Monty…

Hoop Head

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Booker was a +20 last night and was one of the keys to us getting back into the game after being down 15 in the 4th. He had 9 assists last night. I thought he did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and making the right reads.

Does he at times hold the ball too long…sure you can say that. But he shot 50% from the field and only 2 turnovers. For the first game of the season, I thought he played really well in his 41 minutes. I still think the key to unlocking everything is Bridges. I know he’s got the hardest assignment but he’s gotta become a more consistent scorer especially if CP3 takes a step back.

Don't bother trying to discuss reality or be logical when talking about Booker with him. He's an admitted Booker hater. I think Booker kicked his dog or something. No matter what he does, it's never enough.
 

1tinsoldier

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Booker was a +20 last night and was one of the keys to us getting back into the game after being down 15 in the 4th. He had 9 assists last night. I thought he did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and making the right reads.

Does he at times hold the ball too long…sure you can say that. But he shot 50% from the field and only 2 turnovers. For the first game of the season, I thought he played really well in his 41 minutes.

yes, Booker played an excellent game, as usual. he was our best player last night and on most nights, and is one of the best all-around players in the league

but there are a few thought-police persons here who would have me preface any critical remark with that paragraph

indeed, i've been calling him out on on his crunch-time ball holding for years
and i'll continue to because it has cost us some wins and will continue to
needlessly

he gets the much harder parts of the game right
 

Muggz

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yes, Booker played an excellent game, as usual. he was our best player last night and on most nights, and is one of the best all-around players in the league

but there are a few thought-police persons here who would have me preface any critical remark with that paragraph

indeed, i've been calling him out on on his crunch-time ball holding for years
and i'll continue to because it has cost us some wins and will continue to
needlessly

he gets the much harder parts of the game right
While I'm not a Booker Stan and I get the criticism.
Of course he's not perfect but that dude is pretty freakin clutch MOST of the time.
 

AzStevenCal

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While I'm not a Booker Stan and I get the criticism.
Of course he's not perfect but that dude is pretty freakin clutch MOST of the time.
Yeah he's not perfect even if you're just judging him on the skills of his position. All told he's a pretty fair point guard for a shooting guard but he'll never be a Chris Paul or Steve Nash. He doesn't read the court particularly well nor quickly enough to be an efficient playmaker against defensive pressure. But he's one heck of a shooting guard.
 

Hoop Head

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yes, Booker played an excellent game, as usual. he was our best player last night and on most nights, and is one of the best all-around players in the league

but there are a few thought-police persons here who would have me preface any critical remark with that paragraph

indeed, i've been calling him out on on his crunch-time ball holding for years
and i'll continue to because it has cost us some wins and will continue to
needlessly

he gets the much harder parts of the game right

It's funny how you think someone disagreeing with you makes them "thought police". One day you'll learn how to communicate with a group of people on a message board, that isn't today and probably not tomorrow either but I believe you'll figure it out eventually.
 

1tinsoldier

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It's funny how you think someone disagreeing with you makes them "thought police". One day you'll learn how to communicate with a group of people on a message board, that isn't today and probably not tomorrow either but I believe you'll figure it out eventually.

me and DJ didn't disagree. we both felt Booker played a great game but held the ball too long in the end, as did everyone else who evaluated those last couple of minutes

it's you i was referring to as the thought-police for once again rudely budding in to tell someone to "ignore him, he's just a Booker hater." Is that "how to communicate on a message board?" or how to agitate and troll someone because you're too sensitive to handle legit criticism of your favorite player. Well, there's no crying in basketball. If you can't handle it take up another hobby -- because reviewing, analyzing, and critiquing the game & players and suggesting strategies to win is exactly why people engage on message boards.
 
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JCSunsfan

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me and DJ didn't disagree. we both felt Booker played a great game but held the ball too long in the end, as did everyone else who evaluated those last couple of minutes

it's you i was referring to as the thought-police for once again rudely budding in to tell someone to "ignore him, he's just a Booker hater." Is that "how to communicate on a message board?" or how to agitate and troll someone because you're too sensitive to handle legit criticism of your favorite player. Well, there's no crying in basketball. If you can't handle it take up another hobby -- because reviewing, analyzing, and critiquing the game & players and suggesting strategies to win is exactly why people engage on message boards.
I will just disagree about holding the ball to long. He was trying to get the Mavs to commit defensively so he could either take it or dump off. It worked almost perfectly.
 

