I'm officially frustrated with D'antoni. (Diaw back to the bench.)

[JS22]

Just heard it on 620. Hill will start tonight, and D'antoni's reason made no sense at all. I'm quoting this as close as possible:

"Well yeah. Boris played well but Grant plays well and everyone needs to play well. We need everyone to play well and we'll play well." (What?)

Did anyone else catch it? I had no idea what he was trying to say.

And I like Hill. I think he's been a great addition to the team. But it's clear that Diaw needs to start to do anything remotely positive. Hill is better suited for the bench IMO anyways. His production doesn't seem to drop off, and he has the ability to take the pressure off of Barbosa. (Though D'antoni refuses to do anything else but force Barbosa to play PG, so it doesn't really matter I guess.)

I almost don't care about the Suns anymore. I'm to the point where I know they'll be bounced by the Spurs in 5-6 games anyways. And now with the Lakers grabbing Gasol I'd pick them in a series over the extremely soft "run and fun" Suns.

 

[WuRaider]

D'Antoni is a pushover. Look at his past comments about giving the bench guys more minutes, "Ah shucks, well then I'd have to to take Raja's mins away or Grant's mins away"

Is this guy scared of his own players? What kind of a coach seeks the approval of his players?

 

[DeAnna]

Did anyone else catch it? I had no idea what he was trying to say

Most of the time, I have no idea what he says anyway - he's always mumbling.

But yeah, that doesn't make sense. Just because of seniority??

 

[HooverDam]

The article on Suns.com and quotations I've heard sounds like it may change game to game in the short run, depending on match ups w/ the other team. I'd imagine against bigger teams Diaw would get the start and Hill against more wing oriented teams. Which is fine, let them battle it out and see how it all goes.

God forbid a coach tinker and make adjustments during the very long NBA season. It seems like Suns fans want it both ways, they want D'Antoni to change and try new things, but when he does, they moan and complain. Ah well.

 

[Griffin]

It seems like Suns fans want it both ways, they want D'Antoni to change and try new things, but when he does, they moan and complain. Ah well.

And let's not forget that a lot of people were also bashing DA for even playing Diaw at all just a few weeks ago. If those fans had their way, Diaw would be sitting on the bench next to Banks, Barbs would have started in Hill's place when Hill was out, and we would not even have this discussion now. How can DA be first wrong for playing Diaw too much and then wrong again for not starting him?

I do think that he is trying to find a way to get the most out of both Hill and Diaw. Maybe he saw something in practice that made him think Diaw's confidence is back enough to be effective off the bench too. Personally, I doubt that, but Diaw has been impossible to predict. I think we might see him back in the starting lineup quite soon, but that also depends how effective Hill continues to be.

 

[nashman]

Exactly Hoover people bitch about him not making adjustments but when hes trying different lineups people complain. Arggh whatever we will see if they make a move or not and if not we will see how this team comes together come playoff time. It is after all still pretty far away and this team could really come together and start playing at an elite level. Bet no one thought the Giants were gonna win the Super Bowl back a month ago either right?

 

[Rab]

I don't know how I feel about this one. I think the Suns have been playing better defensively with Diaw starting because it makes them a little bigger, and Diaw's a decent post defender when he wants to be. Plus, starting has seemed to make him a little more aggressive. It would also be a nice luxury to have Hill come off the bench. He'll get his minutes anyway, and perhaps we'll see him with the ball a little more when Nash is out. I don't think they've tried enough of that. Maybe we could benefit from cutting Hill's minutes back a tad, and easing him back to the level he was playing at before the appendix thing.

 

[HooverDam]

I don't know how I feel about this one. I think the Suns have been playing better defensively with Diaw starting because it makes them a little bigger, and Diaw's a decent post defender when he wants to be. Plus, starting has seemed to make him a little more aggressive. It would also be a nice luxury to have Hill come off the bench. He'll get his minutes anyway, and perhaps we'll see him with the ball a little more when Nash is out. I don't think they've tried enough of that. Maybe we could benefit from cutting Hill's minutes back a tad, and easing him back to the level he was playing at before the appendix thing.

I know what youre saying, but you'd have to agree that Hill is certainly a better perimeter/wing defender than Diaw wouldn't you? Diaw doesn't seem to have the speed and body control for it. So against Charlotte, who's very wing oriented, I can certainly understand going w/ Hill.

