The small ball lineup and trapping defense will probably work against Miami and Orlando because neither team really has a point guard. I don't like their chances tonight against New Jersey however. Jason Kidd is probably better than any point guard in the NBA and beating a press and exploiting it. The rest of his team are excellent passers as well. Without a power forward are not sure there is really any way to beat them tonight. It's too bad because a whipping might break the Suns hearts.
But alas there is really nothing else they can do. Amare Stoudemire and Zarko Cabarkapa posted to the power forward rotation, and they are both out. I hope they play Joe Johnson at power forward and not Shawn Marion.
Go Suns!
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1206sunsnb1206.html
Small ball yields huge turnaround
Stoudemire's ankle injury forces change
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 6, 2003 12:00 AM
BOSTON - Out of answers and about out of hope, the Suns went back to something that worked for them last spring in the NBA playoffs:
Small ball.
With a lineup that included Stephon Marbury, Joe Johnson, Penny Hardaway and Shawn Marion rotating in with centers Jake Voskuhl and Jahidi White, the Suns rallied from a 29-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Boston 110-106.
"What choice did we have?" asked Suns coach Frank Johnson, who lost power forward Amare Stoudemire when he suffered an ankle sprain.
"It made it easier because we were down, and out of desperation we threw a group out there that isn't used to playing together," Hardaway said. "But last season this group was successful for us. We might just have to go with that. We haven't had anything else work."
The small lineup pressured and trapped the Celtics full court, forcing them into bad shots and creating 10 second-half turnovers.
"Clearly the difference between the second half and the first half was we had a very difficult time contending with their small lineup," Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said. "They would not let us get into an offense that we need to make basketball plays.
"We had a very difficult time guarding their small lineup. They're all - Marbury, Marion, Joe Johnson, Hardaway - they're very, very quick penetrators, and they're using their pick and rolls."
Amare heads home
Stoudemire turned his left ankle after attempting to tip in a missed shot from Marbury late in the first half. He was taken to a nearby hospital and underwent two rounds of X-rays. There was no fracture.
But Stoudemire's injury was serious enough to knock him out of the rest of the road trip. He returned to Phoenix. Ironically, he is to have his number retired during a ceremony at Orlando's Cypress Creek High School on Monday, when the Suns visit the Magic.
Funk fix
"The No. 1 cure for a funk is a win, any win, against any opponent, anywhere," said Suns center Scott Williams, who sat out the game because of flu symptoms. "Hopefully we can string some together."
Or maybe orange is the answer. Williams was munching on them before the game to battle the flu. And the Suns broke out their orange uniforms for the first time since their home opener. They're now 2-0 wearing orange.
Ainge absent
Former Suns coach and player Danny Ainge missed the first meeting of the Celtics and Suns since he took over as Boston's director of basketball operations. Ainge was in St. George, Utah, attending a funeral.
But alas there is really nothing else they can do. Amare Stoudemire and Zarko Cabarkapa posted to the power forward rotation, and they are both out. I hope they play Joe Johnson at power forward and not Shawn Marion.
Go Suns!
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1206sunsnb1206.html
Small ball yields huge turnaround
Stoudemire's ankle injury forces change
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 6, 2003 12:00 AM
BOSTON - Out of answers and about out of hope, the Suns went back to something that worked for them last spring in the NBA playoffs:
Small ball.
With a lineup that included Stephon Marbury, Joe Johnson, Penny Hardaway and Shawn Marion rotating in with centers Jake Voskuhl and Jahidi White, the Suns rallied from a 29-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Boston 110-106.
"What choice did we have?" asked Suns coach Frank Johnson, who lost power forward Amare Stoudemire when he suffered an ankle sprain.
"It made it easier because we were down, and out of desperation we threw a group out there that isn't used to playing together," Hardaway said. "But last season this group was successful for us. We might just have to go with that. We haven't had anything else work."
The small lineup pressured and trapped the Celtics full court, forcing them into bad shots and creating 10 second-half turnovers.
"Clearly the difference between the second half and the first half was we had a very difficult time contending with their small lineup," Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said. "They would not let us get into an offense that we need to make basketball plays.
"We had a very difficult time guarding their small lineup. They're all - Marbury, Marion, Joe Johnson, Hardaway - they're very, very quick penetrators, and they're using their pick and rolls."
Amare heads home
Stoudemire turned his left ankle after attempting to tip in a missed shot from Marbury late in the first half. He was taken to a nearby hospital and underwent two rounds of X-rays. There was no fracture.
But Stoudemire's injury was serious enough to knock him out of the rest of the road trip. He returned to Phoenix. Ironically, he is to have his number retired during a ceremony at Orlando's Cypress Creek High School on Monday, when the Suns visit the Magic.
Funk fix
"The No. 1 cure for a funk is a win, any win, against any opponent, anywhere," said Suns center Scott Williams, who sat out the game because of flu symptoms. "Hopefully we can string some together."
Or maybe orange is the answer. Williams was munching on them before the game to battle the flu. And the Suns broke out their orange uniforms for the first time since their home opener. They're now 2-0 wearing orange.
Ainge absent
Former Suns coach and player Danny Ainge missed the first meeting of the Celtics and Suns since he took over as Boston's director of basketball operations. Ainge was in St. George, Utah, attending a funeral.
