Game Thread: Suns vs. Pistons

[matt_whitlock]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
I'm not, but sometimes I have to act like it. I hope I didn't offend you too much. I was really just joking around.

Joe Mama

There's no room for jokes after that kind of showing from the Suns! You're lucky I didn't jump through the computer and start throwing punches at you.

Of course, if that was possible, I'd probably be in the Johnson's living room right now. Take your pick, Joe, Frank.. hell, after a 3 game losing streak, I'd fight the people that make shampoo for babies if I knew where to find them.

 

[matt_whitlock]

Last year sometimes I almost appreciated Penny but deep down I still despised him.

So you're saying that, even if Penny was one of the major keys to the Suns success last year, you just don't like him. Period.

Okay, that changes things. Here I thought you were a knowledgeble Suns fan with a differeing opinion from my own.

Now I know you just don't like Penny.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by matt_whitlock

The other day I was in the gym and I heard somebody say, "The Suns have Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion.. why do they suck?" and then follow that up with, "and they have Amare Stoudemire.. and Penny Hardaway!! Jesus, they should be better than they are!"

.

I wish he could continue in this way:

"... and Tom Gugliotta!! Jesus, they should have to win the championship!"

 

[scotsman13]

the suns suns because they have penny hardaway and his contract hanging around their necks, and googs and they dont get amare the ball enough in score spots. the only way that penny is better then joe johnson is in suck in the money. penny should be locked up as a thief for missing over 30% of the games that he has been a suns, and not giving fair effort for the money he has earned.

 

[cheng]

Originally posted by scotsman13
the suns suns because they have penny hardaway and his contract hanging around their necks, and googs and they dont get amare the ball enough in score spots. the only way that penny is better then joe johnson is in suck in the money. penny should be locked up as a thief for missing over 30% of the games that he has been a suns, and not giving fair effort for the money he has earned.

This is ridiculous.

Basically this is the same team (with much improved JJ and Stoudemire) that made the playoff last season.

I guess its Penny and Googs fault that they didn't win the championship.

 

[elindholm]

Basically this is the same team (with much improved JJ and Stoudemire) that made the playoff last season.

There is no evidence that either Johnson or Stoudemire is "much improved."

 

[jbeecham]

Originally posted by elindholm
my wife pointed out that no 6'9" 290 pound player was banging the dancers around

What a shame. Now that would have been worth the price of admission.

That would be a sight to see, too bad America West Arena is a family place.

 

[creed]

Originally posted by matt_whitlock
So you're saying that, even if Penny was one of the major keys to the Suns success last year, you just don't like him. Period.

Okay, that changes things. Here I thought you were a knowledgeble Suns fan with a differeing opinion from my own.

Now I know you just don't like Penny.

When you take that one line out of a whole paragraph it sounds out of context. Quote the whole thing next time.

Penny never earned his contract...not even close to it. His so so on again off again game (more off than on) is enough to turn anyones stomach.

 

[Errntknght]

I think the Suns were demoralized by the Utah game. It's got to hurt when a bunch of young guys come out and play a sharp team game, making you look foolish. It showed very clearly what many games have hinted at - Frank is sending them into battle with very deficient organization of their team play.

It's fine for an announcer or a fan to say the problem is lack of movement without the ball. It's often true but if the coach just gives guys abstract directions like that he's not doing his job. There is no quote I'm aware of that indicates Frank does more than that. Sheesh, they only have one play - the pick and roll - and they don't run that crisply. Then FJ is hyperactive on the sidelines constantly trying to coach on the fly. As someone pointed out LB just sits there like he'd done his job in practice and was trusting his players to do theirs on the floor. Heck, he probably has time to notice what the guys are doing. Ainge and Skiles were like FJ and to me it just screams that they guy doesn't know how to get his team ready to play.

This year FJ said they emphasized the running game in training camp but has anyone seen any evidence of that? It looks like he made up the slogan "Run, run, run" and left it at that. Maybe he told them to try to get the ball to a guard in the middle of the floor. Belatedly, he realized the team had to rebound if they were going to run much.

Well, shucks, by now none of this in controversial like it used to be. Let's see... how about this: JJ is not the great defender Frank claims he is. Yes he can do a fair job of guarding a wide range of players but he's not great at defending SGs. And he switches off far too readily so he's not guarding the guy he needs to be on much of the time. The whole team suffers from that which allows teams to get whatever matchup they want. Lots of people in here have bought into Franks estimate of JJ's defense... let me know if you ever see him really shutting his man down. Or CJ, who Frank says is our second best defender. I wish we'd kept DerMarr Johnson... at least he had a reputation as a strong defender that didn't originate with FJ.

 

[Joe Mama]

I disagree about Joe Johnson's defense. Yes, he still gets out of position once or twice a game. Another problem is that it doesn't always get help from his teammates when he's chasing around the opposing shooting guard who is running off screen after screen (yes, I some teams the players do move without the basketball). Last night for example when Richard Hamilton got away from him looping around into the middle of the lane Marbury was standing there with his thumb up his butt in no man's land.

Overall I'm happy with this team's defense. Marbury's never been a great defender. He struggled last night to keep people in front of him at times. For a few minutes Casey Jacobsen was trying to guard Billups, and that was a disaster. Joe Johnson was stuck trying to guard Okhur. That's simply ridiculous, and you know who to blame for that. Hardaway's sorry defense has been well documented. But I've been happy with Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and usually the centers.

If Frank Johnson would just keep a traditional lineup on the floor they would be even better defensively.

Joe Mama

 

[cheng]

Originally posted by elindholm
Basically this is the same team (with much improved JJ and Stoudemire) that made the playoff last season.

There is no evidence that either Johnson or Stoudemire is "much improved."

I meant supposedly. Stoudemire does have better stats so far comparing to his rookie year. I really don't think its players problem that the team is playing poorly.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Originally posted by cheng
I meant supposedly. Stoudemire does have better stats so far comparing to his rookie year. I really don't think its players problem that the team is playing poorly.

i gotta disagree. while it is obvious that the team is being outcoached, i also don't really see any passion outta the players. they seem to be lackadaisacal out there. i think fj's gotta go.

 

[Chaz]

The Suns defense is not bad generally. The offensive execution sucks.

It is the same old story.
The defense causes some turnovers, they get some fast breaks, they make a few shots, and the problem is masked for a short time.

I agree Marbury is playing somewhat selfishly, but I think he is seeing the same thing I am. This team is having trouble scoring and he takes it upon himself to keep them going offensively. I don't think he is doing it for the stats. I think he just wants to win and the offense FJ is running is not getting it done still.


Some of those dunks by Stoudemire were just sick.