Lakers @ Suns 3-9-17

[AzStevenCal]

Sorry Steve... I'm just incredulous that any fan thinks there could be a such thing as a statement game in a season like this. I mean what's the statement?

"Hey, we're the fourth worst team in the league, not the second!"

Not much of a statement.

Our young players are better than yours? Or, how about, from the Lakers perspective, we're not the total losers we looked like the last time? Not all statements are the same.

IMO, this was a bad loss. It would have been a good loss if we could blame it on anything other than getting our butts kicked.

 

[Mainstreet]

I was holding my breath. I didn't want to jinx the Suns.

Lakers win. Who would have thought.

This game may show as loss but this was a good win for the Suns.

Final:

Lakers 122 - Suns 110

 

[gimpy]

I hate the Lakers. I despise them. Terrible game by the Suns. No wonder I can't stand watching them.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Our young players are better than yours? Or, how about, from the Lakers perspective, we're not the total losers we looked like the last time? Not all statements are the same.

IMO, this was a bad loss. It would have been a good loss if we could blame it on anything other than getting our butts kicked.

None of those statements will matter when it comes to how many ping-pong balls we get and it sure as hell won't matter in two or three years when all our young talent has gotten their legs under them and won't even remember tonight.

There's no such thing as bad losses in a season like this. And if a loss like this somehow does stick with this team years down the road, we're a complete joke of a team anyway.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I was holding my breath. I didn't want to jinx the Suns.

Lakers win. Who would have thought.

This game may show as loss but this was a good win for the Suns.

Final:

Lakers 122 - Suns 110

Read post #12. I didn't predict this loss but I'm certainly not surprised by it. I think it was evident by Walton's post game speech after their last loss and the reaction on LA sports talk shows how embarrassing that performance was and how important this match-up was to them. One highly motivated team versus a team that isn't playing at their best? No surprise we lost.

 

[pokerface]

I hate the Lakers. I despise them. Terrible game by the Suns. No wonder I can't stand watching them.

Yeah I hate the Lakers except I don't recognize this squad. They are just pathetic... Except tonight

 

[Cheesebeef]

The only thing keeping me from loving this Laker team more is two more Ws to let us pass them in the tankathon.

They've been awful for years. What's not to like?!

 

[AzStevenCal]

Bledsoe's been a disappointment since the all star break. He played great ball for the month or so leading into the mini-vacation but he's struggled in most of the games since then.

 

[sunsfan88]

Bledsoe's been a disappointment since the all star break. He played great ball for the month or so leading into the mini-vacation but he's struggled in most of the games since then.

He played hard in the games before All Star break because he wanted to be an All Star but now that it didn't happen and we're in the 2nd half of the season, there's basically no incentive for him to play well.

 

[AzStevenCal]

He played hard in the games before All Star break because he wanted to be an All Star but now that it didn't happen and we're in the 2nd half of the season, there's basically no incentive for him to play well.

Maybe. I hope not but I don't have a better theory other than the slim hope that he's just worn out. He did have most of last season off and couldn't stay in top shape for much of that time.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think you guys are over thinking this one... other than a uptick in turnovers he's putting numbers pretty much on par with his season averages. He killed the Celtics late in that game, dropped 30 the next night. Tonight he stunk but... it happens.

If he did hyperextend his knee the other day though, they should sit him out for a while. No point in allowing for any risk, no matter how minor.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think you guys are over thinking this one... other than a uptick in turnovers he's putting numbers pretty much on par with his season averages. He killed the Celtics late in that game, dropped 30 the next night. Tonight he stunk but... it happens.

If he did hyperextend his knee the other day though, they should sit him out for a while. No point in allowing for any risk, no matter how minor.

His turnover average might not be up much but he's had 5 or more turnovers in 4 of his 8 games since the break and he's shooting under 41% from the field during this time too. Actually, his slump started a few weeks prior to the break, his shooting percentages have fallen considerably from where they were at the start of February.

The more I look at his numbers the more convinced I am that Watson has simply run him into the ground. He's finally easing off on the minutes a little but he had no business playing him all those 35, 38, 42 and 45 minute games.

 

[3rdside]

A bit of an over dramatization steve - Michael Jordan averaged 38 minutes for his entire career, maxxing out at nearly 41 minutes a game one year.

