Preseason: Suns at Clippers 10-22-14

[FArting]

What a sick play in last nights game

 

[sunsfan88]

We out rebounded them, 43 to 35.

Steve

It certainly didn't feel that way from watching the game.

I think they credited us with a rebound everytime one of our player tipped and played volleyball with the ball which ended up in a Clipper player's hands.

As for Len, I'd like to us give it to him down low so he can post up. Just to see what kind of post game he has thus far. Preseason is the best time for this.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It certainly didn't feel that way from watching the game.

I think they credited us with a rebound everytime one of our player tipped and played volleyball with the ball which ended up in a Clipper player's hands.

As for Len, I'd like to us give it to him down low so he can post up. Just to see what kind of post game he has thus far. Preseason is the best time for this.

It doesn't work that way. We did have a couple of tips but they went through the hoop so those are legit rebounds. Also, back to your original post here, we did not look like trash. We were playing on the second night of a back to back and the Clippers two big stars were coming off a day of rest. They played huge minutes and it was clearly a win or else situation for them. Jeff gave Eric decent minutes but that was about it. Even missing Crawford and Jordan, it's not like it's an embarrassment to lose on the road against a team that many have picked to win it all.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

It doesn't work that way. We did have a couple of tips but they went through the hoop so those are legit rebounds. Also, back to your original post here, we did not look like trash. We were playing on the second night of a back to back and the Clippers two big stars were coming off a day of rest. They played huge minutes and it was clearly a win or else situation for them. Jeff gave Eric decent minutes but that was about it. Even missing Crawford and Jordan, it's not like it's an embarrassment to lose on the road against a team that many have picked to win it all.

Steve

Well I didn't think we looked very impressive in our game against the Lakers either and their the team that many have picked to compete for a bottom 5 record in the NBA.

 

[Chaz]

It doesn't work that way. We did have a couple of tips but they went through the hoop so those are legit rebounds. Also, back to your original post here, we did not look like trash. We were playing on the second night of a back to back and the Clippers two big stars were coming off a day of rest. They played huge minutes and it was clearly a win or else situation for them. Jeff gave Eric decent minutes but that was about it. Even missing Crawford and Jordan, it's not like it's an embarrassment to lose on the road against a team that many have picked to win it all.

Steve

Yea, I don't understand the apparent hand wringing over this game.

A three point loss on the road against a top team on the second night of b2b in preseason is not something to be concerned over. I thought the defensive rotations were pretty good but the offense looked a little out of sorts at times. The turnovers in the second half were very costly mistakes.

Oh and BTW Griffin is still a punk. He plays very physical but seems to get upset if someone gets physical against him.

 

[Iceman]

What a sick play in last nights game

Bad part is Bledsoe missed the shot!

 

[Phrazbit]

Well I didn't think we looked very impressive in our game against the Lakers either and their the team that many have picked to compete for a bottom 5 record in the NBA.

Well... our backups took the Lakers starters to overtime, then won the game. Against the Clippers they used their minutes like they thought it was a playoff game and we still almost beat them, on the road.

AND... its the preseason.

 

[JS22]

Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but when Len was next to Hawes on the FT line, he looked at least 2 inches taller than him ... And hawes is listed at 7-1 ! Len looks HUGE out there - He seems to be moving very well considering that. That's half the battle with a big men, so that's a positive ...

This is why you don't panic and give up on him too soon, like Lopez. I was one of those who wanted to show Lopez the door. But he's developed into a pretty solid center. Len has the size and moves pretty well. It just might take him 3-4 years to get close to his potential.

 

[JS22]

Also, I wish the Suns had overpaid for Hawes. I know they were interested in him. Tolliver looks terrible and I really, really, don't want Markieff to start chucking 3's again. He was so much better last year when he wasn't standing around shooting crappy 3's.

