Nuggets @ Suns Wednesday Playoff game thread 6-9-2021 - Game 2

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Really interesting article on the Suns complex pick and roll scheme and how the coaches got Booker and CP to mesh. It's an Insider article unfortunately though.

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...-flummoxing-nba-league-most-complex-pick-roll


In the buildup to a close NBA Coach of the Year race between Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks and Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns, a narrative arose that seemed to favor Thibodeau -- who eventually won: The Knicks were a Thibodeau team, the Suns a Chris Paul team.

That felt unfair to New York's players and Phoenix's coaches. It was impossible to watch Phoenix's evisceration of the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals on Monday and not appreciate the job Williams and his staff (and his players) have done crafting perhaps the league's most sophisticated pick-and-roll attack. It was painstaking work, requiring high-level synchronicity and total buy-in into some non-glamour aspects of NBA offense.


...


It began to click midseason, and then cascaded into an overpowering wave of pick-and-roll destruction as everyone found their sweet spots. After Feb. 15, Phoenix demolished opponents by 10.5 points per 100 possessions with Booker and Paul sharing the floor.

Every trick was on display in Phoenix's rollicking Game 1 win over a Nuggets team that was in theory well-prepared for the Suns' offense after facing a pick-and-roll attack aimed at Nikola Jokic in their first-round win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Denver should have been ready.

They weren't, and it was because of all the layers and wrinkles Phoenix has piled atop what was once a basic offense.

Good article. Thanks for posting.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Did I say something?

I think maybe the “JC” was “Jesus Christ!” Maybe?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Bubble bubble bubble. It was 8 games. What about the previous 40? We barely even made it into the bubble.

The bubble was a turning point and it was prior to CP3. Monty and the bunch got a break mid-season and were able to to look at their team and adjust. Also, the most underrated move prior to the bubble was adding CP22 (or should we call him CP4 since 2+2=). That back up stability seemed to make a huge difference.

It was like a great recipe. All the ingredients together make it great.

 

[Chaplin]

I think maybe the “JC” was “Jesus Christ!” Maybe?

Yes. SOMEONE has an overinflated sense of self...

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think maybe the “JC” was “Jesus Christ!” Maybe?

Oops. Embarrassing confusing myself with deity.

 

[Suns_fan69]

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Great article. Every now and again I think I know the game of basketball but then see articles like this and realize there's a reason I'm just a guy posting stuff on a forum. Really cool insights.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Sure wish I could read it but I don't pay ESPN any money, just on principle.

 

[Suns_fan69]

There used to be a loophole where you could read insider stories for free on the Australian site, wonder if it still works: https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider...-flummoxing-nba-league-most-complex-pick-roll

For the record, I could read it no problem in Canada without a subscription.

 

[Hoop Head]

Sure wish I could read it but I don't pay ESPN any money, just on principle.

I've enjoyed Insider or ESPN+ for the last year or so. You can get it for free if you have Hulu and Disney+. The Bundle that includes ESPN+ with the other 2 is the same price as Hulu and Disney+ individually and those are the main streaming services I use so I figured why not.

 

[Chaplin]

The bubble was a turning point and it was prior to CP3. Monty and the bunch got a break mid-season and were able to to look at their team and adjust. Also, the most underrated move prior to the bubble was adding CP22 (or should we call him CP4 since 2+2=). That back up stability seemed to make a huge difference.

It was like a great recipe. All the ingredients together make it great.

Look, I loved the bubble, don't get me wrong, but let's get back to reality. We WERE lucky to even be invited to the bubble. And every team save the Clippers had depleted rosters.

 

[Hoop Head]

Look, I loved the bubble, don't get me wrong, but let's get back to reality. We WERE lucky to even be invited to the bubble. And every team save the Clippers had depleted rosters.

We had a depleted roster as well,.missing Oubre and Baynes. While I think the bubble is oversold by some, there's no denying that it also was a turning point for this team. It also helped send the message that this team is one to watch going forward.

I also don't see Chris Paul choosing the Suns over Sixers as his preferred destination when OKC was shopping him without the bubble run.

