Preseason: Lakers @ Suns Friday game thread 12-18-20

[Finito]

No summer league, short training camp, hasn't played competitive basketball in 9 months. The kid deserves some slack.

pretty much.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's clear enough the Suns season will hinge on a healthy Chris Paul. If the Suns do load management with Paul, a lot will fall on the shoulders of Devin Booker.

The Suns depth have improved depth but backup point guard will be by committee: Payne, Carter and Moore. We will also see point Booker in the mix.

Size will be an issue on some nights with the bigger teams. The return of Saric will help but I'm counting on him to anchor the second unit.

The Suns need Deandre Ayton to take the next step if they are to make the playoffs.

On the bright side, it's only preseason.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well, I watched only the first half. I quit watching when I thought the refs were trying to get the Lakers back into the game before halftime.

Yeah, they made a concerted effort to get the Lakers back into the game and then Davis went crazy from 3 and killed us. Lebron is too good to whine and beg for calls he does and doesn't deserve. And the refs need to remember they work for the NBA not the James Gang.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Yeah, they made a concerted effort to get the Lakers back into the game and then Davis went crazy from 3 and killed us. Lebron is too good to whine and beg for calls he does and doesn't deserve. And the refs need to remember they work for the NBA not the James Gang.

All the good teams do this. Stay in the refs ear and continue to aggressively attack the rim. Eventually the refs will start blowing the whistle. To be fair the refs also swallowed their whistle multiple times where LeBron was clearly fouled early in the game, so it kind of evens itself out.

 

[Mainstreet]

Monty feels the offense is finding it's rhythm. Again, plan to see more of point Booker when Paul is not on the court.

By Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports:


“The offense is starting to find a pace and a rhythm,” head coach Monty Williams said after the game. The coach noted he felt the team got better as the preseason went on.

Chris Paul was a late scratch from the starting lineup and was replaced by Jevon Carter, where Williams continued the successful stint from Wednesday of Devin Booker running the offense. Booker said after the game he thinks it’s a good look in spurts, one in which he is just hoping to have the offense gelling as much as it does when Paul is on the floor.


https://arizonasports.com/story/248...gress-in-preseason-play-despite-another-loss/

 

[GatorAZ]

My only preseason hot take is we’re going to regret passing on Halliburton.

 

[Mainstreet]

My only preseason hot take is we’re going to regret passing on Halliburton.

Yeah, he would have been PGOTF and filled an immediate need for depth at backup point guard.

I thought Jones would take him if he were there.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

My only preseason hot take is we’re going to regret passing on Halliburton.

And I believe he’s played well thus far.

 

[1Sun]

Other than Carter looking improved, last night's game did nothing to change my perspective on this team heading into the season.

 

[AzStevenCal]

All the good teams do this. Stay in the refs ear and continue to aggressively attack the rim. Eventually the refs will start blowing the whistle. To be fair the refs also swallowed their whistle multiple times where LeBron was clearly fouled early in the game, so it kind of evens itself out.

I disagree, on the "kind of evens itself out". Lebron initiates contact on almost every play and defenders routinely play him physically so it makes sense that he gets screwed on some calls and as the best player in the game it also makes sense he gets his share of referee breaks.

Last night the refs allowed contact early in the game but IMO the contact and the calls went both ways, some good and some bad. But then came that stretch where James started crying for mystery fouls and he started getting them. Once he went to the bench for good, the refs went back to calling it the way they started the game.

And I know that good teams do this but not to the degree that Lebron does it IMO especially considering how often he gets away with offensive fouls. Anyway, we finished with a 27 to 13 disadvantage from the line but during that Lebron whine-fest the disadvantage was far worse. I'm not positive on this but I believe it was 27 to 6 at that point. Fortunately, it's a nothing game, nobody cares who won once the contest is over.

 

[Mainstreet]

I disagree, on the "kind of evens itself out". Lebron initiates contact on almost every play and defenders routinely play him physically so it makes sense that he gets screwed on some calls and as the best player in the game it also makes sense he gets his share of referee breaks.

Last night the refs allowed contact early in the game but IMO the contact and the calls went both ways, some good and some bad. But then came that stretch where James started crying for mystery fouls and he started getting them. Once he went to the bench for good, the refs went back to calling it the way they started the game.

And I know that good teams do this but not to the degree that Lebron does it IMO especially considering how often he gets away with offensive fouls. Anyway, we finished with a 27 to 13 disadvantage from the line but during that Lebron whine-fest the disadvantage was far worse. I'm not positive on this but I believe it was 27 to 6 at that point. Fortunately, it's a nothing game, nobody cares who won once the contest is over.

I'm glad the Lakers only hit 59.3% of their free throws.

The Suns only got to the line 13 times but hit 84.6%.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm glad the Lakers only hit 59.3% of their free throws.

The Suns only got to the line 13 times but hit 84.6%.

