Suns vs Kings

[JS22]

Even though Marion was on the all-star team...I think he has just arrived nationally with this game.

Sure, he has been dubbed "The Matrix" by Kenny Smith. But tonight he has been dubbed:

 

[Chaz]

Yea Jake in dbl figures scoring now.


Kings look frustrated. Lets hope they don't get a break.


How about the Kings running a great play a while ago to get Peja open for a three...clank

 

[Chaplin]

Webber is automatic, but the Kings aren't going to catch up with him taking 20 footers the rest of the night every time down.

 

[SirStefan32]

Bo just made a fade awa jump shot of the glass?
It looked like Tim Duncan.

 

[Chaz]

Suns up by 19.

Total 180 from the Warriors game!

 

[Dan H]

Originally posted by SirStefan32
How about Stephon with a three and a foul.

By the way, My boy Kapono scored 26 as UCLA BEATS ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eh, Lute figured he'd let Lavin win so he could keep his job. If UCLA got a decent coach they'd be a top-10 team.

 

[Chaz]

Arizona is already the PAC-10 champs.

Now they can rest up for the real tournament.

 

[elindholm]

The Suns won this game in the first six minutes of the third quarter. They came out after intermission with increased energy and a commitment to keep playing their game. It was great to see Marion wake up, and Hardaway made some fantastic passes.

Voskuhl played well, which means it will be three weeks before we see him again. But at least he tried.

But here's the question: Wouldn't it have been just as good if the Suns had beaten the Warriors and lost this game?

 

[fordronken]

But here's the question: Wouldn't it have been just as good if the Suns had beaten the Warriors and lost this game?

Statistically or motivationally?

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by elindholm

But here's the question: Wouldn't it have been just as good if the Suns had beaten the Warriors and lost this game?

What's the point of that question? Yes, we lost against the Warriors, but tell me this--what is more important for a team, beating the Warriors or blowing out the Kings? I'll take a blowout over the best team in basketball over a win over the Golden State Warriors ANY day.

 

[SirStefan32]

I agree with you Eric, but I'll tell you one thing- Something is telling me that nobody wants to see the Suns in the first round.

 

[Chaz]

For the standings beating GS instead would have been better.

This way feels better:
1. Its Sacramento
2. They defended home court.

Lets hope they have this effort next game.

 

[elindholm]

I'll take a blowout over the best team in basketball over a win over the Golden State Warriors ANY day.

I think most of us, including me, feel that way. But somehow it doesn't make any sense.

Either way the team is 1-1. Currently, we know that the Suns are as likely to lose to the worst team in the league as they are to beat the best team in the league. Sure, there's more honor in beating a good team, but isn't there more shame in losing to a bad one?

I'm just wondering what it would be like to have a team that won the games it was supposed to, even if that meant they didn't pull off as many spectacular upsets. The overall W-L record would be just as good, or better, and we'd probably all be saner.

 

[Chaplin]

Compare wins vs. the Kings and wins vs. the Warriors. Psychologically, even though we are 1-1 on the standings, but doesn't a win over the Kings give us a better mentality going into our next game?

Imagine going into Houston with a loss, rather than a blowout win over the Kings.

 

[elindholm]

I agree with you Eric, but I'll tell you one thing- Something is telling me that nobody wants to see the Suns in the first round.

That's probably true. The Suns are so volatile and inconsistent that a top-seeded team could be in real trouble if the good version shows up.

But the downside is, because they have such difficulty knocking off weak opponents, the Suns will have a hard time even reaching the playoffs in order to earn that opportunity. That's what's sad.

Of course, their playoff chances are better now, after having won tonight!

 

[elindholm]

Imagine going into Houston with a loss, rather than a blowout win over the Kings.

It's hard to say. If the Suns had defeated the Warriors soundly, then lost to the Kings, they might think, "It's too bad we lost to the Kings, but they are an excellent team. At least we can win the games we're supposed to. Now let's go take care of the Rockets, who aren't that good."

As it is, they have to think, "Hmm, are we going to be great tonight? Or are we going to suck? I wish I had the faintest idea, and I bet all of my teammates do too."

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by elindholm

As it is, they have to think, "Hmm, are we going to be great tonight? Or are we going to suck? I wish I had the faintest idea, and I bet all of my teammates do too."

Why do they have to think that? Can't they think, "We played 48 minutes of solid basketball--let's just keep it going." Marion said after the game that they can keep it going, and you gotta like that kind of confidence. I mean, Stephon Marbury and Amare Stoudemire haven't lacked confidence.

 

[elindholm]

Marion said after the game that they can keep it going, and you gotta like that kind of confidence.

But why is it different this time? Haven't they been pumped up after every big win this season? Haven't we heard and read a dozen promises about how they're going to keep it going? Don't we all keep waiting for them to turn the corner?

When was the last time we went through all of this? Just a week or so ago with the win in San Antonio, right? And how long did it last?

I'm satisfied with this team the way it is, but my eyes are open. I wonder whether Marion could say the same thing. Sometimes the Suns beat great teams, and sometimes they lose to terrible teams. I'm guessing they'll beat a couple more great teams before the season is done, and I'm also pretty sure they'll lose to some terrible teams.

