Suns @ Timberwolves Sunday game thread, November 17th, 2024

[Hoop Head]

Hmm...did Julius Randle's Suns-killing three-point-shot seem anything like Tim Duncan's in 2008? I'll bet that no one who would answer is capable of ignoring that this wasn't a playoff game. But the startlement factor: were you caught by surprise in any degree like in 2008?

Nothing alike. Randle averages 5 attempts a game from deep and 2 makes. He also created his own shot and wasn't fed for an open look. Absolutely no relation to Duncan's shot from 16 years ago.

Not everything has some historical connection and some suggestions like Randle's 3 is akin to Duncan's is a huge reach. Highlights are available online everywhere now so this can't just be chalked up to box score watching as much as attempting to create a connection out of thin air. If would make as more sense to compare it to Blake Griffin in 2014, because it won't matter after the next game.

 

[Suns_fan69]

L2M Report

official.nba.com

TLR - Correct No Call on the Randle forearm, but they missed that Randle traveled before releasing the shot.

 

[Mainstreet]

L2M Report

official.nba.com

TLR - Correct No Call on the Randle forearm, but they missed that Randle traveled before releasing the shot.

The off-arm was still deemed illegal contact on the correct non-call.

 

[clyde2tw]

L2M Report

official.nba.com

TLR - Correct No Call on the Randle forearm, but they missed that Randle traveled before releasing the shot.

‘Okogie is not dislodged from his defensive position as a result of illegal contact from Randle.’
The contact by Randle is deemed illegal. But Okogie was strong enough to hold his position.

Last Two-Minute Report

From the clip it's clear, Okogie was very close to Randle with perfect legal moves, Randle stepped into JO's direction and pushed with forearm into his body. No way JO could still keep balance there.

 

[Superbone]

‘Okogie is not dislodged from his defensive position as a result of illegal contact from Randle.’
The contact by Randle is deemed illegal. But Okogie was strong enough to hold his position.

In other words, not rewarding selling the call?

 

[1tinsoldier]

i didn't say ai wasn't clutch! i said he and the others were not winners because they were 1on1 in the clutch instead of taking advantage of team ball!

and you know who's not on that list of 30 clutch shooters? Booker, shooting 25% from 3 in the final minute in the past couple of seasons, but i didn't need to dig any deeper because anyone without rose-colored glasses has seen him chuck wild 3pt shots when we only need 1 or 2 to win about a dozen times in recent years

-- and lead historic collapses in clutch playoff games after "Booker's team" had the worst record in the league for a couple of seasons
-- and last season, lead the Suns to the 3rd(?) worst close-out record for any team in NBA history!!!

even Ann Meyers criticized the last half dozen isolation plays last night and Book himself said 3 days ago that he wasn't going to force shots like the old Book anymore

i understand that Book is still the fan favorite and that's fine. Loving basketball doesn't have to be about winning. It can just be about rooting for your favorite player.

but covering your eyes when it comes to obvious flaws in your favorite player (and bullying those who don't) while not hesitating to pick out other scapegoats for losses is hypocritical, to say the least.

if your boy puts the ball in the basket for 44, you're not allowed to admit they blew it in the end. again. and again.

 

[1tinsoldier]

The players who aren't fan favorites, like Nurkic, are more freely blamed (who i believe is a better than average center who doesn't work out well with some match-ups. Bud just needs to call plays so that he isn't standing unguarded behind the 3pt line feeling obligated to take the shot).

like i said. i'd trade Booker for Jalen Brunson -- even if we had to add someone else to the deal. imo, Booker would be happier to be there anyway. To me, he rarely seems happy the past 2 years. And that can't be good for team morale.

 

[Mainstreet]

In other words, not rewarding selling the call?

More like not calling the second half the same as the first half.

 

[Mainstreet]

The players who aren't fan favorites, like Nurkic, are more freely blamed (who i believe is a better than average center who doesn't work out well with some match-ups).

like i said. i'd trade Booker for Jalen Brunson -- even if we had to add someone else to the deal. imo, Booker would be happier to be there anyway. To me, he rarely seems happy the past 2 years. And that can't be good for team morale.

The Suns can't aggregate players in a trade as a second apron tax team.

Maybe you should know this if you are trying to start a fire.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here is a look at the Suns court before the game tonight.

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[Superbone]

More like not calling the second half the same as the first half.

Well, that too. And they called Allen for a push off moments before.

 

[1tinsoldier]

The Suns can't aggregate players in a trade as a second apron tax team.

Maybe you should know this if you are trying to start a fire.

i don't even know what "aggregate" means
and i can only assume "second apron" is a reference to 2 cooks in the kitchen but i don't know what that has to do with basketball

i'm not starting a fire, i'm commenting on the flames
flame-outs in particular, the past 3 seasons (Milwaukee 4 in a row, Dallas 2 blowouts, and a Minny sweep in the 1st round after a historic season close-out record low)
even more specifically, a max-player who keeps repeating the same crunch-time blunders while the coaches are replaced every year or 2

don't get me wrong. I'm still standing up near the screen at the end of games, urging Booker's wild 3pt attempts and drives through 2 or 3 players to succeed

and you'll notice i never even mentioned the running air-ball last game, because that was a good shot attempt
nor have i ever complained specifically about any of Book's poor shooting nights
every player is entitled

but i did mention his -29 differential a couple of days ago because that reflects defense too
which, btw, reminds me of an article i read towards the end of last season that specified opponents driving around Booker as the Suns greatest defensive weakness last season
and an article i read this month about the Suns blowing the team up and trading him to N.Y. if the team doesn't gel by mid-season

 

[1tinsoldier]

also, as evidence, Booker got us within 2 games of a championship because the perfect remedy for what ails him/us was one of the best bb-iq floor generals in history calling the shots in crunchtime -- but he was beat up after the long playoff run

just like our #1 close-out start of this season with Durant calling the shots.
but, ultimately, though he's better at 1 on 1, Durant won't get us further in the playoffs with 1 on 1
the best TEAM wins a 7 game series