Suns@Kings

[Chaplin]

One thing I noticed is that Casspi appears to travel with the ball every time he touches it. Did anybody notice that? It was strange.

We lost this game because Pietrus just kept shooting, the rebounding was atrocious and Grant Hill was a no-show.

 

[95pro]

wow the new guys like to shoot a lot, peitrus and carter.

pietrus last 3 games:
3/12
4/12
5/8

carter's attemps iirc:
17
17
20


didnt see the game, another loss in the books.
i guess they think they can just come in and start jacking up shot after shot in this, supposedly, high-octane offense.

i've been concerned with pietrus' high number of attempts. i dont like it.

 

[jagu]

What an ugly game, and WTH, Channing Frye sucks. Just because he is big he gets minutes but he brings very little to the court if he can't shoot. 1-7 tonight.

 

[Folster]

Gentry needs to stop screwing around; the starting line-up should be Nash, Carter, Hill, Frye, and Gortat.

 

[tobiazz]

Peitrus's shot selection is definitely worrisome. He should never shoot off the dribble. Unfortunately, as he shoots more and has higher PPG even to the detriment of his FG%, he will probably up his value next off season so that he will be out of the Suns price range. I'd like to keep him around if Hill retires.

 

[JS22]

Oh funny Lopez again has a positive +/- while Gortat put up some total stats but had no impact at all and again weak rebounding.

Do you watch the games? Just wondering.

Wow, a +/- of +4 in 12 minutes. I guess that means Pietrus had a great game too, with his +7, right?

+/- is a completely worthless stat and yet you seem to be completely obsessed with it.

 

[Covert Rain]

Oh funny Lopez again has a positive +/- while Gortat put up some total stats but had no impact at all and again weak rebounding.

I have to wonder if you even watch the games. Lopez was HORRIBLE again playing defense. He had a couple stupid fouls and no blocks.

Oh....I almost forgot. With him starting both the 1st Qtr and the 3rd....he managed a whopping 2 rebounds. Yep....that's about right for him.

Getting 12 minutes with your starters is the only reason he has a good +/-. Seriously...I can't tell if your joking or dellusional.

Pietrus probably had his worst game for us so far and had an awesome plus minus.

Kinda of blows your +/- out the window doesn't it?

 

[AfroSuns]

Oh funny Lopez again has a positive +/- while Gortat put up some total stats but had no impact at all and again weak rebounding.

Did you actually watch the game? It goes to show how much BS this +/- is.
Painful loss, but it is better Gentry know you cant put that kind of lineup on the floor with a team like the Kings and get away with it. Kings shouldn't even be in this game if not for the rebounding.

 

[cly2tw]

Don't worry, after the ASB, we will take off like last year and make the WCF!

 

[JS22]

I already miss Richardson. I like what Gortat brings, but Peitrus needs to stop chucking unless he's hitting, and Carter looks injured.

 

[jibikao]

I don't understand why Pietrus gets to play that many minutes as soon as he gets here. Wasn't he a bench player in Magic?

Our shooting % looks pretty horrible. Besides Nash's 8/8 and Gortat, everyone else is well below 50%.

Did we just miss that many easy shots? Maybe the new focus is defense. Whoever plays better defense, gets to play more minutes?

 

[jibikao]

As usual, I didn't watch the game but what IS wrong with this team? I don't get it. Tonight the defense seems to be decent enough to cause Kings to commit 17 TOs but we seem to give up quite a few defensive rebounds? Where is the "big body" that we are supposed to have? Defensive rebound is like the most BASIC thing in basketball. You box out and grab that damn rebound. Did we give up rebounds on purpose to run? If so, what is our fast break point vs Kings'? Our shooting % is low so I doubt we gave up rebounds to run fast breaks.

This current lineup just seems like chemistry problem/rotation problem. I know they need time to mesh but how do you go from Childress not playing any minute for 2-3 game and now Warrick not playing for two games? I thought most people are excited about Warrick? You don't bench players just so you can "test" the new players. It should be the other way around! You bench the new players and slowly bring them into the rotation. I don't know this Pietrus guy but he was a bench player in Magic and now he is a starter with 30+ mins?

