Suns at Wizards 1/21/2011

[Gwindor]

Outstanding 3rd q by Frye, Nash with another great game with 17pts and 14ast, Hill played solid game (he was definitely more efficient than his numbers shows it), Carter did a good job on D, it looks like Gortat finally started to play like hammer and had some rebs also, Dragic had nice few plays ended by very good contact layups, Lopez had 2 rebounds in 15 minutes... Dudley was no factor...

Lopez -4
Gortat +19

Slinslin, where is your god now?

 

[BC867]

I read where Gentry thinks Lopez can't play off the bench and Gortat can.

Tom Leander said that Gentry calls Gortat his ace-in-the-hole, meaning he'll continue to use him coming off the bench.

Vs. the Wiz, Gortat had a +19 and Lopez had a -4.

Marcin pulled down 14 boards in 30 minutes. Robin had 2 in 14 minutes.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Outstanding 3rd q by Frye, Nash with another great game with 17pts and 14ast, Hill played solid game (he was definitely more efficient than his numbers shows it), Carter did a good job on D, it looks like Gortat finally started to play like hammer and had some rebs also, Dragic had nice few plays ended by very good contact layups, Lopez had 2 rebounds in 15 minutes... Dudley was no factor...

Lopez -4
Gortat +19

Slinslin, where is your god now?

Gortat isn't perfect but is there anybody out there that watched this game and thought, gee, that Lopez sure is a better player?

Steve

 

[Chaplin]

Gortat isn't perfect but is there anybody out there that watched this game and thought, gee, that Lopez sure is a better player?

Steve

This ridiculous back and forth is all about the starting position. Who cares? It doesn't matter who starts the game, it's about who finishes and gets the most minutes.

 

[Mainstreet]

Gortat isn't perfect but is there anybody out there that watched this game and thought, gee, that Lopez sure is a better player?

Steve

I thought this was a statement game for Gortat. However, Gentry seems committed to starting Lopez and playing him limited minutes to start both halves. I'm not totally sure why it works but it seems to maintain the Suns chemistry.

 

[Mainstreet]

This ridiculous back and forth is all about the starting position. Who cares? It doesn't matter who starts the game, it's about who finishes and gets the most minutes.

Exactly. I could care less who starts if it involves winning. Fans should be glad the Suns have four centers: Lopez, Gortat, Frye and Siler... and all are young.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This ridiculous back and forth is all about the starting position. Who cares? It doesn't matter who starts the game, it's about who finishes and gets the most minutes.

It's not about who starts. It's a running argument about which of the two is the better player.

Steve

 

[TBaslim]

This ridiculous back and forth is all about the starting position. Who cares? It doesn't matter who starts the game, it's about who finishes and gets the most minutes.

Actually, more than that. Who cares who starts, finishes and gets the most minutes as long as we are winning?

Hello folks - the Suns have two real, honest-to-goodness centers playing most of each game, and an improving C/PF in Frye. And all 3 are basically legit 7 footers. And actually contributing.

Why is everyone turning this into spy vs spy?

Just enjoy we have 'em and that all 3 seem to be improving as the season rolls on.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's not about who starts. It's a running argument about which of the two is the better player.

Steve

I don't think there is any argument that Gortat is a better player than Lopez now. If John Havlicek can come off the bench, so can Gortat. I'm not drawing any comparison to Havlicek other than some players help their team by providing a spark by coming off the bench.

 

[jagu]

Dude plays in slow mo.

He does that so the highlight makers at ESPN won't have to struggle slowing down the clips.

 

[Chaplin]

It's not about who starts. It's a running argument about which of the two is the better player.

Steve

Yes, but the whole basis of the argument is about who starts. Don't tell me you don't see that.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yes, but the whole basis of the argument is about who starts. Don't tell me you don't see that.

Perhaps. For me, the issue of starting isn't that relevant. I can sort of see why Lopez starts even though I think Gortat is far superior at this point. Right now, with Lopez starting, we "almost" have two real centers. Lopez's game drops off so much when he's coming off the bench that if roles were reversed we'd pretty much have to play Gortat the entire game.

Steve

 

[Chaplin]

Perhaps. For me, the issue of starting isn't that relevant. I can sort of see why Lopez starts even though I think Gortat is far superior at this point. Right now, with Lopez starting, we "almost" have two real centers. Lopez's game drops off so much when he's coming off the bench that if roles were reversed we'd pretty much have to play Gortat the entire game.

