Cleveland @ Phoenix - Game Thread Thursday 1/11/2007 - 8:30 pm

[az1965]

LeBron James == Kobe Bryant

he keeps playing one on one basket ball never involving his teammates even though their rares were being handed to them.

 

[Skumbag]

LOL everyone just laughs while he plays. He doesn't jeapordize the game (because he isn't in but in the last 3 minutes), does goofy skits to entertain the fans, works his butt off in practice, and is well liked on the team. I don't understand why some people don't like him.

Exactly... I hate hearing people talk about replacing him with some other tool. Its not like the Suns honestly need a 14th man (if we did, we'd have more problems than 'whos our 14th man?'). He brings fun to the team for those 3 minutes he actually gets to play and that is what the Suns are all about. The team likes him, he has good work ethic & puts a smile on the fans' faces. What more can you ask of the goofy white guy at the end of the bench?

F*** the haters.

 

[The Commish]

LeBron James == Kobe Bryant

he keeps playing one on one basket ball never involving his teammates even though their rares were being handed to them.

Completely untrue. Through the first 3 quarters he was passing more than he should have. His team couldn't hit water until he fell out of a boat. In the 4th he started jacking up more shots and making them. The Cavs simply have no talent.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I always reply to these things late.

Anyway,

The first half of basketball was about as flawless as I have ever seen.

The second half was sloppy basketball, but I am glad that we never let our 26 point lead to fall below 15.

 

[sunsfn]

The suns played a great game!

James may have been playing team basketball in the first couple quarters, but he sure did not in the 4th. He should have been out of the game. Did anyone see that road schedule for them, this is the 2nd game and a bunch more to go. James stayed in the game to jack up his stats, no other reason plain and simple!! He hogged the ball at a time when the subs usually get to play, it must have been upsetting to a few of them on the bench.

 

[slinslin]

If he was the exact same guy...yes.

The black guy next to me was shouting "We want Burke" with me. We were laughing our asses off when he is out there jacking up threes. It is just silly fun. He is fat lady singing at the end of the game.

Well part of Burkes charisma is that he is that clumsy goofy bald big white guy who lives in Phoenix, is from Ireland and doesn't have a tan at all, he is as white as you can get, an albino, Mister Clean.

 

[myrondizzo]

fans loved bo outlaw and used to cheer for him to shoot it too. and he was not white.

 

[DeAnna]

I geniunely felt sorry for the Cavs coach. He kept telling his team "keep Nash off the 3-pt line and make him finish at the basket."

That strategy may have worked, but I guess he didn't account for the other 4 players!

 

[Chaplin]

Well part of Burkes charisma is that he is that clumsy goofy bald big white guy who lives in Phoenix, is from Ireland and doesn't have a tan at all, he is as white as you can get, an albino, Mister Clean.

And your point is...?

Why is racism ALWAYS brought up in these discussions?

 

[Chris_Sanders]

And your point is...?

Why is racism ALWAYS brought up in these discussions?

Because people want something to complain about even when things are going good.

 

[Sunshooter]

21 assists

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/news/nash_21assists_070111.asx

 

[Esther]

I geniunely felt sorry for the Cavs coach. He kept telling his team "keep Nash off the 3-pt line and make him finish at the basket."

That strategy may have worked, but I guess he didn't account for the other 4 players!

And I was thinking, "Seriously, you want Nash to finish at the basket? He always DOES finish at the basket."

Anyone else read what LeBron James said about Nash: "You always hear he's undersized, he's not fast, he can't shoot, he can't dribble." Can't shoot, can't dribble. That's very curious.

 

[elindholm]

It's not racist to say that being white is a big part of Burke's appeal. Please. Fans like him because, aside from being tall, he's the exact opposite of what most NBA players are. He's not fast, coordinated, skilled, lean ... or black. Fans don't have anything against players who are fast, coordinated, skilled, lean, or black, but the fact that Burke is none of those is what makes him such a novelty.

 

[elindholm]

Anyone else read what LeBron James said about Nash: "You always hear he's undersized, he's not fast, he can't shoot, he can't dribble."

Sounds like James is listening to the wrong people. I thought everyone knew that Nash is an excellent shooter, and most commentators praise his dribbling.

 

[msdundee]

fans loved bo outlaw and used to cheer for him to shoot it too. and he was not white.

Fans loved Bo for very similar reasons. He didn't get much playing time but he was perpetually good-natured and grinning, well-liked by the players, and definitely the head cheerleader. Sometimes watching Bo on the bench was as much fun as watching the game.

Along with that, he'd played with Phx for a couple of years earlier. He never was the most coordinated or skilled player but he played hard. And when he came back he was still pretty fast, very lean, and definitely still black.

