Rockets @ Suns Friday game thread 2-7-20

[Chaplin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Hoop Head]

I thought Alvin Gentry did become the Suns head coach after D'Antoni went to New York.

No matter how one feels about D'Antoni, he changed the game.

You're forgetting the huge mistake that was Terry Porter. I lay that one on Steve Kerr. Sure, replacing D'Antoni wasn't going to be easy but thinking that Terry Porter was a good choice was a real head scratcher. He was intent on slowing the team down and running everything through Shaq despite having MVSteve at PG.

Porter was let go while he had a winning record also, 28-23, but that was a far cry from what they had been doing in previous years. They missed the playoffs that year despite having a 46-36 record but that was probably for the best. That's when Amare had his eye issues late in the season and missed the last 29 games. Even without Amare, Gentry coached them to 18-13 and got the job full time.

It was clear he was the right coach for the team, using Shaq more than D'Antoni did but also utilizing Nash to his abilities. Nash went from averaging 13.8 ppg while shooting 47% from the field under Porter to 55% from the field and 18.7 ppg under Gentry. The slow it down, deliberate, halfcourt style wasn't helping him at all.

 

[Mainstreet]

You're forgetting the huge mistake that was Terry Porter. I lay that one on Steve Kerr. Sure, replacing D'Antoni wasn't going to be easy but thinking that Terry Porter was a good choice was a real head scratcher. He was intent on slowing the team down and running everything through Shaq despite having MVSteve at PG.

Porter was let go while he had a winning record also, 28-23, but that was a far cry from what they had been doing in previous years. They missed the playoffs that year despite having a 46-36 record but that was probably for the best. That's when Amare had his eye issues late in the season and missed the last 29 games. Even without Amare, Gentry coached them to 18-13 and got the job full time.

It was clear he was the right coach for the team, using Shaq more than D'Antoni did but also utilizing Nash to his abilities. Nash went from averaging 13.8 ppg while shooting 47% from the field under Porter to 55% from the field and 18.7 ppg under Gentry. The slow it down, deliberate, halfcourt style wasn't helping him at all.

Yeah, I forgot Porter there was an interval between D'Antoni and Gentry.

 

[devilalum]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Resting stars so they’re fresh for the post season may be influencing this trend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GatorAZ]

You're forgetting the huge mistake that was Terry Porter. I lay that one on Steve Kerr. Sure, replacing D'Antoni wasn't going to be easy but thinking that Terry Porter was a good choice was a real head scratcher. He was intent on slowing the team down and running everything through Shaq despite having MVSteve at PG.

Porter was let go while he had a winning record also, 28-23, but that was a far cry from what they had been doing in previous years. They missed the playoffs that year despite having a 46-36 record but that was probably for the best. That's when Amare had his eye issues late in the season and missed the last 29 games. Even without Amare, Gentry coached them to 18-13 and got the job full time.

It was clear he was the right coach for the team, using Shaq more than D'Antoni did but also utilizing Nash to his abilities. Nash went from averaging 13.8 ppg while shooting 47% from the field under Porter to 55% from the field and 18.7 ppg under Gentry. The slow it down, deliberate, halfcourt style wasn't helping him at all.

Hiring Porter was pound for pound Kerr’s worst move. He did what a lot of GM’s do which is hire the polar opposite coach as the previous guy was. IIRC Raja Bell went public with his frustrations about the offense and it probably got him traded (with Diaw)... When Porter got fired the Suns scored 140 pts in their next 3 games but then Amare got hurt.

 

[BC867]

A victim? Geez, Monty DID sign the damn contract BC. Nobody put a gun to his head.

Wouldn't you say that, in good faith, he expected a balanced roster? That and the Suns record make him a victim.

In other words, it is not Monty's fault. He's the only decision maker in the chain of command who seems qualified
to lead an NBA team. Not Sarver. Not Bower. Not Jones.

 

[Chaplin]

Wouldn't you say that, in good faith, he expected a balanced roster? That and the Suns record make him a victim.

In other words, it is not Monty's fault. He's the only decision maker in the chain of command who seems qualified
to lead an NBA team. Not Sarver. Not Bower. Not Jones.

He’s not an idiot BC. He knew what he was getting into. You love painting people as victims. This is a PROCESS and we are on an upward trajectory, but sure, go ahead and cry that poor Monty is miserable. I’m sure he cries when his paycheck is deposited in his checking account every couple weeks.

 

[Hoop Head]

Wouldn't you say that, in good faith, he expected a balanced roster? That and the Suns record make him a victim.

In other words, it is not Monty's fault. He's the only decision maker in the chain of command who seems qualified
to lead an NBA team. Not Sarver. Not Bower. Not Jones.

You act like they took Monty off the street and forced him into his position and that's just not the case. He has played in the NBA, been an assistant, a head coach, and an assistant GM. He's worn many hats in his career and knows full well what he signed on for. He signed on to take over as coach of the team with one the worst records in the league over the last few seasons, he knew it wasn't going to be a quick turnaround. That's why he signed on for 5 years, to help turn things around and instill a new culture.

There is a balanced roster but injuries have decimated the balance. Sure, someone can be signed using the injury exception but that creates an issue when Frank comes back, which should happen in early to mid March, they would then need to waive someone. So it's a tough spot, especially when the playoffs are out of reach already. It also took time to get that exception and unfortunately the team didn't play well while that was happening.

