Suns @ Rockets Wednesday game thread 2-12-2024

[Superbone]

I'm ready to start either Ty Ty or Gillespie and see if that minimizes the turnovers.

I like that they are both aggressive and that they hunt down rebounds.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Veryyyyy sad disapointed on suns yr

Im expectin a l vs spurs to prob

Just unreallll how far set the suns have fallen

Fut not lookin bright unless drasticccc changes made

F grade on season so far

 

[BirdGangThing]

whatever the suns have - tyus caught it too - turning the ball over beyond uncharacteristically - everybody that comes here lol - three different coaches - don't matter

 

[95pro]

Force feeding KD is not the answer. If he's open, great! But with three guys swarming him, make the smart play as there will be somebody wide open. The Suns just don't play smart basketball. Either Bud is not a very good coach or the players aren't listening to him.

Its the KD affect.

 

[SirStefan32]

I understand people pooping on Durant, I really do. However, they look WORSE without KD. I just don't get it. Whoever I try to blame, there is a perfectly reasonable counter-argument.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Force feeding KD is not the answer. If he's open, great! But with three guys swarming him, make the smart play as there will be somebody wide open. The Suns just don't play smart basketball. Either Bud is not a very good coach or the players aren't listening to him.

It doesn't help that KD just stands there without a good seal and doesn't come to the ball. Players are draped all over him and teammates are forced to try to lob it over which is ripe for getting picked off. Book does a better job of cutting around and coming back to the ball in those scenarios.

 

[95pro]

I understand people pooping on Durant, I really do. However, they look WORSE without KD. I just don't get it. Whoever I try to blame, there is a perfectly reasonable counter-argument.

I actually enjoyed watching the last two games without KD. Then last night, no Book and no Beal(obviously...is this guy insurable? LOL), back to the same unwatchable basketball for me.

With KD 24-17.
With KD and Book, 8-0.
With KD and no Book, 6-8.

Without KD 2-11.

Record does support what you are saying though.

Least BolBol and TyTy have been refreshing.

 

[mjb21aztd]

I look forward to any suns day off this crappyyyy shiatty season thats refreshinggg lol)))

Sad vibes in suns land

Bye bye bud i hope in offseason

 

[Hoop Head]

I understand people pooping on Durant, I really do. However, they look WORSE without KD. I just don't get it. Whoever I try to blame, there is a perfectly reasonable counter-argument.

Because he cost 2 starters, a Sixth Man, and a plethora of picks. If we could have recouped most of that in the form of Butler, Kuminga, and picks then we'd be a more complete team. Ever since Durant has been here we've been plugging holes in the roster with the same resources most teams use for the very end of their bench.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I understand people pooping on Durant, I really do. However, they look WORSE without KD. I just don't get it. Whoever I try to blame, there is a perfectly reasonable counter-argument.

They often look MUCH worse without Durant but he's also a big part of our late game collapses. He's still a great individual talent but when the defense focuses on him he makes bad decisions. Putting up 37 points is great but 7 turnovers from a forward position is an absolute killer.

And Devin often does the same thing, puts up huge numbers but has a half dozen live ball turnovers that negate much of what he's done. So, yeah, I don't know who in the world to blame for why we are so much less than the sum of our parts.

 

[Cheesebeef]

They often look MUCH worse without Durant but he's also a big part of our late game collapses. He's still a great individual talent but when the defense focuses on him he makes bad decisions. Putting up 37 points is great but 7 turnovers from a forward position is an absolute killer.

And Devin often does the same thing, puts up huge numbers but has a half dozen live ball turnovers that negate much of what he's done. So, yeah, I don't know who in the world to blame for why we are so much less than the sum of our parts.

Blame lays with both of those guys who are all-time (KD) to very good to great (Booker), but nothing more. Not leaders. Not guys who can control an offense. So it’s on them and our FO who thought they’d be able to run the team (boy was I wrong here).

 

[SirStefan32]

Because he cost 2 starters, a Sixth Man, and a plethora of picks. If we could have recouped most of that in the form of Butler, Kuminga, and picks then we'd be a more complete team. Ever since Durant has been here we've been plugging holes in the roster with the same resources most teams use for the very end of their bench.