Steve

Well, we're in relative agreement here. I'm not sure who, besides slinslin, is making any kind of argument that Lopez is better than Gortat. The stats just don't bare that out. We've won 5 in a row, albeit against some poor competition, but we're winning with what we're doing, so I say stick with it and ride it until starting Robin actually makes us lose games (which has never happened, even when we've lost).

 

[BC867]

Perhaps. For me, the issue of starting isn't that relevant. I can sort of see why Lopez starts even though I think Gortat is far superior at this point. Right now, with Lopez starting, we "almost" have two real centers. Lopez's game drops off so much when he's coming off the bench that if roles were reversed we'd pretty much have to play Gortat the entire game.

Steve

Yes, but we were quickly behind by, what, 10 points at the start of the game, then got back into it when Gortat came in.

Getting in the hole and starting the game weak in rebounding may work against the Wizards, as well as the three weak teams that preceeded them, but not against the .500-or-better teams of the NBA.

The short honeymoon is over and Lopez failed. Now it's back to the big time.

 

[Chaplin]

Yes, but we were quickly behind by, what, 10 points at the start of the game, then got back into it when Gortat came in.

Getting in the hole and starting the game weak in rebounding may work against the Wizards, as well as the three weak teams that preceeded them, but not against the .500-or-better teams of the NBA.

The short honeymoon is over and Lopez failed. Now it's back to the big time.

We were down well after Gortat was subbed in. Robin only plays like 5 minutes TOTAL in the first half!

 

[sunsfan88]

Gortat is better but Lopez should keep starting. If Gortat starts, we'd have NO rebounders off the bench. If Lopez starts, we at least have Frye who's been doing a decent job of boxing out and rebounding lately.

 

[BC867]

We were down well after Gortat was subbed in. Robin only plays like 5 minutes TOTAL in the first half!

We didn't fall further behind, and we started to climb back, if I remember correctly, when Gortat took over Center.

 

[Cheesewater]

+/-

John Wall -20
Kirk Hinrich +1


Bench John Wall!

 

[AzStevenCal]

+/-

John Wall -20
Kirk Hinrich +1


Bench John Wall!

Bench him??? With those numbers, trade him! To the Suns. We'll give them Childress and the Magic pick.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

Bench him??? With those numbers, trade him! To the Suns. We'll give them Childress and the Magic pick.

Steve

If its a magic pick why would we trade it away?

 

[AzStevenCal]

If its a magic pick why would we trade it away?

Lol. It's like all our draft picks - now you see it, now you don't.

Steve

 

[Michael]

Lol. It's like all our draft picks - now you see it, now you don't.

Steve

 

[Trifecta]

Last season everyone was scratching their heads wondering why we had Jarron Collins starting every game at the end of the season even though he only played 10 mins a game and brought virtually nothing to the table. Gentry must be doing a similar thing with Lopez this season. It didn't hurt us last season and it doesn't seem to be hurting us now, so why mess it up?

 

[BC867]

Last season everyone was scratching their heads wondering why we had Jarron Collins starting every game at the end of the season even though he only played 10 mins a game and brought virtually nothing to the table. Gentry must be doing a similar thing with Lopez this season. It didn't hurt us last season and it doesn't seem to be hurting us now, so why mess it up?

It did hurt us, until we had a welcomed stretch of playing teams with records worse than ours, like the Wizards last night. We were able to come back from a quick deficit thanks, in part, to Gortat's 2nd consecutive double-digit rebounding game vs. Lopez's 2 boards, I think it was, in each of those same games.

Soon we'll be back playing the .500-or-better teams and trying to come back from early deficits will put us right back where we were.

When Jarron Collins started every game at the end of the season, he had a better all-around supporting cast, especially at Power Forward.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Gentry is trying to develop a young player with potential. He is also trying to work a new player into the system. He is starting Lopez so he doesn't destroy his confidence. If he seems to be playing well, he gives him more time. Meanwhile Gortat is getting plenty of minutes, getting plenty of time with the starters and bench, and producing.

If there was ever a year to try to get Lopez in some sort of groove, this is it. When you have a young 7 footer with the potential that Robin does, you have to try to develop it. The kid is 22 and young 7 footers historically don't start really finding themselves until 25 or so.

Gentry is doing what we wished DAntoni would have done. I like it.