Durant to Suns

[Cheesebeef]

I agree that last year's playoff exit was an epic collapse, and one that rightfully put Williams on the ropes. The decision to enter this season with minimal roster changes was questionable, but it didn't seem that there were better alternatives.

Now there's a big roster change, but the question is health. If the team is healthy and bombs in the playoffs again, then it makes sense to roll the dice with a new coach and hope to get lucky. If the team is too injured to show what they can do, then replacing Williams is likely to do as much harm as good. We give Booker (and maybe Paul) credit for recruiting players to join the Suns, but Williams deserves some of that credit too. Now that they've made the big roster move that improves their immediate title chances, everyone who has bought in deserves one legitimate opportunity to see if it can work.

And I give Monty credit for those things and have in the past. He’s been a huge reason for the culture turnaround. And I’m not going to crucify Monty if we’re not healthy this year. Hell, I don’t even really expect us to win this season. I think next year is basically an all-in title or bust year. I just want to see us make a legit good run and not go out like punks like we did last year.

 

[Proximo]

I agree that last year's playoff exit was an epic collapse, and one that rightfully put Williams on the ropes. The decision to enter this season with minimal roster changes was questionable, but it didn't seem that there were better alternatives.

Now there's a big roster change, but the question is health. If the team is healthy and bombs in the playoffs again, then it makes sense to roll the dice with a new coach and hope to get lucky. If the team is too injured to show what they can do, then replacing Williams is likely to do as much harm as good. We give Booker (and maybe Paul) credit for recruiting players to join the Suns, but Williams deserves some of that credit too. Now that they've made the big roster move that improves their immediate title chances, everyone who has bought in deserves one legitimate opportunity to see if it can work.

Although I don't think Monty made adjustments fast enough, I hardly blame him for last years collapse.

CP3 just suddenly started playing like total garbage, than a few others joined him in the last 3 games. I really don't think that was coaching - although I could be wrong because their total collapse almost does indicate something off the court happened.

 

[Phrazbit]

Although I don't think Monty made adjustments fast enough, I hardly blame him for last years collapse.

CP3 just suddenly started playing like total garbage, than a few others joined him in the last 3 games. I really don't think that was coaching - although I could be wrong because their total collapse almost does indicate something off the court happened.

At the start of game 7 we were getting one open look after another... and just clanking them, Booker was getting doubled, we were finding them open man and whiffing. That, unfortunately, happens, no one stepped up.

What was shocking was how quickly they just rolled over and died. They had no fight in em, game was over before half time.

 

[Mainstreet]

Deandre Ayton on Thursday practice. He should have a lot more good scoring opportunities with Durant and Booker.

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[GatorAZ]

Lower bowl seats on Ticketmaster are going for $900 each for the Bucks & Sixers games later this month. Jeez.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

*Lights cig*
*Adjusts tie*
*Steps back into the line of fire*

I think Monty isn't judged properly (a la our Center) and it's due to the circumstances of their tenure changing drastically very early in the process and extremely wild expectations being attached.
Monty got here on the cusp of Booker publicly being frustrated with not making the postseason and much speculation on if he would even stay here due to the lack of success.
He walked into that scenario, adjusting to covid and the slew of issues that situation provided alone; all while trying to evaluate a perennial lottery team (13-21 wins) that had finally made their 2nd good pick in years, another promising player and a stopgap PG who was basically acquired more out of desperation to convince Book that they could improve.
That's the 1st year...
The bubble happens and they string together some wins that provided hope that they could at least try to push for just simply making the playoffs the next year (like an 8th seed at best).
Enter oft injured CP3 in the waning years of his career (yet fresh off his impact with a young core in OKC) with the hopes of achieving that same goal here.
He ends up playing the most games he has in 5 years, massively overachieve from the fringe team and they make a magical run to the finals.
Unrealistic expectations consume a fanbase that hasn't seen success in over a decade.
The next year they have the best record. Unrealistic expectations are doubled down upon.

We end up here...

Monty is judged by not winning a chip after turning around a sub 500 team in a 2 year span. Yes the subsequent endings were disappointing but he has far exceeded the expectations and I don't know of another coach ever who has accomplished what he is judged by. He is a victim of his extremely quick success coupled with those unrealistic expectations. He legit should've been Coach of the year 2 years straight.

I think it's wild that folk think that they can even remotely make the presumption of if he is a championship coach after 2 playoff berths.

*Pulls up blindfold*
*Puffs cig*

Sorry championship expectations aren’t “unrealistic” when you finish a game back of the best record in the league and two games away from a championship one year and follow that up by finishing, what, like 8 games better than entire rest of the league the next. If anything I think the unrealistic outlook there is to not have championship expectations. Then adding Durant to the mix in the third year . . . if anyone doesn’t have championship expectations of this team, I just don’t know what it could possibly take to create those expectations for such an individual. This team over the three years is literally the poster boy for championship expectations.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The idea that it was unrealistic to expect a great playoff run last year after going to the Finals the year before AND THEN looking even BETTER during last season just makes no sense to me. If fans and the organization doesn’t have the expectation of major success while being the defending Western Conference Champion AND having the best record in the league by 8 games, then that franchise should never have expectations of anything.

