Suns at Warriors ESPN and FSN AZ 7:00PM

[dreamcastrocks]

I would have liked to see what it would have been like with Shaq out on the floor, hopefully clogging the lane so Ellis would be forced to shoot more, but as is. Nash got owned bad.

Quit singling out Nash, because everyone in the backcourt got abused last night, not just Nash.

 

[SunsFanVegas]

Right but i don't hear any panic from those camps like i do here. At least not from the fan base.
Hey, before this Shaq/Marion deal i was leading the charge of the doom & gloom-We are'nt going to win a championship banter but for the SUNS to struggle a bit since the deal while SHaq gets up to speed is to be expected. I just feel that some here are missing the fact that we're short handed & doing a decent job of winning games & competing.
Without Shaq or Marion, we're witnessing ultra-small ball yet we haven't tanked. From where i'm watching, the SUNS are playing harder right now than at any point prior to the trade.
Does anyone else see that?

Watching the game last night and the games since the trade, I have noticed a big difference in the way the Suns are playing. They seem fired up, trying harder, more excited. I just see more passion out of them than I have this whole season. Yes, they may have lost a few, but they have been hard fought very close games that could have easily swung in our favor. I like what I'm seeing and really feel once Shaq gets in the mix, things will only get better from there.

 

[sly fly]

- No shame in losing to GS last night. That was a helluva ballgame, between 2 of the best technically sound teams on the planet. Some of you should take notes, as that's how basketball is supposed to be played.

- Another great final play called by Mike D. The play worked perfectly. LB had a great look, that's all you can ask for on the road.

- Great crowd in GS. Someday, I hope US Airways can get going like that. Oh wait, they already have the "Dancing Dads" or whatever the hell that embarassment is.

- Monta Ellis is a freak. Definite superstar. This kid obviously likes to play against PHX. I'll still never forget the dunk over LB last year.

- Nash is definitely not firing on all cylinders right now. Mental mistakes more than anything. That won't continue. But, his lapses have been hurtful and hard to make-up.

- LOL. Shawn Marion goes 11-26. He's got to be loving the attention he's getting on the court.

- Solid decision keeping Shaq off the court until he's ready.

 

[LakersFreak24]

- No shame in losing to GS last night. That was a helluva ballgame, between 2 of the best technically sound teams on the planet. Some of you should take notes, as that's how basketball is supposed to be played.

- Another great final play called by Mike D. The play worked perfectly. LB had a great look, that's all you can ask for on the road.

- Great crowd in GS. Someday, I hope US Airways can get going like that. Oh wait, they already have the "Dancing Dads" or whatever the hell that embarassment is.

- Monta Ellis is a freak. Definite superstar. This kid obviously likes to play against PHX. I'll still never forget the dunk over LB last year.

- Nash is definitely not firing on all cylinders right now. Mental mistakes more than anything. That won't continue. But, his lapses have been hurtful and hard to make-up.

- LOL. Shawn Marion goes 11-26. He's got to be loving the attention he's getting on the court.

- Solid decision keeping Shaq off the court until he's ready.

2 best technically sound teams???? Sorry but Golden State SUX. If Marion were on the team, perhaps you guys would've won.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'm slow to blame losses on refs, but this by far was the worst game I've seen so far. WTF are they thinking rewarding the Warriors for a kick ball on the ref?? We had possession of it if he wasn't in the way.

the rules are that an official is part of the court. as a player barbs shouldn't have gotten himself in a position where he was in trouble and bounced the ball into the ref. was the ref in the wrong place/didn't get outta the way? yeah. but the call was right if no warrior touched the ball (and that was questionable on the replay).

it comes down to this . . . dantoni's stubborness and arrogance cost us a game once more. have nash run around and find shooters outside instead of having the ball pumped to amare, a force the warriors couldn't stop. even nash said after the game that we shouldn't have run with them. why can we see that, and nash can see that, but dantoni can't?

