23's signature Suns game.

[WildBB]

This was a very big W, against a very solid and on a roll team at their place.

JRich's all around game was as solid as I've seen, since he's been here. Played D, tied the game with huge FT's, broke down the D and made the game winner.

This game was a long time in coming. Congrats 23 - PHX SUNS! Huge W on the road w/o your floor general!

 

[AfroSuns]

Kudos to Jrich, he also stepped up last game when Nash was in pain. Hope he continues.

 

[82CardsGrad]

 

[devilalum]

This guy is a real enigma. Its great to see him playing at such a high level. Hopefully he's conquered his demons and we can look forward to more of this.

 

[Covert Rain]

Overall except for that one slump...JRich has been very good this year. This is what the Suns were hoping they would get out of him. If he keeps playing like this, he is worth every penny IMO.

 

[jagu]

JRich is better when you want him to make plays. Letting him stand a the 3 point line and chuck is just not his game. The guy is one of the better guards in the game if you go to him.

 

[Sunburn]

Still sloppy with entry post passing and swinging the ball on the wing

 

[WildBB]

JRich is better when you want him to make plays. Letting him stand a the 3 point line and chuck is just not his game. The guy is one of the better guards in the game if you go to him.

You need to keep him active. Playing him with the 2nd unit team helps too, but he needs to be breaking the D down ALONG with Nash more. He should be shooting 10 FT's a game, getting the other guys in foul trouble.

 

[Black Jesus]

He needs to cut to the basket more ALA Marion. He is a much better finisher than Marion, but he resorts to his jump shot too much. NASH WILL FIND THE CUTTER!

 

[jagu]

J-Rich's threes always hit nothing but net, its a pretty J.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The Suns have never had huge strength at the 2. We have had some very good players, but they were always flawed. JRich might be the most talented, complete 2 we have ever had.

Let's see Majerle, Hornacek, Westphal. I think JRich is a more complete 2 than any of them. Horny and Westy were great shooters, but both had sizable defensive limitations. Majerle had both offense and defense, but for a some strange reason quit driving to the hole after his 3rd year or so.

I'm not all that excited about JRich. But he is a very good player with a contract that is burdensome.

 

[elindholm]

The Suns have never had huge strength at the 2. We have had some very good players, but they were always flawed. JRich might be the most talented, complete 2 we have ever had.

Let's see Majerle, Hornacek, Westphal. I think JRich is a more complete 2 than any of them.

Dennis Johnson?

 

[SactownSunsFan]

The Suns have never had huge strength at the 2. We have had some very good players, but they were always flawed. JRich might be the most talented, complete 2 we have ever had.

Let's see Majerle, Hornacek, Westphal. I think JRich is a more complete 2 than any of them. Horny and Westy were great shooters, but both had sizable defensive limitations. Majerle had both offense and defense, but for a some strange reason quit driving to the hole after his 3rd year or so.

I'm not all that excited about JRich. But he is a very good player with a contract that is burdensome.

Walter Davis?

 

[dodie53]

joe johnson?

 

[SactownSunsFan]

Bob Barker?

Okay, I made that last one up!

 

[WildBB]

Walter Davis?

Their best #2 w/o question!

I though DJ ran the point?

 

[Mainstreet]

Their best #2 w/o question!

I though DJ ran the point?

DJ was a great creator and play maker. He could play both guard positions not to mention play great defense. In short, DJ had the whole package and was a winner.

http://www.nba.com/history/players/djohnson_bio.html

 

[BC867]

DJ was a great creator and play maker. He could play both guard positions not to mention play great defense. In short, DJ had the whole package and was a winner.

You hit it right on the nose.

Actually the Suns had an all-NBA-defensive Guard at the Point Guard position for six straight years -- Don Buse for three (alongside Westphal), then DJ for three. Neither was a true Point Guard.

Walter Davis played most of his career at the '3', but moved to Shooting Guard for a short time when Larry Nance, the first of the 6'10" Small Forwards, arrived on the scene.

It was the only time in the Suns history that they moved a player out of position . . . from a heavier to a lighter position, dominating rather than being dominated.

What a team it was with DJ and Sweet D in the backcourt and Mo Lucas and Larry Nance at the Forward positions. I loved that team!

Then Coach John MacLeod broke it up because he was intimidated by free-thinking players like Maurice Lucas and Dennis Johnson -- y'know, the kind who win Championships. I was devastated.

 

[Errntknght]

Dennis Johnson?

DJ was a point guard not a shooting guard... not that he wouldn't do well at that position.

[Edit]Ooops... I chimed in before reading the whole thread.

 

[elindholm]

DJ was a point guard not a shooting guard... not that he wouldn't do well at that position.

I'll admit that I went by the Wikipedia article, which I figured was written by someone more on top of the issue than most of this board. It claims that he played SG during his tenures with the Sonics and Suns, then PG with with Celtics. But looking at old Suns statistics, it appears that he was more of a hybrid; the team lacked a true PG and the offense was run through Adams as often as not.

Dennis Johnson never led the Suns in assists, which I generally consider to be one of the necessary characteristics of a true point guard.

By the way, this may be hard to believe for many long-time fans (including me!), but the 1980-81 Suns -- the infamous 57-25 team that bowed out ingloriously to Cotton Fitzsimmons's Kansas City Kings in the first round by losing Game 7 at home -- actually led the league in defensive points per possession (http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/1981.html). Offensively, they were below average. The next two years' teams (after Truck Robinson was replaced by Maurice Lucas) also made defense their calling card, and they slowed the pace down.

So the Suns, as it turns out, haven't always been run-and-gun. They've found ways to fall short as a defensive team as well. Something to chew on, perhaps.

 

[BC867]

By the way, this may be hard to believe for many long-time fans (including me!), but the 1980-81 Suns -- the infamous 57-25 team that bowed out ingloriously to Cotton Fitzsimmons's Kansas City Kings in the first round by losing Game 7 at home --

So the Suns, as it turns out, haven't always been run-and-gun. They've found ways to fall short as a defensive team as well. Something to chew on, perhaps.

That's why I believe that Cotton was the best tactical Coach the Suns ever had.

Not only did his Kings upset the Suns, but they did it with their starting backcourt -- Phil Ford and Otis Birdsong -- out injured.

Cotton started two Centers and three Forwards. Because he knew that, especially in the playoffs, power beats finesse. And it did.

He reacted to adversity with strength rather than weakness.