Pelicans @ Suns Tuesday Playoff game thread 4-26-2022 - Game 5

[Covert Rain]

I'm counting on Holiday and Payne to provide the spark in the backcourt along with Cam Johnson off the bench. The main thing as I see it, the Suns need to do a better job on the boards, be more physical, hit some shots and not let the Pelicans get comfortable.

The Suns could set some better picks especially for Chris Paul.

Why would you depend on Payne? Holiday? We shall see. Cam Johnson? OK. Payne? We can't depend on Payne...at all.

 

[Mainstreet]

Why would you depend on Payne? Holiday? We shall see. Cam Johnson? OK. Payne? We can't depend on Payne...at all.

I think Holiday would take some of the pressure off Payne to produce while he adds quickness and shooting beside him. Suddenly the back court becomes that much quicker with added scoring punch.

The Suns bench has always been the backbone of the team until recently. I think the Suns need to get back to basics. I'd like to see Cam Johnson return to his normal rotation.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think Holiday would take some of the pressure off Payne to produce while he adds quickness and shooting beside him. Suddenly the back court becomes that much quicker with added scoring punch.

The Suns bench has always been the backbone of the team until recently. I think the Suns need to get back to basics.

Payen doesn't know how to do anything else but run an offense and score. It's not like he excels at other parts of his game. They would have trouble guarding some of the Pelican's lineups and the rebounding would be guaranteed to get worse. Case and point? The few times that CP3 and Payne were on the floor together did absolutely nothing for Payne.

We agree on the bench. Use it. Sit Payne though.

 

[Mainstreet]

Payen doesn't know how to do anything else but run an offense and score. It's not like he excels at other parts of his game. They would have trouble guarding some of the Pelican's lineups and the rebounding would be guaranteed to get worse. Case and point? The few times that CP3 and Payne were on the floor together did absolutely nothing for Payne.

We agree on the bench. Use it. Sit Payne though.

I think Holiday would act as a catalyst for Payne. IMO, it would help settle him down.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think Holiday would act as a catalyst for Payne. IMO, it would help settle him down.

If CP3 wasn't a catalyst for Payne, no way Holiday is. He has been on the floor with Booker too. Didn't work for the past month either.

 

[Muggz]

Ish and Bizmac could help with size or at least to settle a few scores. We need to stop efing around and fight fire with fire.
If a Sun gets cheap shoted by ANY Pel put Ish in and do the EXACT same thing to the player until it becomes such a ******* fiasco the refs have to do something about it.
I'm still not giving up.

 

[Mainstreet]

If CP3 wasn't a catalyst for Payne, no way Holiday is. He has been on the floor with Booker too. Didn't work for the past month either.

I'd like to give a Holiday-Payne back court a try. If it doesn't work so be it but I think it speeds up the offense and puts pressure on the opposing defense.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Why would you depend on Payne? Holiday? We shall see. Cam Johnson? OK. Payne? We can't depend on Payne...at all.

We really can't depend on Cam Johnson either. In these 4 games, he's only proven to be not-ready-for-primetime... He certainly can't be counted on to hit open shots. And, maybe even worse, he can't stay out of foul trouble. Last night was a perfect example where, he made a nice 3-pointer and you think maybe he's about to bust out of his funk, yet, he instantly picked up another stupid/lazy foul (think it was his 3rd), and Monty is forced to sit him down.
The truth is the only reliable offense has come from DA and up until last night, CP3 in the 4th quarter. Otherwise, no other player has proven to be worthy of being called reliable or dependable this entire series.
Somehow...and I have no idea how... players like Cam Johnson, Cam Payne, Bridges, Shamet and Jae Crowder are going to have to start hitting open shots. If they don't, it won't matter one bit what DA offers, or CP3 for that matter. The Pelicans are for real. The addition of McCollum took what was already a sneaky solid team, to the next level.
Are a Booker-less Suns better than this Pelicans team? I certainly thought so...however, with Crowder, Bridges, Johnson and even CP3 unable to consistently, reliably step up, coupled with role players like Shamet and Craig virtually incapable of playing well enough to hold down the fort during their minutes - while Magee has been borderline acceptable offensively and less-so defensively... I dunno... Valanciunas, Ingram & McCollum are an incredible 3some and we don't seem capable, or, we don't seem to have the players, to effectively combat what they bring. And Jones, Hayes, Nance Jr., Graham and yes - even the little mouse, Alvarado, all appear to be superior than anything Monty can toss out onto the court.

