Suns @ Pelicans Thursday game thread, December 5th, 2024

[Hoop Head]

And I think we didn’t even need a 3 ?

Nope. 2 for OT and 3 for the W. That's another reason I would have ran a play for Beal. He can get to the basket better than anyone. If he has a good look from 3, fine, but let him attack.

 

[95pro]

He should have gotten a shot up. It's weak to mention the 2 minute report as a player as well. Fans discussing that is one thing. He knows even if the league admits there was a bad or no call that the result won't change. The L stays regardless.


Any contact was incidental and not a true foul. Definitely not going to call it for him to potentially ice the game at the FT line.

Bud can also say Booker was the only option and ill credit him some for owning the mistake in that way but it was a very uncreative play design.

Ultimately it was the abysmal 3rd quarter that cost the Suns. Giving up 45 points is inexcusable.

We just don’t have that interior person we can go to as well, like an athletic center for a lob we can set back screens for.

 

[Suns_fan69]

We just don’t have that interior person we can go to as well, like an athletic center for a lob we can set back screens for.

I've been impressed with Oso's ups actually. He's an option for something like this.

 

[dscher]

Don’t care. They were 4-18 coming into the game. And we had a ten point halftime lead. And choked like dogs down the stretch.

Agreed. This team ain't it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It wasn't the worst non-call by any means but I do believe Booker was fouled and I think the call would have been made more often than not even at that point of the game. But who cares. A win or a loss against that team, either way, it's really meaningless. If we're truly a playoff team and if Booker is really a top 10 player we should have coasted to a double digit victory - especially since we were facing a mediocre even when healthy team that was having to integrate multiple returning players. And I am so sick of watching this team get out-physicaled. Soft bodies, soft minds, whatever, I'm just tired of it.

 

[hcsilla]

What time is it where you are watching the game?

At halftime tt was 3 am CET.

 

[Phrazbit]

He’s actually the SG version of Carmelo Anthony. But same basic difference.

I know what you're trying to convey, but you're just wrong, profoundly wrong.

Coaches utterly hated dealing with Carmelo Anthony, he couldn't draw outside talent to his teams, he was always looking for the easy way out, he was a constant distraction to his own teams.

Any comparison of Booker to him is ugly.

 

[Phrazbit]

Awful loss. Half the rotation are min contract guys and castoffs... you get what you pay for... unless you're paying for Durant, Beal or Nurkic, in that case you get screwed.

 

[Mainstreet]

At halftime tt was 3 am CET.

I admire your dedication as a Suns fan.

 

[leclerc]

Let's see if both Beal and Booker will get to 10 turn overs in this game. Very good start in that regard.

 

[Mainstreet]

It wasn't the worst non-call by any means but I do believe Booker was fouled and I think the call would have been made more often than not even at that point of the game. But who cares. A win or a loss against that team, either way, it's really meaningless. If we're truly a playoff team and if Booker is really a top 10 player we should have coasted to a double digit victory - especially since we were facing a mediocre even when healthy team that was having to integrate multiple returning players. And I am so sick of watching this team get out-physicaled. Soft bodies, soft minds, whatever, I'm just tired of it.

I mentioned before the game, the Pelicans starters were more impressive on paper than the Suns starters. It turned out to be true in reality as well.

There is such a fine line between winning and losing. Toughness can be the decider when all things are near equal. Unfortunately the Suns lack that, especially inside. Yes, the Suns are soft and often injured. I wish there was a way to fix it but it's the makeup of the team.

What did the tin man lack? I think it was a heart.

 

[leclerc]

I like the Allen Houston comparison.

 

[Superbone]

I mentioned before the game, the Pelicans starters were more impressive on paper than the Suns starters. It turned out to be true in reality as well.

There is such a fine line between winning and losing. Toughness can be the decider when all things are near equal. Unfortunately the Suns lack that, especially inside. Yes, the Suns are soft and often injured. I wish there was a way to fix it but it's the makeup of the team.

What did the tin man lack? I think it was a heart.

Yeah, Suns are trying to play finesse basketball (what else is new) in a grab and hold league.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I know what you're trying to convey, but you're just wrong, profoundly wrong.

Coaches utterly hated dealing with Carmelo Anthony, he couldn't draw outside talent to his teams, he was always looking for the easy way out, he was a constant distraction to his own teams.

Any comparison of Booker to him is ugly.

