Raja is a thug!!!

[A_SunsFan]

I love it when people call Raja a thug...For years the Suns have had this soft finesse image. Players thought they could come in a push the Suns around. Finally we have someone on our team that would rather put you in the hospital then to let you think the Suns are soft. Its about damn time!

When he is finally on the court with Amare that fire they provide will be pretty intimidating.

 

[CaptainInsano]

Kurt beats the crap out of people on the inside too don't forget. Call me sick but sometimes when he just decked somebody going for a layup I felt complete inside. I miss that now.

 

[nowagimp]

What I like is how both KT and Raja get others to play tough as well. One of those, JR, plays tough, physical, alot. I think its infectious, like the passing of Nash. I even saw TT giving hard fouls in the lane area during he playoffs. This toughness and attitude will be needed to get those championships!

 

[Gaddabout]

When I think of Raja, I think of what my pastor said of Danny Ainge when the Suns signed him out of Portland:

I used to think he was an a-hole. But now he's our a-hole, so I can't find any wrong with him.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

What I like is how both KT and Raja get others to play tough as well. One of those, JR, plays tough, physical, alot. I think its infectious, like the passing of Nash. I even saw TT giving hard fouls in the lane area during he playoffs. This toughness and attitude will be needed to get those championships!

I love that Tim Thomas in regular season pulled a retaliation foul on Dirk, for what they pulled on Marion giving him a hard foul going up with the ball. I love having the toughness of Bell and Kurt and yes I love it when people call Raja a Jerk or Thug!!! This team is very decieving and is both physical and mentally tougher then the credit they get. I mean once the Suns have there full starting 5 next season and are not as undersized, I predict domination. Spurs and Dallas are tough but in a fundemental way, Nowitzki, Duncan, Ginoboli or Parker all have the ability to morph into little girls when they get slammed around or tested mentally. I've seen the Suns not cave in when many other guys would under some of the pressure they have been under, I love this Team

 

[AZZenny]

But the weird thing is -- Raja is a nice thug. He's well-spoken, pleasant, considerate off the court, seems to be a good teammate -- he is, indeed, a Suns' kind of thug.

I like Coach D's comment that it took them 2 weeks to get Raja to lose his conscience, and two months to get Boris to lose his humility.

 

[sunsfn]

I love that Tim Thomas in regular season pulled a retaliation foul on Dirk, for what they pulled on Marion giving him a hard foul going up with the ball. I love having the toughness of Bell and Kurt and yes I love it when people call Raja a Jerk or Thug!!! This team is very decieving and is both physical and mentally tougher then the credit they get. I mean once the Suns have there full starting 5 next season and are not as undersized, I predict domination. Spurs and Dallas are tough but in a fundemental way, Nowitzki, Duncan, Ginoboli or Parker all have the ability to morph into little girls when they get slammed around or tested mentally. I've seen the Suns not cave in when many other guys would under some of the pressure they have been under, I love this Team

I agree with all you say and want to add this.

TT is the one guy on this club that takes care of his teammates on hard fouls. Bell and KT are great defensive and are tough players that are really appreciated, but TT is the one that in a few games has done more to protect Nash with a retaliation foul, than anyone on the team for the last two years. He has fouled players hard, shoved them away from Nash and does it without flaming the situation. (I also absolutely think he will sign with the suns next year)

And, I believe that Steve Nash mentally is as tough as any player in the NBA.

 

[mkapp]

One of those, JR, plays tough, physical, alot. I think its infectious, like the passing of Nash.

I must be missing something here...JR? Did we get Jalen, or one of the Richardson's?

 

[SunsTzu]

James Jones is JR as in junior.

 

[sunsfn]

I must be missing something here...JR? Did we get Jalen, or one of the Richardson's?

JR is James Jones. That has been his nick name since he was a young boy. His family called him junior and shortened it to JR.

 

[Yuma]

You guys almost sound like you want Danny Fortson on this team!

 

[Nash]

I like Coach D's comment that it took them 2 weeks to get Raja to lose his conscience, and two months to get Boris to lose his humility.

That's a nice one D'Antoni is a real easy going friendly guy as well and he has a nice sense of humor as we've seen from his press conferences. With the the 2 top men on the team - coach and Nash being nice guys at heart, I guess it rubs off and the team in general seems an affable lot.

I must be missing something here...JR? Did we get Jalen, ?

Oh please! Jalen Rose? How could you think this board was still alive if we'd got him! It wouldv'e gone up in flames.. Jalen is happy in his new job as a courtside TV guy.

I don't think I quite agree that Ginobili and Duncan become little girls in tough situations. Ginobili is tough as nails and is one of the most reliable guys in the dying moments of the game. He made a few mistakes this series but thats probably because he didn't play enough in the regular season.
As for Duncan, I can't stand him but I should admit he is a very good clutch player. Look back at last year's finals.

Nash is clearly a super-tough guy mentally. I hardly expected we'd make that last 2.5 mins come back with 10 straight points from the Nashman. Amazing how he decided he wanted to take over and win the game, and did just that.

 

[Nasser22]

You guys almost sound like you want Danny Fortson on this team!

lol, I actually wanted him during the offseason because the team really needed someone like him to come in and foul hard. He could come in and clothesline people and it wouldn't matter if he got suspended.

 

[A_SunsFan]

lol, I actually wanted him during the offseason because the team really needed someone like him to come in and foul hard. He could come in and clothesline people and it wouldn't matter if he got suspended.

I hate Danny Fortson the guy is just plain dirty...I have never seen one of our players go out and commit a foul that put a player out for the season.

 

[nowagimp]

I hate Danny Fortson the guy is just plain dirty...I have never seen one of our players go out and commit a foul that put a player out for the season.

I also hate Fortson, but being tough and being cheap are different. If someone hammers nash, I want them to worry that TT will seek them out as a protector. TT has alot of basketball talent, not like fortson who has none, and TT doesnt resort to cheap shots that risk injury. Toughness is a deterrent against the strategy of "roughing up" players to make them play poorly, or in the worst case against cheap shots that risk injury. When amare comes back next year, I want guys who can provide the deterrent against teams that would take shots at him. The suns dont need to rough up anyone to win and they know it, but there must be some deterrent to other teams that might use it against the suns. Raja, KT, and TT provide that toughness, and youngsters like JR are picking it up. NBA basketball is a battle and these guys must watch each others backs.

 

[Nash]

interesting point nowagimp. Never thought of it that way.
makes sense..