Are The Suns Better Prepared for the Spurs?

[elindholm]

If he can fake right and go left and score with his left hand, he will force everyone including the Spurs to double him or else he'll score 60 a night.

Never mind the fake. If he can develop a first step to his left that's as good as what he already has to his right, he'll be completely unguardable one-on-one.

 

[PakistaniRambo]

Thomas and Grant might help on rebounds but I'm not sure, the Suns are going to be a much better defensive Team... remember Bell might be a defender but so was JJ (the Team's best).

I havent had time to read any replies so i apolgize if this was addressed already.

JJ was a little overrated defensively, mainly b/c we as a team were so hideous at it..we all saw what parker/ginobli did to JJ.

Marion without a doubt was our best defender last year

 

[Errntknght]

Elindholm, "You really don't like Suns coaches do you?"

It's nothing personal, I just don't agree with a considerable part of their coaching.


"I'm not really sure what the Suns will look like this season because I'm not sure how much of last season's style was due to plan and how much was due to necessity."

One clue was that they changed Q's game from primarily post up to bombing from long range - and it was apparent from game 1 so it wasn't a change wrought after discovering it was necessary. A large number of quotes by D'Antoni during the year indicated he planned the style and the quote in my post about needing to replace 1000 3pters is certainly a clue about what he plans for this year.


"The use of three point shooting last season was in two parts. The first part was the use of open three point shots off the break in a very European style. NBA teams are trained to defend the break inside - out which is a key reason why the USA team had so much trouble with the Europeans in the Olympics. I would doubt this will change that much as long as it works."

This is what concerns me. The Spurs get back on defense much better than most teams and pick up three point shooters so it's not that relevant to them. The bad part is that it's likely to work during the regular season against everyone else which will incline the coaches to believe it's a good plan and they will not develope the varied offense we need to beat the Spurs. I complained about this all last season, so you can see that I'm consistent.


"The use of the three point shot from kick outs in the half court offense was as much about keeping teams from packing the paint to stop Amare. The Spurs were really the only team to try to press the three point shooters and even then the Suns shot 41.3% for three led by Jim Jackson who shot 11 of 19."

I can't quote the stats but my recollection is that the Suns scored many fewer points than normal from three point shooting. However, our strategy worked - due to the threat of our 3pt shooters the Spurs didn't pack the paint and Amare scored a bundle - but somehow we lost rather handily anyway. So to my way of thinking that's an indication another strategy is called for and I like one that calls for an injection of some set plays into the offense.


"As for D'Antoni's reluctance to foul guys attacking the basket, this season will tell. Last season the Suns did not have the depth. This year we'll see if he sticks with the "no fouls" strategy"

D'Antoni said that he didn't like to slow the game down with opps shooting fouls, believe it or not. The depth of the bench was a decision by D'Antoni. Hunter certainly could have played more and Voskuhl & Outlaw could have contributed minor minutes when Amare and Hunter both got in foul trouble.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Those quotes were actually from George, not Eric

 

[elindholm]

Those quotes were actually from George, not Eric

Our writing styles are very similar, though, so I can understand the confusion.

 

[George O'Brien]

Those quotes were actually from George, not Eric

Our writing styles are very similar, though, so I can understand the confusion.

How can I get credit for being attacked if Eric gets all the glory. :notworthy

 

[PhxGametime]

Nov 27

Manu - 15 PTS in 22 min

Jan 15

L James - 27 PTS

Feb 15

Bryant - 40 PTS

Mar 6

Manu - 31 PTS

Mar 15

James - 36 PTS




Before everybody thinks I hate Raja Bell or something, I checked these 3 players and all scored well going up against Bell - every other game, Bell was injured, actually 1 game Bryant was injured... I do like some of what Bell has to offer but I just don't like what EVERYBODY is saying, is that how much better defensively the Team is better without JJ... maybe they put up similar numbers against JJ but isn't that a Trade off not an upgrade?


All shot well too, Manu missed 1 shot 1 game, James missed a few, etc. JJ was 1 of my favorite players, I could less what happens to em from here on out but nobody is giving him much respect and I think the Team is banking on Rebounding being the difference, so maybe the 3.6 Exception should be used wisely... because I see the Team at best, being at the same Level but who knows what other Team's step up...

 

[PhxGametime]

He did play well against McGrady, which is much better because McGrady's team will be right there with the Suns... he scored well, and held McGrady to low FG PCT and not as many PTS...


Nov 19

Wade - 39 PTS

Nov 26

McGrady - 17 PTS

Dec 6

Wade - 23 PTS

Jan 2

McGrady - 25 PTS

Feb 27

McGrady - 23 PTS


McGrady's FG PCT was horrible and Bell kept up scoring wise - although you guys probably don't want to see his scoring averages against the other stars. I know a lot of these guys scored well against JJ but he too could score with the other stars... I am 1 person, that will miss JJ but maybe Bell's averages go up with Nash.

 

[elindholm]

It isn't realistic to hope that Bell will be seen as an adequate replacement for Johnson. After all, there is a reason that Johnson got a contract with an average salary more than twice as much as Bell's.

George (I think) has suggested that it might be more constructive to think of Bell as a replacement for Richardson. It might be worth pointing out that Richardson averaged barely two made two-point field goals per game last season! Everything else came from three-point range -- which, as has been discussed to death, was a mixed blessing -- or the free-throw line, which he got to rarely and where he shot fairly poorly. I agree that Richardson brought a variety of intangibles that will be missed, but his offensive output won't be too difficult to cover for.

Johnson will be missed; there is no denying that. He isn't a superstar, but he's plenty good enough to make a good team better. Rather than focus on what Johnson's loss means, we might as well look at what different kinds of contributions can be made by the new players.

 

[George O'Brien]

Nov 19

Wade - 39 PTS

Nov 26

McGrady - 17 PTS

Dec 6

Wade - 23 PTS

Jan 2

McGrady - 25 PTS

Feb 27

McGrady - 23 PTS


McGrady's FG PCT was horrible and Bell kept up scoring wise - although you guys probably don't want to see his scoring averages against the other stars. I know a lot of these guys scored well against JJ but he too could score with the other stars... I am 1 person, that will miss JJ but maybe Bell's averages go up with Nash.

I'm not quite sure what this was supposed to prove. The killer game was Wade's 39 points on Nov 19, but Bell did not start (GIRICEK played for 23 minutes) and Arroyo played 41. Since Eddie Jones was the Heat SG and is a lot taller than Wade, it seems unlikely that Bell was on Wade the entire 33 minutes he was in the game.

The second game on Dec 6th against Wade where Wade got 23 was a blowout where the Heat won by 20 and Bell played only 25 minutes. Since everyone on the Heat shot quite well, it is reasonable to assume that Bell didn't make much difference defensively.

McGrady
Nov 26 T-Mac shot 7 of 17 and the Jazz held the Rockets to 36.7% shooting.

Jan 2 T-Mac shot 6 of 18, but Bell played only 18 minutes (foul trouble) as the Rockets blew the Jazz out.

Feb 22 The Jazz won and Bell had a very good game offensively, 9-15 shooting and 3 of 3 for three. T-Mac went 9 of 17 but only 1 of 6 for three.

Great? Hardly. But I suspect you could get similar or worse against these guys with almost everyone who might play them.