Thunder @ Suns 12-28-18 game thread

[devilalum]

As much as we all critique aytons play I think we need to get back to the real problem with the team which is one of the worst point guard rotation to ever grace an NBA court

It's like a decent NFL team that has to start some CFL guy that hasn't played in 3 years.

 

[SweetD]

Westbrook was unstoppable tonight no matter who was guarding him. Plus we all had an off shooting night. It was great seeing Ayton get some dunks, you can see a few more new plays being run, but overall this team is way to predictable and still missing a good PG.

 

[devilalum]

It's like a decent NFL team that has to start some CFL guy that hasn't played in 3 years.

And we have a front office that had the whole off season to resolve this issue and the best they could come up with is a CFL QB that hasn't played in 3 years.

Over the years the Suns have won a lot of games with poor front court play but those teams always had a good PG.

 

[devilalum]

If I have a gripe with Igor......yes many

I think all the grief we give Igor is unfair. He's trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Take the best baseball manager in the world and give him a below average team. Now add a 19 year old Double A catcher and see what happens.

How does a coach created plays for a team with no play maker.

IMO running the team is killing Booker's confidence. He has the skill set to be an incredible scoring guard. He does not have the skill set to be a PG or a Harden or Lebron creator. Like somebody else said offensively he's Klay Thompson not Steph Curry.

 

[Mainstreet]

Duane Rankin points out some of the reasons the Suns got beat.

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[devilalum]

Westbrook was unstoppable tonight no matter who was guarding him. Plus we all had an off shooting night. It was great seeing Ayton get some dunks, you can see a few more new plays being run, but overall this team is way to predictable and still missing a good PG.

Suns have no answer for Westbrook. Not many teams do but the Suns have nobody that can slow him down.

Westbrook was +6 last night Schroder was +25?!?!

 

[Mainstreet]

One of the things that had me seething, the Thunder had lost two games in a row coming into the Suns game and they rested Paul George as well.

IMO, it was a clear lack of respect for the Suns.

 

[devilalum]

One of the things that had me seething, the Thunder had lost two games in a row coming into the Suns game and they rested Paul George as well.

IMO, it was a clear lack of respect for the Suns.

They did look a little uneasy after the third. George was up walking around. But they know the Suns have no answer for Westbrook.

 

[AzStevenCal]

They did look a little uneasy after the third. George was up walking around. But they know the Suns have no answer for Westbrook.

We've had a lot of games against them where our guards have gone off against Russell too. But last night was the first game back from a long road trip and Eddie has been telling us for years how hard that game always is. Plus, we only had one day off after that long trip which is even worse not to mention our road trip included a back to back and 4 overtime periods. All in all, I thought we played fairly well considering.

 

[JCSunsfan]

We've had a lot of games against them where our guards have gone off against Russell too. But last night was the first game back from a long road trip and Eddie has been telling us for years how hard that game always is. Plus, we only had one day off after that long trip which is even worse not to mention our road trip included a back to back and 4 overtime periods. All in all, I thought we played fairly well considering.

And it was the first time ever for Ayton, Melton, Okobo, and Bridges to come back from such a long road trip. Man we cannot forget this team is featuring four rookies. I cannot remember any team ever doing that.

 

[devilalum]

And it was the first time ever for Ayton, Melton, Okobo, and Bridges to come back from such a long road trip. Man we cannot forget this team is featuring four rookies. I cannot remember any team ever doing that.

Yeah, that’s the thing. You can break down each game all you want but this is the big picture.

It’s not inconceivable that you could keep this core together, add a PG and be winning 50+ games in two years.


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[1tinsoldier]

This is true. I’ve been hard on Ayton/Igor but I’m done criticizing them for the rest of the year.

me too. i'm going to give them a break until 2019

 

[leclerc]

1. Why are we not playing in home white unis?
2. Felton is getting ahem, round around the edges.
3. We'll be even better defensively when Bridges and Jackson put on some muscle. Watch out!

 

[1Sun]

me too. i'm going to give them a break until 2019

We did the same thing with Earl Watson and Chriss/Bender, and look where that took us (unless, of course, you're being facetious, and by 2019 you mean Tuesday)...

 

[1tinsoldier]

yes, facetious, but perhaps unrealistic. there are still 2 games to evaluate

 

[BC867]

One of the things that had me seething, the Thunder had lost two games in a row coming into the Suns game and they rested Paul George as well.

IMO, it was a clear lack of respect for the Suns.

Or, to put it another way, a team that has languished in last place has to do/show something (steady) ... and address its biggest weakness ... to earn respect.

Recently, we've taken steps to inch up from piss-poor to poor (while still in last place), but the biggest weakness remains.

Do-able or not do-able doesn't matter. That hasn't changed yet and, until it does, the Suns don't deserve the respect of their opponents.

I just watched (for the hundredth time) my favorite song of the year from A Star Is Born (2018) -- "Shallow", by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

The Suns are shallow!