Suns seemed to be doing a bit better when they focus on players like Warrick, Childress, Dudley and Frye. If Vince Carter was brought here as "part of the deal", why is he playing so many minutes? And yes, I am biased when it comes to Vince Carter. I just don't like his game. Sorry.

 

[sunsfan88]

Gentry needs to stop screwing around; the starting line-up should be Nash, Carter, Hill, Frye, and Gortat.

Yea but Dragic sucks without Frye so they pair those two up. IMO both Lopez and Gortat should start just for the size.

Nah but seriously though. I really wanna know what's Gentry's reasoning about starting Pietrus as the PF against the #2 rebounding team in the NBA.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i'm starting to lose respect for Steve Nash if he's not making a stink about being shopped somewhere where the team a) will spend what it takes to win and b) has a clue on how to make that happen.

watching him rot on this team just ain't right and if it's right with him, then I lose some respect I have for him as a warrior.

 

[Folster]

i'm starting to lose respect for Steve Nash if he's not making a stink about being shopped somewhere where the team a) will spend what it takes to win and b) has a clue on how to make that happen.

watching him rot on this team just ain't right and if it's right with him, then I lose some respect I have for him as a warrior.

What contender would need to trade for Nash?
Boston: Rondo
Miami: nothing to trade
Orlando: Nelson and Arenas
Dallas: Kidd
San Antonio: Parker and Hill
Utah: Williams
New Orleans: Paul
OKC: Westbrook
Denver: Billups and Lawson
LAL: run the triangle and in our division
Atlanta: maybe, but are they convinced Nash puts them over the top.

Even NY isn't an option anymore with the way Felton is playing. Unless one of the top teams has their point guard go down, I don't see how trading Nash is possible, unless we gift him to the Heat or Lakers.

 

[BC867]

Having to play Grant Hill at Power Forward at this stage of the season is like waving a white flag.

Hey, maybe the Suns should just forfeit all of their road games and save wear and tear on Nash and Hill who are, at their ages, the two best players on the team.

 

[TBaslim]

Ugh. Bad loss, but not as bad as the 76er debacle. Team is showing more effort on defense. They were easily beating the Kings and got lazy and unfocused at the end of the 4th.

Too many new players right now, too many players needing minutes total, and bad rotations by Alvin.

Same story as all season so far...baring an injury, Suns could use a 2 or 3 for 1 trade for a starting PF. They managed to get a good center in Gortat, so there is some hope. Can they get a good PF now?

Fresh rumors on RealGM about Anthony Randolph for a 1st rd pick. Not a bad deal if it is Orlando's pick, but I'm not sold on Randolph as a keeper. But if he can play the PnR with Nash this season, go for it at this point if they cannot pry a Josh Smith-type away.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Oh funny Lopez again has a positive +/- while Gortat put up some total stats but had no impact at all and again weak rebounding.

Clearly you don't watch the games. Gortat is so much better than Lopez it isn't even funny.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Clearly you don't watch the games. Gortat is so much better than Lopez it isn't even funny.

And a lot of Robin's problem is between his ears. Did anybody catch that second foul by him. He set one of the most outrageous moving picks I've ever seen and then pulls the Tim Duncan shock routine when he gets called for it. The worst part about is that unlike Duncan, he wasn't working the refs, he simply doesn't know how to set a legal pick. When he's 40 years old he still won't know how to play this game.

Steve

 

[TBaslim]

I give it a few more games to see if they can gel and Gentry gets a handle on the rotations.

The best trade options before summer will come closer to the deadline vs now, as things settle out in the standings for teams.

I was hoping the Suns could get it together enough to be at least around the 8th seed by the deadline. Then trade for a PF and make a run into the Spring.

The do not seem to have gotten the memo on this great plan yet.

 

[elindholm]

Clearly you don't watch the games. Gortat is so much better than Lopez it isn't even funny.

