Raja's Goosegg

[dreamcastrocks]

Any status update?

Did he get a concussion from Shaq's elbow?

 

[jlove]

Raja was actually "knocked-out" and received a slight concussion in the hit. He should be fine by the next game.

 

[Steel Sun]

Any status update?

Did he get a concussion from Shaq's elbow?

Are u talking about his scoring total or the knot on his head

 

[abomb]

That was a very hard hit.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Raja was actually "knocked-out" and received a slight concussion in the hit. He should be fine by the next game.

I didn't see what happened until the replay. Very scary as he was lying there motionless.

 

[sunsbo]

Are u talking about his scoring total or the knot on his head

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Are u talking about his scoring total or the knot on his head

I wouldn't have minded, if Kobe hadn't scored 41 or whatever it was. I think Raja needs to stay within 10-12 points of Kobe on most nights.

 

[Darth Llama]

I wouldn't have minded, if Kobe hadn't scored 41 or whatever it was. I think Raja needs to stay within 10-12 points of Kobe on most nights.

I don't think Raja can stop Kobe anymore then Fisher can stop Nash.

There are some things that are a given in these games. Kobe and Steve Nash are going to look like gods, that's just pretty much how it goes. Steve Nash owned the Lakers in the first half, but then he looked to pass more in the second half which I felt hurt the Suns a little. If Nash would have stayed aggressive, things might have been different. Farmar and Fisher can't stop Nash, he's the best PG in the world. He needs to be the one that cancels out Kobe IMO.

 

[Kody Rumin]

:07 Seconds or Less has some interesting insight on Bell's defense on Kobe. I assume a lot of you have read it already, but it's pretty interesting if you haven't. Anyway this thread reminded me of that, in the fact that in the '06 playoffs, the Suns didn't want to stop Bryant. They wanted him to get his points at the expense of his teammates. Bryant's team has improved since then, and so has his sharing.

Zero points on offense isn't a big deal though when you have so many other good offensive players around you. Bell's job last night was to defend Kobe, not to score.

I hope he's alright. That bump looked pretty sick.

 

[Mainstreet]

What's sad is that about the time Raja picked up the gooseegg on his head, he had started to play effective defense on Kobe. Of course, this does not negate the rest of the evening.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I don't think Raja can stop Kobe anymore then Fisher can stop Nash.

There are some things that are a given in these games. Kobe and Steve Nash are going to look like gods, that's just pretty much how it goes. Steve Nash owned the Lakers in the first half, but then he looked to pass more in the second half which I felt hurt the Suns a little. If Nash would have stayed aggressive, things might have been different. Farmar and Fisher can't stop Nash, he's the best PG in the world. He needs to be the one that cancels out Kobe IMO.

I agree with some of your points... but if Kobe shoots 60% from the field like he did last night, I doubt they would ever lose a game.

 

[Maligzar]

I thought this thread would be about the giant goose egg that Raja Bell has laid on this entire season. Stop Kobe? Please, who exactly has Raja Bell stopped at all this season?

When you're the best defensive player on a poor defensive team that doesn't mean you are a great defender.

Raja needs to pick up his offensive game, because while his defense is good; he's not a shutdown guy to the extent of Bruce Bowen where we could just ignore his lack of offensive production.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I thought this thread would be about the giant goose egg that Raja Bell has laid on this entire season. Stop Kobe? Please, who exactly has Raja Bell stopped at all this season?

When you're the best defensive player on a poor defensive team that doesn't mean you are a great defender.

Raja needs to pick up his offensive game, because while his defense is good; he's not a shutdown guy to the extent of Bruce Bowen where we could just ignore his lack of offensive production.

As a first team all-nba defender, SOMEONE thinks he's a good defender.

 

[D-Dogg]

I don't think Raja can stop Kobe anymore then Fisher can stop Nash.

