the "What Ended Season 2022?" thread

[Hoop Head]

yes, if you want to compare an entire historic season and 7 terrific playoff wins against 1 or 2 awful playoff games that may have been riddled with a virus whose #1 symptom is fatigue

7 Terrific playoff wins? There was maybe 1-2 "terrific" wins in which this Suns team played to their potential. I'd say game 2 vs Dallas when the offense took turns spanking Luka. The other was game 6 in the NO series, when CP3 was perfect from the field.

The bottom line is they faced inferior teams and choked. They were viewed as a title favorite while the Pelicans were a play-in team that took them to 6 games and the Mavericks had never won a playoff series with Luka before yet happened to ride a wave of luck with the Jazz and Suns imploding during their series with them, which opened a path to the conference finals.


You can repeat your "We were 1 game from the conference finals" nonsense but after watching the 82 games this season and the first 2 Mavericks games, it never should have come down to 1 game. We lost 4 of 5 to an inferior team. It doesn't matter why, there are no asterisks in sports, especially in the 2nd round.

 

[AzStevenCal]

7 Terrific playoff wins? There was maybe 1-2 "terrific" wins in which this Suns team played to their potential. I'd say game 2 vs Dallas when the offense took turns spanking Luka. The other was game 6 in the NO series, when CP3 was perfect from the field.

The bottom line is they faced inferior teams and choked. They were viewed as a title favorite while the Pelicans were a play-in team that took them to 6 games and the Mavericks had never won a playoff series with Luka before yet happened to ride a wave of luck with the Jazz and Suns imploding during their series with them, which opened a path to the conference finals.


You can repeat your "We were 1 game from the conference finals" nonsense but after watching the 82 games this season and the first 2 Mavericks games, it never should have come down to 1 game. We lost 4 of 5 to an inferior team. It doesn't matter why, there are no asterisks in sports, especially in the 2nd round.

I guess we're all different on this because it certainly matters to me.

Knowing it might have been Covid that sidelined this team doesn't do away the simple fact we finished the postseason in an embarrassing fashion. But it does mean we don't necessarily have to throw our hands up and start all over.

So, AFAIC, it's probably the best news I can think of given our situation. It doesn't change the past but it gives me more hope for the future.

 

[1tinsoldier]

every playoff win is terrific!

every playoff win is terrific

and we've had 21 of them in 2 seasons
-- compared to ZERO for many years before

the irony is that all those seasons when all we competed for was top lottery picks,
the same posters who were aggressively harassing me for my criticism of coach Kokoskov and Booker's leadership problems are the same posters who are now dead set on crucifying this team
regardless of all their success and any and all mitigating factors that contributed to them falling short of a championship

 

[Cheesebeef]

every playoff win is terrific!
and we've had 21 of them in 2 seasons

compared to ZERO for many years before

the irony is that all those seasons when all we competed for was top lottery picks,
the same posters who were aggressively harassing me for my criticism of coach Kokoskov and Booker's leadership problems are the same posters who are now dead set on crucifying this team
regardless of all there success and any and all mitigating factors

Wrong. Speaking for myself as one of the people you keep attacking, I was trashing Igor early and often. You’re creating false narratives to continue to try and pick fights and it’s getting very tiresome.

And again, speaking for myself, I heaped nothing but praise upon this team for two years until they either choked like dogs or worse, decided to just be trash human beings and put large amounts of others at risk playing with Covid. Either way, they deserve a heap of criticism.

 

[Hoop Head]

I guess we're all different on this because it certainly matters to me.

Knowing it might have been Covid that sidelined this team doesn't do away the simple fact we finished the postseason in an embarrassing fashion. But it does mean we don't necessarily have to throw our hands up and start all over.

So, AFAIC, it's probably the best news I can think of given our situation. It doesn't change the past but it gives me more hope for the future.

That's fine, I suppose, if that's you want to view this season and playoffs. I think it was one of the biggest missed opportunities and choke jobs in franchise history.

What I take issue with is someone trying to tell me that feeling that way is wrong. You're allowed to view it as you like and so am I. I don't believe you've pushed your own views on anyone and I've tried to do the same. I found it embarrassing and it made me question my own fandom. Whether the team had Covid or not doesn't really make it sting less because it's irresponsible to try and hide it because you wanted to play a basketball game. That makes me question their character in a whole new way.

Basically you're free to feel as you do and I am as well. We don't have to agree. Just don't tell me that my views are wrong because they don't align with yours. That's where I take issue. We're both able to explain why we feel how we do and agree to disagree.

 

[1tinsoldier]

as i said, i am also critical of their handling of covid. but i also get the bigger picture -- that other teams, including the Pelicans, may have done the same thing, and that there were nearly a hundred thousand people in the arenas screaming, who were not tested, some carrying the virus, some sitting next to the benches

doing the right thing probably would have derailed the Suns season, and may have derailed the whole playoffs as well

that being said. i still wish they had tested immediately and went public

but someone calling them "trash human beings" is extremely judgemental,
as is claiming that they "chocked like dogs" regardless of the difficult circumstances

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm already in next season mode. I enjoy the game and watching the players.

Yes, the past season was a bitter disappointment but it's wise to carry a map of where you've been and where you are going.

