Expectations too high?

[Suns_fan69]

I've always been somewhat of an optimist. But lately, my outlook on the Suns season has been quite grim. Unlike last year, I have no confidence in this years team to close out games, yet the core of this years and last years team is virtually the same. So what gives? Did we truly overachieve last year, so much so that it has skewed our perspective on what this team is? Which is a young inexperienced team that isn't ready to be among the elite yet.

I'm not ready to give up hope on this team yet as it is still early in the season, but the way the team has routinely lost games to inferior opponents doesn't inspire me at all. I will say however that the team is still young and has a long ways to go but at the start of last year many of us gave this team 3 years to be contenders. I am now reverting back to this timeline rather than the inflated expectations that many of us (myself included) gave this team based on last years performance.

What does this mean? I'm not sure, but I don't think I'll mind sacrificing a few wins for better all around team play. By that I mean better ball movement, better without the ball movement, less dumb offensive fouls from moving picks and the like and just better basketball in general.

I will say however that the team still needs to have fun and that basically means they still need some wins to tide them over, and one thing is for sure, is that this team just isn't having fun out there right now.

 

[Chaz]

I'm not sure, maybe you have something there. Maybe we are just expecting to much. I was expecting continued improvement, but I haven't seen it so far.

I think some inconsistancy is to be expected from the team as well as from some players. Even considering that the good stretches are to few and far between right now.

It is just frustrating to me that they seem to be doing the same thing to lose games and they keep doing it over and over.

 

[sly fly]

You bring up some very good points.

I admit, that I expected more. I thought this team was going to run and cause mismatches on the offensive end. I also thought the extra year was going to make them more fluid and smart together.

Boy, was I wrong.

The first and most important factor in my mind was the non-development of Jake Tsakalidis. PHX thought they had "their" center. The effects took a while to notice, but I think we're seeing the ramifications right now.

Amare has been thrown into the fire too rapidly. Yes, he's improved his sporadic jumper... but the glaring lack of fundamental skills is really evident. Amare is all about the one-on-one and posterizing. He's no Charles Barkley... yet. Get him somebody to play alongside with, rather than having him be the focal point of the offense.

Shawn Marion started slowly. It looks like he may be starting to hit his stride. But, what happened to the committment over the summer? Did the $$$$ cause him to relax? Who knows.

Starbury talked about this team taking the next step. That's all it was... talk. Leaders put their teams on their back and carry them. Scoring, passing, getting in teammates faces EVERY SINGLE GAME. Too many times have I seen Marbury sulk on the court. Did we ever see KJ or Stockton or Magic or Bird or Jordan sulk?

We're definitely at a crossroads here. The Colangelos' thought that this current core would be together for a long time. They implied that fans didn't want to see the player turnover. So what do they do?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Originally posted by sly fly


Starbury talked about this team taking the next step. That's all it was... talk. Leaders put their teams on their back and carry them. Scoring, passing, getting in teammates faces EVERY SINGLE GAME. Too many times have I seen Marbury sulk on the court. Did we ever see KJ or Stockton or Magic or Bird or Jordan sulk?

hmm, i think marbs needs to be cut some slack here. there's a very fragile image for marbs regarding how he interacts with his teammates. you want him to get into his teammates' faces EVERY SINGLE GAME, but when he did that in nj he was blasted by EVERYONE for being a jerk. also, i think he's trying really hard to pattern his game in the mold that fj desires, passing, passing, passing. his assist numbers have been outstanding on a team that can't seem to put the ball in the hole consistently.

 

[slinslin]

Shawn Marion started slow because of the lack of coaching.

The coaching staff obviously couldn't figure out how to get the best out of their players when healthy and Shawn Marion is now playing much better.

 

[sly fly]

Originally posted by Ouchie-Z-Clown
hmm, i think marbs needs to be cut some slack here. there's a very fragile image for marbs regarding how he interacts with his teammates. you want him to get into his teammates' faces EVERY SINGLE GAME, but when he did that in nj he was blasted by EVERYONE for being a jerk. also, i think he's trying really hard to pattern his game in the mold that fj desires, passing, passing, passing. his assist numbers have been outstanding on a team that can't seem to put the ball in the hole consistently.

