76ers @ Suns 12-23-16

[Mainstreet]

The 76ers play at the Suns tonight with a 7 p.m. Arizona start time. They have beaten the Suns in their last three meetings including earlier this season.

Here is a preview from CBS Sports.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/preview/NBA_20161223_PHI@PHO

 

[Mainstreet]

The 76ers are up 53-40 with 4:58 left in the 2nd quarter.

Chandler goes to the floor but returns to the game.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns do not know the meaning of defense even though Watson likes to talk about it. They are down 66-53 at halftime.

The 76ers look like they own them.

 

[Mainstreet]

Chambers is saying the Suns are going through the motions. He doesn't see the effort. I don't either.

 

[Mainstreet]

After a barrage of 3's the Suns are down by only 1 in the 3rd quarter. I guess if you can't defend, try to outscore them.

This is the 76ers though who are not a good offensive team.

 

[JustWinBaby]

Chambers is saying the Suns are going through the motions. He doesn't see the effort. I don't either.

Yep

However imagine how many points the 76ers would have if Watson didn't play our defensive stopper aka defensive player of the year 16 minutes. We held them to only 66 thanks to his great play. The 66ers certainly would have scored 80 or more with Bender on the floor for 10 or so minutes.

Watson appears to have lost this team, he has lost me and I think many other fans. He really appears to be clueless.

It is a shame, I really think this team has some talent.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yep

However imagine how many points the 76ers would have if Watson didn't play our defensive stopper aka defensive player of the year 16 minutes. We held them to only 66 thanks to his great play. The 66ers certainly would have scored 80 or more with Bender on the floor for 10 or so minutes.

Watson appears to have lost this team, he has lost me and I think many other fans. He really appears to be clueless.

It is a shame, I really think this team has some talent.

I wish the Suns had an identity but I don't see one being developed. They need to commit to something.

 

[Hoop Head]

I find it humorous how people bash Watson when the team is losing but get silenced when the team is winning. I'm sure it's a matter of time before he's bashed for winning games though instead of accumulating more pingpong balls.

 

[Mainstreet]

Bledsoe, Booker and Warren among others help carry the Suns to a win over the 76ers 123-116.

I am very impressed with Embiid of the 76ers. He has all the tools if he stays healthy.

 

[Mainstreet]

I find it humorous how people bash Watson when the team is losing but get silenced when the team is winning. I'm sure it's a matter of time before he's bashed for winning games though instead of accumulating more pingpong balls.

It would have been nice to hear your input during the game.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

I find it humorous how people bash Watson when the team is losing but get silenced when the team is winning. I'm sure it's a matter of time before he's bashed for winning games though instead of accumulating more pingpong balls.

Congrats to Watson and the Suns. King of the bottom feeders tonight.

 

[GatorAZ]

An L here would've gone a long ways. I still think the Suns win some meaningless games late games and finish with a better record than teams like Philly, Dallas and Brooklyn.

 

[Bert]

Bledsoe, Booker and Warren among others help carry the Suns to a win over the 76ers 123-116.

I am very impressed with Embiid of the 76ers. He has all the tools if he stays healthy.

Dangit! I miss the game they win ofcourse lol. Sounds like they played a really strong second half tho!

#GoSuns

 

[Hoop Head]

It would have been nice to hear your input during the game.

I didn't get home until the 4th quarter. Regardless of missing the majority of the game tonight it seems game day threads just turn into Watson bashing. At first it made sense as far as he's not playing Ulis, Bender, or Chriss enough but then it changed to include Alan Williams after he moved Chriss into the starting 5 and Williams isn't a piece of our future, I don't think he's more than a 12th man really. If he was given more minutes people would complain that Chandler isn't being showcased enough for a trade or that he's eating into Len's minutes when we need to decide what to do with him this offseason. There is always something to complain about with the Suns and it seems like Watson is that piece this year. Sure, he could play the rookies more but if he's trying to win games and if we'd have lost to the 76ers, no matter how many minutes guys got, people would use that to discredit him in the future. A lot of people here were mad that the Suns lost to the 76er's earlier this season, Watson was blamed for that loss but doesn't get credit when the Suns beat them? That doesn't make sense. I know rebuilding sucks but it seems a lot of fans here can't handle the losses that come with that.

