Barkley's Rant on the Suns

[Brian in Mesa]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[BC867]

If the Chuckster had said "Sarver" rather than "Suns", I think that most of us would agree with him.

He did summarize by saying, "Suns fans deserve better." He knows what he is talking about. Despite his comical exaggerated statements.

He is sort of like the Donald Trump of the NBA. You wouldn't want him with his finger on the button, but he makes some good points.

 

[95pro]

Seemed like he was mostly taking shots at the team McD has assembled.

 

[Catlover]

Chuck is just piling on and he's having fun doing it. We've been missing between 3 and 7 players for the past month and right now we are without our 3 highest scorers. And things are probably going to get even worse. There's a good chance that Booker, a 19 year old rookie, will finish the season as our leading scorer. But this isn't really who we are and anyone with a brain knows that, which apparently leaves Chuckie out. If we'd stayed healthy we'd be a disappointing middle of the pack team but hardly the laughingstock of the league.

 

[BC867]

If we'd stayed healthy we'd be a disappointing middle of the pack team but hardly the laughingstock of the league.

I don't believe you find solace in that. Year after year after year (X2) as a disappointing middle of the pack team is hardly a positive situation for Suns fans.

Robert Sarver -- the man without a plan. OK, I'll add to that, the man without a competitive plan.

Just because he owns our favorite team doesn't make him good in his capacity.

 

[Catlover]

I don't believe you find solace in that. Year after year after year (X2) as a disappointing middle of the pack team is hardly a positive situation for Suns fans.

Robert Sarver -- the man without a plan. OK, I'll add to that, the man without a competitive plan.

Just because he owns our favorite team doesn't make him good in his capacity.

Of course not but I don't like bullies and that's Barkley to a tee. Our guards might not have been quite as good as we'd hoped they'd be but our front-court was un-expectedly horrible.

Tucker was never great but he took a step backwards last year and I don't think anyone expected him to take an even bigger step back this season but he did. Some thought Markieff would mail it in but I doubt even the biggest skeptics expected him to play like one of the worst players in the league (not worst starters, worst players, all the way down to the 15th man on the roster). And no one expected Chandler to drop off this much at both ends of the court. So yes, we were a disappointing team. But healthy we were in the class of the Washington's not the Lakers. And do you hear Charles trying to make a mockery of the Wizards? How bad would they be if they were missing Wall, Gortat and 3 or 4 other rotation players?

 

[TJ]

Love it. Well done, Chuck!

This season is in need of some comic relief.

 

[TRW]

"Oh, there's plenty of parking." Classic.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Its just the joking you do about a team that is down. Tanking is humiliating. And it should be or teams would be content to do it more. But it must be done.

 

[Catlover]

Its just the joking you do about a team that is down. Tanking is humiliating. And it should be or teams would be content to do it more. But it must be done.

We are missing our best players. We aren't choosing to tank, it's not like we're resting Elliott and Robinson. We are just a very bad team when forced to play without our best players. A lot of teams would look like they were tanking if they were missing their 3 leading scorers.

 

[Mainstreet]

I never take Barkley word for word serious. However, he sends a message which put in perspective, has a ring of truth to it.

 

[JCSunsfan]

We are missing our best players. We aren't choosing to tank, it's not like we're resting Elliott and Robinson. We are just a very bad team when forced to play without our best players. A lot of teams would look like they were tanking if they were missing their 3 leading scorers.

Do you think we are actually TRYING to win right now? The moment Eric was injured, we threw in the towel on this season. And it was the right thing to do.

 

[Catlover]

Do you think we are actually TRYING to win right now? The moment Eric was injured, we threw in the towel on this season. And it was the right thing to do.

I think we've now thrown in the towel but it didn't happen 20 games ago, it was much more recent. And we didn't have a choice. There is nothing about the situation with our injured players that suggests they aren't truly injured. Maybe we'd rest Knight and another player or two each game if everyone were healthy but I don't think Brandon goes in search of a second medical opinion if the injury isn't real.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think we've now thrown in the towel but it didn't happen 20 games ago, it was much more recent. And we didn't have a choice. There is nothing about the situation with our injured players that suggests they aren't truly injured. Maybe we'd rest Knight and another player or two each game if everyone were healthy but I don't think Brandon goes in search of a second medical opinion if the injury isn't real.

I don't know. I think he just wanted a sweet LA weekend.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Of course not but I don't like bullies and that's Barkley to a tee. Our guards might not have been quite as good as we'd hoped they'd be but our front-court was un-expectedly horrible.

Tucker was never great but he took a step backwards last year and I don't think anyone expected him to take an even bigger step back this season but he did. Some thought Markieff would mail it in but I doubt even the biggest skeptics expected him to play like one of the worst players in the league (not worst starters, worst players, all the way down to the 15th man on the roster). And no one expected Chandler to drop off this much at both ends of the court. So yes, we were a disappointing team. But healthy we were in the class of the Washington's not the Lakers. And do you hear Charles trying to make a mockery of the Wizards? How bad would they be if they were missing Wall, Gortat and 3 or 4 other rotation players?

