Damn proud of this team!!

[Hoop Head]

I thought I'd get some positive discussion going. The culture has most definitely changed here. Hopefully James Jones is able to build on the success of this year and get us back in the future. No one thought swapping Rubio for CP3 would lead us this far so no one can say for certain what it will take to get back there. Maybe it was lucky, regardless of that, they made it farther than ANY Suns team had before them.

I'm grateful for all the joy this years team brought me. I'm a bigger fan now than I was when the season started and I didn't think that was possible. I'm also proud of being a Suns fan again, which is something I think we've all struggled with over the last few years.

 

[pokerface]

Yeah its hard not to be excited about this team. Now that we have a winning culture and proven track record I think recruiting talent will be better...within the salary cap even. Don't know what we can afford but moves are possible.

 

[1Sun]

It was a hell of a run and a welcome departure from the past decade. I hope they can and will build on it.

 

[Big D]

I thought I'd get some positive discussion going. The culture has most definitely changed here. Hopefully James Jones is able to build on the success of this year and get us back in the future. No one thought swapping Rubio for CP3 would lead us this far so no one can say for certain what it will take to get back there. Maybe it was lucky, regardless of that, they made it farther than ANY Suns team had before them.

Pretty sure the Suns lost a much closer game 6 of the NBA Finals to the MJ lead Bulls that were en route to their first of 2 three-peats.

Also, it was before my time yet it’s still ingrained in my head that the ‘76 Suns also went to a game 6 in an all time classic NBA finals against the vaunted Boston Celtics.

 

[Hoop Head]

Pretty sure the Suns lost a much closer game 6 of the NBA Finals to the MJ lead Bulls that were en route to their first of 2 three-peats.

Also, it was before my time yet it’s still ingrained in my head that the ‘76 Suns also went to a game 6 in an all time classic NBA finals against the vaunted Boston Celtics.

I consider us leading in this series, being up 2-0, being closer since we only needed 2 more games to win to the Bucks 4. Its personal perception. It can be argued we were closer in 93 since game 6 came down to a closeout shot by the Bulls but they always had the advantage in that series in games.

 

[Big D]

I consider us leading in this series, being up 2-0, being closer since we only needed 2 more games to win to the Bucks 4. Its personal perception. It can be argued we were closer in 93 since game 6 came down to a closeout shot by the Bulls but they always had the advantage in that series in games.

Ok then, I hear you. To me losing the NBA Finals 4-2 having blown a 2-0 lead to a team that has up to this point been a severe underachiever is a far worse net result than the other two appearances, but to each his own. I respect that it’s a matter of opinion.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Meh we’ve never won more than 2 games in the finals. They’re all equally bad. Half baked.

 

[Hoop Head]

Meh we’ve never won more than 2 games in the finals. They’re all equally bad. Half baked.

Ill gladly take being finals runner up to pingpong drawing runner up at this point.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Im still awake man this sucks just to lose 4 in a row devastated...

Guess ill try to zzz soon

But gonna be a hard long wait to next season

No way in heck I'm watching bucks celebrate

 

[mjb21aztd]

Hope not another 11 12 yr wait.... lol

 

[Big D]

Something about being only the 5th team in NBA history to blow a 2-0 Finals lead against THESE underachieving Milwaukee Bucks just doesn’t sit well with me.

All 4-2 Finals loses are not created equal

 

[pokerface]

If at the beginning of the season someone said we'd make it to the finals and lose I think almost all suns fans would have taken that to the bank...cheerfully. I know perceptions and expectations changed over the course of the season and even more so over the playoffs but we have to remember where we started in all this which is pretty much ground zero. I mean we went from being the joke of the league to being within two games of winning it all. That is pretty damn amazing and now we have next season to look forward to. Expectations are high baby!

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

Something about being only the 5th team in NBA history to blow a 2-0 Finals lead against THESE underachieving Milwaukee Bucks just doesn’t sit well with me.

All 4-2 Finals loses are not created equal

It shouldn't sit well with anybody. It should not have happened. Every team out there knows how to guard Giannis effectively. You build a wall. The freaking NETS guarded him well and they didn't play any big men. Monty leaving Ayton on an island all series is just mind boggling. Giving Giannis a running start to attack the basket and asking Ayton to stop him is not a sound strategy.

Love Monty as a person, and as a leader, but as a head coach in charge of basketball strategy, I am disappointed.

 

[pokerface]

It shouldn't sit well with anybody. It should not have happened. Every team out there knows how to guard Giannis effectively. You build a wall. The freaking NETS guarded him well and they didn't play any big men. Monty leaving Ayton on an island all series is just mind boggling. Giving Giannis a running start to attack the basket and asking Ayton to stop him is not a sound strategy.

Love Monty as a person, and as a leader, but as a head coach in charge of basketball strategy, I am disappointed.

Every team knows how to guard Giannis effectively?? Wow...If that were the case then he never should have been MVP.

Giannis was all over the place...offensively and defensively. Just because a team here and there had some success against him was no automatic blueprint. Teams are built differently and uhh...newsflash...some players step up in the playoffs. Giannis was a freak out there...period.

 

[Hoop Head]

Something about being only the 5th team in NBA history to blow a 2-0 Finals lead against THESE underachieving Milwaukee Bucks just doesn’t sit well with me.

All 4-2 Finals loses are not created equal

How can you call the Bucks underachieving when they just won the championship? That's ridiculous. They have a former coach of the year, a 2x MVP who is also a former DPOY, and a solid supporting cast around him with plenty of individual accolades of their own. They've been title favorites the last few years and they came up short because of a lack of experience. They got that and finally got the hump. They aren't underachieving.

