Nuggets @ Suns Friday game thread 3-31-2023

[Mainstreet]

Payne and Ross were scoreless.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Payne and Ross were scoreless.

Ross was awful tonight.

I don’t think the Nuggets are scared of us. I don’t think anyone is or has reason to be… yet.

That said as they still figure things out, they’re 5-0. I’ll take that. Regroup, focus and get the game on Sunday and keep this thing rolling.

 

[Mainstreet]

Suns simply cannot get outworked by another team and turn the ball over. This is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Superbone]

How I wish somebody could unlock Ayton's game.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. He was totally listless tonight. I don't know if the guy likes playing basketball.

 

[Mainstreet]

Monty talks about the 3rd quarter.

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[Superbone]

I guess the Suns giving up the big lead without Ayton was coincidence.

It was. The team got sloppy. Had nothing to do with Ayton.

 

[Mainstreet]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. He was totally listless tonight. I don't know if they guy likes playing basketball.

I'm not sure what to think anymore. I do believe the game doesn't come natural to Ayton.

 

[Muggz]

I hope they all play we need the best practice we can get. Lets stay healthy and take it to them.
Suns by +6

Nostradumbass in the house. 100-93 that's exactly 6+

 

[Mainstreet]

The good news is the Suns are still in 4th place with two fewer losses than the Clippers and Warriors.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The good news is the Suns are still in 4th place with two fewer losses than the Clippers and Warriors.

And the tie-breaker on the Warriors so that’s basically 3 games up.

 

[Germz249]

The good? The bad? Did we control the game?

 

[BirdGangThing]

The good? The bad? Did we control the game?

We were up by 27 at one point, nuggets brought it back down to a 4pt lead. Booker got his average but took a lot more shots to do so. Bench only combined for 16pts total. KD was very efficient, Okogie was hot from deep and Ayton did his David Blaine thing again, there one minute...

Also no Landale, no Shamet, no Ish, no Lee, and no Bazley tonight

 

[Superbone]

The good news is the Suns are still in 4th place with two fewer losses than the Clippers and Warriors.

Apparently, our magic number is three to hold onto 4th place. So just have to go 3-3 the rest of the way. I don't think it will be an issue.

ETA: That included this one. So just need two more wins in the last 5.

 

[sdscard4]

Shamet is useless...dude is injured every 3 games

 

[BirdGangThing]

Shamet is useless...dude is injured every 3 games

Shamet is injured??

 

[AzStevenCal]

Shamet is injured??

With Shamet, assume yes - odds are in your favor.

 

[nashman]

Ironically, Ayton had a +28.

Yeah because Book and KD were cooking when he was in early nothing to do with Ayton lol…

 

[Cheesebeef]

Ayton’s last 5 games:

12.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds, .8 blocks.

And he looks every part of those weak numbers. He’s got to be better if this team has any hope to win even one round of the playoffs.

 

[nashman]

Just got way to sloppy and relaxed when up big then started throwing up bricks and not playing defense. No less in the NBA is enough anymore with the way teams shoot 3s have to keep your foot on the gas! They thought the Nugz was just gonna roll over after getting throttled in the first half… they didn’t guys that rarely get to play will play hard to earn some playing time. Almost caught napping on what should have been an easy win like the first half! Wake the hell up guys let’s head into playoffs playing our best ball not letting up geesh…

 

[Hoop Head]

Ayton’s last 5 games:

12.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds, .8 blocks.

And he looks every part of those weak numbers. He’s got to be better if this team has any hope to win even one round of the playoffs.

I'm surprised he even averages .8 blocks. Outside of all other issues with him he never seems to try and stop a shot. Even when he's on he doesn't contest shots with any expectations he'll swat it. Like he's content putting his hand in the shooters face rather than trying to swat the ball. Always frustrated me and he's seemingly grown less aggressive in that regard.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm surprised he even averages .8 blocks. Outside of all other issues with him he never seems to try and stop a shot. Even when he's on he doesn't contest shots with any expectations he'll swat it. Like he's content putting his hand in the shooters face rather than trying to swat the ball. Always frustrated me and he's seemingly grown less aggressive in that regard.

Preaching to the choir here, Hoop.

 

[GatorAZ]

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Being Wilt’s teammate means you’re part of history.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Time to unleash Jock. Not my jock

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Time to unleash Jock. Not my jock

White hope.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Was at the game tonight. A few observations.
1. Turnovers - I thought KD and Book forced it to Biz, this is team chemistry. Biz is open but he has bad hands and is limited offensively. This is just testing to see what our players can do. Biz, is great defensively. He adds nothing to the offensive.

2. The University of Robert Sarver fans or graduates of The University of Robert Sarver Tucson are so sensitive with Ayton, this is called cognitive bias. No one hate Ayton as a person, but there is something to question about being a true professional at one's craft, he gets a pass for not being engaged, or you hate him or he will turn it on. Maybe, but he is a professional and doesn't act like one. Now I know the Foaminites will attack me, but a professional doesn't just engage when ever the **** they feel like it, they work on their craft. If a Sarver grad said he that's not fair he did x in 2021, that might be reasonable, but my expectation as a season ticket holder is that you act professional and don't pick and choose when to do your job, which pays you tens of millions of dollars per year.

Now we are not stupid, DA and most NBA players are just really dumb genetic freaks. Basketball in toto is not a thinking man's sport. I can't really blame a man who's IQ is equivalent of a horse.

3. Book started being sloppy, and it's so clear who much better KD is than Book. Book is our Walter Davis. He is great but limited. KD is on another level, I think he missed three shots and two of them were level 10 difficulty.

4. JO, I like him as the starter, he is getting better at the corner three and his defense is spectacular.

This team out together an amazing half, they are still working things out. Loser media were saying that KD's game earlier this week was the new normal, those people are dumb.

5. Let's let the Suns finish the season and we will have a decent understanding where the SUns stand. I have zero doubt there will be changes to build the roster around what we have now, KD and Book. Next year is probably more realistic for the chip.