Raptors @ Suns Friday game thread 3-11-2022

[82CardsGrad]

No CP3 and Cam Johnson really showed up tonight. This was a playoff style game and without those two, we were exposed…
Payne played so well most of the game, but he just can’t be relied upon to close out the game as the point guard. Hopefully he’ll develop into a more reliable executor in crunch time. But I’m not entirely sure he’s got that in him.

 

[mjb21aztd]

I tbink payne gonna get extra pratice this week those were awful make u yell wtf turnovers in 4th just ughhhhh

Suns should have won

 

[Mainstreet]

No CP3 and Cam Johnson really showed up tonight. This was a playoff style game and without those two, we were exposed…
Payne played so well most of the game, but he just can’t be relied upon to close out the game as the point guard. Hopefully he’ll develop into a more reliable executor in crunch time. But I’m not entirely sure he’s got that in him.

Payne getting hit in the head twice didn't help.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Most of this is on Monty. First not getting irate at the refs. Second, finally goes big. Third not running the game plan they probably go over in those situations near the end.

Huh?

 

[82CardsGrad]

Payne getting hit in the head twice didn't help.

Yea… I don’t think the head shots had anything to do with it. He just isn’t at that level where he can be trusted to close out games and to execute in crunch time.

 

[Finito]

Just a flat out meltdown by Payne and Booker tonight

 

[Mainstreet]

Yea… I don’t think the head shots had anything to do with it. He just isn’t at that level where he can be trusted to close out games and to execute in crunch time.

Payne played 37 minutes and exerted a ton of energy guarding Trent Jr.

In retrospect he may have ran out of gas. Suns need to give Holiday more minutes.

 

[Sunburn]

Love Book, but he still gives back a lot of his positive value with poor passing and shot selection. That's the next step for him to go from all-star to all-nba imo. Judging by his defensive improvement this year, which has shocked me, I'm pretty sure it's a matter of when, not if.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Disappointing effort overall. You can't continually spot the opposition a 12 point lead heading into the 4th and expect to pull it out. Doesn't help that Gary Trent Jr was a flamethrower all night.

 

[Mainstreet]

Some final stats.

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[DJ Tabooh]

Love Book, but he still gives back a lot of his positive value with poor passing and shot selection. That's the next step for him to go from all-star to all-nba imo. Judging by his defensive improvement this year, which has shocked me, I'm pretty sure it's a matter of when, not if.

Book had 7 assists and three turnovers and went 50% from field and made 3/7 triples. He no doubt rushed the last 2 and those turnovers did hurt, but he’s clearly All-NBA. If he doesn’t make it, I would be very surprised. Ja, Luka, Steph, Trae, CP3 and Book should be the All-NBA guards. DeRozan is a 3 but he might get his votes split so we’ll see.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Payne played 37 minutes and exerted a ton of energy guarding Trent Jr.

In retrospect he may have ran out of gas. Suns need to give Holiday more minutes.

I don’t disagree…

 

[Mainstreet]

Love Book, but he still gives back a lot of his positive value with poor passing and shot selection. That's the next step for him to go from all-star to all-nba imo. Judging by his defensive improvement this year, which has shocked me, I'm pretty sure it's a matter of when, not if.

Double teaming and trapping Booker has become a thing. Suns need to work on this or take the ball out of his hands more in these type situations.

 

[Chaplin]

Love Book, but he still gives back a lot of his positive value with poor passing and shot selection. That's the next step for him to go from all-star to all-nba imo. Judging by his defensive improvement this year, which has shocked me, I'm pretty sure it's a matter of when, not if.

And you just can’t ignore the fact that we don’t have CP3 on the floor.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Double teaming and trapping Booker has become a thing. Suns need to work on this or take the ball out of his hands more in these type situations.

Book also needs to recognize the defense blitzing him, way sooner in the possession. He dribbled himself into positions where he had virtually no chance of making a play or a shot.
He needs to get rid of the ball way sooner. Being double teamed means there is an open Suns player and therefore, a play to be made…
He’ll watch this tape and will get this figured out!

 

[Mainstreet]

In the last 10 games Torrey Craig has shot 26% from the field.

 

[95pro]

Huh?

The foul call discrepancy was huge, not to mention the very questionable calls. I get being the bigger man and remaining calm but this was one of the worse games I’ve seen.

We were getting killed on the boards.

Execute these scenarios they practice on. All teams do this from high school on up. Situational offense and defense. I don’t think it’s in the playbook to shoot a 3 you didn’t need with 17 seconds left. That’s up to coaching to get a timeout and run a play.

 

[Mainstreet]

Book also needs to recognize the defense blitzing him, way sooner in the possession. He dribbled himself into positions where he had virtually no chance of making a play or a shot.
He needs to get rid of the ball way sooner. Being double teamed means there is an open Suns player and therefore, a play to be made…
He’ll watch this tape and will get this figured out!

I wish Booker would figure it out but it keeps happening. Maybe he needs to have a player run towards him and split the defenders with a pass.

 

[95pro]

I wish Booker would figure it out but it keeps happening. Maybe he needs to have a player run towards him and split the defenders with a pass.

He just needs to pause first and then dribble to the second defender. Instead he goes right away and they push book to the sides.

Harden is amazing at attacking the double team trap.

 

[Mainstreet]

He just needs to pause first and then dribble to the second defender. Instead he goes right away and they push book to the sides.

Harden is amazing at attacking the double team trap.

A lot of times Booker doesn't have room to dribble on a hard double team. He doesn't react quick enough so he gets trapped. Teammates need to find a way to help him more.

 

[Sunburn]

Book had 7 assists and three turnovers and went 50% from field and made 3/7 triples. He no doubt rushed the last 2 and those turnovers did hurt, but he’s clearly All-NBA. If he doesn’t make it, I would be very surprised. Ja, Luka, Steph, Trae, CP3 and Book should be the All-NBA guards. DeRozan is a 3 but he might get his votes split so we’ll see.

You're right. He might make it this year. Let's say the next step is mvp level player. He's not quite there yet.

 

[GatorAZ]

Suns were drunk for like two minutes there.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Not so unhappy I missed this one. Bench and rebounding look bad in box (particularly Ayton’s 7 rebounds), but judging from the comments here sounds like book blew this down the stretch.

Need to get it back with lakers.

 

[1tinsoldier]

damn! the prior game was terrific from Booker and company -- blowing out, perhaps, the 2nd best NBA team -- that blew us out last time, by us playing exceptional team ball

after watching us play team ball for 2 weeks, Booker fit right in, as i hoped he would. He scored near his average with only 16 shot attempts because he took good, high percentage shots. and he did so again this game -- until the end when he reverted to his old habits. the first 3 was an open look and he made it. the other 2 were Booker-ball misses and the turnovers was from more bad decisions

believe me, i'm as tired of talking about this as everyone must be to read it. But of our 5 players on the floor at crunch-time there is rarely not a better ball handler on the floor as well as a higher percentage shooter who's not being double teamed.

with legit championship aspirations and all the pieces to get er done, there's no excuse for Monty not calling plays that take advantage of the double teaming of Booker rather than us falling prey to it

though we're losing more games lately, i'm encouraged that it still takes someone on the other team having an exceptionally hot night

 

[Chaplin]

Not so unhappy I missed this one. Bench and rebounding look bad in box (particularly Ayton’s 7 rebounds), but judging from the comments here sounds like book blew this down the stretch.

Need to get it back with lakers.

There were 2 glaring issues. Monty didn’t prepare the team for Torontos length and there was no CP3, especially at the end.

Both of which are easily fixable. I’m personally not too worried.