Suns @ Hawks game thread 3-4-18

[Finito]

Ugly game lots of turnovers and sloppy offense so far

 

[Mainstreet]

Halftime:

Hawks 56 - Suns 56

Warren is the Suns leading scorer with 21. Booker has been quiet with 4 points.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think EJ explained it perfectly the other night. When you are undersized or are trying to find a role on the team you have to be willing to go outside your comfort zone and find a niche that the team doesn’t already have. That is what Harrison has been bringing with his high intensity defense and Ulis has not been able to find anything to make him valuable.

Ulis' contract isn't guaranteed next season so it's unlikely they'll keep him based on how he's played this year as well as him falling out of the rotation completely of late. You'd think he would still see some playing time to try and compete for his job next year though. The Suns lack depth at PG this season so it's not like he couldn't be used. It's an odd time for the front office to have already decided on moving on from him considering this is just his 2nd season and he was just a 2nd round pick. His upside isn't that high but he appeared to be a much better player as a rookie than he has this year. He did have offseason surgery but it's too late in the season to blame his play on that still. He's only set to make $1.5 million next season also, which isn't much at all and it would cost that much to sign a veteran backup PG.

During the end of his rookie year it looked like he might be the PG of the future for the team when he averaged 16.1 ppg with 8.5 apg, 1.2 steals, and 2.5 turnovers on 42% shooting in the 15 starts he made after Bledsoe was sat to tank. This year in his 37 games as a starter he's only averaged 7.0 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 turnovers on 38% shooting. Something has happened and he's regressed but he may be able to bounce back. His upside isn't very high though, he's a career backup but it isn't really a bad thing to have the same PG manning your 2nd unit for a few years. It brings about a continuity amongst reserves.

 

[Mainstreet]

@Poop Head

Ulis lack of outside shooting seems to have made him expendable but I think he is still worthy of playing time. I don't know what has happened except the Suns have decided they want defense from their backup PG.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hawks letting the Suns go on a run after halftime.

Suns 65 - Hawks 58

Payton playing so smoothly. He has 9 points and 9 assists.

 

[Mainstreet]

Eddie Johnson keeps talking about the Hawks resting Bazemore after a big game. Like it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Booker's only got 20 minutes... injured or are we trying to tank the game?

This would be a pretty terrible W from a lotto perspective.

 

[Finito]

Chriss with the monster block

 

[Mainstreet]

My guess is Booker wants to let the other youngsters get some game experience rather than dominate... at least early.

 

[Finito]

He's just had an off night he's been doing all the heavy lifting for awhile now. Let Booker rest.

TJ doing it tonight

 

[Mainstreet]

I bet the Hawks would trade for Chriss. LOL

He had 17 points and 11 rebounds in their last meeting.

 

[pokerface]

Booker's only got 20 minutes... injured or are we trying to tank the game?

This would be a pretty terrible W from a lotto perspective.

Early in the game he left after an offensive foul. Maybe foul trouble?

 

[Mainstreet]

Early in the game he left after an offensive foul. Maybe foul trouble?

Booker only has 1 PF.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd think Warren needs some rest sort of like Bazemore.

 

[pokerface]

THEY!!

 

[Mainstreet]

Booker is scoring with such ease when he wants to score the ball.

 

[Finito]

Payton 2 rebounds away from another triple double

 

[Mainstreet]

Payton 2 rebounds away from another triple double

He is in stealth mode with 12 assists so far.

 

[Mainstreet]

The referees are going over a Jackson-Prince shoving match.

Not much to it but they will call something.

 

[Finito]

Payton another triple double

Jackson in a scuffle

 

[Mainstreet]

Payton and Taylor ejected.

 

[Finito]

Double technicals and Payton ejected

That was a joke

 

[Mainstreet]

Now Booker hits a 3 pointer.

 

[Finito]

God those uniforms are great

 

[Mainstreet]

Prince is on fire for the Hawks.