 

[JCSunsfan]

We had a depleted roster as well,.missing Oubre and Baynes. While I think the bubble is oversold by some, there's no denying that it also was a turning point for this team. It also helped send the message that this team is one to watch going forward.

I also don't see Chris Paul choosing the Suns over Sixers as his preferred destination when OKC was shopping him without the bubble run.

We learned some things in the bubble. We were a better team than we thought. Cam Payne made a difference. Oubre, while an energy guy and a good player was a ball stopper and the team was better without him. Yes, I believe that. Give Oubre and Cam Johnson the minutes Oubre had and you have a better team. That prompted our ability to package Oubre and bring in CP3.

The bubble was the turning point IMO.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Give Oubre and Cam Johnson the minutes Oubre had and you have a better team. That prompted our ability to package Oubre and bring in CP3.

One too many Oubre's there, I'm guessing you meant giving Bridges and Cam the minutes Oubre had?

 

[dscher]

One too many Oubre's there, I'm guessing you meant giving Bridges and Cam the minutes Oubre had?

Yeah...even when on the Suns. I didn't want Oubre getting Oubres minutes.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah...even when on the Suns. I didn't want Oubre getting Oubres minutes.

Kelly Oubre was a huge improvement over Trevor Ariza. I never doubted Oubre's effort and he wanted to be here.

And of course trading Kelly Oubre and Ricky Rubio helped the Suns acquire Chris Paul.

 

[AzStevenCal]

There used to be a loophole where you could read insider stories for free on the Australian site, wonder if it still works: https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider...-flummoxing-nba-league-most-complex-pick-roll

For the record, I could read it no problem in Canada without a subscription.

I'd like to read it too but I'm just not ready to move to Canada yet.

 

[Mainstreet]

I guess injury reports are becoming meaningless in the playoffs. Will Barton is now listed as QUESTIONABLE.

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[Muggz]

I guess injury reports are becoming meaningless in the playoffs. Will Barton is now listed as QUESTIONABLE.

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Lube him up and throw him out there, not my career at stake.

 

[Covert Rain]

Kelly Oubre was a huge improvement over Trevor Ariza. I never doubted Oubre's effort and he wanted to be here.

And of course trading Kelly Oubre and Ricky Rubio helped the Suns acquire Chris Paul.

It killed me losing Oubre. However, we needed to trade value. The emergence of Bridges is the only reason why that sting of losing him is less felt this year.

 

[Mainstreet]

It killed me losing Oubre. However, we needed to trade value. The emergence of Bridges is the only reason why that sting of losing him is less felt this year.

There are trades you don't like to make but the Suns were not going to pay Oubre so trading him made sense. And as you mention SF is a position the Suns had depth.

For a long time I thought Oubre will be a piece in trading for Aaron Gordon but trading for Chris Paul worked out nicely.

 

[Covert Rain]

There are trades you don't like to make but the Suns were not going to pay Oubre so trading him made sense. And as you mention SF is a position the Suns had depth.

For a long time I thought Oubre will be a piece in trading for Aaron Gordon but trading for Chris Paul worked out nicely.

All true but this team wouldn't have been the same this year without the emergence of Bridges. I know it made sense but we would be reeling a bit.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Oops. Embarrassing confusing myself with deity.

It’s okay. I do it all the time.

 

[Mainstreet]

All true but this team wouldn't have been the same this year without the emergence of Bridges. I know it made sense but we would be reeling a bit.

The emergence of Mikal Bridges has always been essential. He is a part of the Suns core.

 

[Covert Rain]

Look, I loved the bubble, don't get me wrong, but let's get back to reality. We WERE lucky to even be invited to the bubble. And every team save the Clippers had depleted rosters.

I don't necessarily disagree but ultimately what decides if you deserved to be there is how you performed. How many times over the years in sports have we seen a team make it to the playoffs in any sport and just lay a predictable egg? While another team that we know might have done wells sits at home?

The reality is the team was good enough to be there and deserved to be there depleted roster or not. Every playoff is no different.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Welp go suns hoping book and ayton bridges continue to ball

At worst least got 1 at home

Hoping for the best outcome we are the valley go suns!!