Pistons at Suns, 12:30 PM MST on ABC

[BeeBeard]

My thought was WTF is Mike D doing having Shaq out there on the court later in the game down 25? He played 33 minutes in a blowout. WTF is that about?

Getting him back into shape. Even at tipoff, he still looked tired from the Celtics game two nights ago.

 

[Cheesewater]

Hate to say this, but this team has lost it'd identity over the years. We trade one of the key components in our offense so that we can match up against half court teams. And what does it get us?

This team went an entire season without Amare or KT. It had Boris Diaw guarding centers for heaven's sake. Yet it was effective at playing against the elite teams in the league because its offensive style was still intact.

Now the Suns are trying to switch it around, and play half court basketball with Shaq, a dud of a center who can only rebound but can't shoot to save his life. I'd take a Marion jumpshot and freethrow over Shaq's anyday.

And you'd be watching the Spurs play the Pistons in the Finals again. I think the consensus was to obtain a piece that could help the Suns compete in knock-down, drag-out playoff games. They have done that. Now we'll see if they can make it work. 3 games is not enough time yet. Stick with it gdiddy.

 

[TJ]

This Suns team needs to figure it out soon. There is no breathing room left out west to screw up

 

[D-Dogg]

Getting him back into shape. Even at tipoff, he still looked tired from the Celtics game two nights ago.

Yeah, that isn't going to work..

I may have a vested interest in the Suns losing, but I still *like* Shaquille and I think Mike D is going to ruin him. I don't want to see Shaq go out like Hakeem did.

 

[BeeBeard]

This Suns team needs to figure it out soon. There is no breathing room left out west to screw up

That's a lot more insightful than the reactionary "The sky is falling!" rhetoric that seems to be prevalent right now. The Suns are still trying to work out the kinks, but the problem is that there isn't much of a cushion to do that right now, given how competitive things are in the West.

I'd give it about 6-7 more games before the Suns really hit their stride, in preparation for that final run for a 1-4 seed.

 

[BeeBeard]

Yeah, that isn't going to work..

I may have a vested interest in the Suns losing, but I still *like* Shaquille and I think Mike D is going to ruin him. I don't want to see Shaq go out like Hakeem did.

Different situation entirely, Donald, but you're forgiven for not knowing the details. The Rockets backstabbed Hakeem and wouldn't sign him for what he was still worth, after winning two straight championships for the franchise. At that point, Dream stopped caring a la Ben Wallace, and quietly retired while playing for a different team.

The Rockets are currently building a monument to Dream that is respectful of his Muslim beliefs, but I believe there is still some bad blood between the Rockets and their greatest player ever.

 

[D-Dogg]

Different situation entirely, Donald, but you're forgiven for not knowing the details. The Rockets backstabbed Hakeem and wouldn't sign him for what he was still worth, after winning two straight championships for the franchise. At that point, Dream stopped caring a la Ben Wallace, and quietly retired while playing for a different team.

The Rockets are currently building a monument to Dream that is respectful of his Muslim beliefs, but I believe there is still some bad blood between the Rockets and their greatest player ever.

Hakeem was one of the greatest players I've ever seen, and his last season was just sad.

Thanks for the backstory on it though...the rocks should have kept Hakeem around regardless. Great players deserve it. When Magic had to retire, Jerry Buss honored his new contract, that hadn't been signed yet, even though it hurt them financially. You treat your legends like legends.

 

[BeeBeard]

Hakeem was one of the greatest players I've ever seen, and his last season was just sad.

Thanks for the backstory on it though...the rocks should have kept Hakeem around regardless. Great players deserve it. When Magic had to retire, Jerry Buss honored his new contract, that hadn't been signed yet, even though it hurt them financially. You treat your legends like legends.

Couldn't agree more. The Rockets really dropped the ball with their handling of the Hakeem situation, and in my estimation, they have yet to recover from it as a franchise.

 

[elindholm]

I figured O'Neal was out there to give some of the other rotation guys a chance to get used to playing with him a bit.

 

[dodie53]

ugh.
30 point loss.
very frustrating.

have to vent this anger to someone or something

 

[Greg Popovich]

Natural to be upset when your team has a loss like the one today.

Suns will meet the Spurs in the WCF--my prediction--and the series goes to 7 games.

 

[dodie53]

looking forward to the Suns' next game.

Shaq and Amare being guarded by Kwame and Darko.

