Rockets at Suns Game Thread

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Terrible performance. I just don't like the feeling I'm getting from this team. Call it an overreaction or what have you, but it just seems bleak.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

I've been "latching" on to hope of winning a championship for 20 years & i'm as much of a fan today as i was then. If we don't win a title this year, i'll continue on as a SUNS fan....& i'll also continue complaining about not getting one(title). Did anyone mention anything about discontinuing their fan loyalty if we don't get a title?

I guess for many it is a love/hate relationship. I can understand that. For me, when I become less entertained by watching the team (these past two stinkers have started me on that path - one in a row is okay, but two in a row...) then I do other things. My woodworking. Hanging out with my wife/kids. Play a game. Something else. I guess I am getting too old to be a super-fan. And that is an individual thing, I guess.

 

[mojorizen7]

I guess for many it is a love/hate relationship. I can understand that. For me, when I become less entertained by watching the team (these past two stinkers have started me on that path - one in a row is okay, but two in a row...) then I do other things. My woodworking. Hanging out with my wife/kids. Play a game. Something else. I guess I am getting too old to be a super-fan. And that is an individual thing, I guess.

Fair enough.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

Terrible performance. I just don't like the feeling I'm getting from this team. Call it an overreaction or what have you, but it just seems bleak.

I agree, like I was saying. It seems that the team is caving in a little on itself this early season. Still, no different than last year at this time, although about here the team started playing much better. The only MAJOR problem with this style is that it takes concerted effort by all 5 guys on the floor. Not really close to that at this point. And shuffling the lineup to start Raja again I think will turn out to be the tipping point.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

We shot an uncharacteristic 41.5% from the floor tonight compared to Houston's 51.9% and we were still only down 2 with under a minute left. That's an indication of a good team. The basket just wasn't finding the bottom of the net tonight.

 

[krispydude]

wtf is dantoni doing? nash played the entire 4th qtr again and ends up with 40 min again. banks was with the team tonight wasnt he?

at least it wasnt a blowout and the ending had some sort of excitement to it. i still dont see the rockets as a threat in the playoffs, but they still beat us with tmac doing jack in the 2nd half.

oh and amare managed to stay out of foul trouble the entire game and didnt pick up his 5th until a few minutes left. win!

 

[green machine]

wtf is dantoni doing? nash played the entire 4th qtr again and ends up with 40 min again. banks was with the team tonight wasnt he?

at least it wasnt a blowout and the ending had some sort of excitement to it. i still dont see the rockets as a threat in the playoffs, but they still beat us with tmac doing jack in the 2nd half.

oh and amare managed to stay out of foul trouble the entire game and didnt pick up his 5th until a few minutes left. win!

Nash was in because it was a close game. In fact, Nash is the one who made it a close game.

 

[krispydude]

Nash was in because it was a close game. In fact, Nash is the one who made it a close game.

its the regular season, not the playoffs. do we have go through the same thing every year when the team runs out of gas in the playoffs because every regular season game is oh so important?

nash should only get close to 40 min if the game goes into overtime. plus with all the scoring he is doing this season puts even more of a burden on his body. hes not 28 anymore.

 

[green machine]

its the regular season, not the playoffs. do we have go through the same thing every year when the team runs out of gas in the playoffs because every regular season game is oh so important?

nash should only get close to 40 min if the game goes into overtime. plus with all the scoring he is doing this season puts even more of a burden on his body. hes not 28 anymore.

I doubt 4 extra minutes today is going to wreck Nash for the playoffs.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I doubt 4 extra minutes today is going to wreck Nash for the playoffs.

If this was an isolated incident that would be fine. But it's not. Those minutes are going to take a toll on Nash's body.

 

[az1965]

OK, you're right. Maybe it's the constant "We suck" posts that frustrate me. The team doesn't suck.

The "we suck" is in the context of "is this a championship team"...

 

[AnonymouslyKnown]

Well, good talk guys. Go Suns!

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Dantoni response after game

"we need more octane"

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

wtf is dantoni doing? nash played the entire 4th qtr again and ends up with 40 min again. banks was with the team tonight wasnt he?

That is the problem. If you are using the regular season to get ready for the playoffs then you can't be playing your starters so many minutes during the regular season. The Spurs rarely have a player log more than 35 minutes in a game and none average more than 35 minutes. I saw an article in 82 game.com once that showed that the 35 minute per game mark was the number where there was a marked increase in injuries to players. With the increase in quality of teams that will be faced in the playoffs the Suns need to be fresh going in because it will take a much greater effort to "impose" their style of play on the other team then. DA has never seemed to understand this. He puts the team in a 2 prong hole to try to win a championship: 1. Playing a style that hasn't been successful in the past. 2. Playing his players too many minutes in the regular season to be able to have his team actually peaking going into the playoffs.

 

[nowagimp]

Nash was in because it was a close game. In fact, Nash is the one who made it a close game.

