2024-2025 Around the NBA Thread

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
The only mind boggling ones are Johnson and Suggs IMO.

Suggs found his niche last year. He's a defensive demon with size who can guard anyone on the floor. I'd love to have him. He's like a stronger version of Shai without the offensive flash that SGA has.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
It will be interesting to see what kind of player Oso can be if he can add 20 lbs of muscle to his frame. He looks like he has the frame to do it. This post about Sengun made me think about that for some reason.
Evan Sidery noted that Oso and Nurkic were on the floor a couple times together. That had Oso in the dunker/screen role, and Nurkic spreading the floor for threes. Interesting they looked at that option. Maybe the really big teams we may have to resort to that for some stretches. Especially when KD sits.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,315
Reaction score
11,394
The Knicks interior defense is dog crap, shocking.

Also, Bridges shot looks like it’s in slow motion. I don’t know if he’s nervous in this debut or if he screwed with his shot somehow.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
It took awhile, but it looks like Miles McBride may be finally coming around for the Knicks.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
The Knicks interior defense is dog crap, shocking.

Also, Bridges shot looks like it’s in slow motion. I don’t know if he’s nervous in this debut or if he screwed with his shot somehow.

The Knicks three point defense isn't good either. Mikal Bridge's shot is looking better.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,315
Reaction score
11,394
The Knicks three point defense isn't good either. Mikal Bridge's shot is looking better.
Yeah, he finally hit one right after I posted, now he can’t miss.

Some of their defensive problems are probably that they have a lot of new guys, they keep having two people close out the same player and leaving someone wide open, but they also can’t keep anybody out of the lane and Towns can’t stay in front of anyone.

Also, Boston is just really really good.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
Yeah, he finally hit one right after I posted, now he can’t miss.

Some of their defensive problems are probably that they have a lot of new guys, they keep having two people close out the same player and leaving someone wide open, but they also can’t keep anybody out of the lane and Towns can’t stay in front of anyone.

Also, Boston is just really really good.

I think that is the bottom line take. The Suns will have to build a team that can beat the Celtics.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
I think that is the bottom line take. The Suns will have to build a team that can beat the Celtics.
We built one that could beat Denver, but got swept by Minnesota. Every time we focus on beating a squad, it seems to bite us on the A$$.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
We built one that could beat Denver, but got swept by Minnesota. Every time we focus on beating a squad, it seems to bite us on the A$$.

A team built around defense can beat almost anyone. I'm not sure if the Suns have enough pieces on that end of the court.

Offensively, the Suns should be fine.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
A team built around defense can beat almost anyone. I'm not sure if the Suns have enough pieces on that end of the court.

Offensively, the Suns should be fine.
That's why last season was so frustrating. We have the offensive weapons. We should have averaged over 120 points a night, easy. Way too many turn overs. Not enough three pointers or easy transition baskets. I think from what we saw this preseason, These weaknesses should be minimized. Less turn overs, less easy points for the other side, more baskets for us, should mean less times we have to play defense.

Last game Dunn didn't have a great game offensively, but ended up +15 because of his defense. One guy can make defense contagious.

Not expecting that to be an every night thing, but better offense will help our defense in theory.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
That's why last season was so frustrating. We have the offensive weapons. We should have averaged over 120 points a night, easy. Way too many turn overs. Not enough three pointers or easy transition baskets. I think from what we saw this preseason, These weaknesses should be minimized. Less turn overs, less easy points for the other side, more baskets for us, should mean less times we have to play defense.

Last game Dunn didn't have a great game offensively, but ended up +15 because of his defense. One guy can make defense contagious.

Not expecting that to be an every night thing, but better offense will help our defense in theory.

I'm hoping Bud has some defensive schemes that maximize the Suns talent on that end of the court.

No doubt, better offense helps the defense.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
I'm hoping Bud has some defensive schemes that maximize the Suns talent on that end of the court.

No doubt, better offense helps the defense.
I do like how the centers sometimes drop towards the rim. Our last coaches had the centers navigating out to guard the three point line. I hated that. Usually we would get a rim runner when our center was out of the key. Monty and Vogel seemed to like this. Hopefully, Coach Bud realizes you have bigs to guard the key.
 

95pro

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 10, 2007
Posts
12,680
Reaction score
4,157
LeBum allowed to travel two times in a row. He made the block, dribbled and the ball got stuck on his hip. Next possession he gets stopped making a layup and is allowed to take steps and finally put the Shot in.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
Randle is throwing everything off for the twolves. I really believe they would be better off not giving him playing time. Maybe he could be useful off the bench, but his style of offense is just to retro to be very effective.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
LeBum allowed to travel two times in a row. He made the block, dribbled and the ball got stuck on his hip. Next possession he gets stopped making a layup and is allowed to take steps and finally put the Shot in.
Yeah, I noticed that too, but you just have to accept they let him get away with a lot because of his story.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
I'm hoping Bud has some defensive schemes that maximize the Suns talent on that end of the court.

No doubt, better offense helps the defense.

I think the Suns need to focus on man defense. We we're best under Monty when we had a specific and known design. Guys knew when to switch and when they shouldn't and stuck to their man. Last year was way too loose, covering zones rather than men and it led to easy and good looks for our opponents.
 

95pro

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 10, 2007
Posts
12,680
Reaction score
4,157
LeBum initiated that contact and injures himself. Most of the fouls he’s drawn are complete crap.
 

95pro

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 10, 2007
Posts
12,680
Reaction score
4,157
Yeah, I noticed that too, but you just have to accept they let him get away with a lot because of his story.

I’ll never accept that. He’s made the nba a sideshow long enough. He doesn’t get many people’s respect, doesn’t get mine.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
I’ll never accept that. He’s made the nba a sideshow long enough. He doesn’t get many people’s respect, doesn’t get mine.

He's a great player regardless and his skills deserve acknowledging and respect but the fact he plays into it is selfish and egotistical. He didn't need it to have a great legacy, see Barry Bonds as a comparison. BB was a HOF'er before he went nuts but lacks integrity like LeBron. I'm not saying LeBron juices but he definitely plays the officials and rules to favor him.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
Bronny is a sideshow and it's embarrassing that JJ Reddick decided to cave so quickly for a storyline rather than playing to win.
 

95pro

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 10, 2007
Posts
12,680
Reaction score
4,157
He's a great player regardless and his skills deserve acknowledging and respect but the fact he plays into it is selfish and egotistical. He didn't need it to have a great legacy, see Barry Bonds as a comparison. BB was a HOF'er before he went nuts but lacks integrity like LeBron. I'm not saying LeBron juices but he definitely plays the officials and rules to favor him.

Bonds still had to make contact for that ball to go over the fence.

Bron relies on calls and flops for his stats.
 
Top