Hurry Up, Kerr. We're Waiting!

[azirish]

Here is the problem:

We want to have a fluid and fast game, so we play smaller guys. Playing smaller guys only encourages the other team to do isolation post ups. Isolation post ups and the fouls that ensue slow down the game.

Thus we have accomplished little outside of giving the other team a free throw and rebounding edge.

Marion's ability to defend the 4 is an aberration for players his size, not the standard. You can't just simply plug an even smaller player into that position and assume that they will succeed.

It's certainly a mixed bag. There is little doubt that teams with well developed low post offenses can exploit the Suns small defenders. But unless their low post guy is a good passer, they risk lots of turnovers when dealing with the double teams.

The problem is greater for teams without a well developed low post offense. Many teams find that their entire offense grinds to a halt when they spend 24 seconds trying to make an entry pass rather than taking open shots.

In many cases, it is like a game of "chicken". The Suns struggle to stop their opponent's big guys and the other team has cannot stop the Suns using bigs. If the Suns shoot badly, they get crushed, but few bigs can stop the Suns if they shoot well becuase they cannot defense five guys when four of them are recent all stars.

BUT, this just doesn't work against the Spurs or at least hasn't. The Spurs do a better job of running their inside-outside/drive the basket offense than anybody in the NBA. That's why they have two rings in the last three years.

 

[Errntknght]

If Alando Tucker can rebound he kept it well under wraps in the summer league - 2.4 per game in over 32 minutes. I don't think we have anyone on the team who rebounds at a lower rate than that.

 

[Nasser22]

Let me explain something to everyone:

D'Antoni would rather quit or get fired than to play a center or real power forward.

Suns are small. They want to run. That is D'Antoni's identity.

If you can think of something better - without going over the CAP - then I am all for it.

Rigth now just sit back and enjoy the small man ride. (Plus hopefully a Skinner addition to add 6 fouls, lol)

Then he should get fired because we won't win anything with 6'5 Tucker at power forward. He's too small to be a small forward so you'd bump him up a spot?

 

[AZBALLER]

Marion's ability to defend the 4 is an aberration for players his size, not the standard. You can't just simply plug an even smaller player into that position and assume that they will succeed.

Dan Marjerle was a smaller PF on the Suns than Marion, and you could argue that he was a better defender in the Suns system than Marion.

Speed kills.

Although Dan was also aloud to foul like Bowen at times

 

[AZBALLER]

I still agree with the poster that thinks we should use the TE on Kurt Thomas. We can save $$ by waiting to trade for him until the deadline. He's an expiring contract.
He wouldn't have played for us until the playoffs started this season anyways.

That would be a genious cost cutting move imo

 

[elindholm]

Dan Marjerle was a smaller PF on the Suns than Marion, and you could argue that he was a better defender in the Suns system than Marion.

What? Majerle played at PF only occasionally during his final, swan-song season, usually when the Suns were trying another one of their idiotic gimmicky lineups. He never played PF before then. And "you could argue" whatever you want, but he was a disaster defensively.

 

[AZBALLER]

What? Majerle played at PF only occasionally during his final, swan-song season, usually when the Suns were trying another one of their idiotic gimmicky lineups.

No Shi*

And he caused a ton of turnovers playing at that position.

 

[Bufalay]

I still agree with the poster that thinks we should use the TE on Kurt Thomas. We can save $$ by waiting to trade for him until the deadline. He's an expiring contract.
He wouldn't have played for us until the playoffs started this season anyways.

That would be a genious cost cutting move imo

I was just kidding about trading for Kurt. My point was that he would be/was a perfect fit for the suns.

 

[Sunsman44]

Then he should get fired because we won't win anything with 6'5 Tucker at power forward. He's too small to be a small forward so you'd bump him up a spot?

6-5 ?? Tucker ??

Tucker is a healthy 6-6 and played power forward most his college days. He is a leaper and scouts said - if u read my red quote above - that he can play the power.

With that said, I don't see anybody complaining when the much shorter 6 foot 5 Raja Bell plays the small forward slot during the 4th quarter. And Raja can't even jump or rebound.

To call Tucker a short small forward is an insult. He is a pure small forward (like Marion) who can play the power (like Marion).

Watch and see...

 

[fordronken]

I was just kidding about trading for Kurt. My point was that he would be/was a perfect fit for the suns.

Although, it would be pretty funny if he was waived toward the end of the season so that he could play for a contender and then signed with the Suns for the minimum. On the other hand, I'd probably throw up if he was waived and signed with the Spurs for the midlevel.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

6-5 ?? Tucker ??

Tucker is a healthy 6-6 and played power forward most his college days. He is a leaper and scouts said - if u read my red quote above - that he can play the power.

With that said, I don't see anybody complaining when the much shorter 6 foot 5 Raja Bell plays the small forward slot during the 4th quarter. And Raja can't even jump or rebound.

