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

[Finito]

If true, this is the worst thing a player can do. Landale only has about 25% of Ayton's talent.

Not a doubt in my mind. He’s quit.

You bench him and start Jock. You don’t make him available to the media before game 4

 

[AzCardsfan76]

Could you imagine if they did offer Ayton and the Nets said no?

Honestly wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.

 

[AZ Native]

Never thought we'd see him play worse than last year's playoffs, but here we are. He just seems disconnected and disinterested.

I just saw this. KD had another poor shooting game but he has NEVER looked disconnected and certainly not disinterested. Disappointed in himself, yes. He will be back.

 

[Raindog]

Too bad. It's time to win games.

Williams should use all three centers next game. Landale's max is around 20 minutes, Biyombo can provide a different defensive look, and Ayton might be more aggressive if he isn't worried about monitoring his foul count.

Yup, agree... it can't hurt, and will throw a wrinkle that Denver will have to make at least a cursory adjustment to.

 

[Hoop Head]

Could you imagine if they did offer Ayton and the Nets said no?

They did. That's why the deal didn't happen in the off-season. The Nets didn't want Ayton.

To be fair, it would have been a sign and trade for Ayton so the Nets would have been hardcapped for the year so there's more layers to it. There wasn't an issue during the deadline though, the Nets didn't want Ayton at all then. They wanted Bridges. So now we're here.

 

[Finito]

Just like nobody is saying Durant shot well right?

I’m done have a good night

 

[Austin Zonie]

It doesn’t really work that way. Say he only misses 3/4 shots a game. How many are you allowed to miss? 3?2? Well now you’re getting into a level of efficiency no one in history has been at.

I don’t follow your comment. You absolutely can have highly efficient shooting stats AND miss layups that you could have dunked.

 

[Mainstreet]

Too bad. It's time to win games.

Williams should use all three centers next game. Landale's max is around 20 minutes, Biyombo can provide a different defensive look, and Ayton might be more aggressive if he isn't worried about monitoring his foul count.

I didn't understand why Biz didn't get some minutes tonight.

Maybe it was because Monty didn't want to destroy what is left of Ayton's confidence.

 

[Finito]

I just saw this. KD had another poor shooting game but he has NEVER looked disconnected and certainly not disinterested. Disappointed in himself, yes. He will be back.

Eventually they’re going to fall.

 

[Covert Rain]

I don’t see how Monty can start Ayton the next game after his behavior in that timeout and after the game.

 

[Finito]

I don’t follow your comment. You absolutely can have highly efficient shooting stats AND miss layups that you could have dunked.

How many shots is a player who shoots 60% allowed to miss then.

 

[Covert Rain]

I’m done have a good night

Nighty night.

 

[Finito]

I don’t see how Monty can start Ayton the next game after his behavior in that timeout and after the game.

Can’t

 

[Finito]

I didn't understand why Biz didn't get some minutes tonight.

Maybe it was because Monty didn't want to destroy what is left of Ayton's confidence.

Biz just isn’t quick enough

 

[Covert Rain]

I didn't understand why Biz didn't get some minutes tonight.

Maybe it was because Monty didn't want to destroy what is left of Ayton's confidence.

Landale looked really active tonight. Plus Landale got 3 easy buckets where Biz missed a bunch last game. I think Monty is trying to find any kind of contribution since Ayton has been so bad.

 

[itlnsunsfan]

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Wow

 

[Austin Zonie]

How many shots is a player who shoots 60% allowed to miss then.

A person could shoot 70% AND within the 30% of missed shots, missed layups that could have been dunks.

 

[mhill1986]

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This is about to get toxic again

Not good at all for the locker room. The thing is, we were flat-out better tonight without Ayton on the floor--he can't deny that. I don't envy Monty having to handle this situation.

 

[GatorAZ]

Rewatching the game I’m thinking Ross will hit those next game.

 

[Germz249]

I don’t see how Monty can start Ayton the next game after his behavior in that timeout and after the game.

What happened during the timeout?

 

[Covert Rain]

What happened during the timeout?

The entire team jumped up to cheer on the guys down the stretch. Ayton pouted and didn’t get off the bench like the rest of the team. Even the guys that didn’t play got up.

 

[TJ]

I don’t see how Monty can start Ayton the next game after his behavior in that timeout and after the game.

Not at all. If the Bulls teammates can suspend Joakim Noah, Suns need to do the same with Ayton

 

[Raindog]

Trying to imagine what Ayton would have said in the presser after the game:

"Glad we won tonight. My intensity was up, so had some unfortunate foul calls. Need to do better on that, but I thought I did pretty good considering that. I like where we are at this point, and feel good about myself. I guarantee the next game is gonna be a big one for me."

 

[elindholm]

Not good at all for the locker room. The thing is, we were flat-out better tonight without Ayton on the floor--he can't deny that. I don't envy Monty having to handle this situation.

Ayton -4, Landale +10. Numbers sometimes lie, but usually they don't.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

70 points Book/KD

That’s the metric