My point is, "confidence" hasn't enabled them to post a winning record since January 1. And surprising wins over big teams hasn't done the trick either. Something fundamental has to change in this team's psyche.

And when it does, how will we know? Not by seeing them beat good teams occasionally -- they've been doing that all along. We'll know by seeing them stop losing so often in games everyone knows they should win.

In my opinion, the Golden State game says more about this team than tonight's does. That's the real problem.

 

[Chaplin]

You're really a glass is half empty kind of guy, huh, Eric?

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I was at the game tonight, let me tell it kicked ass. I think I am good luck, last game I went to was against Dallas when we beat them. If anyone wants to start donating to send me to games against good teams, feel free to contact me

Anyways, it was just awesome. Loud from beginnign to end. Mohammad Ali showed up too, that was kind of cool. Webber got like 900 pics with him at half time.

I do not know what got into Shawn, but he EXPLODED. That dunk was amazing. The entire place went crazy, I jumped into the row in front of me. I am to giddy to type a lot, such a great game. It was also nice to see a mix of offensive production. Screw a 3rd and 4th option to help M&M, why not just have like 5 people get around 10 points???

Oh well, have a good night everyone, I know mine cant get much better

 

[jbeecham]

This is where veteran leadership is supposed to help the team. What are Scott Williams, Randy Brown, Penny Hardaway & the coaches doing (or what aren't they doing) to make the light go on for the rest of the team to make them realise that they have to bring it every night against every team otherwise it doesn't matter how many great teams you beat because you might not be in the playoff picture.

Every game is so important right now and really every game should be important all season long. After a loss, players always say "oh it's just one game", but that one game and the 20+ other games where we didn't bring it could be what keeps us out of the playoffs.

 

[sly fly]

This NBA is hard to figure out. Especially if you have an online betting... cough.... "fantasy pick'em" account.

This whole NBA is a Seven Degrees Of Kevin Bacon type thing:

Phoenix trounces Sacramento
Sacramento beats Minnesota
Minnesota beats Phoenix
Phoenix loses to Golden St.
Golden St. beats Detroit
Detroit beats LA Lakers... etc etc etc

And, after watching Dallas over the last few weeks... they're in deep trouble if PHX or Houston or even Golden St. play them in the 1st round. I've never seen such porous inside defense from such a talented team.

 

[SirStefan32]

Originally posted by jbeecham
What are Scott Williams, Randy Brown, Penny Hardaway & the coaches doing (or what aren't they doing) to make the light go on for the rest of the team to make them realise that they have to bring it every night against every team otherwise it doesn't matter how many great teams you beat because you might not be in the playoff picture.

Excellent question Jim! It all comes down to veteran leadership I think that the best for the vets to do that is to lead by example. Veterans have to bring their best game and effort every night. Hopefully, the young guys will see the old guys playing like their life depended on it, and they will hopefully pick up the same intensity.

Now, the problems with the Suns is that they have very few veterans. Who are their veterans? Randy Brown- Mr. Injured list, plays hard every time he gets the opportunity, but basically gets no opportunity.

Scott Williams- plays hard every night just like he always played hard every night. Unfortunately, he gets very few minutes, partly because they are two other centers on the roster, partly because FJ doesn't like playing centers, partly because he is dead tired after he plays 25 minutes previous night.


Penny Hardaway- in my oppinion, one of the best veteran leaders in the league. Plays hard every night, does whatever the team needs him to do. He does need more minutes and should be given his starting spot back as he is more effective when he starts, but let's not get into that discussion right now.

Now out of those three guys, only one of them is a really important part of this team. I've been saying this all year long- the Suns need another veteran who can make a difference on the floor.
They are loaded with talent, but they are young.

Good thing is that Marbury is playing like a veteran, busting his butt every game, and I think that he can probably be considered a veteran leader as well as a franchise player.

Penny and Scott need to get more minutes- enough to be able to really show the young players how to play hard every night, to give them the opportunity to lead by example.

That's my oppinion just from the top of my head, and I think this is a great question that could generate some great discussions, so I would be really interested to see what other posters here think.

Sir Stefan

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

FJ said as soon as Penny got back he would get his starting role back. Do not forget that he is not completely healed. It is still tender, and if it were to get hit the wrong way now he would be done for. He is just trying to buy penny some time to heal. IMO it is best for the team for him to take it easy until he is comfterable. He hit his hand against GS and was holding it for a while, my heart skipped a beat when that happened. We simply cannot afford to loose him.

 

[Errntknght]

I think the general reason the Suns lose to poor teams is the same reason good teams lose to us - it's a question of not taking the other team seriously. And it happens all over the league to some extent. I agree that the coach and the veteran players are the ones that can minimize the effect - and we're hurting on both counts. Marbury has been carrying the load by himself though Shawn ought to be shouldering some of it by now. Penny and Googs will help if they can stay healthy.

'Smiling Frank' is no help and probably never will be - it's got to have dawned on the players by now that he's a doofus. Sheesh, it's got to be embarrassing for them to have their coach going nuts on the sidelines all the time, trying to direct the show almost constantly - if they paid much attention to him they'd be lost as to what was happening on the floor. The funny part of it is that FJ said he was installing the motion offense because he didn't want to be calling plays all the time. A nice sedate signal when the team needed it would be a welcome relief from his frantic gesticulations. Shades of Danny Ainge...