There are some things that are a given in these games. Kobe and Steve Nash are going to look like gods, that's just pretty much how it goes. Steve Nash owned the Lakers in the first half, but then he looked to pass more in the second half which I felt hurt the Suns a little. If Nash would have stayed aggressive, things might have been different. Farmar and Fisher can't stop Nash, he's the best PG in the world. He needs to be the one that cancels out Kobe IMO.

I want Nash to shoot more, pass less. The fewer shots the Suns take from the perimeter the less likely they are to get hot...and when they get hot they can run away with a game. Hill and Nash were red-hot in that game. RED-HOT.

 

[D-Dogg]

:07 Seconds or Less has some interesting insight on Bell's defense on Kobe. I assume a lot of you have read it already, but it's pretty interesting if you haven't.

paraphrase it, please.

 

[KOBEnPAU]

Raja Will Be Fine.
If He Can Take Kobe's Elbows To The Face, I Think He Can Take Elbows From Shaq To The Head. Right?

 

[TucsonDevil]

If you are a 'good or great' defender, shouldn't you be able to hold a player's output to BELOW his average? Raja, and LB did very little to stop Kobe. Kobe did whatever he wanted to last night.

As a strategy - I don't mind Kobe scoring 50, as long as no one else scores over 10 points. That wasn't the case last night - Kobe got his, Pau got his, and Lamar got his. That's unacceptable. Translation: Kobe shot when he wanted to and easily passed the ball when others were wide open... what is the strategy in that?

Raja needs to find his heart... he is quickly becoming the Lion from the Wizard of Oz.

 

[Maligzar]

As a first team all-nba defender, SOMEONE thinks he's a good defender.

Can you try harder? At least breakdown this year's stats or a single game and try to explain how THIS YEAR he's a good defender.

The past is exactly that. Past.

 

[nowagimp]

Can you try harder? At least breakdown this year's stats or a single game and try to explain how THIS YEAR he's a good defender.

The past is exactly that. Past.

Funny how no one says this about bowen: "what has he done this year?"

 

[Sovereignz]

Raja might be the most overrated defender in the league along with Bruce Bowen (grabbing, riding, hacking and fouling Nash is not defense..), I've been saying that since the beginning of the season. We still need his outside shooting badly, but I really would like to see Strawberry get more minutes when we go up against a guy like Kobe.

I also understand the philosophy of letting Kobe get his and limiting what the other guys do - but that doesn't work with their supporting cast as good as it is now, you just can't let Kobe do whatever he wants to you.

 

[Kody Rumin]

paraphrase it, please.

In short, Marc Iavaroni who did a lot of Phoenix's defensive planning, felt that Bryant having a hot 40-plus point game was better for the Suns than if he shared the ball and got his teammates involved. It's impossible to shut Kobe down and stop his scoring, so Bell's defense was mainly to keep Bryant from passing the ball, but letting him get his shot. I don't remember it all exactly; I could give you a better summary of it if I had the book in front of me.

 

[nowagimp]

Can you try harder? At least breakdown this year's stats or a single game and try to explain how THIS YEAR he's a good defender.

The past is exactly that. Past.

How about he has defended manu better than most of the other teams? Seriously only an idiot would argue whether Bell is a good defender. When Kobe Bryant is on, no-one is a "good defender" without serious help. In case you hadnt noticed, the suns traded a very good help defender recently, capish? Hold sasha vujanic to 8 pts and the suns win the game. The 15 points he scored are inexcusable and Barbs had alot to do with that.

 

[Sovereignz]

How about he has defended manu better than most of the other teams? Seriously only an idiot would argue whether Bell is a good defender. When Kobe Bryant is on, no-one is a "good defender" without serious help. In case you hadnt noticed, the suns traded a very good help defender recently, capish? Hold sasha vujanic to 8 pts and the suns win the game. The 15 points he scored are inexcusable and Barbs had alot to do with that.

