Raptors @ Suns 2-2-16

[Mainstreet]

The Raptors play at the Suns tonight with a 7 p.m. Arizona start time. T.J. Warren is out for the season with a right foot fracture.

This game will be worth watching to see what happens in so many ways.

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 23m23 minutes ago

Earl Watson: "I'm going to nurture and embrace Markieff Morris. I'm embracing him. We need him." Morris might return to starting tonight.

https://twitter.com/paulcoro

 

[Catlover]

Easily Markieff's best game in quite some time. It makes me hate him even more but hopefully it will lead to a quickly improved trade market.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Archie with a nice long 3 ball to end the first

Yea agree weird how different markieff looks that 360 move was nice

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Easily Markieff's best game in quite some time. It makes me hate him even more but hopefully it will lead to a quickly improved trade market.

Exactly! What a POS for quitting on Horney. It was painfully obvious he's been dogging this season. His renewed play can only help going forward at the trade deadline.

 

[sunsfan88]

Haven't seen Kieff play with this much energy this entire season

https://twitter.com/sreekyshooter/status/694709065931321344

 

[BC867]

It is disappointing that Kieff outlasted Hornacek after their incident. Ironically, it showed the Suns that Jeff doesn't have the moxie to be a strong Head Coach, which led to his demise.

And, of course, Markieff came to life as soon as Jeff was gone. Perhaps he'll convince another team that he can be a solid player -- not great, but solid. Until you factor in his emotional problems.

Hopefully, there's a team out there that will tolerate the latter to get the former. Either way, Markieff Morris still has to go for the Suns to begin to move on.

 

[slinslin]

Or maybe just maybe Hornacek simply was the problem.

On paper there was no excuse to be as bad as we were even before Bleds injury.

 

[slinslin]

22/7/3 for Markieff with 16 minutes left to play.
Edit: 24/9/4/1/2 with 14 minutes left to play.

Thank god the Suns were not stupid enough to give him away for nothing or buy him out as some suggested.

This surely is no coincidence that Hornacek is gone and Markieff suddenly plays like we know he can.

 

[Catlover]

Morris, Booker and Goodwin have all played well tonight. We're keeping it close so far.

 

[slinslin]

Archie with 13 points and 10 assists played 33 of 36 minutes so far.

 

[JCSunsfan]

So. Markieff has been holding back this much. I hate him even more now.

 

[slinslin]

Markieff is flirting with a career high, needs 5 more.

This is probably the best we have seen him.

Makes it look like the main problem was between Hornacek and the Morri.

 

[sunsfan88]

Kieff with 30/10/5 in first game after Hornacek is fired...wow.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Kieff with 30/10/5 in first game after Hornacek is fired...wow.

Yeah, Keep scoring Keef. Your stock will only rise.

 

[Catlover]

So. Markieff has been holding back this much. I hate him even more now.

See post 2 of this thread.

 

[slinslin]

This game was very enjoyable.

Archie, Booker and Kieff played great together. Love seeing our draft picks perform. Too bad Warren is out and Ken looking pathetic.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This the best of all worlds. Kieff increasing his value (agree with those that still want him gone. He's a punk), team loses but doesn't get doors blown in (don't want to instill environment of losing), and booker gets to grow into being a star (hopefully).

 

[Mainstreet]

I enjoyed the game tonight. It was good to see Markieff get his game going for whatever the reason. Archie Goodwin is showing more and more that he belongs in the NBA. Devin Booker, what can I say, he should be a future star. Too bad the bench and center position couldn't produce.

 

[SweetD]

Enjoyable game tonight.

Booker is starting to get that Star/take over the game feel.

Goodwin still needs to play the two, but is showing promise. Other than him loosing his cool. The kid is just not that good yet to be getting the calls.

Keif, ugh on one hand great to see his stock rise for trade. But he was playing well enough to make me think twice. Or at least get a big return for him.

I have played for some really crappy coaches, but I have never lowered my game. Kief's game was night and day.

 

[AfroSuns]

This the best of all worlds. Kieff increasing his value (agree with those that still want him gone. He's a punk), team loses but doesn't get doors blown in (don't want to instill environment of losing), and booker gets to grow into being a star (hopefully).

Completely agree with this. The way they were losing the last few games was just awful!

 

[sunsfan88]

I enjoyed the game tonight. It was good to see Markieff get his game going for whatever the reason. Archie Goodwin is showing more and more that he belongs in the NBA. Devin Booker, what can I say, he should be a future star. Too bad the bench and center position couldn't produce.

Yea I guess the Raptors didn't read the scouting report on Goodwin or something....because I was told that the Mavs read the scouting report on Goodwin and that Goodwin will suck from now on because teams will read the scouting report on him and shut him down...lol.

Len is so wildly inconsistent. I have no idea what the hell his deal is. He's not the 18 year old rookie we have yet he still plays like one.

Booker is a stud. Plain and simple.

 

[TJ]

Had me scared in the first quarter when the team rallied off a 7-0 run to start. Fortunately, that corrected itself.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Post game presser. EW said, point blank, Markieff will be the focus of the offense going forward. Devin Booker will be the second option.

Well. He has clearly defined roles.

Don't get angry with me. I am just the messenger.

 

[Catlover]

Post game presser. EW said, point blank, Markieff will be the focus of the offense going forward. Devin Booker will be the second option.

Well. He has clearly defined roles.

Don't get angry with me. I am just the messenger.

Well that's great news. I was afraid that Markieff would continue to play well, taking pressure off of Booker so he could carry us to some unexpected victories. But if we run the offense through Markieff we shouldn't have to worry too much about accidental wins. Seriously though, it's probably too much to put on Devin's shoulders this early in his career. Hopefully, with the trading deadline on the 18th we're only talking about a couple weeks of Morris anyway.

 

[Catlover]

Yea I guess the Raptors didn't read the scouting report on Goodwin or something....because I was told that the Mavs read the scouting report on Goodwin and that Goodwin will suck from now on because teams will read the scouting report on him and shut him down...lol.

Len is so wildly inconsistent. I have no idea what the hell his deal is. He's not the 18 year old rookie we have yet he still plays like one.

Booker is a stud. Plain and simple.

They probably didn't. If I understood Eddie correctly the other day, the more important players show up on the first page of the report and a lot of times you don't even go beyond that during the season. With Archie coming off 3 horrible games (shooting 7 for 36 and averaging 2.33 assists and 4 turnovers) they probably didn't pay him much attention. Still, I'm okay if anyone wants to cling to the hope that Watson put him in a better position to succeed. It's certainly what I'm hoping for.