The Suns have climbed from being irrelevant in 2018-19, to the Orlando bubble in 2019-20, to the Finals in 2020-21 and the second round of the playoffs in 2021-22 this season.

At least now success is expected.

 

[Finito]

I'm already in next season mode. I enjoy the game and watching the players.

Yes, the past season was a bitter disappointment but it's wise to carry a map of where you've been and where you are going.

The Suns have climbed from being irrelevant in 2018-19, to the Orlando bubble in 2019-20, to the Finals in 2020-21 and the second round of the playoffs in 2021-22 this season.

At least now success is expected.

This is where I’m at.

Big offseason coming up.

 

[Covert Rain]

issues that would have been dismissed like a fart in the wind if they had won one more Dallas game.
issues like in the Pelicans series and last season in the Lakers' and Clippers' series untill we dumped them

"winning cures all ills"
"what have you done for me lately?"

one day/week the Suns were the greatest, then they were the worst.
these days we all like to pick a side

they were great AND awful this season. mostly great. in fact, historically great for Phoenix

They accomplished something only one other team has, then that team in turn did it to them. Historically great or not they also managed a historically bad collapse.

 

[1tinsoldier]

there was no question that something was wrong with Paul in the Dallas series, but reading this in NBA.com's Suns preview is news to me:

Paul won’t make excuses, but he suffered a quadriceps injury that slowed him for the most important games of that series.

 

[95pro]

there was no question that something was wrong with Paul in the Dallas series, but reading this in NBA.com's Suns preview is news to me:

As I said in another thread, idr which, but cp3 was limping noticeably in game 6 when re-watched.

 

[Yuma]

I know Gambo has said CP3 was the player that tested positive. It would explain why the Mavs threw such a fit about playing the Suns during those final games. Gambo said there's no protocols until a player TESTS positive, and CP3 supposedly was not tested until after the Suns were eliminated. That still shouldn't affect the whole team. I cannot even make up what would have had to happen to have a whole team just basically quit over the last two games of the series. I know the Maps bum rushed the Suns that last game and basically cut the legs out from under them that whole second half. Not that he played well, but Booker seemed like the only guy really hustling on both sides of the court. Everyone else, until Ish W came in late, seemed to mail it in.

 

[Finito]

This is where I’m at.

Big offseason coming up.

Aaaaaand we did nothing but lose McGee and Crowder

 

[Yuma]

Aaaaaand we did nothing but lose McGee and Crowder

Addition by subtraction? Technically we are adding Saric...

 

[Superbone]

Aaaaaand we did nothing but lose McGee and Crowder

I don't think we're done.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't think we're done.

We're not done losing players? Ouch.

 

[Superbone]

We're not done losing players? Ouch.

Well, we are playing Beverly tonight.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well, we are playing Beverly tonight.

Fair point.

 

[95pro]

I know Gambo has said CP3 was the player that tested positive. It would explain why the Mavs threw such a fit about playing the Suns during those final games. Gambo said there's no protocols until a player TESTS positive, and CP3 supposedly was not tested until after the Suns were eliminated. That still shouldn't affect the whole team. I cannot even make up what would have had to happen to have a whole team just basically quit over the last two games of the series. I know the Maps bum rushed the Suns that last game and basically cut the legs out from under them that whole second half. Not that he played well, but Booker seemed like the only guy really hustling on both sides of the court. Everyone else, until Ish W came in late, seemed to mail it in.

Perhaps the team was po’d at cp3 for testing positive again, like he did in our run to the finals two seasons ago.

His birthday being the time around playoff time is an issue imo.

 

[1tinsoldier]

another in the series of "i told you so's":

Yahoo Sports - https://sports.yahoo.com/the-suns-c...questions-than-answers-135459778.html?src=rss

"Once opening lineups have been introduced this preseason, you can find the Phoenix Suns’ players bunched at their side of the court. A group of larger-than-life bowling pins, joyfully rattling and ramming against each other, all bouncing off the hardwood....The giggliest Sun might even be the tallest, starting center Deandre Ayton, who has since reversed course from his loud media day comments about strained communication with head coach Monty Williams following their Game 7 flameout against the Dallas Mavericks during the playoffs and an icy standoff during Ayton’s restricted free agency....“Everything is back to normal,” Ayton told the Arizona Republic on Monday."

 

[Hoop Head]

another in the series of "i told you so's":

You can stack those up and put that next to the pile of "No one cares". I have a feeling the "No one cares" pile is much larger.

 

[1tinsoldier]

yes, obviously.
and the other much larger pile is my "i told you so's" to yours in particular

like most, i post here for my sporting pleasure
-- for the same reason many fans bet on the games
-- which i don't. And which they don't do for the money (because they all mostly lose)
the reason is the satisfaction of calling it right.
to analyze and predict the outcome of competition
and the game within the game

oh, look, another sporting opportunity. the new

22-23 Regular Season Win Total​

thread. hmmm. i'll confess i'm not too good with the numbers

 

[boisesuns]

Speaking of the bragging angle: when we were up 2-0 in the finals I was preparing to come after everyone who ripped me for being a Suns fan all these years.

i was loading up the “I told you so’s” only to have the Suns go Dennis Green on all of us….

THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!!!

 

[Mainstreet]

With the Suns, always enjoy the ride.

 

[boisesuns]

With the Suns, always enjoy the ride.

especially If you like broken rollercoasters