Spurs @ Suns 10-31-18

[Chaplin]

Why? We were legitimately the worst team in the NBA last season. Adding Ayton isn't going to change that.

Why not? He was the #1 pick after all. I don’t think it was unreasonable to see some improvement with him on the team. And for all the horrible flack he gets on this board, I guess it stands to reason that he’s unfairly maligned.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Why not? He was the #1 pick after all. I don’t think it was unreasonable to see some improvement with him on the team. And for all the horrible flack he gets on this board, I guess it stands to reason that he’s unfairly maligned.

Rookies often get abused by veterans. And this rookie is playing alongside several guys that wouldn't log minutes on any other team. Also, other than Ayton, it looks like we lost more talent than we added by trade or free agency.

 

[BC867]

@BC867

Worse team: 69’ Suns or 18’ Suns?

We can't compare until the end of the season.

The key is Devin Booker. Will he keep missing time? Will he have to be our best facilitator, as well as top scorer, as the season wears on?

EJ specifically repeated during the game tonight that too much has been put on his shoulders and it is already wearing him down.

I wonder if, as a former Sun as well as our TV commentator, he has any input with the powers that be. The same with TC, who is even more vocal on the pre- and post-game shows.

 

[BC867]

But Booker is gonna get hurt by playing PG, according to some people on this board.

And Eddie Johnson. He's talked about fatigue to Devin more than once on the air, including tonight.

He added that if DBook is going to keep covering the Point when he returns, he better start doing stretching exercises if he expects to play healthy.

All of us together don't have the expertise of EJ. (No smiley face needed here.)


Edit" 'Sorry for my similar responses to two separate posts appearing back-to-back.

Booker being out and which is the Suns worst team go hand in hand.

 

[BC867]

I'll tune in for a few more games when Booker gets back, but if I keep seeing non-competitive play, I'm going to check out for the rest of the season.

I'm not going to watch 82 games of this crap. You'd have to be a masochist to keep watching this team. It's a shame, because there was a real buzz around this team after getting the #1 pick.

What is the worst thing you can say to a masochist who says, "Hurt me please." "No!!!"

Unfortunately, the Suns response seems to be, "O.K."

 

[GatorAZ]

Cheer up guys. Only a half game back of Houston.

 

[Krangodnzr]

A 30 point loss. 6th in a row. Sigh. We need sorcery.

More like 5 real NBA players.

 

[Superbone]

announcers: "Phoenix in danger of dropping to 1-6" No SHEET man!

There was no danger. It was a sure thing.

 

[Superbone]

Man who makes their kids go to a suns slaughter on Halloween night? That’s not cool.

I don't know. It was pretty scary. And who doesn't like a good slaughter on Halloween night?

 

[sunsfan88]

Ayton really disappointed me tonight. Horrible D and did not impose himself on the offensive end. His D reminds me of Amare without the blocks. That's not good.

I think it pissed him off that there's not one player on the team that played tonight who can make a basketball 101 entry pass. And I don't blame him.

 

[sunsfan88]

Ayton's rim protecting is getting slightly worse as the games go. Saw today that he has 3 blocks in 158min over the last 5 games. It's insane that a player with his athleticism isn't getting more blocks. He's not in position to get blocks most of the time either.

 

[Superbone]

The thing I'm most worried about is if he's even interested in protecting the rim.

 

[BC867]

Ayton's rim protecting is getting slightly worse as the games go. Saw today that he has 3 blocks in 158min over the last 5 games. It's insane that a player with his athleticism isn't getting more blocks. He's not in position to get blocks most of the time either.

I agree with those who have posted that, as a rookie in the limelight, he might be trying to stay out of early foul trouble.

Also, could it be because he spent his only college season playing Power Forward and has to adjust to full-time Center?

 

[JustWinBaby]

It seems as though no one is criticizing Igor and I can see that, we are only 7 games in. He seemed to be a good choice when we were left at the altar by the more prominent names available this summer. However, I am not impressed with him at all and I want to be.

Igor seems to not have a clue. McDonough made numerous bad choices when hiring coaches yet we allowed him to hire Igor. Why?

Most of McDonough's draft picks have been failures. It is easy to imagine that Ayton will not end up the top player that most expect. I was in the Doncic camp due to the fire in his belly. I think Doncic has a real chance to not only win ROY but be a better overall pro than Ayton. I know Ayton is young but there just is something missing and it is more than a point guard and/or Booker.

I thought we had seen the lowest point for this franchise and we were on the way up. I think I was wrong in that belief.

I really have no clue as to what I would do with this mess. There really is not much to like.

 

[Phrazbit]

It's very funny that this can be read with either pronunciation/meaning of the word "lead."

This post absolutely killed me.

I absolutely read it initially in the metallic form. Which I think is a lot funnier than what was almost certainly intended.

 

[Hoop Head]

It seems as though no one is criticizing Igor and I can see that, we are only 7 games in. He seemed to be a good choice when we were left at the altar by the more prominent names available this summer. However, I am not impressed with him at all and I want to be.