I guess I'm an idiot then, cause I watch quick guards (Leandro is much worse about this to be fair, possibly the worst in the league) get dribble penetration almost at will against him. We get so many blocked shots cause our big guys have to challenge 20 more shots a game at the hoop than any other team in the league. Why? Because teams know they can get to the basket on us.

If you want to see a good man defender, watch Strawberry and how he stays in front of his man. I'm almost 100% sure he hasn't given up a single dribble penetration yet this season.

Honestly, Kobe is actually one of the guys Raja can guard pretty well at this stage of his career. He can be physical with him and up on his jumpshots (not that that matters with Kobe) because Kobe actually doesn't have the incredible burst of footspeed in the half court setting (he relies almost completely on creating contact and getting fouls), getting to the basket like a guy like Ellis or some of the other guards that have torched us this year have.

 

[nowagimp]

I guess I'm an idiot then, cause I watch quick guards (Leandro is much worse about this to be fair, possibly the worst in the league) get dribble penetration almost at will against him. We get so many blocked shots cause our big guys have to challenge 20 more shots a game at the hoop than any other team in the league. Why? Because teams know they can get to the basket on us.

If you want to see a good man defender, watch Strawberry and how he stays in front of his man. I'm almost 100% sure he hasn't given up a single dribble penetration yet this season.

Honestly, Kobe is actually one of the guys Raja can guard pretty well at this stage of his career. He can be physical with him and up on his jumpshots (not that that matters with Kobe) because Kobe actually doesn't have the incredible burst of footspeed in the half court setting (he relies almost completely on creating contact and getting fouls), getting to the basket like a guy like Ellis or some of the other guards that have torched us this year have.

I hear you on straw, but he's a rook, inexpereinced and worn down by NBA schedule rookie blues. Raja is a good defender because he's a relentless pest, not because he's super quick. Monta Ellis eats up any suns defender, sure. A good defender doesnt do much to stop Kobe when he's on, not much at all. In the NBA, just about any superstar cannot be defended by one guy.

Bottom line is that the suns gave up alot of easy baskets to guys other than Kobe. When Kobe scores 40+ the lakers are like 3-2 and they are 16-4 when he scores 30-39. I would have rather seen Kobe try to score even more than he did. Take away the easy baskets by Vujanic and Turiaf, and Kobe would have had to score 20 more points for the lakers to win. Put me down for that strategy.

 

[Sovereignz]

I hear you on straw, but he's a rook, inexpereinced and worn down by NBA schedule rookie blues. Raja is a good defender because he's a relentless pest, not because he's super quick. Monta Ellis eats up any suns defender, sure. A good defender doesnt do much to stop Kobe when he's on, not much at all. In the NBA, just about any superstar cannot be defended by one guy.

Bottom line is that the suns gave up alot of easy baskets to guys other than Kobe. When Kobe scores 40+ the lakers are like 3-2 and they are 16-4 when he scores 30-39. I would have rather seen Kobe try to score even more than he did. Take away the easy baskets by Vujanic and Turiaf, and Kobe would have had to score 20 more points for the lakers to win. Put me down for that strategy.

I would agree with you on the relentless pest part if it was last year, but it just doesn't seem like it's the same with him this year. I don't know if there's a stat page that keeps track of charges drawn on the web somewhere, but I would bet dollars to donuts that last year or at least two years ago Raja was in the top 10 and this year he might not be in the top 100.

To be fair, he's been playing banged up all year long. I definitely think that has something to do with it. We still need his outside shooting desperately, especially with Shaq in the mix now, so I'm not saying just take him out of the rotation and put DJ in. Not at all. I'd just like to see DJ get more minutes when we're playing teams with elite guards is all. And I'd rather see him get those minutes at Leandro's expense, to be honest. Or Boris's .

And you're spot on about what the other guys did. But I think we'll match up better with the Lakers once Bynum gets back ironically. Shaq on Gasol and Amare on the perimeter against Odom isn't favorable for us, I'd much rather have Amare on Gasol and Shaq on Bynum defenseively.