Suns @ Grizzlies 12-3-13

[Mainstreet]

The Suns play at the Grizzlies tonight with a tipoff scheduled for 6 PM Arizona time. Bledsoe is slated to start tonight. The Grizzlies may be without Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. See more from the Paul Coro article at azcentral dated 12-3-13. The link is below.

Suns (9-8) at Grizzlies (8-8) … 6 p.m. Phoenix tip time

C: Miles Plumlee … Kosta Koufos

PF: Channing Frye … Ed Davis or Zach Randolph

SF: P.J. Tucker … Tayshaun Prince

PG/SG: Goran Dragic … Tony Allen

PG: Eric Bledsoe … Mike Conley Jr.

Key Grizzlies injuries: Zach Randolph (toe) is questionable. Marc Gasol (knee) is out.

Key Grizzlies reserves: Jerryd Bayless, Mike Miller, Jon Leuer, Quincy Pondexter

http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/p...r-suns-at-wounded-grizzlies-bledsoe-to-start/

 

[BC867]

The game is on TV, of course, so I'll squeeze this observation here.

All season long, when Fox Sports A-rrrr-zonnnnnn-a (I hate hearing Steve Albert's phony pronunciation) cuts to commercial, it cuts into a half a minute of play or 30 seconds of a 60 second cut to Tom & Tom when it cuts back.

Isn't anyone monitoring it? I like the banter between Tom & Tom, but even though it may be a good thing to minimize listening to Albert, it is annoying.

The announcers seem to be unaware when Fox is cutting back to them. Has anyone here noticed that?

P.S.: Albert just said 8-2 Suns. The score was 12-8 Griz. I guess Steve was trying to keep one eye on the court.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Morris twins and Frye have it going. I guess this answers the next thought, the Suns need Plumlee to balance out the Grizzlies bigs.

 

[Mainstreet]

The game is on TV, of course, so I'll squeeze this observation here.

All season long, when Fox Sports A-rrrr-zonnnnnn-a (I hate hearing Steve Albert's phony pronunciation) cuts to commercial, it cuts into a half a minute of play or 30 seconds of a 60 second cut to Tom & Tom when it cuts back.

Isn't anyone monitoring it? I like the banter between Tom & Tom, but even though it may be a good thing to minimize listening to Albert, it is annoying.

The announcers seem to be unaware when Fox is cutting back to them. Has anyone here noticed that?

P.S.: Albert just said 8-2 Suns. The score was 12-8 Griz. I guess Steve was trying to keep one eye on the court.

Do did you expect more, especially from Albert. They are going to do what they want to do.

 

[ProdigalSun]

Leuer vs Plumlee...who is the more athletic white guy?

 

[Mainstreet]

Leuer vs Plumlee...who is the more athletic white guy?

I missed a chunk of the first half so I will have to defer.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns playing right now as expected... before the season started.

 

[Mainstreet]

Leuer vs Plumlee...who is the more athletic white guy?

Well, Leuer looks like a superstar tonight. He is very athletic but I wonder if a part of it is the Suns defense.

 

[SirStefan32]

That was just ugly.

 

[Mainstreet]

A very embarrassing loss tonight for the Suns. They did not even compete. No excuse for this type of lackluster effort.

 

[ProdigalSun]

fortunately these types of performances have been few and far between so far. I expect a better effort next game

 

[BC867]

A very embarrassing loss tonight for the Suns. They did not even compete. No excuse for this type of lackluster effort.

For the past two games, the Suns have regressed into the Suns of old. Shooting from the perimeter. 'Reminds me when I was a kid playing 2-hand touch football. Every play on offense was "everyone out for a long one".

 

[Suns_fan69]

If they can't get out and run on the break AND they can't knock down 3's, the Suns won't win. Credit to Memphis for taking care of the ball and for staying out and contesting 3 point shots. They gave up a lot of offensive rebounds doing so but Suns had no one that could make them pay inside.

 

[SirStefan32]

If they can't get out and run on the break AND they can't knock down 3's, the Suns won't win. Credit to Memphis for taking care of the ball and for staying out and contesting 3 point shots. They gave up a lot of offensive rebounds doing so but Suns had no one that could make them pay inside.

