New Suns article on front page

[elindholm]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/storypage.php?Story_ID=572&Category=suns

 

[Chaz]

Nice job breaking down both sides of the argument.

Besides the obivous rebounding issue the inexperience is the biggest issue to me.

We simply don't know how they will respond to playoff pressure. There will be even more for a #1 seed with the best record in the league. I sure hope the young players can handle it and the veterans can step up and lead.

We have seen the Suns come out flat for some big games. We have also seen them get a lead, get full of themselves and let down. Hopefully they have learned enough from these regular season mistakes that they are not repeated in the playoffs.

One thing I do know about the Suns from watching them all season, there is no quit in this team.


Good luck Suns.

 

[jibikao]

"No superstar" on the team is the LEAST I worry about. Sure, Nash/Marion can't take over the game like Kobe/T-Mac/AI do but we've won plenty of close games in this year.

My experience with the Nash-Mavs is that they usually lose the game down the stretch if they are behind because they don't have the defense stop to slow down the opponents.

However, we've proven over and over again that when we are down in the 4th quarter, we can catch up the opponent and steal a close-win with some impressive defense as a team.

I mean Pistons has no one who can dominate the game and they won as a team didn't they? I think we are the offensive version of Pistons! hehe.

During close games, the only biggest problem I think is foul shot. Besides Nash and Marion, nobody is consistent enough. Amare MUST MUST MUST make at least 75% of the FT throughout playoffs for us to win close games.

Other than that, I think we pretty much know our strenth and weakness and hopefully we can stay focus and win like we have been!

 

[fordronken]

Besides the obivous rebounding issue the inexperience is the biggest issue to me.

We simply don't know how they will respond to playoff pressure. There will be even more for a #1 seed with the best record in the league. I sure hope the young players can handle it and the veterans can step up and lead.

For some reason, I really think this group will step up in the playoffs. I picture Joe Johnson coming through on nights when others are off, and Q picking his game up in pressure spots.

The players I'm most concerned about come playoff time are Barbosa and Hunter. Sure, they're small bench players, but they will be crucial in the postseason.

I'm also a little concerned with Amare trying to do too much(remember the all-star game) and force his game. However, I can't imagine him, with our coaching staff involved, to do that more than a couple of times.

 

[fordronken]

Oh, and by the way, nice article. Well done.

 

[PhxGametime]

Nice article.

I'm most concerned about foul trouble, I don't want a ref to determine outcome.


Rebounding will always be a concern and experience but the refs

 

[Skkorpion]

Good article. Just a reminder to all prospective front page writers -- Put your real names on the pieces you write. And have thick skin because there is always someone who won't like what you wrote.

 

[jibikao]

League aesthetic. No one doubts that officiating makes a big difference in the outcome of playoff games. It’s hard to deny that the Suns are the league’s most exciting team, and that their success could inspire other teams to adopt similar approaches. Neither the Pistons nor the 2003 Spurs drew good television ratings. If the league is smart – so goes the argument – they’ll encourage the officials to call a cleaner game in the playoffs, improving the chances of teams like Phoenix that need freedom to move in order to be effective.
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I wish playoff can be less physical.

 

[elindholm]

Just a reminder to all prospective front page writers -- Put your real names on the pieces you write.

Funny that you mention that. I did submit it with my real name, but somehow it got converted to "Elindholm" by the time Mike (?) posted it. If there's any easy way to change it to my actual name, that's fine by me.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

 

[George O'Brien]

Just a reminder to all prospective front page writers -- Put your real names on the pieces you write.

Funny that you mention that. I did submit it with my real name, but somehow it got converted to "Elindholm" by the time Mike (?) posted it. If there's any easy way to change it to my actual name, that's fine by me.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

Great article.

BTW, I haven't been doing much front page stuff lately because it is a very different kind of writing than regular posts (ie more work ). I will probably post some stuff getting ready for the playoffs.

This issue of using ones own name or using your screen name is something of a problem. This is why I use my given name as my screen name, even though I don't write front page stuff like I used to. Everywhere else, I use my azirishmusic name.

 

[se7en]

Great job Eric.

 

[Chaplin]

Just a reminder to all prospective front page writers -- Put your real names on the pieces you write.

Funny that you mention that. I did submit it with my real name, but somehow it got converted to "Elindholm" by the time Mike (?) posted it. If there's any easy way to change it to my actual name, that's fine by me.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

It's not like nobody knows your name anyway, right, Eric?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Good article Eric.

League aesthetic might be the biggest factor of them all. Lately, I have been completely turned off by the bruiser ball that is played in the NBA playoffs. Does the league believe that this type of ball is somehow more entertaining?

I am not getting my hopes up that anything will change in this years playoffs over previous years--at least in the referreeing dept.

