Phoenix Suns @ OKC Thunder 12-31-14

[sunsfan88]

At the risk of sounding like I'm willing to settle for a moral victory, the last two games give me hope. We played poorly against New Orleans and still had a decent chance to win the game. And tonight, for the most part, we played against a team that played very well and again we were right there.

We need to develop a better closer and Len has to continue to improve but this looks like a core that could contend in a few years. I suspect we won't willingly wait that long and we'll start making trades, especially if we miss the playoffs, but I'm not sure staying put with the main guys isn't the best decision. Somewhere along the line we need to upgrade Green, Tucker and Plumlee but that should be very doable with our draft picks and/or trading IT.

Steve

Moral victories are really the only type of victories the Suns have been able to pick up for the past 4 years.

Moral victories get us #13 pick.

 

[Chaplin]

Moral victories are really the only type of victories the Suns have been able to pick up for the past 4 years.

Moral victories get us #13 pick.

Ridiculous.

If Goran Dragic knew you, he'd punch you in the face for saying that. Moral victories for the last 4 years? That's like a slap in the face to the players that are here and have been here. These guys play hard on the court--something I can say you've never done with NBA players. To reduce their work to a "moral victory" is insulting.

 

[scXfreakX]

I've been saying that for a bit now, we need a SF. Sure missed out on Deng.
And right there we need a back up center for sure.

We need a solid C more than a SF, though.

 

[BC867]

Ridiculous.

If Goran Dragic knew you, he'd punch you in the face for saying that. Moral victories for the last 4 years? That's like a slap in the face to the players that are here and have been here. These guys play hard on the court--something I can say you've never done with NBA players. To reduce their work to a "moral victory" is insulting.

Wikipedia defines a moral victory as

A moral victory occurs when a person, team, army or other group loses a confrontation, and yet achieves some other moral gain. This gain might be unrelated to the confrontation in question, and the gain is often considerably less than what would have been accomplished if an actual victory had been achieved.

I doubt that Goran Dragic would sink to the level of punching anyone in the face for calling the loss to OKC as a moral victory or even disagreeing with them. The loss was "less than what would have been accomplished if an actual victory had been achieved."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_victory

 

[AzStevenCal]

Moral victories are really the only type of victories the Suns have been able to pick up for the past 4 years.

Moral victories get us #13 pick.

This makes no sense. Unless you're in league with Cubby and this is just your way of saying 0 and 47, I have no idea how you come up with this. A win is a win unless the only win that matters is the last game of the last playoff series. In which case, yeah, we've never had anything but your idea of a moral victory.

Steve

 

[95pro]

We need a solid C more than a SF, though.

len is developing before our eyes.

 

[SirStefan32]

len is developing before our eyes.

I agree with you- the Suns need to make sure Len is getting enough time to develop. What the Suns need is another power player, preferably one who can play both power positions and doesn't mind coming off the bench.

I am also not 100% sold on Morris as our starting PF. He's been playing very well, but I am starting to think he is just not big enough to be a physical PF, and isn't a good enough a shooter to be an effective stretch four.

SF spot, in my opinion is fine as well. PJ is an effective three point shooter, a very good defender, and easily the toughest player on the roster. TJ Warren is going to be a very good player, and Marcus Morris is not a terrible back-up.

Instead of four PGs, I wish we had a REAL shooting guard.

Our needs are many, but it all depends on who gets traded.

 

[BC867]

I agree with you- the Suns need to make sure Len is getting enough time to develop. What the Suns need is another power player, preferably one who can play both power positions and doesn't mind coming off the bench.

I am also not 100% sold on Morris as our starting PF. He's been playing very well, but I am starting to think he is just not big enough to be a physical PF, and isn't a good enough a shooter to be an effective stretch four.

SF spot, in my opinion is fine as well. PJ is an effective three point shooter, a very good defender, and easily the toughest player on the roster. TJ Warren is going to be a very good player, and Marcus Morris is not a terrible back-up.

Instead of four PGs, I wish we had a REAL shooting guard.

Our needs are many, but it all depends on who gets traded.

 

[Chaplin]

Wikipedia defines a moral victory as

I doubt that Goran Dragic would sink to the level of punching anyone in the face for calling the loss to OKC as a moral victory or even disagreeing with them. The loss was "less than what would have been accomplished if an actual victory had been achieved."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_victory

You're seriously cherry-picking one single loss when SF88 was talking about the last 4 years? Come on.

 

[scXfreakX]

len is developing before our eyes.

I agree he is improving, but he is not ready yet to bear the weight of the front court on his own, and Plumlee and Randolph aren't much either. If we can improve with another solid PF/C, I think that would do us more wonders than adding another SF. TBH, we have Tucker's solid defense and Green's offense (if we need to play Green at the 3), so I'm more concerned about the frontcourt.

 

[scXfreakX]

I agree with you- the Suns need to make sure Len is getting enough time to develop. What the Suns need is another power player, preferably one who can play both power positions and doesn't mind coming off the bench.

I am also not 100% sold on Morris as our starting PF. He's been playing very well, but I am starting to think he is just not big enough to be a physical PF, and isn't a good enough a shooter to be an effective stretch four.

SF spot, in my opinion is fine as well. PJ is an effective three point shooter, a very good defender, and easily the toughest player on the roster. TJ Warren is going to be a very good player, and Marcus Morris is not a terrible back-up.

Instead of four PGs, I wish we had a REAL shooting guard.

Our needs are many, but it all depends on who gets traded.

I completely agree. It's really the front court that is the issue for us. SF we have plenty at and even if we have to play Green at the 3 we can.

 

[sunsfan88]

This is why Westbrook's my favorite non Sun in the entire NBA

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....-ejection-vs-suns/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs