Playoffs: Nuggets @ Suns Friday game thread 5-5-2023 - Game 3

[Mainstreet]

So your stance is we are the only team in history? It's yes or no.

You didn't answer my question.

 

[Covert Rain]

You didn't answer my question.

You answer would require hours of research which if you want a list you can do it yourself. I asked you a question first and all you have done is dodge it.

 

[Mainstreet]

You answer would require hours of research which if you want a list you can do it yourself. I asked you a question first and all you have done is dodge it.

So am I expected to do the research for your question?

I'd like to hear your solution for the Suns current roster dilemma.

 

[Covert Rain]

So am I expected to do the research for your question?

I'd like to hear your solution for the Suns current roster dilemma.

Answering if the Suns are the only team in history to have a weak roster of players after their starting rotation or beyond the first 4 is bit rhetorical. Everyone knows the answer to that and it doesn't require research.

 

[Mainstreet]

Answering if the Suns are the only team in history to have a weak roster of players after their starting rotation or beyond the first 4 is bit rhetorical. Everyone knows the answer to that and it doesn't require research.

The Suns don't even have five solid starters. This is not a win or lose discussion.

Let's move on Covert. We didn't assemble the roster.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Suns don't even have five solid starters. This is not a win or lose discussion.

Let's move on Covert. We didn't assemble the roster.

Never said they did and that was never in question and you know it but I digress.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Personally, I think Monty had a losing hand when it came to the roster. After the four starters, there was not much there at all.

I think Monty may be gone but whoever gave him this roster, needs to be gone as well.

He had a bad hand but he helped create some of those problems over the past few years. Whatever that clash was with Jae, the lack of communication with DA, refusing to play Holiday, not putting Saben on the playoff roster, continually riding with Shamet and bouncing Craig in and out of the starting lineup. Not to mention he often apparently ignores (during the game) who is playing well, who isn't playing well and who he's forgotten to play at all.

 

[Finito]

there’s a lot of the same guys from our run last year and even the year before

I’m looking at Cam Payne and Ayton two pretty young guys.

if you look at Ayton he was really trending up. He was amazing in our finals run and last year he was pretty damn good and even really stepped up when Paul went out. Ayton was really good in the playoffs until that game 7. His numbers were all trending up efficiency through the roof, best switch defensive big man in the NBA, Shooting percentage making huge leaps then game 7

Cam Payne amazing during our finals run. Really good last year during our run to the 1st seed, then the Mavs series.

Something happened and I don’t think we’re gonna know until this team is broken up. I see a lot of talent in both. They’ve both showed it but they look like shells of the players they were last year. Honestly I want to see them both with a new coaching staff and away from Paul and Monty

 

[GatorAZ]

there’s a lot of the same guys from our run last year and even the year before

I’m looking at Cam Payne and Ayton two pretty young guys.

if you look at Ayton he was really trending up. He was amazing in our finals run and last year he was pretty damn good and even really stepped up when Paul went out. Ayton was really good in the playoffs until that game 7. His numbers were all trending up efficiency through the roof, best switch defensive big man in the NBA, Shooting percentage making huge leaps then game 7

Cam Payne amazing during our finals run. Really good last year during our run to the 1st seed, then the Mavs series.

Something happened and I don’t think we’re gonna know until this team is broken up. I see a lot of talent in both. They’ve both showed it but they look like shells of the players they were last year. Honestly I want to see them both with a new coaching staff and away from Paul and Monty

Cam Payne was never amazing. He was good vs the Lakers and had that one big game vs the Clippers our finals year. Other than he’s been somewhere between bad and terrible. He’s got more shot attempts than points in his playoff career as a Sun.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Cam Payne was never amazing. He was good vs the Lakers and had that one big game vs the Clippers our finals year. Other than he’s been somewhere between bad and terrible. He’s got more shot attempts than points in his playoff career as a Sun.

To be fair most (if not all) backup PGs shoot less than 50% from the field

 

[Bufalay]

If anyone is interested (not sure why you would be), Zach Lowe talked to Tim Bontemps about the series. Bontemps takes a premature victory lap claiming that he knew from the start that the Durant trade wouldn't work out for the Suns this season. Would love to see the Suns prove this dork wrong.