It would be bad enough to have to digest the potential reality that without Booker, the Suns are an inferior team to the Pelicans...but, what is incredibly puzzling to me is that the Pelicans have played with more heart, more determination and more passion in all 4 games.
As some on this board have pointed out, the ugly truth is that the Suns haven't played consistently great for over a month now. Can it be that CP3 is finally wearing down? Is Bridges simply not a top-tier star that can be reliably counted on? Is Cam Johnson nothing more than just a solid role player? What's so interesting to me is to see Ayton step up in the post season once again... while literally everyone else not named Book, shrink into irrelevance...
Or......are we still too early to cast complete judgement on guys like Bridges and Johnson?

All that said, whatever magic pixie dust Monty and Jones might have with them, needs to be poured out all over this team. Whatever it takes to get them hitting wide open shots... do it!

 

[Muggz]

Its not over yet. Ill reserve judgement till I see how it plays out. I agree its not looking great.
We need everyone to step up.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'd like to give a Holiday-Payne back court a try. If it doesn't work so be it but I think it speeds up the offense and puts pressure on the opposing defense.

Fair enough. It's probably the last thing I want to see. I just don't see any logic behind it.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I'd like to give a Holiday-Payne back court a try. If it doesn't work so be it but I think it speeds up the offense and puts pressure on the opposing defense.

That just feels like a turnover-fest to me... I would much rather see Holiday in the game, IN PLACE OF Payne...

 

[Ronin]

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[Mainstreet]

That just feels like a turnover-fest to me... I would much rather see Holiday in the game, IN PLACE OF Payne...

I'm not opposed to replacing Payne with Holiday but I think a two point guard offense would present more problems for the opposing defense. Both can get to the basket and Holiday plays a lot like a combo guard. Personally I think it's worth a try.

 

[Phrazbit]

Suns need to be the aggressor in game 5. Whether the referees will allow the Suns to bang is another question.

I understand Scott Foster is a referee assigned to the game.

He is working the Brooklyn game tonight, I’d be very surprised if he is scheduled anywhere tomorrow.

 

[Phrazbit]

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Yeah, this isn't about bad defense or bad ball movement... we're just ass at shooting right now. Even without Booker, if those guys were shooting like they did all year, this series would already be over.

 

[Finito]

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Don’t expect Holiday or Ish I guess

 

[Mainstreet]

He is working the Brooklyn game tonight, I’d be very surprised if he is scheduled anywhere tomorrow.

I thought someone posted something about this but I can't find it now.

Maybe it was something along the lines this would be the Suns luck.

 

[Covert Rain]

That just feels like a turnover-fest to me... I would much rather see Holiday in the game, IN PLACE OF Payne...

This. It has not mattered for over a month who Payne plays with. I don't think taking pressure off of him has anything to do with it. He is simply not the same player the last month or so and definitely not the same shooter compared to last year.

 

[82CardsGrad]

This. It has not mattered for over a month who Payne plays with. I don't think taking pressure off of him has anything to do with it. He is simply not the same player the last month or so and definitely not the same shooter compared to last year.

Totally agree... He still might prove me wrong, but my gut is that his play last season was an outlier...

 

[JosiahLee]

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Don’t expect Holiday or Ish I guess

Monty seems to stubborn to adjust, at least lineup wise.

 

[JosiahLee]

If they won't win tomrrow that's a wrap on the season. I'd put the odds of them beating the Pelicans down 3-2, heading back to New Orleans at about 1%.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Monty is being outcoached by Green so far in this series. We shall see if he does anything or is just stubborn and keeps getting punked by his former assistant. I said from the jump I did not want the Pels because Green knows us and knows how to exploit Monty and his nice guy routine. Another coach would tell crowder or send in a bench defender and put Ingram in his ass, and Alvarado would get a nice hard pick and put his ass in The ground as well! We need to toughen up because Green and his punk young guys are knocking us around because we aren’t responding well to it. We need to HIT back hard and make a statement this crap isn’t going to happen without consequences!

We did run Alvarado into a stiff pick after his scurfuffle with Paul. It was immediately satisfying.

I hate that Paul got busted by alvarado’s hiding gimmick.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

IMO, the Pelicans length has bothered the Suns offensively and defensively especially the way they play defense and crash the boards. I don't like Cam Johnson at guard because he effects the Suns depth. I'd rather have Shamet start.

The Suns haven't matched the Pelicans physicality especially the way they crash the glass.

Other than McGee the Suns bench has been mostly dismal.

The Suns need an infusion of energy that's why I like a Holiday and Payne back court. I also like having Cam Johnson coming off the bench for added depth.

The Suns need to crash the boards and be the aggressor rather than vice versa. I wouldn't mind the Suns showing a twin tower look now and then either.

Our forwards are really bad at locating an offensive player and putting a body on them to keep them from the offensive board. They get caught ball watching all the time instead of boxing out.

 

[Ronin]

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[Mainstreet]

Devin Booker missing game 5, although not unexpected, is not encouraging.

The Suns may have to play the whole series without him.