Suns @ Hornets, Friday 3-15-24

[Hoop Head]

This Suns team reminds me of the 96 Suns, Barkley's last year here. Exciting at times but doesn't live up to it's potential. You can tell something needs to be done but there isn't anything to do that helps improve the team immediately.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Full disclosure: I did not watch this game


But this seems like an embarrassment again. Letting that dreck cut 25pt lead to 10 in the 4th and book and kd combining to shoot 11/33. That’s just lame. The win counts but this squad just does nothing to instill any confidence.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This Suns team reminds me of the 96 Suns, Barkley's last year here. Exciting at times but doesn't live up to it's potential. You can tell something needs to be done but there isn't anything to do that helps improve the team immediately.

That’s a good comp. I was thinking the Kidd-Googs-Cliff teams that would win 47-51 games and lose 3-1 in the playoffs as a 6, 7 or 8 seed. But at least those teams consistently played hard.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Both can be true

I’m curious why the refs would decide to hate the suns? This iteration of the suns is the most meh team ever. Durant isn’t hated. Beal isn’t hated. Book is probably annoying. But that’s it. Gordon is vanilla. Allen is vanilla. Nurk is just Nurk and good natured. The concept that the refs out to get the suns is just beyond my comprehension. Because there’s just no reasonable “why” behind such allegations.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This HAS to be fixed before the end of the season.

It doesn’t seem fixable considering how much it’s become just clockwork.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

They have to be the stupidest fourth-quarter team in history.

They stopped doing what gets them the lead and start doing this delay, offense hero ball

It’s the worst. It’s just absolutely the worst.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Full disclosure: I did not watch this game


But this seems like an embarrassment again. Letting that dreck cut 25pt lead to 10 in the 4th and book and kd combining to shoot 11/33. That’s just lame. The win counts but this squad just does nothing to instill any confidence.

all that and it was uncomfortable out there - teammates giving each other stank eye - players lying on the court before they were helped up - i love kd - i know he isn't washed - but i also know he didn't want to be out there tonight - book and nurk did - or at least they weren't just going through the motions - grayson too but even he can be more aggressive

idk ouchie - we won but the vibe was all time low - far beyond anything a wainwright smile can fix - we are unhappy and that is not good

 

[Vacard]

Freakin Pels, man

 

[Yuma]

all that and it was uncomfortable out there - teammates giving each other stank eye - players lying on the court before they were helped up - i love kd - i know he isn't washed - but i also know he didn't want to be out there tonight - book and nurk did - or at least they weren't just going through the motions - grayson too but even he can be more aggressive

idk ouchie - we won but the vibe was all time low - far beyond anything a wainwright smile can fix - we are unhappy and that is not good

IDK, the look on Nurk's face was bad when he had to come back in during the fourth quarter. I think he felt he was goibngf to not have to play again that night after the big third quarter lead. Plus it was like, here we go again, too.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

all that and it was uncomfortable out there - teammates giving each other stank eye - players lying on the court before they were helped up - i love kd - i know he isn't washed - but i also know he didn't want to be out there tonight - book and nurk did - or at least they weren't just going through the motions - grayson too but even he can be more aggressive

idk ouchie - we won but the vibe was all time low - far beyond anything a wainwright smile can fix - we are unhappy and that is not good

Yikes

 

[BirdGangThing]

IDK, the look on Nurk's face was bad when he had to come back in during the fourth quarter. I think he felt he was goibngf to not have to play again that night after the big third quarter lead. Plus it was like, here we go again, too.

you're absolutely right - there was also the rebound both grayson and nurk came down with but went out of bounds - nurk stared grayson down like it was on grayson but it was just one of those run of the mill meaningless happenings - but the vibe tonight was not good - i think the vibe also attributes to our 3pt success/failures regarding everybody not named grayson

 

[Chaplin]

I’m curious why the refs would decide to hate the suns? This iteration of the suns is the most meh team ever. Durant isn’t hated. Beal isn’t hated. Book is probably annoying. But that’s it. Gordon is vanilla. Allen is vanilla. Nurk is just Nurk and good natured. The concept that the refs out to get the suns is just beyond my comprehension. Because there’s just no reasonable “why” behind such allegations.

The refs don't hate the Suns. They are simply incompetent.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The refs don't hate the Suns. They are simply incompetent.

I can agree with that. But it’s the same for every team. Plus, officiating or reffing is really difficult. Particularly as we’ve gotten more and more camera angles and replays.

 

[wagon mound 464]

Start of the 4th, Suns up by 25.
Let's give 'em a chance to catch up and only score 15 this quarter.
These Sun's 4th quarters are pathetic and I mute the volume when
Annie tries to expand our knowledge.

I may just watch the first 3 Qs,,,then return to the forum
to get an insight to the final outcome.

Going nowhere IF they make the playoffs....
Matt I expect$ better!

