Playoffs: Suns @ Nuggets Monday game thread 5-1-2023- Game 2

[mhill1986]

This game drained me. So many wide open misses. All those misses led to Book and KD pressing and trying to make stupid shots. I kept thinking, surely KD will pick it up...then Book started looking tired, and I knew it was over. I don't know if I have any hope that we pull out a win in game 3. Feeling so deflated right now.

 

[Proximo]

He hasn’t been that guy for over a month.

Has Ross? No, so I don’t see a better option.

 

[Raindog]

Neither did the Clippers but they added Westbrook, Bones, Gordon, Plumlee ets who were competitive without their two best players. Imagine this team without Book & KD.

I agree. With a good GM (in other words, not Jones) and an owner who is willing to spend up to (and possibly over) the tax line (which Ishbia may be), the roster could be retooled into at least something competitive. And then replacing the coach with someone creative and (more importantly) flexible, and you can still have a reasonable shot at being a viable contender.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It was hard to watch that bench tonight. It was like they put D2 college players in there instead of NBA players. When the game was still in doubt with about 4 mins left Okogie catches the ball inside the free throw line, completely alone. Wide open 10 footer. Doesn't even look at the rim. Instead starts looking to pass and when he does it winds up in a turnover. That was the icing on the top of the bench turd cake for me. Not one of them is playing with any confidence.

Yup. We don’t have a single role player worth a damn.

 

[Covert Rain]

By the way, I want to give credit to all the guys for coming out with more intensity and sense of urgency. They did. The Suns won 2 of the quarters and kept the Nuggets under 100. We just are not deep enough and have little margin of error with our starters.

 

[Proximo]

This game drained me. So many wide open misses. All those misses led to Book and KD pressing and trying to make stupid shots. I kept thinking, surely KD will pick it up...then Book started looking tired, and I knew it was over. I don't know if I have any hope that we pull out a win in game 3. Feeling so deflated right now.

I do think they will win game 3. But the series that is pretty doubtful.

 

[mhill1986]

This game hurts worse than the last game. At least last game, we could look and say, "Not enough effort. Play harder, play tougher D, etc." This game, I'm forced to say, "Not enough talent." Not so easy to overcome that.

 

[Proximo]

By the way, I want to give credit to all the guys for coming out with more intensity and sense of urgency. They did. The Suns won 2 of the quarters and kept the Nuggets under 100. We just are not deep enough and have little margin of error with our starters.

90% of the time our offense would have been good enough to win this game. Just picked a horrible game to be cold as ice.

 

[GatorAZ]

Denver reminds me of us through two games vs Dallas last year. However I don’t see the Nuggets contracting Covid.

I can’t believe the next game is 4 days away. Still haven’t heard the rationale for that one.

 

[Germz249]

We only went to the line 5 times..

5 times..

 

[TJ]

What, let him chuck 3's? He literally thinks he's dominating now, or rather dominayton. The kid is delusional, you don't feed into it.

So continue to pigeonhole him into a position that he a) does not want to play and b) doesn’t give him the best chance to contribute to the team? I dont care for his antics either, but to unilaterally blame Ayton for this mess is missing a very large piece of the puzzle

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The only way you can justify keeping Ayton is if you fire Monty and Mark Bryant and hire someone who wants to develop him the way he’s been asking to be developed for years.

But what is that? Shooting more threes? Because he still has horrid handles. He ain’t taking anyone off the dribble. And as long as he can’t effectively seal his defender or avoid fouling smaller guys in so attempting it’s a little futile to heavily feed him in the post. How does he “want” to be developed?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yup. We don’t have a single role player worth a damn.

I like Craig, Biz and Okogie but Craig should be the 3rd guy off the bench, Biz should be our 3rd string center and Okogie should be used every now and then to cool down a hot shooter.

We need a 5th starter that's so good we'd never even think about moving Craig or Okogie into that spot. And we need at least one guy off the bench that's so good many fans are clamoring to see him with the starters.

IOW, we're a long way from where we need to be.

 

[Mainstreet]

Huh? What early success. If you ask me he was far better this year than seasons past.

James Jones has been mostly riding the success of the Chris Paul trade.

The Suns previous two teams were better despite the game 7 collapse against Dallas.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He’s still 24 and has all the athletic ability in the world. He is not hopeless.

yeah I would be ok replacing the coaching staff, I don’t think they are getting the job done.

I agree it’s the only way to keep Ayton.

 

[TJ]

But what is that? Shooting more threes? Because he still has horrid handles. He ain’t taking anyone off the dribble. And as long as he can’t effectively seal his defender or avoid fouling smaller guys in so attempting it’s a little futile to heavily feed him in the post. How does he “want” to be developed?

Ive said dozens of times here. He’s indicated publicly and privately about wanting to play a stretch 5 position a la Embiid. This was a huge talking point during the initial contact negotiations

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Has Ross? No, so I don’t see a better option.

We haven’t seen Ross in a month. But when your “sharpshooter,” who does nothing else can’t hit the broadside of the barn, see if anyone else on the bench can. What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing all game and thinking you’ll have a different outcome?

 

[Proximo]

I'm not going to lay the blame on Durant. The Suns simply gave up too much to get him.

They gave up too much, but he is not playing to his normal standards either.

I don’t think coaches are utilizing him correctly either.

 

[TJ]

He’s still 24 and has all the athletic ability in the world. He is not hopeless.

yeah I would be ok replacing the coaching staff, I don’t think they are getting the job done.

He isn’t hopeless, but I have little confidence that Ayton will reach that ability here….or if he even wants to in Phoenix

 

[Vacard]

Damien Lee: 25 min and ZERO points. Even Shamet was making those shots

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

By the way, I want to give credit to all the guys for coming out with more intensity and sense of urgency. They did. The Suns won 2 of the quarters and kept the Nuggets under 100. We just are not deep enough and have little margin of error with our starters.

Agree. They played hard and just ran outta steam and talent in the fourth.

 

[wagonmound464]

Good to see that Cam Payne got to play 17 minutes tonight......blistered the nets with 1 for 11 shots = 2 points.



Just as bad, D. Lee playing 26 minutes > 0 for 8 = 0 points.


Three days off and then our awesome bench can 'Rally the Valley' ...

 

[GatorAZ]

We haven’t seen Ross in a month. But when your “sharpshooter,” who does nothing else can’t hit the broadside of the barn, see if anyone else on the bench can. What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing all game and thinking you’ll have a different outcome?

I’d rather fail differently than fail the same way every time. It’s time to give Ross and TJ significant run.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We only went to the line 5 times..

5 times..

In an extremely physical game. I don’t often complain about the refs but book got zero calls.

 

[dscher]

stretch 5 position a la Embiid.

He asked for this with a straight face?