Suns @ Kings Friday game thread 3-24-2023

[95pro]

Yup that pull up 3 was poor bball IQ moment.

I was screaming at the tv saying don’t go hero mode and Jack up a dumb 3 the possession before and sure enough he did soon after. So frustrating because we should have some of set we want to go into during crunch time.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What if I want to call Monty names?

I’ll join you in harmony. He’s got to go in the offseason.

JJ will have Durant, Booker and Ayton to build around. If you can get something for Paul’s partially guaranteed contract you do it. Maybe you can flip it for Mike Conley? You jettison shamet and Payne. You find some serviceable big who wants to chase a ring. But you gotta get a new coach.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I was screaming at the tv saying don’t go hero mode and Jack up a dumb 3 the possession before and sure enough he did soon after. So frustrating because we should have some of set we want to go into during crunch time.

We went from being the most clutch team in the league last year to a team that generally unravels in the clutch this year.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Yup that pull up 3 was poor bball IQ moment.

Yupp. That was a dumb shot by Book. It’s tough though because he makes the right pass to Chris Paul or Ross and those guys brick shots lol. But yeah he should’ve attacked the rim and tried to drive and kick.

I just don’t get why we go away from our identity of playing in .5. Maybe Monty has lost the team. Maybe Book is trying to carry us and do too much. This team needs to WAKE UP.

 

[Phrazbit]

I’ll join you in harmony. He’s got to go in the offseason.

JJ will have Durant, Booker and Ayton to build around. If you can get something for Paul’s partially guaranteed contract you do it. Maybe you can flip it for Mike Conley? You jettison shamet and Payne. You find some serviceable big who wants to chase a ring. But you gotta get a new coach.

I could see him resigning, it's hard to imagine him getting fired. The soonest I could see him getting fired is if we're struggling midway through next year.

As for the rest... resetting the bench is going to be tough. I don't see how we can move Shamet and really... he is probably better than the minimum contract guys that will be on the market. We just don't have many options to add guys. The MLE, minimum contracts and a 2nd rounder...

We need to use the MLE to get the best 3 and D wing we can find.

 

[Joe Mama]

We went from being the most clutch team in the league last year to a team that generally unravels in the clutch this year.

Because we had bridges, Johnsen, crowder, and Craig who can all defend and shoot 36-44 % from three point land. Totally opens up the offense and obviously the Defense was much better. I mean we shouldn't forget that we played a really tough stretch here .

 

[Bufalay]

Some of the Monty Williams criticisms are so goofy. There's no perfect time to call a timeout that completely changes the momentum of a game. The Suns are much worse this season because Chris Paul is much worse this season. He was one of the top 10-15 players in the league last year and now he's somewhere around 50 according to some advanced stats. The last 3 games are exactly the types of games he would've taken over last year at the end.

Missing Bridges and Crowder hurts too.

 

[Chaplin]

Some of the Monty Williams criticisms are so goofy. There's no perfect time to call a timeout that completely changes the momentum of a game. The Suns are much worse this season because Chris Paul is much worse this season. He was one of the top 10-15 players in the league last year and now he's somewhere around 50 according to some advanced stats. The last 3 games are exactly the types of games he would've taken over last year at the end.

Missing Bridges and Crowder hurts too.

Why is it goofy? A coach needs to read the game and make adjustments accordingly, regardless of who is playing or not playing (injured). Monty is absolutely terrible at this aspect of coaching, and it is heavily apparent.

Contrary to popular belief on this board, we are NOT an untalented team without Durant and Ayton, we've been in pretty much every single game and then either given up or Book has ran out of gas at the end. And this is all with Monty throwing out any crazy lineup he thinks might work. But there is no continuity at all with the bench -- and that's the one thing you need going into the playoffs.

 

[Finito]

Because we had bridges, Johnsen, crowder, and Craig who can all defend and shoot 36-44 % from three point land. Totally opens up the offense and obviously the Defense was much better. I mean we shouldn't forget that we played a really tough stretch here .

Nope we were really bad in the clutch this year with Bridges, Cam and Craig.

There is 1 guy you can point to who’s clutch stats went from all time great last year to unplayable this year and that’s CHRIS PAUL.

The problem is when you’re so dependent on Paul to run your offense and don’t have a backup plan.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Why is it goofy? A coach needs to read the game and make adjustments accordingly, regardless of who is playing or not playing (injured). Monty is absolutely terrible at this aspect of coaching, and it is heavily apparent.

Contrary to popular belief on this board, we are NOT an untalented team without Durant and Ayton, we've been in pretty much every single game and then either given up or Book has ran out of gas at the end. And this is all with Monty throwing out any crazy lineup he thinks might work. But there is no continuity at all with the bench -- and that's the one thing you need going into the playoffs.

So let’s see here… the solution to grab more W’s with this current team (no KD and no Ayton), is to just run out there, guys like… who? Name them. And even if they suck it up, we just keep playing them massive mins with little to no rotations?

Can’t understand how Monty doesn’t see how simple all this is…

 

[Mainstreet]

I could see him resigning, it's hard to imagine him getting fired. The soonest I could see him getting fired is if we're struggling midway through next year.