1tinsoldier

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first, the obligatory,
Booker had a great overall game and is the best player on the Suns and one of the best in the league

next, a
Warning: If you're not new here, look away, because this post is totally redundant
-- i've been ranting about this issue for 3 years now, including yesterday when i repeated that it's going to cost us games

i don't criticize players for missing shots -- i only complain about them making bad decisions like taking bad, low percentage shots when we've GOT to have a make!

-- when we've got one of the league's best teams on the floor and it's our last possession in a tie game there's no excuse for the ball never to touch anyone but Booker's hands for the whole 20 seconds, with him hanging out in the back court and chucking a 3 when we only need 1!

where's the coach-of-the-year's input or some involvement by the still smartest, assist-leading orchestrator in the game? or the agile cutting Bridges, or max-worthy big-man?

all just watching

sure, sure, Booker makes a lot of clutch shots and many are 3's
but i dare anyone to tell me how many times in the past 2 years during the regular season and playoffs
-- of the 6 or 7 times Booker has held the ball for a 3 in our final possession when we only needed 1 or 2, that he made it -- because i can't remember one time. And even if he did make one or two, that still sucks!

it's just not his strength. in fact it's no one's strength because it's a bad, low iq, low percentage, possession

we are the better team. and because of Devin Booker's great skill and effort we were in position to win in regulation. An unforced-error robbed him and us of our just reward. And it's going to continue to when we don't play to our strength -- team ball.
 
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1tinsoldier

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look at our last 4 losses:

1. after a blowout by Dallas
2. we played even worse in game 7
__b. with weeks to prepare for the Dallas season opener we blew the 1st half out our arse again

3. Portland steals a win
4. Portland steals a win, again

way to adjust coach
 

Hoop Head

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look at our last 4 losses:

1. after a blowout by Dallas
2. we played even worse in game 7
__b. with weeks to prepare for the Dallas season opener we blew the 1st half out our arse again

3. Portland steals a win
4. Portland steals a win, again

way to adjust coach

Suns are 7-2, and won 1 of the games you're whining about, largely because of Monty. They've been playing without 2 starters and sixth man for most of this season, exceeding expectations. Monty isn't to blame. I don't care how many games Portland steals from us.
 

Covert Rain

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me and DJ didn't disagree. we both felt Booker played a great game but held the ball too long in the end, as did everyone else who evaluated those last couple of minutes

it's you i was referring to as the thought-police for once again rudely budding in to tell someone to "ignore him, he's just a Booker hater." Is that "how to communicate on a message board?" or how to agitate and troll someone because you're too sensitive to handle legit criticism of your favorite player. Well, there's no crying in basketball. If you can't handle it take up another hobby -- because reviewing, analyzing, and critiquing the game & players and suggesting strategies to win is exactly why people engage on message boards.
You seem to be the Booker police which is pretty hypocritical of you. We have all seen you go out of your way to criticize small things about Book. Don’t pretend otherwise.

No player is perfect but you seem to want Book to be. Complaining about him at the end of close games when he played brilliant seems nit picky. If the rest of the team does their job it wouldn’t come down to a few plays.

I am not here to police your thoughts but you are going to keep getting called out for it like you have been by multiple posters. You do you which is fine. However, most of us can tell the difference between constructive criticism and going out of your way because it appears you have a chub to overly criticize a specific player.
 

