Pistons @ Suns Saturday game thread 12-21-2024

[Mainstreet]

The Warriors lose by over 50 points one night and beat the Timberwolves in Minnesota tonight. That's grit.

 

[95pro]

Grayson Allen is being monitored for a concussion.

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We did better without him. I don’t want to discredit what he does but he’s a lesser version of O’Neal. A lesser version of Jones. And just not athletic enough. Just bad fit with Dunn on the roster now.

 

[95pro]

I don't think Bol Bol being out caused the problem. Now, if he were waived, that might be another matter.

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Even Vogel found minutes for Bol. This year he’s been a non factor.

 

[95pro]

KD is set in his ways. We've tried taking him off the ball and it hasn't worked. He does what he wants. The only tike that's lead to real success is when he had Steph, Klay, Iggy, and Draymond surrounding him. It's failed everywhere else. Saw it multiple times tonight. He'd get the ball and start driving when anyone else would have passed it. When he does pass it, it's rarely on center. Lackadaisical is the best way to describe his passing. Even basic A to B passes within 6 feet of each other in front of the logo he'll toss it into a dribble for the other player so they can't catch it still.

He would have some opportunities if we had someone inside to pass it to and finish. There were several times where if we had a threat that player would have finished at or close to the rim.

 

[95pro]

If I am Detroit I don't do that trade.

Right! Guy is a problem. He is what Harris was supposed to be.

 

[Hoop Head]

We did better without him. I don’t want to discredit what he does but he’s a lesser version of O’Neal. A lesser version of Jones. And just not a enough. Just bad fit with Dunn on the roster now.

I'd say feature and move him. Maybe give him the start in place of Royce for a game or two after opening serious discussion with another team.

Royce is cheaper and plays defense.

 

[Mainstreet]

We did better without him. I don’t want to discredit what he does but he’s a lesser version of O’Neal. A lesser version of Jones. And just not a enough. Just bad fit with Dunn on the roster now.

Grayson Allen used to be a respectable shooting guard. This season, he isn't filling any role or need.

 

[Hoop Head]

He would have some opportunities if we had someone inside to pass it to and finish. There were several times where if we had a threat that player would have finished at or close to the rim.

Except that isn't who he is. Ayton regressed even more next to KD and Nurkic is less effective in the PnR than he was with Dame. It sounds like a good idea but KD is far too set in his ways.

I still believe he'd be a better SF next to a bigger forward but I think that would help more defensively than offensively. Of course we won't be able to acquire an Aaron Gordon or Pascal Siakam but even someone like Rui Hachimura would improve our frontcourt.

 

[95pro]

Side note wtf were the refs thinking on the Dunn block and Plum out of bounds.

 

[95pro]

Except that isn't who he is. Ayton regressed even more next to KD and Nurkic is less effective in the PnR than he was with Dame. It sounds like a good idea but KD is far too set in his ways.

I still believe he'd be a better PF next to a bigger forward but I think that would help more defensively than offensively. Of course we won't be able to acquire an Aaron Gordon or Pascal Siakam but even someone like Rui Hachimura would improve our frontcourt.

You’re talking forward. I’m talking center.

I don’t disagree with you about a forward. Rui would have been perfect for that.

 

[Mainstreet]

Except that isn't who he is. Ayton regressed even more next to KD and Nurkic is less effective in the PnR than he was with Dame. It sounds like a good idea but KD is far too set in his ways.

I still believe he'd be a better PF next to a bigger forward but I think that would help more defensively than offensively. Of course we won't be able to acquire an Aaron Gordon or Pascal Siakam but even someone like Rui Hachimura would improve our frontcourt.

I feel much the same.

I think KD would be better served playing small forward next to a power forward, except his handles are terrible.

 

[95pro]

It's obvious we need to play hard like we do when we are down late in games trying to dig it out. We have to play hard from the opening tip, until the last buzzer. We came out lethargic. We were behind the whole game.

The effort is pathetic. Everyone looks at the other guy to do the small things and dirty work. We fail at making simple boxouts or hedges on defense.

Just seems we get mixed up since we don’t switch anything it seems. And when in transition no one finds their guy until it’s too late.

 

[Mainstreet]

Talk without changes is just talk.

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[Mainstreet]

Please, do not extend Kevin Durant.

 

[leclerc]

At this point I want to see Dunn and Oso get major minutes. That would make the losses more tolerable. Allen, Nurk and Plum can get fewer minutes.

 

[leclerc]

Get Sopie and Lindsay more TV time. Maybe film some of the fans in the stands and Mr Orange more, so we see less of the players being beat on effort. Gloss it over please. April is a long way off.

 

[somethingshesaid]

Kevin Durant's comments after losses are frankly un-interesting, because he tends to publicly blow losses off. Understand that I don't believe he really blows losses off. In other words, I'm claiming he doesn't say what he really thinks, so I ignore him. Well, yeah, I suppose I think this of most Suns players.

