Put all the bias aside….can the Suns win this series?

[Andrew]

Whether or not you are a Suns/Spurs fan, please put the fandom aside and assess this series fairly and how you see it.

With game one under our belt, assess the situation, more specially can the Suns win 4 games?

I thought this game was a fluke; the foul trouble on the big men, flopping, people hitting 3s when they never do, a scoring juggernaut sidelined after the first overtime.

I think the Suns are fully capable of knocking out the defending champions…

What do you think?

 

[The Big Cactus]

Yes. One double overtime loss on the road does not spell doom for the Suns.

 

[Kody Rumin]

Yeah. Winning Game 2 in San Antonio is important, because we have to win at least one on their home court, and it would be nice to have the series split heading back home. It's definitely possible for Phoenix to win.

 

[Da_Spurs_Fan]

Yes, its possible

 

[goldseraph]

Not a chance in hell. D'antoni is the biggest idiot that has ever been a professional coach.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Definitely. Not to downplay the Spurs (they have a better chance of winning it), but we lost on a fluke three pointer in a game where we were mired in foul trouble. Now I don't expect it to be smooth sailing from here on out, but Shaq's bound to play more than five minutes in the first half.

 

[Chaplin]

Of course they can. goldseraph is in his own little world, joined by posters like cheesebeef and all the other people that cry that the sky is falling.

We were up in that game, for 95% of it, and with Shaq only playing 5 minutes in the first half. Oh, and we were in San Antonio playing the defending champions. It sucks we lost, but to count the team out automatically is absurd and lacks any kind of rational thinking. Period.

 

[goldseraph]

if anyone wants to wager please let me know, I would bet everything I have in the world that the Suns won't win this. I know it's fun to have faith though, I've been a good sport the last like 10 times we came up short in the playoffs. I just think this loss was THAT disastrous.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Of course they can. goldseraph is in his own little world, joined by posters like cheesebeef and all the other people that cry that the sky is falling.

I'd appreciate you not lumping in with someone who says they're done with the Suns. I may think we're screwed in this series, but there is a difference.

We were up in that game, for 95% of it, and with Shaq only playing 5 minutes in the first half. Oh, and we were in San Antonio playing the defending champions. It sucks we lost, but to count the team out automatically is absurd and lacks any kind of rational thinking. Period.

honestly, is there any reason to write this but to start a fight? So now you're saying that people are illogical and absurd. Is Gold saying that about you? why the insults if for no other reason than to start a fight? I mean, calling out other people (and then lumping them in false with another poster) in a thread where they haven't even posted is just begging for a fight, no?

 

[despurado]

Spurs fan here...
That was a hell of a game, and the Suns deserve a ton of credit for giving the Spurs almost more than they could handle. That game will be legendary and even though its not fun to be on the losing side of it, I truly believe the Suns are as close to being a championship team right now than they ever have been. And Amare is becoming nearly un-guardable.

It's going to be a hell of a good series, and while I will root for the Spurs; the Suns played a fantastic game today, and just came up short. The Suns would be the favorites if it weren't for the Spurs.

And if the Spurs don't show up for 48 minutes against the Suns, I have no doubt that the Suns could take the series.

 

[SunAndDone]

Definitely. Not to downplay the Spurs (they have a better chance of winning it), but we lost on a fluke three pointer in a game where we were mired in foul trouble. Now I don't expect it to be smooth sailing from here on out, but Shaq's bound to play more than five minutes in the first half.

Lost on a fluke 3 ptr ? YOU LOST A 16 POINT LEAD before that fluke 3 ptr. Tim was WIDE open. We were fortunate to win because of the hole we dug ourselves. Manu is still not 100 % but sucked it up and made a difference by going right at Shaq.

We won this game when Manu scored a layup on your best defender. I'll be curious to see if the Suns can come back mentally from a game they really should have won.

 

[dodie53]

the suns will win the series

 

[SunAndDone]

I truly believe the Suns are as close to being a championship team right now than they ever have been. And Amare is becoming nearly un-guardable.

Are you kidding me ? Becoming nearly unguardable ? He's always scored on us. This is the 4th series he's faced us and in 2005 he almost averaged 40 something pts a game. He's an offensive stud, nothing new. Concede the pts and make sure no one else goes off.
Today, Bell almost was the difference.

Nash was a non scoring factor in the 1 st half. He pulled the same disappearing act last year in big games.

 

[Proteus]

Spurs fan here...
That was a hell of a game, and the Suns deserve a ton of credit for giving the Spurs almost more than they could handle. That game will be legendary and even though its not fun to be on the losing side of it, I truly believe the Suns are as close to being a championship team right now than they ever have been. And Amare is becoming nearly un-guardable.

It's going to be a hell of a good series, and while I will root for the Spurs; the Suns played a fantastic game today, and just came up short. The Suns would be the favorites if it weren't for the Spurs.

And if the Spurs don't show up for 48 minutes against the Suns, I have no doubt that the Suns could take the series.

It seems like same old same old to me...Suns choking a game away, particularly to the Spurs. That doesn't seem particularly close being a champsionhip team.

