Suns @ Clippers 2-22-16

[Mainstreet]

The Suns play at the Clippers tonight with an 8:30 p.m. Arizona start time. Here are the projected starting lineups and more from a Paul Coro article at azcentral.

C: Alex Len … DeAndre Jordan

PF: Kris Humphries … Luc Mbah a Moute

SF: P.J. Tucker … Paul Pierce

SG: Devin Booker … J.J. Redick

PG: Ronnie Price … Chris Paul

Key Clippers reserves: Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford, Cole Aldrich, Wes Johnson, Pablo Prigioni.

Key Clippers injuries: Blake Griffin (right hand fracture) and Austin Rivers (left hand fracture) are out.

In regard to Len, it appears all one has to do is ask to receive.

In Chandler’s absence, Suns center Alex Len scored a career-high 23 points Sunday against San Antonio and added 13 rebounds. This came after he missed Friday’s game for a right ankle sprain.

“Before the game, I told Alex Len we need 20-plus points,” Watson said. “Then we also need double-digit rebounds. We needed a double-double out of him to have a chance. He looked at me and said, ‘OK,’ so he came and he delivered against a team that is known for defensively controlling the interior paint.”

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...includes-longer-road-losing-drought/80765486/

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

They need to sign EW to the new HC immediately. Anybody who can just ask and then get that performance from Len is a miracle worker.

 

[Mainstreet]

Some thoughts before the game.

I'm thankful that the Markieff Morris trade was not voided for some reason.

The Nets game on Thursday will be weird to watch.

 

[devilalum]

Is this the worst team in franchise history?

sent from a fone

 

[Mainstreet]

Is this the worst team in franchise history?

Maybe. I want to see if Pressey can run the offense.

 

[devilalum]

Maybe. I want to see if Pressey can run the offense.

I think I heard yesterday that the Suns were the first team to ever go winless on a 7 game homestand.

sent from a fone

 

[Mainstreet]

I think I heard yesterday that the Suns were the first team to ever go winless on a 7 game homestand.

I heard this as well but it is still hard to believe with all the bad teams over the years. I'm not sure how many 7 game home stands there are.

 

[Catlover]

Is this the worst team in franchise history?

Easily. But we'd simply be a slightly below average team if we weren't missing our 2 best players and a steady stream of rotation players.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm really liking Pressey. I hope he can improve his outside because he can run a team.

 

[Finito]

It's a young team I don't really think its a bad team.

Your top 4 scorers are gone I don't care what team it is you take the best 4 players off the team and your lottery bound.

I know we've seen Alex Len for really a year and a half now but don't forget he's only 22. I think we got some good young building blocks with Len, Warren and Booker

 

[sunsfan88]

Is this the worst team in franchise history?

sent from a fone

Easily. I think at season's end this year's record may be top 15 or top 20 for worst teams in NBA history.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's a young team I don't really think its a bad team.

Your top 4 scorers are gone I don't care what team it is you take the best 4 players off the team and your lottery bound.

I know we've seen Alex Len for really a year and a half now but don't forget he's only 22. I think we got some good young building blocks with Len, Warren and Booker

I agree with your assessment. IMO, the Suns have some base talent but need a PG with Bledsoe out.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Easily. I think at season's end this year's record may be top 15 or top 20 for worst teams in NBA history.

Well, what about our first year when the Suns went 16-66?

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Well, what about our first year when the Suns went 16-66?

So far the Suns only have 14 wins. Im not sure where the next two Ws are coming against? We may beat our record.

 

[Hoop Head]

Well, what about our first year when the Suns went 16-66?

I think this team will challenge that record. They'll probably end up with about 18 wins at most.

 

[Hoop Head]

So far the Suns only have 14 wins. Im not sure where the next two Ws are coming against? We may beat our record.

They have 2 more games against the Lakers and Wolves plus Denver, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Orlando, and New York. All of those are winnable but I doubt they win that many, being in tank mode.

 

[Absolute Zero]

I think this team will challenge that record. They'll probably end up with about 18 wins at most.

Chances are, we'll catch some average team on the second night of a back to back, and pick up at least one win somewhere else.
http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/phx

 

[Catlover]

I think we could find as many as 3 or 4 more wins along the way. Morris played decently the last 5 games but Humphries is a huge improvement over our starting power forward the rest of the season. Pressey looks like a legit 2nd/3rd string NBA point guard which is a step up from what we've had the last month plus. And teams will continue to take us lightly (justifiably) but it will cost someone eventually.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns give a new definition of ugly losing by 40.

 

[Errntknght]

Is there any limit on how many 10 day contracts you can have in total for a year? I think we should bring in almost anyone we can for a look. Jason Thompson (GSW) is still idle. He's been steady his whole career, playing about average for PFs, a little above on rebounding and defense. Not a three point threat but its nice to be able to lift the D & R up a notch down the stretch of games.