1tinsoldier

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and i can tell the difference between posters who disagree with the criticism of a specific player because my criticism is invalid and those who criticize my criticism because Booker is their man

hint. they never do say my point is invalid. only the same old crying about how unfair it is
well, the fact is, Booker IS the man
the Suns past, present and future
now, our supermax guy
and any weakness in his game matters -- a LOT

indeed, some posters show up just for the affirmations on "what a great game it was" and "what a great game Booker had"
BORING to me and many others who aren't squeaky wheels who go out of their way make noise when they hear something
-- they DON'T LIKE (as opposed to disagreeing with the take)

yes, i will continue to critique Booker and the coach and the whole team even after great performances

thanks for permission for me to be me, and the warning about my "chub" which is at least a new wrinkle on the "stop picking on Booker" sermons i get
 

1tinsoldier

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and regarding the prior poster's criticism of my Monty criticism, it's a great example

i didn't say he wasn't a good coach or that he doesn't deserve credit for the past 3 seasons
i've said the opposite many times, including just recently when i emphasized several times that he deserved coach of the year

(unlike Igor who i did say was a bad coach and who the critic of my Monty post fought tooth-and-nail to defend for a full year -- insisting he just needed more time -- and who called me an "Igor hater")

AND NON OF THAT CHANGES MY POINT THAT MONTY'S WEAKNESS IS THAT HE DOESN'T ADJUST WELL

yes, the thought police are patrolling tonight
 

1tinsoldier

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in the interest of finding safe harbor in a critique no one will be offended by because he sits at the end of the bench:

last night, Washington took garbage time to a whole new level
and i'm not just talking about his hair
 

AzStevenCal

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and i can tell the difference between posters who disagree with the criticism of a specific player because my criticism is invalid and those who criticize my criticism because Booker is their man

hint. they never do say my point is invalid. only the same old crying about how unfair it is
well, the fact is, Booker IS the man
the Suns past, present and future
now, our supermax guy
and any weakness in his game matters -- a LOT

indeed, some posters show up just for the affirmations on "what a great game it was" and "what a great game Booker had"
BORING to me and many others who aren't squeaky wheels who go out of their way make noise when they hear something
-- they DON'T LIKE (as opposed to disagreeing with the take)

yes, i will continue to critique Booker and the coach and the whole team even after great performances

thanks for permission for me to be me, and the warning about my "chub" which is at least a new wrinkle on the "stop picking on Booker" sermons i get
To be fair, Devin isn't on a super max deal. He signed a super max extension but that doesn't kick in until the 2024 season so it's unfair to critique him as a Supermax player until then. Today he's just a regular old max player, currently the 24th highest paid in the league and I think he more than earns that money.

Right now, I believe the only players getting super max money are Curry, Lillard, Giannis, Gobert, Embiid, Doncic, Westbrook, Wall and Harden. Even our imperfect Booker would warrant that kind of money over 4 or 5 of those guys.
 
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1tinsoldier

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oh, i just saw the other thread about the Cam J injury update
now i understand why some posters are cranky
and i'm in even a worse mood than they put me in
 

Covert Rain

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yes, i will continue to critique Booker and the coach and the whole team even after great performances

thanks for permission for me to be me, and the warning about my "chub" which is at least a new wrinkle on the "stop picking on Booker" sermons i get
Comprehension evidently isn't a skill. Nobody was trying to give you permission. I said "you be you" didn't I? Let me spell it out for you because you seem to be struggling. Nobody cares if you critique a player. Every single player has something that can be critiqued. It's the way you go about it and go out of your way to target a player for some weird reason. Multiple people keep pointing it out. I have not see a single person here say "Book is above" being critiqued. Not one. Yet you keep spinning what you are doing is normal or not different from others. That's your problem. You would think if enough people pointed something out you are doing some self-reflection would be in order, but I digress.
 
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1tinsoldier

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oh, i "comprehend" alright
now i remember that you were one of the 4 or 5 here who have been whining over the past few years about my Booker critiques -- and of a hundred posters here it's only been you 5 -- and you've each razzed me a dozen times each

(check the Booker thread started back then when i was posting about how Booker-ball and his hot head and decision-making weakness was going to cost us games and/or a championship. And though he has improved, now quite a few posters regularly complain about those same issues. "weird" huh?)