One of the main reasons I don't like today's Suns players as much--the personalities--is because today's players either say nothing at all of interest (Devin Booker) or they BS us (Durant). Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson didn't. They made it very obvious what was going on and all fans could figure out the problems. If those players were upset, you knew it. They effectively helped us figure them out. Since about the Steve Nash era, players don't do that. It's so consistent that I believe they are trained to do this on purpose by their teams and by the league. To avoid saying what they really think.

I suspect that this is one reason why NBA ratings are down: fans probably find players less interesting as personalities for this, and are bored of it. If I'm right, then there is no solution, because the NBA probably likes it that way.

 

[FB94]

This team is rinse repeat from last year. Not a big desire to watch these guys at the moment.

 

[somethingshesaid]

I don't desire "my" players to be filled with rage after losses or even a few minutes of the opponent winning, like Michael Jordan was. Hell, my dad and I used to laugh at how Jordan would chompchompchomp his gum on the bench because he was furious at how the opponent had won one play or the ref had blown one call. But nevertheless...Suns players constructively getting mad enough that fans can tell they care wouldn't be so bad. This is why some are tired of Booker's obnoxious "just chillin'" demeanor and *"we okay?" posts, and also why some are seriously hoping that the fiery Jimmy Butler actually wants to be traded here. (Do I think he will? Nah. He's just playing games to manipulate the Heat into extending him for mo' money.)

*Or "we cool" or whatever it was he said.

 

[CardNots]

This team is rinse repeat from last year. Not a big desire to watch these guys at the moment.

I would argue this team is not as good as last year’s…

 

[Mainstreet]

Everyone in the Suns organization, from players to ownership, should be seething with anger about the losing. I want to see it.

Those who aren't should be gone. Find the problem and fix it now.

There is one thing worse than losing, that's acceptance.

 

[Proximo]

Please, do not extend Kevin Durant.

Screw that, trade him now!

 

[Proximo]

As would I. I would argue it because it doesn't have the excuse of newness and a bad bench.

The reason I think it's hopeless is because you can't change inherently laid-back personalities. And none of those three can be replaced. Trading Booker would rip out the soul of the team and make many fans mad; trading Durant is ridiculous (and also impossible unless he wants it); Beal can't be traded unless he wants it.

Trading KD and book is not only doable, it is rapidly becoming a requirement.

This team is gutless. They are our only valuable assets, every day this goes on they get older and more exposed as players who are fragile non leaders with not enough desire to win.

 

[somethingshesaid]

Screw that, trade him now!

This may be the only possibility, for being less difficult than trading Beal.

Trading KD and book is not only doable, it is rapidly becoming a requirement.

This team is gutless. They are our only valuable assets, every day this goes on they get older and more exposed as players who are fragile non leaders with not enough desire to win.

The only reason I don't really want to trade Booker is that he is the only player at all whom I feel the slightest connection to. One can find that odd, because I'm the one who complains about how Booker's "cool" personality is not conducive to winning. But having been drafted in 2015, Booker is the last remaining holdover from a Suns team with some players I actually liked. It's the same reason I felt a sentimental connection to Eric Bledsoe even though I wasn't a huge fan of Bledsoe. It's because of what Bledsoe represented to me. I was attached to the team Bledsoe helped anchor, and he was the last remaining key player from it, at the time the Suns traded him.

See my problem with Booker? His demeanor encourages me to feel distant from him, to feel that he is not really "my guy" even if I'd rather keep him. I'm not that attached to him, and if he were traded, I would feel sorry but would get over it. Same thing with Durant, but worse: I could care less about him. Or Beal, of course, or any player on this team. Put it this way: You want to stay cool, Devin Booker? Fine, I'll respond by staying cool too--toward you.

 

[95pro]

Kevin Durant's comments after losses are frankly un-interesting, because he tends to publicly blow losses off. Understand that I don't believe he really blows losses off. In other words, I'm claiming he doesn't say what he really thinks, so I ignore him. Well, yeah, I suppose I think this of most Suns players.

One of the main reasons I don't like today's Suns players as much--the personalities--is because today's players either say nothing at all of interest (Devin Booker) or they BS us (Durant). Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson didn't. They made it very obvious what was going on and all fans could figure out the problems. If those players were upset, you knew it. They effectively helped us figure them out. Since about the Steve Nash era, players don't do that. It's so consistent that I believe they are trained to do this on purpose by their teams and by the league. To avoid saying what they really think.

I suspect that this is one reason why NBA ratings are down: fans probably find players less interesting as personalities for this, and are bored of it. If I'm right, then there is no solution, because the NBA probably likes it that way.

This team has been really hush hush since James jones came along. There are no details that get out anymore like injuries or the severity of them, player unhappiness/happiness, direction, accountability/unaccountability, ownership/acceptance, and direction of the organization.
We are kept in the dark and expected to just support this franchise.