 

[Chaplin]

the rules are that an official is part of the court. as a player barbs shouldn't have gotten himself in a position where he was in trouble and bounced the ball into the ref. was the ref in the wrong place/didn't get outta the way? yeah. but the call was right if no warrior touched the ball (and that was questionable on the replay).

it comes down to this . . . dantoni's stubborness and arrogance cost us a game once more. have nash run around and find shooters outside instead of having the ball pumped to amare, a force the warriors couldn't stop. even nash said after the game that we shouldn't have run with them. why can we see that, and nash can see that, but dantoni can't?

You actually are convinced that everything on the court is D'Antoni's decision? Come on now. If Nash noticed that, he would have done something about it, but he didn't.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

You actually are convinced that everything on the court is D'Antoni's decision? Come on now. If Nash noticed that, he would have done something about it, but he didn't.

Agreed. Part of D'Antoni's coaching strategy consists of giving Nash the ball, and letting him make the decision.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

My Stats:

Ellis: 31 points on 14/23 shooting in only 35 minutes.
Davis: 28 points on 11/24 shooting in 42 minutes
Jackson: 32 points on 13/21 shooting in 42 minutes.

w/o marion:

Ellis: 37 points on 18/27 shooting in 48 minutes.
Davis: 27 points on 12/23 shooting in 45 minutes
Jackson: 19 points on 6/17 shooting in 43 minutes

what's your point? ellis went off no matter who was playing. he had excellent fg% in both games. davis had slightly better shooting (one more make on one less shot) in the game w/o marion. and jackson was A LOT WORSE in the game w/o marion. overall the effect was those three were collectively better when marion played.

 

[nashman]

We lost to a team that shot well it happens, especially on the road in an environment like GS. We played well and were a shot away from taking the game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

no you didn't. you said all 3 of them shot 2/13 tonight lol. you also said they all shot 11/26 the previous game. not even in the same ballpark for tonight's stats. check my previous post, i took the liberty of bolding all of the stats you had incorrect. for someone trying to prove a point, you sure are rather ignorant to your own errors in evidence, eh?

i hope someone else pointed out the fact that those were dates and not shooting percentages.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

You actually are convinced that everything on the court is D'Antoni's decision? Come on now. If Nash noticed that, he would have done something about it, but he didn't.

i don't believe that everything on the court is the coaches decision, but i do believe it is the coach's responsibility to be the one observing what is happening on the court and to adapt accordingly. strategic changes are the main responsibility of the coaching staff. the players follow direction and react. it is MUCH more difficult to recognize a consistent mismatch from the court than it is from the sidelines where you're engaged mentally instead of both mentally and physically. the players have to react whereas the coach can observe and adjust. you don't hear of players making halftime adjustments, you hear of coaches making halftime adjustments . . . that's because that's the coach's job.

nash admitted after the game that they shouldn't have played golden state's game, but i give him a pass (to a certain extent) b/c he's caught up in the game. i don't give the coach the pass b/c he should be observing the flow, observing mismatches, and putting his players or adjusting his strategy, to take advantage of mismatches or flow. i see this is as dantoni's biggest flaw.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Agreed. Part of D'Antoni's coaching strategy consists of giving Nash the ball, and letting him make the decision.

i understand that, but when he observes that said strategy is not taking full advantage of an enormous mismatch shouldn't he pull nash aside and actually, i don't know . . . COACH?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We lost to a team that shot well it happens, especially on the road in an environment like GS. We played well and were a shot away from taking the game.

i don't know the stats, and i think we actually have pretty good fg% numbers for the season, but i'd be curious to see what the better teams shoot against us on average. i wonder if on average they tend to shoot a higher percentage than their norm. it sure seems like it. that's why i don't dismiss a good shooting night by a better team against us, 'cuz it seems the norm rather than the exception. but i could be wrong.

 

[bigfoot]

Watching the game last night and the games since the trade, I have noticed a big difference in the way the Suns are playing. They seem fired up, trying harder, more excited. I just see more passion out of them than I have this whole season. Yes, they may have lost a few, but they have been hard fought very close games that could have easily swung in our favor. I like what I'm seeing and really feel once Shaq gets in the mix, things will only get better from there.