We wouldn't be the favorites if the Spurs weren't around. That would be the Lakers. They and the Hornets own us.

 

[Michael]

Like I said in the game thread: I'm actually pretty confident after this unlucky loss.
Coaching mistakes... I don't know. If we're ever up again by 3 against San Antonio, I'd let Duncan shoot a three again. Finley's three was off-balance and (half-heartly) contested.

I knew this wasn't going to be a sweep or 5 game win over the no 3 seed.

However, we really need to win game 2. If we go home being down 0-2, I'd have my doubts to win 4 of 5.

But of the new millenium Suns vs Spurs series this is the one I feel most confident for Phoenix to advance.
Even more than our win in 2000 against the defending champions*.

 

[goldseraph]

I'm now rooting for a Spurs sweep, to increase the probability of Dumbtoni being fired, we have zero chance of ever winning a title under his idiocracy.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm now rooting for a Spurs sweep, to increase the probability of Dumbtoni being fired, we have zero chance of ever winning a title under his idiocracy.

that I don't get. I think bad coaching can be overcome by talent and i don't think DA's gonna be fired anyway (unfortunately).

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I said before the series Spurs in 6, and I am sticking to it. The Spurs were the last team I wanted to face in the playoffs because they have the best coach.

The Suns can win the series but I think it's going to be really tough.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

that I don't get. I think bad coaching can be overcome by talent and i don't think DA's gonna be fired anyway (unfortunately).

No it can't, when that coach is drawing up every last second play to go to second tier players. I don't see Popovich designing last second shots for Oberto or Barry.

 

[Cheesebeef]

No it can't, when that coach is drawing up every last second play to go to second tier players. I don't see Popovich designing last second shots for Oberto or Barry.

the players on the court have to over-rule him at that point. simple as that.

 

[Da_Spurs_Fan]

Coaching is just as important as having the players to execute. I wonder if Kerr has any coaching aspirations. Pop was the GM of the Spurs before he became a coach.

 

[despurado]

It seems like same old same old to me...Suns choking a game away, particularly to the Spurs. That doesn't seem particularly close being a champsionhip team.

We wouldn't be the favorites if the Spurs weren't around. That would be the Lakers. They and the Hornets own us.

I can't say anything as to how you match up with the Hornets or the Lakers, but I do know the Suns are capable of beating the Spurs in this series if the Spurs don't bring everything they have to the table.

The Suns managed to get a 16 point lead on the defending champions in their own building. And even when we managed to wrestle the lead away from the Suns they still managed to claw back.

Yes the Suns lost today, but they didn't choke. A choke is when you lose to an underdog....The Spurs are defending champions, and you are going to have to knock the crap out of them to beat them...And the Spurs pulled a couple of tricks out of the bag to win. Hack a shaq and a Duncan 3 were all necessary to eke out a victory at home.

And in many ways this was a must win for the Spurs. We had finished the season with a string of losses to a lot of playoff teams, and losing home court after that would have been very similar to the way the Mavericks managed to overcome their constant punching bag status to the Spurs in 06.

We held serve tonight...and I hope we can do it again on Tuesday.

But the Suns can't let this loss hang over their shoulders or they are already finished, and the Spurs can start preparing for Dallas or NO. No matter how this loss occurred the Suns are better prepared to deal with the Spurs than they ever have been.

Just my thoughts.

The Suns negatives:
Shaq, Grant, and Nash are too old.
Nash can't defend Parker.
Amare doesn't defend consistently.
Amare and Shaq can't stay on the court.
You haven't overcome the Spurs
Antoni is a horrible coach

The Spurs negatives:
We lack a fourth scorer.
We lack focus for 48 minutes.
Manu and Barry are playing catchup with rust and injuries
We go through bad shooting slumps

 

[SirStefan32]

Of course they can win. They almost won today. Couple of really lucky shots by Duncan and Finley, a silly offensive foul by Amare, and couple of bad shots by Dirty Diaw and they lost. Things just didn't go their way. However, they looked like a dominant team, and they will come back and destroy the Spurs.

 

[Phyzik]

After a double OT win by my Spurs...... DOUBLE OT!!!........... Its still anyones game.

 

[okhoops]

Yes the Suns can win. That said, they have several guys that still need to learn how to compete on every possession. Barbosa looks lost defensively--turns and watches the ball constantly. I agree that Nash needs to be more agressive offensively right from the get go, but he's always a guy who tries to involve others first, looking for his own offense only when his team is struggling or later in the game. The Suns need to adjust defensively. Duncan is a monster and will get his looks but I'd rather see him shooting jump shots and not just attacking the room on us all afternoon. Somebody has to make it a little more difficult for him to establish position on the block or they will need to double. They have to force Manu do something other than take the ball to the hole with his left hand at will. He's a hell of a player--a gamer--but for God's sake someone make him take it right or hit a few jumpers especially when all the Suns' bigs are in foul trouble.

Keep in mind it's one game. If they had pulled out the win, this forum would have a whole other tone. A win might have hidden some deficiencies that are all too obvious after a loss. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. This should be a long series.