Suns @ 76ers Monday game thread 1-6-2025

[Mainstreet]

There are two more games for the Suns to play on this three game road trip.

They play at the 76ers on Monday and the Hornets on Tuesday in a back-to-back affair.

After losing to the Pacers, Phoenix is now 15-18 and 3-7 in their last ten games.

The 76ers are 14-19 and 7-3 in their last ten games.

When: Monday, January 6, 2025

Television: Suns Live, Arizona's Family 3TV / Arizona's Family Sports, NBA TV

Radio: KMVP 98.7 / S: KSUN

Time: 5:00 PM Arizona time

 

[mjb21aztd]

Another l incomin prob sadddddddd times in suns land ((

I miss the nash and barkley teams..... lol sighhh

 

[Yuma]

Beal and Booker both don't look right. Clearly without Oneal and Jones we are lost. Should be fun.

 

[95pro]

Beal and Booker both don't look right. Clearly without Oneal and Jones we are lost. Should be fun.

Book actually looked better without KD in the game. The tempo was faster. The ball movement was better.

 

[Phrazbit]

Book actually looked better without KD in the game. The tempo was faster. The ball movement was better.

KD doesn't play within a system. He did for like 5 games to start the year, but he is seemingly over it again. Back to early 2000s style ISO ball... slow, dull, but he does spice it up a bit with a boatload of awful turnovers.

 

[GatorAZ]

Embiid has been his old self lately and we can’t guard Maxey. Can’t see this one going well.

 

[CardNots]

Another l incomin prob sadddddddd times in suns land ((

I miss the nash and barkley teams..... lol sighhh

At this point, I miss the CP3 teams…

 

[Peter Sheldon]

I’ve been watching Suns since 89. There was always either a great team to watch or the hope of youngsters getting better. This product is predictable and awful to watch. This team was built for some era that doesn’t exist anymore.

 

[Mainstreet]

Royce O'Neale is the only one on the Suns injury report.

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[Mainstreet]

I guess Collin Gillespie has recovered from his right ankle fracture, as I do not see him on the NBA Official Injury Report.

 

[Yuma]

I guess Collin Gillespie has recovered from his right ankle fracture, as I do not see him on the NBA Official Injury Report.

I saw earlier he's off, but will play in the G League to start.

 

[Covert Rain]

Suns reportedly benching Beal and Nurk for this game. I was hoping since last season to move Beal to the bench. Never thought they would do it because of his salary. It may not help but it’s something.

Suns reportedly benching Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić amid brutal slide

The Suns have lost eight of their last nine and are starting to make changes.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[leclerc]

Wow. This will be interesting. So who starts? Will it be Plum, KD, Dunn, Booker and Jones? Need to put Dunn on Maxey to have a chance.

 

[95pro]

Suns reportedly benching Beal and Nurk for this game. I was hoping since last season to move Beal to the bench. Never thought they would do it because of his salary. It may not help but it’s something.

Suns reportedly benching Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić amid brutal slide

The Suns have lost eight of their last nine and are starting to make changes.

sports.yahoo.com

We've been saying this for a while now, let see if we have been correct all along.

 

[Hoop Head]

This could be embarrassing. I hope it's not. I believe the issues are much more than who plays the first few minutes. We'll see what happens but I feel like I'm watching a horror movie and the damsel is running up the stairs instead of out the door.

 

[Hoop Head]

Wow. This will be interesting. So who starts? Will it be Plum, KD, Dunn, Booker and Jones? Need to put Dunn on Maxey to have a chance.

That's the plan, reportedly. I'd prefer more of a shake up with Monte taking Tyus' spot because I think he offers more but I won't say Tyus has failed. That's a different discussion though.

 

[Suns_fan69]

This could be embarrassing. I hope it's not.

I hope it is. Each embarrassing loss is one loss closer to the team blowing it all up.

 

[Mainstreet]

This could be embarrassing. I hope it's not. I believe the issues are much more than who plays the first few minutes. We'll see what happens but I feel like I'm watching a horror movie and the damsel is running up the stairs instead of out the door.

Or hiding behind the chainsaws.

