Suns at Kings 12-26-14

[SunsFan89]

Good Win!!!!!

 

[JCSunsfan]

This team seems to be starting to click.

BTW. Warren with 1 pt in 28 minutes (10 boards) in d-league. Thats just weird.

 

[95pro]

Glad they pulled it out in the 4th. Len was awesome early on. Tucker had a tough time on gay. I didn't realize he was that tall. If he could put everything together he'd be unstoppable.

Good to see we don't need Green on fire to win. Plumlee looked lost again and had bad positioning even though he had several blocks. The team is finally rounding out it seems. Dragic had an off night but still put up some ok numbers.

 

[sunsfan88]

Cousins didn't play thank god.

 

[Errntknght]

Dude is playing really well, rebounding, hustling for loose balls. Man if keeps improving he is going to be a star.Especially if he adds some bulk to that frame.

I'm not sure it would be good for Len to bulk up - at least not quickly... remember he had stress fractures in both ankles and more weight increases the stress on them. He doesn't have a lot of mobility to spare either.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm not sure it would be good for Len to bulk up - at least not quickly... remember he had stress fractures in both ankles and more weight increases the stress on them. He doesn't have a lot of mobility to spare either.

That's surprising as I'm always surprised by how mobile he is. Are you just talking about his lateral quickness perhaps? Anyway, he loses several rebounds per game because of his lack of hand and lower arm strength so I would definitely like to see some improvement there. I don't think he needs to bulk up but given his age, I do expect him to fill out a bit. He has a great frame and some weight gain seems almost assured IMO.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

Suns are in position to go on a nice little run now.

Their on a 5 game winning streak with wins over Hornets, Knicks, Wizards, Mavs and Kings. Then their 12 next games are against LAL, Pelicans, Thunder, 76ers, Raptors, Bucks and Timberwolves, Spurs, Grizz, Cavs, TWolves and Lakers.

17 game stretch with only 5-6 games against real good teams.

Schedule gets brutally tough after that so PHX has to take advantage of this stretch now if their still thinking about playoffs.

 

[sunsfan88]

John Dickinson @JDJohnDickinson
Isaiah Thomas' SAC return tonight: Sources w/in Kings organization tell me IT was "as bad a teammate as as anyone" Sac has seen in past 6 yr

John Dickinson @JDJohnDickinson
One source added on Isaiah Thomas that he was "a complete fraud" who "knew when cameras were on & how to fake being a good/guy teammate."

.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Cousins didn't play thank god.

Would've liked to have seen Len matched up on him. Probably still too early for Alex to handle Cousins, but given his steady development, I think the matchup could've been tighter than many would've expected...

 

[82CardsGrad]

That's surprising as I'm always surprised by how mobile he is. Are you just talking about his lateral quickness perhaps? Anyway, he loses several rebounds per game because of his lack of hand and lower arm strength so I would definitely like to see some improvement there. I don't think he needs to bulk up but given his age, I do expect him to fill out a bit. He has a great frame and some weight gain seems almost assured IMO.



Steve

Agree. I really don't see how anyone can question Len's pure athleticism and yes, mobility. For a 7 footer, he moves extremely well and great fluidity. And not if, but when, he begins to fill out with more muscle, he will dominate under the boards!

 

[AzStevenCal]

Suns are in position to go on a nice little run now.

Their on a 5 game winning streak with wins over Hornets, Knicks, Wizards, Mavs and Kings. Then their 12 next games are against LAL, Pelicans, Thunder, 76ers, Raptors, Bucks and Timberwolves, Spurs, Grizz, Cavs, TWolves and Lakers.

17 game stretch with only 5-6 games against real good teams.

Schedule gets brutally tough after that so PHX has to take advantage of this stretch now if their still thinking about playoffs.

Starting with last night, they are playing 19 games in 37 days. That's a tough stretch no matter how you look at it. But you're right, we have to start beating the teams below us if we want to stay in the playoff race.

Steve

 

[Errntknght]

That's surprising as I'm always surprised by how mobile he is. Are you just talking about his lateral quickness perhaps? Anyway, he loses several rebounds per game because of his lack of hand and lower arm strength so I would definitely like to see some improvement there. I don't think he needs to bulk up but given his age, I do expect him to fill out a bit. He has a great frame and some weight gain seems almost assured IMO.