It's definitely not all Marbuy' fault. I don't think his play has been all that bad. But, it's been inconsistent.

If Marbury really is a leader... he'd take JJ to task. He'd get JJ better looks when he's struggling. He should be doing everything in his power to make the teammates around him better.

Marbs needs to command respect on the court from his teammates. I just see players going through the motions. This team NEEDS to evolve around the play of Stephon Marbury. When he's turning it on and off throughout the game... his message has been sent.

Screw FJ. Marbury needs to dominate. Not just with scoring. But, he needs to dominate on both ends of the court.

There a lots of good scorers in this league. Heck, there are lots of good scorers at Encanto Park or in the City Leagues. Show me a player who is a bitch to play on both ends of the court for 48 minutes, and I'll show you a player who has total command of his team.

 

[arthurracoon]

The Suns have too much talent to be this bad. We need a good coach.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by sly fly
It's definitely not all Marbuy' fault. I don't think his play has been all that bad. But, it's been inconsistent.

If Marbury really is a leader... he'd take JJ to task. He'd get JJ better looks when he's struggling. He should be doing everything in his power to make the teammates around him better.

I'm thinking that no amount of taking JJ to task is ever going to work.

 

[sly fly]

Originally posted by Chaplin
I'm thinking that no amount of taking JJ to task is ever going to work.

It's probably just grained into his DNA.

The 26th chromosone just screams SOFT.

 

[George O'Brien]

Now that FJ is gone, the next step will be to see if the Suns make the adjustments needed to become effective. D'Antoni is supposed to have a much better X's and O's background, now we will find out.

Of course, all the X's and O's in the world are only effective if the players execute. Great passes only work if the player receiving the ball is in the right possition and ready to shoot. All the effort in the world is only valuable if the players are in the right position.

I think the Suns have the talent to be competitive, but not the basketball smarts and discipline.

They have a ways to go.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by George O'Brien
Now that FJ is gone, the next step will be to see if the Suns make the adjustments needed to become effective. D'Antoni is supposed to have a much better X's and O's background, now we will find out.

Of course, all the X's and O's in the world are only effective if the players execute. Great passes only work if the player receiving the ball is in the right possition and ready to shoot. All the effort in the world is only valuable if the players are in the right position.

I think the Suns have the talent to be competitive, but not the basketball smarts and discipline.

They have a ways to go.

I agree. I think it's reasonable to expect the Phoenix Suns to start looking better (maybe not tonight), but it's not fair to expect them to start winning again right away. They are in a real tough spot because they do not have the shooters to compensate for the loss of two of their top three frontcourt players.

If D'Antoni can just keep this team within reach of the playoffs by the time Stoudemire and Cabarkapa return I think he will have done an incredible job. I'm not counting on it, and even if they lose nine of the next 10 games I will not put it on his head.

Joe Mama

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i'm telling y'all. time to lose out. get the #1 pick. trade the rights to emeka okafor and shawn to magic for mcgrady.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by Ouchie-Z-Clown
i'm telling y'all. time to lose out. get the #1 pick. trade the rights to emeka okafor and shawn to magic for mcgrady.

The magic are already going to have a topic of their own. I'm sure they could do a lot better than an overpaid Shawn Marion and another high draft pick. It's going to take a lot to pry Tracy McGrady away from the magic.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

T Mac

The Suns have not made a trade for a healthy bona fide super star since they got Barkley. As it was, they got Sir Charles only because he forced the Sixers to trade him and his repuation for being bad in the lockerroom scared off many teams.

My memory for names and spelling is poor, but I think they gave up Horneck (spelling), Lang, and a foward whose name escapes me. Horneck was a very very good combo guard, Lang a promising big man, and the forward had averaged 15 points a game the previous year. On paper, it appeared the Suns gave up a lot for a loud mouth, selfish, undersized power forward.

Orlando is not shopping T-Mac and the list of interested teams is all of them. So to get someone like T-Mac, the Suns would have to give up a lot. I don't think they have enough marketable second line players to pull off that kind of deal without including Amare -- which would be a huge, huge mistake.

 

[SweetD]

Tim Perry