Exactly! Run and gun is all fun and games until the game slows down. Once the game slows down, this team is reduced to long jumpers and isolation.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think there is some regression to the mean going on here. The schedule this month is pretty rough. It will be interesting to see if they stay quite as plucky if the loses start building up.

 

[Mainstreet]

For the past two games, the Suns have regressed into the Suns of old. Shooting from the perimeter. 'Reminds me when I was a kid playing 2-hand touch football. Every play on offense was "everyone out for a long one".

I agree the Suns game has regressed as they seem to rely more and more on the perimeter shot. They are not playing from the inside out. Maybe it's too early but I'm beginning to wonder about Dragic and Bledsoe as starters in the backcourt. I'm not feeling the energy from Bledsoe.

However, what irked me the most, was the Suns lack of defensive intensity. They made the opposing team's players look like all-stars. All I ask is the Suns play with effort. It was not there tonight.

 

[Sunburn]

What a stinkbomb. That's how we were all expecting these guys to play before the season started.

 

[Sunburn]

The Suns playing right now as expected... before the season started.

Indeed.

 

[Sunburn]

Exactly! Run and gun is all fun and games until the game slows down. Once the game slows down, this team is reduced to long jumpers and isolation.

Which is probably why Hornacek wants to run in the first place. We don't have the horse/s for a half court game.

 

[SirStefan32]

Which is probably why Hornacek wants to run in the first place. We don't have the horse/s for a half court game.

Absolutely. With what we have right now, that's the only thing we can do.
My concern is with long-term strategy. As of right now, I am fine with a running, two point guard system. I just hope that there is a better long-term plan in place.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I believe some smart people with #'s before their name have said that while Plumlee is a nice find, he's not the center we need to be successful... We can't develop a half court game or an inside game without a viable center who can legit pose a threat on the inside...


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[Mainstreet]

I believe some smart people with #'s before their name have said that while Plumlee is a nice find, he's not the center we need to be successful... We can't develop a half court game or an inside game without a viable center who can legit pose a threat on the inside...


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Obviously Alex Len is not the answer for the moment as it now appears the strategy will be for Len to work on weight training, take vitamins and let the left ankle heal. IMO, the Suns have to be doubting their selection of Len at #5.

See link to article at azcentral written by Paul Coro dated 12-3-13 for more information.

Instead, Len played 21 minutes in the first two games of the season before being shut down because of ongoing soreness in his left ankle. He returned for a Nov. 19-20 back-to-back with Sacramento, logging only five minutes in each game. After the first half of the first one, Len pulled himself out because the discomfort had returned.

“I was just really sore,” Len said. “It hurt me to walk.

“We decided to shut it down to get it completely better. It’s just frustrating to be able to play a couple games and then it gets worse. We’ll let it heal completely and come back 100 percent.”

Len has missed the past seven games and Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said the staff is using vitamin treatments to address the matter. In the meantime, Len sees an upside in that he can do more of the weight training he needs to get stronger. He had 29 lifting sessions in November.

“I’m trying to keep my focus on things I have control of,” Len said. “You just want to play. I’m passionate about basketball. I want to be out there competing with the best players.”

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...ing-things-he-can-control.html?nclick_check=1

 

[elindholm]

I just hope that there is a better long-term plan in place.

The long-term plan, I trust, is the same as it was before: Hope to land a franchise talent somehow, and then figure out what the rest of the team will look like. Spending a few years to build a 50-win team around Dragic and Bledsoe would be the height of cynicism.

 

[Errntknght]

Vitamins! Crap, vitamin supplements do prevent vitamin deficiency diseases but they are no substitute for a good diet if you aim higher than that. Anti-oxident vitamin supplements (C and E) are counter productive when it comes to athletic conditioning while dietary sources of them do not have the same effect. That may not be germane to Len's problems but it is an example of why just shotgunning vitamins isn't good.

 

[Phrazbit]

I'd think the professionals have a good idea about vitamins and diet planning for their athletes. However... this does make it sound as though Len just has crappy bones. Pumping him full of vitamin D to get some density going. The thought all of this was somewhat expected when Len was drafted seems silly at this point. Knowing what they know now I would imagine Len would have plummeted down the draft board.