 

[clyde2tw]

it started with Book not rotating out to open shooters on the 3pt line after scramble. it broke down the team D and renders everybody's effort meaningless.The Hornets just couldn't hit any of those open shots. Energy level from the whole team got lower with the game. Very strange.

 

[GatorAZ]

The bar has been lowered:
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You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Ronin]

Suns: Kevin Durant's encouraging stance on team chemistry after win vs. Hornets

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is encouraged by what he's seeing from his team. The All-Star said his team is coming together at the right time to make a strong push at the end of the season, due to good chemistry. “We all wanna be in rhythm and the flow of the game and I think that's what...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Ronin]

More 3s, Eric Gordon shines in return: Takeaways from Suns bounce back win in Charlotte

Granted it was against one of the NBA's worst teams, but the Phoenix Suns won the second of a road back-to-back, 107-96, Friday over the Charlotte Hornets before a crowd of 18,613 at Spectrum Center after losing Thursday to NBA-leader Boston. Seventh in the West, Phoenix (39-28) had all five of...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Mainstreet]

Barkley was beating that drum yesterday after the Celtics loss. He said we need a PG to start and help run things so Booker can play off the ball. Bring Beal off the bench and use him at the end of games. Primarily though without a PG you're asking Booker to be what he isn't, same goes for Beal, and they aren't getting easy looks. It's made things much more difficult for everyone.

Lets see if they do something this off-season. They don't have much to work with but I could see us dealing our 1st for a cheap PG at the draft. We'll also have early bird rights on Okogie, which could facilitate a sign & trade. We don't need Okogie and Royce. We're loaded on the wing already. I'm sure James Jones will find a 6'5" shooter who spent 5 years in college to select. No ball handling skills or defensive acumen but he'll be described as a hard worker.

It's a shame to see the Suns go down this season, when a backup point guard would help solve a lot of their rotation problems.

I don't understand why they have been so stubborn about it.

A player like Ish Smith would have helped.

There are some centers out there as well.

 

[Ronin]

Phoenix Suns do enough through slog to beat Charlotte Hornets

The Phoenix Suns had an uninspiring three quarters and did enough in the other to get a win over the Charlotte Hornets.

arizonasports.com

 

[Raindog]

It's a shame to see the Suns go down this season, when a backup point guard would help solve a lot of their rotation problems.

I don't understand why they have been so stubborn about it.

A player like Ish Smith would have helped.

There are some centers out there as well.

It's James Jones. He seriously believes an NBA team should be comprised of nothing more than 15 James Jones clones. If he had his way, our entire roster would be 6-6 to 6-8 wings who can't shoot or play defense, but are "scrappy." Oh, and all of them need to be undrafted free agents.

 

[DeAnna]

In an interview, Durant said he prefers "a slower pace" but todays NBA is all about running and shooting 3s. The Suns are behind the times.

 

[Yuma]

It's James Jones. He seriously believes an NBA team should be comprised of nothing more than 15 James Jones clones. If he had his way, our entire roster would be 6-6 to 6-8 wings who can't shoot or play defense, but are "scrappy." Oh, and all of them need to be undrafted free agents.

To be fair, once we went over the second apron, we were limited to signing guys making below $12 million. If you go to one of the more reputable NBA sites and search on players ranked by their salaries, almost anyone better than Saben Lee makes more than $12 million. Believe me, I was looking. Arguably Bradley Beal and Devin Booker are better than the guys we could sign that were also available. Plus if we traded for someone we had to do it before a certain deadline, otherwise we couldn't aggregate salaries. So currently, we don't have anyone making around $12 million. We would now be signing guys more like league minimum. Plus we have to have someone another team wants. All that working against us, we weren't just going to magically find a PG that would move the needle for us. Just saying all these people on TV and internet saying Suns should get a PG, ever notice they don't say who? They don't know either.

 

[Yuma]

In an interview, Durant said he prefers "a slower pace" but todays NBA is all about running and shooting 3s. The Suns are behind the times.

I did notice when we went 80% speed in the last game, we made it through the third without a turn over, I believe. Maybe our guys need to play slower to make better passing decisions? In theory, the pace is supposed to be slower in the playoffs.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's James Jones. He seriously believes an NBA team should be comprised of nothing more than 15 James Jones clones. If he had his way, our entire roster would be 6-6 to 6-8 wings who can't shoot or play defense, but are "scrappy." Oh, and all of them need to be undrafted free agents.

It's beyond me why the Suns haven't fixed such an obvious flaw as having a backup point guard to run the team, especially before Devin Booker reenters the game in the 4th quarter.

How many epic meltdowns in the 4th quarter do the Suns need to realize it?

It's like James Jones is trying to prove the Suns do not need a rotation point guard, even if it costs them a chance to contend for a championship.

The Suns failure to add more size at backup center is almost equally baffling.

Teams have exploited these weaknesses all season.