Ja Jones to Start, Diaw to Sit

[F-Dog]

Maybe we can get Imus to do it?

Imus couldn't beat the French out of Madeleine. He looks like he's about 80, and not a good 80, either.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

James Jones in the starting 5 has no need to score. Period. Why do you think it's so crucial for him to be a scoring machine if he starts? It'd be nice if he could hit a couple shots to keep the defense honest, but he won't be there to score--that's what Marion, Amare and Nash are there for.

he doesn't need to be a "scoring machine" (and who said that?), but he HAS to knock down those couple of shots. spacing is crucial to this team. and if everyone can ignore james jones he KILLS our offense. and he hasn't shot well in a looooooooong time.

 

[arthurracoon]

I actually like this.

I dont think Jones is gonna get more minutes. I just like the team we have once the bench gets into the game (and Jones comes out).

We can still start out good w/ the main 4 starters. Then you can bring in Barbosa, Diaw, and KT off the bench at any time (to replace Jones) for a boost).

 

[Wally]

Maybe this will lite a fire under Diaw's behind..... Could be a good move by Mike D'. Suns have won a lot of games with D' as the coach and I've allways believed that the biggest job of any coach is getting the most productivity out of the players. Motavation IS the key to success. Perhaps this is what Diaw needs to get him going.

 

[HooverDam]

I don't know how I feel about this move, I really like Diaw even those he's struggled this year. On the one hand, it probably means more P&R w/ Nash/Amare (which always equals success), but Jones is just so damned streaky. Hopefully its just for a few games to light a fire under Boris.

I'd have to really go through a list of foreign born players, but it seems like many of them have effort issues. They just dont seem as competitive as American players (granted, there are lots of American Tim Thomas' out there, but there are also a lot more Americans in the league). Perhaps its a cultural thing, America is a society all about being #1, beating your competitions brains in, etc, which to me is a huge reason why we've always excelled in athletics (in addition to having a large population that is also wealthy and can fund sports).

EDIT: I hope Boris works on his jumper a lot this off season. If he can be super consistent from 20 or so feet, I think it will help him mesh on the floor better with Amare. Amare can roll to the basket for powerful inside scoring, where Boris could be more of a pick-and-pop kind of guy.

 

[Chaplin]

he doesn't need to be a "scoring machine" (and who said that?), but he HAS to knock down those couple of shots. spacing is crucial to this team. and if everyone can ignore james jones he KILLS our offense. and he hasn't shot well in a looooooooong time.

Treesquid had been going off about how badly Jr. has been shooting. He's right, of course, but his shooting isn't why he is starting, and I simply pointed that out.

Remember, he is one of our better defensive players. His big slump has disguised that fact--I consider James JOnes to be one of the main reasons we beat the Lakers the other day because of how he contained Luke Walton.

Like you, though, I want him to hit a few jumpers to keep the defense honest. Tonight is a very good chance for him to do that since they are playing a subpar team.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns finally got around to playing a starting unit I like. I would also find it acceptable if KT started instead of Jones in this new lineup. It gives the Suns three solid bench rotation players in LB, KT and Diaw.

I'm sorry if I'm redundant, but Amare and Diaw are like oil and water. They do not mix well. I think Diaw's minutes should only come when Amare is on the bench... period. Also the Suns need to feed Diaw the ball inside more because he is back to thinking he is a PG.

 

[dodie53]

diaw had 8 assists

 

[Mainstreet]

diaw had 8 assists

You make my case. I just want triple double Boris back from last year or some resemblance while he is on the floor.

 

[Nasser22]

Well, Jones shot well. Just pointing it out because he deserves some praise for a good game.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Diaw played 27 min, and scored 2 points and pulled down 1 rebound... this a guy who plays the front court. I know he got 8 assists, but please. What a loser.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well, Jones shot well. Just pointing it out because he deserves some praise for a good game.