Steve

I was thinking of his mobility up and down the floor. He's not bad now, but he doesn't do it easily - like, say, Plumlee does. A few times when his man was ahead of him going down the floor I expected to see him accelerate a bit but he didn't, suggesting that he was already pushing his limit. That is where added bulk would take its toll, IMO. In this game I suppose no one has mobility to spare so that was not a good way to phrase it.

Adding hand and forearm strength shouldn't burden him with excess weight...

 

[BC867]

Miles and Len look great when they can play power forwards without any offensive game the entire game

On the positive side, they are both young players who need confidence building opportunities. This was one of them.

Starting Len over Plumlee at last is a good move. Having more potential, Len needs a more defined position -- starter. When he has earned closing as well, that will be a happy day.

And having the former starter backing him up for awhile should give him the confidence to play all out when he is on the court. As long as the two of them don't commit careless fouls.

With what we have (along with only one Power Forward and the rest Wings and Guards -- especially Point Guards), it is the best arrangement under the circumstances.

 

[marios13]

One thing is for sure ... I don't ever want to see IT in garbage time again ...
he is a total ball hog even then ... rookies won't ever learn anything if he
is a PG there ...

 

[AfroSuns]

One thing is for sure ... I don't ever want to see IT in garbage time again ...
he is a total ball hog even then ... rookies won't ever learn anything if he
is a PG there ...

IT is almost ALWAYS a ball hog.....sometimes to annoying level. i think he is trying hard to tone it down but I really do hope they trade him because its only a matter of time he starts rubbing his teammates the wrong way, if not already

 

[BC867]

IT is almost ALWAYS a ball hog.....sometimes to annoying level. i think he is trying hard to tone it down but I really do hope they trade him because its only a matter of time he starts rubbing his teammates the wrong way, if not already

As I posted in another thread, the Suns management has chosen a team philosophy of pitting players against each other for playing time. Game after game. All through the season.

Yes, IT came to us as a ball hog. And Eric Bledsoe selfishly drives the lane 1-on-2 instead of passing.

But it is the Suns Front Office who have further encouraged it. I feel for Jeff trying to cope with it. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes as a first-time Head Coach.

 

[Mainstreet]

As I posted in another thread, the Suns management has chosen a team philosophy of pitting players against each other for playing time. Game after game. All through the season.

Yes, IT came to us as a ball hog. And Eric Bledsoe selfishly drives the lane 1-on-2 instead of passing.

But it is the Suns Front Office who have further encouraged it. I feel for Jeff trying to cope with it. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes as a first-time Head Coach.

You really don't believe this stuff do you? The Suns will adjust their roster before the trade deadline.

 

[Sci Fi]

Why wouldn't he believe it?

Not all choices are conscious.

It's still a choice sometimes called an unintended consequence.

 

[Errntknght]

Isaiah Thomas is the least of our problems. I believe Jeff wanted to have him and that IT is playing the way Jeff wants him to. Heck, the team is playing the same style as they did last year with IT replacing Ish - Jeff has more faith in IT than Ish so he's getting more playing time. I agree that he is a bit of a ball hog, as he was in Sac, but he's the only one on the floor(when he's playing) that is going to attack the rim. He's our best three point shooting PG and he gets to the FT line the most. Ball hogs that deliver aren't the worst thing in the world! Besides, he's assisting more than Goran and isn't far behind Bled.

The team has appeared to have some chemistry problems, that are getting better now. The main problems are in the front court - with Randolph in Jeff's doghouse (which baffles me) we have 3 guys manning PF/C - one of them can't seem to get himself together, another is essentially a rookie and the third is a bit undersized. Why look elsewhere for problems?

 

[Mainstreet]

Why wouldn't he believe it?

Not all choices are conscious.

It's still a choice sometimes called an unintended consequence.

I'm guessing you want Dragic to be the lead PG.

 

[BC867]

I'm guessing you want Dragic to be the lead PG.

Whether some of us do or not, we want someone to be the lead Point Guard (starting and finishing); and the lead Shooting Guard (starting and finishing); and the lead Small Forward (starting and finishing); and the lead Power Forward (starting and finishing); and the lead Center (starting and finishing). It has worked in the NBA for a long, long time.

Right now, we have none of those. Not one. Who's closing at Center? And Power Forward? And Small Forward? And Shooting Guard; and Point Guard?

Our smallest guy on the court, IT, is the only one who could be named with certainty and he is not a starter. Some of the positions have three possibilities.

Flexibility is one thing. Keeping all of the players (except the smallest guy) without a set role and pitting the rest of the roster against each other every game is not (as I posted) the way to build teamwork.