To call Tucker a short small forward is an insult. He is a pure small forward (like Marion) who can play the power (like Marion).

Watch and see...

wow man, you're wrong. just wrong. just b/c you read something somewhere doesn't make it right. a lot of us watch a lot of college hoops. this kid will get KILLED playing PF in the L. and he's not a "healthy" 6'6, he is 6'5, he's not a lot taller than raja, and honestly, i'd rather not have raja playing the 3 much less an underweight rookie playing the 4. tucker is undersized for a 3 and a 4, but dangerously so for the latter. your post is an insult.

 

[Sunsman44]

wow man, you're wrong. just wrong. just b/c you read something somewhere doesn't make it right. a lot of us watch a lot of college hoops. this kid will get KILLED playing PF in the L. and he's not a "healthy" 6'6, he is 6'5, he's not a lot taller than raja, and honestly, i'd rather not have raja playing the 3 much less an underweight rookie playing the 4. tucker is undersized for a 3 and a 4, but dangerously so for the latter. your post is an insult.

Cut the hogwash. I've seen Tucker play - I watch more BIG-10 than I do NBA - and he played power forward for the last two seasons.


Tucker is 6-6 and is a great leaper. He averaged more than 6 rebounds at PF in the Big-10 - a very tall conference. He will only play 10 minutes in his rookie year under D'Antoni and 7 of those will be at the power forward considering Suns don't have anybody else and just traded Kurt so get used to it and appreciate his athleticism.


Tucker makes a decent power forward - and and a solid small forward. If you were the coach, I assume you'd place him at the shooting guard where none of his skills (jumping, rebounding, slashing, dunking) would be shown. At guard, as you seem to propose, Tucker becomes a horrible idle shooter. At forward, he becomes an athletic nightmare with quickness.


D'Antoni is a genius in that he is allowing the skills of a player dictate what position they play - and NOT size because size doesn't matter in the Suns system. By placing Tucker at the wing, he doesn't have the ability to shoot and therefore becomes ineffective.


And I assume the DraftExpress article is an insult to you too?????

--------------------------------------------------

"Tucker has always been known as an explosive leaper with a power forward’s game and a small forward’s body. If his game against Marquette was any indication, he may have the tools to be effective at the power forward position in the NBA. Tucker created many of his shots off the dribble, and knows how to finish against defenders of all sizes inside, thanks to explosive leaping ability and good knowledge of how to use different angles of the backboard. Tucker’s jumping ability combined with good body control give him a chance to finish inside after taking the contact of a foul. His mid-range jumper looked very good as well, and he created a lot of very nice looks from the 12-15 foot range. Off the dribble, Tucker is deceptive with a series of head-fakes and speed changes he uses to get away from the defender. Tucker started his career playing mostly inside, and still has the ability to score on defenders with his back to the basket."

source: http://www.draftexpress.com/


I rest my case.
Tucker is the new backup power forward. Bring on the season fellas.

 

[Nasser22]

I guess you just want to forget all about a little thing called defense next year then? Even if he's one inch taller he'd still be abused by any decent PF and facing better rebounding teams, which we will in the playoffs, he won't do too much. He may have played in a big conference, but those big men are still college kids. NBA players are bigger, stronger, more talented and smarter. I would be surprised if he got even 3 rebounds per game. If D'Antoni was a genius, we would have a championship right now having one of the most talented teams the last three years. No, he's a stubborn fool who thinks he can beat a great rebounding, smart team like the Spurs playing only his style which is winning regular season games, not developing the bench or playing defense and then fizzling out when it matters. The team needs defense and rebounding, they can't run over every team on their way to the championship. You can't be a 1 dimensional team and win it all. The Suns will win 60 games again if healthy, but I have serious doubts against the Spurs, or hey...even Utah if Alando Tucker is the answer to us having no depth at PF/C.

 

[Bufalay]

http://www.draftexpress.com/


I rest my case.
Tucker is the new backup power forward. Bring on the season fellas.

Chill with the constant font changes, they are annoying as hell and I can't stand reading what you post. Just use normal font.

 

[Sunsman44]

I guess you just want to forget all about a little thing called defense next year then?

Well, it is not like Suns forgot about defense and rebounding all of a sudden. They never had it in the first place.

Ever since D'Antoni was hired, the Suns pretty much began to forget about defense and rebouding. This started back in 2004 when they went small and never turned back.

And with the trading of Kurt, Suns and D'Antoni are really making a bold statement: We are going super small and super fast.

You can try and convince D'Antoni that this won't work, but he will never change his ways. Suns have, are, and will always be small as long as DA is running the show.

Tucker at power forward is a small - no pun intended - symbol of how Suns want to play.

Live with it.

 

[Bufalay]

Well, it is not like Suns forgot about defense and rebounding all of a sudden. They never had it in the first place.

