2014 NBA Playoff thread

[devilalum]

dude you are making it just too easy for me

in fact Lopez has proven exactly that this entire season but you are probably too ignorant to realize that.

Lopez

.176 WS/48
128 Ortg (leads the entire league, Chris Paul is 2nd at only 124)
107 Drtg
7.0 OWS (14th in the entire league)
17.6 PER
14% USG
11ppg 8.5rpg 1apg 1.7bpg 1topg 55%FG 82%FT 31.7mpg

Gortat
.146 WS/48
112 Ortg
103 Drtg
4.1 OWS
17.6 PER
18% USG
13ppg 9.5rpg 1.7apg 1.5bpg 1.6topg 54%FG 68%FT 32.8mpg

Roy Hibbert is btw playing historically bad basketball.

The Suns will never have a franchise center because they have no idea how to utilize such a player.

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns have never had a franchise center because they are really really hard to find. Gortat is playing no better for the Wiz than he did for us... prior to last season's crapfest where his decline was as much because of the terrible team around him as him giving up.

As for Lopez, he is merely more consistent now than he used to be, we saw him doing the same things here that he is doing for Portland, we just didnt see it on a regular basis. Blame coaching, or credit it to a few more years of development.

Either way, I'm fine with the team having shipped off both players, especially given the state of the franchise when those moves were made.

 

[Phrazbit]

Marc Jackson has been fired, and I think rightfully so. Their lack of creativity on offense was pathetic given the weapons they had on offense, not just in shooting but some of the best passing and ball handing bigs and forwards in the NBA. IMO thats the most balanced offensive talent in the league and in Jackson's system they relied heavily on Curry and Thompson's ability to hit contested threes.

 

[Russ Smith]

Marc Jackson has been fired, and I think rightfully so. Their lack of creativity on offense was pathetic given the weapons they had on offense, not just in shooting but some of the best passing and ball handing bigs and forwards in the NBA. IMO thats the most balanced offensive talent in the league and in Jackson's system they relied heavily on Curry and Thompson's ability to hit contested threes.

They had a ton of injuries to deal with and Jackson did a terrific job improving the defense while there.

10th in scoring 9th in FG% without much post presence wasn't bad IMO.

I don't know who the next coach will be but I thought Jackson did a pretty solid job. Everyone knew when he came in the problem was on defense, he made the defense quite a bit better.

Interesting to see who we end up with as coach now.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Steve Kerr should go for the Golden State job. I don't know who in their right mind would want to coach Carmelo and the Knicks.

 

[elindholm]

Marc Jackson has been fired, and I think rightfully so.

This is terrible news, because it means he will probably go back into broadcasting. Words cannot express how much I hate him in that role.

 

[Russ Smith]

Steve Kerr should go for the Golden State job. I don't know who in their right mind would want to coach Carmelo and the Knicks.

He and Stan Van Gundy are alleged to be top candidates. They like Hoiberg too but don't think he will be interested.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This is terrible news, because it means he will probably go back into broadcasting. Words cannot express how much I hate him in that role.

This. A thousand times this. It's the right move for Golden State, it's the move from Hell for the rest of us.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

I think Steve Kerr should get the opportunity to learn how to coach on the job like he learned to how be a GM on the job with the Suns.

Yes, this is sarcasm on my part because I thought he did a terrible job with the Suns although I know he has his supporters on this board.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think Steve Kerr should get the opportunity to learn how to coach on the job like he learned to how be a GM on the job with the Suns.

Yes, this is sarcasm on my part because I thought he did a terrible job with the Suns although I know he has his supporters on this board.

Kerr definitely started off on the wrong foot (Porter was an awful hire and regardless of whether or not Sarver forced the KT trade on him, he still got royally fleeced there), but he eventually put enough pieces back on the team (getting Dragic, Lopez, Richardson and Dudley) to make them a contender again in 2010, where if Artest doesn't make that miracle shot, they might have gone to the Finals.

 

[Superbone]

Steve Kerr should go for the Golden State job. I don't know who in their right mind would want to coach Carmelo and the Knicks.

The job is tailor made for Mike D'Antoni.

 

[Superbone]

This. A thousand times this. It's the right move for Golden State, it's the move from Hell for the rest of us.

Steve

Mama, there goes that man again!

 

[elindholm]

The job is tailor made for Mike D'Antoni.

There is no NBA head coaching job tailor-made for D'Antoni. He's incompetent.

 

[Cheesebeef]

There is no NBA head coaching job tailor-made for D'Antoni. He's incompetent.

lol... cue new DA war rant in 3... 2... 1...

 

[Cheesebeef]

There is no NBA head coaching job tailor-made for D'Antoni. He's incompetent.

and while I don't think he's incompetent, I don't see him making that GS much better. sure they might score more, but he wouldn't play Bogut minutes, would probably drop David Lee to the 5 and play Iggy at the 4 ala Marion. They would be an absolute sieve defensively. Still probably a good and really exciting regular season squad who would win 50 games, but likely an easy first round ouster.

 

[sunsfan88]

Spurs play offense like we do...run up and down, penetrate and then kick out to shooters.

The difference is that they actually know how to rebound and play defense.