 

[az1965]

Multiple weapons. All five Phoenix starters have led the team in scoring at least a handful of times this year. During the course of the regular season, opponents haven’t been able to shut down everyone – if one Sun has a modest offensive game, someone else steps up big. The current Suns team is quite a bit stronger in this regard than the 1993 squad that went to the Finals. After Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and Majerle, no one on that team was as potent a scorer as this year’s fourth and fifth options, Richardson and Joe Johnson.

If I remember correctly, we did have good scorers on the 92-93 team - Ceballos, Ainge, and Richard Dumas was a rookie who really played well and earned the nick name of Dr. Doom. Too bad he had lose nuts in his brain and got involved in drugs and destroyed his career.

BTW, very well written article. Thanks!

 

[elindholm]

If I remember correctly, we did have good scorers on the 92-93 team - Ceballos, Ainge, and Richard Dumas was a rookie who really played well and earned the nick name of Dr. Doom.

Dumas was hurt for the Finals, but I think he did play earlier in that playoff run. Ainge was an opportunistic shooter and had some big games, but didn't consistently score in the 15 ppg range.

But I forgot about Ceballos, oops. Oh well! Should have checked my facts better. Still, in my defense, how often did Ceballos lead the team in scoring?

Of course, there was also Chambers, but I confess I can't remember how much of a scorer's role he played on that team. I know he got big minutes, particularly at crunch time. Aw hell, he probably put up a bunch of points too.

Okay, so that sentence of the article sucks. Let's just pretend it isn't there, okay?

 

[PhxGametime]

I have a bad memory, but I thought it was Ceballos hurt in Finals?

 

[Chaz]

I have a bad memory, but I thought it was Ceballos hurt in Finals?

He was hurt during the Conference Finals.

With Ceballos I think we would have won the title.

 

[Kolo]

Detroit was offering up Dennis Rodman for Dumas at the trade deadline, and we turned them down. I remember from the Republic Jerry Colangelo's wife told JC not to do the deal because Dumas had overcome so much, had so much potential, etc... With Rodman in his prime, I can't see the Bulls beating us that year.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Okay, so that sentence of the article sucks. Let's just pretend it isn't there, okay?

that's pretty funny. And correct me if I'm wrong, but Dumas actually played very well in the finals - didn't he have a couple 20 point games?

Good article though E - solid on both sides of the issue - man the playoffs should be a blast.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Detroit was offering up Dennis Rodman for Dumas at the trade deadline, and we turned them down. I remember from the Republic Jerry Colangelo's wife told JC not to do the deal because Dumas had overcome so much, had so much potential, etc... With Rodman in his prime, I can't see the Bulls beating us that year.

man - I'd like to believe that. I'd like to believe that if it went to Game 7 in Phoenix, that there was no way Barkley would have let us lose, but you know what - no matter what we say, in the back of my mind I truly believe this - with JORDAN in his prime, that team wasn't losing to ANYONE - no way - no how. Hell, he wasn't even very good in Games 5 and 6 - he was probably getting ready to go off for 70 in Game 7. Bottom line for me - I loved that Suns team unlike any other team in the history of sport, but you just can't beat God(and back in 1993 - that's EXACTLY what Jordan was on the basketball court).

 

[Chaplin]

man - I'd like to believe that. I'd like to believe that if it went to Game 7 in Phoenix, that there was no way Barkley would have let us lose, but you know what - no matter what we say, in the back of my mind I truly believe this - with JORDAN in his prime, that team wasn't losing to ANYONE - no way - no how. Hell, he wasn't even very good in Games 5 and 6 - he was probably getting ready to go off for 70 in Game 7. Bottom line for me - I loved that Suns team unlike any other team in the history of sport, but you just can't beat God(and back in 1993 - that's EXACTLY what Jordan was on the basketball court).

Of course, we eventually got beat by John Paxson, not Michael Jordan...

 

[az1965]

Of course, we eventually got beat by John Paxson, not Michael Jordan...

Because everyone was concerned about Jordan. Didn't Ainge leave Paxson to double Jordon and he kicked it out to Paxson...

 

[Chaz]

Because everyone was concerned about Jordan. Didn't Ainge leave Paxson to double Jordon and he kicked it out to Paxson...

Not exactly, he left Paxon cover Grant.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Not exactly, he left Paxon cover Grant.

only because Barkley tried to play hero and intercept the Pass to Pippen at the topof the key, which made EVERYONE rotate around. If Charles just plays within himself there, Paxson never gets the trickle down wide open trey.

It was the only shot/points any Bull BUT Michael hit in the fourth quarter.

 

[elindholm]

Whoops, I got Dumas and Ceballos switched. LOL, I'm just getting more and more accurate all the time. Well, at least I was smart enough not to get too specific before...