 

[Chaplin]

i don't believe that everything on the court is the coaches decision, but i do believe it is the coach's responsibility to be the one observing what is happening on the court and to adapt accordingly. strategic changes are the main responsibility of the coaching staff. the players follow direction and react. it is MUCH more difficult to recognize a consistent mismatch from the court than it is from the sidelines where you're engaged mentally instead of both mentally and physically. the players have to react whereas the coach can observe and adjust. you don't hear of players making halftime adjustments, you hear of coaches making halftime adjustments . . . that's because that's the coach's job.

nash admitted after the game that they shouldn't have played golden state's game, but i give him a pass (to a certain extent) b/c he's caught up in the game. i don't give the coach the pass b/c he should be observing the flow, observing mismatches, and putting his players or adjusting his strategy, to take advantage of mismatches or flow. i see this is as dantoni's biggest flaw.

You can't relieve Steve Nash of responsibility simply because he's "in the game". He's paid (and one two MVPs) because he is so much more than that. He is the floor general out there, and it is naive to think that D'Antoni doesn't listen to him. Steve Nash is a player-coach, and that's a fact. Nash admitted that much because he was accepting responsibility for not recognizing it--and as well he should. D'Antoni always calls defensive plays, but he hardly ever does much on the offensive end--Steve does all that himself.

 

[cly2tw]

We lost to a team that shot well it happens, especially on the road in an environment like GS. We played well and were a shot away from taking the game.

GS always shot well playing us. They have our numbers. Nash's turnovers were no fluke but regularity, particularly in clutch time, these days, because other teams have the System figured out. Simple as that.

 

[cly2tw]

i don't believe that everything on the court is the coaches decision, but i do believe it is the coach's responsibility to be the one observing what is happening on the court and to adapt accordingly. strategic changes are the main responsibility of the coaching staff. the players follow direction and react. it is MUCH more difficult to recognize a consistent mismatch from the court than it is from the sidelines where you're engaged mentally instead of both mentally and physically. the players have to react whereas the coach can observe and adjust. you don't hear of players making halftime adjustments, you hear of coaches making halftime adjustments . . . that's because that's the coach's job.

nash admitted after the game that they shouldn't have played golden state's game, but i give him a pass (to a certain extent) b/c he's caught up in the game. i don't give the coach the pass b/c he should be observing the flow, observing mismatches, and putting his players or adjusting his strategy, to take advantage of mismatches or flow. i see this is as dantoni's biggest flaw.

Completely agree. They got run out of the building last time they met and they did the same this time, though to a lesser extent. We run the System hoping for fatigue on the opponents leading to their mistakes, turnovers. But with GS, we were the usual pray of our System and they are the System and the predator. In this matchup, you can't win by playing your best option countered with their best option, which is run run run. You gotta try use your second best hoping it beats their second best by slowing it down. But that's against DA's philosophy I fear.

 

[cly2tw]

You can't relieve Steve Nash of responsibility simply because he's "in the game". He's paid (and one two MVPs) because he is so much more than that. He is the floor general out there, and it is naive to think that D'Antoni doesn't listen to him. Steve Nash is a player-coach, and that's a fact. Nash admitted that much because he was accepting responsibility for not recognizing it--and as well he should. D'Antoni always calls defensive plays, but he hardly ever does much on the offensive end--Steve does all that himself.

I agree with this take too. Both DA and Nash should assume responsibility here.
The problem is, however, since we never work on other options/plays proper enough, Nash was not confident to let others handle the ball. And everybody in the league knows that. Consequently, we are figured out. Sometimes, we still execute well enough this way, but increasingly less and less. Thus, it requires a long term commitment from the team to work on viable alternatives more consistently, even when they often are not as eye pleasing like the successful Nash acrobatics.

 

[BirdMan21]

i hope someone else pointed out the fact that those were dates and not shooting percentages.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1623024&postcount=256

I am glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that....I actually went back and checked cause nobody else was commenting on it.