Biggest Difference between Then and Now

[jagu]

This team is more talented than the old Suns who had a crappy bench and this team has a insanely deep bench.

 

[Chaplin]

The answer to this thread's question just happened 20 minutes ago.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

no way in hell this team is more talented that the DA teams, especially the 2005/7 teams.

More talented? No. Better constructed? Yes.

 

[Dan H]

IMO?

No Bruce Bowen. Finley, or Horry. Those guys killed us - literally in the case of Bowen.

On our side, the team actually has heart. In past years when the Spurs would make a run we would fold like a paper bag. There's no quit in this iteration of the team.

 

[mojorizen7]

More talented? No. Better constructed? Yes.

Better coached AND as a result better constructed.
**** SSOL.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I said it in the other thread, but the digs at D'Antoni about the Suns success due to them now playing defense are amazing. I can see that arrogant clown somewhere in Manhattan fuming and discussing with his wife how he'll "bust" us when he signs Lebron.

and the hits just keep on coming. almost every column today about the Suns shreds DA as a coach and his inability to coach D/develop a bench.. Hell, Jared Dudley literally said "I think those Suns teams would have folded last night".

LeBron can't be stupid enough to play for a guy who believes outscoring your opponent is the only way to victory.

And to think... some people here thought DA was a genius. Ridiculous.

 

[Bufalay]

LeBron can't be stupid enough to play for a guy who believes outscoring your opponent is the only way to victory.

What other way is there?

 

[illone]

What other way is there?

Stopping the other team?

 

[TBaslim]

I think there is a lot of revisionist remembering going on here, but I am happy with the Suns evolution to date.

I won't hate on Coach D ever, as much as I am glad the team has developed in new ways since he left.

I remember how terrible the Suns looked in the Frank Johnson days, and how there was not much hope of being a contender or even an enjoyable team to watch for many years to come. The combination of Coach D and Nash changed all of that.

That first year in 04-05? They blew up the f*ing league. That team pretty much single-handedly changed the way the NBA played ball and still plays ball. Remember, that was the tail end of the era of horrid Heat/Knicks 80-75 point thugfests. Watching most NBA games sucked. Against that backdrop, Coach D's all-offense approach was like a gailforce wind blowing through arenas across the country. It was indeed a work of art.

Look at the evolution of the NBA game since then. Offense is back and played by most teams far better now then 6-7 years ago.

Yes, those Suns teams never played enough D or trusted the bench to have a chance of a title. And that does ride on Coach D's shoulders. He was a stubborn SOB on that front. That's why Kerr sent him packing.

But it does not diminish what those teams accomplished, both for the Suns and the NBA.

Oh, and sometimes chemistry makes the most difference. Remember the 05-06 Suns team when Amare was injured and they made the WCF? That was chemistry. Not offense, defense, bench, whatever. Just chemistry. They loved playing with each other and knew they were part of something special.

This team has that same vibe. I am most stoked about that.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think there is a lot of revisionist remembering going on here, but I am happy with the Suns evolution to date.

I won't hate on Coach D ever, as much as I am glad the team has developed in new ways since he left.

I remember how terrible the Suns looked in the Frank Johnson days, and how there was not much hope of being a contender or even an enjoyable team to watch for many years to come. The combination of Coach D and Nash changed all of that.

That first year in 04-05? They blew up the f*ing league. That team pretty much single-handedly changed the way the NBA played ball and still plays ball. Remember, that was the tail end of the era of horrid Heat/Knicks 80-75 point thugfests. Watching most NBA games sucked. Against that backdrop, Coach D's all-offense approach was like a gailforce wind blowing through arenas across the country. It was indeed a work of art.

Look at the evolution of the NBA game since then. Offense is back and played by most teams far better now then 6-7 years ago.

Yes, those Suns teams never played enough D or trusted the bench to have a chance of a title. And that does ride on Coach D's shoulders. He was a stubborn SOB on that front. That's why Kerr sent him packing.

But it does not diminish what those teams accomplished, both for the Suns and the NBA.

Oh, and sometimes chemistry makes the most difference. Remember the 05-06 Suns team when Amare was injured and they made the WCF? That was chemistry. Not offense, defense, bench, whatever. Just chemistry. They loved playing with each other and knew they were part of something special.

This team has that same vibe. I am most stoked about that.

+1. I liked a lot of the things Mike did. If he'd ever awakened to the fact that the NBA season is just too long to play your starters all but a few minutes he'd still be coaching here. Gentry took the best of D'antoni and added a bench and some defense and here we are.

Steve

 

[jagu]

When Gentry took over as interim manager to Terry "damn we were wrong about him" Porter, I was not happy. I did not think he would be a good coach for the Suns. This guy absolutely took the reigns of the Suns and was terrific. If he ever leaves Phoenix, he will get a job anywhere. Terrific adjustments and if the Suns lose I can't say I would blame it on him because he expects every guy he puts in to do something positive and sometimes they don't. That's just a part of basketball. When he puts in Barbosa, I don't think he is sitting there like us and thinking "god he sucks."

 

[82CardsGrad]

+1. I liked a lot of the things Mike did. If he'd ever awakened to the fact that the NBA season is just too long to play your starters all but a few minutes he'd still be coaching here. Gentry took the best of D'antoni and added a bench and some defense and here we are.

Steve

But the fact remains that DA didn't realize how long the season is and the importance of developing a bench. He never realized the importance of actually playing some semblence of defense... 7 seconds or less was immensely fun to watch and entertaining, but it never could produce post season success...

IMHO, Gentry has done a remarkable job... The way he has managed this entire team the entire season has been nothing short of masterful. He has truly risen to the occasion and as a result, the players (all of them) hold him in high esteem and give him immense respect.

At the same time, the maturity now being exemplified by Amare is truly gratifying to see. He is playing a game that I just never thought he would ever get to. He is totally in control. Always. There have been countless times this post season where Amare was in a position or situation that in years past would have produced a negative reaction from him in the form of a bad/wreckless play or doing something that would've brought a technical from a ref. His overall performance and control on the court has been a real pleasure to watch.

 

[TBaslim]

When Gentry took over as interim manager to Terry "damn we were wrong about him" Porter, I was not happy. I did not think he would be a good coach for the Suns. This guy absolutely took the reigns of the Suns and was terrific. If he ever leaves Phoenix, he will get a job anywhere. Terrific adjustments and if the Suns lose I can't say I would blame it on him because he expects every guy he puts in to do something positive and sometimes they don't. That's just a part of basketball. When he puts in Barbosa, I don't think he is sitting there like us and thinking "god he sucks."

Agreed. I also think Gentry is more humble about it all than D'antoni. I think getting all that praise and accolades from the initial success of SSOL went to his head and made him more stubborn.

Gentry has been around so long, I think he just decided to work with what he had and remain flexible.

I also appreciate him and the staff's advancement of the offensive sets the Suns run. He is far more willing to 'go with what works for the players he has', which lets the Suns play a lot of different styles. That is so important in long series against good teams. You have to change things up on them. Like letting JRich operate some in the low-post or in iso, even if it slows the game down sometimes. Coach D never quite opened up the opportunities for half-court offense with his teams.