I didn't like when Kirk Gibson kept his D-back players in suspense from game to game and I don't like when the Suns do it. At best it is either indecision or following the lead of your opponent.

'Just my opinion.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Whether some of us do or not, we want someone to be the lead Point Guard (starting and finishing); and the lead Shooting Guard (starting and finishing); and the lead Small Forward (starting and finishing); and the lead Power Forward (starting and finishing); and the lead Center (starting and finishing). It has worked in the NBA for a long, long time.

Right now, we have none of those. Not one. Who's closing at Center? And Power Forward? And Small Forward? And Shooting Guard; and Point Guard?

Our smallest guy on the court, IT, is the only one who could be named with certainty and he is not a starter. Some of the positions have three possibilities.

Flexibility is one thing. Keeping all of the players (except the smallest guy) without a set role and pitting the rest of the roster against each other every game is not (as I posted) the way to build teamwork.

I didn't like when Kirk Gibson kept his D-back players in suspense from game to game and I don't like when the Suns do it. At best it is either indecision or following the lead of your opponent.

'Just my opinion.

But it's not the NBA of today. I must hear it a dozen times a week from announcers and analysts and former NBA players and talk show people. The NBA has gone position-less. It's not just us BC. I watched the Game Time show on NBA TV today with the host, Sekou Smith, a Barry kid and Rick Fox. They also talked about the fact that positions really don't exist anymore in the NBA; the league has changed. And then I started watching the Mavericks game against the Thunder. Carlisle, by choice, started 3 guards (Rondo, Ellis and Barea) and moved Chandler to the bench.

Steve

Edit: I should add that later on they announced that Tyson would be unavailable because of back spasms. They choose to play Parsons at the 4 and Dirk at the 5 and used a little guard in place of what would normally have been someone like Charlie V.

 

[BC867]

But it's not the NBA of today. I must hear it a dozen times a week from announcers and analysts and former NBA players and talk show people. The NBA has gone position-less. It's not just us BC. I watched the Game Time show on NBA TV today with the host, Sekou Smith, a Barry kid and Rick Fox. They also talked about the fact that positions really don't exist anymore in the NBA; the league has changed. And then I started watching the Mavericks game against the Thunder. Carlisle, by choice, started 3 guards (Rondo, Ellis and Barea) and moved Chandler to the bench.

Steve

Yes, Steve, it's hard to teach this ol' dog new tricks.

But is it anywhere near the Suns approach where only two players on the roster (IT and Kieff) know they're going to be on the floor at the end of a close game?

I am curious if Game Time got into that aspect.

And your opinion about how the rest of the roster reacts to it. My guess would be that, millionaires or not, Len & Plumlee & PJ & Mook & Green & Goran & Bled -- even if they are not The Man -- want to be among The Men and playing at their best position.

Thanks.

 

[Sci Fi]

But it's not the NBA of today. I must hear it a dozen times a week from announcers and analysts and former NBA players and talk show people. The NBA has gone position-less. It's not just us BC. I watched the Game Time show on NBA TV today with the host, Sekou Smith, a Barry kid and Rick Fox. They also talked about the fact that positions really don't exist anymore in the NBA; the league has changed. And then I started watching the Mavericks game against the Thunder. Carlisle, by choice, started 3 guards (Rondo, Ellis and Barea) and moved Chandler to the bench.

Steve

This is nothing but follishness. Listening to the crap you suggested will make you less intelligent about basketball.

Do guards defend centers?

Do centers shoot three pointers?

Sure, there are changes but you're doing nothing to address the Suns problems other than say "The world's changed."

Players like Bledsoe who are poor at running an offense STILL shouldn't be running an offense.

That hasn't changed.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yes, Steve, it's hard to teach this ol' dog new tricks.

But is it anywhere near the Suns approach where only two players on the roster (IT and Kieff) know they're going to be on the floor at the end of a close game?

I am curious if Game Time got into that aspect.

And your opinion about how the rest of the roster reacts to it. My guess would be that, millionaires or not, Len & Plumlee & PJ & Mook & Green & Goran & Bled -- even if they are not The Man -- want to be among The Men and playing at their best position.

Thanks.

But I don't think that's the case. IT has been on the bench of close games late more often than Bledsoe or Goran. It's the reason he was a little upset with his media response when Goran finally had to sit down during one close-out. I haven't counted but my guess is that for close game action: Bledsoe leads, followed by Goran followed by Keef. And I don't think there's much difference there between the first two.

Steve