And last year wasn’t a matter of simply not meeting expectations. Last year ended in abject embarassment… a collapse of epic proportions capped by the most pathetic Game 7 performance of all time where we became a punchline to the entire league against a woefully undermanned Mavs team that would then go on to get pulverized by GS one round later.



Again, NO ONE here has said Monty is NOT a championship coach. Those questioning him are to a man saying he’s a GOOD coach but jury is out on if he can achieve greatness. Those of us in this place want to see what Monty does for the third time coming into the playoffs with expectations before they can definitely speak to how good of a coach he really is. And this has been repeated time and time and time again.

creating straw men to bolster your argument just isn’t necessary and only serves to derail an other lively debate.

Borg

 

[JCSunsfan]

Borg

I was concerned though. We played like madmen during the regular season to have the best record going into the playoffs. We were bodily spent after a very physical series with the Pelicans.

It is better just to take the games off and not play through injuries.

 

[elindholm]

I was concerned though. We played like madmen during the regular season to have the best record going into the playoffs. We were bodily spent after a very physical series with the Pelicans.

It is better just to take the games off and not play through injuries.

I thought it was the opposite. Once the Suns clinched the best record, they went on cruise control and lost their focus. Most of us on the board were concerned before the playoffs even started, because it looked like the team had lost its competitive edge.

 

[Muggz]

I thought it was the opposite. Once the Suns clinched the best record, they went on cruise control and lost their focus. Most of us on the board were concerned before the playoffs even started, because it looked like the team had lost its competitive edge.

It was VERY apparent something had changed. The fact that we still don't know what exactly happened is kind of fishy.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I think you are focusing too much on this singular option. You asked for example, and he gave you one. Cheesebeef is right. It's not his job to figure that out. The point being is that you can't keep going with a coach that comes up short with this talent just because you might personally perceive there isn't a better option.

I trust in James Jones...Monty not so much

 

[Sparky16]

I was concerned though. We played like madmen during the regular season to have the best record going into the playoffs. We were bodily spent after a very physical series with the Pelicans.

It is better just to take the games off and not play through injuries.

Pelicans series hurt both physically and mentally... I think some doubt set in. KD is the difference, you cant double to players

 

[Absolute Zero]

Good historical context...

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[GatorAZ]

I thought it was the opposite. Once the Suns clinched the best record, they went on cruise control and lost their focus. Most of us on the board were concerned before the playoffs even started, because it looked like the team had lost its competitive edge.

Through 8 playoff games nobody was talking about that. Something happened after game 2 whether it was physical or internal.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Through 8 playoff games nobody was talking about that. Something happened after game 2 whether it was physical or internal.

Disagree. Some of that chatter was flying around (which I think I disagreed with), especially the way the Pelicans were kind of pushing us around, but the Suns had also lost Booker after halftime of Game 2 which definitely was contributing to our struggles there.

That said, it also looked like we had righted the ship in Game 1 and 2 against Dallas where we just wiped the floor with them in the 2nd half of both games before the completely dumbfounding collapse that followed.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kevin Durant was 26-4 in his last 30 games against the Suns.

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[Raindog]

Kevin Durant was 26-4 in his last 30 games against the Suns.

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If you can't beat them, trade for them.

 

[Phrazbit]

Kevin Durant was 26-4 in his last 30 games against the Suns.

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To be fair, since the Suns hired Monty we've only played KD twice and are 1-1.

Virtually all of that damage was done against cellar dwelling Suns teams.

 

[Absolute Zero]

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[AzStevenCal]

To be fair, since the Suns hired Monty we've only played KD twice and are 1-1.

Virtually all of that damage was done against cellar dwelling Suns teams.

Yeah, OKC and GSW were at their best and we were having our worst seasons ever. I think the mascots for those teams dominated us too.

 

[elindholm]

To be fair, since the Suns hired Monty we've only played KD twice and are 1-1.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Durant's health.

 

[Covert Rain]

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There was an offer for 5 picks to the Nets for Bridges on the table. Even Bridges agent told him to hold on in terms of staying with the Nets. The Nets must really like him. Makes sense. The Nets told the Suns the KD trade was a non-starter without Bridges.

 

[Phrazbit]

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Durant's health.

Only playing 25% of the time is a problem?

 

[Mainstreet]

To be fair, since the Suns hired Monty we've only played KD twice and are 1-1.

Virtually all of that damage was done against cellar dwelling Suns teams.

It just sounded cool.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I was concerned though. We played like madmen during the regular season to have the best record going into the playoffs. We were bodily spent after a very physical series with the Pelicans.

It is better just to take the games off and not play through injuries.

Funny how all those other teams that won 64+ games in a regular season weren’t physically spent. I don’t buy that excuse (a excuse, btw, that I haven’t heard from a single coach, player, or sportswriter).