Nah… you’re just solely viewing Mello’s career through a prism of his years past his prime on New York/onward… and through rose colored Booker glasses, as always.

But no need to belabor the point. We’ve been down the road before. No need to do it again.

 

[Covert Rain]

Finally watched it on tape delay. Man oh man that 3rd quarter was brutal.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Last 2 Minute Report shows zero incorrect calls. It was considered marginal contact with Booker's right arm.

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[Superbone]

That's what they allow these days. Other teams take advantage of it. We do not.

 

[Mainstreet]

That's what they allow these days. Other teams take advantage of it. We do not.

In recent games, the Suns are getting called for a lot of touch fouls. It's especially noticeable when the basket is counted.

Apparently it's a one way street. I understand there is a difference in style of play, but a foul should be a foul.

It's hard to understand why the referees call touch fouls on one team and let the other team bludgeon the opponent without a call.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

In recent games, the Suns are getting called for a lot of touch fouls. It's especially noticeable when the basket is counted.

Apparently it's a one way street. I understand there is a difference in style of play, but a foul should be a foul.

It's hard to understand why the referees call touch fouls on one team and let the other team bludgeon the opponent without a call.

Cmon man, the inference here is that refs purposefully call things differently against the suns. It’s just not true. Our team is a bunch of jump shooters. Durant, Booker and beal made their living with midrange. Tyus is a below the basket limited athlete, Allen is a three point specialist, O’Neal takes more 3s that drives, oso doesn’t seek contact and dunn isn’t a good enough ballhandler to draw fouls (he usually commits them or gets stripped). Nurk is our only back to basket player and he’s earthbound. It’s really that simple.

 

[Mainstreet]

Cmon man, the inference here is that refs purposefully call things differently against the suns. It’s just not true. Our team is a bunch of jump shooters. Durant, Booker and beal made their living with midrange. Tyus is a below the basket limited athlete, Allen is a three point specialist, O’Neal takes more 3s that drives, oso doesn’t seek contact and dunn isn’t a good enough ballhandler to draw fouls (he usually commits them or gets stripped). Nurk is our only back to basket player and he’s earthbound. It’s really that simple.

I'm talking mostly how fouls are called against the Suns, not that they don't get to the free throw line.

I do think the referees sometimes call the game differently versus the Suns as contrasted with more physical teams. I'm not saying it's purposeful, but it happens.

Part of it could be due to the Suns style of play. They are not a physical team and do not give a lot of hard fouls. However, they frequently get called for a lot of touch fouls, the opponents regularly get away with.

If an opponent reaches and grabs all game long, the referees tend to ignore the more subtle fouls. I think it's human nature.

This does not excuse the Suns from not giving hard fouls to prevent the basket plus the foul. They give up a lot of those. So much so, it looks like the "and-one" call is back.

 

[GatorAZ]

Didn’t Book shoot 14 FT’s in this game? 8 more than anyone else?

 

[Phrazbit]

Nah… you’re just solely viewing Mello’s career through a prism of his years past his prime on New York/onward… and through rose colored Booker glasses, as always.

But no need to belabor the point. We’ve been down the road before. No need to do it again.

George Karl has not been shy about how much he utterly hated coaching Melo in Denver. D'Antoni openly hated him in New York.

Not only did star players avoid joining Melo, he also failed as a charity case. The dude only lasted a few weeks in Houston alongside Paul and Harden.

The comparison is a joke.

The only similarity is that they both have not won a title. So, they're similar in that respect... and not similar in regards to the opinion of their coaches, their peers, advanced stats and any measure of team success.

 

[1982baskets]

This is a good team when all of the big 3 are healthy, just not a contender that can win a title. Matt and the execs want to brainwash the public their moves were good enough to win a title by blaming coaching but it isn't the case. The team is just good not at a contending level like you see with Boston. Even last year's Wolves or Nuggets team would take a team like this out rather easily again. We may advance in the playoffs with the right match ups but this is not a championship level team, in my opinion. The sooner the Suns front office realises this the better.

 

[Superbone]

Just not enough intensity on the defensive end. We can't stop anybody. And then we don't know how to finish any teams offensively either.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Just not enough intensity on the defensive end. We can't stop anybody. And then we don't know how to finish any teams offensively either.

But other than poor defensive effort and an offense that disappears all too often, we're looking pretty good.