Suns @ Trail Blazers 12-6-18

[Mainstreet]

Time stops for no one as they say as the Suns travel to Portland to play the Trail Blazers on Thursday evening at 8 p.m Arizona time.

The Suns (4-20) have lost six games in a row while the Trail Blazers (13-11) have lost three in a row. One team gets well and my guess it's not the Suns.

Television coverage will be provided by FSAZ.

The Suns come back home to play Miami on Friday.

 

[Mainstreet]

It looks like the Suns will be missing Booker and Warren for the Portland and Miami games.

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[Suns_fan69]

This isn't going to be pretty.

 

[Superbone]

This isn't going to be pretty.

If the Kings can laugh us out of our own gym before the first quarter is over, what are the Blazers going to do to us? <shudder>

 

[Mainstreet]

I suspect it will be like going to a horror film except it's real.

 

[sunsfan88]

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What is it in the waters in Arizona that has their professional athletes just dogging it out there? Kokoskov mentioned something about effort after the last game as well.

I can understand players having a bad day shooting the ball or something but for the ridiculously insane amount of money that they get paid for putting a ball in a hoop, I expect to see effort every single game with an exception here or there for the back to back games and such.

 

[Errntknght]

Does anyone remember if Philly was so lackluster when they were in their tanking streak... I never watched one of the their games...

Shoot, we are going to have to get Booker and Warren back before teams can underestimate us...

 

[AzStevenCal]

What is it in the waters in Arizona that has their professional athletes just dogging it out there? Kokoskov mentioned something about effort after the last game as well.

I can understand players having a bad day shooting the ball or something but for the ridiculously insane amount of money that they get paid for putting a ball in a hoop, I expect to see effort every single game with an exception here or there for the back to back games and such.

Well, for the Suns they know they are a bad team so confidence is far from high. And with our two best players out of the lineup, the rest of the guys appear to enter the game dejected and already beaten.

 

[sunsfan88]

Well, for the Suns they know they are a bad team so confidence is far from high. And with our two best players out of the lineup, the rest of the guys appear to enter the game dejected and already beaten.

If you notice, that tweet is from far before when Booker and Warren are out of the lineup.

I've watched every game this season and there has been more than just a few games in which the players come out with little effort even with everyone healthy and in the lineup.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If you notice, that tweet is from far before when Booker and Warren are out of the lineup.

I've watched every game this season and there has been more than just a few games in which the players come out with little effort even with everyone healthy and in the lineup.

I didn't notice it but I was talking in general. From probably the 4th game on this season they simply don't believe they can win. And obviously, it's even worse when Booker and or Warren are out.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Well, for the Suns they know they are a bad team so confidence is far from high. And with our two best players out of the lineup, the rest of the guys appear to enter the game dejected and already beaten.

If ayton’s defeatist attitude is indicative of the rest of the team I’m not even sure they care.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I didn't notice it but I was talking in general. From probably the 4th game on this season they simply don't believe they can win.

this is such a sad statement... about the team, the coach and the players on it.

 

[sunsfan88]

I didn't notice it but I was talking in general. From probably the 4th game on this season they simply don't believe they can win. And obviously, it's even worse when Booker and or Warren are out.

And that falls on effort. I give a guy like Holmes a lot of credit for battling every night and playing effort on the mins he's on the floor. I wish the high profile players on the team brought that type of effort.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If ayton’s defeatist attitude is indicative of the rest of the team I’m not even sure they care.

Every time I watch Ayton I keep going back to that quote of his that I took issue with over the summer. I forget who was interviewing him but at the end, the NBA player with the mic offered him a chance to ask his own question. Ayton's question was "how do you stay motivated once you get paid".

 

[AzStevenCal]

And that falls on effort. I give a guy like Holmes a lot of credit for battling every night and playing effort on the mins he's on the floor. I wish the high profile players on the team brought that type of effort.

Sure. Effort is clearly a problem. But I know how much harder it is to get up for a game when you know that no matter what you do, you're going to get pounded. Some players can rise above that but IMO the majority can't. It's not a good excuse for their lack of effort but it's all I've got.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Every time I watch Ayton I keep going back to that quote of his that I took issue with over the summer. I forget who was interviewing him but at the end, the NBA player with the mic offered him a chance to ask his own question. Ayton's question was "how do you stay motivated once you get paid".

that was definitely a needle-scratch moment for a lot us back then and only gets louder the longer he plays with a lack of fire or fight.

 

[AzStevenCal]

this is such a sad statement... about the team, the coach and the players on it.

It is, and I have no reasonable fix. Like most fans, I always know just what it would take to turn things around for my team but I'm at a loss here. I have no idea how to fix this other than Zion and praying for time. Lots of time.

 

[Mainstreet]

If I were looking at the Suns team impartially, my first take is to think they have given up on their coach. Certainly the Suns are bad but they play so passively it's easy to reach this conclusion.

Of course there are other options, there might be a player(s) poisoning the chemistry on the team.

Also there could be some kickback from the team and coaching staff about the firing of McDonough. We know very little about the firing and what transpired behind closed doors.

Until more is learned we can only guess but it's more than a point guard issue.

 

[Western Font]

The Suns needs a captain. It’s Booker’s team, but I think he’s the star, not the captain.

 

[sunsfan88]

Sure. Effort is clearly a problem. But I know how much harder it is to get up for a game when you know that no matter what you do, you're going to get pounded. Some players can rise above that but IMO the majority can't. It's not a good excuse for their lack of effort but it's all I've got.

It doesn’t really matter because they get paid very generously to put in effort for every game.

There’s been games in which some effort would’ve made it at least a competitive game instead of blowouts and we never saw it there either.

 

[Yuma]

You can't coach effort? Who says? Vince Lombardi would NEVER say that! As a coach you motivate players in different ways. Playing time is one. You give effort or you sit. Now it's the NBA and you probably can't do that for long and keep your job. You can make practices longer until you see effort in the games, and then reward them by lessening those practices. There's MANY ways to coach effort. I have always thought a coach saying that is a cop out.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Every time I watch Ayton I keep going back to that quote of his that I took issue with over the summer. I forget who was interviewing him but at the end, the NBA player with the mic offered him a chance to ask his own question. Ayton's question was "how do you stay motivated once you get paid".

A collection of his sound bytes give us alternating reasons for concern (how to stay motivated, finesse player, I was in awe of him, we knew weren’t going to win), and what I increasingly fear is false hope (I need to be more aggressive, I’m going to steal that from Embiid, I’m going to keep learning).

 

[BC867]

It doesn’t really matter because they get paid very generously to put in effort for every game.

Granted, what professional athletes are getting paid is obscene. But they are also building a resume to their next contract, in most cases.

The Suns are specifically loaded with players who are either very young or past their prime. And nothing in between.

Right now, the Suns are (and have been for too long) losers. This season, even worse than those before. That's what the low morale on the team is about.

 

[Mainstreet]

It looks like Igor will consider starting Melton.

Kokoskov confirmed there’s a chance rookie De’Anthony Melton could start at point guard for Okobo after scoring a career-high 21 points against the Kings, but he isn’t trying to overreact and making changes off of one performance.

“He had a decent game,” Kokoskov said. “He changed a lot of things on the court. He made some shots. I’m happy for him, but again, we have to be very, very cautious and understanding he’s still a rookie. He’s going to have some ups and downs.”

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...-spirit-after-lopsided-loss-kings/2219934002/

 

[BC867]

It looks like Igor will consider starting Melton.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...-spirit-after-lopsided-loss-kings/2219934002/

Translation: I'm desperate. I'd start The Gorilla if he had a good night.