I wouldn't limit it to guys that we have a serious interest in... its a good way to keep from getting wins.

Our schedule the rest of the way is very soft, sorry as this team is if it got a bit of chemistry going we could win ten more games.

We have 5 home games we are likely to win: Brklyn, NYK, Wolves, Lakers, Kings
3 home games we have a decent chance to win: Celtics, Washington, Utah
8 road games we have a chance to win: Charlotte, Orlando, Denver, Lakers, Kings, Wolves, Milwaukee, Pelicans.

Most likely we win 4 of first 5, 1 or next 3, and 3 of last 8, for a total of 8. We won't get ahead (in the tanking race) and we might well drop to 5th...

 

[slinslin]

If you concede that Warren is better than Tucker then we lost our entire starting 5...

Bledsoe, Knight, Warren, Markieff, Chandler

Alex Len is the the only scoring threat besides Booker in the starting lineup. Letting Price start over Goodwin has not paid off at all, neither has starting Humphries.

You are kidding yourself if you think we are likely to win 4 of 5 at home vs those 5 or that we have a decent chance vs bos, was or uth.

We won 2 games without Bledsoe. 2 wins in 70 days. We are by far the worst team right now.

 

[Catlover]

Is there any limit on how many 10 day contracts you can have in total for a year? I think we should bring in almost anyone we can for a look. Jason Thompson (GSW) is still idle. He's been steady his whole career, playing about average for PFs, a little above on rebounding and defense. Not a three point threat but its nice to be able to lift the D & R up a notch down the stretch of games.

I wouldn't limit it to guys that we have a serious interest in... its a good way to keep from getting wins.

Our schedule the rest of the way is very soft, sorry as this team is if it got a bit of chemistry going we could win ten more games.

We have 5 home games we are likely to win: Brklyn, NYK, Wolves, Lakers, Kings
3 home games we have a decent chance to win: Celtics, Washington, Utah
8 road games we have a chance to win: Charlotte, Orlando, Denver, Lakers, Kings, Wolves, Milwaukee, Pelicans.

Most likely we win 4 of first 5, 1 or next 3, and 3 of last 8, for a total of 8. We won't get ahead (in the tanking race) and we might well drop to 5th...

I think and hope you're wrong here. I think you could argue that Len and Humphries are starter level players or close enough but that's it. The rest of our rotation is made up of players that should be coming off the bench or playing in the D League. I don't see us beating any team in the league as long as that team steps on the court with desire and a plan to beat us.

It will take a sleepwalking opponent or another tanking team to give us a win and even the other tanking teams should beat us most of the time. I posted back in December that we might only win 19 games and that was before we lost Knight. I think 19 is looking unreachable right now.

 

[slinslin]

Not to mention Minnesota won.

They already have 18 wins. It is safe to assume that Minnesota will at least win 2-3 more games worst cast. They are 4-6 over the last 10.

That will put Minnesota at a minimum 21 wins.

We have 25 games left, 11 at home and 14 on the road. I think we win 2 or 3 more games.

There is a chance to tie or fall behind the Lakers still. If we lose both of our games against them which at this point does not look unlikely unless the Lakers outtank us.

If we lose against Brooklyn then the third spot is clearly ours to lose.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yeah, I don't think we win more than 4 games the rest of the year, and that is being generous. We've won 2 of our last 29, we lost to Philly twice in that span. Our only win since Knight and Bledsoe got hurt was on a crazy 3 at the buzzer vs Atlanta. I wouldn't say we're "likely" to beat anyone.

IMO the only way we end up finishing higher than the 3rd worst record is if Knight returns and is playing really well.

If Brooklyn had intensive to tank then I think it would be a dog fight, but they don't, that pick is gone and because of that I think we're far more likely to slip by the Lakers than jump to 4th or 5th.

 

[Catlover]

Yeah, I don't think we win more than 4 games the rest of the year, and that is being generous. We've won 2 of our last 29, we lost to Philly twice in that span. Our only win since Knight and Bledsoe got hurt was on a crazy 3 at the buzzer vs Atlanta. I wouldn't say we're "likely" to beat anyone.

IMO the only way we end up finishing higher than the 3rd worst record is if Knight returns and is playing really well.

If Brooklyn had intensive to tank then I think it would be a dog fight, but they don't, that pick is gone and because of that I think we're far more likely to slip by the Lakers than jump to 4th or 5th.

I think we stay at 3rd but I'm not worried about dropping to 4th or lower, just can't see it happening. I think our best chances to win are the 2 home games against the Lakers and Minnesota but I doubt we win them both. I could also see a long shot chance of us picking up a road win late at Houston if they're in 8th place and decide they'd rather miss the playoffs than lose their draft pick (it's owed but lottery protected) AND have to face the Warriors first round. But most likely, we finish with 15 or 16 wins tops.