People want the veterans showcased to be traded and then are mad when they get showcasing minutes. Trades don't happen over night. We don't know what the team plans on doing with this roster and it's veterans before the deadline. If we lose to the 76ers then Watson should be fired but if we win then he did it playing the wrong guys. He's in a no win situation in a lot of fans eyes here, some have already deemed him a failure as a coach and want the team to move on or go in a different direction. We're just 1/3 of the way into this season. I think it'd be the wrong thing to just hand the rookies minutes because they're rookies. They need to be ready for those minutes and also earn them, if they can't beat out our veterans for time then they should stay on the bench or go to the D-League. Giving them minutes rather than making them earn them isn't the best way to develop young players. I'm not sure what some fans here want, honestly, because losing this year isn't a bad thing for our future as a team. We're competitive each night, regardless of our record, which is a good thing IMO because you don't want to create a complete losing culture.

 

[Hoop Head]

Watson appears to have lost this team, he has lost me and I think many other fans. He really appears to be clueless.

How has he lost the team when they play competitively every night? I don't see players dogging it out on the court like they did with Hornacek as our coach.

 

[Carolinacacti]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/booker-bledsoe-lead-suns-past-76ers-123-116-044932542--nba.html

Sounds like Watson has control

 

[Mainstreet]

I didn't get home until the 4th quarter. Regardless of missing the majority of the game tonight it seems game day threads just turn into Watson bashing. At first it made sense as far as he's not playing Ulis, Bender, or Chriss enough but then it changed to include Alan Williams after he moved Chriss into the starting 5 and Williams isn't a piece of our future, I don't think he's more than a 12th man really. If he was given more minutes people would complain that Chandler isn't being showcased enough for a trade or that he's eating into Len's minutes when we need to decide what to do with him this offseason. There is always something to complain about with the Suns and it seems like Watson is that piece this year. Sure, he could play the rookies more but if he's trying to win games and if we'd have lost to the 76ers, no matter how many minutes guys got, people would use that to discredit him in the future. A lot of people here were mad that the Suns lost to the 76er's earlier this season, Watson was blamed for that loss but doesn't get credit when the Suns beat them? That doesn't make sense. I know rebuilding sucks but it seems a lot of fans here can't handle the losses that come with that.

People want the veterans showcased to be traded and then are mad when they get showcasing minutes. Trades don't happen over night. We don't know what the team plans on doing with this roster and it's veterans before the deadline. If we lose to the 76ers then Watson should be fired but if we win then he did it playing the wrong guys. He's in a no win situation in a lot of fans eyes here, some have already deemed him a failure as a coach and want the team to move on or go in a different direction. We're just 1/3 of the way into this season. I think it'd be the wrong thing to just hand the rookies minutes because they're rookies. They need to be ready for those minutes and also earn them, if they can't beat out our veterans for time then they should stay on the bench or go to the D-League. Giving them minutes rather than making them earn them isn't the best way to develop young players. I'm not sure what some fans here want, honestly, because losing this year isn't a bad thing for our future as a team. We're competitive each night, regardless of our record, which is a good thing IMO because you don't want to create a complete losing culture.

I appreciate your feedback. Game threads tend to ebb and flow with how the Suns are playing and comments often reflect this. I try to be as fair as possible when commenting about the game. If I didn't say the Suns played without much effort in the first half I wouldn't be very honest. The defensive effort was not there.

However, the truth is, game threads need a lot more posters to balance out the comments. I keep hoping more fans will join game threads either during or after the game. My wish is game threads will eventually garner more posters. However, it can be tough sell when the Suns are losing. We need fans like you to keep posting.

 

[Mainstreet]

Dangit! I miss the game they win ofcourse lol. Sounds like they played a really strong second half tho!

#GoSuns

You were with the Suns in thought!

The Suns finally kicked it in gear in the 2nd half.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.