 

[Mainstreet]

Or, to put it another way, a team that has languished in last place has to do/show something (steady) ... and address its biggest weakness ... to earn respect.

Recently, we've taken steps to inch up from piss-poor to poor (while still in last place), but the biggest weakness remains.

Do-able or not do-able doesn't matter. That hasn't changed yet and, until it does, the Suns don't deserve the respect of their opponents.

I just watched (for the hundredth time) my favorite song of the year from A Star Is Born (2018) -- "Shallow", by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

The Suns are shallow!

It was a nice soundtrack. I hadn't heard it before.

Perhaps "respect" is the wrong word.

The Thunder knew they could beat the Suns without Paul George but more importantly they made that decision coming off two losses.

Maybe that says more about the Suns than the Thunder.

 

[devilalum]

We did the same thing with Earl Watson and Chriss/Bender, and look where that took us (unless, of course, you're being facetious, and by 2019 you mean Tuesday)...

There are dozens of solid players all over the league that took a year or two to develop. Especially in the age of one and done.


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[BC867]

BTW, here is the soundtrack of "Shallow" from A Star Is Born. It should be in the running for the Oscar for best movie song of the year. And best acting awards as well.

All of the songs are performed live. No pre-recorded/lip sync.

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[AzStevenCal]

It was a nice soundtrack. I hadn't heard it before.

Perhaps "respect" is the wrong word.

The Thunder knew they could beat the Suns without Paul George but more importantly they made that decision coming off two losses.

Maybe that says more about the Suns than the Thunder.

The schedule showed that they were facing a bad team on their first game back from a long East Coast road trip, I'm sure they did know they could beat us.

We've improved considerably. Six weeks ago, I didn't think we were good enough to beat the 25th best team in the NBA without an above average game from us and a lot of help from them. Now, we're good enough to beat the 15th best team if they have an average game and we play well. That's an incredible leap but we still aren't good enough to beat the 6th best team even minus their best player unless we get some help from them and we have a pretty good game.

 

[Cheesebeef]

BTW, here is the soundtrack of "Shallow" from A Star Is Born. It should be in the running for the Oscar for best movie song of the year. And best acting awards as well.

All of the songs are performed live. No pre-recorded/lip sync.

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this is an incredibly random post in the Suns Thunder thread.

That said... I totally agree! Best movie of the year. Best original song in a movie this year. Best Actor performance. And to be honest, as I sit here and think about it, I don't know any other female performance that moved me as much as Gaga either.

Also, unbelievably, Spiderverse comes in a very close second as runner up for best picture.

 

[Hoop Head]

1. Why are we not playing in home white unis?
2. Felton is getting ahem, round around the edges.
3. We'll be even better defensively when Bridges and Jackson put on some muscle. Watch out!

The NBA hasn't adhered to the "white for home uniforms" style for quite some time now. I'd say it's probably 15 years or so. Teams have been changing things up more and more the over the last 5-6 years. When the Nike partnership started last season they didn't even pretend to go that route with the uniforms they made. None of the Nike style even have names that would indicate home or away with each team having Association, Icon, Statement, and City. Wouldn't surprise me to learn younger fans don't know teams where white at home and then their colored jerseys on the road.

 

[BC867]

this is an incredibly random post in the Suns Thunder thread.

That said... I totally agree! Best movie of the year. Best original song in a movie this year. Best Actor performance. And to be honest, as I sit here and think about it, I don't know any other female performance that moved me as much as Gaga either.

Also, unbelievably, Spiderverse comes in a very close second as runner up for best picture.

I wrote in Post #166 that, as an NBA team, the Suns are shallow (thinking of our Point Guard and Power Forward situations).

As the thought entered my mind, it of course reminded me of the song. You know what happens when a great song enters your mind.

Especially when a very good actor does a very good singing performance on his first try and a great singer does a great acting performance in her first try, and especially considering her transition over time in the movie.

And I've always wished that movies would lose the pre-recorded lip sync and sing live just as in Broadway musicals. And, while we're at it, that Broadway actors and actresses would not be replaced by movie stars in adaptations. Such as Natalie Wood lip syncing to Marnie Nixon in West Side Story and Lea Salonga being replaced by Anne Hathaway in Les Mis (even though she was given as Oscar--not deserved in that case).

OK, back to basketball. Gee, I wish that the Suns didn't lip sync Booker as a Point Guard. Or Warren as a non-rebounding Power Forward.

 

[Krangodnzr]

this is an incredibly random post in the Suns Thunder thread.

That said... I totally agree! Best movie of the year. Best original song in a movie this year. Best Actor performance. And to be honest, as I sit here and think about it, I don't know any other female performance that moved me as much as Gaga either.

Also, unbelievably, Spiderverse comes in a very close second as runner up for best picture.

Hereditary. Horror gets no love.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Hereditary. Horror gets no love.

i liked Hereditary too. But nowhere near Star or Spiderverse.