Jazz @ Suns 2-6-16

[Mainstreet]

The Jazz play at the Suns tonight with a 7 p.m. Arizona start time. See more from the Paul Coro article at the link below. I will include some of his snippets.

Utah’s arrival in Phoenix for Saturday night’s game is a reminder of where the Suns were and how attainable playoff contention was this season.

When the Suns last met Utah, they were playing for a chance to tie the Jazz for eighth place in the Western Conference on Dec. 20.

Instead, the Suns are amid the franchise's worst 23-game stretch ever while the Jazz remain in eighth place despite having the NBA's fifth-youngest roster, being below .500 and also dealing with a bevy of injuries.

The last word goes to Watson on the Suns’ bench: “It’s the guys that come off the bench that we really have to nurture and build up and create an identity for. Being that I did both of them in my career, I understand that you feel a lot better when you sacrifice your offensive game for a greater purpose, for a W, when you’re acknowledge at the end of a game. … We are focusing on transition and they’re going to become more like a bench mob, so to speak. They play with a certain passion and intensity. If we can get guys to have the same intensity as (P.J.) Tucker coming off the bench, I think it would be fund to watch, fun to be a part of and create deflections.”

C: Tyson Chandler … Rudy Gobert

PF: Markieff Morris … Derrick Favors

SF: P.J. Tucker … Gordon Hayward

SG: Devin Booker … Rodney Hood

PG: Archie Goodwin … Raul Neto

Key Jazz reserves: Trey Lyles, Trevor Booker, Joe Ingles, Chris Johnson, Erick Green.

Key Jazz injuries: Trey Burke (flu) is not with the team. Alec Burks (leg fracture) and Dante Exum (ACL surgery) are out.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...e-utah-jazz-clubs-worst-23-game-run/79928688/

 

[BC867]

A change of pace before the game

With all the stress of following the Suns, how about a change of pace before the game.

Here is the top soccer shootout ever. And the most entertaining TV play-by-play in history. We'll have to get these guys to replace Steve Albert. No, wait. They called the play accurately.

Poor Scott Sterling. Does he look like someone we knew? (Goran Dragic, ahem ahem.)

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[Mainstreet]

With all the stress of following the Suns, how about a change of pace before the game.

Here is the top soccer shootout ever. And the most entertaining TV play-by-play in history. We'll have to get these guys to replace Steve Albert. No, wait. They called the play accurately.

Poor Scott Sterling. Does he look like someone we knew? (Goran Dragic, ahem ahem.)

That was some pretty funny stuff. Those soccer players had to be accurate to keep hitting him in the face.

Maybe the Suns can play some heady defense.

 

[Phrazbit]

This team is so unimaginably bad. I remember when people thought we might be better without Bledsoe. What have we won since he got hurt? Like, literally, one... maybe 2 games?

 

[Absolute Zero]

12 point first quarter? Yep, Watson is doing a good job on slowing it down. Problem is Utah put up 31

 

[Catlover]

This team is so unimaginably bad. I remember when people thought we might be better without Bledsoe. What have we won since he got hurt? Like, literally, one... maybe 2 games?

Yes but you keep hearing fans here suggest we are better off without him and that the offense is improved because he's gone. The offense is only improved when our opponent says have fun, we'll guard you later. Otherwise, we are a collection of young players and D Leaguers that are not ready for prime time.

 

[Catlover]

I don't know if anyone is still watching but it really irks me when Archie does that. And he does it almost every game. He made a bad pass which led to a fast break for Utah (and a flagrant call subsequently reversed to common foul on Booker) and instead of hustling back he just throws a little tantrum.

 

[Sunshooter]

Just one feeling - why they make hard shot?

Jazz ball movement is better then Suns. Neto can link up all players. Can Suns do that?

Goodwin has great energy but not a PG answer.

 

[Mainstreet]

I watched the game but I do not have much to say. The Suns lost the game in the 1st quarter. I didn't like the platoon substitution. I'm sure it was meant to send a message to the team but I think it had the opposite effect. It took awhile for the Suns to start playing basketball again.

I missed the Goodwin tantrum (watching Booker) but he makes some bad plays every game. I think the Suns are asking a lot of him to play PG and he gets frustrated now and then. Opposing teams are really guarding Devin Booker now that he is a known commodity but this has been a recent trend.

I don't know how Markieff did not pick up his second technical foul after arguing a call to no end. I think the referee was overly patient. I can't believe the Suns only had 10 turnovers. It seemed like they had so much more. I know PJ Tucker is out there for his defense but he needs to score something. I should mention the Suns shot 37.5% from the field.

 

[Catlover]

I watched the game but I do not have much to say. The Suns lost the game in the 1st quarter. I didn't like the platoon substitution. I'm sure it was meant to send a message to the team but I think it had the opposite effect. It took awhile for the Suns to start playing basketball again.

I missed the Goodwin tantrum (watching Booker) but he makes some bad plays every game. I think the Suns are asking a lot of him to play PG and he gets frustrated now and then. Opposing teams are really guarding Devin Booker now that he is a known commodity but this has been a recent trend.

I don't know how Markieff did not pick up his second technical foul after arguing a call to no end. I think the referee was overly patient. I can't believe the Suns only had 10 turnovers. It seemed like they had so much more. I know PJ Tucker is out there for his defense but he needs to score something. I should mention the Suns shot 37.5% from the field.