 

[Lorenzo]

How can you call the Bucks underachieving when they just won the championship? That's ridiculous. They have a former coach of the year, a 2x MVP who is also a former DPOY, and a solid supporting cast around him with plenty of individual accolades of their own. They've been title favorites the last few years and they came up short because of a lack of experience. They got that and finally got the hump. They aren't underachieving.

I agree, I find your posts very positive. The Suns and their fans have every reason to hold their head high and should feel great about their future of getting back to the finals and winning. Booker is a real superstar that can carry a team on his back when it comes to scoring big points in big games and he is surrounded by a great cast.

and one does not simply defend giannis when he is making free throws and jumpers. I know it sucks to be on the wrong side, but you simply tip your cap to that man. I went through this very thing in 06 with Dallas when we were so close to winning game 3 to go up 3-0, but lost a double digit lead in the fourth quarter of that game and then lost 3 straight afterward. D-wade was on another planet in those finals and the heat were just so much better in that moment. 2-0 leads don’t mean a lot until you win game 3 to go up 3-0. Those are close to 100%.

is it just me or were there a lot of 2-0 leads that were overcome in these playoffs?

 

[Larry Schweikart]

If at the beginning of the season someone said we'd make it to the finals and lose I think almost all suns fans would have taken that to the bank...cheerfully. I know perceptions and expectations changed over the course of the season and even more so over the playoffs but we have to remember where we started in all this which is pretty much ground zero. I mean we went from being the joke of the league to being within two games of winning it all. That is pretty damn amazing and now we have next season to look forward to. Expectations are high baby!

I know I would have.

As a fan of more than 50 years, I can tell you I finally thought we might have a chance. But I grew very concerned in the Hairdresser series because I saw what the "Jordan Rules" would look like against this team. I won't call them soft. They had great courage and worked very hard. I just think we need about 2 more real enforcer type defenders. If you look at the Detroit Pistons great teams, they had no fewer than five great defenders. The question is whether by probably losing Payne & possibly Paul in the off seasons we can re-tool with the right chemistry. Ayton was wonderful, but he has to get better---stronger, tougher, but not lose his quickness.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Bucks were the better team. Giannis was unbelievable. He had a historic finals. IMO their coach repeatedly outcoached Monty. So my hats off to them. They deserve credit. I don't feel this Finals was stolen from us for a microsecond. Having said that 99% of the population (outside of Perkins) didn't call the Suns getting this far. They were fun to watch during the season and IMO grew so much during the playoffs. More than I could have imagined. Gets some rest, let James Jones go to work and lets go at it again.

 

[Lorenzo]

The Bucks were the better team. Giannis was unbelievable. He had a historic finals. IMO their coach repeatedly outcoached Monty. So my hats off to them. They deserve credit. I don't feel this Finals was stolen from us for a microsecond. Having said that 99% of the population (outside of Perkins) didn't call the Suns getting this far. They were fun to watch during the season and IMO grew so much during the playoffs. More than I could have imagined. Gets some rest, let James Jones go to work and lets go at it again.

I just saw the video of Monty in the Bucks locker room giving them a congratulatory speech. Absolute class and rare, honestly I can't say that I've seen that before...I would love it if the Mavs had Monty at HC! Suns are in good hands.

 

[Big D]

How can you call the Bucks underachieving when they just won the championship? That's ridiculous. They have a former coach of the year, a 2x MVP who is also a former DPOY, and a solid supporting cast around him with plenty of individual accolades of their own. They've been title favorites the last few years and they came up short because of a lack of experience. They got that and finally got the hump. They aren't underachieving.

Obviously the Bucks were underachievers until they shed that label at OUR expense. You listed all of those accolades yet they weren’t able to win anything until we gagged away a 2-0 Finals lead. Maybe I should have said previously underachieving but I figured that was implied.

My point was that losing this series in 6 games to a team that hadn’t won anything when all we had to do was win 2 of the next 5 after going up 2-0 but instead we ended up getting reverse swept doesn’t somehow equate to “making it farther” than teams that lost in 6 to the Bulls and Celtics dynasties.

 

[95pro]

Changes will be contingent on CP3's asking price. He's player option, or re-signing, or does he bolt? Sign and trade?

 

[pokerface]

Obviously the Bucks were underachievers until they shed that label at OUR expense. You listed all of those accolades yet they weren’t able to win anything until we gagged away a 2-0 Finals lead. Maybe I should have said previously underachieving but I figured that was implied.

My point was that losing this series in 6 games to a team that hadn’t won anything when all we had to do was win 2 of the next 5 after going up 2-0 but instead we ended up getting reverse swept doesn’t somehow equate to “making it farther” than teams that lost in 6 to the Bulls and Celtics dynasties.

All we had to do is win the next two out of five and da da da...Hey they had the reigning 2x MVP that was playing out of his mind. I really don't even know what your point is. We didn't make the playoffs last year...now we're choke artists after making the finals?? Cripe...

 

[Big D]

All we had to do is win the next two out of five and da da da...Hey they had the reigning 2x MVP that was playing out of his mind. I really don't even know what your point is. We didn't make the playoffs last year...now we're choke artists after making the finals?? Cripe...

Read all of my posts in the thread and you will see the single point I have been making.

 

[Big D]

Also, in this day and age of all or nothing style debates I’d just like to say it’s ok to say that the Suns virtually came out of nowhere and had a great year and a surprising playoff run that was a ton of fun, AND it ended with them choking away a 2 game lead in the Finals. Both things can be true.

 

[Mainstreet]

Also, in this day and age of all or nothing style debates I’d just like to say it’s ok to say that the Suns virtually came out of nowhere and had a great year and a surprising playoff run that was a ton of fun, AND it ended with them choking away a 2 game lead in the Finals. Both things can be true.

I wish the word choke or "choking" wasn't used. It implies the Bucks were not deserving.