Suns Slow In 4th Quarter

[arthurracoon]

Crunch time was a strength last year.

This year the Suns are bad in the 4th Q.

Why?

 

[arthurracoon]

I think it is that the pressure defense is not as effective this year as we don't have Bo. The pressure defense worked very well, and gave the Suns many easy shots in the 4th Q.

 

[George O'Brien]

Pressure Defense

Assuming that it was Bo and the pressure defense, then maybe the Suns should play Barbosa in the 4th quarter.

One of the problems against the Pacers was that the Suns stopped looking for the open man. Even in the fourth quarter, Williams was open and guys took tough shots instead. The Suns players should be passing to Williams as long as he is hitting those shots and the opponents are overplaying Amare.

 

[Joe Mama]

Re: Pressure Defense

Originally posted by George O'Brien
Assuming that it was Bo and the pressure defense, then maybe the Suns should play Barbosa in the 4th quarter.

One of the problems against the Pacers was that the Suns stopped looking for the open man. Even in the fourth quarter, Williams was open and guys took tough shots instead. The Suns players should be passing to Williams as long as he is hitting those shots and the opponents are overplaying Amare.

I agree George. This Phoenix Suns team tends to get very selfish in the fourth quarter. This team also has a habit of forgetting to the hot player is. Of course it doesn't help when the coach frequently pulls the hot player before he has cooled down.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

Of course it doesn't help when the coach frequently pulls the hot player before he has cooled down.

I have been troubled by FJ's substitution cycle as well. Too often it seems as if he has a rigid substitution plan set before the game and sticks to it even when someone is hot.

One of the things that has always impressed me about Don Nelson is that you know he as good reason for everything he does - goes with the hot shooter, tries to create matchup problems, style shifts, etc. FJ has not proven he has the same intuitive grasp that a 25 year plus coach like Nelson has.

 

[matt_whitlock]

I feel like a broken record, but there's no denying that the only difference between the fourth quarter this year and the fourth quarter last year is the shooting guard spot. Sure, Marbury hasn't been shooting well lately, and Marion has been non-existent as a scorer, but that might all change if Penny was in there to help them out instead of Joe Johnson out there trying to pad his scoring stats, and failing miserably.

We were down by 8 with 1:50 to go when Penny got into the game last night in the fourth. I really don't understand how JJ could have such a horrible game as he had, and Penny comes in, runs the offense, makes 67% of his shots, throws ally-oops to Shawn Marion, and still sits almost the entire fourth quarter. It completely boggles my mind.

 

[jbeecham]

Yes folks, Penny Hardaway is the answer to all of the problems the Suns are having. Play him 48 minutes a game and the Suns will go 66-0 the rest of the season. I don't know why Frank Johnson doesn't realize this.........didn't someone send him therealhardaway's memo?

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Wasn't Frank Johnson known as "4th Quarter Frank" during his playing career? Might as well send him out there!

 

[George O'Brien]

Shawn

Shawn Marion had been improving as a shooter over the past few years, but he may be the biggest victim of the "Zone the Suns" campaign. He is best when attacking the basket and taking wide open jumpers. He is awful when trying to hit contested jumpers. Yes the Suns miss some open jumpers, but their biggest problem is that they don't get very many and rush their shots when they do get them.

Solution? Everyone talks about moving without the ball, but it takes good interior passing to make it work and the Suns are not a great passing team.

One was to beat the zone is to get the opposing center out from under the basket. Scott Williams is open almost every play because of the way teams play zone -- so I would feed him the ball until we get opponents to come out and cover him. Once that happens, then Shawn and Amare can have room to operate.

 

[Joe Mama]

Re: Shawn

Originally posted by George O'Brien
Shawn Marion had been improving as a shooter over the past few years, but he may be the biggest victim of the "Zone the Suns" campaign. He is best when attacking the basket and taking wide open jumpers. He is awful when trying to hit contested jumpers. Yes the Suns miss some open jumpers, but their biggest problem is that they don't get very many and rush their shots when they do get them.

Solution? Everyone talks about moving without the ball, but it takes good interior passing to make it work and the Suns are not a great passing team.

One was to beat the zone is to get the opposing center out from under the basket. Scott Williams is open almost every play because of the way teams play zone -- so I would feed him the ball until we get opponents to come out and cover him. Once that happens, then Shawn and Amare can have room to operate.

That's true George. As I wrote earlier in this thread or some other one of the things I really don't like about this team is that they fail to ride the hot hand. IMO there are primarily to people to blame for this. They are the head coach and Marbury.

Too often I've seen the team on a tear only to have Frank Johnson make a substitution or two that breaks it. I've also seen a player or two get hot only to have Marbury decide he wants to get going also. I think he needs to do a better job of feeding the hot hand.

So far this season Scott Williams is shooting an incredible 62.5% from the field. Those are mostly open jumpers. I think Amare Stoudemire could do the same thing. When that 10-15 foot shot is uncontested he has been knocking it down with regularity. Once the defenders start jumping out on him he should be able to blow right by them.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaplin]

Re: Re: Shawn

Originally posted by Joe Mama

Too often I've seen the team on a tear only to have Frank Johnson make a substitution or two that breaks it.
Joe Mama

That has been very noticable this season, especially with our SG position. We'll have a few plays where jj or Penny play well, and then Frank subs them out. I'm wondering if subs are set and he doesn't substitute based on what they are doing out there.