Playoffs: Clippers @ Suns Tuesday game thread 4-18-2023 - Game 2

[Proximo]

I mean we came outta the gates like poop. It wasn’t Craig’s minutes that were the problem, it was fixing what wasn’t broken abd then REALLY fixing it with substituting shamet for okogies minutes. Fire Monty.

So coming out of the gates like crap had nothing to do with Craig VS. Okogie.

Neither one is the focus of the offense. That bad start was on the 4 main guys - Period.

 

[gimpy]

I still like our chances in this series.

we are the better team.

Well, I don't know what makes you say that (the bolded part). They beat us at home; they have beaten us two in a row; they have the better bench; they have Kawhi who we apparently can't guard; they are missing PG; and, they have the better coach. (according to people on here. I don't know as I don't watch the games). And, how do you take a two point shot when down by three with 7 seconds left in the game? (apparently Booker did that?).

So, show me where we have the better team. (And I'm hoping we do).

Go

 

[Covert Rain]

So coming out of the gates like crap had nothing to do with Craig VS. Okogie.

Neither one is the focus of the offense. That bad start was on the 4 main guys - Period.

It absolutely did. You can't spend several weeks cramming Okogie into the lineup, getting guys used to playing with the lineup and expect the team to look the same all of the sudden changing for Game 1. Guys get used to rotations both in the starting lineup and bench. That impacts everyone including the bench. It's no coicidence the team looked disorganized after this stupid last minute change.

 

[95pro]

So coming out of the gates like crap had nothing to do with Craig VS. Okogie.

Neither one is the focus of the offense. That bad start was on the 4 main guys - Period.

Chemistry matters, continuity matters, familiarity matters. Mental mind jobs matter, how do you prepare yourself going from starter to 7 min a game?

Craig is a true professional though, he just takes what's given and makes the best of it. And this was the gameplan of the Clippers to start the game, and the lack of counter or preparation from Suns coaching is just astounding.

How can they not prepare for those types of scenarios? It's just amazing how Monty doesn't adjust the offense to prepare for this type of adjustment the clippers made. We all saw it coming, that they would make that 5th guy beat us.

To an extent yes we couldn't make a shot to save our life, for some reason we came out tight and tried to make every shot perfect, maybe some mental hangover from last seasons meltdown. This had a trickle effect to KD since he didn't even play with us last season.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Start Okogie!

Lean on bench more to give our guys fresh legs in the 4th. Play Craig; Landsle, Biz and Warren

Waaaaaaay too many minutes for starters tonight.

No energy to chase rebounds or to gaurd the 3.

I don't know what the answer is to that 5th starter. I think it's clear that every coach is going to make that 5th player (and CP3) shoot. Anyway, we wouldn't be talking about this if KD hadn't been so horrible in the first quarter or if we'd gotten any kind of energy from DA or if the team had remembered that KD was on the court the last 5 minutes of the game.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't know what the answer is to that 5th starter. I think it's clear that every coach is going to make that 5th player (and CP3) shoot. Anyway, we wouldn't be talking about this if KD hadn't been so horrible in the first quarter or if we'd gotten any kind of energy from DA or if the team had remembered that KD was on the court the last 5 minutes of the game.

1 shot in the last 6:49 for the best scorer in the league. That’s criminal stupidity.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

So coming out of the gates like crap had nothing to do with Craig VS. Okogie.

Neither one is the focus of the offense. That bad start was on the 4 main guys - Period.

Eh I think it had something to do with it. That and the fact that lue sent Monty a curveball and Monty just watched as it hit for strikes. Over and over and over again. And yes, our big four couldn’t hit the broadside of the barn at the beginning of the game.

 

[95pro]

I don't know what the answer is to that 5th starter. I think it's clear that every coach is going to make that 5th player (and CP3) shoot. Anyway, we wouldn't be talking about this if KD hadn't been so horrible in the first quarter or if we'd gotten any kind of energy from DA or if the team had remembered that KD was on the court the last 5 minutes of the game.

That was another point i wanted to make, that if our scorers (Book KD) aren't scoring then we need a guy (DA) to do some work close to the basket. But Ayton was just a no show in putting his stamp on this game.

 

[Finito]

Come on really. I am pro Okogie, but Craig played probably his best game as a Sun.

