Suns @ Pelicans Thursday game thread 12-5-19

[BC867]

But correlating our defensive struggles with Booker getting... too many assists... that is some wild dot connecting.

You think so? At the start of this season, Booker's defense showed improvement when
he no longer had to involve the other players, because Rubio was here to do that.
Everyone was talking about that.

Expecting Book to score, distribute and defend is too much to ask for, as we've seen.
Understandably so. I am disappointed when I still see him bring the ball up. Or hear
quotes that he is trying to involve other players.

Score and defend and let your Point Guard handle distributing to the rest of the team.

With both Guards playing the defense necessary to win.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You think so? At the start of this season, Booker's defense showed improvement when
he no longer had to involve the other players, because Rubio was here to do that.
Everyone was talking about that.

Expecting Book to score, distribute and defend is too much to ask for, as we've seen.
Understandably so. I am disappointed when I still see him bring the ball up. Or hear
quotes that he is trying to involve other players.

Score and defend and let your Point Guard handle distributing to the rest of the team.

With both Guards playing the defense necessary to win.

Every guard brings the ball up at times. Even forwards do it.

 

[BC867]

Every guard brings the ball up at times. Even forwards do it.

Saying "at times" doesn't solve any problems. Exceptions are not the problem.

I watched Devin against the Rockets tonight bringing up the ball most of the time Rubio
was not on the court. Our backup Point Guards are not our backup Point Guards. Devin is.

The Suns need to find/decide on a legitimate backup Point Guard. So Devin is left to score
and play defense, as he did briefly at the start of the season. When we were winning!

The Suns lack of talented depth wears people out. Case in point -- Baynes. You can't
count on your 9-man rotation being available all season long. Expecting Booker to go
back to being a Point Guard at any time is showing its consequences.

The best free throw shooter in the league couldn't cut it tonight. The only cause of
that is fatigue. And it is still early in the season.

We fans have the luxury of expecting our team management to not take the lazy
way out and not run its star players into the ground. And we expect our ownership
to spend money wisely to have a talented roster. Frank The Tank missed so many
easy shots in the post tonight. Baynes could not handle being the lead Center.

Simply being better than the disaster of the past decade is not good enough.

Do you know when our current downfall began? When Robert Sarver went back
to his old ways and announced that he, the GM and the Head Coach are a
triangle of communications. Coincidence? Sadly, it was just a matter of time.

Only this time, we the fans though we had reason to get our hopes up.

I have had sincere hopes that the Suns would take the next step and make
the playoffs this season. The return of Ayton, and the resulting positive
domino effect, give us hope.

But knowing how the good teams are kept refreshed for the stretch run
and playoffs, just how we have been losing close games in the final few
minutes, I have tempered my expectations for the time when it will
matter most. That's sad! The Suns are not built for the long haul.

Not in a game. Not for the season. If I see otherwise, I will be the first
to applaud them.

 

[1Sun]

Saying "at times" doesn't solve any problems. Exceptions are not the problem.

I watched Devin against the Rockets tonight bringing up the ball most of the time Rubio
was not on the court. Our backup Point Guards are not our backup Point Guards. Devin is.

The Suns need to find/decide on a legitimate backup Point Guard. So Devin is left to score
and play defense, as he did briefly at the start of the season. When we were winning!

The Suns lack of talented depth wears people out. Case in point -- Baynes. You can't
count on your 9-man rotation being available all season long. Expecting Booker to go
back to being a Point Guard at any time is showing its consequences.

The best free throw shooter in the league couldn't cut it tonight. The only cause of
that is fatigue. And it is still early in the season.

We fans have the luxury of expecting our team management to not take the lazy
way out and not run its star players into the ground. And we expect our ownership
to spend money wisely to have a talented roster. Frank The Tank missed so many
easy shots in the post tonight. Baynes could not handle being the lead Center.

Simply being better than the disaster of the past decade is not good enough.

Do you know when our current downfall began? When Robert Sarver went back
to his old ways and announced that he, the GM and the Head Coach are a
triangle of communications. Coincidence? Sadly, it was just a matter of time.

Only this time, we the fans though we had reason to get our hopes up.

I have had sincere hopes that the Suns would take the next step and make
the playoffs this season. The return of Ayton, and the resulting positive
domino effect, give us hope.

But knowing how the good teams are kept refreshed for the stretch run
and playoffs, just how we have been losing close games in the final few
minutes, I have tempered my expectations for the time when it will
matter most. That's sad! The Suns are not built for the long haul.