Yeah, it crossed my mind during that second quarter that maybe the refs were trying to give us the game by awarding the Lakers extra free throws.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah, it crossed my mind during that second quarter that maybe the refs were trying to give us the game by awarding the Lakers extra free throws.

This is the way it's going to be all season with the Suns getting the short end of the stick.

It's mostly going to be Booker and Paul getting to the free throw line. They are the ones that can create shots.

 

[1Sun]

This is the way it's going to be all season with the Suns getting the short end of the stick.

It's mostly going to be Booker and Paul getting to the free throw line. They are the ones that can create shots.

Assuming Paul ever gets healthy and isn't in his steep final decline.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This is the way it's going to be all season with the Suns getting the short end of the stick.

It's mostly going to be Booker and Paul getting to the free throw line. They are the ones that can create shots.

Saric can create for himself and others too but he doesn't draw contact. And a couple of our other guards can create shots too, we're just not sure they can make the basket (or the assist). So yes, we're going to be upside down on Free Throws most nights. We foul a lot and haven't yet learned how to effectively work the refs when we're getting hit and no calls. And we don't have a big man down low getting the other guys in trouble.

Other than Paul, we don't have a player that can constantly complain to the officials without pissing off the stripes. Actually, Paul probably can't do it without pissing them off either but he has a reputation with the referees and is a powerful voice in the league so he doesn't pay the same price that Booker does for the same reactions.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Saric can create for himself and others too but he doesn't draw contact. And a couple of our other guards can create shots too, we're just not sure they can make the basket (or the assist). So yes, we're going to be upside down on Free Throws most nights. We foul a lot and haven't yet learned how to effectively work the refs when we're getting hit and no calls. And we don't have a big man down low getting the other guys in trouble.

Other than Paul, we don't have a player that can constantly complain to the officials without pissing off the stripes. Actually, Paul probably can't do it without pissing them off either but he has a reputation with the referees and is a powerful voice in the league so he doesn't pay the same price that Booker does for the same reactions.

I agree with all of this but I think book will get some latitude now. He’s an all star, he’s got Paul and the suns shouldn’t be the sad sack of the league.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I agree with all of this but I think book will get some latitude now. He’s an all star, he’s got Paul and the suns shouldn’t be the sad sack of the league.

Let's hope. He catches a fair amount of breaks on offense already but it would be nice if he could get an even shake on defense. The refs really don't like it when they're sending you to the line often and you're still complaining (unless you're a big star) and they often take it out on that player the next time he's on D. I swear Booker earns most of his defensive fouls because of what happened on offense.

 

[Proximo]

Other than Carter looking improved, last night's game did nothing to change my perspective on this team heading into the season.

It changed mine. As Monty said the team clearly improved each game, more minutes by the starters and we would have won that game.

 

[Proximo]

This is the way it's going to be all season with the Suns getting the short end of the stick.

It's mostly going to be Booker and Paul getting to the free throw line. They are the ones that can create shots.

Ayton will get to the line too. He is going to be the recipient of enough rolls and lobs he’s not going to have a choice but to shoot some.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ayton will get to the line too. He is going to be the recipient of enough rolls and lobs he’s not going to have a choice but to shoot some.

Solid point. When Ayton was playing with Chris Paul he was 5-5 from the free throw line. Last night he had zero free throws.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Ayton will get to the line too. He is going to be the recipient of enough rolls and lobs he’s not going to have a choice but to shoot some.

I’ll remain skeptical until he averages 5/game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Solid point. When Ayton was playing with Chris Paul he was 5-5 from the free throw line. Last night he had zero free throws.

For the third time in four games.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

For the third time in four games.

I mean technically he had 2 attempts in game 1, but he did have zero attempts in 2 of the games.

 

[BC867]

Ayton will get to the line too. He is going to be the recipient of enough rolls and lobs he’s not going to have a choice but to shoot some.

I would add the word "Hopefully" at the beginning of the first sentence . . . and after the words 'lobs he's' in the second sentence.

No one, not even Ayton, with his constant empty promises, can say he is "going to". Certainly not the fans.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I would add the word "Hopefully" at the beginning of the first sentence . . . and after the words 'lobs he's' in the second sentence.

No one, not even Ayton, with his constant empty promises, can say he is "going to". Certainly not the fans.

I get what you're saying but I wouldn't really call them "empty promises", more like clueless promises. When I think of empty promises, I think of promises that the speaker has absolutely no intention of delivering upon. Ayton actually thinks he's doing some of these things and that he's actually living up to his words.

I think he's a nice guy that wants to be liked by everyone but he has no clue what hard work and commitment really are because everything on the court has come so easy to him over the years. He's not bad now and he's on a trajectory to become a pretty good all around center. But even though he has generational level physical gifts, we may just have to accept he's never going to approach his incredible potential.