I'm with slinslin on this one. Gortat is probably better than Lopez, but he sure ain't good, at least not yet. His inability to secure rebounds in traffic is frightening, and he has no offensive game at all unless Nash is spoonfeeding him. He's generally more aware on defense than Lopez, and he probably deserves some credit for the Suns' overall good defense the last (almost) two games. On the other hand, a big part of defense is getting the rebound, and he killed the Suns in that department tonight. At least when Stoudemire wasn't rebounding, it's because he was 15 feet from the basket and already headed to the other end. Gortat clogs up space, making it more difficult for any of his teammates to participate in the rebounding battle, but comes up with only about 1/4 of the balls he gets his hands on.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm with slinslin on this one. Gortat is probably better than Lopez, but he sure ain't good, at least not yet. His inability to secure rebounds in traffic is frightening, and he has no offensive game at all unless Nash is spoonfeeding him. He's generally more aware on defense than Lopez, and he probably deserves some credit for the Suns' overall good defense the last (almost) two games. On the other hand, a big part of defense is getting the rebound, and he killed the Suns in that department tonight. At least when Stoudemire wasn't rebounding, it's because he was 15 feet from the basket and already headed to the other end. Gortat clogs up space, making it more difficult for any of his teammates to participate in the rebounding battle, but comes up with only about 1/4 of the balls he gets his hands on.

Are you sure you're with slinslin on this? His point isn't just that Gortat leaves something to be desired, he's convinced that Lopez is better because of the +/- stats. Lopez is horrible out there. Gortat, HUGE WARTS and all, is a much better player than Robin. Marcin does seem to have trouble grabbing the loose balls/rebounds but his defense more than compensates when you compare him to a player that doesn't rebound and can't seem to play team defense.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

His point isn't just that Gortat leaves something to be desired, he's convinced that Lopez is better because of the +/- stats.

That's not my interpretation of slinslin's point. I think he's saying, "Lopez is better, and if you want evidence to back it up, look at the +/-."

Lopez is horrible out there. Gortat, HUGE WARTS and all, is a much better player than Robin.

It depends on the day, because Lopez is so erratic. Gortat was the better player today, but then again, Lopez didn't get much of a chance.

Marcin does seem to have trouble grabbing the loose balls/rebounds but his defense more than compensates

Did my eyes deceive me, or did Cousins light Gortat up for 28/8/6, by far the best game of his young career? I'll grant that Gortat shows more defensive awareness than Lopez, but so far I'd rate his defense as barely better than Frye's.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That's not my interpretation of slinslin's point. I think he's saying, "Lopez is better, and if you want evidence to back it up, look at the +/-."

He's made that +/- comment several times in the past few days trying to prove that Gortat is horrible and that Lopez is better. Nothing in his comments suggest to me that he's actually watching the game. Perhaps he is but having watched the games myself I find it hard to believe anyone not named Lopez could consider Robin the better player.

It depends on the day, because Lopez is so erratic. Gortat was the better player today, but then again, Lopez didn't get much of a chance.

This far in to the season I'd say Robin has been remarkably consistent. He's had what, maybe 3 decent games thus far? Granted, he's not logging a lot of minutes but every time I watch him play, I'm thrilled to see him head to the bench.

Did my eyes deceive me, or did Cousins light Gortat up for 28/8/6, by far the best game of his young career? I'll grant that Gortat shows more defensive awareness than Lopez, but so far I'd rate his defense as barely better than Frye's.

Well, first off, you took liberties with my comment. You cleverly left off part of a sentence which left me on the hook for a much grander statement than intended. Secondly, I think Frye's defense is better than it's credited to be and I'd agree, Gortat's defense isn't much better than Channing's. Right now, Gortat is probably no better than mediocre as a defender but that puts him at (or near) the top of the class on this team.

Steve

 

[desertdawg]

i'm starting to lose respect for Steve Nash if he's not making a stink about being shopped somewhere where the team a) will spend what it takes to win and b) has a clue on how to make that happen.

watching him rot on this team just ain't right and if it's right with him, then I lose some respect I have for him as a warrior.

The thrill is gone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF85Lt_e4DQ