I DON'T CARE if you don't like "the way i go about it."
do you understand?
i am not breaking any forum rules
and neither is anyone else who may have recurring grievances with some players who keep repeating their mistakes
check the Ayton thread for example
they're called "Ayton haters" by the thought police
i used to be called an "Igor hater"

"go out of your way to target a player for some weird reason"
weird reason????
the weird reason is he too often plays hero-ball despite a very competent supporting cast
ask him or the coach about it because it is a little weird
and stop trolling me when i point it out after a game

and if i can't point that out when it happens either ask the admin to add it to the forum rules
or just shut up
or block me
because i'm tired of 5 1tinsoldier-haters ruining my experience here

and what bothers the majority is not critique
it's seeing the same tired old back-and-forth whining!!!!
i'm done playing that game

next time it happens i'll either block the 5 or just not bother to post here at all
it's not worth the time or aggravation
 

Covert Rain

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oh, i "comprehend" alright
now i remember that you were one of the 4 or 5 here who have been whining over the past few years about my Booker critiques -- and of a hundred posters here it's only been you 5 -- and you've each razzed me a dozen times each

(check the Booker thread started back then when i was posting about how Booker-ball and his hot head and decision-making weakness was going to cost us games and/or a championship. And though he has improved, now quite a few posters regularly complain about those same issues. "weird" huh?)

I DON'T CARE if you don't like "the way i go about it."
do you understand?
i am not breaking any forum rules
and neither is anyone else who may have recurring grievances with some players who keep repeating their mistakes
check the Ayton thread for example
they're called "Ayton haters" by the thought police
i used to be called an "Igor hater"

"go out of your way to target a player for some weird reason"
weird reason????
the weird reason is he too often plays hero-ball despite a very competent supporting cast
ask him or the coach about it because it is a little weird
and stop trolling me when i point it out after a game

and if i can't point that out when it happens either ask the admin to add it to the forum rules
or just shut up
or block me
because i'm tired of 5 1tinsoldier-haters ruining my experience here

and what bothers the majority is not critique
it's seeing the same tired old back-and-forth whining!!!!
i'm done playing that game

next time it happens i'll either block the 5 or just not bother to post here at all
it's not worth the time or aggravation
Now I know you are full of crap. Uh...you don't remember what you think you remember. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH! Once again you don't like what you are being told so you are throwing me in this alleged group. Thanks?!?!?

You also just proved my point. You keep trying to skew the conversation to something nobody is saying because you can't selfreflect or comprehend what people are trying to tell you. Notice how plenty of people here critique other players but don't seem to have the problem you do.

I will let you try to put 2+2 together.....again.
 

Hoop Head

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oh, i "comprehend" alright
now i remember that you were one of the 4 or 5 here who have been whining over the past few years about my Booker critiques -- and of a hundred posters here it's only been you 5 -- and you've each razzed me a dozen times each

(check the Booker thread started back then when i was posting about how Booker-ball and his hot head and decision-making weakness was going to cost us games and/or a championship. And though he has improved, now quite a few posters regularly complain about those same issues. "weird" huh?)

I DON'T CARE if you don't like "the way i go about it."
do you understand?
i am not breaking any forum rules
and neither is anyone else who may have recurring grievances with some players who keep repeating their mistakes
check the Ayton thread for example
they're called "Ayton haters" by the thought police
i used to be called an "Igor hater"

"go out of your way to target a player for some weird reason"
weird reason????
the weird reason is he too often plays hero-ball despite a very competent supporting cast
ask him or the coach about it because it is a little weird
and stop trolling me when i point it out after a game

and if i can't point that out when it happens either ask the admin to add it to the forum rules
or just shut up
or block me
because i'm tired of 5 1tinsoldier-haters ruining my experience here

and what bothers the majority is not critique
it's seeing the same tired old back-and-forth whining!!!!
i'm done playing that game

next time it happens i'll either block the 5 or just not bother to post here at all
it's not worth the time or aggravation

Shouldn't you be looking for Sarver's mole or did you finally reveal who that was? Let me guess, it was one of the people who have told you that you're a "Booker hater" at some point, right? I love how you think there's only been 5 or so people who have done that.

Seriously, start a blog somewhere. You'll be happier. You can winge and moan and I'll never read it, neither will anyone else but at least you won't need to get all paranoid about people out to silence you.
 

