I need everyone's input on this (George Karl quote)

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NUGGETS COACH GEORGE KARL: “It was a game where we were trying to figure out how to beat Phoenix, who has the best record in the NBA. We did a good job for three quarters, and then [Joe] Johnson and [Steve] Nash were perfect there for about four minutes. They’re just a great defensive team when they can play twenty-four minutes the first quarter and fourth quarter with one foul. You can’t beat a team that plays great defense like that. They’re just really a fantastic defensive team. We didn’t lose the game because of referee-ing, we got beat because we got beat by a team that’s playing really well. But the consistency is frustrating. We got hit on our arms a lot, and we just needed to fight through it. I snapped at the end because I thought the touch-foul [on Nash] ended the game rather than letting the game end itself.”

www.nba.com/suns/news/quotes_050328.html

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forgive me for hallucinating, but did this guy just say that the phoenix suns are a fantastic defensive team? is this his idea of sarcasm? will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on in here!
 

fordronken

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He's being sarcastic with all the "good defense" stuff. But the fact is this, there was only a three foul difference in the game and the Suns commit the least fouls in the NBA.
 

Chris_Sanders

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Dear George,

Your team was very content to take a ton of outside shots. Through three quarters, you were hitting them. Everything you threw up went in.

Then you got cold from outside and couldn't score. As a Suns fan, I understand this syndrome. I call it the Rex Chapman syndrome.
 

Mulli

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Karl has always had a big mouth. My wife likes to make fun of him. She is from Chicago and always says things like, "George Karl, he can't win" because Karl couldn't beat the Bulls when he coached the Sonics.
 

elindholm

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Karl's just whining, but on the other hand, I did think that the Suns got the benefit of the calls last night. There were a few bad calls in Denver's favor, but many more that benefitted the home team.
 

F-Dog

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Sure, I'll give it a shot.


“It was a game where we were trying to figure out how to beat Phoenix, who has the best record in the NBA.
This is unclear without context. He might be saying that the Suns are very good and his team accomplished something by staying close, or he might be saying that the Suns are mediocre and the only thing remarkable about them is their record.

We did a good job for three quarters, and then [Joe] Johnson and [Steve] Nash were perfect there for about four minutes.
It wasn't his fault that the Suns came back to win in the fourth quarter, even though they ran a simple pick-and-roll on every possession down the stretch (and cashed in every time).

They’re just a great defensive team when they can play twenty-four minutes the first quarter and fourth quarter with one foul. You can’t beat a team that plays great defense like that.
The officials cost his team the game.

[Note: I love the logic here--if the Suns average 16 fouls a game, the refs are apparently supposed to stand there staring at their watches, to make sure they call a foul on the Suns every three minutes. :lol:

As it turned out, the Suns were called for 20 fouls last night, which is over their average. The reason for that is that the Nuggets got into the bonus in the third quarter and at least one of their players flopped on every possession the rest of the period. This may not be the best way to get the officials on your side for the fourth quarter. ;) ]


They’re just really a fantastic defensive team.
Everybody knows the Suns suck at defense. (If he said this about the Pistons, for example, it would come off as confusing, not sarcastic.)

We didn’t lose the game because of referee-ing, we got beat because we got beat by a team that’s playing really well. But the consistency is frustrating.
They lost the game because of the refereeing--but no offense to the other team. :lol:

We got hit on our arms a lot, and we just needed to fight through it.
The officials were biased, but we have to try to win anyway. (Hey you referees that are reading this: you're going to call them for lots of fouls next time to make this up to us, right?)

[Note: I wonder which was the last game that Karl's team didn't get hit on their arms a lot? Was it back when he was in college?]

I snapped at the end because I thought the touch-foul [on Nash] ended the game rather than letting the game end itself.”
1. This was the play that cost his team the game; and
2. The game was already over before he picked up his technical fouls, so the loss wasn't his fault.


Basically, it's the typical whining of a sore loser, with a little edge to it because he was outcoached at the end, and his stupid techs put the game out of reach.

(I have to admit, it must have been frustrating to watch his team lose by getting beat on a high P&R 10 times in a row, and then the one time they finally play it well, Camby gets called for a phantom foul.)


