Going to be watching today's Sixers' game?

[mribnik]

Also, I wonder how much narrower the international court is, because the court looked tiny to me. That had to have an effect on the Suns spacing. We were doing fine in the first 3 quarters though.

Edit: The international court is 1 foot narrower, and 2 feet shorter.

 

[Mainstreet]

Just wondering why Phoenix lost. Did they just start missing their shots or was it the Philly defense? Anyway, it did not appear Phoenix was getting the ball inside well nor getting the good open looks outside. If it was the Philly defense, this is a concern.

Actually, I thought the Philly defense really hurt the Suns plus some sloppy play by the Suns didn't help. Also I have to say, Carney looked like a ROY candidate today. He was awesome both offensively and defensively. He looked like the real deal today even if it's preseason.

 

[mribnik]

Just wondering why Phoenix lost. Did they just start missing their shots or was it the Philly defense?

Well, at the very end of the game our offense just wasn't good. Lots of turnovers. When we were giving up the lead though, barbosa missed 3 layups, banks 1, and diaw and marion missed quite a few close shots they should've made. We also missed a bunch of wide open 3's. Could have been a variety of factors why it worked out that way, but it did, and it's only preseason so who cares. Overall, the team looked pretty good for 3 quarters. We really need to work on getting Amare involved as the preseason goes on.

I think the pick 'n roll with Amare and Nash will come back to form, and running the offense through Amare at the top of the paint with be fantastic to watch.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well, at the very end of the game our offense just wasn't good. Lots of turnovers. When we were giving up the lead though, barbosa missed 3 layups, banks 1, and diaw and marion missed quite a few close shots they should've made. We also missed a bunch of wide open 3's. Could have been a variety of factors why it worked out that way, but it did, and it's only preseason so who cares. Overall, the team looked pretty good for 3 quarters. We really need to work on getting Amare involved as the preseason goes on.

I think the pick 'n roll with Amare and Nash will come back to form, and running the offense through Amare at the top of the paint with be fantastic to watch.

I was hoping the Suns would put Amare back in the closing minutes to try to get some inside baskets. I know it would have been too much to ask for in a preseason game but this is the type of game (when Amare returns to form) that he will be able to get Phoenix those easy inside baskets when the offense goes stagnant.

Yes, those missed layups by Barbosa were very noticeable today, especially the easy one near the end of the game. I think it is just a matter of concentration. I think Barbosa can get Phoenix a lot of layups this season.

 

[AZZenny]

yeah CSKA won and I was looking forward to see Papaloukas and Nash on opposite sides -- would've been awesome to watch 2 top notch PGs go at it.

Maybe its good we lost, atleast we don't have to play CSKA. We probably aren't ready and don't have to lose to a euro team now.

We better not lose.

JPost.com

Maccabi Tel Aviv was overpowered by CSKA Moscow at the NBA Europe Live Tournament in Cologne, Germany, on Tuesday evening, losing 90-81 in a replay of the Euroleague championship game this past spring.

The exhibition game revealed many of the flaws of the new Maccabi team, and with the Euroleague season set to begin in 15 days, the squad will need to vastly improve in a short time if it's to repeat its success from the last three seasons in Europe's premier competition.

The differences between Maccabi and CSKA were clearly evident on Tuesday. Tel Aviv's new players have yet to gel into a team and coach Neven Spahija's side was ineffective on both sides of the floor for long periods of the game. Moscow, which preserved the core of the team from last season, defended and scored with the same elegance that led to its first European title in 35 years last season and will once again be one of the favorites ahead of the new Euroleague season.

CSKA was led by Slovenian Matjaz Smodis, who scored 24 points, while Lior Eliyahu was Maccabi's top scorer with 19 points. New signing Will Bynum scored 18 points, with Yotam Halperin netting 12 points.


The Russians raced forward at the start of the second quarter, going on a 16-2 run and grabbing a comfortable lead. Tel Aviv looked helpless for large parts of the period and the half ended with CSKA up 49-33.