Phrazbit

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oh, i "comprehend" alright
now i remember that you were one of the 4 or 5 here who have been whining over the past few years about my Booker critiques -- and of a hundred posters here it's only been you 5 -- and you've each razzed me a dozen times each

(check the Booker thread started back then when i was posting about how Booker-ball and his hot head and decision-making weakness was going to cost us games and/or a championship. And though he has improved, now quite a few posters regularly complain about those same issues. "weird" huh?)

I DON'T CARE if you don't like "the way i go about it."
do you understand?
i am not breaking any forum rules
and neither is anyone else who may have recurring grievances with some players who keep repeating their mistakes
check the Ayton thread for example
they're called "Ayton haters" by the thought police
i used to be called an "Igor hater"

"go out of your way to target a player for some weird reason"
weird reason????
the weird reason is he too often plays hero-ball despite a very competent supporting cast
ask him or the coach about it because it is a little weird
and stop trolling me when i point it out after a game

and if i can't point that out when it happens either ask the admin to add it to the forum rules
or just shut up
or block me
because i'm tired of 5 1tinsoldier-haters ruining my experience here

and what bothers the majority is not critique
it's seeing the same tired old back-and-forth whining!!!!
i'm done playing that game

next time it happens i'll either block the 5 or just not bother to post here at all
it's not worth the time or aggravation

We're a missed free throw and a ref screw job from being 9-0...

The sky isn't falling, take a deep breath and enjoy things.

Just a few years ago we were hot garbage and our "stars" were blowing weed in their babies faces and posting from the salon that they wanted out.

One of my best buddies is a Bills fan who has an unimaginable recency bias, the dude wants to trade Josh Allen for Murray right now and legit thinks the Bills are the worst team in the NFL.

Sometimes ya gotta take a step back, remove your previous biases, take a deep breath and evaluate the current situation.
 

1tinsoldier

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oh look. 4 of the 5 bully boys have shown up on queue

the cold hard truth is that you are 1tinsoldier-haters because i have been absolutely right about the few, but important flaws in Booker's game for 4 years, and the only reason i keep posting about them is that he keeps repeating them, unfortunately proving me right each time

just like some keep complaining that Ayton is not aggressive enough
why do they keep repeating the criticism and picking on him?
not because he must have "kicked their dog"
BECAUSE HE STILL PLAYS SOFT TOO OFTEN

i get your fanboy pain, and how it makes you want to hurt me
that's how bully boys handle their pain

my favorite Suns player is Chris Paul because he's a smart, team player
but though i absolutely feel that he's been unfairly dissed on this forum
especially lately
i never once cried about it or tried to silence or bully anyone about it
like a clique of mean-girls in grade school

yes, Sarver was the bully at the top running the Suns
and my little experiment shined some light on how bully's operate here as well in their little hyena pack
LOL-ing together
the same bullys did manage to drive quite a few other original thinkers off this forum
and it was always just a matter of time before you pushed me out
you have in the past, and i came back and just stopped responding to the attacks
but today could be the day...
i'll think about it
i don't really want to give the mean-girls the satisfaction
 
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1tinsoldier

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We're a missed free throw and a ref screw job from being 9-0...

The sky isn't falling, take a deep breath and enjoy things.

Just a few years ago we were hot garbage and our "stars" were blowing weed in their babies faces and posting from the salon that they wanted out.

One of my best buddies is a Bills fan who has an unimaginable recency bias, the dude wants to trade Josh Allen for Murray right now and legit thinks the Bills are the worst team in the NFL.

Sometimes ya gotta take a step back, remove your previous biases, take a deep breath and evaluate the current situation.

i don't know why that's directed at me?
i voted this season's record would be almost as good as last season
and wrote extensively about how they should run it back this season (instead of trading players away) and that the way last season ended was a fluke
 

1tinsoldier

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...people who have told you that you're a "Booker hater" at some point, right? I love how you think there's only been 5 or so people who have done that.

ok, maaaybe 6
but, as you well know, the few who say it once will never stop repeating it over and over
like a true, vengeful troll
looking for any attack opening in any observation you make from that day on

i'm truly sorry for your pain and that i may have added to it
that was never my intent and i wish you well
but whether i continue to post here or not
i will never aknowledge you again
 
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