Suns @ Grizzlies 2-28-17

[Mainstreet]

Williams blocks Randolph. Yes! Those are two big players.

 

[Mainstreet]

End of 3rd quarter:

Grizzlies 93- Suns 85

 

[Mainstreet]

Weak offensive foul call on Booker as he hit the player on the side going for the shot.

 

[Mainstreet]

I wish the Suns would take Bledsoe and Booker out of the game. Both have had off games, especially Booker after getting elbowed by Carter earlier in the game.

Len has played more tonight because he has played better during this game.

 

[Mainstreet]

Final:

Grizzlies 130- Suns 112

Ronnie Price played sporting a new beard.

 

[Hoop Head]

The Grizzlies play a really ugly yet effective style of basketball. They definitely have the Suns number though, which sucks. I look forward to the Suns getting better just to see them beat teams like Memphis, that are perennial first round losers.

 

[Cheesebeef]

another solid L. keep 'em coming!

 

[GatorAZ]

The Grizzlies play a really ugly yet effective style of basketball. They definitely have the Suns number though, which sucks. I look forward to the Suns getting better just to see them beat teams like Memphis, that are perennial first round losers.

Memphis has reached the WCF's. Clippers have not.

 

[sunsfan88]

Both have had off games, especially Booker after getting elbowed by Carter earlier in the game.

Watson is gonna run him into the ground. Its absolutely ridiculous the amount of minutes that he plays at age 20.

 

[pokerface]

another solid L. keep 'em coming!

 

[Mainstreet]

Watson is gonna run him into the ground. Its absolutely ridiculous the amount of minutes that he plays at age 20.

My concern is that the Suns left Bledsoe and Booker in the game after it had already been decided. I was more worried about Bledsoe getting injured in a meaningless game.

 

[sunsfan88]

My concern is that the Suns left Bledsoe and Booker in the game after it had already been decided. I was more worried about Bledsoe getting injured in a meaningless game.

Same. Watson has played them both a bunch in a bunch of games in which its a blowout and the outcome has already been decided.

 

[pokerface]

Same. Watson has played them both a bunch in a bunch of games in which its a blowout and the outcome has already been decided.

Yeah Watson is going to run Bled into the ground...Rather defiantly to McD's orders of going with youth.

If I was Sarver I'd yank his ass and put the assistant coach in charge for a couple games. He needs to know who's calling the shots on this team.

 

[Bert]

yay we lost...

ugh... No me gusta...

 

[SweetD]

You can see the team playing better together, a more passes in the right place. I am a little disappointed Len is not showing more.

Williams and Ulis have shown enough to be role players next year.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Ulis belongs in this league--at least as a backup.

That's a win for a second round pick.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ulis belongs in this league--at least as a backup.

That's a win for a second round pick.

All I think he needs is more playing time to get better especially finding the right shooting opportunities.

 

[Mainstreet]

Do the Suns need an enforcer?

It seems more and more teams are roughing up Suns players. Here is an excerpt from updated article written by Doug Haller dated 2-28-17.

But after a 130-112 defeat Tuesday night at the FedExForum, Suns coach Earl Watson focused on Vince Carter's elbow to Devin Booker's chin in the first quarter as a play that changed the contest.

"We have to find someone in free agency or the first chance we get who can protect our top offensive players," Watson said. "That has to happen. If not, Book is going to see a lot of elbows. It's the reason Kobe went out and got Ron Artest and Matt Barnes. It's the reason why Jordan went out and got guys who could protect him."

With 3 minutes, 54 seconds left in the first quarter, Carter – a 19-year-veteran and eight-time All-Star – got the ball on the right wing. As he drove toward the lane, Booker appeared to strike Carter in the face. An official called a foul, but as the play came to a close, Carter elbowed Booker in the face, knocking the second-year guard to the court.

Carter was ejected.

"Who's going to protect our young guys?" Watson said. "It's the situation we're in. We have to find a guy who can come in and make another team think twice about doing that. That should be a top priority for us moving forward."

This is becoming a habit. For the Suns, it marked the third consecutive game – and the fourth in eight contests – that they had to be separated from an opponent. The run started Feb. 8 in this very building. That night, many Phoenix players said Memphis reserve guard Troy Daniels talked too much trash late in the game, which led to pushing and shoving. Three players were ejected and three others got technical fouls. After the game, Booker slammed Daniels – undrafted out of college – for having the nerve to talk trash to him.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...his-grizzlies-too-much-phoenix-suns/98557844/

 

[JCSunsfan]

Do the Suns need an enforcer?

It seems more and more teams are roughing up Suns players. Here is an excerpt from updated article written by Doug Haller dated 2-28-17.







http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...his-grizzlies-too-much-phoenix-suns/98557844/

We have some young players who yap alot. That will get a reaction from vets.

Len was right on Carter, so was Chriss. Chandler is available if necessary.

 

[Mainstreet]

We have some young players who yap alot. That will get a reaction from vets.

Len was right on Carter, so was Chriss. Chandler is available if necessary.

I don't think Len has the mentality to be an enforcer, Chriss does not have the body and apparently the Suns want to rest Chandler. Maybe Watson has a reason to complain. Teams are really getting physical with the Suns, especially with the departure of Tucker.

Interesting enough, ESPN has a story on this as well.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...wants-enforcer-protect-team-offensive-players

 

[JCSunsfan]

I don't think Len has the mentality to be an enforcer, Chriss does not have the body and apparently the Suns want to rest Chandler. Maybe Watson has a reason to complain. Teams are really getting physical with the Suns, especially with the departure of Tucker.

Interesting enough, ESPN has a story on this as well.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...wants-enforcer-protect-team-offensive-players

If Matt Barnes can be an enforcer, Chriss can. You do not have to have a massive body, just the will to respond aggressively.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If Matt Barnes can be an enforcer, Chriss can. You do not have to have a massive body, just the will to respond aggressively.

Chriss has a Robin Lopez-like, short fuse kind of anger, I don't want him anywhere near the "enforcer" role. In fact, I don't like that kind of thinking at all. Watson has them playing very physically, every opponent we play talks about it. I liked that idea when I thought it meant good, hard physical play but it's like Watson thinks it's still the NBA of 20 years ago and while every other team is going one way, he's trying to take us the other.

This comment by Watson might be the last straw for me. I always thought he was borderline dirty as a player and he seems to be encouraging that attitude from our young guys. They talk way too much and they look to fight at every perceived challenge, real or not. But it's all faux-fighting because they know they'll always be held back and protected. I like the edge Chandler typically played with a decade ago but I don't want the kind of reputation we're earning.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If Matt Barnes can be an enforcer, Chriss can. You do not have to have a massive body, just the will to respond aggressively.

Matt Barnes WASN'T an enforcer. He was a punk. There's a differenc. No one was scared of him and I'd love for anyone to show how he made a positive impact on any team he played on.

 

[pokerface]

What's all this enforcer garbage?? We have REFS....They are the enforcers. They would handle it...They handled it. Players and coaches need to **** and play the game and save the technicals and future ejections.

 

[pokerface]

Maybe it was good we didn't get Cousins because he would have been encouraging more of this street ball mentality.