That certainly was not the reason we lost.

You missed the point.

Okogie went from starter to playing 7 minutes and Landry Shamet got 25 minutes.

This is a Craig vs Okogie argument. Although we need Craig to score off the bench more than we do as a starter

 

[Finito]

I don't know what the answer is to that 5th starter. I think it's clear that every coach is going to make that 5th player (and CP3) shoot. Anyway, we wouldn't be talking about this if KD hadn't been so horrible in the first quarter or if we'd gotten any kind of energy from DA or if the team had remembered that KD was on the court the last 5 minutes of the game.

Our starters did more than enough to win. Ayton was average, KD disappeared in the 1st and 4th, Paul was a disaster in the 4th and yet they still did more than enough

Our bench scored 10 points on 3/12 shooting and didn’t score a basket till the 3rd quarter

That’s the hall game right there.

 

[Covert Rain]

Our starters did more than enough to win. Ayton was average, KD disappeared in the 1st and 4th, Paul was a disaster in the 4th and yet they still did more than enough

Our bench scored 10 points on 3/12 shooting and didn’t score a basket till the 3rd quarter

That’s the hall game right there.

KD has to have the ball in order for him to disappear. Ty Lue in his presser said he made it a point to make other guys not named KD, Booker, Ayton not beat them. Plus, you play the lineup he has been playing for weeks, the team is likely more organized and those points from Craig come off the bench.

Changing the lineup after settling it, allegedly, prior to game one has to be the biggest bonehead move I have seen from a Suns coach in a very long time.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Well, I don't know what makes you say that (the bolded part). They beat us at home; they have beaten us two in a row; they have the better bench; they have Kawhi who we apparently can't guard; they are missing PG; and, they have the better coach. (according to people on here. I don't know as I don't watch the games). And, how do you take a two point shot when down by three with 7 seconds left in the game? (apparently Booker did that?).

So, show me where we have the better team. (And I'm hoping we do).

Go

The Suns are top heavy. We know this. Suns didn’t play well yesterday and still had a chance to win late. Not time to panic but we’ve gotta play with a sense of urgency.

KD said it postgame, if we get stops, we’ve gotta get out and Run. Not play against a set Clips defense that forces the wrong guys to take shots.

Suns only took 20 threes but we shot 60 percent of our shots from midrange. Bad distribution. We need to attack the paint and drive & kick and that happens when we get stops.

Kawhi is going to get his. He’s a superstar and arguably the best player in the series. However, KD/Book is the best duo. We’ve just gotta find the right shots for them.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

KD has to have the ball in order for him to disappear. Ty Lue in his presser said he made it a point to make other guys not named KD, Booker, Ayton not beat them. Plus, you play the lineup he has been playing for weeks, the team is likely more organized and those points from Craig come off the bench.

Changing the lineup after settling it, allegedly, prior to game one has to be the biggest bonehead move I have seen from a Suns coach in a very long time.

I’ll admit that I said I would start Craig because he was a better matchup for Kawhi then Okogie but to all of a sudden change what we’d been doing definitely threw us out of sorts.

Does Monty double down and start Torrey again or does he go back to Okogie….

 

[Bufalay]

Monty has never been a playoff coach and nothing he's done in the past 3 years has changed that perception.

He is a playoff coach right now.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

I’ll admit that I said I would start Craig because he was a better matchup for Kawhi then Okogie but to all of a sudden change what we’d been doing definitely threw us out of sorts.

Does Monty double down and start Torrey again or does he go back to Okogie….

Craig is NOT a better matchup for defending Kawhi. Okogie is a better individual on ball defender. Craig is a better help defender. I would park Okogie on Kawhi and make his life hell. Craig is not that guy.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Covert Rain]

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One thing my brother and I were talking about today, the past several games KD has motioned to Book during games to do his thing instead of KD demanding the ball. I noticed it too twice in the game last night. I get it. KD wants to fit in. However, we gave up a ton for him. DEMAND the damn ball. Book is going to get his.

 

[Chaplin]

He is a playoff coach right now.

???

Pretty sure you know what I meant. Right? Tell me you knew what I meant.

 

[Ronin]

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[Covert Rain]

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Landale to the rescue?

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm still waiting to see if Cam Payne will make an appearance in game 2.