 

[Errntknght]

Chriss and TJ had good games... and just the kind of games they needed - Chriss hitting shots and TJ grabbing rebounds.

We whooped it up on them the last game and figured this was a gimme - good for the soul to get beaten in such a game.

 

[SweetD]

Hey Sun's are only 8.5 games out of the playoffs we can make a push . Man the NBA has a bunch of really bad teams this year.

 

[SirStefan32]

Our young players are better than yours? Or, how about, from the Lakers perspective, we're not the total losers we looked like the last time? Not all statements are the same.

IMO, this was a bad loss. It would have been a good loss if we could blame it on anything other than getting our butts kicked.

I'm with you, Steve. There is a bright side to losing, but I cannot be happy about getting destroyed by the Lakers.

 

[chickenhead]

Probably the first time I ever looked at a losing final score against the Lakers and celebrated. (Still felt weird.) Picking up a game on them makes things interesting, but in context it's probably more important that the Suns lost, period, after the Magic win.

In terms of this being any kind of a "statement" - I don't think players necessarily care the way we do. I'm not saying they don't want to compete every game, and while players don't usually tank on purpose, the upside of a loss can't be lost on them. It was a bad loss but they probably moved on from it by the time they got home/to the restaurant/to the club etc.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I am absolutely convinced we could have beaten the Lakers if we really wanted to.

 

[Chaplin]

How will you feel about this loss if it makes no difference with the number of ping pong balls we get? "Well, we got the 5th pick, but hey, at least we lost to the Lakers!" Think the players will think that?

I also have a sneaky feeling that this loss will motivate our players to win more.

 

[JCSunsfan]

How will you feel about this loss if it makes no difference with the number of ping pong balls we get? "Well, we got the 5th pick, but hey, at least we lost to the Lakers!" Think the players will think that?

I also have a sneaky feeling that this loss will motivate our players to win more.

The players will always want to win. I would not want it any other way.

 

[pokerface]

I'm with you, Steve. There is a bright side to losing, but I cannot be happy about getting destroyed by the Lakers.

I was very happy because a loss is a loss. We gained ground on the Lakers and THEY need to lose more than we do.

 

[pokerface]

How will you feel about this loss if it makes no difference with the number of ping pong balls we get? "Well, we got the 5th pick, but hey, at least we lost to the Lakers!" Think the players will think that?

If this loss somehow made the difference in getting the player we wanted AND possibly made it to where the Lakers dont even collect on their own pick...How is that not the coolest thing ever??

I think the people complaining just want to be contrairians or something because no one (including them) will ever care about this game beyond this season. As a matter of fact...Does anyone remember Suns/Lakers games from last season?

Nuff said!

 

[Cheesebeef]

How will you feel about this loss if it makes no difference with the number of ping pong balls we get? "Well, we got the 5th pick, but hey, at least we lost to the Lakers!" Think the players will think that?

I won't care... and neither will the players. Seriously... if anyone's even thinking about this game for a nano-second after the season, they got too much time on their hands. And that's coming from someone with wayyyyyy too much time on their hands.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If this loss somehow made the difference in getting the player we wanted AND possibly made it to where the Lakers dont even collect on their own pick...How is that not the coolest thing ever??

I think the people complaining just want to be contrairians or something because no one (including them) will ever care about this game beyond this season. As a matter of fact...Does any remember Suns/Lakers games from last season?

Nuff said!

exactly. in a season where we're terrible and and on a team that's missing a true superstar, isn't the best thing that can happen to this team is they get as many ping pong balls as possible to hopefully get that superstar? Wishing we had beat the Lakers last night is basically cutting off your nose to spite yourself. In the long run, NO ONE will remember it, and in the short-run, all it will do is lessen your chance of getting the best chance at a superstar.

I mean... AREN'T YOU GUYS SICK OF BEING THIS TEAM? For Pete's sake, you'd think after 7 years of being in purgatory, you'd be aching at the chance to get the most ping-pong balls, especially in a great draft where we might actually draft that difference maker who can start moving us OUT of the hell we've been in.

 

[pokerface]

The players will always want to win. I would not want it any other way.

Yeah and suns fans will always care more about the longevity and well being of the organization. We will still be here long after these players come and go!