Maccabi began to eat away at CSKA's lead at the start of the second half with four straight points by Eliyahu cutting the lead to 12. Moscow quickly restored its advantage and a David Andersen basket gave the Russians a 64-49 lead. Quality minutes from Halperin edged Tel Aviv closer to Moscow and his three-pointer at the end of the third period closed the gap to 67-58.

Maccabi continued to cut into the lead in the fourth quarter and a Rodney Buford basket put the team within three points (67-64) of the Russian team.

However, that was as close as Maccabi got. CSKA reopened its lead in the next few minutes and went on to win the game comfortably.

CSKAwill face the winner of the Phoenix Suns-Philadelphia 76ers game in the tournament final on Wednesday, while Maccabi will go up against the loser in a third-place game.

 

[panfolk]

I think the pick 'n roll with Amare and Nash will come back to form, and running the offense through Amare at the top of the paint with be fantastic to watch.

How was Amare at passing in this game? I know it'll take awhile to gel but I was wondering if he showed flashes of courtvision and unselfish play or something.

 

[George O'Brien]

I know this is going to sound like an excuse, but I wonder if the ball started to get slippery later in the game. That was what Shaq was concerned about and Stern says he's looking into it.

 

[SO91]

I know this is going to sound like an excuse, but I wonder if the ball started to get slippery later in the game. That was what Shaq was concerned about and Stern says he's looking into it.

I was wondering the same thing, especially with all the missed layups they had. I know it's only preseason, but I thought their spacing could have been better, and a little too much one-on-one play in the second half. Once their conditioning gets better they'll be able to run more. I thought Amare looked good, but got a little lazy, especially getting back on D.

 

[Bufalay]

It's not the injury or the conditioning that has made Amare lazy on D.

 

[jbeecham]

Amare had a nice lead pass to Marion for a dunk on a play that looked very similar to the play Diaw & Marion usually run where Marion gets the alley-oop.

 

[CaptainInsano]

I think the suns just flat out ran into a shooting slump, I think I counted 5 three pointers missed in a row, then I think steve came in and hit one, then another 3 were missed.

It doesn't help when philly hits 45% of their threes, most of them I think in that last quarter.

The suns just have bad luck in some of these games (like where this would happen last season where the bucks hit a record number of 3's).

This team really gets energized by their 3's, so when we miss a bunch now you have barbosa and others missing layups, making messy passes, bad turnovers etc and almost every freakin time when we are playing a rookie team or the bench of rookies for a team with the pressure off them they take off against us.

As far as Amare I am seeing the same guy out there that I saw last year. He can move his footwork but his grip on the ball (not because of the new ball because this happend last year) just slips all the time. Good thing is if he keeps practicing and playing like he should, I think the grip will come back and then he can do his 1 vs 1 work. When he got a pass off a pick and roll or was open he slammed it down. Just gotta work on his hands and hopefully Steve can start setting him up more because it seems Nash is reluctant to operate a play or PNR for stat since he isn't currently a primary member of the team (as in major minute player, part of a consecutive lineup, starter etc hopefully you get what I mean).

They need to run some plays for Amare when he is out there, get him some easy dunks/picknpops/whatever so he doesn't have to work so hard trying to score. It's the preseason wins/losses don't count so help out. I remember one time him busting the spin move in the middle but 3 sixers were there and stripped the ball. Common guys! Get stat open for a slam!!

 

[nowagimp]

I know this is going to sound like an excuse, but I wonder if the ball started to get slippery later in the game. That was what Shaq was concerned about and Stern says he's looking into it.

Im not a shaq fan, but I think he's right. Rubber does not absorb water, it just sits on the surface, making it slippery. Leather actually becomes more grippy when a little wet(especially if its not coated like cheap balls are) because it absorbs water to some extent. Thats why the best FT shooter in the game, nash, licks his fingers before the FT. I used to do the same thing, it works. By the way Nash said the same thing as shaq about the ball being (over grippy when dry and) slippery when wet. This whole ball stunt reeks of David Stern, a guy who never got in the game as a kid, jerking around with the players game, again. I'll bet Stern cant even dribble a ball without having to chase it as he loses control of it. I've never even heard him say anything that indicated he actually understood the game, but I'll bet he's a good lawyer who knows how deal with the players union.