I don't know why anyone would have expected Morris to even bring a modicum of professionalism this year. I fully expected him to be atrocious and not give two cents about anything.

 

[Catlover]

I don't know why anyone would have expected Morris to even bring a modicum of professionalism this year. I fully expected him to be atrocious and not give two cents about anything.

I expected him to want out more than anything and to eventually become aware of his role in that process. Had he played well to start the season I doubt he would have still been in Phoenix when Christmas rolled around. And I actually believe he did try to play his best early on but he held back the emotional part of his game that is fuel for athletes. He tried to play hard but without passion and that sabotaged his efforts and our season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Of course not but I don't like bullies and that's Barkley to a tee. Our guards might not have been quite as good as we'd hoped they'd be but our front-court was un-expectedly horrible.

Tucker was never great but he took a step backwards last year and I don't think anyone expected him to take an even bigger step back this season but he did. Some thought Markieff would mail it in but I doubt even the biggest skeptics expected him to play like one of the worst players in the league (not worst starters, worst players, all the way down to the 15th man on the roster). And no one expected Chandler to drop off this much at both ends of the court. So yes, we were a disappointing team. But healthy we were in the class of the Washington's not the Lakers. And do you hear Charles trying to make a mockery of the Wizards? How bad would they be if they were missing Wall, Gortat and 3 or 4 other rotation players?

Our front court is bad because our back court is selfish. Bledsoe was the best facilitator we had. Knight was atrocious. Archie has been better just because he is really trying to be.

 

[Errntknght]

Watson needs to give Cory Jefferson a good long look this next game... assuming he's still on the team. Oh, crap, he's gone. We could play McCrae and Orlando Johnson, giving Booker a much needed rest... he was hobbling a bit the last game. We still might beat Utah because I know the guys would love to give EW a win.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't why people are taking it so seriously, I honestly found it pretty funny. I don't think he's intending to be serious, he's just having some fun.

And he even said it at least 3-4 times during yesterday's segment that the Suns have the best fans in the NBA which is obviously not close to being true and yet he's still saying it.

 

[Catlover]

I don't why people are taking it so seriously, I honestly found it pretty funny. I don't think he's intending to be serious, he's just having some fun.

And he even said it at least 3-4 times during yesterday's segment that the Suns have the best fans in the NBA which is obviously not close to being true and yet he's still saying it.

It's one of those things you say to make it sound like you're being fair when you're really being a jerk. And you're right, it's not true and Barkley has gone after the fans before so he doesn't believe it either. Suns fans are no different than most in the west, they are great when you give them a reason to be great. And they disappear when the product on the court disappoints.

 

[sunsfan88]

It's one of those things you say to make it sound like you're being fair when you're really being a jerk. And you're right, it's not true and Barkley has gone after the fans before so he doesn't believe it either. Suns fans are no different than most in the west, they are great when you give them a reason to be great. And they disappear when the product on the court disappoints.

That's not really true if your speaking about just basketball teams. The Kings have a pretty rabid fanbase at every home game of theirs for years despite the team being absolutely crap for such a long long time. The Warriors also had an extremely strong fanbase even before they became good. The Lakers are awful and yet for being a team that bad, there's still pretty good fan support at their games despite there being much better things to do in LA than going to a Lakers game these days. Football, you may have a point. And I don't know enough about the baseball fan support.

 

[Catlover]

That's not really true if your speaking about just basketball teams. The Kings have a pretty rabid fanbase at every home game of theirs for years despite the team being absolutely crap for such a long long time. The Warriors also had an extremely strong fanbase even before they became good. The Lakers are awful and yet for being a team that bad, there's still pretty good fan support at their games despite there being much better things to do in LA than going to a Lakers game these days. Football, you may have a point. And I don't know enough about the baseball fan support.

Don't fall for the off the cuff stuff from announcers, do a little research and you'll see it is true. Some do a little better in bad times but most teams attendance numbers rise and fall with success and teams in the West really drop when things go bad. The Warriors have been top 10 for awhile but go back to 01 through 07 and you'll see they were often around 20th. Sacramento has been at the bottom of the league several times in the last 20 years and going backwards from this season their attendance rankings have been 19, 25, 22, 30, 27, 29, 29, 30 and then 27th in 2008.

 

[Hoop Head]

The biggest knock on Suns management is that they didn't send away both Morris' brothers after they openly bashed the fans last year. Their comments may not have affected season ticket holders that much but those people are almost always there. That turned the casual fans against the team and it was around the time they also traded Goran for future assets, leaving the team without anyone to be the "Face of the Franchise". Bledsoe is good, probably better than Dragic but Goran was the guy who was front and center as who the team pushed as their franchise guy. They haven't done the same with Bledsoe and with his reserved personality he probably doesn't want that sort of coverage.

 

[AZCrazy]

I don't understand the vitriol and derision being sent the Suns' way by Barkley, the media, the fans, and everyone else.

This is what tanking and rebuilding looks like. The problem isn't that we're losing, it's just that it's five years overdue.

 

[clif]

Some of you are so sensitive. This was perfect by Barkely. They stink and deserve every bit of this.