 

[BirdGangThing]

damn there's a game today

 

[BirdGangThing]

bench the hell outta both them - start the rookies as much as possible - like it or not and unless something dramatically changes - this year is a dud muffin

let nurk go if nobody wants him - im good running beal with the b-squad but that's who he already primarily runs with until the end of games - so not much is going to change

idc - do something - anything - im trying to decide between watching the suns game and driving clear out to the west side for old ass bikes - this is where it's come to for me - trash ass bikes or trash ass team

 

[Proximo]

Suns reportedly benching Beal and Nurk for this game. I was hoping since last season to move Beal to the bench. Never thought they would do it because of his salary. It may not help but it’s something.

Suns reportedly benching Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić amid brutal slide

The Suns have lost eight of their last nine and are starting to make changes.

sports.yahoo.com

It will help. Putting Dunn in the lineup improves the defense, pressure on the rim and rebounding.

If we are lucky it might give Beal the confidence to be aggressive when he is in with the bench. High salary or not this is the right move and should have happened long before now.

Also gets Dunn more minutes, which I think is crucial as his potential is huge and the more time we give him the sooner the better.

 

[how_sweet_it_is]

I consider this game important, because I want to see whether benching Beal improves the team's play.

Anyone who declares "it's not who starts but who finishes," hoping to forestall discussion of who should start, is not thinking deeply enough (and possibly being disingenuous). Starting or not starting can matter for increasing or reducing a player's influence on teammates. Starters aren't always the leaders of the team, but...they often are. Evidence is starting to mount that Beal is unhappy and possibly disinterested. And Dunn? He's full of rookie energy, and hasn't played long enough to probably pick up laziness or other bad habits. One can only be pleased to think Dunn's energy and attention to defense might influence the other four starters.

Benching Beal could help in one other way: shining more of a spotlight on Durant as a starter. Helping us decide whether there's any truth to fans' mutterings that Kevin Durant is self-centered and not particularly engaged. I didn't originate that gripe (I forgot whether it was even here), but I was already pre-disposed to distrust Durant (for being a team-hopper); and I'm willing to consider trading Durant, for the simple reason that Beal is virtually untradable. I'm not interested in trading Booker, and that leaves Durant.

 

[Mainstreet]

I consider this game important, because I want to see whether benching Beal improves the team's play.

Anyone who declares "it's not who starts but who finishes," hoping to forestall discussion of who should start, is not thinking deeply enough (and possibly being disingenuous). Starting or not starting can matter for increasing or reducing a player's influence on teammates. Starters aren't always the leaders of the team, but...they often are. Evidence is starting to mount that Beal is unhappy and possibly disinterested. And Dunn? He's full of rookie energy, and hasn't played long enough to probably pick up laziness or other bad habits. One can only be pleased to think Dunn's energy and attention to defense might influence the other four starters.

Benching Beal could help in one other way: shining more of a spotlight on Durant as a starter. Helping us decide whether there's any truth to fans' mutterings that Kevin Durant is self-centered and not particularly engaged. I didn't originate that gripe (I forgot whether it was even here), but I was already pre-disposed to distrust Durant (for being a team-hopper); and I'm willing to consider trading Durant, for the simple reason that Beal is virtually untradable.

Let's see what happens. It's only one step, hopefully towards finding the answer.

I will be particularly interested in how the Suns players react to the lineup change and how it translates to the court.

 

[Hoop Head]

Evidence is starting to mount that Beal is unhappy and possibly disinterested

What evidence? It's recently come out that he's unhappy about the demotion but that's the last 24 hours. What evidence is there prior to that. I also know he's been frustrated with his string of injuries but there have been zero reports he's unhappy in Phoenix or disrupting team chemistry.

I can find evidence where Booker, Bud, and others talk about how Beal is a positive leader. So I'd like to see what you're seeing to the contrary.

 

[how_sweet_it_is]

I actually predict a victory, because in addition to the x-factor of the lineup change, the 76ers have several players playing hurt. They're a bit beat-up. The Suns have nobody out except O'Neale.

Yes--I only just saw that Embiid won't play. https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-nurse-gives-joel-embiid-225940244.html The Suns absolutely could win even at their current level of competence. The 76ers probably don't win without Embiid. ...Unless they're lying in order to ambush the Suns. Teams have played those games before.