Nash was in because the outside shooting was crap without him. He goes out and your best 3pt threat was Matrix? the spacing sucked and amare had no room to operate. Barbosa is in a serious shooting slump and Raja is not healthy, his shot is also inconsistent. Hopefully Marcus Banks can get back into things(remember no practice to do that), and contribute some outside shooting and defense. Movement off the ball still looks crappy and Boris needs to get a gonad when he's under the hoop. Shawn was incredible in his hustle and help defense on Yao, but I still cant believe that he doesnt know how to protect the ball with his body under the hoop from STEVE FRANCIS. Draw body contact, create some space shawn, dammit!

 

[Stargazer]

My thoughts on the game:

1. LB's shooting was awful, and has been since Bell's return. Bell's shooting is also not yet up to par. I think the season will rise or fall on whether those two return to form -- and I think they will.

2. Nash played brilliantly in the fourth quarter. If anything, his only "mistake" was trying to involve the rest of the team instead of just carring the entire load. On the other hand, the team won't have long-term success unless everyone is involved, so it's better to keep trying than to give it all up for the sake of one regular season win.

3. It was a discouraging game, but it's just one game. Right now, all you can say about the Suns is that they are clearly a top 10 team, and seem to have the ingredients to be a top 3 team, but they're not there yet. But then that's all you can say about any other team in the league, too. It's still early, and our guys are clearly not all yet healthy and up to form.

 

[az1965]

Quote by Nash... it supports the argument that you can have "fun" if it matches with your high standards, which is to win a championship:

"We have high standards," he said. "And it's not always fun, to be honest, with those standards. If we're living up to those standards and accountable to those, then we should be having fun. But if we're not, it shouldn't be that much fun."

 

[cly2tw]

We shot an uncharacteristic 41.5% from the floor tonight compared to Houston's 51.9% and we were still only down 2 with under a minute left. That's an indication of a good team. The basket just wasn't finding the bottom of the net tonight.

It's good team ruined by the stupid coach. Raja didn't seem to want to start as he was himself doubtful of whether he would be helpful playing not healthy the way he was. Hill is still feeling the aftermath of the trackmeet with the GS so that his midrange shots are all short lately. There is often a reason why "The basket just wasn't finding the bottom of the net tonight" for us, just like why many other teams couldn't shoot as high a percentage against us as we do to them in the time when our players were still healthy and the league way too unprepared for our "style". It's energy and the associated level of concentration.

 

[BC867]

Shawn was incredible in his hustle and help defense on Yao, but I still cant believe that he doesnt know how to protect the ball with his body under the hoop from STEVE FRANCIS. Draw body contact, create some space shawn, dammit!

I guess our Big Man's Coach should be working with him. Wait a minute, wasn't he replaced with Jay Humphries? Jay Humphries ? ? ?

 

[green machine]

I guess our Big Man's Coach should be working with him. Wait a minute, wasn't he replaced with Jay Humphries? Jay Humphries ? ? ?

Iavaroni was here for a while and Shawn still never learned how to go up strong with the ball. I doubt Humphries is to blame for his wussyness.

 

[bornandraised]

Here is my view on the Suns vs Rockets game:

"Now this game pissed me off, because Phoenix definitely could have won. On Wednesday the Suns lost to Houston, 100 - 94. Yao Ming was the main problem for Phoenix - we just couldn’t contain him. He scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. We are going to have to do a better job defending him next time.
Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire both played very well and led the Suns, with 29 and 25 points respectively. Amare also got 9 rebounds, and Shawn Marion scored 18 with 9 rebounds, but the rest of the team simply wasn’t good enough. Raja Bell only scored 7, but he is recovering from back and ankle trouble, so he is off the hook.
Leandro Barbosa - what happened to you? Earlier this month I wrote that Barbosa should be considered for the Western all star team and Sixth man of the year award. It was his birthday when Phoenix played Houston, but he shot 2 of 11. Hopefully he will turn things around in time for the game against Orlando, because we’re going to need everyone at their best to win."

 

[nowagimp]

Iavaroni was here for a while and Shawn still never learned how to go up strong with the ball. I doubt Humphries is to blame for his wussyness.

Ivaroni was here for years there is not excuse for this. When you are physically stronger than the defender and even if you are equally strong you jump back into the defender get the contact, shield the ball and shoot. If you are longer than the defender there is NEVER an excuse for him getting the block. This is high school ball fundamentals, no big man coach needed, bullcrap. Many guards can do this against 3's and 4's.

 

[BC867]

Iavaroni was here for a while and Shawn still never learned how to go up strong with the ball. I doubt Humphries is to blame for his wussyness.

Ivaroni was here for years there is not excuse for this. When you are physically stronger than the defender and even if you are equally strong you jump back into the defender get the contact, shield the ball and shoot. If you are longer than the defender there is NEVER an excuse for him getting the block. This is high school ball fundamentals, no big man coach needed, bullcrap. Many guards can do this against 3's and 4's.

Then why can't Shawn?