arthurracoon
The Cardinal Smiles
on now
Suns at Lakers: Preseason
- Thread starter arthurracoon
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elindholm
edited for content
I watched almost the whole game on TV. Here are my thoughts.
Starters
Marbury looked disinterested. He has had a terrible preseason. Let's hope he comes back to life when the games count.
Marion looked very good. He doesn't seem to have lost any quickness with the added muscle. He spent a lot less time hanging around the three-point line and more time looking for ways to get involved.
Hardaway started this game and looked about the same as last year. Now that I look at the box score, I see he was 2-12 from the field. It didn't seem that bad while I was watching. He was less of a liability defensively.
Gugliotta started in place of Stoudemire. He looked the same as last year. He is a step or two slower than everyone else and has been reduced to a mediocre spot-up shooter.
Voskuhl looked good. He is a little stronger in his torso, I think. He seemed to be in better position on both ends of the floor, and he had a terrific recovery block early in the first quarter, drawing oohs and ahhs from the Staples crowd. He banged his knee early in the second half and left for the game, but it didn't look serious.
Bench
Johnson was extremely aggressive. Once again he led the Suns in scoring. He took some ill-advised shots (5-18 from the field), but in general he seemed to be letting the game come to him a little more. He also was more confident taking smaller opponents into the paint. If he keeps this up, it will help a lot.
Jacobsen was better than I expected, although still not good. I must admit that there may be some validity to the theory that his progress encouraged the Suns to cut DerMarr Johnson loose. He gets out of control too often, but he does at least go to the basket. I don't recall seeing him hit a perimeter shot, although the box score says he made one three-pointer. Perhaps that was at the very end, when I turned the game off.
Barbosa plays the game like it's soccer. He is everywhere on the court. He completely lacks playmaking skills and picked up a lot of silly turnovers and fouls. But he had more arc on his shot than when I saw him in the summer-league game, so at least there is a chance that it will go in.
Sheppard got a lot of time, as the center in the Suns' small lineup. He seems like a pretty good athlete and held his own defensively, not that he matched up with anyone tough. He didn't look to score much, but he did make a nice 15-footer when left open.
Koturovic got minimal time and showed nothing. Archibald got a little more time but still showed nothing. Both of them looked confused and unskilled. Trybanski did not play.
Weathers played in the fourth quarter, because the Suns were losing, so obviously Frank Johnson had to maximize the number of guards on the floor. He seemed quick and athletic enough, but it's hard to see him making the team.
Starters
Marbury looked disinterested. He has had a terrible preseason. Let's hope he comes back to life when the games count.
Marion looked very good. He doesn't seem to have lost any quickness with the added muscle. He spent a lot less time hanging around the three-point line and more time looking for ways to get involved.
Hardaway started this game and looked about the same as last year. Now that I look at the box score, I see he was 2-12 from the field. It didn't seem that bad while I was watching. He was less of a liability defensively.
Gugliotta started in place of Stoudemire. He looked the same as last year. He is a step or two slower than everyone else and has been reduced to a mediocre spot-up shooter.
Voskuhl looked good. He is a little stronger in his torso, I think. He seemed to be in better position on both ends of the floor, and he had a terrific recovery block early in the first quarter, drawing oohs and ahhs from the Staples crowd. He banged his knee early in the second half and left for the game, but it didn't look serious.
Bench
Johnson was extremely aggressive. Once again he led the Suns in scoring. He took some ill-advised shots (5-18 from the field), but in general he seemed to be letting the game come to him a little more. He also was more confident taking smaller opponents into the paint. If he keeps this up, it will help a lot.
Jacobsen was better than I expected, although still not good. I must admit that there may be some validity to the theory that his progress encouraged the Suns to cut DerMarr Johnson loose. He gets out of control too often, but he does at least go to the basket. I don't recall seeing him hit a perimeter shot, although the box score says he made one three-pointer. Perhaps that was at the very end, when I turned the game off.
Barbosa plays the game like it's soccer. He is everywhere on the court. He completely lacks playmaking skills and picked up a lot of silly turnovers and fouls. But he had more arc on his shot than when I saw him in the summer-league game, so at least there is a chance that it will go in.
Sheppard got a lot of time, as the center in the Suns' small lineup. He seems like a pretty good athlete and held his own defensively, not that he matched up with anyone tough. He didn't look to score much, but he did make a nice 15-footer when left open.
Koturovic got minimal time and showed nothing. Archibald got a little more time but still showed nothing. Both of them looked confused and unskilled. Trybanski did not play.
Weathers played in the fourth quarter, because the Suns were losing, so obviously Frank Johnson had to maximize the number of guards on the floor. He seemed quick and athletic enough, but it's hard to see him making the team.
jbeecham
ASFN Addict
Thanks for the recap Eric. I got to listen to some of the game on the radio at work and it sounded like the game got pretty rough in the 2nd half.
elindholm
edited for content
it sounded like the game got pretty rough in the 2nd half.
Hmm, I didn't really get that impression. It was certainly ragged, with a lot of turnovers, missed layups, and so on, but it didn't seem particularly physical and I didn't see any short tempers.
