Suns @ Cavaliers Wednesday game thread 1-4- 2023

[AzStevenCal]

This would be another reason to be unhappy with coach. Bridges would not be the only player who's gotten away with playing hurt.

When A.C. Green played injured to save his streak (after losing teeth to a thug), his coach had enough sense to let him play only a minute or two.

When AC Green played while injured his coach wasn't missing 4 to 7 other players nightly.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Or maybe it’s because he’s not getting open looks anymore with our only **** creator out.

I swear, you guys have used phantom injury excuse every time Mikal fails to step up and then somehow when he plays well for a ten game stretch, your theories of injuries magically disappear just like his game does at crunch time.

The excuses being made for Bridges at this point are starting to rival those of the vocal Ayton fan club and just wreak of people pathologically unable to admit they’re wrong about a very silly stance that Bridges has the potential to be a legit scorer/creator, while being untouchable in trades for HOFers or All-NBA level players.

His offensive decline started more than a week prior to Booker's first disappearance this season.

 

[Phrazbit]

He's clanking wide open shots, I don't think it has anything to do with who is passing him the ball.

 

[Bufalay]

This would be another reason to be unhappy with coach. Bridges would not be the only player who's gotten away with playing hurt.

When A.C. Green played injured to save his streak (after losing teeth to a thug), his coach had enough sense to let him play only a minute or two.

JR Reid

 

[Covert Rain]

Thanks for thinking about me. I just got home. My wife has been in the hospital for awhile. Hopefully things are looking up.

Great to see Chris Paul hit that three pointer at the halftime buzzer.

Hope the wife is doing better.

In terms of this game. I had to walk away. Honestly, I get the Bridges criticism, but people are expecting a guy with a certain role to become another player. Yes, it would be nice for him to be able to step up but my expectations of any player changing their role are not high to begin with. His defensive struggles are perplexing.

Having said that? This team's issues are so much bigger than one player. Can we talk about Monty? What in the Sam Hell was he thinking on that last play? Why go to Bridges out of all the options you had? CP3 was showing his vintage self that game. He was clutch last season, and I would trust him to shoot or make a pass. You have Ayton that on possibly a good position could have put up something close to the bucket. You have Shame (shutter) that just hit the three.

Monty is becoming a pure point of frustration for me as of late.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Hope the wife is doing better.

In terms of this game. I had to walk away. Honestly, I get the Bridges criticism, but people are expecting a guy with a certain role to become another player. Yes, it would be nice for him to be able to step up but my expectations of any player changing their role are not high to begin with. His defensive struggles are perplexing.

Having said that? This team's issues are so much bigger than one player. Can we talk about Monty? What in the Sam Hell was he thinking on that last play? Why go to Bridges out of all the options you had? CP3 was showing his vintage self that game. He was clutch last season, and I would trust him to shoot or make a pass. You have Ayton that on possibly a good position could have put up something close to the bucket. You have Shame (shutter) that just hit the three.

Monty is becoming a pure point of frustration for me as of late.

That’s a fundamental misreading of the bridges criticism. It’s directed more at those who continue to refuse to acknowledge the reality of who he is as a player and more a statement why long-term, he’s more a hindrance than a piece to build around if you really want to win a title considering his salary and inability to improve his game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That’s a fundamental misreading of the bridges criticism. It’s directed more at those who continue to refuse to acknowledge the reality of who he is as a player and more a statement why long-term, he’s more a hindrance than a piece to build around if you really want to win a title considering his salary and inability to improve his game.

Correct. I really didn’t expect him to step up into a role for the fundamental reasons that I’ve been stating: he doesn’t possess the skill set to do so. Never has. But others on ASFN have argued otherwise. We are just pointing out how definitively bridges shortcomings are with ever-mounting evidence.

 

[Covert Rain]

That’s a fundamental misreading of the bridges criticism. It’s directed more at those who continue to refuse to acknowledge the reality of who he is as a player and more a statement why long-term, he’s more a hindrance than a piece to build around if you really want to win a title considering his salary and inability to improve his game.

Hinderance? That’s hilarious unless you are saying if he doesn’t return to form because if he gets back on track defensively that’s ridiculous. This team doesn’t make it to the finals or get the best record without Bridges. We agree that you don’t build a team around Bridges but he can be a key piece assuming he returns to form. Talk about not acknowledging who he is if you don’t think he can be a key piece on a title team.

 

[Covert Rain]

Correct. I really didn’t expect him to step up into a role for the fundamental reasons that I’ve been stating: he doesn’t possess the skill set to do so. Never has. But others on ASFN have argued otherwise. We are just pointing out how definitively bridges shortcomings are with ever-mounting evidence.

I guess I missed who said that. I had not read every post and didn’t see people claiming Bridges could be the go to guy on this team. I would have given that the stink eye as well. I have just seen very few scenarios where guys come out of their role to do something above and beyond that role unless they simply were never given the opportunity. We agree, Bridges is not that guy.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Hinderance? That’s hilarious unless you are saying if he doesn’t return to form because if he gets back on track defensively that’s ridiculous. This team doesn’t make it to the finals or get the best record without Bridges. We agree that you don’t build a team around Bridges but he can be a key piece assuming he returns to form. Talk about not acknowledging who he is if you don’t think he can be a key piece on a title team.

Not at that salary he can’t.

If he’s a 5th or 6th guy on a title team, he can certainly help. But 5th or 6th guys aren’t making his salary. If he’s depended on as anything higher, that title team better have a healthy LeBron/AD 1/2 punch. MAYBE you can get away with that if he’s your 4th best player but again that’s only with multiple guys playing at HOF legend levels.

Which sadly is a level of player we absolutely DO NOT HAVE. He’s a complimentary piece… not a piece you build around in any way shape or form. And if we’re building around Booker/Ayton/Bridges, as the cap will pretty much force us to, that team is already dead in the water. And the fact that you can’t see that is hilarious to me.

 

[Covert Rain]

Not at that salary he can’t.

If he’s a 5th or 6th guy on a title team, he can certainly help. But 5th or 6th guys aren’t making his salary. If he’s depended on as anything higher, that title team better have a healthy LeBron/AD 1/2 punch. MAYBE you can get away with that if he’s your 4th best player but again that’s only with multiple guys playing at HOF legend levels.

Which sadly is a level of player we absolutely DO NOT HAVE. He’s a complimentary piece… not a piece you build around in any way shape or form. And if we’re building around Booker/Ayton/Bridges, as the cap will pretty much force us to, that team is already dead in the water. And the fact that you can’t see that is hilarious to me.

That’s hilarious. The entire NBA has called him one of the best defensive players in the NBA the past two seasons and yet you don’t realize that is hilarious. Second if you think if a team like Golden State who is willing to go over the cap would hesitate to get their hands on him you are kidding yourself. He can be our version of Green not that I am making a direct comparison.

Booker/Ayton/Bridges/CP3 almost got in done 2 years ago and likely a shooter away last season. There are teams willing to spend over the cap and Bridges….again assuming he returns to form defensively can be an asset with a title team. I am agreeing with you you can’t build around him. However, where we disagree is that he can be your fourth even at that salary for a team willing to go over the cap. I would never suggest that’s possible on a team not willing to spend.