 

[Sunshooter]

- Did the coach understand that why Diaw should not playing PF or C?

- Why Skinner DNP?

- Did the coach know the weak point when he put Nash, Barbosa and Bell at the same time?
They combined 15/27 in FG, why we lose 30 pts?

- Odom, Prince, Hayes or other SF will very very happy when they face Suns!

 

[dodie53]

diaw can't play SF

 

[Andrew]

Damn, one loss and it takes us from the 2nd to 5th seed.

 

[TJ]

Whats worse?? Lakers have a cake schedule coming up. Current, they are blasting Seattle

 

[Ode to Ocho]

Getting him back into shape. Even at tipoff, he still looked tired from the Celtics game two nights ago.

Excuses in full force.

 

[az1965]

Wow... what a dud after a great game against Celts. I was out of town and just got home to be shocked at the score. Its one thing to lose but to have our asses handed to us on our home court??? Pistons are good but not _that_ good... what happenned????

 

[WuRaider]

If Shaq keeps on bricking easy ass layups, we have no choice but to label him as Seattle Ewing and Toronto Hakeem.

 

[WuRaider]

But at least he still has a good attitude:

“We all just have to know what’s going on, especially me. It’s only my third game with the guys and I’m learning a little bit. We’ll be fine.”

(On feeling 100%): “Pretty close, I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t have any knick-knack injuries so I just have to get my wind like everybody else’s. But I’m close. I played 33 minutes today and I really didn’t feel that tired. Once I master the offense like everyone else then we’re going to be a dangerous team. But I don’t see any problems, and it happens like this. I’ve lost by 20, 30, 40 before and you just have to bounce back.”


(On the game): “It’s just one of those days. Nobody really likes 12:30 games, but it’s what the NBA wants us to do. We just have to maintain our energy, and we will. There’s nothing to worry about.”

 

[arwillan]

Wow... what a dud after a great game against Celts. I was out of town and just got home to be shocked at the score. Its one thing to lose but to have our asses handed to us on our home court??? Pistons are good but not _that_ good... what happenned????

The pistons are that good. They don't get as much publicity as all the boys out west, but they are just as good if not better than any team the west has. Imo, they do the same thing the spurs do only with better players 1-5.

Chauncey>Parker
Hamilton>finley
Hamilton<ginobili
Prince>bowen (and cleaner too)
McDyess<Duncan
Sheed>oberto.

they spread the floor better, have better defense 1-5, and ,as one of the analysts pointed out, they can post you up with any player 1-5 or step outside and shoot with any player 1-5. that's more than the spurs can say. The pistons defense is just as good if not better than the spurs as well. as suns fans, we don't know just how good that team is (especially in the playoffs) because we have never played them there. but believe me, if we started a 7 game series with them next week, they'd probably kick our butts harder than SA does already.

 

[Hat]

Can someone explain to me why Utah has a higher seed than us? We have a better record and winning percentage than they do. What am I missing?

 

[TheHopToad]

Can someone explain to me why Utah has a higher seed than us? We have a better record and winning percentage than they do. What am I missing?

They are a division leader and the division winners are guaranteed no lower than a fourth seed. Basically the three division winners in each conference plus the second place team with the best record will be seeds 1-4.

 

[Sunshooter]

They are a division leader and the division winners are guaranteed no lower than a fourth seed. Basically the three division winners in each conference plus the second place team with the best record will be seeds 1-4.

We still have home advantage if the winning record is better than other 2 division winner

 

[az1965]

The pistons are that good. They don't get as much publicity as all the boys out west, but they are just as good if not better than any team the west has. Imo, they do the same thing the spurs do only with better players 1-5.

Chauncey>Parker
Hamilton>finley
Hamilton<ginobili
Prince>bowen (and cleaner too)
McDyess<Duncan
Sheed>oberto.

they spread the floor better, have better defense 1-5, and ,as one of the analysts pointed out, they can post you up with any player 1-5 or step outside and shoot with any player 1-5. that's more than the spurs can say. The pistons defense is just as good if not better than the spurs as well. as suns fans, we don't know just how good that team is (especially in the playoffs) because we have never played them there. but believe me, if we started a 7 game series with them next week, they'd probably kick our butts harder than SA does already.

I can understand that they are pretty good but losing by 30 at home is still a shock as we are not just another team. As the players say, noon games are not easy to play. Just scratch and move on.