Hmm, I didn't really get that impression. It was certainly ragged, with a lot of turnovers, missed layups, and so on, but it didn't seem particularly physical and I didn't see any short tempers.
jbeecham
ASFN Addict
Al McCoy was saying that Derek Fisher was roughing up Joe Johnson. He was also talking about Malone giving Barbosa a really hard foul.
I caught most of the game as well. Here are a few observations:
- Barbosa is lightening quick with good footwork. Needs to slow down and absorb the game. He's a work in progress, but has the tools to be a force down the road. Given his age, the future looks bright for him.
- Casey J. wasn't joking when he said he worked on his release. No more hitch in the delivery (especially at the line). He's going to be a nice addition coming off the bench and WILL contribute.
- Nick Sheppard is useless. And, I mean useless.
- Ray Weathers: read above. No business being on the floor.
- Robert Archibald aka Ed Nealy. If the Suns think they're going to "sneak" by with Archibald or Sheppard... ouch.
- Hardway looked pretty good to me. He was always around the ball, and made some nice open-court passes. He's not your 30 ppg Penny, but any team would love to have him.
- JJ is playing with confidence. Yet, he still was careless with the ball. Let's hope he continues to build confidence. Because, that's the only thing holding him down.
- Barbosa is lightening quick with good footwork. Needs to slow down and absorb the game. He's a work in progress, but has the tools to be a force down the road. Given his age, the future looks bright for him.
- Casey J. wasn't joking when he said he worked on his release. No more hitch in the delivery (especially at the line). He's going to be a nice addition coming off the bench and WILL contribute.
- Nick Sheppard is useless. And, I mean useless.
- Ray Weathers: read above. No business being on the floor.
- Robert Archibald aka Ed Nealy. If the Suns think they're going to "sneak" by with Archibald or Sheppard... ouch.
- Hardway looked pretty good to me. He was always around the ball, and made some nice open-court passes. He's not your 30 ppg Penny, but any team would love to have him.
- JJ is playing with confidence. Yet, he still was careless with the ball. Let's hope he continues to build confidence. Because, that's the only thing holding him down.
"- Hardway looked pretty good to me."
<b>Penny was 2 of 12 from the field.
<b>Penny was 2 of 12 from the field.
"So what if he was 2-12? He still looked like he was moving around without effort."
<b>He hasn't bent over or bent down since his second year in Phoenix. He does everything on court straight up and down. It's the damnest thing I've seen since Tony Oliva blew out his knee for the Twins back in the sixties.
<b>He hasn't bent over or bent down since his second year in Phoenix. He does everything on court straight up and down. It's the damnest thing I've seen since Tony Oliva blew out his knee for the Twins back in the sixties.
I watched the 2nd quarter and I'd have to agree with most of what Eric said. JJ looked confident. He's got some good moves and controlling them will make him even better. I think this will be a good (if not great) year for him. We'll be glad he's a Sun.
I like Casey. His shot (I think I only saw it from the free throw line) looked different than last year and much smoother (is that a word?). I like his ability/desire to take the ball to the basket.
Sheppard seemed OK. He ran the court pretty well, caught a couple of passes on the run, had acceptable footwork and like Eric said, hit a nice open 15 footer in rhythm. That is something that NO Suns center in my recent memory had the ability to do. Not that he had any competition from the Lakers big men, but he looked as good as any center the Suns have had in the last few years (that's obviously not saying much).
I hate watching preseason games in any sport. It's impossible to be too up or too down based on what I see. It was just fun to watch NBA ball, but it's hard to watch.
Bring on the regular season---let's get this show on the road.
Go Suns.
Brad
I like Casey. His shot (I think I only saw it from the free throw line) looked different than last year and much smoother (is that a word?). I like his ability/desire to take the ball to the basket.
Sheppard seemed OK. He ran the court pretty well, caught a couple of passes on the run, had acceptable footwork and like Eric said, hit a nice open 15 footer in rhythm. That is something that NO Suns center in my recent memory had the ability to do. Not that he had any competition from the Lakers big men, but he looked as good as any center the Suns have had in the last few years (that's obviously not saying much).
I hate watching preseason games in any sport. It's impossible to be too up or too down based on what I see. It was just fun to watch NBA ball, but it's hard to watch.
Bring on the regular season---let's get this show on the road.
Go Suns.
Brad
Chaplin
Better off silent
IMO, Sheppard to me looked like a less-athletic Oliver Miller--maybe his head is just too small for his body, but he looked fat to me.
Ouchie-Z-Clown
I'm better than Mulli!
the only thing i got from the game is that leandro is gonna be a player. he'll only show us flashes this year, as he has a LOT to learn, but his athleticism is undeniable. the made a steal in the backcourt that amazed me. with time and coaching he'll be special.
all our big men that played basically stunk.
it's preseason, i discount the action almost completely unless the players are rookies or fringe and are fighting for playing time/to make the team.
also, though he shot the ball well, i thought casey looked like a liability. for an average athlete he looks to take better athletes off the dribble (to no avail) far too often, and his actions do not result in better shots for teammates. i'm so not sold on him yet.
all our big men that played basically stunk.
it's preseason, i discount the action almost completely unless the players are rookies or fringe and are fighting for playing time/to make the team.
also, though he shot the ball well, i thought casey looked like a liability. for an average athlete he looks to take better athletes off the dribble (to no avail) far too often, and his actions do not result in better shots for teammates. i'm so not sold on him yet.
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