He does have bigs though, maybe not bigs that you like or fit the mold for what you would prefer but he's spoken very highly of every player on the roster, including guys like Saric, Kaminsky, and Baynes. Statistically those players aren't the garbage that some people here would lead you to believe either. They're quite average or slightly below average given their roles and when compared to similar players in similar roles on other teams.

He does have players to lean on now and while it's not ideal that Ayton is playing 40 minutes a game, he did also miss a quarter of the season and isn't as worn out as others, plus he's 22 year old top prospect, asking a little more from him shouldn't be an issue. It shouldn't be much longer until Baynes and Saric will be back and when they are, everyone's load will be lighter, but right now giving more reps and minutes to someone like Ayton is far from the worst thing that could be happening and it definitely doesn't make Monty a "victim" of any sort.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Wouldn't you say that, in good faith, he expected a balanced roster? That and the Suns record make him a victim.

In other words, it is not Monty's fault. He's the only decision maker in the chain of command who seems qualified
to lead an NBA team. Not Sarver. Not Bower. Not Jones.

Without the injuries this roster is balanced- although there is room for improvement but then all teams need to tweak the roster.

 

[Phrazbit]

Without the injuries this roster is balanced- although there is room for improvement but then all teams need to tweak the roster.

Especially in comparison to last year when we only had like 4 guys who belonged in the NBA.

 

[SirStefan32]

Without the injuries this roster is balanced- although there is room for improvement but then all teams need to tweak the roster.

Especially in comparison to last year when we only had like 4 guys who belonged in the NBA.

Exactly. It's tough for any team to have depth when your backup C and both PFs are injured, along with two backup guards.

People forget how bad the Suns were last year. We are talking about needing a backup point guard and some help in the front court when three big guys are injured. Last year they had no point guard, and no PFs. Suns starting five have one of the best (if not the best) net rating in the NBA. Problem is that the bench unit sucks. Once they got Ayton back, they lost Baynes, and while Saric and Kaminsky are underwhelming PF rotation, at least they are competent and belong in the NBA. They probably belong on a bench unit, but they belong in the NBA. They also lost Cam, who seems to be an NBA player. TJ has had a down season, but he is also a legitimate NBA player. On top of that, Jerome got hurt as well. Even with all the injuries, they are better and deeper than the last year's squad.

EDIT:
There is no question that the Suns still need a backup point guard, a more athletic backup 4/5, and probably some shooting, but you can't rebuild an entire team in one off-season. Last year they had no NBA players outside of the wings (Booker, Oubre, and rookie Mikal) and centers in Ayton and Holmes. Tyler Johnson was probably the only other actual NBA player on the roster. You can't get an entire PG rotation, entire PF rotation, and add help on the wings in one year. Now I am sure there is a team out there that did it at some point, but that probably involves some serious luck that is not reasonable to expect.

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't know what happened to Tyler Johnson this year but he's been beyond awful. I can't think of a single game where he helped the team win, stay competitive, or looked like he had a future on the team. If he was playing like he did last year then we wouldn't have even heard of the Luke Kennard trade because Tyler was a capable bench scorer that could get you 10-14 points in 25 minutes a night while playing good defense. He wasn't a good shooter but his defense helped make up for that some.

He's out injured now but that could just be to save face. He hasn't played enough recently that an injury makes sense. It could have happened in practice, of course, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's something that has lingered all year also. Monty raved about him during the offseason and made it sound like he'd be the 3rd guard in the rotation and a potential 6th man. We haven't seen what Monty saw this year in any games though.

I'm glad we didn't stretch his contract last offseason because that gives the team $6-7 million in space that can be put to use, and will be needed. I would be shocked if he was brought back at all and if it's anymore than the veteran minimum signed after the first 14 roster spots are taken then it's a mistake.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't know what happened to Tyler Johnson this year but he's been beyond awful. I can't think of a single game where he helped the team win, stay competitive, or looked like he had a future on the team. If he was playing like he did last year then we wouldn't have even heard of the Luke Kennard trade because Tyler was a capable bench scorer that could get you 10-14 points in 25 minutes a night while playing good defense. He wasn't a good shooter but his defense helped make up for that some.

He's out injured now but that could just be to save face. He hasn't played enough recently that an injury makes sense. It could have happened in practice, of course, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's something that has lingered all year also. Monty raved about him during the offseason and made it sound like he'd be the 3rd guard in the rotation and a potential 6th man. We haven't seen what Monty saw this year in any games though.

I'm glad we didn't stretch his contract last offseason because that gives the team $6-7 million in space that can be put to use, and will be needed. I would be shocked if he was brought back at all and if it's anymore than the veteran minimum signed after the first 14 roster spots are taken then it's a mistake.

His last couple appearances he wasn’t that bad.

 

[Mainstreet]

Baynes, Saric and Kaminsky need to be replaced or pushed down the depth chart. The league values athleticism. I can't help but wonder if an expanded role has contributed to their injuries.

 

[BC867]

I sincerely share the optimism of you guys and hope that a competitive rotation is attained.

There are mixed opinions about when the new decade begins. Some say with 2020. Some of
us say 2021 as in 1-through-10, 11-through-20, 21-through-30, etc.

I'll continue to treat the new decade as beginning next season and hope that the Suns will
have left the old decade behind. 2021 being the playoffs that we hope to finally be in.
And a decade of All Stars Booker and Ayton leading us there.