Where's the vBookie thread? I want to bet on this game.
Sun, 6:00PM
vs. Pistons
TV: NBATV, FSN AZ HD
Radio: KTAR 620 AM
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/68032
Pistons (5-8) at Suns (10-3)
C: Ben Wallace ... Channing Frye
PF: Jonas Jerebko ... Amare Stoudemire
SF: Charlie Villanueva ... Grant Hill
SG: Ben Gordon ... Jason Richardson
PG: Rodney Stuckey ... Steve Nash
Key Pistons subs: Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell, DaJuan Summers, Austin Daye, Chris Wilcox. (Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are out with injuries)
The Suns were disappointed in losing at New Orleans. They know they need to have better energy from the tip than they have showed over the past four games (even the Toronto game was a basket exchange early). They acknowledged getting outworked. They agreed that they underestimated the Hornets. In spite of all that, they knew they still "let one slip away," as Stoudemire said after having the game tied with three minutes to go. Unlike the previous two losses off back-to-backs, they had a chance this time to have two days of good practices.
All those things are good indications for a bounce-back game that sets up nicely at home, where they are undefeated, against a team that played overtime last night in Utah for its fourth consecutive loss. But the game will tell all.
"The reaction has to come (today)," Nash said. "We'll see if it stung us."
The Pistons, under new coach John Kuester, are missing key scorers but Gordon has feasted on the Suns in the past. Bynum can get in the paint. Villanueva is a capable big scorer. Matchups will be interesting. Wallace will probably go to Stoudemire and Jerebko to Frye because Detroit won't want Wallace 20 feet from the basket when rebounding is all he really offers anymore. Stuckey is the bigger guard, even though he is the point, so does Richardson take him or the big scorer?
Whatever the initial lineups are, they won't last long. The Pistons will play three guards often with Bynum, Stuckey and Gordon.
"We've got to try to limit the dribble penetration and make them beat us with jump shots because they are really good with penetration," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.
More Sunday morning orange slices:
* The entertainment of the two days came at the end of Friday's practice in a scrimmage. It was mostly starters against subs, although Nash and Hill were sitting out. Nash had a twinge in his back. Hill was told to join him. The three-fifths starters team was trailing 21-16 with a side-out play that Richardson was inbounding. Jared Dudley, as he often does, turned his back to defend where the ball might be going. Richardson bounced it off his back side, caught it and hit a 3-pointer as Dudley fouled him for a 4-point play, much to the merriment and ribbing of the rest of the team. After a bucket put the black team down by three, Dudley got burned again. The black team ran the look of their usual inbound play but sent Richardson the opposite way off a Stoudemire screen and Richardson hit a 3-pointer to leave the scrimmage tied and the end of practice with smiles.
In regard to the first 3-pointer, Gentry told Dudley, "The only thing you got going for you is that your booty is so soft, it almost didn't come back to him."
* Gentry on Robin Lopez joining the practices: "We look like a real NBA team with him and Jarron running around out there." When Lopez is ready, Gentry sees the centers serving different roles because Collins can be more for banging the bigger centers and using his experience against them. Lopez was drafted last year because of how mobile he could be against the pick-and-roll and his rim protection as a shot-blocker. "If they keep playing well, I don't want to throw anything off," Lopez said.
* The Suns swept Detroit last season for the first time since 1999-2000.
* After having 21 assists against Detroit in the last meeting and with the Pistons ranking 29th in assists, this looks like the makings of another game that Nash could outdo the entire opposing team in assists.
* The Suns are averaging 117 points in home games.
* Good sign: Stoudemire has gotten to the line for at least 10 free throws in each of the past three games.
* ESPN has dropped Friday's Suns-Timberwolves game in favor of Milwaukee-Oklahoma City. That's not exactly a market game but Brandon Jennings and Kevin Durant can sell it.
Sun, 6:00PM
vs. Pistons
TV: NBATV, FSN AZ HD
Radio: KTAR 620 AM
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/68032
Pistons (5-8) at Suns (10-3)
C: Ben Wallace ... Channing Frye
PF: Jonas Jerebko ... Amare Stoudemire
SF: Charlie Villanueva ... Grant Hill
SG: Ben Gordon ... Jason Richardson
PG: Rodney Stuckey ... Steve Nash
Key Pistons subs: Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell, DaJuan Summers, Austin Daye, Chris Wilcox. (Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are out with injuries)
The Suns were disappointed in losing at New Orleans. They know they need to have better energy from the tip than they have showed over the past four games (even the Toronto game was a basket exchange early). They acknowledged getting outworked. They agreed that they underestimated the Hornets. In spite of all that, they knew they still "let one slip away," as Stoudemire said after having the game tied with three minutes to go. Unlike the previous two losses off back-to-backs, they had a chance this time to have two days of good practices.
All those things are good indications for a bounce-back game that sets up nicely at home, where they are undefeated, against a team that played overtime last night in Utah for its fourth consecutive loss. But the game will tell all.
"The reaction has to come (today)," Nash said. "We'll see if it stung us."
The Pistons, under new coach John Kuester, are missing key scorers but Gordon has feasted on the Suns in the past. Bynum can get in the paint. Villanueva is a capable big scorer. Matchups will be interesting. Wallace will probably go to Stoudemire and Jerebko to Frye because Detroit won't want Wallace 20 feet from the basket when rebounding is all he really offers anymore. Stuckey is the bigger guard, even though he is the point, so does Richardson take him or the big scorer?
Whatever the initial lineups are, they won't last long. The Pistons will play three guards often with Bynum, Stuckey and Gordon.
"We've got to try to limit the dribble penetration and make them beat us with jump shots because they are really good with penetration," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.
More Sunday morning orange slices:
* The entertainment of the two days came at the end of Friday's practice in a scrimmage. It was mostly starters against subs, although Nash and Hill were sitting out. Nash had a twinge in his back. Hill was told to join him. The three-fifths starters team was trailing 21-16 with a side-out play that Richardson was inbounding. Jared Dudley, as he often does, turned his back to defend where the ball might be going. Richardson bounced it off his back side, caught it and hit a 3-pointer as Dudley fouled him for a 4-point play, much to the merriment and ribbing of the rest of the team. After a bucket put the black team down by three, Dudley got burned again. The black team ran the look of their usual inbound play but sent Richardson the opposite way off a Stoudemire screen and Richardson hit a 3-pointer to leave the scrimmage tied and the end of practice with smiles.
In regard to the first 3-pointer, Gentry told Dudley, "The only thing you got going for you is that your booty is so soft, it almost didn't come back to him."
* Gentry on Robin Lopez joining the practices: "We look like a real NBA team with him and Jarron running around out there." When Lopez is ready, Gentry sees the centers serving different roles because Collins can be more for banging the bigger centers and using his experience against them. Lopez was drafted last year because of how mobile he could be against the pick-and-roll and his rim protection as a shot-blocker. "If they keep playing well, I don't want to throw anything off," Lopez said.
* The Suns swept Detroit last season for the first time since 1999-2000.
* After having 21 assists against Detroit in the last meeting and with the Pistons ranking 29th in assists, this looks like the makings of another game that Nash could outdo the entire opposing team in assists.
* The Suns are averaging 117 points in home games.
* Good sign: Stoudemire has gotten to the line for at least 10 free throws in each of the past three games.
* ESPN has dropped Friday's Suns-Timberwolves game in favor of Milwaukee-Oklahoma City. That's not exactly a market game but Brandon Jennings and Kevin Durant can sell it.