The thing is, Karl's team spent the last two weeks beating up on bad teams at home, and consequently getting a lot of calls. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, he immediately flips out. :rolleyes:
 
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George O'Brien

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George Karl flips out? How could you tell. He's always like this.

It may be that he's being sarcastic about the Sun's defense, but actually the Suns did what they try to do - force the other team to shoot from the outside. Shoot well and the you can beat the Suns. Shoot badly and the Suns will get long rebounds and score quickly.

On offense, the Suns run the same play over and over. It's no secret what they will do. It's just hard to stop without leaving a shooter open.
 

F-Dog

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George O'Brien said:
It may be that he's being sarcastic about the Sun's defense, but actually the Suns did what they try to do - force the other team to shoot from the outside. Shoot well and the you can beat the Suns. Shoot badly and the Suns will get long rebounds and score quickly.

I wasn't thrilled with the Suns' defense last night, actually; with Amare on the bench, they should have been better than usual, but they weren't. The guards all seemed to have Casey Jacobsen syndrome--they were unable to distinguish between the players who were actual threats as shooters and the ones who were just standing on the perimeter. Most annoyingly, Nash seemed to be the worst offender (it's OK that he's a bad defender, but there's no excuse for him being a stupid defender).


But hey, Denver's defense was even worse, right? :p
 

Gaddabout

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Karl's probably a little bitter because the faux zones he employed in Seattle are now legal and everybody can pack it in without getting called for illegal defense. He really knew how to exploit the old rules. Now, those rules no longer exist. Now, you have to be able to hit some jumpshots to win games. He's not quite the defensive "genius" he used to be.
 

coloradosun

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Karl is a Doug Moe protege and has added Moe to his coaching staff. Their on court and post game routines are the same, off the court they are very different.

There was a replay they played on Denver News tonight in regards to the sequence on Melo that did not get the calls Karl wanted. From what I saw Anthony did not get touched and Karl was crying about a touch foul out front on Nash. Just because the action was underneath the basket, George thought there was contact and wanted it called on his "star" player.
 

scotsman13

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coloradosun said:
Karl is a Doug Moe protege and has added Moe to his coaching staff. Their on court and post game routines are the same, off the court they are very different.

There was a replay they played on Denver News tonight in regards to the sequence on Melo that did not get the calls Karl wanted. From what I saw Anthony did not get touched and Karl was crying about a touch foul out front on Nash. Just because the action was underneath the basket, George thought there was contact and wanted it called on his "star" player.


the only problem is this is melo. melo has done more damage to himself being seen as a star player then anyone else i can name in nba history. melo pure and simple is a P.O.S. and it will take a long time for him to get calls like he may have gotten last year when everyone thought he was a golden boy.
 

Kolo

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scotsman13 said:
the only problem is this is melo. melo has done more damage to himself being seen as a star player then anyone else i can name in nba history. melo pure and simple is a P.O.S. and it will take a long time for him to get calls like he may have gotten last year when everyone thought he was a golden boy.

Where'd that hostility come from?
 

George O'Brien

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Hugh Jass said:
Where'd that hostility come from?

You are new to this board. Beating up on Carmelo is a well established tradition here, especially after his antics in Athens. :D
 

Joe Mama

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elindholm said:
Karl's just whining, but on the other hand, I did think that the Suns got the benefit of the calls last night. There were a few bad calls in Denver's favor, but many more that benefitted the home team.

I agree. Overall the Phoenix Suns probably did get the better of the officiating. However there were a couple blown calls against the Suns that were pretty bad. At one point Hunter was called for a foul underneath the basket against Anthony. There was at least a foot of space between any part of Hunter and Carmelo Anthony.

I also thought George Karl picked the wrong time to complain. Anthony was not fouled underneath the basket like Karl thought. When he looked at the replay he probably felt pretty stupid.

I also don't like the idea of comparing files and free-throw attempts to complain about the referees. For the most part when I've seen games with a huge discrepancy in free-throw attempts and fouls called its because one team is clearly fouling the other more often. The referees have been instructed to call the game much more tightly on the perimeter to encourage penetration to the basket. It's a good idea, and it's made a game better this year. Boykins and Miller probably should have been called several more times for those type of fouls.

Joe
 

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