Suns @ Trail Blazers 4-4-14

[Catlover]

Lately, our leading and most "consistent" rebounder has been P.J.

That is why I didn't include Plumlee on my short list of consistent Suns players. Y'know, the ones you can count on just about every game, no matter what time of the season.

For whatever reason, Plum didn't reach that plateau.

You'd think so given all the negative comments on Plumlee of late but I just don't think this is true. Miles has much better per 36 rebound numbers than PJ for the season (almost 4 more per game and he's also grabbed more total rebounds (unadjusted) over the last 10 games despite playing fewer minutes. Miles is our best rebounder. Plumlee had that horrible game in LA where he only grabbed 2 boards but he also only played 10 minutes that game. PJ has more than matched him in the inconsistency department though as he has a recent game with just 1 board.

I watched a pre-game or post-game show a few weeks ago and they asked PJ why he'd been rebounding so well this season. He said that they told the big guys to just put a body on their man and let him and the guards come in and grab the boards. If you watch for it, you'll see that at least a third of his rebounds come from his teammates blocking out for him. He also barges in there and bangs with the best of them but some of his numbers are gifts from Miles and Channing.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't think Frye boxes out more than 3 times a game (excluding FT attempts). And out of those 3 times, two of them is probably when he's matched up against a guard or something.

 

[Catlover]

I don't think Frye boxes out more than 3 times a game (excluding FT attempts). And out of those 3 times, two of them is probably when he's matched up against a guard or something.

What is your opinion based on? I see him blocking out regularly and apparently so does Tucker. Is it possible you're watching all your games on a broken iPhone or maybe an Etch a Sketch? Anyway, one of us is way off base. And I do mean way off base because I would have put his minimum number of block-outs much higher. I'll watch and specifically look for it in the next game to see if it's me.

 

[sunsfan88]

What is your opinion based on? I see him blocking out regularly and apparently so does Tucker. Is it possible you're watching all your games on a broken iPhone or maybe an Etch a Sketch? Anyway, one of us is way off base. And I do mean way off base because I would have put his minimum number of block-outs much higher. I'll watch and specifically look for it in the next game to see if it's me.

No I just don't think Frye plays a key role in us getting rebounds. And I could be wrong but I don't think Tucker mentioned Frye by name. He very well could have just been talking about Plumlee & the Morris twins.

 

[Catlover]

No I just don't think Frye plays a key role in us getting rebounds. And I could be wrong but I don't think Tucker mentioned Frye by name. He very well could have just been talking about Plumlee & the Morris twins.

No, you're right, he didn't mention Frye or anyone by name that I recall. He just referred to the big guys.

 

[Catlover]

I don't think Frye boxes out more than 3 times a game (excluding FT attempts). And out of those 3 times, two of them is probably when he's matched up against a guard or something.

Okay, I am re-watching the Portland game and it's near the end of the first quarter and Frye only has one real block-out. Fewer than I would have expected but by the same token, he has yet to fail to block out too. He's gone after the board when he should and the one time he needed to block out, he did. He's played less this quarter than usual due to foul trouble but the only one struggling with the block-out is Plumlee. That's due mostly to Robin Lopez doing such a great job attacking as the shot goes up rather than lack of effort by Miles but he does need to get his body on his man earlier so he doesn't give his opponent so much room to work.

I probably should add this to that other thread about Green being athletic but I just re-watched one of Gerald's great moments in this game. I was surprised that no one talked much about it when the game was live. With about a minute and a half to go in the 1st quarter he starts to go into a jump-shot and the defense changes his mind. There isn't one other player in the game, IMO, that could have stopped his jump like that without traveling. It's incredible the body control he has and that is very much a part of athleticism. If you haven't seen it, watch it. It's amazing (and funny too). Much more impressive than his later dunk where he bounces the ball off the backboard to himself.

 

[sunsfan88]

Really hope he doesn't play for the Slovenian National team this summer, with his style of play, it's only a matter of time before he burns out.

I don't think he wants to play for the national team this summer because of fatigue but he is worried about how that would affect his image back home in Slovenia which is understandable.

Sometimes, it is too many games,” Dragic said. “I still have to sit down with my national team and talk with them about making a decision if I’m going to play or not. I’m thinking more toward not playing and trying to get my body some rest to be fresher for the next season.

“That is hard because, back home, all the people judge you that you have so much money and you’re a star and now you don’t want to play for the national team. That bothers me a little bit but those people don’t know how the season goes, how many games it is and being in a different hotel every night. I’m more on the plane than in my car.”


http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....ragic-may-not-play-in-world-cup-for-slovenia/

 

[Catlover]

I don't think he wants to play for the national team this summer because of fatigue but he is worried about how that would affect his image back home in Slovenia which is understandable.

Nice link, thanks. Maybe it's time for McDonough to help him out and officially ask him to not play in the summer. I'm not really sure how much power the team has or whether the NBA would frown on that kind of involvement (worries about offending the international audience Stern worked so hard to connect to) but I can just imagine the kind of pressure to represent his home country that Dragic faces.