? what's wrong with you tonight? personal attacks for no good reason? you have a good night cheese

 

[Mainstreet]

Then why did you say they stood in his way? Odd figure of speech to use for someone who was in no way shape or form even close to any of those teams’ paths because his team couldn’t even find the road most years.

Now you are making a case for why Devin Booker did not find early success with the Suns. Indeed the Suns were bad during his early years.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Forget it folks… I forgot what happens here when people start to criticize Booker. Hopefully he shows out on Friday.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Lookin like leonard vs book for 8th seed.... i was hopin gs ehhh

 

[Mainstreet]

Lookin like leonard vs book for 8th seed.... i was hopin gs ehhh

You are a glutton for punishment.

Either way, I think we have a good idea of how this rodeo ends. The Suns have been offtrack for awhile now.

 

[mjb21aztd]

You are a glutton for punishment.

Either way, I think we have a good idea of how this rodeo ends. The Suns have been offtrack for awhile now.

Yuppppers tim to make history by missin poff as 7th seed since playin lol

Another fun az sports record

 

[mjb21aztd]

Now gs up late it is gona be book vs steph showdown for 8th

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

1 FG, 1 assist in the second half for Book, losing a home play-in game, to an inferior opponent.

Man… that sucks.

Jesus that’s awful.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We are definitely so lucky to be paying this guy $70mil/ year

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Holy crap!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Holy crap!

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