 

[LV-Suns]

I know what youre saying, but you'd have to agree that Hill is certainly a better perimeter/wing defender than Diaw wouldn't you? Diaw doesn't seem to have the speed and body control for it. So against Charlotte, who's very wing oriented, I can certainly understand going w/ Hill.

Since Wallace is out
they might start Dudley

we need Diaw in these situation

 

[HooverDam]

Since Wallace is out
they might start Dudley

we need Diaw in these situation

Call me crazy, but I'm not too worried about matching up with Jared Dudley. In situations like that the other team can adjust to the Suns, not the other way around.

 

[Rab]

I know what youre saying, but you'd have to agree that Hill is certainly a better perimeter/wing defender than Diaw wouldn't you? Diaw doesn't seem to have the speed and body control for it. So against Charlotte, who's very wing oriented, I can certainly understand going w/ Hill.

I would certainly need to see who's starting for the Cats, I have no idea. Yes, Hill is certainly a better perimeter defender, but with Diaw in, Marion is allowed to roam the perimeter as well, so I don't think it really matters too much.

I've just liked the way they've played with Diaw in the starting lineup a little better, and I'd like to get a bigger sample of games with Diaw starting and Hill off the bench to really see what affect it has on the team.

 

[LV-Suns]

Call me crazy, but I'm not too worried about matching up with Jared Dudley. In situations like that the other team can adjust to the Suns, not the other way around.

true
but dudley has the size that Hill may not match

 

[green machine]

I'm more bummed/concerned that it seems Skinner has fallen out of the rotation.

 

[mojorizen7]

Boris Diaw back off the bench tonight.
0 pts 3 reb 4 ass 1 blk 0-3 FG 0-0 FT in 20 minutes.

 

[dodie53]

^^^
nice stats.

 

[Lefty]

Why can't Diaw play well coming off the bench? Is it a mental thing?

 

[nashman]

It must be a mental thing although it could be simply he is not loose enough to move as if he had started and gotten warmed up. At this point I think that Boris should start and bring Hill off bench and keep his legs fresh for the 4qtr.

 

[The Commish]

The Croissant needs to start. He plays well and increases his trade value - its a win/win.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The Croissant needs to start. He plays well and increases his trade value - its a win/win.

I don't know if you can increase the trade value of anyone on this team to be honest. Steve Nash, Amare, and Barbosa are the only players that have any real trade value. Everyone else appears to be viewed as a product of the Suns system.

 

[BC867]

Then there's the issue of making a decision and sticking to it for more than a game or two.

As opposed to . . . if they're bigger, we'll go bigger (as if Diaw is big).

Playing catch-up is following, not leading. Isn't it?

 

[jandaman]

Bell has value... his defense and toughness is missing on a few playoff team's roster.

Diaw as has value, he has shown he can play SF/PF and be an all rounder.
Its his 9 Million a year for 7/4/4 is the one hard to sell... when he was getting 10/6/6 he was a lot easier to sell..

 

[HooverDam]

Then there's the issue of making a decision and sticking to it for more than a game or two.

As opposed to . . . if they're bigger, we'll go bigger (as if Diaw is big).

Playing catch-up is following, not leading. Isn't it?

Did you see Diaw playing against Duncan, the best big man in the league? Diaw did the best job of any Sun not named Kurt Thomas that I've ever seen. Diaw plays a lot bigger than he is.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Did you see Diaw playing against Duncan, the best big man in the league? Diaw did the best job of any Sun not named Kurt Thomas that I've ever seen. Diaw plays a lot bigger than he is.

He did better than Kurt Thomas did on Duncan Game 2 IMO.

 

[Rab]

Did you see Diaw playing against Duncan, the best big man in the league? Diaw did the best job of any Sun not named Kurt Thomas that I've ever seen. Diaw plays a lot bigger than he is.

I remember a couple of games during Diaw's first year here where did a very good job on Duncan in the post. He can be a decent post defender when he wants to be.

 

[HooverDam]

I remember a couple of games during Diaw's first year here where did a very good job on Duncan in the post. He can be a decent post defender when he wants to be.

Boris Diaw can be decent to above average in almost every phase of the game when he wants to be, which is why he's so frustrating.