Raptors @ Suns 11-2-18

[Mainstreet]

Things will not get any easier as the Raptors visit the Suns on Friday.

The Raptors are 7-1 while the Suns are 1-6. It doesn't help the Suns may again be missing Isaiah Canaan and Devin Booker who have been out with injuries.

The game is scheduled to be televised on FSAZ. Start time is listed at 7 p.m. Arizona time.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here is the latest injury update I could find.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[sunsfan88]

Raptors are resting Kawhi Leonard for this game. Quite a ballsy move by them.

Edit: He’s playing.

 

[SirStefan32]

Raptors are resting Kawhi Leonard for this game. Quite a ballsy move by them.

Not really. Even with Booker playing, Raptors can rest their best player (probably two best players, if they wanted to), and they could still win easily.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Not really. Even with Booker playing, Raptors can rest their best player (probably two best players, if they wanted to), and they could still win easily.

I'm guessing that was sarcasm.

 

[SirStefan32]

Ah, you are probably right.

 

[Superbone]

I'm guessing that was sarcasm.

It's gotta be, right? They could rest their starting 5 and we still probably wouldn't have a halftime lead.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Not really. Even with Booker playing, Raptors can rest their best player (probably two best players, if they wanted to), and they could still win easily.

I even think you understate it here. Their bench group is clearly better than our starting group, unless we wore them down they could probably beat us without their starters. Someone is surely going to point out how repetitive I'm being but NBA games dominated mostly by grown men in their prime and we attack them with our toddlers and senior citizens.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm guessing that was sarcasm.

I think @SirStefan32 was talking reality.

 

[Superbone]

I think @SirStefan32 was talking reality.

Yeah, but we're talking about sunsfan88's statement about it being a balsy move to rest Leonard.

 

[Mainstreet]

Actually the last I heard Leonard was playing.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Mainstreet]

Perhaps I'm not understanding your point @sunsfan88.

So wouldn't the back-to-back games be when the Raptors play the Lakers on Sunday and Utah on Monday.

 

[sunsfan88]

Perhaps I'm not understanding your point @sunsfan88.

So wouldn't the back-to-back games be when the Raptors play the Lakers on Sunday and Utah on Monday.

Ah you’re right, I misread that as playing the Suns friday and then Lakers on Saturday.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ah you’re right, I misread that as playing the Suns friday and then Lakers on Saturday.

I wish the Raptors would rest Leonard against the Suns after he went for 31 points against the 76ers.

 

[Hoop Head]

Kawhi is looking forward to a game where there isn't a "best player" that he needs to guard. He'll finally be able to play defense like everyone else, making switches and pairing off with the player who plays his position.

 

[sunsfan88]

I even think you understate it here. Their bench group is clearly better than our starting group, unless we wore them down they could probably beat us without their starters. Someone is surely going to point out how repetitive I'm being but NBA games dominated mostly by grown men in their prime and we attack them with our toddlers and senior citizens.

Eh Kings are a team that might be even younger than us and their off to a pretty good start at 6-3 including wins over teams like Thunder and Grizzlies that have obliterated us.

You have a point about the senior citizens though.

 

[overseascardfan]

Its sad that fans have to hope the opposing team's best player is out for the game so that it actually becomes a game and not a blowout. PHX's losses are by an average of over 20+ ppg, I think the OKC was the only loss that was within 10 points, this team might give that 9 win 1972-73 PHI team a run for their money this year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Eh Kings are a team that might be even younger than us and their off to a pretty good start at 6-3 including wins over teams like Thunder and Grizzlies that have obliterated us.

You have a point about the senior citizens though.

They probably are because of our outlier veterans. If you go through their roster though you'll notice that their minutes eaters (top 11) average more than 26 years of age. Even if you drop down to Harry Giles, number 12 in minutes, they still average roughly 26 years of age between them.

 

[sunsfan88]

They probably are because of our outlier veterans. If you go through their roster though you'll notice that their minutes eaters (top 11) average more than 26 years of age. Even if you drop down to Harry Giles, number 12 in minutes, they still average roughly 26 years of age between them.

I mean are you saying the Kings rotation of top 11 players in minutes is older than our top 11 players in minutes?

Because if that's what you are saying then Ariza, Canaan, Chandler and Crawford are all top 11 for the Suns in mins/game (and are all 27 or older) so they can't be disregarded as outliers any more than the Kings vets should be.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I mean are you saying the Kings rotation of top 11 players in minutes is older than our top 11 players in minutes?

Because if that's what you are saying then Ariza, Canaan, Chandler and Crawford are all top 11 for the Suns in mins/game (and are all 27 or older) so they can't be disregarded as outliers any more than the Kings vets should be.

No, I'm not but for us they are outliers. Unlike us, Sacramento doesn't have those aging useless veterans like we do. They have a couple of decent to good players in their late 20's in their rotation and a lot of young players but several of their young players are older than you'd probably think. WCS is 25, Yogi is 25, Buddy is almost 25 and Mason and Troy Williams will both turn 25 before the season ends. For the most part, we have Ariza and Warren in that adult range and everyone else is basically 22 and under or counting the days until they retire.

 

[95pro]

Kawhi is looking forward to a game where there isn't a "best player" that he needs to guard. He'll finally be able to play defense like everyone else, making switches and pairing off with the player who plays his position.

Even if Booker was playing, Leonard is just longer stronger and more athletic.

 

[Mainstreet]

It is looking like Booker could play against the Raptors.

“Questionable,” said the first-year NBA head coach, when asked after Thursday's practice if Booker will return to action after missing the last three games with a strained hamstring suffered last week against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We’ll keep him questionable so we don’t promise he’s going to play and suddenly, he doesn’t. I’ll keep him questionable before the game tomorrow, shootaround. If he says, ‘Coach, I can go. I feel great.’ We’re waiting for him.”

“He went through the whole practice like everyone else,” Kokoskov said.

This was after Suns interim general manager James Jones told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Wednesday that he expected Booker to return for Friday’s game.

by Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...ely-return-injury-against-raptors/1854370002/

 

[Yuma]

Through their first seven games of the season, the Suns have the worst average scoring differential in the NBA at -14.7 points per game. The Washington Wizards are second worst at -10.6.

Wow!

 

[Yuma]

Another problem Windhorst sees in the Suns is the development at point guard.

“The Suns arguably had the worst point guard situation in the league last year,” Windhorst said. “When training camp began, they had not solved it. To be honest, they are not even close to solving it, as far as I can tell.”

Windhorst = 1Sun. Solved.

 

[Mainstreet]

Likewise, Canaan could play as well. The linked article is full of information.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...ely-return-injury-against-raptors/1854370002/