Playoffs: Suns @ Clippers Thursday game thread 4-20-2023 - Game 3

[clyde2tw]

KD is not meshed well with the persona on the team yet, still figuring it out. We have another round to do it if we advance.

 

[Covert Rain]

Is KD the main scorer on the Suns?

You missed the point entirely. Nobody knew what Bridges could do until he became the main scorer on a bad team. He was never going to play that role here.

 

[Mainstreet]

Very true, but a trade deadline aquisition by definition is not "building your team around". Maybe if they move forward with KD long term though.

Call it what you want, but the Suns traded their present and future for Kevin Durant so he could play with Devin Booker.

What the Suns gave up for Durant cannot be minimized.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Book has been left one on one several times because of Durant. That’s what I mean by open. Paul has never been this open. He just needs to knock down some shots.

Paul is a dead man walking… or limping… or stumbling…

And Book is athletic enough to navigate around and thru double-teams.
KD is literally a stick-figure who apparently can only catch & shoot.
Maybe it’s me… but I expected a lot more from KD… I hope this off season he takes this seriously and gets in a gym all summer. I would I’ve nothing more than to see him come back next season and resemble the rare level of greatness that has defined his career. But for now, this ain’t that.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Book is open? Seriously?

If there was no KD book would be forced to work at least half as much harder.

 

[Covert Rain]

Call it what you want, but the Suns traded their present and future for Kevin Durant so he could play with Devin Booker.

Their present? No Durant is their present. Mikal would be playing the same role here. Also, we have no idea what the future holds. They have every other pick left and no idea what kinds of moves they will make.

 

[82CardsGrad]

You missed the point entirely. Nobody knew what Bridges could do until he became the main scorer on a bad team. He was never going to play that role here.

Of course. But he could’ve easily been our #2. You know, kinda what KD is now.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He could be doing 95 % of what Durant has been doing, and having cam Johnson to boot would be extremely helpful.

You think bridges could average 26/6.5/6.5 playing alongside Booker for three games? In Monty’s system? Nah.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Like I said… I hope I’m wrong. But if THIS is the KD we get for his duration here in Phoenix, I really question the move of giving up on Bridges and Cam…

I agree with that. But I don’t think we’ve seen prime KD yet.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That’s so dumb. Bridges wouldn’t be the main scorer on the Suns and wouldn’t have been used the same here.

Since the 1st Half of Game 1, Bridges has also been dogcrap shooting 17-45.

That’s 27%.

 

[elindholm]

I’ll stop after this post.. but, KD looks like a relic. He looks tired and old.
And I’m really having a hard time with the fact that we coughed up Bridges and Cam for what might be a has-been…
I hope I’m wrong.

Don't forget all of the future picks, including three in a row in '27, '28, and '29.

And yes, it is three of the Suns first-round picks in a row. The middle one is a swap, which means that the Suns will give up their own pick and get the Nets pick in return.

 

[Rivercard]

Like I said… I hope I’m wrong. But if THIS is the KD we get for his duration here in Phoenix, I really question the move of giving up on Bridges and Cam…

KD is still smooth as silk, and he can score with ease sometimes, but he's not dominating the floor all game like we are used to. Maybe that's because Booker is a freak, but opponents would rather take their chances guarding KD at this point.

 

[mhill1986]

This feels the same way to me as the Pelicans series last year--this feeling that we ought to be playing better and putting the Clippers away, but we just can't seem to do it.

What had me alarmed by KD's play tonight was the turnovers. You could tell he was really bothered by the Clippers' physical play.

I hope we continue to improve, and every series is different, so we just need to keep winning and make it through this series into round two.

 

[ajcardfan]

Leonard AND George.

I know people want to talk about how bad our team is because we won by 5 and not 50.

But it's not all about the Suns. Powell played totally out of his mind. Greatest game of his life. Gordon, Hyland, Westbrook.... Etc. They hit great shots and made good plays. Made it close. Those guys wouldn't put up anywhere near those numbers if Leonard and George played.

That said, our bench... Best I can say is maybe Lee making some big shots in the 4th might be something that unit can build on.

I didn't like the Durant trade and I still don't. Nothing personal against Durant I like him and I hope for the best. But I wouldn't have given up both CJ and Bridges.

 

[Covert Rain]

Paul is a dead man walking… or limping… or stumbling…

And Book is athletic enough to navigate around and thru double-teams.
KD is literally a stick-figure who apparently can only catch & shoot.
Maybe it’s me… but I expected a lot more from KD… I hope this off season he takes this seriously and gets in a gym all summer. I would I’ve nothing more than to see him come back next season and resemble the rare level of greatness that has defined his career. But for now, this ain’t that.

Book can’t be consistent navigating double teams. Plus, it’s like you have not watched this team and seen them double book and take the ball out of his hands when he has no help.

I don’t disagree with you that we have not seen the Superstar KD.

Dude is still average 26 points per game. When is the last time Book had someone averaging that many points as the 2nd scorer? Statistically he still a top 10 in the playoffs. When is the last time Book was on a team with two top playoff scorers?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Of course. But he could’ve easily been our #2. You know, kinda what KD is now.

Again not at KD’s levels. Not in Monty’s offense.

 

[dscher]

I guess another way to view all the pessimism is that as we somehow get through this series and maybe onto the next one, that we have time to work out the kinks and start meshing better...

That's all I got. Lol

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Since the 1st Half of Game 1, Bridges has also been dogcrap shooting 17-45.

That’s 27%.

That’s like half KD’s 51%.

 

[Mainstreet]

You missed the point entirely. Nobody knew what Bridges could do until he became the main scorer on a bad team. He was never going to play that role here.

A lot of posters knew how good Mikal Bridges was before he was traded. It has been clearly documented.

 

[elindholm]

Maybe it’s me… but I expected a lot more from KD… I hope this off season he takes this seriously and gets in a gym all summer.

The idea that carpet-bagging Durant, at age 35, is going to bust his butt all summer in order to live up to the standards of the mighty Phoenix Suns is pretty questionable.

 

[Covert Rain]

A lot of posters knew how good Mikal Bridges was before he was traded. It has been clearly documented.

What that he could step and score with guys out? Yeah, I was one of them. Not one poster says he could be the main star on another team. If so, show me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Don't forget all of the future picks, including three in a row in '27, '28, and '29.

And yes, it is three of the Suns first-round picks in a row. The middle one is a swap, which means that the Suns will give up their own pick and get the Nets pick in return.

If the suns pick is worse. And it means we still have a first. So it’s not three years in a row without a first.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You haven’t been watching the nets games then.

Have you been watching the last 2.5 games when Bridges has shot 17-45… a BEYOND PATHETIC 27%.

Doing his annual Shawn Marion tortilla playoff performance. On cue.

But he’d be averaging 27/7/7 here on 61% shooting like KD.

Okay.

 

[elindholm]

If the suns pick is worse. And it means we still have a first. So it’s not three years in a row without a first.

It's very likely three in a row without their first, which is what I keep saying. Please stop arguing about this.

 

[Proximo]

Like I said… I hope I’m wrong. But if THIS is the KD we get for his duration here in Phoenix, I really question the move of giving up on Bridges and Cam…

I’m past questioning it, I know it was a bad move at this point.