Not in a game. Not for the season. If I see otherwise, I will be the first
to applaud them.

They never were. Not with their glaring lack of athleticism.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Saying "at times" doesn't solve any problems. Exceptions are not the problem.

I watched Devin against the Rockets tonight bringing up the ball most of the time Rubio
was not on the court. Our backup Point Guards are not our backup Point Guards. Devin is.

The Suns need to find/decide on a legitimate backup Point Guard. So Devin is left to score
and play defense, as he did briefly at the start of the season. When we were winning!

The Suns lack of talented depth wears people out. Case in point -- Baynes. You can't
count on your 9-man rotation being available all season long. Expecting Booker to go
back to being a Point Guard at any time is showing its consequences.

The best free throw shooter in the league couldn't cut it tonight. The only cause of
that is fatigue. And it is still early in the season.

We fans have the luxury of expecting our team management to not take the lazy
way out and not run its star players into the ground. And we expect our ownership
to spend money wisely to have a talented roster. Frank The Tank missed so many
easy shots in the post tonight. Baynes could not handle being the lead Center.

Simply being better than the disaster of the past decade is not good enough.

Do you know when our current downfall began? When Robert Sarver went back
to his old ways and announced that he, the GM and the Head Coach are a
triangle of communications. Coincidence? Sadly, it was just a matter of time.

Only this time, we the fans though we had reason to get our hopes up.

I have had sincere hopes that the Suns would take the next step and make
the playoffs this season. The return of Ayton, and the resulting positive
domino effect, give us hope.

But knowing how the good teams are kept refreshed for the stretch run
and playoffs, just how we have been losing close games in the final few
minutes, I have tempered my expectations for the time when it will
matter most. That's sad! The Suns are not built for the long haul.

Not in a game. Not for the season. If I see otherwise, I will be the first
to applaud them.

The Suns started playing bad because Sarver spoke up? Really?

Don’t cha think injuries—especially Baynes—might have had something to do with it? Maybe also a little overachieving early?

and please explain how the Suns are not built for the long haul.

 

[BC867]

The Suns started playing bad because Sarver spoke up? Really?

Don’t cha think injuries—especially Baynes—might have had something to do with it? Maybe also a little overachieving early?

and please explain how the Suns are not built for the long haul.

-- No, the Suns started playing badly because Sarver indicated that he is back to being involved in the on-court decisions, as a "triangle of communications" with the GM and Head Coach. We went
through that with Hornacek.

-- Of course we have to cope with injuries. But as far as overachieving, I think we played at our capacity to start the season. Granted we had heavy home court advantage.

-- We're not yet built for the long haul because our backups are weak. It will be alleviated when Ayton returns, but we can't plan that there will no more MIA's for the rest of the season.

 

[Phrazbit]

-- No, the Suns started playing badly because Sarver indicated that he is back to being involved in the on-court decisions, as a "triangle of communications" with the GM and Head Coach. We went
through that with Hornacek.

-- Of course we have to cope with injuries. But as far as overachieving, I think we played at our capacity to start the season. Granted we had heavy home court advantage.

-- We're not yet built for the long haul because our backups are weak. It will be alleviated when Ayton returns, but we can't plan that there will no more MIA's for the rest of the season.

Sarver never left the circle of decision making. His meddling is a reality we're going to have to deal with and hope can be over come.

That said, thinking his one throw away quote somehow sent the team into a spiral is, IMO, insane.

 

[BC867]

Sarver never left the circle of decision making. His meddling is a reality we're going to have to deal with and hope can be over come.

That said, thinking his one throw away quote somehow sent the team into a spiral is, IMO, insane.

How do you know that Sarver didn't step back for awhile amid the criticism?

And that his comment doesn't mean, "I'm baaaaack!"

All the fans can do is mention possibilities.

"Insane"? A bit of an overreaction, wouldn't you say?

 

[Phrazbit]

How do you know that Sarver didn't step back for awhile amid the criticism?

And that his comment doesn't mean, "I'm baaaaack!"

All the fans can do is mention possibilities.

"Insane"? A bit of an overreaction, wouldn't you say?

Yeah, I do think it’s crazy to think the players are at all effected by a quote I doubt many of them even heard.

And no, I don’t think this is Sarver announcing he is back... he never gave any indication that he left in the first place.