Preseason: Suns @ Trail Blazers Thursday game thread, 10-12-2023

[SunsTzu]

Now.... Can we get KD's middy game right? He seems a bit off still.

Seemed fine in Detroit, not going to put too much stock in 1 off game in preseason.

 

[GatorAZ]

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[Chris_Sanders]

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Booker is going to put up Harden numbers but efficient

 

[GatorAZ]

Booker is going to put up Harden numbers but efficient

Harden won 3x scoring titles lol. I doubt this will be a top-5 scoring season for Book but it won’t matter.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Harden won 3x scoring titles lol. I doubt this will be a top-5 scoring season for Book but it won’t matter.

I was thinking those years he averaged 25 / 10 / 6

 

[Vacard]

Durant looks healthy and efficient this time unlike in the playoffs. He was showing his age then, but this time he looks rejuvenated.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I get the Portland fans frustration with Nurk, but watching him, he seems to fill a role on this team that Ayton was just unwilling to fill. Nurk sets picks, and his size makes them useful. He does roll to the hoop and he does rebound. He also has that perimeter shot that spreads the floor. The thing most encouraging about Nurk is his ability to distribute from the post. He makes useful passes. Ayton would pass out of the post, but it was more of a dump-off because he couldn't/wouldn't do anything with it. Nurk passes to guys who are in a position to score or at least moving in the offense.

I get Portland fans wanting more, but for us, that is more.

 

[CardNots]

I get the Portland fans frustration with Nurk, but watching him, he seems to fill a role on this team that Ayton was just unwilling to fill. Nurk sets picks, and his size makes them useful. He does roll to the hoop and he does rebound. He also has that perimeter shot that spreads the floor. The thing most encouraging about Nurk is his ability to distribute from the post. He makes useful passes. Ayton would pass out of the post, but it was more of a dump-off because he couldn't/wouldn't do anything with it. Nurk passes to guys who are in a position to score or at least moving in the offense.

I get Portland fans wanting more, but for us, that is more.

#1 surprise, huge!

 

[JCSunsfan]

#1 surprise, huge!

We will eventually have frustrations. Nurkic, as big as he is, plays below the rim. He gets little elevation and seems to rarely dunk the ball. At the rim he throws up an array of layups and flip shots that go in at a percentage that is below what is acceptable for a guy that big and that close to the hoop.

That was their primary frustration and it will be ours as well.

 

[CardNots]

We will eventually have frustrations. Nurkic, as big as he is, plays below the rim. He gets little elevation and seems to rarely dunk the ball. At the rim he throws up an array of layups and flip shots that go in at a percentage that is below what is acceptable for a guy that big and that close to the hoop.

That was their primary frustration and it will be ours as well.

Sounds like Oliver Miller without the doughnuts

 

[Hoop Head]

We will eventually have frustrations. Nurkic, as big as he is, plays below the rim. He gets little elevation and seems to rarely dunk the ball. At the rim he throws up an array of layups and flip shots that go in at a percentage that is below what is acceptable for a guy that big and that close to the hoop.

That was their primary frustration and it will be ours as well.

Sounds like Marcin Gortat. The Polish Hammer that never hammered it home.

 

[clyde2tw]

I get the Portland fans frustration with Nurk, but watching him, he seems to fill a role on this team that Ayton was just unwilling to fill. Nurk sets picks, and his size makes them useful. He does roll to the hoop and he does rebound. He also has that perimeter shot that spreads the floor. The thing most encouraging about Nurk is his ability to distribute from the post. He makes useful passes. Ayton would pass out of the post, but it was more of a dump-off because he couldn't/wouldn't do anything with it. Nurk passes to guys who are in a position to score or at least moving in the offense.

I get Portland fans wanting more, but for us, that is more.

Ayton thinks he is much better than he really is and complained, and then exposed when he was given the chance to be leader of the team.

 

[Yuma]

Ayton thinks he is much better than he really is and complained, and then exposed when he was given the chance to be leader of the team.

I firmly believe he has "settled" for 16-18 points and 8-10 rebounds a game as his normal. He doesn't seem like he ever wants to push for a 30-20 game, or anything like the big centers do when they go off. He just cruises along each game. Once he hits his totals, he seems to throttle it down.