 

[elindholm]

Outlaw was 100 times the player Burke is or will ever be. He wore funny goggles and was a lousy shooter, but he was plenty skilled and coordinated. He had solid post moves (though he didn't use them often) and was quite an adept finisher around the basket. His athleticism was above average by NBA standards and he was a perfectly capable defender and rebounder.

Comparing Burke to Outlaw is ridiculous.

 

[mribnik]

After last nights win, the Suns are now ahead of Dallas and San Antonio in terms of field goal % against, and 10th in the league.

 

[SO91]

It is great to be a Suns fan! We're bitching about Burke and the last 2 minutes of a 30 pt blowout in not one, but TWO threads

 

[msdundee]

Outlaw was 100 times the player Burke is or will ever be. He wore funny goggles and was a lousy shooter, but he was plenty skilled and coordinated. He had solid post moves (though he didn't use them often) and was quite an adept finisher around the basket. His athleticism was above average by NBA standards and he was a perfectly capable defender and rebounder.

Comparing Burke to Outlaw is ridiculous.

It's not ridiculous at all. We're talking about the year he was a Burke-type fan favorite. By that time Bo didn't play in half the games, averaged only 5 minutes when he did play, averaged 1.4 rebounds per game and 0.3 blocks. He was a great guy and a lousy shooter -- that's one reason the fans always called for him to shoot.

Do you have some kind of personal war with me or do you just like to talk down to people?

 

[Mainstreet]

It's not ridiculous at all. We're talking about the year he was a Burke-type fan favorite. By that time Bo didn't play in half the games, averaged only 5 minutes when he did play, averaged 1.4 rebounds per game and 0.3 blocks. He was a great guy and a lousy shooter -- that's one reason the fans always called for him to shoot.

Do you have some kind of personal war with me or do you just like to talk down to people?

It can be fun when the fans scrimmage... probably better than last night's ballgame.

Trying to be an unbiased observer, Bo Outlaw at least used to have some serious NBA game, while I'm not sure Burke ever did. Bo's last year in Phoenix was sad as he was only a shadow of his former self. I think the Suns' fans used to like to see Bo play the last time he was here for the player he used to be and how he always gave his all. IMHO, Burke is just a sideshow. I wouldn't mind so much if he tried to play within the team framework. On a positive note, I'm sure Burke must be a great practice player.

Sadly, Burke does have some athletic ability but he apparently has chosen not to make good use of it or take the game seriously.

 

[tobiazz]

James may have been playing team basketball in the first couple quarters, but he sure did not in the 4th. He should have been out of the game. Did anyone see that road schedule for them, this is the 2nd game and a bunch more to go. James stayed in the game to jack up his stats, no other reason plain and simple!! He hogged the ball at a time when the subs usually get to play, it must have been upsetting to a few of them on the bench.

I recall the announcers saying that he stays in because the team should always play like they have a chance to win and this mentality must start with the team's leader. Or something like that.

 

[gusmahler]

Nash deserves a championship, shortly after earning his 3rd straight MVP award.

If they keep playing like they did in the first half, that's exactly what he will get.

 

[msdundee]

It can be fun when the fans scrimmage... probably better than last night's ballgame.

Trying to be an unbiased observer, Bo Outlaw at least used to have some serious NBA game, while I'm not sure Burke ever did. Bo's last year in Phoenix was sad as he was only a shadow of his former self. I think the Suns' fans used to like to see Bo play the last time he was here for the player he used to be and how he always gave his all. IMHO, Burke is just a sideshow. I wouldn't mind so much if he tried to play within the team framework. On a positive note, I'm sure Burke must be a great practice player.

Sadly, Burke does have some athletic ability but he apparently has chosen not to make good use of it or take the game seriously.

That's all very true. Bo's still playing somewhere, I forget where. I think one reason PB's a sideshow right now is that he's kind of fallen into playing that role: he comes in for the last 2-3 minutes of garbage time when there's a comfortable lead, they feed him the ball and the crowd yells "Shoot." If he were in a position to get any regular time in a close game it would be different -- for one thing, they sure wouldn't all be force-feeding him out at the 3-point line.

 

[sunsfn]

I recall the announcers saying that he stays in because the team should always play like they have a chance to win and this mentality must start with the team's leader. Or something like that.

I believe he does say that, and that = I want to stay in and pad my stats instead of being intelligent and resting so we can maybe win the next game, and, the h... with the bench guys, there is no reason for them to play!

 

[panfolk]

Gotta go with Msdundee on this one. While he was on the team I liked Bo the most because he seemed like an average good natured guy thrown into the mix with all these hyped up uber-athletes and he held his own through hustle. Before he started chucking threes I would delight in seeing Burke getting played for similar reasons. The origin of the thrill is the same for me with both players but disparity grows with each shot from downtown.