ESPN "expert" does it again

[SirStefan32]

Chad Ford's latest chat:

Mike (San Diego, CA): How about them Suns? In back to back nights, they win in San Antonio, and they beat Portland at home. Do you think, once they get big Jake back, and Penny gets to full strength, they can compete in the playoffs?

Chad Ford: I think they'll start rolling again. The Suns really missed Penny. He was running the point, allowing Marbury the chance to play off-guard. The offense will run better once he's healthy and they won't have to rely on Joe Johnson who was very streaky. I think if the Suns stay healthy, they're in the playoffs.


Penny is not running the point. He brings the ball up the court occasionaly, and makes a play every once in a while, but he is not running the point for the Suns more than Anthony Mason is running the point for the Bucks or Vlade for the Kings. How did these idiot get the idea that Penny is running the point?

 

[Chaplin]

Other than the point comment, the rest of the passage was right on. In fact, Penny DID play some point guard to allow Marbury to play off the ball, but not to the extent that Chad Ford is describing.

 

[SirStefan32]

Didn't Sir Charles start the whole thing that Penny and Steph switched positions after that Philli- Phoenix game?

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by SirStefan32
Didn't Sir Charles start the whole thing that Penny and Steph switched positions after that Philli- Phoenix game?

I don't know if he "started it", but Charles Barkley continues to say that Marbury is the shooting guard when Hardaway is in the lineup. That happens sometimes, but you could probably count those possessions per game on one or maybe two of your hands. It certainly is not THE big difference.

The Suns lost close game after close game after Hardaway went down. Before that they were winning most of those close games. Right now he is a better player than Joe Johnson. That helps. But most importantly he and Tom Gugliotta get the Suns much-needed depth.

That's the difference. It's not Penny's ability to play the point. For some reason the media in general is obsessed with the idea that Marbury is not a true point guard. He is a point guard though. He just happens to be able to score also.

Joe Mama

 

[notakiddfan1]

I think that Chad Ford using the words "point guard" and "off-guard" was generally incorrect because when the Suns were at their best, they were using both Penny and Stephon as two guards who could run the offense, feed each other, and maximize the potential of our offense and the players that play in it by using their vast array of diverse skills. People used to say that Penny and Steph couldn't coexist, not only because they were believed to be too selfish, but also because their games were believed to be too similar.

This season, however, all that seems to have changed. The "media" and their "experts" are no longer bashing Stephon Marbury. I mean, it'd be pretty hard for them to do that with what he's been doing this season, but recently when the Suns have struggled, it wouldn't have been extremely difficult for somebody to write an article about how things were simply going back to normal for everybody's favorite target, the self-named Starbury. And Penny, well, they haven't bashed him in a while because, quite simply, nobody cares anymore. All that kept in mind, it doesn't change the fact that the media has given the Suns credit where credit is seemingly due. For the "experts" that said the Phoenix Suns were going to be amongst the bottom 3 or 4 teams in the league, giving the Suns some respect now is almost the same as admitting that they were wrong about Phoenix, about the entire organization, and, most importantly, about its palyers.

I think that if you really want to nit-pick, you can see that there is something wrong with Chad Ford's statements, but the overall point of his small tidbit was the truth. The Suns really did miss Anfernee Hardaway, the offense will run more smoothly when he's back to normal, and Joe Johnson was too streaky too rely on. Was Penny constantly playing the point so that Marbury could play the off-guard? No, not in the truest sense of that statement, but Penny wasn't really playing the two-guard all the time either. In any event, I don't think Chad Ford used that statement as a way to throw a small piece of information in their degrading the selfishness of Stephon Marbury, he merely wanted to show that the Suns players and coaches were not only open-minded enough to see new options, but they were versitile enough on and off the court, as well, to try them.

 

[slinslin]

I must have missed something because we surely were not lacking offensive potential.

When Penny went down we still scored 100 points per game it seemed and Joe Johnson was playing pretty consistant basketball but defense cost us game and Shawn Marion seemed to be tired after playing the last 2 offseasons for Team USA and always logging heavy minutes.

I think we need Penny back because it gives us another player who can score and our defense will be better if they don't have to spend so much energy on the offensive end.

However , our offense was running very well without Penny.

 

[SirStefan32]

Originally posted by slinslin


However , our offense was running very well without Penny.

Yes, because Stephon's been playing like a freakin' maniac, they were able to score 100+ points, but Stephon couldn't win too many games by himself. With Penny's return, the Suns suddenly get another clutch player who can take over any game. Also, when Stephon and Shawn take a break, there is acctually somebody who can score. (Anyone remembers that lineup- Brown, Jacobsen, Langhi, Outlaw, Voskhul?)

Tommorow is going to be a big game.

Stefan

P.S. for those outside of Phoenix area, and without the league pass, TNT is going to televize Phoenix- Sacramento game on thursday, and ESPN added a couple of Suns' games the week after next.

 

[cheng]

Joe Johnson just can't replace Penny's presence on the court although he did play well in some games with Penny being injuried. Penny's leadership can give Marbury and Marion more rests, then have them finish off games better.