 

[sunsfan88]

Every remaining playoff team has a former Sun playing a key role for his team.

Indiana - Luis Scola
Washington - Marcin Gortat
Brooklyn - Joe Johnson
San Antonio - Boris Diaw
OKC - Caron Butler
LAC - Matt Barnes
Portland - Robin Lopez
Miami - James Jones (this one's kinda debatable about the "key role" part but yea

 

[Michael]

Every remaining playoff team has a former Sun playing a key role for his team.

Indiana - Luis Scola
Washington - Marcin Gortat
Brooklyn - Joe Johnson
San Antonio - Boris Diaw
OKC - Caron Butler
LAC - Matt Barnes
Miami - James Jones (this one's kinda debatable about the "key role" part but yea

Given the Suns' luck, I should probably put money on the Blazers.

 

[Superbone]

Every remaining playoff team has a former Sun playing a key role for his team.

Indiana - Luis Scola
Washington - Marcin Gortat
Brooklyn - Joe Johnson
San Antonio - Boris Diaw
OKC - Caron Butler
LAC - Matt Barnes
Miami - James Jones (this one's kinda debatable about the "key role" part but yea

Portland - Robin Lopez

I don't think I'd include Butler though. He never played a minute for us.

 

[sunsfan88]

Given the Suns' luck, I should probably put money on the Blazers.

Portland - Robin Lopez

I don't think I'd include Butler though. He never played a minute for us.

Ha yea my bad, I'll add Lopez.

As for Butler, yea that was a stretch but technically...

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I think Steve Kerr should get the opportunity to learn how to coach on the job like he learned to how be a GM on the job with the Suns.

Yes, this is sarcasm on my part because I thought he did a terrible job with the Suns although I know he has his supporters on this board.

The closest any Nash team got to the NBA Finals was when it was being coached by Alvin Gentry and being built by Steve Kerr. The Suns didn't fall apart after SSOL, people continue to perpetrate that falsehood for whatever reason. 2010 two years aft DA was our best shot. We swept the Spurs and were only outdone by a lucky Artest putback and freakish Kobe effort in Game 6.

Kerr wasn't all great here no doubt and I think the fact that he's a leader for all these coaching jobs is somewhat ridiculous considering his overall resume (of course I would hire him in a half a second over the proven incompetent D'antoni) but he didn't do a terrible job as GM here at all.

 

[HooverDam]

The closest any Nash team got to the NBA Finals was when it was being coached by Alvin Gentry and being built by Steve Kerr. The Suns didn't fall apart after SSOL, people continue to perpetrate that falsehood for whatever reason. 2010 two years aft DA was our best shot. We swept the Spurs and were only outdone by a lucky Artest putback and freakish Kobe effort in Game 6.

Kerr wasn't all great here no doubt and I think the fact that he's a leader for all these coaching jobs is somewhat ridiculous considering his overall resume (of course I would hire him in a half a second over the proven incompetent D'antoni) but he didn't do a terrible job as GM here at all.

He started terribly, ended up being mediocre/average.

I totally disagree with your assertion that 2010 was the Nash era's best team. I'd take the 06-07 Amare/Boris suspension team over them any day of the week. The team from '10 was probably a bit deeper, but the starters on the '07 team were much stronger. Sure the '10 team went further in the playoffs, but match ups have a lot to do with that.

 

[Mainstreet]

The closest any Nash team got to the NBA Finals was when it was being coached by Alvin Gentry and being built by Steve Kerr. The Suns didn't fall apart after SSOL, people continue to perpetrate that falsehood for whatever reason. 2010 two years aft DA was our best shot. We swept the Spurs and were only outdone by a lucky Artest putback and freakish Kobe effort in Game 6.

Kerr wasn't all great here no doubt and I think the fact that he's a leader for all these coaching jobs is somewhat ridiculous considering his overall resume (of course I would hire him in a half a second over the proven incompetent D'antoni) but he didn't do a terrible job as GM here at all.

Although it is conjecture on my part, I thought one of the primary reasons Kerr left the Suns was because Sarver refused to pay Amar'e Stoudemire the guaranteed $100M contract he wanted.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Although it is conjecture on my part, I thought one of the primary reasons Kerr left the Suns was because Sarver refused to pay Amar'e Stoudemire the guaranteed $100M contract he wanted.

I thought it was because Sarver kept laying people off and refused to give anyone raises and was basically treating people like crap. I actually remember something about Sarver asking Kerr to take a pay cut after reconstructing the team and getting them back to the WCF. that was widely reported...and it wouldn't surprise me (this is pure conjecture on my part) if Kerr also knew that Sarver planned to make incredibly dumb moves like signing Hedo/Childress and Frye to terrible contracts.

 

[Mainstreet]

I thought it was because Sarver kept laying people off and refused to give anyone raises and was basically treating people like crap. I actually remember something about Sarver asking Kerr to take a pay cut after reconstructing the team and getting them back to the WCF. that was widely reported...and it wouldn't surprise me (this is pure conjecture on my part) if Kerr also knew that Sarver planned to make incredibly dumb moves like signing Hedo/Childress and Frye to terrible contracts.

This too although I think signing Hedo, Childress and Frye were pure Sarver playing GM after Kerr's departure.