I don't completely disagree, but I think you are overstating some things. Grayson, Royce, Tyus are not "end of the bench" guys. I wonder if Beal's salary is what's causing the issue you are describing rather than KD. Wouldn't having that cap space be more valuable that getting rid of KD? You remove KD, and you still have the problem of two same players, one of which is always hurt?

 

[GatorAZ]

KD’s court vision outside of scoring has always been a weakness. It’s why nobody puts him on the same level of LeBron and Bird when it comes to pantheon forwards. It will be interesting to see his mindset this summer when it comes to working with the Suns on going to his next team. He’s already using slave labor terms regarding player movement so the grounds are being laid for a messy divorce but that’s the NBA. The fact that he’s trying to make it seem like stars of his caliber don’t dictate their destinations is laughable but expected. Buckle up for a dramatic summer that will determine the future of the franchise.

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't completely disagree, but I think you are overstating some things. Grayson, Royce, Tyus are not "end of the bench" guys. I wonder if Beal's salary is what's causing the issue you are describing rather than KD. Wouldn't having that cap space be more valuable that getting rid of KD? You remove KD, and you still have the problem of two same players, one of which is always hurt?

We saw what KD and Book could accomplish before Beal arrived. KD's presence got us in the Beal hunt also. It starts with adding KD. Everything since then has been patchwork to stop the bleeding.

Royce is good, Grayson has been a liability most of this season, and Tyus is a backup at best. They're role players who don't push us one way or the other since they all play positions the mid 3 play.

 

[SirStefan32]

We saw what KD and Book could accomplish before Beal arrived. KD's presence got us in the Beal hunt also. It starts with adding KD. Everything since then has been patchwork to stop the bleeding.

Royce is good, Grayson has been a liability most of this season, and Tyus is a backup at best. They're role players who don't push us one way or the other since they all play positions the mid 3 play.

Yeah, I have to disagree with that. It's fine to assign some blame to KD, but to place it all on KD is just not a serious argument. In my opinion, the Suns' situation is a lot more complex and nuanced than "KD bad." Beal is eating 35% of the salary cap space. At the very minimum, the Suns would have been able to get a couple of good role players via MLEs the last couple of years had Beal not been acquired. It's reasonable to say that KD is a problem, but he is not the problem nor is he the source of everything wrong with the Suns. There is plenty of blame to go around.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yeah, I have to disagree with that. It's fine to assign some blame to KD, but to place it all on KD is just not a serious argument. In my opinion, the Suns' situation is a lot more complex and nuanced than "KD bad." Beal is eating 35% of the salary cap space. At the very minimum, the Suns would have been able to get a couple of good role players via MLEs the last couple of years had Beal not been acquired. It's reasonable to say that KD is a problem, but he is not the problem nor is he the source of everything wrong with the Suns. There is plenty of blame to go around.

I'm not blaming everything on KD. I said this team's woes can all be traced back to trading for KD. Of course the blame can be spread around, he's not playing 1 on 5 out there. That's where we got locked into being mediocre.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not blaming everything on KD. I said this team's woes can all be traced back to trading for KD. Of course the blame can be spread around, he's not playing 1 on 5 out there. That's where we got locked into being mediocre.

100%.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not blaming everything on KD. I said this team's woes can all be traced back to trading for KD. Of course the blame can be spread around, he's not playing 1 on 5 out there. That's where we got locked into being mediocre.

What people tend to forget, the Suns were loaded when they made the trade for Durant. The Suns were ready to take the next step but went out chasing an aging star with a history of injury.

The Suns had Booker, Bridges, Johnson, Ayton to name a few, plus all their draft picks and expiring contracts. They were primed to add to that team, but instead went for flash over substance and squandered their assets for years to come.

 

[CardNots]

What people tend to forget, the Suns were loaded when they made the trade for Durant. The Suns were ready to take the next step but went out chasing an aging star with a history of injury.

The Suns had Booker, Bridges, Johnson, Ayton to name a few, plus all their draft picks and expiring contracts. They were primed to add to that team, but instead went for flash over substance and squandered their assets for years to come.

Looking backwards it’s pretty evident when we picked up the nail in the tire.