Ever since D'Antoni was hired, the Suns pretty much began to forget about defense and rebouding. This started back in 2004 when they went small and never turned back.

And with the trading of Kurt, Suns and D'Antoni are really making a bold statement: We are going super small and super fast.

You can try and convince D'Antoni that this won't work, but he will never change his ways. Suns have, are, and will always be small as long as DA is running the show.

Tucker at power forward is a small - no pun intended - symbol of how Suns want to play.

Live with it.

much more pleasant to read.

 

[Nasser22]

Well, it is not like Suns forgot about defense and rebounding all of a sudden. They never had it in the first place.

Ever since D'Antoni was hired, the Suns pretty much began to forget about defense and rebouding. This started back in 2004 when they went small and never turned back.

And with the trading of Kurt, Suns and D'Antoni are really making a bold statement: We are going super small and super fast.

You can try and convince D'Antoni that this won't work, but he will never change his ways. Suns have, are, and will always be small as long as DA is running the show.

Tucker at power forward is a small - no pun intended - symbol of how Suns want to play.

Live with it.

I will but hopefully not for long. I'm tired of them only winning in the regular season...they aren't winning anything this way. Nash is the reason D'Antoni still has a job as a head coach. For some reason he just doesn't realize that the Suns are a better overall team, and still the best offensive team by a wide margin, with a real center on the floor next to Amare.

 

[Mainstreet]

IMO, the Suns biggest problem last season, was they were not able to match up defensively with the quicker PG's that could penetrate and they also lacked more quality depth defensively that could guard the slashers at the 2/3 driving to the bucket. However, that said, the Suns need at least one more defensive presence and rebounder like a Skinner. I do not think TD can beat the Suns by himself.

 

[Nasser22]

No, but nobody has been able to keep up with Parker either so far and without a good shot blocker besides Amare, who has to guard Duncan, he as well as Ginobli and others get easy layups. Also, the team defense is very poor and they leave open too many 3-point shooters and replacing Jones and KT with Hill and a scrub or Tucker, hah!, will make us even worse. I would like to see Tucker get some time, because I think he can guard people his size well, but the Suns will have to score around 115 to beat teams this year.

 

[Mainstreet]

Nasser 22, have you ever thought about terminating that bug that runs across your post? I like your posts, but that bug makes me want to skip by the post.

Anyway, please think about it. I'm starting to itch.

 

[Mainstreet]

No, but nobody has been able to keep up with Parker either so far and without a good shot blocker besides Amare, who has to guard Duncan, he as well as Ginobli and others get easy layups. Also, the team defense is very poor and they leave open too many 3-point shooters and replacing Jones and KT with Hill and a scrub or Tucker, hah!, will make us even worse. I would like to see Tucker get some time, because I think he can guard people his size well, but the Suns will have to score around 115 to beat teams this year.

Parker can be slowed down when he is played physical. All Strawberry needs is a good flyswatter.

 

[Nasser22]

Parker can be slowed down when he is played physical. All Strawberry needs is a good flyswatter.

OMG, they're breeding!

I don't see either of our rookies doing any better than Marion. The only hope is Banks and he just hasn't shown much at all.


I'll get rid of them eventually.

 

[elindholm]

Chill with the constant font changes, they are annoying as hell and I can't stand reading what you post. Just use normal font.

No kidding. Sunsman44, you have already ignored one moderator request to make your posts less aversive. I'm putting you on Ignore and encourage others to do likewise.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

No, but nobody has been able to keep up with Parker either so far and without a good shot blocker besides Amare, who has to guard Duncan, he as well as Ginobli and others get easy layups. Also, the team defense is very poor and they leave open too many 3-point shooters and replacing Jones and KT with Hill and a scrub or Tucker, hah!, will make us even worse. I would like to see Tucker get some time, because I think he can guard people his size well, but the Suns will have to score around 115 to beat teams this year.

I agree. We lack the interior defensive presence that will prevent guards from penetrating at will. While Kurt Thomas was a good position defender, he isn't overly athletic to block shots or rotate very well. Speaking of rotations, our defensive rotations were abysmal last year. There's a reason we can't afford to double Duncan; the Spurs would go small and we'd be buried by three pointers. Of course this problem will only get worse without Kurt.

 

[Covert Rain]

I can't believe some people are actually suggesting Tucker can play both Forward positions. I mean this guy went from maybe getting some minutes this season to backing up both positions? He cannot play PF even on this team.

We need a big man at least as good as Kurt. If we don't, there is no way we are winning a title this season. Period. I really hope the Suns struggle a bit coming down to the trade deadline. Because that's the only way I see them making a move to get another big man in here.

It really is starting to sound like the Suns are going to give it a go with small ball all season and into the playoffs. It defies me that the Suns actually think small ball can win a title.