As for the rest... resetting the bench is going to be tough. I don't see how we can move Shamet and really... he is probably better than the minimum contract guys that will be on the market. We just don't have many options to add guys. The MLE, minimum contracts and a 2nd rounder...

We need to use the MLE to get the best 3 and D wing we can find.

Hopefully the Suns will use Shamet like an expiring contract next season and use his salary ($10,250,000) to take on a player with a longer contract.

His contract is not guaranteed beyond next season.

 

[Mainstreet]

We were ahead by 14 I think. That big of a swing because we’re not talented?

Mike Brown was substituting guys in and out for defensive and offensive possessions. That’s coaching and managing the game.

Meanwhile we don’t have a game plan near the stretch. We didn’t execute and we didn’t foul in timely manners. That’s coaching and strategy.

I’m sorry but you don’t let the game get out of hand like that and expect to win.

I understand what you are saying but huge lead swings are not uncommon in the NBA.

The Kings were fully healthy and probably took the Suns lightly in the first half, then stepped on the gas in the second half.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Monty should be fired for his inability to revamp the offense and identify that Bridges had this in him, alone.

Throw in the fact that his switching defense always gets torched by good three point shooting teams with zero adjustments ever and that’s more than enough reason to can him.

Better to make the move a year early than a year too late and next year is the whole enchilada, IMO before KD’s body breaks down on him simply rolling out of bed.

 

[Mainstreet]

Because we had bridges, Johnsen, crowder, and Craig who can all defend and shoot 36-44 % from three point land. Totally opens up the offense and obviously the Defense was much better. I mean we shouldn't forget that we played a really tough stretch here .

Another way to say it, where are the replacements for Crowder, Saric, Bridges, Cam Johnson and Cam Payne?

The need for a third ballhandler/shooter was well-known.

The Suns have no margin for error when a star is out and few assets to add to the team going forward.

 

[Finito]

I understand what you are saying but huge lead swings are not uncommon in the NBA.

The Kings were fully healthy and probably took the Suns lightly in the first half, then stepped on the gas in the second half.

Dude it’s not them it’s us.

It’s the same story this team plays good in the first and look clueless when a team makes a run on them

It’s us we are the problem

 

[Mainstreet]

Dude it’s not them it’s us.

It’s the same story this team plays good in the first and look clueless when a team makes a run on them

It’s us we are the problem

I've been saying the issue is talent or lack thereof on the Suns side with key players out. I've tried to make that clear enough.

 

[Chaplin]

So let’s see here… the solution to grab more W’s with this current team (no KD and no Ayton), is to just run out there, guys like… who? Name them. And even if they suck it up, we just keep playing them massive mins with little to no rotations?

Can’t understand how Monty doesn’t see how simple all this is…

Huh? Monty needs to better manage the game with the personnel available to him. He’s been terrible at it for months now.

 

[BirdGangThing]

lmao just lmao - I'm betting Monty gets an extension between now and the end of next year and i'm gonna lmao even harder when people lose their ****

 

[Chaplin]

lmao just lmao - I'm betting Monty gets an extension between now and the end of next year and i'm gonna lmao even harder when people lose their ****

When you give a good reason to keep Monty, it will be the first time. Instead of attacking people for THEIR opinion, why don’t you provide your own with just a bit of substance?

 

[BirdGangThing]

When you give a good reason to keep Monty, it will be the first time. Instead of attacking people for THEIR opinion, why don’t you provide your own with just a bit of substance?

Calm down brochacho I didn't attack anybody I just laughed and I'm still laughing - truth is we played good with what we had last night and against a very stacked very well coached team but that 3rd quarter was simply insurmountable

 

[elindholm]

Ready by playoffs?! Okay. We’re done and knowing the Suns luck, will fall out into the lottery where the Nets definitely get Wemby.

Getting stung by the price of the Durant trade, whenever it happens, won't be bad "luck." It will have been a bad risk-reward analysis.

 

[elindholm]

Contrary to popular belief on this board, we are NOT an untalented team without Durant and Ayton, we've been in pretty much every single game and then either given up or Book has ran out of gas at the end. And this is all with Monty throwing out any crazy lineup he thinks might work. But there is no continuity at all with the bench -- and that's the one thing you need going into the playoffs.

So who gets the credit for making a team of Booker and G-leaguers competitive?

 

[95pro]

I understand what you are saying but huge lead swings are not uncommon in the NBA.

The Kings were fully healthy and probably took the Suns lightly in the first half, then stepped on the gas in the second half.

Honestly I forgot DA was on the team and that he was out. So I didn’t take that into account.

The kings didn’t even have their closer as he went out due to hamstring soreness I think.

 

[Chaplin]

So who gets the credit for making a team of Booker and G-leaguers competitive?

Come on Eric. I get you don't like our team but they aren't G-Leaguers.

 

[Mainstreet]

Honestly I forgot DA was on the team and that he was out. So I didn’t take that into account.

The kings didn’t even have their closer as he went out due to hamstring soreness I think.

You are right. De'Aaron Fox was out in the second half which made the game more winnable for the Suns.