I totally agree. As a matter of fact I projected a starting lineup of Nash, Bell, Marion, Jones and Stat as my preferred starting lineup with KT, Diaw and Barbosa coming off the bench. However, I can see how fans might want KT to start instead of Jones in certain games. KT can be very valuable especially in a half court game.

 

[TJ]

like ive said before...relegate Diaw to the "Fitness Club"

 

[Chaplin]

Diaw played 27 min, and scored 2 points and pulled down 1 rebound... this a guy who plays the front court. I know he got 8 assists, but please. What a loser.

"What a loser"?

 

[azirish]

Last summer I was given a hard time because I argued that Boris should come off the bench. It wasn't just that he and Amare try to do the same things, but I felt it would free Leandro from having to be the primary ball handler. If we thought of the lineup as having Boris as an oversized PG on offense, then his stats would make sense.

Obviously he's not quick enough to defend smaller point guards, but he's a good distributor and CAN create matchup issues. In any case, having Boris passing to Leandro may be a lot more effective than Leandro passing to Jones.

We'll see.

 

[mathbzh]

I didn't see the game. Did Boris play PG in that game?

 

[elindholm]

I didn't see the game. Did Boris play PG in that game?

It depends on how you define it.

 

[mathbzh]

I mean "where" did he play. Because if he played in the froncourt... one rebound in 27 minutes is embarassing.

 

[msdundee]

Well, Jones shot well. Just pointing it out because he deserves some praise for a good game.

How nice to read something positive (looks like it was a good thing Jr. got some touches and nobody removed his hands). Think anybody will mention Shawn's 24/10 and those big defensive hustle plays? Probably not.

Hope these posts don't get us banned.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

How nice to read something positive (looks like it was a good thing Jr. got some touches and nobody removed his hands). Think anybody will mention Shawn's 24/10 and those big defensive hustle plays? Probably not.

Hope these posts don't get us banned.

Awww, no one's gonna ban you for being the number 1 Junior fan, you have that right. .
If the guy perfroms then good, if not I am gonna rip him, I myself just think he is vastly overrated by the media and I keep hearing on the radio, TV and print how much better he is with the leather ball, how awesome he is on defense. I guess most media people just don't think for themselves and parrot everything they hear from Paul Coro.

 

[mathbzh]

How nice to read something positive (looks like it was a good thing Jr. got some touches and nobody removed his hands). Think anybody will mention Shawn's 24/10 and those big defensive hustle plays? Probably not.

Hope these posts don't get us banned.

You are right
Sometime when you read the posts it seems that we are a lottery team

I apologize for that

 

[msdundee]

Awww, no one's gonna ban you for being the number 1 Junior fan, you have that right. .

It's more like I'm the number 1 Matrix fan ..... at least on this board.

 

[elindholm]

We already know that Marion can light it up against lousy teams. Even so, it was nice to see.

 

[msdundee]

We already know that Marion can light it up against lousy teams. Even so, it was nice to see.

Among other bits and pieces of ragging, here have been comments about him going AWOL in the playoffs. Check his numbers in the second round last year -- not for one game, for the entire series -- and the series went 7 games. It is interesting that some of the harshest criticism comes from posters who don't see all the Suns games during the regular season, which might explain a lot.

I have no reservations about being a big Marion fan after eight years of solid play. If any of the daily trade-Marion scenarios ever comes to pass, my biggest hope is that he'll come back to USAC in another uni and "light it up".

 

[elindholm]

Among other bits and pieces of ragging, here have been comments about him going AWOL in the playoffs. Check his numbers in the second round last year -- not for one game, for the entire series -- and the series went 7 games.

Marion disappears against well disciplined defensive teams, which the Suns are more likely to encounter in the playoffs. In last year's Clippers series, the Suns as a team the Suns scored 112 points per game on 47% shooting, so obviously the opponent's defensive achievement left something to be desired across the board. Marion also played well in the Memphis series two years ago.

I think Marion is fine and I'm not a "basher." My point was that his performance last night does nothing to answer his critics, because it wasn't the set of circumstances that has traditionally led to his struggling.