 

[FutureSuperstar]

He was rarely in position to do anything, and it did not seem like it was the Clips pulling him away from the hoop, he genuinely did not seem to know who he was guarding and instead just stood in an area... roughly 8 feet away from the rim. He did not appear to judge balls in the air well either, that seems like a trait guys have or they don't and Len was rarely in the right area for a rebound.

I don't know how you could watch that appearance and say he looked "great", and the accuse others of being irrational if they think otherwise. He did nothing out there, he was a complete non factor. 17 minutes, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls. If Earl Barron or Slavik Randolph put up those results people would be petitioning the Suns to cut them.

He continues to look slow out there, he continues to appear lost on both ends of the court. I was actually excited to turn it on and see him in the game, I watched him closely hoping he'd do something, but he looked out of place. The guy has very little basketball instincts.

Where did I say he was "great" ? You were the one w/ your extreme stance in your original post (and in this one). If Len was "rarely in position to do anything", then how were the Suns only -3 in his 17 minutes. You are the one talking as if it was a layup line when Len was in the game. It wasn't.

It's not about stats in terms of measuring what you and I are talking about - Len's main job is defense and to use his length to protect the rim. YOU are the one w/ the extreme stance that Len was terrible last night and looked exactly like last year. I'm saying there is no way he did enough (or made enough mistakes) in 17 minutes for you to have such an extreme opinion.

Len was not slow. I honestly don't know how fast you expect a 7-2 guy to be. He's slower that Plumlee, but when compared to "normal" centers, his agility/quickness is fine.

Since I missed the 1st half, I went back and looked at Len's fouls and a couple Griffin baskets over him (NBA.com has the video of the stats). Len's 1st foul was his 1st play of the game - He was overaggressive ... That was a mistake on his part - Since it was his 1st play in half a year, I don't see that much as a "sign of things to come" or evidence that he hasn't learned from last year.

His 2nd foul he was a bit out os position too, but at least he forced Griffin into a tough shot ... Just an average foul that 100% centers make 2-3 times a game.

On another play, he closed out on Griffin and then was able to recover as he drove to the rim and he forced him into a tough layup. This play was at 3:45 in the 1st Q if you want to watch it on NBA.com. That showed quickness by Len to recover (off his original close out), even if Griffin made a shot ... Len even blocked Griffin on another play in a 1 on 1 matchup.

I just did not see him being "totally clueless" at all. I feel like if he was, the plus/- would have reflected that and it didn't. It was his 1st game in half a year - To expect him to be in perfect position and play mistake-free basketball isn't fair (It's not even fair for vets in their 1st preseason game)

And once again, I did not say Len played "great". I am saying Len's play didn't stand out, but from purely a physical standpoint (how his body looks compared to last year, how his quickness looked), he showed great signs for the rest of the season.

 

[Phrazbit]

Where did I say he was "great" ?

Based off what I saw, physically I thought he looked great though. I think if people think otherwise, they are irrationally comparing him with the other players on the Suns roster (guards and Plumlee), who are ELITE athletes. Len is an above average athlete and for his 7-2 size, I thought he looked good moving around out there.

...

I don't know how you could watch that appearance and say he looked "great", and the accuse others of being irrational if they think otherwise.

...

Look, I know you're a massive Len fan, I am realize I am not going to get an unbiased perspective from you. I'd LOVE for Len to be solid player, but watching him so far there has been virtually no reason to get ones hopes up. He does virtually nothing out there. Yeah, there were a few instances where he was one on one with a guy and did a good job of challenging the play, you'd HOPE he could do that given that he is huge and its basically the easiest and least complicated thing for him to do. But on plays that require some understanding of the game he was lost. He does not rotate, he has terrible positioning and on offensive he is nothing but a body out there.

I mean... seriously 17 minutes and all that can be dug up are a couple isolated moments where he resembled a professional basketball player.

I am not endorsing cutting him, I am not saying he is hopeless, but I think he is a long way away from possibly being a serviceable player.