Igor seems to not have a clue. McDonough made numerous bad choices when hiring coaches yet we allowed him to hire Igor. Why?

Most of McDonough's draft picks have been failures. It is easy to imagine that Ayton will not end up the top player that most expect. I was in the Doncic camp due to the fire in his belly. I think Doncic has a real chance to not only win ROY but be a better overall pro than Ayton. I know Ayton is young but there just is something missing and it is more than a point guard and/or Booker.

I thought we had seen the lowest point for this franchise and we were on the way up. I think I was wrong in that belief.

I really have no clue as to what I would do with this mess. There really is not much to like.

Igor was given a pass throughout the first 3 games, maybe, but these last 2 or 3 games has caused a number of people to come out questioning his decisions. It seems like when Booker missed his first game and he started Jackson is when a number of people really started questioning his decisions with his rotations because Jackson is not the player who should have started at that point. Going into game #2 without Booker, it was even more obvious that Warren or Bridges would have been the better choice but things stayed the same. Since then though more people have begun piling on and it's not just his rotations.

Of course since he is a new head coach and we're 7 games into the season, no one is calling for his job but people are questioning if he's the right man for the job and if you haven't seen that then I'm not sure what threads you're reading but the talk has spilled over into more than just the game day threads.

 

[Phrazbit]

It was Halloween, were the fans saying "Boo" or "Boo"?

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[82CardsGrad]

The team without Booker is unwatchable.
Last night, Ayton, Josh and Bridges were all physically overmatched. Bridges showed some promise in spurts, but man... it was embarrassing to see them 100% manhandled. It was as if they truly didn’t belong on the same court with guys like Aldridge, DeRozan and Gay!
Of course, all 3 of our guys are so young compared to most of the rest of the league... but man. Just the physical separation last night is what stood out the most to me.
This team has a LONG way to go...

 

[Carolinacacti]

Ok it sucked............Ayton might as well foul out like Len

 

[Suns_fan69]

I don't get a lot of games on TV up here in Vancouver (though I do have league pass) so I make it a point to watch whenever they do get on. This was the first game I've turned off in years. Even my wife commented that I don't usually give up on a game. This is just unwatchable. There were a few redeeming moments and players, but as a whole it was pretty putrid.

Perhaps things get way better with Booker back but as it currently stands I don't see them improving much on last years win total.

What's even more frustrating is seeing teams like Sacramento, Dallas and Chicago starting to put it together while we languish behind. I'd love to see Igor rip into his players during a timeout, light some fire under their asses.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Suns are just so exposed for what they lack when a key player is out. Even with Booker the team managed only one win. The team with Booker is probably one of the worst 5 teams. Without Booker we are the worst team IMO.

Igor appears to bring nothing to the table. At all. It's just abysmal. The Suns have to make some moves if they want to do anything this season.

Being an AZ sports fan is tough right now.

 

[JS22]

We should aim higher. Of course, Budenholzer and Fizdale said no. So...

Not really sure. I just know that this defense is not even professionally competitive.

It's really sad because, while not experienced as a HC, Igor is so highly respected around the league. And he's been doing this forever. But I've never seen a Suns team look THIS BAD. The team already looks defeated and like they don't care. Going to be a long .... long season. I'm expecting a panic move from Sarver within the next few weeks if this keeps up.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Suns are just so exposed for what they lack when a key player is out. Even with Booker the team managed only one win. The team with Booker is probably one of the worst 5 teams. Without Booker we are the worst team IMO.

Igor appears to bring nothing to the table. At all. It's just abysmal. The Suns have to make some moves if they want to do anything this season.

Being an AZ sports fan is tough right now.

No doubt about it IMO. But I do think we hold the possibility of more than average improvement during the season. With a little luck, we might even break out of the bottom 5 by May.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

No doubt about it IMO. But I do think we hold the possibility of more than average improvement during the season. With a little luck, we might even break out of the bottom 5 by May.

I agree but it is going to take monumental growth from all four rookies and JJ. Monumental. I don’t expect booker to improve defensively. It’s disappointung, but I’ve made peace with it. He will never be an mvp candidate because of it. So we have to pin all hope on big growth spurts from JJ, Ayton, Bridges, okobo and Melton.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I agree but it is going to take monumental growth from all four rookies and JJ. Monumental. I don’t expect booker to improve defensively. It’s disappointung, but I’ve made peace with it. He will never be an mvp candidate because of it. So we have to pin all hope on big growth spurts from JJ, Ayton, Bridges, okobo and Melton.

If you're talking about being competitive, absolutely. But if you're just talking about moving out of the bottom 5, I don't think it will take much at all. Average in-season player development, good health and a resolution to the JJ situation ought to move us out of that group. JJ has been such an incredible net negative that simply not playing him solves a sizable chunk of our problems. In the long run, we need him to thrive so that is not my first choice.