They all make bad plays at times but it's worrisome to see what he does after his mistake. I don't know if he's playing to the crowd, the ref, his coach or a teammate when he does it but it's just the wrong thing to do.

 

[Mainstreet]

They all make bad plays at times but it's worrisome to see what he does after his mistake. I don't know if he's playing to the crowd, the ref, his coach or a teammate when he does it but it's just the wrong thing to do.

I will have to keep my eye on this type behavior.

 

[SirStefan32]

I was watching the debate on my TV, but had the game going on my PC (muted). All I could think of was Barkley saying "Popcorn is stale" and "Cheese is cold" every time we'd miss a shot.

 

[SirStefan32]

This team is so unimaginably bad. I remember when people thought we might be better without Bledsoe. What have we won since he got hurt? Like, literally, one... maybe 2 games?

Bledsoe, flawed as he is, is by far the best player on the Suns' roster.
That said, the team is missing their point guard, backup point guard, and the combo guard. They have the two shooting guards playing point, so the offense IS going to stink (not that it didn't stink before the injuries.)

 

[95pro]

Bledsoe's defense is really missed. I mean when have we see a Sun get a steal by anticipating and taking it back for a layup.

 

[Phrazbit]

Bledsoe, flawed as he is, is by far the best player on the Suns' roster.
That said, the team is missing their point guard, backup point guard, and the combo guard. They have the two shooting guards playing point, so the offense IS going to stink (not that it didn't stink before the injuries.)

He isn't a great passer by any means, but he is pretty damn good everywhere else. Up until the team started to truly quit on Horny he was having a phenomenal year, he and Booker were the bright spots at that point as he'd appeared to have made the leap. But as the team was playing poorly overall the question of it being "empty stats" was valid. Any of those notions can be dispelled. His play was keeping a real dumpster fire competitive in most of their games.

I wish 82games.com would update, I'd love to see what kind of splits this team is putting up with certain guys.

 

[SirStefan32]

He isn't a great passer by any means, but he is pretty damn good everywhere else. Up until the team started to truly quit on Horny he was having a phenomenal year, he and Booker were the bright spots at that point as he'd appeared to have made the leap. But as the team was playing poorly overall the question of it being "empty stats" was valid. Any of those notions can be dispelled. His play was keeping a real dumpster fire competitive in most of their games.

I wish 82games.com would update, I'd love to see what kind of splits this team is putting up with certain guys.

It's not even about passing. He's a ball-stopper, and he thinks he is better than he is which causes him to play iso/ hero-ball. Sometimes I feel like he thinks he is Russel Westbrook, when he clearly isn't anywhere near that level.

He cut his stupid "jump and then try to pass" plays in half this year, so maybe he'll stop trying to play hero-ball too. He improved a lot- enough for me to go from despising him to just disliking him. I still hope he gets traded for an actual team-oriented point guard, but there is no doubt he is by far the best player Phoenix has right now.

 

[BC867]

...there is no doubt he is by far the best player Phoenix has right now.

I would put Markieff right up there with Bledsoe as the best player the Suns have at this time.

But, yes, Bledsoe occupies a more crucial position and, of course, Markieff has too many personal flaws to count.

 

[Phrazbit]

I would put Markieff right up there with Bledsoe as the best player the Suns have at this time.

But, yes, Bledsoe occupies a more crucial position and, of course, Markieff has too many personal flaws to count.

Markieff was overrated before he turned into outright garbage. A player who is as one dimensional as they come. A decent low post player but only in isolation and the strength is negated by his inability to get to the line, defend, shoot from the outside or, especially, rebound. Even when he is playing well, IMO he doesn't do much to contribute to wins.

The one nice thing I can say about him is that, when he is playing well, style on offense is nice to have late when play bogs down and refs swallow their whistles.

 

[Errntknght]

Markieff was overrated before he turned into outright garbage. A player who is as one dimensional as they come. A decent low post player but only in isolation and the strength is negated by his inability to get to the line, defend, shoot from the outside or, especially, rebound. Even when he is playing well, IMO he doesn't do much to contribute to wins.

The one nice thing I can say about him is that, when he is playing well, style on offense is nice to have late when play bogs down and refs swallow their whistles.

I can't believe I'm defending Markieff!
I think EW has the right idea in operating the offense through him but that isn't going to happen if he sets up in the low post because he's too far toward the corner to make plays. He's got to set up at the elbow where he can pass to cutters - he's quite a good passer when he isn't too focused on shooting. And the other guys have to cut - with intent. Not just lollygag through the middle. In fact, we would need planned plays or switch to a Princeton offense where the guys are taught how cut. (I'm not seriously advocating that change as you need a coach or two who know it thoroughly.)
Another thing 'Kieff is quite good at is driving to hoop - two years ago he was doing it regularly. Last year he behaved like he thought it was beneath his dignity or something. Maybe he gets beat up more than he likes.
Heck, two years ago Markieff was running the floor quite frequently.
He even set decent picks.
Markieff has the physique and skills to be a bit above average power forward but mentally its a different story. Even if he started to play hard and smart consistently I wouldn't trust him to continue it. Not for the years that its going to take for us to become contenders - we'd always be wondering when something was going to set him off again. Especially here.

The best thing we can do is showcase him as much as he'll go along with so we can trade him for someone of value. And knowing that he could make it look like we gave him away too cheaply. He probably would.