The Lowe Post - Tim Bontemps | ESPN

Zach and ESPN's Tim Bontemps discuss James Harden's masterpiece in Boston, Philly taking Game 1 without Joel Embiid, Boston's puzzling last five games, the Nuggets taking a 2-0 lead over Phoenix (33:05), Chris Paul's injury, much more.

www.espn.com

 

[Absolute Zero]

Any word on CP3?

 

[Bufalay]

Any word on CP3?

I doubt we hear anything until game day.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Found it

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[Absolute Zero]

That sucks

Next man up

 

[Vacard]

Without CP3, Series over. Suns need a bench. A gentlemen’s sweep is what I expect now

 

[Ronin]

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[TJ]

Good season, folks.

 

[nashman]

We’re toast! Without Paul the offense looks awful, people bitch and moan and complain but the fact is he is the floor general for this team. Leading by 7-8 I believe when he left then they proceeded to look awful for the rest of the game and lose. Without Paul we are done, Monty isn’t capable of creating a game plan to win without him! Booker and Durant will both have to go 40+ points each to even have a chance to win a game now. It’s gonna be ugly just gonna prepare myself for it now so hopefully doesn’t hurt as bad! Injuries flat out killed us all year so it’s almost fitting that one will end our season. Gross negligence to enter the playoffs without PG depth knowing Payne and Paul are walking injuries waiting to happen!

 

[Hoop Head]

Are you saying we are the only team in the history of the playoffs to have a short bench or lack of talent beyond their starters? I think you are missing the point. I ask again, Can you think of a team that has success in the playoffs still tinkering with their lineups or one that changed it Game 1 of the playoffs after spending weeks solidifying? I can't.

Show me a team that had any success where their star players only played 8 games together before the playoffs started.

This isn't on Monty, hes playing the hand he was dealt.

 

[Covert Rain]

Show me a team that had any success where their star players only played 8 games together before the playoffs started.

This isn't on Monty, hes playing the hand he was dealt.

Sorry but that is not Monty's biggest problem. We can recap that past two seasons again.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Show me a team that had any success where their star players only played 8 games together before the playoffs started.

This isn't on Monty, hes playing the hand he was dealt.

This isn't all on Monty and it's impossible to tell just how much of the blame should fall on him, on JJ, on the previous owner or the new one. But Monty is a head scratcher, some very basic problems really seem to be his fault. I think there's some overreaction going on right now (me included) that will disappear if we even up the series in Phoenix but I've been unimpressed by a lot of things over the past few years that appear to be on Monty.

 

[Hoop Head]

Sorry but that is not Monty's biggest problem. We can recap that past two seasons again.

So you can't show me a team that had any post season success that entered the postseason under similar circumstances? Ok. You were the one who started that discussion, blaming Monty for not having a set rotation and trying to bring other teams into it. I was asking for examples based on your claims, nothing more or less.

 

[Covert Rain]

So you can't show me a team that had any post season success that entered the postseason under similar circumstances? Ok. You were the one who started that discussion, blaming Monty for not having a set rotation and trying to bring other teams into it. I was asking for examples based on your claims, nothing more or less.

Uh....what? Monty spent weeks prior to the playoffs losing only one game to then changed the rotation in R1 G1. Can you show me another coach that has done that? He had Okogie in the rotation going 11-1 or whatever it was seemingly setting the rotation. Can you show me another coach who plays guys that have not played well (Shamet) and keeps going to them again inserting them into the rotation even though they played like crap since coming back in the freaking playoffs?! There were a number of guys who had contributed (not great but better) than Shamet prior to the playoffs.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Uh....what? Monty spent weeks prior to the playoffs losing only one game to then change the rotation in R1 G1. Can you show me another coach that has done that? He had Okogie in the rotation going 11-1 seemingly setting the rotation. Can you show me another coach who plays guys that have not played well (Shamet) and keeps going to them again inserting them into the rotation even though they played like crap since coming back?

Yeah but that change had to happen after his last start (or maybe it was his second to last start?). Midway through the 4th quarter of a close game, the other team started doubling off of him on every possession. Not a single player would get within 10 feet of him, they almost panicked if they found themselves in his general vicinity. This allowed them to double just about any player with the ball. And when our players started freezing him out completely for the final several minutes, it was clear something had to be done as there was no way that wasn't going to make team scouting reports. I blame him for a lot of things, I'm not sure this decision is one of them.