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

[82CardsGrad]

Tell that to the Lakers who finally have a healthy AD back and completely revamped their bench who looked like a completely different team after being top heavy in their rotation too. What about the Mavs who are arguably deeper but don't have a legit 2nd start to play alongside Luka and look completely different now that Brunson is gone.

Truth. The Lakers have others, aside from Lebron and AD, who are adding huge value. DeLo, Reeves and Hachimura...even Vanderbilt & Schroeder, have far out-played guys like Craig, Okogie, Shamet, Payne...hell, even Ayton hasn't added the type of value these guys are adding. For the Suns, BOTH Book & KD need to go off, otherwise they have no shot at winning a game.

 

[Hoop Head]

Truth. The Lakers have others, aside from Lebron and AD, who are adding huge value. DeLo, Reeves and Hachimura...even Vanderbilt & Schroeder, have far out-played guys like Craig, Okogie, Shamet, Payne...hell, even Ayton hasn't added the type of value these guys are adding. For the Suns, BOTH Book & KD need to go off, otherwise they have no shot at winning a game.

That's the difference now, in the past we had a team but now we have 2 stars and we'll only go as far as they can carry us. When we had a full team though there were many ways we could eek out wins, be it defensively, hot shooting, bench production, someone having a career night, or Book going crazy. There's others but that's basically it and how we won 60+ games.

Now though we need 65-70 points from Book and KD to stand a chance at winning, if that doesn't happen then odds of winning are slim. We really don't have anyone who is going to light it up outside of those 2 but we still need approximately 30-40 points from everyone else and don't know where that will come from. It's certainly not coming from 1 person or even 2 as no one else is capable of getting rolling like that.

The Lakers traded 1 of their stars to cobble together a team and did so very well at the deadline. We went the other direction, trading away what made us a complete team with an identity of sorts to become a collection of stars.

 

[82CardsGrad]

That's the difference now, in the past we had a team but now we have 2 stars and we'll only go as far as they can carry us. When we had a full team though there were many ways we could eek out wins, be it defensively, hot shooting, bench production, someone having a career night, or Book going crazy. There's others but that's basically it and how we won 60+ games.

Now though we need 65-70 points from Book and KD to stand a chance at winning, if that doesn't happen then odds of winning are slim. We really don't have anyone who is going to light it up outside of those 2 but we still need approximately 30-40 points from everyone else and don't know where that will come from. It's certainly not coming from 1 person or even 2 as no one else is capable of getting rolling like that.

The Lakers traded 1 of their stars to cobble together a team and did so very well at the deadline. We went the other direction, trading away what made us a complete team with an identity of sorts to become a collection of stars.

Yup... The Lakers have guys like DeLo and Reeves who are, in alternating games, putting up 20+ points. We don't have that guy. CP3, even when healthy, couldn't do it. Ayton certainly can't do counted on to do it. Okogie? Craig? Oof...

 

[Fumats20]

Monty only developed Mikal, Cam J, Cam P, Booker, and Okogie here in Phoenix. That's just guys off the top of my head. The only person he hasn't developed is Ayton who everyone is willing to concede the fact he's mercurial in his temperament. So this idea Monty doesn't develop talent is a joke. He has won multiple coach of the year awards since he's been here. This is his 4th season in Phoenix. He's done an excellent job with what he has. Has he been perfect? Absolutely not. To claim he's why this team has come up short is ridiculous. He didn't shoot 6-24 from 3 last night. He didn't get us 4 bench points. He wasn't responsible for only shooting 5 free throws.

If you want bash Monty that's fine but this revisionist history is ridiculous.

If Monty developed players he have a ready bench.

Those players you mention got better because they played including playing through some losing seasons (some prior to Monty getting there). What about all the other players? What does Monty only like developing his favorites? He does like developing the players he likes regardless if they earned it. Yeah, he developed the hell out of Nader.

Ayton can & could play its clear he don't like Monty and don't want to be there.

 

[sdscard4]

Just knowing the Lakers are probably gonna go further than us makes me want to vomit all over Monts face

 

[Hoop Head]

If Monty developed players he have a ready bench.

Those players you mention got better because they played including playing through some losing seasons (some prior to Monty getting there). What about all the other players? What does Monty only like developing his favorites? He does like developing the players he likes regardless if they earned it. Yeah, he developed the hell out of Nader.

Ayton can & could play its clear he don't like Monty and don't want to be there.

Who didn't he develop then? I'm not seeing anyone he missed on. Stix is debatable and JJ deserves as much, if not more blame than Monty for not picking up his option and providing any reason to develop him.

 

[Covert Rain]

Just knowing the Lakers are probably gonna go further than us makes me want to vomit all over Monts face

We don’t know that yet but yeah that will make me vomit as well. The Lakers seemingly reload just about better than any team out there. In this case they were brilliant at the deadline and completely remade that roster.

 

[Germz249]

I am about to lose my 5#!+. Looked at the numbers..

5 free throws only
4 points off the bench
4th quarter killed us

What happened? Put TJ and Ross in to get buckets..

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am about to lose my 5#!+. Looked at the numbers..

5 free throws only
4 points off the bench
4th quarter killed us

What happened? Put TJ and Ross in to get buckets..

I know many here will disagree with me but I believe altitude had a lot to do with the finish. It's tough to play there the first few nights but is often worse in the second game because 1 day off isn't enough to recover at that altitude if you're not used to it. Booker appeared to lose his legs and that was the end of it for us. That, plus the physical play against KD led to the 4th quarter collapse IMO.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I am about to lose my 5#!+. Looked at the numbers..

5 free throws only
4 points off the bench
4th quarter killed us

What happened? Put TJ and Ross in to get buckets..

KD and Book had to be the team's top scorers and defenders because nobody else did jack 5#!+

 

[Fumats20]

Who didn't he develop then? I'm not seeing anyone he missed on. Stix is debatable and JJ deserves as much, if not more blame than Monty for not picking up his option and providing any reason to develop him.

Develop a.k.a. "Play"....The bench.

The stars need to get used to playing with bench players as much as the bench just needs to play.

 

[Hoop Head]

I know many here will disagree with me but I believe altitude had a lot to do with the finish. It's tough to play there the first few nights but is often worse in the second game because 1 day off isn't enough to recover at that altitude if you're not used to it. Booker appeared to lose his legs and that was the end of it for us. That, plus the physical play against KD led to the 4th quarter collapse IMO.

I'd also add CP3 got hurt. That's when the wheels came off.

 

[Hoop Head]

I am about to lose my 5#!+. Looked at the numbers..

5 free throws only
4 points off the bench
4th quarter killed us

What happened? Put TJ and Ross in to get buckets..

You need to DVR games and watch them after the fact. Maybe changing it up will help. You being in your hole hasn't worked.